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Night and Day
Joel Schiff’s life has hit rock bottom.
He has wealth and luxury but no one to share it with, he’s trapped in a job he loathes, and he’s lost sight of what he was passionate about. Thirty-five and single, and a virgin to boot, Joel realizes that unless he changes something soon, he’ll be miserable the rest of his life.
But change finds Joel, and his name is Raiden Noboru. Flirtatious, spontaneous, and living each day in the moment, he’s Joel’s opposite in every way. All it takes is one smoldering, impulsive night together for Joel’s life to turn upside down.
But when dangerous figures from Raiden’s past make a target of them both, Raiden and Joel find themselves on the run from New York to Tokyo. Danger and mutual attraction bring them closer together, and Joel can’t deny his feelings, like himself, are changing into something he never thought possible. But for Raiden, jumping into gunfights is easier than opening his world-weary heart to Joel’s love.
Each fears taking risks to their hearts, but time is running out. Raiden and Joel will have to fight for a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love, or risk losing it all in a haze of gun smoke.
He has wealth and luxury but no one to share it with, he’s trapped in a job he loathes, and he’s lost sight of what he was passionate about. Thirty-five and single, and a virgin to boot, Joel realizes that unless he changes something soon, he’ll be miserable the rest of his life.
But change finds Joel, and his name is Raiden Noboru. Flirtatious, spontaneous, and living each day in the moment, he’s Joel’s opposite in every way. All it takes is one smoldering, impulsive night together for Joel’s life to turn upside down.
But when dangerous figures from Raiden’s past make a target of them both, Raiden and Joel find themselves on the run from New York to Tokyo. Danger and mutual attraction bring them closer together, and Joel can’t deny his feelings, like himself, are changing into something he never thought possible. But for Raiden, jumping into gunfights is easier than opening his world-weary heart to Joel’s love.
Each fears taking risks to their hearts, but time is running out. Raiden and Joel will have to fight for a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love, or risk losing it all in a haze of gun smoke.
- GenresM M Romance
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
11 people want to read
About the author
Georgia C. Williams
1 book4 followersGeorgia was homeschooled and spent her time telling stories before she even knew how to write. She’s been passionate about gay love stories for years, from writing fan fiction as a teenager for a dedicated audience to telling her own stories where love always wins and happily-ever-afters are always promised.
She hopes to be the change she wishes to see
and prove through her books that everyone deserves a good love story whether it’s through contemporary romance or fantasy and paranormal. When she’s not writing, she’s busy reading, walking dogs, plotting her next book, or deciding what video game to play next—even if she has two or three she hasn’t finished.
Georgia lives in New York City, where she centers most of her stories.
She hopes to be the change she wishes to see
and prove through her books that everyone deserves a good love story whether it’s through contemporary romance or fantasy and paranormal. When she’s not writing, she’s busy reading, walking dogs, plotting her next book, or deciding what video game to play next—even if she has two or three she hasn’t finished.
Georgia lives in New York City, where she centers most of her stories.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 12, 2022
DNF 10%
I knew almost immediately I wouldn't be able to read this book but gave it a fair shake by reading the first 10% anyway because you never know sometimes books just start awkwardly and then get better! ;however, this book continued to get more awkward. The writing was best described as "random". One second one of the main characters is spilling coffee on the other main character and the next paragraph they're at a museum before work? Nothing made sense. Some events that happened in the exactly two chapters I managed to read:
-Main characters meet at a coffee shop and Joel (main point of view character) spills coffee on the other main character.
-Joel is self-conscious about wearing bright colors
-Joel is berated by his father
-It is announced by aforementioned father that Joel will become managing partner of the law firm they work at
-Joel and Raiden (other main character) visit a museum
-This museum visit happens before work? What kind of hours are these people keeping.
-Joel hopes he can bond with his father
-Joel's coworkers are randomly rude to Joel with no consistency or reason, up to and including leaving a bar early because they thought Joel wouldn't show. This co-worker who invited him called Joel before and after this coworker meet up and they still bailed on him??
-Raiden says he doesn't know why anyone bothers to buy Christmas trees
-Yet goes with Joel to buy a Christmas tree. Like, immediately agrees to do this.
-And then goes home with Joel to set it up. And this ALSO happens before work!
-Joel and Raiden make out in approximately 4 different locations including the co-worker's abandoned bar where they spend several paragraphs berating a patron of the bar in a fatphobic way.
-Whilst making out in various places, Joel does the following: fears being rejected by Raiden, wonders about testing for STDs, thinks about how he is single and alone and has never been kissed at 35, answers a phone call from a co-worker, and wants to tell Raiden they're moving too fast but thinks having a boner would negate this?????????
So as you can see, a lot happened in two chapters, most of which made zero sense and none of it set up any sort of plot. Sprinkle on top fatphobia, lack of boundaries, very rude side characters, misunderstanding of consent, purchasing Christmas trees and visiting museums before work, and problematic insertion of a white dude being obsessed with Japanese culture, and you can see why I had to DNF at 10%.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
I knew almost immediately I wouldn't be able to read this book but gave it a fair shake by reading the first 10% anyway because you never know sometimes books just start awkwardly and then get better! ;however, this book continued to get more awkward. The writing was best described as "random". One second one of the main characters is spilling coffee on the other main character and the next paragraph they're at a museum before work? Nothing made sense. Some events that happened in the exactly two chapters I managed to read:
-Main characters meet at a coffee shop and Joel (main point of view character) spills coffee on the other main character.
