Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Little Japan

by Reno MacLeod (Goodreads Author), Jaye Valentine (Goodreads Author)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 68 ratings · 15 reviews

Japan. Land of honor and beauty, crowded streets with neon signs, and exotic markets where ancient traditions still hold fast in modern-day society. As Japanese business people rush about their busy lives, there exists a place in Osaka, Japan where a modern take on the ancient tradition of the geisha thrives.

Kuri and Daichi work at Kingyo Club, a popular host club in the...more

ebook, 229 pages

Published March 2010 by Noble Romance

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Gay Drawn Erotic Book Covers

33rd out of 171 books — 218 voters

Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton

Best Gay Pretty Men

36th out of 156 books — 124 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 191)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 16, 2011 Valentina Heart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

I liked the idea and the characters even when the plot danced around. Their lives just pull the reader in and by the middle of the book you can't help it but be interested in the finial development.
My problem with it was the love story. If a book has a solid love story I can look over a lot of things. In this one, the love story was very undefined for me. First of all, I didn't like the initial possibility of 'something' that was pushed at me at the beginning, only to be taken away by the end....more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Annette Gisby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although this is an M/M romance, with heavy yaoi influences, this is not a light-hearted book. We have prostitution, kindapping and sexual slavery and some scenes that are so heart-wrenching, you wonder if you can bear to read any more, fearing that a happy ending may never arrive. It's a testament to the writers that I just had to read on, even not knowing what was going to happen.

But it is a great book and the writing just draws you in from the very first page. The love scenes, while graphical...more

like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting premise and solid writing but it lacked passion, mainly due to a large cast of characters. I love Gabriel and badly wanted a resolution for him with Kuri, but their relationship was swept under the carpet during the second half of the story. Sure, things were addressed, but not in any depth and it felt very superficial, especially as Gabriel's HEA/HFN felt tacked on and was with someone else. Just a personal preference but I didn't feel the love between Kuri and Daichi when it was co...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2010 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Valentine and Macleod like to push boundaries and Little Japan is no exception. This has to be the first in a series considering such a large cast and one that I’m curious to see where it will go. For this offering, it’s good but went areas I didn’t particularly like for part of the book. Here the story pushes some sexual boundaries, nothing especially horrifying or out there, but the concept of non-consensual slavery and sexual cruelty is very present. The story blurs the lines of consent in bo...more Valentine and Macleod like to push boundaries and Little Japan is no exception. This has to be the first in a series considering such a large cast and one that I’m curious to see where it will go. For this offering, it’s good but went areas I didn’t particularly like for part of the book. Here the story pushes some sexual boundaries, nothing especially horrifying or out there, but the concept of non-consensual slavery and sexual cruelty is very present. The story blurs the lines of consent in both an uncomfortable and incredibly skillful way. Very well written but not always fun to read, Little Japan is an interesting book.

The story is about four roommates and best friends – Kuri, Daichi, Sora, and Takumi – that live, work, and play together. They work as host boys in Osaka, a job where young, beautiful boys stay up all night until dawn, drinking and partying with customers. They are paid exorbitant sums to simply talk and drink and some may pay even more money to have sex with the stunning young men. The four close friends are balancing a life of money, excess, and hard work when Kuri is bought for a night by an extremely rich and haunted American named Gabriel. When Gabriel’s intensity scares Kuri, he runs back to the safety of Daichi’s arms. But when Daichi is kidnapped and sold to a Dubai Sheik’s harem, Kuri needs both Gabriel and Sora’s help to get his friend and lover back.

The opening introduces the four young men and Gabriel. Set in the heat and humidity of Osaka, the beginning delves into the nighttime world of host boys in Japan. This beginning is fascinating and definitely my favorite part of the book. The four young men are best friends and casual lovers although deeper connections are shown with Kuri and Daichi and Sora and Takumi. Even so, their work often has them having sex with customers so casual sex is a common and accepted quality. The four boys have sex with each other too for comfort, companionship, and simple horniness. When Gabriel purchases Kuri’s time, sex included, the two form an uneasy bond – one that scares both men. Unfortunately there is no time to dwell on this aspect as the story takes a turn when Daichi is kidnapped and sold to a sheik’s harem. The richness of the Osaka landscape comes alive with vivid detail and a very interesting culture. The vampire-ish world of pale boys who drink massive amounts of champagne and sell companionship in all forms is told in rich description with edgy nuances. The complicated relationships and friendships leap off the page just as the young men show complexity in their youthfulness, horniness, and a glimpse behind the façade.

