Rating: 3.5
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: A Paranormal Yakuza Duet #1
Genre: paranormal romance, MM
Tropes / tags: fated mates, hurt / comfort, suspense
Secrets & Sake was a very suspenseful and intense read!
I was really intrigued by the blurb and the idea of a paranormal Yakuza romance, and Raiden and Jinta’s story certainly kept me on my toes while reading! It was a fast-paced and suspenseful story right from the start, with Jinta looking for a big scoop as a journalist and stumbling onto something much bigger than he could ever have imagined. There was quite a lot of violence and darkness in this one, so be mindful of the TWs if needed.
The chemistry between Raiden and Jinta was fantastic, and I loved to see them together. Their attraction and lust were overall very insta, but it took a bit longer for Raiden to come to terms with them being fated mates. Their romance felt too rushed at times though, and I thought that Jinta would have been better at keeping his distance, considering his undercover work and his investigation into Raiden and the Yakuza.
I liked Raiden’s character, even if I struggled to see him as the “ruthless enforcer” that he was supposed to be, as he mostly came across as vulnerable and lost. There were also the failed collections and a few other situations that seemed a little off considering the reputation he had both within and outside of the organisation. His seemingly hopeless / trapped situation, pain and conflicted feelings hit hard though, and it was easy to feel his desperation and unease grow.
Secrets & Sake was a great first part of a duet, with some fantastic suspense and sweet romance. While it ended with a HFN, it was still clear that there are a lot more left before Jinta and Raiden get their HEA – and I’ll be rooting hard for these two in Curses & Kitsune!
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
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