-Joel is self-conscious about wearing bright colors
-Joel is berated by his father
-It is announced by aforementioned father that Joel will become managing partner of the law firm they work at
-Joel and Raiden (other main character) visit a museum
-This museum visit happens before work? What kind of hours are these people keeping.
-Joel hopes he can bond with his father
-Joel's coworkers are randomly rude to Joel with no consistency or reason, up to and including leaving a bar early because they thought Joel wouldn't show. This co-worker who invited him called Joel before and after this coworker meet up and they still bailed on him??
-Raiden says he doesn't know why anyone bothers to buy Christmas trees
-Yet goes with Joel to buy a Christmas tree. Like, immediately agrees to do this.
-And then goes home with Joel to set it up. And this ALSO happens before work!
-Joel and Raiden make out in approximately 4 different locations including the co-worker's abandoned bar where they spend several paragraphs berating a patron of the bar in a fatphobic way.
-Whilst making out in various places, Joel does the following: fears being rejected by Raiden, wonders about testing for STDs, thinks about how he is single and alone and has never been kissed at 35, answers a phone call from a co-worker, and wants to tell Raiden they're moving too fast but thinks having a boner would negate this?????????
So as you can see, a lot happened in two chapters, most of which made zero sense and none of it set up any sort of plot. Sprinkle on top fatphobia, lack of boundaries, very rude side characters, misunderstanding of consent, purchasing Christmas trees and visiting museums before work, and problematic insertion of a white dude being obsessed with Japanese culture, and you can see why I had to DNF at 10%.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
May 7, 2022
There was a lot going on here.
Plot
The plot was essentially ten action movies stuffed into one book. It would have been better served to delete half the action scenes, and expand the remaining so that the story has a chance to breathe. This would give the characters time to interact during the scenes and react to things as well. And the reader. I needed a break too.
This ended up with scenes like a plane mechanical failure(?there was smoke in the cabin?danger??) taking up about half a paragraph, and never being mentioned again. Quality over quantity - pick a few scenes and then make them matter.
There were endless continuity, logic, and timescale errors. I didn’t even note the specifics down because there were just so many. This could have used a bit more Hollywood Action Movie level “realism”, there were just too many glaring issues for me to just roll with the ridiculous.
Characters
My impression of Joel is that he’s a sad little pocket calculator of a human, allegedly a 35 year old senior corporate lawyer (nepotism!) who hates his life but does not change anything. Until he runs into Raiden in a coffee shop, and then somehow things cascade? I’m not sure. It’s not an uncommon set up, but I never felt like Joel was anything but a nervous little hanger-on.
Raiden I never got a feel for. It’s all Joels POV, and with his denial towards things Raiden actually says to him, I don’t feel like we ever knew much about Raiden. His backstory is a bit infodumped later on, so I guess it was nice he shared at all.
There were so many side characters. I was skimming by the end, and wow I had no idea what was going on with all those people. The endless new groups of people were one of the reasons I started skimming in the first place, so….chicken, egg?
Focusing on a select few high priority characters (MCs, Ren and police guy?) would give the story a core group to work from, and then all the tertiary characters wouldn’t be such an issue.
Romance
The romance didn’t work for me. It’s written there, we’re told its happening, but I never felt it. Lots of oddly placed dramatic moments. I have no idea why Raiden likes Joel at all. Joel is also a Stage 5 Clinger:
This kind of thing is a big part of their interactions - Raiden says he doesn’t do relationships, sleep with the same person twice, etc etc. Obviously there’s some differences for Joel already, but the amount that Joel protests against Raiden saying these things…dude, take a hint.
Basically, I can see what the intent was, but ultimately it didn’t work for me.
Other
The parts of this set in NYC are like taking a city tour. I’ve never been to NYC, so the street names and neighborhood names are lost on me, and mostly just distracted me from the story. It doesn’t need to be exact cross street specific.
We also toured bits of Hawaii and Japan similarly, though for some reason in Hawaii we got a literal tour guide talking about feral chickens.
I did see at the end that the author started writing this when she was 17, and has been working on it for a decade. It being started as a teenager would explain the somewhat immature approach to relationships and drama. The decade of (I’ll assume off and on) writing would also likely explain some of the choppiness and disconnect happening throughout the whole book. I mention this because if this is the case - perhaps working on something new work will let the author make things work better.
Overall, not totally irredeemable. It shows potential I think, but ultimately this one did not work for me on many levels.
As a bonus note, this was one of the most accidentally hilarious lines I came across :
Vibrant…pastel.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
Plot
The plot was essentially ten action movies stuffed into one book. It would have been better served to delete half the action scenes, and expand the remaining so that the story has a chance to breathe. This would give the characters time to interact during the scenes and react to things as well. And the reader. I needed a break too.
