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BL Entertainment #1
Night Kiss
BL Entertainment: Book One
What could be frightening enough to freeze the blood of a centuries-old Vampire turned K-pop idol?
Being bound to someone.
University student Cheong Jin-woo dreams of working in the arts, especially for BL Entertainment and his favorite band, Bam Kiseu. After seeing the band perform, Jin-woo separates from his friends to explore. What he discovers backstage will change his life.
Does he embrace it or run?
Jung Ki-tae has kept his secret for centuries—until a young fan interrupts his feeding. Even more disturbing is the instant bond Ki-tae feels with Jin-woo—a complication he refuses to allow. Yet resisting becomes increasingly difficult as Jin-woo and a group of students win the chance to make a video for the band, working closely with them for weeks. The obsession Ki-tae felt toward Jin-woo—even before tasting his blood—deepens into genuine feelings, feelings that terrify Ki-tae. But when he finds a way to break the bond, he’s torn between severing the connection and protecting Jin-woo….
Especially with a mysterious killer getting closer.
What could be frightening enough to freeze the blood of a centuries-old Vampire turned K-pop idol?
Being bound to someone.
University student Cheong Jin-woo dreams of working in the arts, especially for BL Entertainment and his favorite band, Bam Kiseu. After seeing the band perform, Jin-woo separates from his friends to explore. What he discovers backstage will change his life.
Does he embrace it or run?
Jung Ki-tae has kept his secret for centuries—until a young fan interrupts his feeding. Even more disturbing is the instant bond Ki-tae feels with Jin-woo—a complication he refuses to allow. Yet resisting becomes increasingly difficult as Jin-woo and a group of students win the chance to make a video for the band, working closely with them for weeks. The obsession Ki-tae felt toward Jin-woo—even before tasting his blood—deepens into genuine feelings, feelings that terrify Ki-tae. But when he finds a way to break the bond, he’s torn between severing the connection and protecting Jin-woo….
Especially with a mysterious killer getting closer.
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2019
7 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
E.T. Malinowski
17 books13 followersAn avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip. E.T. Malinowski is the youngest of seven girls. It was her love of reading that eventually led her to attempt writing. From there, a passion was born. She began writing romance in her early teens and, at that time, never dreamed of sharing her work with anyone. With the help of several dear friends, not to mention her ex-husband, she found the courage to take that last step towards publication. As the single mother of three rambunctious boys, finding time to write is a bit difficult. Yet E.T. manages to do it, even if it’s on break or lunch at a regular day job. She has found her place in homoerotic romance. To her, love doesn’t recognize gender boundaries and is always special. An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 29, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Night Kiss takes place in Korea and uses naming conventions and titles that may be a little unfamiliar to a western audience. The author does explain the basics in a preface to the story and has a glossary of terms at the front of the book. The vampires here may be somewhat familiar but, like the shifters and other spiritual forces in this world, are viewed through a different lens than many other paranormal stories. It was very interesting to see a familiar story told in such a different way.
Jin-woo has the usual traits of a romantic protagonist. He’s shy and modest, but ridiculously talented. He’s passionate, loyal, friendly to a fault, and plucky. This is the sort of character that, in the wrong hands, can be either boring or insulting, however the author manages to make Jin-woo more than a little charming, even though he had some moments where I wondered if he wasn’t a bit too precious. He calls himself a stan, but honestly, I think it’s just a crush. He doesn’t seem obsessive or crazed when he’s in Ki-tae’s life; he’s just happy to be with the person he loves.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Night Kiss takes place in Korea and uses naming conventions and titles that may be a little unfamiliar to a western audience. The author does explain the basics in a preface to the story and has a glossary of terms at the front of the book. The vampires here may be somewhat familiar but, like the shifters and other spiritual forces in this world, are viewed through a different lens than many other paranormal stories. It was very interesting to see a familiar story told in such a different way.
Jin-woo has the usual traits of a romantic protagonist. He’s shy and modest, but ridiculously talented. He’s passionate, loyal, friendly to a fault, and plucky. This is the sort of character that, in the wrong hands, can be either boring or insulting, however the author manages to make Jin-woo more than a little charming, even though he had some moments where I wondered if he wasn’t a bit too precious. He calls himself a stan, but honestly, I think it’s just a crush. He doesn’t seem obsessive or crazed when he’s in Ki-tae’s life; he’s just happy to be with the person he loves.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
February 2, 2019
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 Stars.
I will preface this review by stating I was obviously not the intended audience. AT. ALL. I hadn't realized this from the blurb. While this review may feel as a critique or critical, that is not the case. My review is twofold: for those who read as I do, they will know to pass, which is also a positive for the author, as these readers also aren't the intended audience. On the flip side, those who enjoy what I mention, they surely know to snap this book right up.
My rating is based solely on my entertainment value.
I realized the error of my ways when I saw several pages in the front of the novel were a glossary of terms. Knowing there was no way I could memorize that before moving on, as my language skills aren't broad. It all depends on the context surrounding the words. Usually I'm good, picking up clues within the sentence to just roll with it, not causing much confusion.
