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The Red Thread of Forever Love (Not Quite New Year)
by
Nicole Kimberling (Goodreads Author)
A "Not Quite New Year" Story!
Folklore researcher and PhD candidate Hank Caldwell has a problem. He’s come to Japan to get information for his book on supernatural creatures called yokai. Along the way he discovers that yokai are not only real, but one of them is determined to make Hank his forever lover.
Translator Daisuke Tachibana knows all about the shadowy figure in a b...more
Folklore researcher and PhD candidate Hank Caldwell has a problem. He’s come to Japan to get information for his book on supernatural creatures called yokai. Along the way he discovers that yokai are not only real, but one of them is determined to make Hank his forever lover.
Translator Daisuke Tachibana knows all about the shadowy figure in a b...more
ebook, 96 pages
Published
December 28th 2010
by Loose Id
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This was a very very funny book and of course there are lots of references to Canada and Canadian culture so I loved it. Fingers was funny and reminded me of a youngster who just wanted someone to love them, although when push came to shove he could be brave. Tachibana was also a great character, his thought process was interesting. The whole Japanese thing of being something on the surface and something else underneath really came through. I loved how you got to know both of them even though it...more
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I haven't laughed and had so much fun reading for such a long time. This is a humorous, silly and utterly delightful romance. The scene at the wedding is so hilarious I can't stop laughing, I can just imagine how mortified Tachibana was. I just want to cuddle Fingers, he's so cute! Daisuke's grandmother is delightful too! :)
The description of Japan culture and atmosphere is very spot on! I wonder if the author have lived in Japan for some time.
The description of Japan culture and atmosphere is very spot on! I wonder if the author have lived in Japan for some time.
This review was originally written for MM Good Book Reviews and can also be found there.
With this first experience when it comes to Nicole Kimberling, I was faced both with more than I expected as well as less. She spins a very good tale, focuses on the details but skims on certain parts that I would have preferred as the focal point of the story.
Hank is a Canadian writer researching supernatural creatures called yokai for his newest book. He’s traveling through the country with his translator...more
With this first experience when it comes to Nicole Kimberling, I was faced both with more than I expected as well as less. She spins a very good tale, focuses on the details but skims on certain parts that I would have preferred as the focal point of the story.
Hank is a Canadian writer researching supernatural creatures called yokai for his newest book. He’s traveling through the country with his translator...more
I wanted to love this book. I really did... before I started reading it.
Thing is, if you have a small knowledge of Japanese culture, you'll know the whole thing is idiotic. Starting with the youkai the writer can't even spell properly throughout the book, followed by mis-translating the simple phrase "suki desu yo" which means "I like you" and topping it all off with the blatant Americanization of Japanese actions.
No. Gays are still NOT accepted by Japanese. It's sad and horrible, but true. If y...more
Thing is, if you have a small knowledge of Japanese culture, you'll know the whole thing is idiotic. Starting with the youkai the writer can't even spell properly throughout the book, followed by mis-translating the simple phrase "suki desu yo" which means "I like you" and topping it all off with the blatant Americanization of Japanese actions.
No. Gays are still NOT accepted by Japanese. It's sad and horrible, but true. If y...more
Now I feel angry at myself for postponing to read this novella for long. It is one of the most delightful stories I have read. Of course, the source of it would come from Fingers, the yokai that Tachibana creates out of his deep desire. His no-shame attitude just tickles me in all the right places. And OMG, the things he says!!
He thinks I am beautiful. Oh, I love you, Mr. Caldwell. Marry me, darling, and I will cook for you for the rest of your life!
We should shower together. We could save the w...more
He thinks I am beautiful. Oh, I love you, Mr. Caldwell. Marry me, darling, and I will cook for you for the rest of your life!
We should shower together. We could save the w...more
In the past I have thoroughly enjoyed Nicole Kimberling’s Bellingham Mysteries series, so I was extremely excited to see she had a new book out. While the premise of The Red Thread of Forever Love is original, creative and humorous; unfortunately the protagonists Daisuke Tachibana and Hank Caldwell failed to resonate with this reader.
Pros: The best part of the novel, hands down, is the character of “Fingers,” Daisuke’s alter ego. This manifestation from Daisuke’s inner desires comes in the form...more
Pros: The best part of the novel, hands down, is the character of “Fingers,” Daisuke’s alter ego. This manifestation from Daisuke’s inner desires comes in the form...more
The Red Thread of Forever Love is a great holiday story. I wonder if this gem got lost in the shuffle of so many stories since I haven’t read much or heard about it. I picked due to the author and her writing skill. This quick novella has all the highlights of Kimberling’s strong writing, quirky characters, and vivid setting. There is humor, sex appeal, tension, spirits, and even a very cool mystery. In fact there isn’t much wrong with this delightful story and I think readers will be really ple...more
I’ve never read anything by Nicole Kimberling, but was intrigued by a favourable review of this novella and rather fancied reading something set in Japan for a change. It tells the story of Canadian folklore researcher Hank Caldwell, in Japan to research spirit creatures known as yokai. Hank has never really believed in the supernatural, but finds himself targeted by a persistent and amorous yokai, determined to make Hank love him. Hank’s translator, Tachibana, knows more than he’s letting on ab...more
This novella was so thoroughly entertaining, I read it front to back and then front to back again, all in one day. I never do that, but when I finished it the first time, I had to go back and read the beginning again, where we see Fingers at his most hilarious, and I found I couldn’t stop reading. This story is so many different types of stories all wrapped up in one neat, little package. Its a fairy tale, a parable, a hilarious take on a Canadian’s experiences with the Japanese, and a story of...more
4.5 stars
Hilarious! I think for people who are familiar with Japanese culture (or people who aren't for that matter), you'd be in for a special treat with this wonderfully adorable story. However, I must say the idea of red threads are one of my favorite themes, not really a trope since it's prevalent in Asian cultures (Chinese in origination), so I'm terribly biased to it and the main reason I picked up the book *g*. You'll fall in love with the quirky characters.
