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Tokyo Stars
A Yaoi-inspired M/M Gay Romance
Rocked by the sudden loss of his parents in a car accident, Seiichi Seigo is hanging by a thread, racing between jobs and his first year in college at a Tokyo University. He’s barely got time to sleep or eat. When he slams into a stunning, (and rude) green-eyed, half-European man on campus, it’s just one more straw in the pile ready to break Seiichi. Arriving home to find an eviction notice on his door doesn’t help either.
Luckily, his best friend, Yukio, has a solution: Seiichi can take over the job Yukio was going to do. Be the personal, live-in assistant to Yukio’s older half-brother, prodigy movie director, Kei Karasawa.
But Seiichi’s troubles aren’t over. He can’t seem to shake the memory of his meeting with the green-eyed man on campus. He even had a steamy dream about him.
When he discovers his new employer and the man in his dream are one and the same, he’s stunned.
Thrust into close contact with the sexy, powerful Kei, Seiichi finds himself desperately attracted and falling for a man who seems to be dating one of the most beautiful actresses in the world and gives every appearance of hating Seiichi.
But appearances can be deceiving...
Author’s note:
Tokyo Stars is a Yaoi-inspired, m/m gay romance @35,000 word novella. Expect a short, sexy read that is pure fantasy, with soft-focus BDSM elements. The novella is a stand-alone with no cliff-hanger that ends in an HEA.
If you like: Yaoi, Dominant/submissive, Crossdressing, May-November, Best friend’s older brother, first-time gay, hurt/comfort, unrequited love, or show business themes, you may like this.
No, I didn’t try to include as many tropes as possible, I just like those elements.
Rocked by the sudden loss of his parents in a car accident, Seiichi Seigo is hanging by a thread, racing between jobs and his first year in college at a Tokyo University. He’s barely got time to sleep or eat. When he slams into a stunning, (and rude) green-eyed, half-European man on campus, it’s just one more straw in the pile ready to break Seiichi. Arriving home to find an eviction notice on his door doesn’t help either.
Luckily, his best friend, Yukio, has a solution: Seiichi can take over the job Yukio was going to do. Be the personal, live-in assistant to Yukio’s older half-brother, prodigy movie director, Kei Karasawa.
But Seiichi’s troubles aren’t over. He can’t seem to shake the memory of his meeting with the green-eyed man on campus. He even had a steamy dream about him.
When he discovers his new employer and the man in his dream are one and the same, he’s stunned.
Thrust into close contact with the sexy, powerful Kei, Seiichi finds himself desperately attracted and falling for a man who seems to be dating one of the most beautiful actresses in the world and gives every appearance of hating Seiichi.
But appearances can be deceiving...
Author’s note:
Tokyo Stars is a Yaoi-inspired, m/m gay romance @35,000 word novella. Expect a short, sexy read that is pure fantasy, with soft-focus BDSM elements. The novella is a stand-alone with no cliff-hanger that ends in an HEA.
If you like: Yaoi, Dominant/submissive, Crossdressing, May-November, Best friend’s older brother, first-time gay, hurt/comfort, unrequited love, or show business themes, you may like this.
No, I didn’t try to include as many tropes as possible, I just like those elements.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2018
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Gage Lively
1 book5 followersI am a f/m Paranormal Romance Author under my real name, who fell in love with Anime a few years ago. From there, I discovered Yaoi. At the moment, I’m reading almost exclusively Yaoi and M/M Gay Romance. If you’d like to chat with me about either, visit The Lively Gang on facebook and if you’re interested in reading Tokyo Stars for free, but don’t have KU, contact me at AuthroGageLively@gmail.com or here on Goodreads. Readers who follow through with a review on Goodreads and Amazon will get on my list to automatically receive ARC’s in the future.
Currently watching: Wotakoi
Currently watching: Wotakoi
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 21, 2018
Ages ago, I used to read Yaoi. I have a deep, abiding love of Japanese culture since one of my closest friends is Japanese, and I've visited Japan with him. He's the one who introduced me to Yaoi, not to be confused with Shounen-ai, which is less focused on the sexual relationship between the two male characters.
Tokyo Stars is a very sexy, very cute read. It's a longish novella, told from the fist-person POV of the younger, more submissive MC.
Seiichi is only 18 but a brilliant linguist already; he's always assumed he was straight, but when his best friend's brother, the famous actor/director Kei, makes an appearance, Seiichi can't think about anyone else.
