I present to you a very late arc review that I was pleasantly surprised by…
A comedy of errors, until fate reveals its twisted sense of humor.
Kamada Eizo, a web novelist fresh from college, lands his dream—a flagship fantasy serial with an ambitious publisher. His breezy charm is a front, concealing desperation to claim a life that could be taken from him.
Miyamoto Ran detests liars. Grim and uncompromising, the editor stakes his future on one goal: unearthing the lost work of an author who vanished eight years ago. Securing Eizo’s success is his only path to that prize.
Polar opposites—and fueled by a misdelivered package—they clash at every turn, trading barbed banter and tit-for-tat one-upmanship until a high-stakes deadline forces an uneasy truce. Yet, as they draw closer, Ran begins to see through Eizo’s mask, sensing that the fragile connection they share is built entirely on artifice. But for two men who have had the story of their lives once stolen, how far will one go to win it back, even if it means silencing the other’s voice?
OUR FUNNY LOVE STORY is an Achillean literary mystery perfect for fans of danmei, BL novels, and introspective fiction with slow-burn relationship development and a mystery undercurrent.
Please note this is Book 1 of a duet that ends in a happily-ever-after and contains no spice.
Sexual Tension, Emphasis on the Tension
Byrd Koto has truly mastered antagonistic sexual tension, a sentence I never thought I would type with my own two hands. Our protagonists, Eizo and Ran, are absolutely at each other’s throats for a good chunk of the book, and somehow, Koto manages to make it sexy. I really enjoyed the ridiculous near-rivalry between the two, as well as seeing it fade away into something else.
The book is slightly heavy-handed on discussions of bowel movements, which did leave me laughing out loud at one point. There is also a lot of very crude and foul language, which I don’t normally mind, but it did strike me as odd in a professional setting. The premise for these characters’ dislike of each other is a little shallow, but I think the writing compensated for it. The writing itself was a pleasant surprise. Koto is certainly a skilled author and her education in the creative arts shines through here.
The main reason I dropped my rating below four stars is the lack of actual romance. There are cute moments, and of course the low-key sexual harassment, but these characters don’t seem anywhere near entering a relationship by the time this book ended. It felt like we were left with only a vague hint at attraction, and I wanted a little more relationship progression by the end of the book.
Would I reccommend?
Yes, especially for those who read and enjoy danmei.
In conclusion:
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style and premise of the book. The mysteries scattered throughout the story keep you reading, and with so little romance, you can bet I’ll be picking up book two to see what happens next.
Make sure to check out the author’s insta (@byrdkotoauthor)! They have a bunch of cute character art!
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