Some high school romances just won’t fade.

A high-ranking yakuza, Yuuki enjoys his relatively quiet job. If only his mother would stop asking for grandchildren. Unwilling to come out, he contemplates a sham marriage just to shut her up. After all, it’s not as if he’ll ever be lucky in love again.

Black-listed after his divorce, the only reason luxury suit designer Kazuki is still in business is his yakuza clientele. Desperate to find new clients, he starts looking for a collaborator for the upcoming fashion show. But who’s daring enough to partner up with him?

When Kazuki’s high school sweetheart walks into his shop, all those worries disappear. Although Yuuki has far from forgiven Kazuki for his past betrayal, Kazuki wants nothing more than to rekindle their love. But then he learns Yuuki is in the yakuza…

Can these two mend their love, or are they now too different to thread their lives together?

Purchase: Amazon.com

Goodreads: My Heart’s Desire by Amy Tasukada

Review

Rating: 4 stars

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

This is a short novel set in the Yakuza Path universe.

Just when Yuuki, a member of the Yakuza, is considering a sham marriage to please his mother who is constantly asking for grandchildren, he walks back into his high-school love’s life. Despite what happened between them in the past, Kazuki wishes to rekindle the romance between them, however he has second thoughts when he learns that Yuuki is in the Yakuza. Is this and past wounds something that they can overcome or will it drive them apart for good.

I enjoy reading these short stories set in the Yakuza Path universe. Not only is it fun to read about side characters from the main series, you also get to see the main characters through the eyes of others. Yuuki and Kazuki’s growing romance is sweet and keeps the right balance between going through the heartbreak of their school days and confronting the here and now. I liked getting to know these characters and found myself hoping that despite the odds against them, they would find a way to work through their problems together.

Overall, this is a cute second chance romance read and I really recommend you checking it out.

The world as we know it is forever lost. A deadly virus has scourged the planet and ravaged billions. Under the harsh ruling regime, survivors were “cleansed” and confined to isolated units, perpetually tormented by hunger, desolation, and desperation.

Among them is Geoff, a researcher for the trailblazing Paradiso, an authority-regulated virtual-reality program that allows users to momentarily escape their waking lives via implanted chips. He is devoted to perfecting the system—a vessel to preserve future hopes and dreams, where immense worlds prevail, brimming with vast possibilities.

But before long Geoff finds himself thrusted into the darkest recesses of these alternate realities, where he must confront not only his past but persevere against the unknown, fighting for his very existence.

Is all this magnificence just a grandiose illusion? Could there ever be salvation from the living hell into which mankind has plummeted?

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Goodreads: Dusk Upon Elysium by Tamel Wino

Review

Rating: 5 stars

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

When a deadly virus rips through the Earth’s population, the Government orders a mass evacuation known as the migration. Force into segregated units, the survivors work on the virtual world Paradiso, adding layers of programming so real that they begin to lose grasp on their actual reality. Yet there is something sinister in their new virtual world. Drawn to Paradiso by the pain of his loss, researcher Greg soon begins to experience this darkness masquerading as all he held dear. Can he find a way out of this nightmare and back to reality before it consumes him?

Dusk Upon Elysium is a real mind trip of a novel, combining a pandemic with a new virtual reality to combat the loneliness of being isolated. It was interesting how rather than find a solution to the current problems, the Government changed focus to building Paradiso and forcing the remaining population into a kind of servitude. Many things were left up to interpretation which included a lot of the reasoning behind all of this. My thoughts were that much of what we took for granted to be true in the novel was part of a Government plot to control the survivors. Some of the characters also suspected this, but fear of what might happen prevented them from asking many questions.

The world building was excellent and very imaginative. I could picture every detail and found myself fully immersed in the story. I enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with each other, albeit over video link rather than face to face!

The ending, as well as many aspects of the novel, was left open for the reader to decide for themselves. This may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied but for me I liked filling in the blanks and reaching my own conclusions.