Seiichi becomes Kei's assistant and, eventually, his lover. These two burn up the sheets. And I mean BURN, SCORCH, SIZZLE. Kei is dominant and likes to call Seiichi "good boy." Seiichi loves to get down on his knees and do Kei's bidding.
Yaoi has a certain formula: typically more sex, slightly less romance; a HEA; and an instant connection (love/lust) between the MCs. This story follows these conventions.
The secondary characters, Kei's cast of colleagues/friends, were a lot of fun. I was sort of shipping two of them, but then found out one was married.
There is some angst, mostly Kei being super stoic and not sharing his feelings with Seiichi and Seiichi assuming the worst and running away (literally). But, ultimately, we get a very happy ending that made me smile.
Tokyo Stars is a very sexy, very cute read. It's a longish novella, told from the fist-person POV of the younger, more submissive MC.
Seiichi is only 18 but a brilliant linguist already; he's always assumed he was straight, but when his best friend's brother, the famous actor/director Kei, makes an appearance, Seiichi can't think about anyone else.
Seiichi becomes Kei's assistant and, eventually, his lover. These two burn up the sheets. And I mean BURN, SCORCH, SIZZLE. Kei is dominant and likes to call Seiichi "good boy." Seiichi loves to get down on his knees and do Kei's bidding.
Yaoi has a certain formula: typically more sex, slightly less romance; a HEA; and an instant connection (love/lust) between the MCs. This story follows these conventions.
The secondary characters, Kei's cast of colleagues/friends, were a lot of fun. I was sort of shipping two of them, but then found out one was married.
There is some angst, mostly Kei being super stoic and not sharing his feelings with Seiichi and Seiichi assuming the worst and running away (literally). But, ultimately, we get a very happy ending that made me smile.
i-m-a-quitter
July 20, 2018DNF @ 57%
It was kind of cheesy. And unrealistic. *shrugs*
It was kind of cheesy. And unrealistic. *shrugs*
August 17, 2018
First Disclaimer: I was given a free copy for review, by the author. This did not influence my rating.
Second Disclaimer: I am using the rating system according to the standards provided by goodreads, wherein 3 stars means "I liked it". This is one of many cases in which I really wish the site allowed half-stars, because I would give this 3.5 stars.
In fact, for the first 2/3 of the novella I would have given it 4 stars. I liked the protagonist, a bright but shy first-year college student. Seiichi's parents recently died and he is emotionally and financially in a precarious state. He hasn't had time or energy to make new friends at college and only has his childhood buddy Yukio. He runs himself ragged between work and school and can barely make rent. When Yukio is injured and can't PA for his movie-director half-brother, Kei, he asks Sei to do, pointing out that this is a live-in position so Sei would save on room and board. Sei agrees. Soon, despite not having previously been attracted to men, Sei is crushing on his new boss.
This is labelled as "a Yaoi-inspired romance" and Lively does an excellent job working in yaoi tropes (the awkward meet-cute, the blushing virgin, the Tsundere-or-is-he? romantic interest) while still keeping it accessible to readers who aren't familiar with that genre. The plot device of the American et al non-Japanese houseguests provides an easy out in not using up a lot of page time explaining cultural mores to the reader. Sei was hired in part because he speaks several languages; he just has to learn to cook American breakfasts (although do actresses really eat pancakes and eggs? how do these people stay star-thin?). The secondary characters seemed interesting, especially Scarlet and her long-time friendship with Kei.
The first time the two get together was a little cliche, but it's a cliche because it works so writers keep using it. And it is believable . And this scene was pretty hot. But once they've had sex there's an abrupt shift from romance to porn which just doesn't flow, and the pacing is off. Kei is into submission, which is fine although uninteresting to me personally, but Sei is comfortable way too immediately for a boy who had never gone farther than kissing before. Kei is too inconsiderate for someone of his experience: how would it not occur to him that Sei wouldn't know his feelings, since he never expressed them and had been unfriendly to him up till then? Also, the sub/dom thing caused me to retroactively read Kei's meanness to Sei as submission training rather than a tactless but well-intentioned effort to not fall for his brother's friend. The sex dialog was very generic porn, and the repeated use of "good boy" and Sei wriggling with pleasure at being praised made me think of puppies, not hotties. I think the sex parts would have worked better in actual yaoi, where one could have a few illustrations rather than a blow-by-blow. Anatomy terms are hard to make sexy.