The story then moves to the heat of Dubai and focuses on the sexual cruelty perpetuated on Daichi and several other young men within the confines of the sheik’s private harem. Kuri, Gabriel, and Sora race to rescue Daichi but this takes time. This part of the story is very well crafted with a lot of subtly and detail. Unfortunately it is also filled with a lot of erotica. In fact the story as a whole is incredibly erotic with more sex scenes than I think I’ve seen from the authors. With the plot shift to Dubai, the entire world is made up of sexual desire, need, acts, and repercussions. So while the scenes are not necessarily gratuitous, there are a lot and several push the boundaries of consent. The acts within the harem are not violent physical rape but they walk a very fine line that may make several readers uncomfortable. The boys don’t want to be where they are but soon learn to make the best of it and disassociate mentally from what’s happening. Unfortunately since this makes up a little over half of the book, I soon tired of all the sexual cruelty. It’s not over the top and in fact fits well with the themes but I simply became uncomfortable with the mental and emotional toll this captivity was having on the various young men.

Additionally there are several, almost too many, storylines going on. Due to the vast cast, including two young men from the harem that become very important, the story struggles to give them all the space and time they deserve. While the pace is quick and the narrative absorbing and interesting on many levels, the space provided simply can’t give all of the men equal depth. Kuri is the best well characterized as the third person narrator with his almost nymphomaniac need for sex but clearly devoted to Daichi. Kuri is also very young and immature in some ways, often equating sex with safety and security. He’s a complicated character with surprising hints of jealousy and strength. He kept me wondering what he’d do next and how he’d act. His relationship to Daichi is the main romance of the book but almost the least important storyline. They are an established, in love couple and actually spend the majority of the book apart and yearning for each other. It’s really the relationships these two have with others that shine much more than their understated romance.

Gabriel is an another complicated, flawed character and the story reinforces his sexual addiction heavily. He is wealthier than God but works due to a fascination and love of his job. His sexual fetish for young, Asian men of a certain type is played up quite a bit, to the point of Gabriel’s severe self hatred. I struggled with this aspect since his sexual addiction didn’t come across as all consuming. In the heady world of sex and sensuality where everyone is having sex, it seemed normal to me that Gabriel would desire so as well. He clearly struggles to keep a tight reign of control over his addiction which adds a layer of much needed complexity to the man, but Gabriel’s shame feels exaggerated sometimes. However his relationship to Kuri is intense and complicated while his pseudo happy ending is nice to see.

Overall the book is well written with a lot of complex characters and situations. The high level of erotica and sexuality depicted is surprising and edges into uncomfortable areas for me; although this is a highly subjective reaction. Of all the young men introduced, I adored Sora the most and hope this innocent, cute young man with a core of strength gets his own book while the broken sex slave in Zahriah also deserves a happy ending. With a solid plot and incredibly fast pace to the writing, this quick read will make you think. Hopefully future books in the series will get back to what I personally loved the most – the host club atmosphere of Osaka. There is still a wealth of possibility in that fascinating world and I hope the authors revisit that rather than the non-consensual sex slave trade. Check this out, it’ll leave you thinking.(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Mar 16, 2010 Elisa Ramblings added it

Have you in mind those stories where the heroine, not matter what happens, manages always to come out “unarmed” from trouble? The hero always arrives at the right time to save her. Well, in Little Japan, the heroes are not so lucky, in the end the cavalry arrives also for them, only a little later.

First of all I’d like to spend some words on what also the publisher considered an element to warn the reader, the age playing. One of the main characters, Gabriel, not only is a gay in the closet, bu...more Have you in mind those stories where the heroine, not matter what happens, manages always to come out “unarmed” from trouble? The hero always arrives at the right time to save her. Well, in Little Japan, the heroes are not so lucky, in the end the cavalry arrives also for them, only a little later.