This ended up with scenes like a plane mechanical failure(?there was smoke in the cabin?danger??) taking up about half a paragraph, and never being mentioned again. Quality over quantity - pick a few scenes and then make them matter.
There were endless continuity, logic, and timescale errors. I didn’t even note the specifics down because there were just so many. This could have used a bit more Hollywood Action Movie level “realism”, there were just too many glaring issues for me to just roll with the ridiculous.
Characters
My impression of Joel is that he’s a sad little pocket calculator of a human, allegedly a 35 year old senior corporate lawyer (nepotism!) who hates his life but does not change anything. Until he runs into Raiden in a coffee shop, and then somehow things cascade? I’m not sure. It’s not an uncommon set up, but I never felt like Joel was anything but a nervous little hanger-on.
Raiden I never got a feel for. It’s all Joels POV, and with his denial towards things Raiden actually says to him, I don’t feel like we ever knew much about Raiden. His backstory is a bit infodumped later on, so I guess it was nice he shared at all.
There were so many side characters. I was skimming by the end, and wow I had no idea what was going on with all those people. The endless new groups of people were one of the reasons I started skimming in the first place, so….chicken, egg?
Focusing on a select few high priority characters (MCs, Ren and police guy?) would give the story a core group to work from, and then all the tertiary characters wouldn’t be such an issue.
Romance
The romance didn’t work for me. It’s written there, we’re told its happening, but I never felt it. Lots of oddly placed dramatic moments. I have no idea why Raiden likes Joel at all. Joel is also a Stage 5 Clinger:
Raiden had mentioned he didn’t do relationships, but Joel was certain he was an exception to his rules.
This kind of thing is a big part of their interactions - Raiden says he doesn’t do relationships, sleep with the same person twice, etc etc. Obviously there’s some differences for Joel already, but the amount that Joel protests against Raiden saying these things…dude, take a hint.
Basically, I can see what the intent was, but ultimately it didn’t work for me.
Other
The parts of this set in NYC are like taking a city tour. I’ve never been to NYC, so the street names and neighborhood names are lost on me, and mostly just distracted me from the story. It doesn’t need to be exact cross street specific.
We also toured bits of Hawaii and Japan similarly, though for some reason in Hawaii we got a literal tour guide talking about feral chickens.
I did see at the end that the author started writing this when she was 17, and has been working on it for a decade. It being started as a teenager would explain the somewhat immature approach to relationships and drama. The decade of (I’ll assume off and on) writing would also likely explain some of the choppiness and disconnect happening throughout the whole book. I mention this because if this is the case - perhaps working on something new work will let the author make things work better.
Overall, not totally irredeemable. It shows potential I think, but ultimately this one did not work for me on many levels.
As a bonus note, this was one of the most accidentally hilarious lines I came across :
He opened his drawer to start packing and was met with a flash of vibrant color. Among shades of white and black was the pastel-green shirt.
Vibrant…pastel.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
May 4, 2022
In this story, we have Joel, a 30 year old fella who has never been kissed, who lives in NYC. We know that this is New York due to all the tours we were given. I know some readers were stuck on the actual details, but for me, it was the Duane Reade that took me out of the story.
Now the other mc in here is Raiden. Yes, his name really is that and he has cherry blossom tattoos and is very very tall. He is also Japanese. I am not sure what was going on in this story, but to me, this was less a real Japanese person and more of a fetishization of what one would assume a Japanese guy would be.
I could have overlooked most of that, but the story itself needed editing. Like when the Yakuza were using revolvers. Or when Joel became the savior. Or sentences that did not flow at all.
The lack of chemistry between them is what made this hard to read. I can let things just go along, no matter how bad, if the story hooks me in. But this did not.
I am giving it 2 stars cause I made it to the end of the book to see that they danced to Journey's Open Arms.
Now the other mc in here is Raiden. Yes, his name really is that and he has cherry blossom tattoos and is very very tall. He is also Japanese. I am not sure what was going on in this story, but to me, this was less a real Japanese person and more of a fetishization of what one would assume a Japanese guy would be.
I could have overlooked most of that, but the story itself needed editing. Like when the Yakuza were using revolvers. Or when Joel became the savior. Or sentences that did not flow at all.
The lack of chemistry between them is what made this hard to read. I can let things just go along, no matter how bad, if the story hooks me in. But this did not.
I am giving it 2 stars cause I made it to the end of the book to see that they danced to Journey's Open Arms.
May 17, 2022
2 stars
this was so bad 😬
** thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC **
this was so bad 😬
** thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC **
Read
May 13, 2022DNF ~6%
This is a pretty early DNF for me, but I truly couldn't take another page. The cover's gorgeous, and the summary intrigued me enough to request an ARC, but once the other reviews started pouring in, I immediately regretted my choice. I did want to give this a fair shake, but honestly, the writing is really simplistic/immature, and even in the first 5% the way things unfold is just a bit odd. Disappointing.