This is quite short, 35,000 words, and I think it would have benefited being longer. The ending feels very rushed and there needs to be more space between the sex scenes, with conversation. I would have been happy to read more because I really did enjoy the story and writing. The secondary characters could get more page time -- at least one scene with Sei, Yukio, and Kei together before the blow-up would have been good, and it makes sense that Yukio would visit his brother and best friend. Or there could have been more on-the-set action, that could have been fun and allowed us to get to know the friends better.
Short version: Flawed but enjoyable. I would read something else by this author.
Thank you for sharing your story with me!
Second Disclaimer: I am using the rating system according to the standards provided by goodreads, wherein 3 stars means "I liked it". This is one of many cases in which I really wish the site allowed half-stars, because I would give this 3.5 stars.
In fact, for the first 2/3 of the novella I would have given it 4 stars. I liked the protagonist, a bright but shy first-year college student. Seiichi's parents recently died and he is emotionally and financially in a precarious state. He hasn't had time or energy to make new friends at college and only has his childhood buddy Yukio. He runs himself ragged between work and school and can barely make rent. When Yukio is injured and can't PA for his movie-director half-brother, Kei, he asks Sei to do, pointing out that this is a live-in position so Sei would save on room and board. Sei agrees. Soon, despite not having previously been attracted to men, Sei is crushing on his new boss.
This is labelled as "a Yaoi-inspired romance" and Lively does an excellent job working in yaoi tropes (the awkward meet-cute, the blushing virgin, the Tsundere-or-is-he? romantic interest) while still keeping it accessible to readers who aren't familiar with that genre. The plot device of the American et al non-Japanese houseguests provides an easy out in not using up a lot of page time explaining cultural mores to the reader. Sei was hired in part because he speaks several languages; he just has to learn to cook American breakfasts (although do actresses really eat pancakes and eggs? how do these people stay star-thin?). The secondary characters seemed interesting, especially Scarlet and her long-time friendship with Kei.
The first time the two get together was a little cliche, but it's a cliche because it works so writers keep using it. And it is believable . And this scene was pretty hot. But once they've had sex there's an abrupt shift from romance to porn which just doesn't flow, and the pacing is off. Kei is into submission, which is fine although uninteresting to me personally, but Sei is comfortable way too immediately for a boy who had never gone farther than kissing before. Kei is too inconsiderate for someone of his experience: how would it not occur to him that Sei wouldn't know his feelings, since he never expressed them and had been unfriendly to him up till then? Also, the sub/dom thing caused me to retroactively read Kei's meanness to Sei as submission training rather than a tactless but well-intentioned effort to not fall for his brother's friend. The sex dialog was very generic porn, and the repeated use of "good boy" and Sei wriggling with pleasure at being praised made me think of puppies, not hotties. I think the sex parts would have worked better in actual yaoi, where one could have a few illustrations rather than a blow-by-blow. Anatomy terms are hard to make sexy.
This is quite short, 35,000 words, and I think it would have benefited being longer. The ending feels very rushed and there needs to be more space between the sex scenes, with conversation. I would have been happy to read more because I really did enjoy the story and writing. The secondary characters could get more page time -- at least one scene with Sei, Yukio, and Kei together before the blow-up would have been good, and it makes sense that Yukio would visit his brother and best friend. Or there could have been more on-the-set action, that could have been fun and allowed us to get to know the friends better.
Short version: Flawed but enjoyable. I would read something else by this author.
Thank you for sharing your story with me!
August 21, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
If you’re familiar with yaoi manga or novels, you’ll recognize the characters in this story. The handsome, dominant (as well as wealthy and upper-class) Kei and the shy, innocent (but not frigid) young man with his delicate, almost feminine manners. Yaoi traditionally has submissive, younger partners with the older man being, at times, cruel and depraved. While this story has elements of it — and enough shirtless scenes to make any manga reader’s heart happy — there is no cruelty in Kei. Yes, Sei is a bit of a wide-eyed, long-haired innocent, but he’s a charming dreamer who manages to make the reader empathize with him and his infatuation.