First of all I’d like to spend some words on what also the publisher considered an element to warn the reader, the age playing. One of the main characters, Gabriel, not only is a gay in the closet, but he is also a man who likes him lover really young. Now don’t get me wrong, the younger man in this novel I believe is 21 years old, so, Gabriel likes men who “look” young, and after all, this is not a big crime. I believe that Gabriel was traumatized when he was still a teenager, he first fell in love for a boy his same age, but that love abruptly ended, leaving Gabriel with an unfulfilled dream; later one Gabriel tried to kill that dream with anonymous sex, with older men that were at the exact opposite of his dream lover, and instead of kill the dream, I believe that Gabriel helped his mind to forever imprint the image of his lost unrequited love. Now Gabriel is forever searching for that young boy, but it’s an impossible search.

Kuri is a half American half Japanese young man working as host boys in an Osaka private club. His partner Daichi and him are also high paid male escorts, and they are the sort who like their job. As Kuri tells to Gabriel, maybe he started this job out of necessity, but now he is like a nymphomaniac, he needs sex like he needs food. Kuri is really in love with Daichi, and Daichi back to him, and they enjoy sex between them; what they do out of their relationship is work, and they are able to split the two things. The important thing is that they are willing partner in the sex trade; the only time one of them feels like he is betraying his lover, Daichi, is when he is forced to have sex. And so we arrive probably to the second point that needs warning for the reader: there is quite a lot of non consensual sex, meaning that one of the partner is not willing, and even if there is no actual violence, it’s the same a some sort of violence.

If you are wondering how Gabriel fit between Kuri and Daichi, well, he doesn’t; this is not a ménages a trois, when Kuri realizes that what he is feeling for Gabriel is something more of what he usually feels for his other customers, he decides to break with Gabriel, since that would be, indeed, a betrayal to Daichi. Kuri, Daichi, Gabriel, and all the other boys in this novel, know how to split sex from love, and as always, sex with love is better, sweeter and long lasting.

Where Gabriel is a complex character, who is also aware of his own trouble and for this reason, he is also self-accusing himself of the worst sins, Kuri and Daichi, albeit cute and almost sweet in their mutual love, come out a bit like naïve, and in this case naïveté has nothing to do with “innocence”; they are like little pet, easy to please, and, more or less happy if letting alone to play together; alone they need the presence of an adult to watch over them, but together they can provide for each other.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/98...(less)

like 3 likes · see review

May 13, 2010 Jenre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, erotica, m-m, romance

This erotic romance with strong themes of fetishism, dubious consent, prostitution and more than a generous dollop of yaoi certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste. In the end though what let this book down wasn’t the themes, the plot or the execution but rather the large number of characters which led to superficial characterisation and a lack of connection between myself and the characters.

The story begins in Osaka, Japan. Gabriel, a rich American man who works a desk job as a translator for the...more This erotic romance with strong themes of fetishism, dubious consent, prostitution and more than a generous dollop of yaoi certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste. In the end though what let this book down wasn’t the themes, the plot or the execution but rather the large number of characters which led to superficial characterisation and a lack of connection between myself and the characters.

The story begins in Osaka, Japan. Gabriel, a rich American man who works a desk job as a translator for the CIA, has come to Osaka for one reason only: To feed his fetish for young mixed race Japanese men. Whilst in a restaurant he spies Kuri, who works as a host boy in a local host club. Gabriel pays for Kuri’s time and although Kuri is a little cautious he goes with Gabriel. Things don’t work out as planned for Gabriel and Kuri and they part, but when Kuri’s best friend and lover, Daichi, goes missing, Kuri calls on Gabriel to help him, plunging them into a potentially tragic situation.

