Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Kite's had a crush on Shin since middle school, but never acted on it until the eve of his yearly trip to the States, when he slipped up and kissed his best friend. Shortly after, a tsunami wrecked the country and his hometown, and put all his plans on hold. Now, two years later, he's back in Japan and he wants to set things right.

When he finds Shin, though, his former best friend isn't who he used to be. Losing his parents changed Shin and now, instead of following his heart, he's dedicated his life to studying for university entrance exams and ignoring everything else. He won't let Kite get close, denying his obvious attraction and all their good memories.

Kite doesn’t want to give up on Shin, but he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something his friend isn’t telling him. Something else that happened two years ago on the day of the tsunami. He doesn’t know what it is, just that it’s destroying his friend--and possibly their shot at love.

 

Book Review

Luminous and stirring, I enjoyed this sensuous tale of a blossoming love that is disrupted by Mother Nature’s wrath. Both a poetic nod to the earthquake and tsunami that battered Japan in 2011, and an engaging romance between two Japanese youths, the tale unfolds two years after the tragic event and finds its two charismatic leads, Kite and Shin, meeting again after their estrangement.

Guilt, longing, and fear find free-spirited Kite an uncharacteristic bundle of nerves when he arrives in Tokyo to mend fences with Shin, his childhood friend. A stolen kiss before Kite headed for an American vacation two years earlier has turned into a twisted memory, made more painful by the tsunami that ravaged Japan shortly after he left. Kite had wanted to return to Japan immediately so that Shin and he could grieve the loss of their friends and family together, but Shin insisted he stay away. Kite is certain it is because of the kiss. When further communications to Shin met with no response, it proved easy for the guilt-ridden Kite to stay away from his homeland. But now, a reluctant Kite returns to Japan to attend his sister’s wedding. Kite has given himself one week to mend the rift between him and Shin, but will one week be enough?

 The subsequent meet and reigniting of the two youths’ passion unfurls at a gentle but steadily mounting pace, much like a beautiful flower opening to the sun. Parts of this deceptively simple tale brought to my mind one of my favorite Boy’s Love manga-made-movie’s, Ai No Kotodama, truly delightful. I refrain from revealing Shin’s point of view, as to not spoil the experience reading the book will bring. Suffice it to say that Shin’s story is shiver-worthy and holds a haunting cadence that brought home just how devastating loss, on the scale of what Japan experienced in the earthquake, can be.

Sporadic glimpses of a Japan on the mend, coupled with the measured narrative of the tale, highlight the hesitant vulnerability of Kite and Shin beautifully and added realism to the pace of their healing. Kite and Shin are wonderful characters and the author has captured the awkwardness of new adulthood perfectly. To see Shin fight his demons and open himself to Kite’s light was truly special.  With a side story revealing that both characters were once part of a rock band and a hint that they may pick up their musical careers, I hope dearly that a second book, which covers that aspect of their joyous reunion, will be forthcoming.

An evocative ode of love to the many lost in the villages of Japan and a sensual romance of two exquisite young men finding themselves in each other, combine to make a captivating, arousing and treasurable story.

Thank you, Ana J. Phoenix, for this tantalizing message of hope wrapped in the fragrance of love and sweet tomorrows.

“Steamy, sensuous and… sublime”

 

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 100 pages/28169 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	31-March-2015
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.loose-id.com/in-memory-of-us.html