Moving on, knowing I wouldn't remember a single word of the glossary, I rolled with it. I'm not a fan of insta-love or insta-lust. I'm on the fence with fated mates, but there's usually some build up that satisfies my need for angst and tension, where I get the payoff I was looking for. This was the first time I encountered insta on the first page. But I just rolled with it.
Names. Glossary, remember? As I've done with books in the past with names I have rudimentary knowledge to pronounce, I just take the first bit of the name and make the connection to the character. But my issue of confusion with the reading technique I utilize is that many of the names started with a J, both MCs. Being as this is MM in nature, both pronouns were also HE. J and HE. As I stated above, this isn't a mark against the author, but to how I read a novel. Hopefully this bit of insight is helpful for those who do/don't read as I do.
Not going to lie, it was a struggle to fall into the story for me. I never did, reading all the way to the end.
College student Jin-woo is a huge fan of Bam Kiseu, thrilled to see Jung Ki-tae in person at the concert. In the opener, Jin-woo interrupts Jung Ki-tae feeding and ends up being the meal. The pleasure so intense, Jin-woo screams and passes out, and that is Jin-woo in a nutshell. The romance was overly saccharine, a bit eye-roll worthy for the more serious reader, because the actions/reactions during smexy scenes are over-the-top sugary sweet romancy. As a jaded cynic, where can I get me some of that magic?
Jin-woo is super sweet, caring, bashful, shy, selfless, essentially the friend everyone wishes they had. Pretty much perfect. Flawless. Jung Ki-tae is charismatic, but he has that wounded past that draws many like a kitten to cream.
A chance encounter at the concert, both believe they will never see the other again. However, no time passes before their lives are interconnected. Jin-woo and his fellow classmates begin working on a project for BL Entertainment, which also happens to produce Jung Ki-tae's band. Not only that, it's Jung Ki-tae's sire who attends the meeting, who can scent what happened at the concert on Jin-woo.
I was confused by this actually. As wouldn't it be Jung Ki-tae who smelled like Jin-woo, as he took Jin-woo's blood? That blood was flowing in his veins. What exactly would Jung Ki-tae have left behind to be scented on Jin-woo? He didn't share blood. Sorry, overthinking, but that popped into my head on the spot.
I feel defeated to admit I struggled the entire time, trying to fall into the story. I wanted to immerse myself into a culture I'm unfamiliar with, learning while being entertained. But I had a difficult time with the fact that their names both started with J (as I said, I just rolled with the glossary terms), combined with the HEs. This was third-person, so sometimes it came off as stilted or clinical in sentence structure. Added with the over-description, pacing, 6 points-of-view, and length, I felt as if I read a 1000-page novel.
As I said, I was obviously not the intended audience and the writing style wasn't a good fit for my reading style. While I was unable to fall into the story to be thoroughly entertained, I enjoyed exploring a different culture to widen my scope. I needed an easier, more simplistic read to dip my toes in the water, so to speak.
3 Stars.
I will preface this review by stating I was obviously not the intended audience. AT. ALL. I hadn't realized this from the blurb. While this review may feel as a critique or critical, that is not the case. My review is twofold: for those who read as I do, they will know to pass, which is also a positive for the author, as these readers also aren't the intended audience. On the flip side, those who enjoy what I mention, they surely know to snap this book right up.
My rating is based solely on my entertainment value.
I realized the error of my ways when I saw several pages in the front of the novel were a glossary of terms. Knowing there was no way I could memorize that before moving on, as my language skills aren't broad. It all depends on the context surrounding the words. Usually I'm good, picking up clues within the sentence to just roll with it, not causing much confusion.
Moving on, knowing I wouldn't remember a single word of the glossary, I rolled with it. I'm not a fan of insta-love or insta-lust. I'm on the fence with fated mates, but there's usually some build up that satisfies my need for angst and tension, where I get the payoff I was looking for. This was the first time I encountered insta on the first page. But I just rolled with it.
Names. Glossary, remember? As I've done with books in the past with names I have rudimentary knowledge to pronounce, I just take the first bit of the name and make the connection to the character. But my issue of confusion with the reading technique I utilize is that many of the names started with a J, both MCs. Being as this is MM in nature, both pronouns were also HE. J and HE. As I stated above, this isn't a mark against the author, but to how I read a novel. Hopefully this bit of insight is helpful for those who do/don't read as I do.
Not going to lie, it was a struggle to fall into the story for me. I never did, reading all the way to the end.
College student Jin-woo is a huge fan of Bam Kiseu, thrilled to see Jung Ki-tae in person at the concert. In the opener, Jin-woo interrupts Jung Ki-tae feeding and ends up being the meal. The pleasure so intense, Jin-woo screams and passes out, and that is Jin-woo in a nutshell. The romance was overly saccharine, a bit eye-roll worthy for the more serious reader, because the actions/reactions during smexy scenes are over-the-top sugary sweet romancy. As a jaded cynic, where can I get me some of that magic?