I said at the beginning of this review that the main problem is the number of characters in the book. The book contains no less than 10 characters, all of whom have an important part to play in the story. This is mainly because the story is split into two halves. The first half, set in Japan, takes us through the meeting of Kuri and Gabriel and establishes the relationship between Kuri and Daichi, and their friends-with-benefits relationship with room mates and fellow host boys Sori and Takumi. The second half involves Kuri’s desperate attempt to discover what has happened to Daichi, and also follows Daichi as he tries to survive his captivity along with several other young Asian men, particularly a man called Jokara and a Vietnamese man, Zahirah. Added to this are the two villains, Abdullah and Akmal, as well as a CIA agent Cyd and Gabriel’s therapist, and the whole book was in danger of being very overcrowded. The main consequence of this is that the book is mostly plot driven, with much of the characterisation being limited to shallow interactions. One exception to this is Gabriel, whose feelings about his fetish are explored sympathetically in the first part of the story. I found it a great shame then that this theme faded into the background as the book progressed. Later in the book, Gabriel is forced to face up to his fetish and try and overcome his feelings, but these scenes were all written from the point of view of the other characters, and as a result, I felt this was a missed opportunity to get back into Gabriel’s head and see first hand his thoughts as he struggles with this. Instead we had only Gabriel’s words, body language and facial expression to indicate his inner turmoil.

Although the story is plot driven, much of that plot is made up of sex scenes, some of which are dubious consent. Those readers who prefer their characters to remain monogamous to one another through a romance book, are going to be disappointed with this book. Kuri has sex with about six different people and has sexual acts performed on his body by even more. As well as that there are a few scenes where he is being watched whilst having sex. Kuri isn’t the only one, Daichi too has sex with numerous partners. Nearly all the sex happens without condoms. Personally, I didn’t mind all the sex scenes as many of them happen for a reason, whether to show situation or to further the plot. I have to admit the lack of condoms made me uncomfortable, but again, I could see why this happened for many of the sex scenes. However, I’m sure there are readers out there who wouldn’t be as accepting of this as I was.

There were several things that worked well for me in the book. For example, the way that the life of a host boy was depicted. On the surface, the boys are happy with their life, the money they make and the attention they get. As the book progresses and Kuri and Daichi take a break from their host boy jobs, they are able to evaluate their past and see it for the tawdry, debilitating occupation it is. The theme of friendship is also explored effectively, not just between the four host boys, but also the boys that Kuri and Daichi encounter during their captivity. Friendship is also linked with trust, another theme which worked well as we follow the characters as they learn who they can, and can’t, trust and who is to be counted a friend or an enemy. The story itself, although a little overwrought in places, was unusual with a good mix of tense drama and lighter moments.

Despite its flaws, Little Japan was still an engrossing read. I didn’t find myself getting bored, even with the large number of sex scenes, possibly because the sex was varied and sensual. The plot also zipped along at a fair rate and I was having so much fun with the story that I could overlook some of the more preposterous parts of the book. Fans of the authors, used to the way they push at the boundaries of m/m romance, will probably be delighted with this book. I found it to be a pleasant diversion, but not without fault.

This review can also be found at Three Dollar Bill Reviews (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Heidi Cullinan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I'd wanted to read this book for a long time when I finally picked it up, and in the end it was exactly as the reviews had billed it: very good, and yet a little darker in places than I'd wanted. Except I think this was actually a very good thing.

I want to say the story got away from itself, but honestly? It didn't. I have no idea how plausible any of the events in the story are, as in the life of the prostitutes and the kinds of men who buy their time (or kidnap them), but that isn't the point...more I'd wanted to read this book for a long time when I finally picked it up, and in the end it was exactly as the reviews had billed it: very good, and yet a little darker in places than I'd wanted. Except I think this was actually a very good thing.

I want to say the story got away from itself, but honestly? It didn't. I have no idea how plausible any of the events in the story are, as in the life of the prostitutes and the kinds of men who buy their time (or kidnap them), but that isn't the point at all. For me this book became a sort of window into my voyeuristic self, taking me down the rabbit hole into the examination of my own desire for titillation and possibly even my desire for punishment thereof. I admit I loved the idea of reading about young men submitting for money and even young men getting kidnapped. I wanted it in a way my husband wants a good slasher movie or gore flick: I didn't want substance, and I didn't want morality. I just wanted the show.

Of course, had I gotten that, it wouldn't have resonated the way the story did; I would have simply digested more pulp. And to be honest, I didn't get the titillation detail that I wanted. This wasn't sexual porn but emotional porn. Yes, sex is described, but what lingers in my mind is what happens to the boys' minds. And yet it isn't a grim or heavy psychological book. Somehow it rides the line between indulgence and illumination. And what it leaves me with is not a heavy moralistic lesson but an echo of what the characters themselves experience. No longer is this game of sex simply a game. I leave the story aware of the costs and the toll--and yet, somehow, also the gift.