This is a pretty early DNF for me, but I truly couldn't take another page. The cover's gorgeous, and the summary intrigued me enough to request an ARC, but once the other reviews started pouring in, I immediately regretted my choice. I did want to give this a fair shake, but honestly, the writing is really simplistic/immature, and even in the first 5% the way things unfold is just a bit odd. Disappointing.
August 20, 2022
The good
+ Joel trusting his gut about Raiden's feelings, despite his insecurities
+ Use of condoms for blowjobs. Very responsible
+ Joel seeing past Raiden's walls and masks to see the boy underneath
+ Raiden showing and telling Joel personal things about his past
The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o Just like in any action movie, there's a million bad guys with horrible aim. All shots fired by the main characters hit center forehead
o Joel refused to have his first time with his back to Raiden, so he made him agree to missionary. Then, the first time he topped Raiden, it happened from the back. What? Why would he do that?
o I don't really know what Raiden saw in Joel, since he never communicated about it and we didn't get his POV
The bad
- Just a few minutes after being asked whether their guns, which spent significant time underwater, were still functional (no, because the ammo had become useless), Raiden used his wet gun with wet ammo successfully
- Joel learned how to fire a handgun within one day, and then made several headshots even under pressure
- Raiden treated Joel like shit. He knew Joel had feelings for him, because Joel communicated those time and time again, yet kept insisting on being friends-with-benefits only. He knew how much it all meant to Joel and that he wanted more, yet took his virginity and kept him on a leash without remorse
- Joel let Raiden walk all over him just a bit too much. It was nice that he stood up for himself, but at some point it went from confident and prideful to pathetic and sad. Raiden (apparently) made his choice, and Joel had made his feelings clear enough
-
-
- Ren kissed Raiden when she knew so well Joel was into him, and Joel just forgave her because Raiden didn't kiss back. Then they became best friends. The hell? She still did a horrible thing, especially because she was a daily witness to Joel's moping
- The timeline was inconsistent. Only few weeks passed between New Year and March; ; in one chapter a week passed and two characters continued a conversation from a week ago like it happened a few hours before; the thing with the wet guns still working after just being told they shouldn't
- The plot was incredibly unrealistic. Both the Yakuza and the police knew Joel was involved with Raiden somehow, but they still went back to Joel's condo and used Joel's plane. Everyone also kept their cellphones and Joel probably used his bank account (because he never complained about being broke). They were really easy to track, especially since they ran through the snow and always hid like one block away from where they were last spotted by their pursuers, and then bunked in Raiden's friends' homes
-
I did not enjoy this book, unfortunately. It was a chore to get through, because every few pages something would happen that made the experience worse (an inconsistency, something unrealistic, or another Raiden-hurts-Joel moment). I don't recommend reading this book, since neither the Yakuza plot nor the romance lived up to my expectations.
+ Joel trusting his gut about Raiden's feelings, despite his insecurities
+ Use of condoms for blowjobs. Very responsible
+ Joel seeing past Raiden's walls and masks to see the boy underneath
+ Raiden showing and telling Joel personal things about his past
The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o Just like in any action movie, there's a million bad guys with horrible aim. All shots fired by the main characters hit center forehead
o Joel refused to have his first time with his back to Raiden, so he made him agree to missionary. Then, the first time he topped Raiden, it happened from the back. What? Why would he do that?
o I don't really know what Raiden saw in Joel, since he never communicated about it and we didn't get his POV
The bad
- Just a few minutes after being asked whether their guns, which spent significant time underwater, were still functional (no, because the ammo had become useless), Raiden used his wet gun with wet ammo successfully
- Joel learned how to fire a handgun within one day, and then made several headshots even under pressure
- Raiden treated Joel like shit. He knew Joel had feelings for him, because Joel communicated those time and time again, yet kept insisting on being friends-with-benefits only. He knew how much it all meant to Joel and that he wanted more, yet took his virginity and kept him on a leash without remorse
- Joel let Raiden walk all over him just a bit too much. It was nice that he stood up for himself, but at some point it went from confident and prideful to pathetic and sad. Raiden (apparently) made his choice, and Joel had made his feelings clear enough
-
-
- Ren kissed Raiden when she knew so well Joel was into him, and Joel just forgave her because Raiden didn't kiss back. Then they became best friends. The hell? She still did a horrible thing, especially because she was a daily witness to Joel's moping
- The timeline was inconsistent. Only few weeks passed between New Year and March; ; in one chapter a week passed and two characters continued a conversation from a week ago like it happened a few hours before; the thing with the wet guns still working after just being told they shouldn't
- The plot was incredibly unrealistic. Both the Yakuza and the police knew Joel was involved with Raiden somehow, but they still went back to Joel's condo and used Joel's plane. Everyone also kept their cellphones and Joel probably used his bank account (because he never complained about being broke). They were really easy to track, especially since they ran through the snow and always hid like one block away from where they were last spotted by their pursuers, and then bunked in Raiden's friends' homes
-
I did not enjoy this book, unfortunately. It was a chore to get through, because every few pages something would happen that made the experience worse (an inconsistency, something unrealistic, or another Raiden-hurts-Joel moment). I don't recommend reading this book, since neither the Yakuza plot nor the romance lived up to my expectations.
