

The actual murderer is not that surprising, especially if you apply Book Logic to it. However, for a book that markets itself with “can you solve it before they do?”, the revelation doesn't really hinge on the actual evidences collected throughout the book.
Still pretty enjoyable.
The actual murderer is not that surprising, especially if you apply Book Logic to it. However, for a book that markets itself with “can you solve it before they do?”, the revelation doesn't really hinge on the actual evidences collected throughout the book.
Still pretty enjoyable.

Love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster.
Almond is a deeply touching and poignant book about what it means to love, and what love means to one. Despite not understanding what love is, Yunjae shows his ability to love through the way he thinks of his grandma, the way he visits his mom, the way he eats with Dr. Shin, and the way he chooses to understand Gon. Despite having never been shown love, Gon shows how capable he is of love, how willing he is to give them if he is given the chance.
Luck plays a huge part in all the unfairness of the world. But it is also luck that brings you to meet the person that will help you understand what love is.
Love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster.
Almond is a deeply touching and poignant book about what it means to love, and what love means to one. Despite not understanding what love is, Yunjae shows his ability to love through the way he thinks of his grandma, the way he visits his mom, the way he eats with Dr. Shin, and the way he chooses to understand Gon. Despite having never been shown love, Gon shows how capable he is of love, how willing he is to give them if he is given the chance.
Luck plays a huge part in all the unfairness of the world. But it is also luck that brings you to meet the person that will help you understand what love is.

tldr; fantastic book. Enjoy this a lot. Love the characters, the relationship, and the sex. Left me feeling... somewhat hopeful and optimistic about the future.
Ultimately, I really like this book because I truly enjoy it as a Romance. By no mean is this book perfect, yet, any of the flaws pale in comparison to the absolute joy this book brought me.
—
Rom-com has always been a hit and miss for me. More of a miss than a hit, to be honest, and there have been moments that I contemplate giving up on the genre altogether. But I am so, so grateful I have this book a chance, for this book is a fucking excellent read and I enjoy every single second of it.
1. Mr. Nicholas “Coal” Claus, the man that you are...! Truly one of the best MCs I've read this year. Love his particular brand of loverboy-ism that leads him to treating Hex in a worship-y way that borderlines sacrilegious.
Hex laughs.Someone help me, please, because this guy makes me want to learn hymns but only recite them if I'm moaning and I think that might be sacrilege, but I'm okay with damnation if he's the reason, I just want to know for sure which way is up.
I dump us to our sides on the couch.“Just let me kiss you for a little while,” I tell him, that low murmur like I'm worshipping at some altar.
Every moment of touching him has left me rattled like I don't know what I'm doing, but no one else mattered before him, no one else could have prepared me for him. There is power, such power inherent in desire, and in this moment, I'm playing out the creation of a whole new origin story with him. It's so easy to create gods or monuments of importance or cruxes of joy, and I've done that for him now, I am his most fervent steward.
why
man, Coal should lift Hex up, lol.
“But, fuck, sweetheart”—I drag my hand up his bare arm, watching goose bumps trail my fingers—“the moment I become fluent in your shivers, it's gonna be meteoric.”
I will never in my life be given a greater honor than the way he painstakingly chooses his response for me.“I love you too,” he says.I kiss him again, a clumsy layering over of our smiles, and we're laughing and this, here, is my victory. He is my spoil of war, the most vital piece in my new-forming foundation.
Maybe one fuckup didn't have to define the rest of my life like I let it.
So I'll keep going. And going. And I'll learn and do better and sometimes I'll hate myself for not giving up and I'll rage at the shit around me but I remember what it's like to look at the world with uncomplicated hope and I can't stop until I get that back. What's the alternative?
It just takes one joyful moment. One by one by one.
I'm relying on that. I'm counting on joy to be stronger than whatever's waiting for me.
tldr; fantastic book. Enjoy this a lot. Love the characters, the relationship, and the sex. Left me feeling... somewhat hopeful and optimistic about the future.
Ultimately, I really like this book because I truly enjoy it as a Romance. By no mean is this book perfect, yet, any of the flaws pale in comparison to the absolute joy this book brought me.
—
Rom-com has always been a hit and miss for me. More of a miss than a hit, to be honest, and there have been moments that I contemplate giving up on the genre altogether. But I am so, so grateful I have this book a chance, for this book is a fucking excellent read and I enjoy every single second of it.
1. Mr. Nicholas “Coal” Claus, the man that you are...! Truly one of the best MCs I've read this year. Love his particular brand of loverboy-ism that leads him to treating Hex in a worship-y way that borderlines sacrilegious.
Hex laughs.Someone help me, please, because this guy makes me want to learn hymns but only recite them if I'm moaning and I think that might be sacrilege, but I'm okay with damnation if he's the reason, I just want to know for sure which way is up.
I dump us to our sides on the couch.“Just let me kiss you for a little while,” I tell him, that low murmur like I'm worshipping at some altar.
Every moment of touching him has left me rattled like I don't know what I'm doing, but no one else mattered before him, no one else could have prepared me for him. There is power, such power inherent in desire, and in this moment, I'm playing out the creation of a whole new origin story with him. It's so easy to create gods or monuments of importance or cruxes of joy, and I've done that for him now, I am his most fervent steward.
why
man, Coal should lift Hex up, lol.
“But, fuck, sweetheart”—I drag my hand up his bare arm, watching goose bumps trail my fingers—“the moment I become fluent in your shivers, it's gonna be meteoric.”
I will never in my life be given a greater honor than the way he painstakingly chooses his response for me.“I love you too,” he says.I kiss him again, a clumsy layering over of our smiles, and we're laughing and this, here, is my victory. He is my spoil of war, the most vital piece in my new-forming foundation.
Maybe one fuckup didn't have to define the rest of my life like I let it.
So I'll keep going. And going. And I'll learn and do better and sometimes I'll hate myself for not giving up and I'll rage at the shit around me but I remember what it's like to look at the world with uncomplicated hope and I can't stop until I get that back. What's the alternative?
It just takes one joyful moment. One by one by one.
I'm relying on that. I'm counting on joy to be stronger than whatever's waiting for me.