The book is a very quick read -...more
Hilarious! I think for people who are familiar with Japanese culture (or people who aren't for that matter), you'd be in for a special treat with this wonderfully adorable story. However, I must say the idea of red threads are one of my favorite themes, not really a trope since it's prevalent in Asian cultures (Chinese in origination), so I'm terribly biased to it and the main reason I picked up the book *g*. You'll fall in love with the quirky characters.
The book is a very quick read -...more
This review was originally published on my blog Joyfully Jay.
I'll tell you right now this is not my usual reading area, but this book caught my eye for being contemporary and featuring an interracial couple, two things I enjoy. Plus, I heard it was really funny.
So the story opens with Canadian Hank Caldwall in Japan researching a book on Japanese folklore. While he is fascinated with the topic, he doesn't really believe spirits are real until he meets one of his own. His particular yokai turns o...more
I'll tell you right now this is not my usual reading area, but this book caught my eye for being contemporary and featuring an interracial couple, two things I enjoy. Plus, I heard it was really funny.
So the story opens with Canadian Hank Caldwall in Japan researching a book on Japanese folklore. While he is fascinated with the topic, he doesn't really believe spirits are real until he meets one of his own. His particular yokai turns o...more
Normally I like Nicole's but this one is really dry. I had a feeling that the author tried to collected any small details still it's like coming from travel book. I'm not an expert in Japanese myself but have plentiful interest in this country enough to know this book is too American. Should be better if it's all told in Hank's perspective even though all of Japanese behavior seems unnatural to me. The Yokai's part is very awkward and unbelievable, too comical. It's make me think of comical Yaoi...more
I really liked this. I went into it thinking the spirit was going to be a bad guy of some kind, but it turns out he was my favorite character! "Fingers" was an extremely enthusiastic and unapologetically over-the-top manifestation of Tachibana's unrequited love for Hank. That little snippet of a beach scene is still making me laugh now, as is how he saved them from losing a karaoke battle. It was a very whimsical little romance with an unusual-to-me paranormal element that I really liked learnin...more
Stars: 3.5/5
Overall
This is a cute story that immerses the reader in Japanese culture, specifically folklore. While I enjoyed the historical elements, the romance, and the plot, I had a hard time really sinking into the story. Everything was good, but I never deeply associated with any of the characters, which left me pleased but not completely satisfied.
While this story starts slow in order to develop the culture and character relationship, the end picks up, culminating in their relationship and...more
Overall
This is a cute story that immerses the reader in Japanese culture, specifically folklore. While I enjoyed the historical elements, the romance, and the plot, I had a hard time really sinking into the story. Everything was good, but I never deeply associated with any of the characters, which left me pleased but not completely satisfied.
While this story starts slow in order to develop the culture and character relationship, the end picks up, culminating in their relationship and...more
I really enjoyed the descriptions of places in this novella interweaved with snappy dialogue and funny action sequences. The pace of the story, building the characters, the background is amazing. To pack so much into so few pages is a feat to be admired. I loved the relationship between the two main characters and it did not seen rushed in any way. I hope there is a sequel, I can imagine the two men tackling more adventures together.
This was quite the entertaining read! The cover immediately caught my eye, and after reading a few positive reviews, I finally bought this one yesterday. (really, though, isn't the cover amazing?)
The Japanese setting seems as if the author did her homework (I'm no expert and have never been myself), nicely detailed and informative without overwhelming. I wasn't sure what to expect from the yokai, but 'Fingers' definately stole every scene he was in! Hands down, my favorite character. The karoake...more
The Japanese setting seems as if the author did her homework (I'm no expert and have never been myself), nicely detailed and informative without overwhelming. I wasn't sure what to expect from the yokai, but 'Fingers' definately stole every scene he was in! Hands down, my favorite character. The karoake...more
This was a surprisingly entertaining story. Hank Caldwell is a Canadian folklore researcher in Japan who finds himself the love interest of a yokai, a supernatural creature that he names Fingers. He's traveling with translator Daisuke Tachibana who it turns out is more than just a translator. I really loved the humor in the story as well as the more emotional moments. The folklore of the yokai was interesting to read and although I'm no expert it seemed to me that the author did a good job of de...more
Really not what I anticipated this to be. I have never explored Japanese folk lore so this was a nice intro for me. The characters were hard for me to get into but this was dealing with subject matter I have no experience with so I was more focused on the lore than on the relationship building between the MCs.
I really enjoyed this story! I really enjoyed reading about the Japanese culture and mythology aspect of the story, and I liked the characters too. Now that I know what the title means, I love the idea about the "red thread" tying them together. Very enjoyable read!
This was a fun, light read. NK always delivers tight, clean writing, and I've learned to depend on her for a good read. This book was both witty and serious, and I enjoyed reading about a Japanese culture that wasn't anime colored.
Very good paranormal m/m romance about a Canadian folklorist traveling in Japan who has somehow attracted a very amorous spirit...
I don`t know so much about the japanese culture, but that was a really interesxting and different story
This was definitely a cute humorous read.
May 02, 2013
Kathy
marked it as to-read
Apr 26, 2013
Le
marked it as to-read
Mar 31, 2013
Riayl
marked it as to-read
Mar 03, 2013
Igraine
marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall
Feb 19, 2013
Elena
marked it as to-read
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