May 17, 2022
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange of a honest review.
This was really bad, first of all: names. Every single phrase had their names on it.
The plot was a mess, the lack of chemistry, everything happening doesn't make sense, Joel being a master shooter after one-day lessons, so many stereotypes about Japanese people.
The flaws goes on and on, and I believe that most of it happens because the author wrote the book in 10 years, so there's a lot of inconsistency on the plot and writing style.
This was really bad, first of all: names. Every single phrase had their names on it.
The plot was a mess, the lack of chemistry, everything happening doesn't make sense, Joel being a master shooter after one-day lessons, so many stereotypes about Japanese people.
The flaws goes on and on, and I believe that most of it happens because the author wrote the book in 10 years, so there's a lot of inconsistency on the plot and writing style.
May 17, 2022
OK, after reading the other reviews, I'm really feeling like an odd duck, but I absolutely loved this book!
It was everything I'd want in a debut novel - great characters, action packed, some humour, hot scenes, and romance!
Were there a few issues, of course, but very minor and none that prevented my enjoyment of the book.
It's such a shame the release has been cancelled/delayed, I would have quickly bought a copy!!
May 31, 2022
Oh my stars, this is baddd. The writing is terrible, the characters are what the author thinks a billionaire and a Japanese guy are, and there is no chemistry at all.. Honestly I could go on and on. This book was extremely lacking and I just had to DNF it.
DNF at 10%
This book was provided to me by Netgalley.
DNF at 10%
This book was provided to me by Netgalley.
July 5, 2022
Night and Day by Georgia C. Williams is a contemporary romance. Joel Schiff’s life has hit rock bottom. He has wealth and luxury but no one to share it with, he’s trapped in a job he loathes, and he’s lost sight of what he was passionate about. Thirty-five and single, and a virgin to boot, Joel realizes that unless he changes something soon, he’ll be miserable the rest of his life. But change finds Joel, and his name is Raiden Noboru. Flirtatious, spontaneous, and living each day in the moment, he’s Joel’s opposite in every way. All it takes is one smoldering, impulsive night together for Joel’s life to turn upside down. When dangerous figures from Raiden’s past make a target of them both, Raiden and Joel find themselves on the run from New York to Tokyo. Danger and mutual attraction bring them closer together, and Joel can’t deny his feelings, like himself, are changing into something he never thought possible. But for Raiden, jumping into gunfights is easier than opening his world-weary heart to Joel’s love. Each fears taking risks to their hearts, but time is running out. Raiden and Joel will have to fight for a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love, or risk losing it all in a haze of gun smoke.
Night and Day is a book that I had trouble staying with, mostly because sometime I knew something bad was coming and I just was not in the right headspace for it. I did like the characters, both the main couple and the secondary characters through out the book. I thought the characters, their interactions and history, and the story were all well written and built. There were a number of twists and turns, more often than not I expected something coming, but the actual twist or the way it came about surprised me. The violence and action that was part of the story was more than I was prepared for, but that is on me not the author, since it was completely in line with what was happening in the story and the personalities and motivations of the characters. I think fans of the subgenre will absolutely love this book, as a reader that is not a fan of gang and violence plot line I still saw the talent and skill in the book and was about to enjoy the well written characters and well woven story.
Night and Day is a novel with plenty of action and angst, and a solid dose of heat.
Night and Day is a book that I had trouble staying with, mostly because sometime I knew something bad was coming and I just was not in the right headspace for it. I did like the characters, both the main couple and the secondary characters through out the book. I thought the characters, their interactions and history, and the story were all well written and built. There were a number of twists and turns, more often than not I expected something coming, but the actual twist or the way it came about surprised me. The violence and action that was part of the story was more than I was prepared for, but that is on me not the author, since it was completely in line with what was happening in the story and the personalities and motivations of the characters. I think fans of the subgenre will absolutely love this book, as a reader that is not a fan of gang and violence plot line I still saw the talent and skill in the book and was about to enjoy the well written characters and well woven story.
Night and Day is a novel with plenty of action and angst, and a solid dose of heat.
May 10, 2022
I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
When Joel Schiff meet Raiden Noboru at a coffee shop, he knew his life would change. His life went from humdrum to trying to evade a powerful gang from Japan.
Before Raiden, Joel was just going through the motions — except in bed, there’s no motion going in there. He’s a 35-year-old virgin who lives in a New York City penthouse and is about to be named partner in his dad’s company. Sounds unbelievable? It sure does. I didn’t buy it.
Places to hook up roulette, would you pick a huge penthouse or a place where someone shares it with a grouchy roommate? I know what I would pick. The setup for this conflict was cringy. I dislike unbelievable scenarios that are set up to move the plot along. Heck, this ambush could’ve happened while someone was carrying a Christmas tree, I’m just throwing it out there.
I do love Joel and his convictions. He knew how skittish Raiden was when it came to emotions and trust. Yes, Joel is clingy but Raiden was all too willing to physically give in except he is unwilling to accept his feelings for Joel due to his trauma.