Sei was the only child of his parents and much doted on. Their loss took everything away from him. No more laughter, no more safety, no more coming home to find someone waiting for him. It hasn’t been long since their passing and their graves are several hours away from school, which means Sei doesn’t have much of a chance to visit them. He’s still searching for closure, even as he’s trying to move forward with school. He loves languages, which comes in useful with the multi-cultural cast of the movie. He can speak English with Scarlet, French with Jean-Marc, and Korean with Jung.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
If you’re familiar with yaoi manga or novels, you’ll recognize the characters in this story. The handsome, dominant (as well as wealthy and upper-class) Kei and the shy, innocent (but not frigid) young man with his delicate, almost feminine manners. Yaoi traditionally has submissive, younger partners with the older man being, at times, cruel and depraved. While this story has elements of it — and enough shirtless scenes to make any manga reader’s heart happy — there is no cruelty in Kei. Yes, Sei is a bit of a wide-eyed, long-haired innocent, but he’s a charming dreamer who manages to make the reader empathize with him and his infatuation.
Sei was the only child of his parents and much doted on. Their loss took everything away from him. No more laughter, no more safety, no more coming home to find someone waiting for him. It hasn’t been long since their passing and their graves are several hours away from school, which means Sei doesn’t have much of a chance to visit them. He’s still searching for closure, even as he’s trying to move forward with school. He loves languages, which comes in useful with the multi-cultural cast of the movie. He can speak English with Scarlet, French with Jean-Marc, and Korean with Jung.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
February 27, 2019
Amelita Rae's Happy Family is one of the sexiest books I have ever read, so much so that I have been tentative about exploring more yaoi-inspired erotic romance because I feared nothing else could compare.
I am delighted to say I was wrong.
Tokyo Stars by Gage Lively is not just as good, it may actually be a sexier read. It is the story of a sad, lonely young man who is mourning the death of his parents, barely scraping by at school, and financially a day away from eviction. Tutoring gigs barely make ends meet, but his best friend may have something even better for him - a paying gig as assistant to a movie director, complete with free room and board.
The only problem is, Sei finds himself with an inexplicable crush on the older man - unfamiliar feelings that give way to uncomfortably erotic fantasies of submission. He has never thought of himself as gay, but he has never felt this way about anybody.
There is so much erotic tension here, with infatuation turning to obsession, fueled by innocent touches and simple words of praise. The massage scene alone had me flushed and breathless, and it is nothing more than hands, bare flesh, and the hint of sexuality. By the time Kei reveals his own desires, taking the younger man on as a sexual submissive, my heart was racing and I was gnawing on my bottom lip. Sei discovers so much about himself here, coming to understand himself as a gay bottom who is aroused as much by physical control and verbal praise, I swear I was more in love with him than Kei.
There is a pivotal confrontation late in the book that had my heart in my throat, but Tokyo Stars is a gorgeous, intense, mind-blowing, orgasmic erotic romance with a happily-ever-after that will leave you with tears of joy.
https://bibrary.blogspot.com/2019/02/...
I am delighted to say I was wrong.
Tokyo Stars by Gage Lively is not just as good, it may actually be a sexier read. It is the story of a sad, lonely young man who is mourning the death of his parents, barely scraping by at school, and financially a day away from eviction. Tutoring gigs barely make ends meet, but his best friend may have something even better for him - a paying gig as assistant to a movie director, complete with free room and board.
The only problem is, Sei finds himself with an inexplicable crush on the older man - unfamiliar feelings that give way to uncomfortably erotic fantasies of submission. He has never thought of himself as gay, but he has never felt this way about anybody.
There is so much erotic tension here, with infatuation turning to obsession, fueled by innocent touches and simple words of praise. The massage scene alone had me flushed and breathless, and it is nothing more than hands, bare flesh, and the hint of sexuality. By the time Kei reveals his own desires, taking the younger man on as a sexual submissive, my heart was racing and I was gnawing on my bottom lip. Sei discovers so much about himself here, coming to understand himself as a gay bottom who is aroused as much by physical control and verbal praise, I swear I was more in love with him than Kei.
There is a pivotal confrontation late in the book that had my heart in my throat, but Tokyo Stars is a gorgeous, intense, mind-blowing, orgasmic erotic romance with a happily-ever-after that will leave you with tears of joy.
https://bibrary.blogspot.com/2019/02/...