Have to admit that it does take me a while to get into it. But by the middle of the book, I do find myself really enjoying the story. Though I do wish there were more focus on the relationship between Charlie and Jasper—they have a very fun and interesting dynamics, and their banters are always hilarious.
ALSO: additional bonus point for getting the voice actor of my beautiful wife Kaveh to narrate the audiobook. Definitely enhanced my experience listening to it. #ilovemywife
Have to admit that it does take me a while to get into it. But by the middle of the book, I do find myself really enjoying the story. Though I do wish there were more focus on the relationship between Charlie and Jasper—they have a very fun and interesting dynamics, and their banters are always hilarious.
ALSO: additional bonus point for getting the voice actor of my beautiful wife Kaveh to narrate the audiobook. Definitely enhanced my experience listening to it. #ilovemywife

This book was written just for me so it goes without saying that it has caused irreparable damages to my life and psyche. The moment I finished the drama and movie, I know I have became a changed person, and reading the book only confirms it.
This book is definitely not for everyone. This book is one of the instances where you either love it or hate it, and I personally really, really love it. Some people may not get Them but I DO. Author-sama you are so #real and so #right. Your brain is so big and I need to delve into whatever you’re cooking next. I genuinely had a lot of fun reading this. The 8 hours i spent to finish this volume passed by like it was nothing. I love every second I’d spent on this. Especially when the characters are Going Through It.
I LOVE obsessive guys who love their partners a little too much, who worship their partner and regard them as their god, who will do anything for their partner, who is a little creepy and freaky about their partner. Hira is EVERYTHING I have always liked from a character and more. I love the fact that his obsession is his most defining character trait YET it is also his flaw. I love how his reverence towards Kiyoi is the main conflict in their relationship! The author did really well in showing how Hira’s reverence affects both Hira and Kiyoi, how it brings them together, and how it divides them.
The whole “my partner is my god” trope is my favourite and I love the way the author portrays how excessive reverence & devotion can still bring issues to a relationship. I support Hira in his endeavour but there are many things still that he has to learn and understand. To put someone in a pedestal and a throne is to leave them alone, but you can place them as your god and still let them have you as a lover. It has been #Done. Your predecessors have successfully done it before. I really love the spaces being given to allow the characters & relationship to grow. Can’t wait to read the next volume to see how the author will explore it ❤️
It’s honestly hilarious how different their POVs are. Hira is being all “my god, my universe, my king” through it all while Kiyoi is just having a rather typical coming of age romantic woes. Hira is going all “I would let Kiyoi do anything to me, I can’t live without Kiyoi, I’m not worthy of Kiyoi, Kiyoi is my god” etc etc while Kiyoi is just “i gave my number to the guy I like and he hasn’t called me???????? Does he like me or does he like his friend better????????? Why won’t my situationship fuck me??????????” It’s so crazy but so funny 😭😭😭😭
And okay. Let’s be real here: Hira /is/ creepy. He is creepy and freaky and a little crazy, that’s why we love him! That’s why /Kiyoi/ loves him. It’s what makes him such a loveable and compelling character. And Kiyoi is also a little crazy!!!! When Koyama called them both crazy, I was feeling vindicated because THEY REALLY ARE. I love their joint #Freak4Freak-ism and I support it.
Also #IStandWithMyProblematicWife and so does Hira. He definitely also stands with his problematic wife. Something about Kiyoi really makes it hard for you to look away. And this is not just because Hira spent a lot of his narration going Kiyoi Kiyoi, reading Kiyoi’s POV makes me so endeared to him. He is like a cat to me. And he is such a high-maintenance guy but at the same time he wants such simple things. He is so dear to me!!!!!!
All in all, I have a lot of fun reading this. It came to me at the most perfect time considering the state of my actual real life, lol. It brings and fills me with uncomplicated fun and tender moments of two lonely people that are so different from each other finding and fighting for each other.
This book was written just for me so it goes without saying that it has caused irreparable damages to my life and psyche. The moment I finished the drama and movie, I know I have became a changed person, and reading the book only confirms it.