There was great potential in this book. The mafia trope is one that I love. I had an issue with the 3rd person's POV. A few paragraphs in the first chapter read like a kid wrote an essay an hour before it was due. The execution when it came to conflict setup and plot progression could have been smoother but I still very much like the thought of Joel and Raiden.
Also, as a person in Finance let’s just say no wonder baddies could track them. I’m sure Joel used all his account. They also took Joel to a hospital at some point like, uhm, they’re just out there peacocking at this point. Alright, no more spoilers.
3/5 stars on the spice scale.
3/5 stars overall.
When Joel Schiff meet Raiden Noboru at a coffee shop, he knew his life would change. His life went from humdrum to trying to evade a powerful gang from Japan.
Before Raiden, Joel was just going through the motions — except in bed, there’s no motion going in there. He’s a 35-year-old virgin who lives in a New York City penthouse and is about to be named partner in his dad’s company. Sounds unbelievable? It sure does. I didn’t buy it.
Places to hook up roulette, would you pick a huge penthouse or a place where someone shares it with a grouchy roommate? I know what I would pick. The setup for this conflict was cringy. I dislike unbelievable scenarios that are set up to move the plot along. Heck, this ambush could’ve happened while someone was carrying a Christmas tree, I’m just throwing it out there.
I do love Joel and his convictions. He knew how skittish Raiden was when it came to emotions and trust. Yes, Joel is clingy but Raiden was all too willing to physically give in except he is unwilling to accept his feelings for Joel due to his trauma.
There was great potential in this book. The mafia trope is one that I love. I had an issue with the 3rd person's POV. A few paragraphs in the first chapter read like a kid wrote an essay an hour before it was due. The execution when it came to conflict setup and plot progression could have been smoother but I still very much like the thought of Joel and Raiden.
Also, as a person in Finance let’s just say no wonder baddies could track them. I’m sure Joel used all his account. They also took Joel to a hospital at some point like, uhm, they’re just out there peacocking at this point. Alright, no more spoilers.
3/5 stars on the spice scale.
3/5 stars overall.
May 16, 2022
DNF at 38%.
I really wanted to like this because the synopsis actually sounded very interesting and up my alley. Sadly there is so much going on here and I couldn't help but feel confused and lost with the pacing of this story. The characters lack depth and chemistry, I don't like Joel as a lead character, he is a big shot lawyer and is rich bit somehow timid and shy at the same time... It doesn't add up for me, it just seemed like it was convenient for the character to have a lot of money but there were different ways for that to have been put into play. A big plot hole for me here is when the police come to question Joel and he somehow doesn't know his own rights or what he can and can't say to the police as a lawyer. Raiden is just here to be some sexy guy that is on the run but for some reason is totally untouchable and can headshot anyone just because he feels like it. It really made the "intense" moments anticlimactic because there is an action scene literally every other chapter and for absolutely no reason at all. I think this story could have been good if the setting was different and if it wasn't trying to do the most. The last straw for me was them deciding to go to Japan just because going to enemy territory is just the smartest thing to do since Raiden doesn't want to leave NYC. This is basically a bad gay action movie but in a novel form.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this because the synopsis actually sounded very interesting and up my alley. Sadly there is so much going on here and I couldn't help but feel confused and lost with the pacing of this story. The characters lack depth and chemistry, I don't like Joel as a lead character, he is a big shot lawyer and is rich bit somehow timid and shy at the same time... It doesn't add up for me, it just seemed like it was convenient for the character to have a lot of money but there were different ways for that to have been put into play. A big plot hole for me here is when the police come to question Joel and he somehow doesn't know his own rights or what he can and can't say to the police as a lawyer. Raiden is just here to be some sexy guy that is on the run but for some reason is totally untouchable and can headshot anyone just because he feels like it. It really made the "intense" moments anticlimactic because there is an action scene literally every other chapter and for absolutely no reason at all. I think this story could have been good if the setting was different and if it wasn't trying to do the most. The last straw for me was them deciding to go to Japan just because going to enemy territory is just the smartest thing to do since Raiden doesn't want to leave NYC. This is basically a bad gay action movie but in a novel form.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2022
Ugh. I wanted to love this book. I adored it in concept - an opposites attract, M/M romance, with Asian-Pacific and LGTBQ representation? sounds amazing. Unfortunately it went off the rails for me at about the 40% mark and I just couldn't finish.
Joel is a straight-laced (well as conservative as a queer man can be) attorney at his family's corporate law firm. He is bored and slowly losing himself in his boring, beige life. When he meets Raiden, a Japanese man who is tatted up and muscled like an MMA fighter, he takes a chance on opening himself up to a sexy exciting fling. He gets way more than he bargained for with Raiden. Raiden is on the run from the Japanese mafia and wanted for a horrible murder of a family in Japan. So as things progress he and Raiden have to return to Japan to try and confront and bring down the organization that wants Raiden dead.
Here's the thing - I really liked Raiden at first - but when we are confronted by his past and the pacing of the book switches from opposites attract city romance to some weird blend of romantic suspense fantasy - I was completely lost and disoriented. In the end the switch - especially the shift in Joel was just too much. This was a DNF for me at 50% mark.