October 2, 2019
In typical yaoi fashion there is insta-love, a dominant-submissive element (though no violence) and a touch of manties. This was an easily read story with plenty of sex scenes and a bit of a misunderstanding to ensure a dash of angst. I enjoyed this however and thank the author for this copy that I won during the 2018 MMR group celebrations.
July 8, 2018
This is one hot read. I got easily caught up in the story and enjoyed every bit of it.
September 16, 2018
3.5/5
I was pretty excited about this one, especially as it seemed to cater to my rather unique tastes in yaoi fiction and while it was a very good read, I do have some issues with it.
Firstly, in the beginning, the book comes across as very disjointed, like an awkward translation which feels to be too on the point considering this is written in English while everyone speaks Japanese but as the book picks up steam this disjointed feeling smoothens out.
Secondly, the plot of this book is transparent, nothing actually comes as a surprise and the misunderstanding at the end seems like a particularly flimsy one. The plot is definitely not the star of this book because at times it is almost forgotten, there is quite a bit of stretch in this book where the book is just a series of sex scenes which fail to establish a relationship between our two MCs and worse, make the grave mistake of forgetting the plot altogether, because until that point Seiichi’s insecurity over where this relationship would go had become a genuine worry and seemed to really propel the plot and if it had been properly utilized could have lead to a milestone in this couple’s life, instead we completely forget about it for a while, but long enough that you start to become bored by the sex.
Thirdly, the relationship between Seiichi and Kei is not particularly well developed. In fact, the very best part of their relationship was the teasing start to their relationship where Kei is too close for comfort and Seiichi is flustered beyond belief. This is the essence of the relationship that truly worked because it got me really invested in these two and made me feel the feels. The teasing aspect to their relationship was exquisitely done and is the best part of this book. Although the starting was promising once these two fall into bed all the development between these two grounds to a stand-still while these two characters become increasingly comfortable with their sexual preferences (though at the end even this is not a good enough reason for the string of sex scenes in the middle of the book), we stop getting any development between these two as a couple, where is the talking the sharing of love the cutesy moments of intimacy, I personally felt robbed of all these moments.
Fourthly, “By now you’ve probably guessed that I’m a dominant.” This is the worst dialogue in the entire book. Up till this point in the book there has been not a whole lot to establish Kei as a dominant, let alone for it to be so indisputably established in Seiichi’s eyes. This was the single line that almost ruined my entire experience of the book because seriously this was a classic example of telling without any showing whatsoever, like Kei could have just come out and owned that he was a dominant in bed and liked to be obeyed. That would have been hot but by framing it in such a way that makes it appear that his actions are so unanimous that no one could mistake him for anything else was a “No” .
Fifthly, that kiss. It was amazing. While unfortunately, we don’t get to see the development between these two that I would have liked to really base an opinion on how these two would fare together. That first kiss was hot it got me all tingling because just something about Kei kissing a boy without a single care in the world, in front of someone, would have been powerful but the fact that in that kiss Seichi basically has no say whatsoever had me jumping up and down, because this one scene encompasses more that could have been said with words and the author managed to deliver all those emotions without explicitly stating one. Just thinking about it has me all bothered.
Finally, I would like to say despite my stunningly critical review of this book which has kind of blown me away this book was an interesting debut for the author and she definitely has the skills to truly wow me though this book didn’t quite manage that but I will have to concede despite being average across the board in story-telling aspects as a whole it becomes more than the sum of its parts and I definitely enjoyed it more than my review would suggest. It had me engrossed till the very end (though the misunderstanding put me off for a while) and on the whole, made for an enjoyable read.
I was pretty excited about this one, especially as it seemed to cater to my rather unique tastes in yaoi fiction and while it was a very good read, I do have some issues with it.
Firstly, in the beginning, the book comes across as very disjointed, like an awkward translation which feels to be too on the point considering this is written in English while everyone speaks Japanese but as the book picks up steam this disjointed feeling smoothens out.
Secondly, the plot of this book is transparent, nothing actually comes as a surprise and the misunderstanding at the end seems like a particularly flimsy one. The plot is definitely not the star of this book because at times it is almost forgotten, there is quite a bit of stretch in this book where the book is just a series of sex scenes which fail to establish a relationship between our two MCs and worse, make the grave mistake of forgetting the plot altogether, because until that point Seiichi’s insecurity over where this relationship would go had become a genuine worry and seemed to really propel the plot and if it had been properly utilized could have lead to a milestone in this couple’s life, instead we completely forget about it for a while, but long enough that you start to become bored by the sex.
