First things first. Let’s just be honest: Shigure and Kenshin aren’t easily bet. They are one of a kind. As is their story.My feelings about this story are a mess. It was disappointing and frustrating but also really good in a way that got me hooked anyway. I loved it and I hated it. And I want more.It was nothing like the first book. There wasn’t the high tension between the MCs right from the beginning with regular clashes of wills (and bodies). There was nothing of the trademark kinky hotness that was Shigure/Kenshin. And the action wasn’t as engaging. One very obvious reason for this probably is the fact that despite this being a long book the MCs – Kinosuke and Brendan - didn’t actually have much page time together. It felt like ages before they even met, then their time together made for some great reading, but it was way too short and then some outdrawn and way too detailed scheming/action thing started and completely took over their story. They were still in there, mind you, and sometimes even interacting a little bit and thinking about each other. But that was barely enough to satisfy any reader looking for a love story. Worst thing was that the happy end fell short because it was rushed and inconsistent.So…Having the bad things out of the way, I want to mention the things I liked very much. These things were the smooth and engaging writing that I came to love in the first book, the author’s ability to create compelling and complex characters, a good dose of humour that worked well for me, and the strong sense of family and friendship as overall theme of the book. Add to that some intrigue and mission planning spiced up with a bit of the “Maneki Neko. Exfiltrating now. Move it. Out.” kind of action and I was still a happy camper despite my frustrations. Quite honestly, I didn’t want this story to end. I wanted to read on about all the characters in the book. I loved how two different set of characters came to form a solid unit with special ties to each other. I loved the side stories although they took away from the love story, too. I loved Kinosuke and Brendan. Both adorable in their own way, with issues I dearly wished had been explored (more). Brendan was my favourite of the two although in the beginning I didn’t expect me to like him. The author managed to make me love him, though.Damn! Why giving me such great characters to love and cheer for and then letting me down and throwing only a few morsels of romance my way?! There you have it. My frustration and anger about this story is so strong because I loved the characters and the general set-up of the story so fricking much. It could have been so awesome if the love story weren’t such a let-down. *deep breath* Whatever. I’m so not sure how to rate this book. I wanted to read a love story with a punch and I got anything but. Then again, I enjoyed the story much more than many a full-blown romance badly written that you can find at any corner these days.So I settle with a 3.5 stars for now, rounding up to 4 stars doesn’t feel right, though. I really wanted to love this book. I loved book one so much. This book however did not live up to my expecations. The first 30% was pretty good but then it was all down hill from there. By 70% I couldn't stand it anymore and just started skimming. There was a ridiculous amount of detail on their mission and very little romance or relationship stuff after 30%. As I looked back I realized even that had been minimal. We only saw the two MC's in a few scenes together. Much of their time together took place off page. By the end I was not feeling their connection at all & I didn't understand their time apart. Overall this was REALLY disappointing for me.
What do You think about Yakuza Courage (2014)?
Wow, I'll have to reread the first book now.
—Ethan