Jin-woo is super sweet, caring, bashful, shy, selfless, essentially the friend everyone wishes they had. Pretty much perfect. Flawless. Jung Ki-tae is charismatic, but he has that wounded past that draws many like a kitten to cream.
A chance encounter at the concert, both believe they will never see the other again. However, no time passes before their lives are interconnected. Jin-woo and his fellow classmates begin working on a project for BL Entertainment, which also happens to produce Jung Ki-tae's band. Not only that, it's Jung Ki-tae's sire who attends the meeting, who can scent what happened at the concert on Jin-woo.
I was confused by this actually. As wouldn't it be Jung Ki-tae who smelled like Jin-woo, as he took Jin-woo's blood? That blood was flowing in his veins. What exactly would Jung Ki-tae have left behind to be scented on Jin-woo? He didn't share blood. Sorry, overthinking, but that popped into my head on the spot.
I feel defeated to admit I struggled the entire time, trying to fall into the story. I wanted to immerse myself into a culture I'm unfamiliar with, learning while being entertained. But I had a difficult time with the fact that their names both started with J (as I said, I just rolled with the glossary terms), combined with the HEs. This was third-person, so sometimes it came off as stilted or clinical in sentence structure. Added with the over-description, pacing, 6 points-of-view, and length, I felt as if I read a 1000-page novel.
As I said, I was obviously not the intended audience and the writing style wasn't a good fit for my reading style. While I was unable to fall into the story to be thoroughly entertained, I enjoyed exploring a different culture to widen my scope. I needed an easier, more simplistic read to dip my toes in the water, so to speak.
January 11, 2019
3.0 - 3.5 stars.
So, I want to review this book in two parts.
Part One: Who would enjoy this
I would totally recommend this book if you are a k-drama, manga, anime, boys-love, kpop fan. This book is amazingly true to Korean language with honorifics, respect, and social hierarchy. That was really cool to see. And the reason I say this: the story might be hard to get into if you're not familiar with k-dramas or anime. Not to say you can't enjoy it but as a huge consumer of k-dramas and anime, it was really easy for me to slip into the story and not get tripped up.
Part Two: The writing
So . . . to me this read more like the script for a k-drama or a fanfic serial more than a "traditional" story. It was a bit disappointing but once I started to imagine what this story would look like on screen, that allowed me to continue reading and enjoy. For me, the story really just provided "scaffolding" and then my turning it into a drama in my imagination is what really made the story come to life.
Also, this book is very long but you get over 6 different POVs throughout. I enjoyed that since I didn't feel the writing was strong enough to hold Ki-tae and Jin-woo's story for 400+ pages.
Overall, I did enjoy this very much. It was so exciting to see a book come out with not only an Asian character on the front cover (whoop!) but a PNR romance about the kpop world.
So, I want to review this book in two parts.
Part One: Who would enjoy this
I would totally recommend this book if you are a k-drama, manga, anime, boys-love, kpop fan. This book is amazingly true to Korean language with honorifics, respect, and social hierarchy. That was really cool to see. And the reason I say this: the story might be hard to get into if you're not familiar with k-dramas or anime. Not to say you can't enjoy it but as a huge consumer of k-dramas and anime, it was really easy for me to slip into the story and not get tripped up.
Part Two: The writing
So . . . to me this read more like the script for a k-drama or a fanfic serial more than a "traditional" story. It was a bit disappointing but once I started to imagine what this story would look like on screen, that allowed me to continue reading and enjoy. For me, the story really just provided "scaffolding" and then my turning it into a drama in my imagination is what really made the story come to life.
Also, this book is very long but you get over 6 different POVs throughout. I enjoyed that since I didn't feel the writing was strong enough to hold Ki-tae and Jin-woo's story for 400+ pages.
Overall, I did enjoy this very much. It was so exciting to see a book come out with not only an Asian character on the front cover (whoop!) but a PNR romance about the kpop world.
February 10, 2020
So, to start, the way honorifics and titles are used in the book are completely wrong. If you know anything about the Korean language, you will get distracted by it very quickly. That being said, based solely on plot, its not horrible. I think that the POV switching gets confusing after a while, but it wasn't bad enough to abandon. The characters are lovable, if a little cliche. Not the worst book I've ever read.
January 15, 2019
Love it!
I would give it more stars if I could. This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in such a long time. I’m excited for the next book!
I would give it more stars if I could. This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in such a long time. I’m excited for the next book!
March 11, 2022
Wow... just wow, what an amazing book, I have no complaints whatsoever, only that I can't read it again for the first time
November 13, 2024
Around the World - South Korea
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2024 - #05. A book about K-pop:
I can appreciate this book for what it tried to be because I would watch this if it were a K-drama. However, what it is is too damn wordy. I don't want to read a tv show, especially not one that switched povs as often as this did.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2024 - #05. A book about K-pop:
I can appreciate this book for what it tried to be because I would watch this if it were a K-drama. However, what it is is too damn wordy. I don't want to read a tv show, especially not one that switched povs as often as this did.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews