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Summary:

Osuke is the youngest sibling, determined to make it on his own. However, things aren’t going as planned. The apartment he picked (the only one he could afford) is no longer an option. That means it’s time to pivot.

Osuke somehow finds himself in a situation that seems too good to be true. An apartment that’s large and glorious - far more than he thought he could afford. There’s just a tiny catch - the roommate.

Review:

My Noisy Roommate: The Roof Over My Head Comes With Monsters and a Hottie Vol. 1 may just win the award for the longest title I’ve read (this month). It’s a mouthful. That said, it’s also an entertaining series!

The core concept is brilliant: ghost hunters meet realtors, with forced proximity and a potential love interest thrown into the mix. There’s something for everyone, especially if you love creepy stories and yokai.

My Noisy Roommate Vol. 1 is a solid start to the series; we learn about Osuke and his new roommate, the world, the situation as a whole, etc. It’s a lot to take in, yet there’s still time for a couple of adventures.

If you’re looking for something creative and different, this series is absolutely worth checking out. And yes, I will follow up as more of the series is released.

Highlights:
Paranormal Fantasy
Forced Proximity
Paranormal Realtors
Yaoi/BL

Will I continue the series? Yeah

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Summary:

Eito Tachibana is sick and tired of all the jokes revolving around his name. Every time he meets a person, it’s the same old joke, again and again. It’s exhausting. Yet, one day, he met a classmate who didn’t react as expected.

This singular moment kicks off a series of events that will hopefully change both of their lives forever. Sharing something in common, they have plenty of reasons to get closer as they learn about each other.

Review:

Okay, this is a cute story. Number Call may not be the deepest of romances (at least initially), but it is cute and sweet. Basically, our two leading gentlemen meet because of their name similarities (both being the number eight).

Like I said, not super deep. But it is funny and charming in its own way. The sort of thing that gives people the excuse to bond. It’s also a bit of a slow-burn romance, as our characters only get to interact in a limited fashion (for example, walking home from school).

Number Call is sweet and endearing, but it lacks substance. I wish there were more to the characters, their stories, and their interactions. Still, I’m happy I gave it a try!

Highlights:
BL Romance
Yaoi
Shounen Ai
Young Adult Romance

You Can Also Find Me On:
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Interesting Departure, Still A Love Letter To The Author's Homeland. Ackerman, at least in my time reading her works, has been a historical fiction writer before this tale. While there were generally some elements of romance to her tales that have always featured a female lead, that was seemingly almost there for realism and impact as much as trying to add in a romantic subplot.

Here, Ackerman goes instead for a more full-bore romance, still set in her native Hawaii. While not as impactful as some of her more recent historical fiction work, it still works well for what it is - a drama-filled romance tale set against the backdrop of a native Hawaiian and a mainlander surfer trying to become a surfing legend. Fans of most anything to do with Hawaii and/ or surfing will enjoy this work. Fans of the early 2000s era movie Blue Crush, since it just came up this week (great timing for Ackerman!) with the Weds, November 13, 2024 airing of The Masked Singer in the US and specifically who was revealed that night (though this is all I'm saying... it is likely still too much to avoid spoilers of *that* show... which I never guaranteed) will enjoy the callbacks to both the tropical scenery and the surfing competitions and their dangers.  

More interesting, at least to me, are all the connections to the Avatar scifi franchise. Our female lead here is named Iwa Iwa, apparently for a native Hawaiian plant - and yet Eywa (which sounds similar to this Southern United States boy's ears) is the Na'vi goddess in the Avatar franchise. Similarly, when Iwa begins praying to the various natural gods early-ish in the book, the language sounds remarkably like the language spoken by the Na'vi in the movies (and in the Pandora world at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, for that matter). Which shouldn't come as *too* much of a surprise, since James Cameron and staff openly admit they were inspired by Pacific Islander culture - including Hawaiian culture - in the creation of the Na'vi. Still, this is the first fiction book I've ever seen with such a clear and pervasive connection, and it was both interesting and jarring. Then there are the conservation connections, as both storylines feature at least some level of fighting to preserve nature from "greedy developers". (So yes, the anti-capitalist themes are there to a degree, but I personally didn't find them too be too preachy or overbearing here. Avatar is certainly *far* worse in that regard.)

This isn't a light romcom by any stretch, there are absolutely some very weighty subjects dealt with herein - including a serious injury that leads to opioid addiction - and this may hit harder for some readers than others.