This is not my favorite book in the world. I'm not sure I'll reread it. And yet though I rarely bestow stars anymore with reviews (and don't review everything), I feel compelled to give this one full marks. It's worth a read in my opinion, and it will stick with you for a long time. Pulp it isn't. Dark, intriguing and unexpectedly complex it is. If you want to explore the inside of your darker desires, this is a safe and effective way to do so.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 12, 2012 Seren Dipity rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was a very nice surprised. I was expecting much, just feeling like reading a story with Japanese characters and I ended up with a book full of adventures, nice characters and sexy moments. The story is well done and I couldn't stop reading.

I am looking forward to reading more about this 2 authors.

Seren

like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 momokaachan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

This is a really excellent yaoi-type read. I find myself wondering why others didn't like it - but for me, oh, my, everything worked. The MCs were good, the supporting characters were good, the plot was good, and other yelpie goodness.

Read this. It is a diamond among lumps of coal.

like · see review

Jun 30, 2010 Carolyn88 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

This was a wonderful book. All the characters were very good. Once I started reading it I just did not want to stop. I stayed up all night reading. I will recommned this to all. I even went back and purchased two more books by these two authors. I think I will enjoy them. I do not see that the other books are as long as this one. That was one reason I truely enjoyed the book. It had time to develop all the characters.

like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Lissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book, though it's really not romance. Couldn't put it down.

like · see review

Jul 15, 2010 Aredhel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, glbt, read-in-2010, contemporary

I like books, that have an unexpected end. I also like it, when you are in the middle of a book and you are still not really sure what will be in the end. This book is one of those books, that leave you in the dark till the end. Of course, you can predict some plot twists but some of them will be like a nice surprise.

like · see review

Jun 03, 2011 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, m-m, what-i-read-in-2011, shelf-a-thon-2010-to-11

There's a lot going on in this story and despite the fact that some of it I didn't like overall I enjoyed reading this.

like · see review

Sep 28, 2011 Merry rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, 2010-read

A big DNF for me.

like · see review

May 07, 2013 Zahraa' Zalzalah marked it as to-read

May 05, 2013 ~Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure~ marked it as to-read

Apr 28, 2013 C rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 17, 2013 Maciel marked it as to-read

Mar 09, 2013 Tami marked it as to-read

Mar 03, 2013 Purplegirl marked it as onc

Mar 03, 2013 Leon Muscat marked it as to-read

Feb 14, 2013 Kynthos-the-Archer marked it as maybe

Shelves: gay_mm, oriental-themed

Feb 14, 2013 Foolish marked it as to-read

Shelves: sex-industry, m-m

Feb 13, 2013 Jen4607 marked it as to-read

Shelves: dtr

Feb 13, 2013 Adriana marked it as maybe-or-waiting-for-reviews

Shelves: bdsm-or-kinks, contemporary, male-male

Feb 13, 2013 MsMiz (Tina) marked it as glbt-to-read

Feb 11, 2013 Tristin H marked it as to-read

Jan 29, 2013 Chris Chan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jan 23, 2013 Ju Bloodyeden marked it as to-read

Jan 23, 2013 Denice Wagner marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Romance > M M Romance

28 users

Contemporary

6 users

Erotica > Bdsm

4 users

Manga > Yaoi

3 users

Adult Fiction > Erotica

3 users

Menage > M M M

2 users

Romance

2 users

See top shelves...

About Reno MacLeod

Not For The Faint Of Heart---That sums up my work with Jaye Valentine. I've always spent a good deal of time with the darker side of my imagination. I was never afraid of the dark. In fact, some of my fondest memories are of Saturday afternoons with my dad watching Creature Double Feature with a big bowl of popcorn. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Werewolves, angels, demons and vamp...more

More about Reno MacLeod...

Books by Reno MacLeod

StarCrossed 2: Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Little Japan

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Little Japan
avg rating	preview: Little Japan Goodreads rating: 3.74 (68 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7840515-little-japan?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1268114562l/7840515.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7840515-little-japan?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Little Japan by Reno MacLeod[/url]

Little Japan

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

About Reno MacLeod

Books by Reno MacLeod

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Little Japan

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)