This book is definitely not for everyone. This book is one of the instances where you either love it or hate it, and I personally really, really love it. Some people may not get Them but I DO. Author-sama you are so #real and so #right. Your brain is so big and I need to delve into whatever you’re cooking next. I genuinely had a lot of fun reading this. The 8 hours i spent to finish this volume passed by like it was nothing. I love every second I’d spent on this. Especially when the characters are Going Through It.
I LOVE obsessive guys who love their partners a little too much, who worship their partner and regard them as their god, who will do anything for their partner, who is a little creepy and freaky about their partner. Hira is EVERYTHING I have always liked from a character and more. I love the fact that his obsession is his most defining character trait YET it is also his flaw. I love how his reverence towards Kiyoi is the main conflict in their relationship! The author did really well in showing how Hira’s reverence affects both Hira and Kiyoi, how it brings them together, and how it divides them.
The whole “my partner is my god” trope is my favourite and I love the way the author portrays how excessive reverence & devotion can still bring issues to a relationship. I support Hira in his endeavour but there are many things still that he has to learn and understand. To put someone in a pedestal and a throne is to leave them alone, but you can place them as your god and still let them have you as a lover. It has been #Done. Your predecessors have successfully done it before. I really love the spaces being given to allow the characters & relationship to grow. Can’t wait to read the next volume to see how the author will explore it ❤️
It’s honestly hilarious how different their POVs are. Hira is being all “my god, my universe, my king” through it all while Kiyoi is just having a rather typical coming of age romantic woes. Hira is going all “I would let Kiyoi do anything to me, I can’t live without Kiyoi, I’m not worthy of Kiyoi, Kiyoi is my god” etc etc while Kiyoi is just “i gave my number to the guy I like and he hasn’t called me???????? Does he like me or does he like his friend better????????? Why won’t my situationship fuck me??????????” It’s so crazy but so funny 😭😭😭😭
And okay. Let’s be real here: Hira /is/ creepy. He is creepy and freaky and a little crazy, that’s why we love him! That’s why /Kiyoi/ loves him. It’s what makes him such a loveable and compelling character. And Kiyoi is also a little crazy!!!! When Koyama called them both crazy, I was feeling vindicated because THEY REALLY ARE. I love their joint #Freak4Freak-ism and I support it.
Also #IStandWithMyProblematicWife and so does Hira. He definitely also stands with his problematic wife. Something about Kiyoi really makes it hard for you to look away. And this is not just because Hira spent a lot of his narration going Kiyoi Kiyoi, reading Kiyoi’s POV makes me so endeared to him. He is like a cat to me. And he is such a high-maintenance guy but at the same time he wants such simple things. He is so dear to me!!!!!!
All in all, I have a lot of fun reading this. It came to me at the most perfect time considering the state of my actual real life, lol. It brings and fills me with uncomplicated fun and tender moments of two lonely people that are so different from each other finding and fighting for each other.

Holy fucking shit, man…
Honestly, where do I start. Absolutely incredible from start to finish. The story community, work, hope, friendship, forgiveness. Of change and the willingness of change. Of love for yourself, for your friend, your parents, your enemies, your town, your people—and the one person that will be yours.
K. Ancrum’s books always make me strive to be better and work harder.
… on a slightly lighter and comedic note: the freak4freak of these two are incredibly tasty. Any so-called monsterlover worth their salt need to test themselves against Hollis before they can proudly bear the title.
Holy fucking shit, man…
Honestly, where do I start. Absolutely incredible from start to finish. The story community, work, hope, friendship, forgiveness. Of change and the willingness of change. Of love for yourself, for your friend, your parents, your enemies, your town, your people—and the one person that will be yours.
K. Ancrum’s books always make me strive to be better and work harder.
… on a slightly lighter and comedic note: the freak4freak of these two are incredibly tasty. Any so-called monsterlover worth their salt need to test themselves against Hollis before they can proudly bear the title.

Enjoyed this one a lot! Can't say there are a lot of horror novels that got me actually scared, but this one definitely creeped me out.
Had been on a reading slump for a while but this book got me hooked from the get-go. Love the format and the way there are enough hints provided along the way to allow the reader to piece things together on their own.
Enjoyed this one a lot! Can't say there are a lot of horror novels that got me actually scared, but this one definitely creeped me out.
Had been on a reading slump for a while but this book got me hooked from the get-go. Love the format and the way there are enough hints provided along the way to allow the reader to piece things together on their own.