Thirdly, the relationship between Seiichi and Kei is not particularly well developed. In fact, the very best part of their relationship was the teasing start to their relationship where Kei is too close for comfort and Seiichi is flustered beyond belief. This is the essence of the relationship that truly worked because it got me really invested in these two and made me feel the feels. The teasing aspect to their relationship was exquisitely done and is the best part of this book. Although the starting was promising once these two fall into bed all the development between these two grounds to a stand-still while these two characters become increasingly comfortable with their sexual preferences (though at the end even this is not a good enough reason for the string of sex scenes in the middle of the book), we stop getting any development between these two as a couple, where is the talking the sharing of love the cutesy moments of intimacy, I personally felt robbed of all these moments.
Fourthly, “By now you’ve probably guessed that I’m a dominant.” This is the worst dialogue in the entire book. Up till this point in the book there has been not a whole lot to establish Kei as a dominant, let alone for it to be so indisputably established in Seiichi’s eyes. This was the single line that almost ruined my entire experience of the book because seriously this was a classic example of telling without any showing whatsoever, like Kei could have just come out and owned that he was a dominant in bed and liked to be obeyed. That would have been hot but by framing it in such a way that makes it appear that his actions are so unanimous that no one could mistake him for anything else was a “No” .
Fifthly, that kiss. It was amazing. While unfortunately, we don’t get to see the development between these two that I would have liked to really base an opinion on how these two would fare together. That first kiss was hot it got me all tingling because just something about Kei kissing a boy without a single care in the world, in front of someone, would have been powerful but the fact that in that kiss Seichi basically has no say whatsoever had me jumping up and down, because this one scene encompasses more that could have been said with words and the author managed to deliver all those emotions without explicitly stating one. Just thinking about it has me all bothered.
Finally, I would like to say despite my stunningly critical review of this book which has kind of blown me away this book was an interesting debut for the author and she definitely has the skills to truly wow me though this book didn’t quite manage that but I will have to concede despite being average across the board in story-telling aspects as a whole it becomes more than the sum of its parts and I definitely enjoyed it more than my review would suggest. It had me engrossed till the very end (though the misunderstanding put me off for a while) and on the whole, made for an enjoyable read.
July 23, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well-developed and distinct, including the secondary characters who interacted with, and created tension for, the protagonists. The places and settings were portrayed vividly enough to provide a solid underpinning for the story without detracting from the main focus of Kei's and Seiichi's burgeoning relationship. The conflicts were complicated, genuine, and real. The Japanese culture is respectful, complex and complicated to explain. This book included just the right amount of cultural customs, behaviors, and descriptions (brilliantly provided as part of a character's inner monologue) to enhance the plot and flow of the book. Readers who are not familiar with Yaoi concepts will recognize several favorite themes and components of their favorite romances. Readers who are familiar with Yaoi will appreciate the Yaoi nuance and expression that makes this book so enjoyable.
September 8, 2018
Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I asked to review Tokyo Stars as I am trying to read out of my comfort zone. This book is described as being a Yaoi-inspired m/m romance and this is something that I know absolutely nothing about.
The first thing that hit me was the writing style. It was unusual for me and so took me a little while to get used to. Once I passed this hurdle the story flowed well.
Sei was an only child who lost his parents. Life then became more of a struggle for him. When he is offered a PA job, which is live-in, Sei accepts as it will make his life a little easier.
The sex scenes in the book are hot and there are elements of BDSM.
The book is only short and I think would have been better if it was padded out a little more but it proved to be a very satisfying read.
I would be happy to read more by this author.
I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I asked to review Tokyo Stars as I am trying to read out of my comfort zone. This book is described as being a Yaoi-inspired m/m romance and this is something that I know absolutely nothing about.
The first thing that hit me was the writing style. It was unusual for me and so took me a little while to get used to. Once I passed this hurdle the story flowed well.
Sei was an only child who lost his parents. Life then became more of a struggle for him. When he is offered a PA job, which is live-in, Sei accepts as it will make his life a little easier.
The sex scenes in the book are hot and there are elements of BDSM.
The book is only short and I think would have been better if it was padded out a little more but it proved to be a very satisfying read.
I would be happy to read more by this author.
