Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #Romance(1295)

CW: Rape (not involving either MC). This is a smut story but there’s some plot too. The sexually confident FL is tired of dating men who are selfish lovers and wishes for more. So boom, she is in a historical world and adopted by a powerful man in order to be entered into the Emperor’s harem as a concubine. Now that barely there plot setting is over, we get to the real story which is Kayeon captivating the Emperors’ body, mind, and ultimately heart. Her sexuality isn’t the sum of her (thankfully) because she shows intelligence and grit to survive jealousy from the harem and political machinations against the Emperor. And the affection between the MCs balances the smut just a little, but ultimately you gotta admire a woman who is confident in her femininity.

This was a lovely story. Carnelia (FL) was isekai’d into the role of the villainess who would be executed at the hands of her husband. However, she was nothing like the character from the story and set about to survive by becoming friends with the prince she was forced to wed when they were both 12. And that friendship was what set this story up for a wonderful foundation for a plot of political machinations for the emperors throne and ofc love. I loved the MCs, their strong bonds of friendship turned love are amongst my favourite tropes. The supporting characters were such eye candy and the art overall was impeccable. There were sweetly funny moments like the Prince perpetually having his nose buried in a “How To” book and Carnelia having to fix that. Definitely a story to reread.

Reincarnated Takao, once a knight pledged to protect his Prince, Finley, had died burdened by his failure in his role of sworn knight when Prince Finley was assassinated. Over the following centuries he had reincarnated and crossed paths with the Prince, and now in modern day Japan once again their paths cross. This sweet story tells of their bond that defies boundaries of death and the chance they have to be something more this time. After going through several lifetimes, Takao, a former knight, is currently living as an office worker in modern Japan. After discovering Hikaru, who is the reincarnation of the prince he served and was unable to protect until the end in their past lives, he swore to protect Hikaru in this life by being a hardcore fan. For the sake of protecting Hikaru from a closer position, Takao decided to become his manager. But after Hikaru, who has an aloof personality this time compared to their past lives, showed him a smile directed only to him, Takao starts to feel another type of feeling budding within him!

Miura: College student and loner, Miura may wear a public smile but his ability to read minds has left him distrustful of people. Being able to hear their true feelings vs what they say has caused him problems in the past, but when he meets the quiet Abe, he is surprised at his honesty. Abe: Quiet college student. When Abe first saw the slender Miura he was instantly attracted. So when they both joined a reading circle Abe was thrilled to be able to meet his senpai and his thoughts as the two spent time together were sweetly honest and full of the stirrings of interest. The relationship that developed between these gentle guys was the type to tug at the heartstrings. They communicated well and were accepting of each other. I also really loved Abe’s surprising protective nature and how he encouraged Miura that it’s ok to be a little selfish at times.

Two lovely age gap stories between mature men. From the company head and the window washer, to the 39yo virgin BL writer and the young guy from sales, these were beautifully drawn, slow burn stories of unexpected love.

It’s been such an age since I first read this and now there are so many new volumes of this wonderful pair. The author has created such a bond between Narasaki and Terashima that sometimes I feel like I am being intrusive by reading. Full of feeling, this manga is rich with teen intensity and conflicted emotions as the boys learn to communicate effectively and understand each other. Blue Sky Complex ticks all the boxes for falling in love and then making it work. One of my favourites!

These really are a hoard of one shot Villainess stories that make for a great, quick escape.

Completed story Yoon Haneul: Modern woman and a pushover, Yoon finds herself isekaied into a novel she had written 10 years earlier. One full of youthful cliches and tropes that made her cringe, and one where she became the villainess. Aila Mertensia: The villainess who existed in the novel to make the heroine shine. Daughter to a powerful duke, now that Yoon is inhabiting this body she is determined to avoid that bloody ending and enjoy her favourite novels. Only it seems that avoiding her role has placed time in an endless loop. And it seems that she isn’t the only one to notice. Killian: Centuries old and a powerful warlock, Killian had been stuck in a repetitive and irritating day and was determined to destroy the one responsible. Tracing that person led him to Alia. In order to help time move on, he decides to help her become the perfect villainess. I really loved the story. The MCs were wonderfully designed and the plot was enjoyable. The ending was a bit fast perhaps, but it wrapped things up pretty well and was very satisfying as far as the MCs future goes. Based on a light novel

This was a surprisingly sweet story centred around the Ernst family. The FL, Harley had regressed on the cusp of her marriage to when she had first been rescued from the streets to become the ward of the Duke of Ernst. Reliving the challenges of essentially replacing a daughter with her new adult perspective was enlightening but so much more so with her relationship with the 3 brothers who had tormented her the first time round. Now, as the reader follows along, we can see the pain and hurt in the family who struggle with the loss of a daughter or sister, and the complexities of grief as Harley uses her adult understanding to have a better relationship. I found the story to be very sweet. It was a mix of typical tropes like a villainess used to make the FL shine and show off things like her newly acquired poise and inner strength, and yet there was also something new with the bonds and burdens of family (especially a family of power and wealth). I liked the ML and the dynamic he has with the FL. Overall this was a slow paced but lovely story.

Completed story This was a sweet story about young single dad Take, his adorably bratty son Kota, and the new kindergarten sensei, Aota. For ex yankee Take, raising his son alone after his wife left has been full of challenges. But the anxieties of being a good parent were matched by the loneliness he found after old friends drifted away and his partner left with a new man. So when Aota praised him for being strong and doing his best, he broke down in his arms. That vulnerable moment bonded this seemingly mismatched pair and their story was really lovely to read. Falling for each other was natural and the little family really were heartwarming. I loved the art for Take, he had such a cute delinquent look that was still remarkably vulnerable. Loved the story.