I received this as an ARC via NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
Joel is a straight-laced (well as conservative as a queer man can be) attorney at his family's corporate law firm. He is bored and slowly losing himself in his boring, beige life. When he meets Raiden, a Japanese man who is tatted up and muscled like an MMA fighter, he takes a chance on opening himself up to a sexy exciting fling. He gets way more than he bargained for with Raiden. Raiden is on the run from the Japanese mafia and wanted for a horrible murder of a family in Japan. So as things progress he and Raiden have to return to Japan to try and confront and bring down the organization that wants Raiden dead.
Here's the thing - I really liked Raiden at first - but when we are confronted by his past and the pacing of the book switches from opposites attract city romance to some weird blend of romantic suspense fantasy - I was completely lost and disoriented. In the end the switch - especially the shift in Joel was just too much. This was a DNF for me at 50% mark.
I received this as an ARC via NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
May 10, 2022
Let's start with the good:
*it's full of action
*If you feel the chemistry of the characters
*The sexy times
*The moments where Joel and Raiden really open their hearts are wholesome, they make you gasp without being cheesy.
You really get to understand why Raiden is so reluctant to fall in love or let someone into his life, I liked his sense of humor. On the other hand Joel I think that for once in his life he lets himself be carried away by circumstances and that makes him come out of his shell.
Now the bad: In this book you should not analyze things, to enjoy it you have to put logic aside. There are many inconsistencies in terms of obvious situations, many things that are really impossible and you do not need to be an expert on the subject. I also didn't like the drama for not having communication, I hate this trope, and that Raiden behaved like a jerk after turning Joel's life upside down and that Joel, being in love, supports everything.
If these points do not bother you, you can enjoy reading and it reads very quickly.
I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS, AND THIS IS MY HONEST REVIEW.
*it's full of action
*If you feel the chemistry of the characters
*The sexy times
*The moments where Joel and Raiden really open their hearts are wholesome, they make you gasp without being cheesy.
You really get to understand why Raiden is so reluctant to fall in love or let someone into his life, I liked his sense of humor. On the other hand Joel I think that for once in his life he lets himself be carried away by circumstances and that makes him come out of his shell.
Now the bad: In this book you should not analyze things, to enjoy it you have to put logic aside. There are many inconsistencies in terms of obvious situations, many things that are really impossible and you do not need to be an expert on the subject. I also didn't like the drama for not having communication, I hate this trope, and that Raiden behaved like a jerk after turning Joel's life upside down and that Joel, being in love, supports everything.
If these points do not bother you, you can enjoy reading and it reads very quickly.
I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS, AND THIS IS MY HONEST REVIEW.
May 5, 2022
If you are thinking of reading this book you just need to suspend your disbelief. There are things with the timeline that didn’t work and a few contradictions. Too many plot inconsistencies to count. Things that when I recounted them to my family over dinner made me almost hyperventilate. So it wasn’t all bad because a reaction is better than no reaction.
(nb You are either fluent in a language or you are rusty you can’t really be both)
The book is action packed and we get many shoot outs and on foot escapes. By the end I was thinking it had covered every action movie I had ever seen.
I actually did like the characters. The book is all told from Joel’s POV but I did understand Raiden’s reactions and I felt I got to know him too.
I didn’t hate it and with some editing it definitely has the bones to be really good.
(nb You are either fluent in a language or you are rusty you can’t really be both)
The book is action packed and we get many shoot outs and on foot escapes. By the end I was thinking it had covered every action movie I had ever seen.
I actually did like the characters. The book is all told from Joel’s POV but I did understand Raiden’s reactions and I felt I got to know him too.
I didn’t hate it and with some editing it definitely has the bones to be really good.
May 16, 2022
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Night and Day by Georgia C Williams. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and NineStar Press, LLC for providing an ARC to review.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 40%. I really wanted to like Joel and Raiden, but they did not make sense as a couple or even layered characters. All their actions had me raising my eyebrows and muttering to myself, "really? over and over. Joel kept seeing people die around and by Raiden and yet still got back together multiple times was so unrealistic. Also, the whole going to Japan thing made no sense, and I decided to bail.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 40%. I really wanted to like Joel and Raiden, but they did not make sense as a couple or even layered characters. All their actions had me raising my eyebrows and muttering to myself, "really? over and over. Joel kept seeing people die around and by Raiden and yet still got back together multiple times was so unrealistic. Also, the whole going to Japan thing made no sense, and I decided to bail.
May 18, 2022
I loved this fun, swashbuckling adventure. From my perspective it was pure entertainment like a Bruce Lee film. You never knew where the adventure would lead one to.
I read serious, thought provoking literature for my edification and flamboyant, fun books for relief from life's difficulties. Call it an escapist genre.
Joel and Raiden with their conflicted hot romance captivated me and how I loved the marvelous character of explosive Ren.
At the end of the book I could rest easily in the transformative nature of the story as the characters rested in a comfortable new life together.
I'm going to read my advanced copy again.