March 16, 2019
Okay, this was pretty damn hot. The gay fantasies of the straight man are a nice lead-in, and the comic series of mixed signals and misunderstandings kept the long lead-in entertaining. The eventual power-exchange is where it really delivers, though, with the discovery that he is not only gay, and not only submissive, but a enthusiastic bottom as well, stoking my fire. Even the typical romantic hiccups towards the end were welcome, giving the sexual exploration some real depth. Well done.
September 5, 2018
With a novella, everything of course happens pretty quickly. But there was too much time spent before they got together and during “the big misunderstanding” while they were apart, so that them getting together, falling in love, and the HEA felt even more rushed. Sex scenes were decent with a mild dom/sub vibe.
September 16, 2019
True yaoi fashion, emotional rollercoaster and loss of angst. Loved it! When Kei finally kiss Seichi, I was actually screaming “Yes!”. True romance, with soft submissive BDSM., a story of Seichi finding his sexuality. Sweet!
August 7, 2018
Lovely
This is my first read from this author and I wasn't disappointed. It was sweet and sexy. Looking forward to reading more .
This is my first read from this author and I wasn't disappointed. It was sweet and sexy. Looking forward to reading more .
August 26, 2018
This one just worked for me. It’s silly and short but I dug it.
August 27, 2018
That was a funny, sexy read. My first Yaoi novel I enjoyed it a lot.
September 23, 2018
Read my full review here...
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
May 9, 2019
Sweet and fluffy with a bit of angst.
January 6, 2020
Short and sweet, definitely can see how it's "yaoi-inspired". It made me want to start reading actual manga books again!
If only this was illustrated... ;)
If only this was illustrated... ;)
January 15, 2025
Very sweet.
December 29, 2018
“Does this mean you might come to love me, too?”
I laughed and took his damp hand in both of mine. “Don’t be stupid. I already do.”
As someone who has been a fan of Yaoi, and Shounen Ai for years, I was so excited to read something by a fellow fan in novel form.
This was a really nice, enjoyable, and quick read. I just couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the chemistry that Kei and Seiichi had, you could feel the passion and tension between them every time they were together. I also really liked how they didn't feel like two wooden dolls, they actually had real feelings and some actual depth. The *ahem* smutty scenes were extremely well crafted, and fairly unique. It didn't feel like the same copy pasted crap that some stories throw at us.
I did have a few minor issues with this story. For one, I would've liked a bit more romance, more development between them (maybe some dates out on the town, or something to that effect?). I also wished that we got a bit more diversity in the setting, it felt as if we were a bit too confined to the apartment.
That being said, as a debut author I fully appreciate how well done this was. I really, and truly enjoyed this story. I can't wait to see what the author does in the future! Anyone who enjoys Yaoi should definitely give this a read, I'm sure you'd enjoy it!! ^-^
I laughed and took his damp hand in both of mine. “Don’t be stupid. I already do.”
As someone who has been a fan of Yaoi, and Shounen Ai for years, I was so excited to read something by a fellow fan in novel form.
This was a really nice, enjoyable, and quick read. I just couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the chemistry that Kei and Seiichi had, you could feel the passion and tension between them every time they were together. I also really liked how they didn't feel like two wooden dolls, they actually had real feelings and some actual depth. The *ahem* smutty scenes were extremely well crafted, and fairly unique. It didn't feel like the same copy pasted crap that some stories throw at us.
I did have a few minor issues with this story. For one, I would've liked a bit more romance, more development between them (maybe some dates out on the town, or something to that effect?). I also wished that we got a bit more diversity in the setting, it felt as if we were a bit too confined to the apartment.
That being said, as a debut author I fully appreciate how well done this was. I really, and truly enjoyed this story. I can't wait to see what the author does in the future! Anyone who enjoys Yaoi should definitely give this a read, I'm sure you'd enjoy it!! ^-^
August 19, 2020
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
I think labeling this book as yaoi inspired help lower my expectation. I initially shied away from this book because I'm just not a fan of BDSM themed book. But I read the blurb and it is really just a soft focus on it. I like the secondary characters. The overblown drama was expected and wasn't drag out for too long. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book.
3.5 stars
I think labeling this book as yaoi inspired help lower my expectation. I initially shied away from this book because I'm just not a fan of BDSM themed book. But I read the blurb and it is really just a soft focus on it. I like the secondary characters. The overblown drama was expected and wasn't drag out for too long. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book.
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