REVIEW: Longing for Spring by Mariko Hihara

Longing for Spring by Mariko Hihara, illustrated by Yuki Amane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Story-wise, the book was pretty good. Product-wise, it was pretty bad.

+ the story

The uke and seme were typical, but they weren't a caricature. They weren't as meek and cruel, respectively, as the book description and cover suggested to me. (Not that I would have minded it anyway.) The uke was fortitudinous, and the seme was sympathetic. I liked the couple in no time flat.

It was pretty well plotted for a yaoi that I had low expectations for. Not to mention decently translated, considering the publisher. The dubcon smut was hot and plentiful. It took no effort for me to believe the men belonged together.

Unfortunately, the sexytimes were too brief for my liking. No scene lasted long enough for me to feel heat. I would have been fine about it were it not for the climax and the censorship.

The climax had to go serious and sad on me for a couple pages before it got to the HEA. The seme was already sympathetic. I was perfectly fine being told of the seme's tragic past. I really didn't need a flashback to show the sad to me. It was a buzz kill. I wanted the book return to the smut. The HEA was pretty bittersweet. YMMV, though. Some readers may find it heartwarming.

+ the product

The yaoi was censored. The penises were whitened out. *eye twitch* BUT it's my fault for not reading the book description fully and learning the sexual content would be censored on Kobo. *smack self*

The book has 80 pages. There are a couple extra pages that the Japanese version doesn't have (or at least the scanlated version of it). The two extra pages at the beginning explains the time period. The five extra pages at the climax contains the aforementioned flashback. You're not missing out on anything if you read the scanlation.

Conclusion

I rate Longing for Spring 3-stars for I liked it. Mildly. I don't recommend buying it on Kobo, 90% coupon code or not. I strongly recommending buying it on Nook where it isn't censored.

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Book Description

Set in post-World War II Japan, this is a story of young Haruomi, an heir of the prominent Morimura family. Stripped of his aristocratic title while facing a repossession of his estate, Haruomi finds himself thrown on the mercy of a wealthy Japanese American, Tsutomu Oshio.

At first, Oshio wants nothing to do with a naïve noble. After all, he hates the Japanese above all else. Yet as the days go by, Oshio finds himself inexplicably drawn to Haruomi’s innocence. Driven by a desire to rid himself of his newfound feelings, Oshio sets it upon himself to disrupt Haruomi’s flawless façade.

Through the hope of saving his bedridden mother’s life, Haruomi accedes to Oshio’s scandalous demands to become his “servant”. Thus, Haruomi’s new life as his master’s plaything begins…

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