Overall it really was an interesting departure from Ackerman's norm (again, at least in my own experience with her books), but one that shows that Ackerman is a strong enough storyteller that she will be able to give us a compelling story in any genre she chooses while also still allowing for some growth in these new adventures.

Very much recommended.

Pessimistic Satirical Look At Politics For The Millennial And Younger Crowds. First, let me address why I specifically say this is for the younger crowds: Every chapter ends with an image that, in the print edition at least, is a coloring sheet. Yes, you read that right. This is, partially and only in the print edition, a coloring book.  Even the last text section before the coloring sheet is a suggestion of how you might want to color it, based on the image at hand and the commentary of that particular chapter.

As to the actual text, it is exactly what I said above - a satirical, if perhaps a touch pessimistic, look at all things politics, including how so many stereotypical politicians act so much of the time. Which means that at least in a certain vein, it absolutely does ease political stress with a bit of humor - if perhaps landing a touch close to one's actual views of the subject.

The coloring sheets, while infantilizing - arguably one of the *last* things we need to be doing with this set of younger adults (to be clear, including those of even my own Xennial generation) - are at least a solid attempt at humor whose landing will depend more on personal taste.

Overall a fun, light, funny-enough book that never takes itself to seriously and is in fact a good way to try to have a laugh.

Very much recommended.

Down Down Deep, Indeed. For those unaware, this book was previously titled Down Down Deep, and that may actually be a superior title to its more generic one it currently has (The Cruise).  

Here we get a psychological, almost supernatural, thriller that becomes all too human indeed. The tension ratchets up as weird things start happening on this sailing of this cruise ship, and there are quite a few even horror elements to be had here.  

There are twists a plenty, so much so that it sometimes feels like you're on Velocicoaster - they're coming so hard and so fast, and yet you're enjoying every freaking second of it. And, like Velocicoaster, as fun and intense as this read is... it is also fairly shortish, at just around 250 pages. Meaning it is yet again great for those with limited amounts of reading time.

Definitely one of the more inventive books within its space I've encountered, so much so that when I saw that this is actually in a series of sorts and that the other book is currently, as I write this review on November 14, 2024, just $0.99... yeah, I picked it up immediately just on the strength of this book. (Fwiw, that book - The Best Friends - is also a reprint/ retitle, formerly called Truth Truth Lie.)

One warning: There is a fair amount of pretty brutal action in this book at times, and it *does* deal in certain assaults that some may find more troubling than others. So be aware of that going in... and read it anyway. Yes, it really is that good.

Very much recommended.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review** (spoiler-free)

This is an adventurous, emotional, exciting story with real, moldable characters. I love love LOVED the dynamic between Raven and Cadence, and the sister relationship between Allegra and Cadence. Holly weaves the perfect picture with her descriptions, and her prose is strong. There is enough mystery and excitement to keep the story's pace throughout the whole book, and enough twists/turns to avoid cliches. Holly is a strong writer and it shows in this beauty of a debut! Now I can't wait to read the sequel!

Fantastic & satisfying end to an epic trilogy.  If you haven't read the first two, do it now!

Good Enough Domestic Thriller. Technically, there *is* a twist in this book. I'll give it that. But the "shocking moment" described in the description (ok, Masked Singer's "reveal the revealing reveal") happens *late*. As in, personally I was expecting that particular moment to be somewhere no later than at least 2/3 into the book - and it happens closer to 90% in. I thought the book would turn more into a cat and mouse type book beyond that point, and to a degree, it did. But there just wasn't enough "there" there to really say this is even much above average for its genre, which is utter bullshit because I know Rouda is capable of so much more. Still, there's nothing technically/ objectively-ish wrong here, so by my own standards this *is* a 5* book, even though I find myself agreeing quite a bit with many of the 2* reviews from others.  

At just over 300 pages, this book *does* in fact read much quicker, almost more like a sub-200 page book. So there is absolutely that going for it, particularly for those who don't have a lot of time to commit to a book. And there is absolutely a solid degree of "what is going to happen next" to keep you reading well past bedtime. It just seems that the ultimate payoff for staying up so late... doesn't quite land as well as it could, really. And hey, maybe that's more of a "me" thing.  

So read this book yourself and see what you think - and leave a review yourself everywhere you can, whether it be Goodreads, Hardcover.app, BookHype.com, BookBub.com, or TheStoryGraph.com - all places you'll find this very review.

Recommended.