I read serious, thought provoking literature for my edification and flamboyant, fun books for relief from life's difficulties. Call it an escapist genre.
Joel and Raiden with their conflicted hot romance captivated me and how I loved the marvelous character of explosive Ren.
At the end of the book I could rest easily in the transformative nature of the story as the characters rested in a comfortable new life together.
I'm going to read my advanced copy again.
May 3, 2022
I think this book was pretty good
Joel was super cute and awkward and while Raiden scared me a bit at times, he was super cool.
This book definitely confused me a bit though, but I guess that confusion comes with a third person POV and a foreign country with names I've never heard before. I did really enjoy it though. I think Ren was probably one of the best characters, the cute little badass she was.
3 stars overall, and you should check it out ASAP.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!
Joel was super cute and awkward and while Raiden scared me a bit at times, he was super cool.
This book definitely confused me a bit though, but I guess that confusion comes with a third person POV and a foreign country with names I've never heard before. I did really enjoy it though. I think Ren was probably one of the best characters, the cute little badass she was.
3 stars overall, and you should check it out ASAP.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!
May 15, 2022
Good attempt at a first book.
I enjoyed a lot of this book but found it a bit scattered at times. The story was good but I think the story would have been better if the author had a really experienced editor. And maybe a few beta readers to give feed back. I think their was just too much going on. If they simplified this book I would have loved it. Raiden and Joel’s love story was complicated and really rough. And at times I thought it might not end at a happy ending. The story will keep you guessing. I’m not a fan of giving a new author a bad review, so this is a good first attempt!
I enjoyed a lot of this book but found it a bit scattered at times. The story was good but I think the story would have been better if the author had a really experienced editor. And maybe a few beta readers to give feed back. I think their was just too much going on. If they simplified this book I would have loved it. Raiden and Joel’s love story was complicated and really rough. And at times I thought it might not end at a happy ending. The story will keep you guessing. I’m not a fan of giving a new author a bad review, so this is a good first attempt!
May 16, 2022
This just wasn't for me. It sounded interesting but ultimately fell flat. The dialogue was all over the place and incredibly hard to read and take seriously and there was just too much going on in the plot with no consistency. I couldn't connect to either of the characters and it was just overall eh? I did finish it but honestly forgot most of what happened within a few hours. Interesting idea, just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2022
2.25 stars. I personally find Asian men incredible so I love to read books with main Asian characters, so this was a win. But most of the action scenes were written like bad 80s action movies, with Raiden (and, gosh, with so MANY incredible Japanese names to choose from WHY this?) seemingly able to handle armies of Yakuza on his own and come away without a scratch... Boggles my mind how people can still stomach scenes like that.
On the plus side, Joel and Raiden in bed was something sweet and hot and I really enjoyed the way they interacted.
On the plus side, Joel and Raiden in bed was something sweet and hot and I really enjoyed the way they interacted.
May 20, 2022
His life is at rock bottom, he may have money but he hates his job and he knows it needs to change. He will meet another man for a red hot night of fun. Their past will come after them both. Soon they on the run and they need to stay one foot ahead of the enemy. Can they outrun the trouble? How will it all go? See where you are taken
May 17, 2022
2.5 but rounded up to a 3 star
I really wanted to love this book, the cover is amazing and it sounded so good but unfortunately that is were it stopped for me.
I couldn't connect with either Joel or Raiden. I also felt they didn't connect to each other, there was no chemistry no build up of tension/feelings.
they were each other's first but Joel got to look Raiden in the eyes, where he didn't give Raiden the same treatment
At some stages there seemed like there was no danger to their lives as they went about sight seeing in Japan and meeting Raidens mother with no precautions/weapons, with no sign of the Mafia.
The plane caught fire but there was no mention of what went wrong or why just that there was smoke and they had to wait a few days, pointless.
There could have been a change over with a delay in their fight rather than that pointless scene.
The Mafia was so easy to defeat, there was no challenge to any of it
At times it didn't flow (much like my jumpy review, sorry)
There were SO many things that needed work with this book, it had great potential but unfortunately fell very flat for me
Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review
I really wanted to love this book, the cover is amazing and it sounded so good but unfortunately that is were it stopped for me.
I couldn't connect with either Joel or Raiden. I also felt they didn't connect to each other, there was no chemistry no build up of tension/feelings.
they were each other's first but Joel got to look Raiden in the eyes, where he didn't give Raiden the same treatment
At some stages there seemed like there was no danger to their lives as they went about sight seeing in Japan and meeting Raidens mother with no precautions/weapons, with no sign of the Mafia.
The plane caught fire but there was no mention of what went wrong or why just that there was smoke and they had to wait a few days, pointless.
There could have been a change over with a delay in their fight rather than that pointless scene.
The Mafia was so easy to defeat, there was no challenge to any of it
At times it didn't flow (much like my jumpy review, sorry)
There were SO many things that needed work with this book, it had great potential but unfortunately fell very flat for me
Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
I hate to even say this but I did not finish. Like others, I had a hard time getting into it. It felt confused and chaotic. I did really like the whole Christmas tree scene. That was sweet.
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