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I'm convinced it's the artwork that kept me reading this series. It's SO beautiful. I was amazed at the expressiveness in some of the panels. It's enough to make you stop reading and just stare for a few seconds.

Koharu ends up in a polygamous marriage with a man who already has two wives. I don't have any issues with polyamorous relationships. I know people in healthy relationships with multiple partners. The thing is is you're not in a relationship with one person who's also in a relationship with 1 or more other people. Not in the kind of situation in this series at least.

It took quite awhile for the wives to start bonding and talking about how they deal with the tensions their relationship can cause. Throughout most of the first book this lifestyle is portrayed in a manipulative and abusive way more than I was comfortable with. Yes, I understand that there needs to be drama, tension, and humor to keep readers engaged, but I think these things could have been accomplished without the seemingly unnecessary unhealthy actions of the characters at certain times. This series may be aimed at men, but the story could have still progressed without manipulation and extortion of women. Then again, we haven't seen every motive as this series is till ongoing. Perhaps I'm looking for the best in characters when I shouldn't be. Remains to be seen.

I had to regularly keep in mind to look past the culture differences of gender roles. If you're able to do that then this series is rather engaging. Again, the art!

Not a very satisfactory visit back to the wizarding world. The format doesn't lend itself to a pleasant reading experience. I had to remind myself almost constantly that I was not reading a slow buildup fanfiction of a m/m romance.

Well, that was much more delightful than I anticipated. I honestly thought I'd end up abandoning this because the blurb sounds out there for me. Wolf-men? This could go so badly... It was rather entertaining instead. The adventure is fun and the romance is sweet. The people aren't overly wolfy. Some fur, pointy ears, and slightly sharp teeth are no big deal. I was also rather fascinated with the world building and legends of the people. More stories Riggs, more stories!

This book can totally be read as a standalone. Anya is a character from the first book, but there's only one small reference that might make someone pause to decipher.

This is obviously not the kind of story where someone locks eyes with a dragon and ends up telepathically linked or some such. No, this is about science and study, but not in a boring way. This is still an adventure. Smugglers and murder and intrigue. Oh my!

Now in her older years, Isabella has decided to write a series of memoirs. I usually quite like memoirs. The people writing them tend to be interesting or they wouldn't have a story. Isabella has a story, and it's a good one. I just wish she wasn't so damn arrogant.

At times in the first half of the book she'd take us out of the story and talk to us, the readers, as if we're beneath her.

“You may think you see plenty of stars, friend reader, but you are wrong.”

Someone let me borrow their small child please. I need a little person to read this treasure to. I promise I'll creatively skip over the swearing bits if you want.

If you came for the tell-all you'll do a lot of skimming, like I did.

I was consistently disgusted with Andi Dorfman for the first half, but then the tone changed slightly and by the end it had actually seemed like she'd grown as a person. At least a little bit. She's either more clever than I thought and managed to do this on purpose or she has a great editor who whipped this shitshow into some slight semblance of redemption.

Dorfman still comes across like a spoiled, sheltered, mean-girl no matter what though. There are so many unnecessary catty explanations for her behavior. I'm not convinced she drank and mentioned alcohol as much as she did because she was going through a breakup. You can be a functioning alcoholic and mostly drink wine.

“Atny” she abbreviated to complete my nametag.
Though she'd abbreviated my profession incorrectly, I decided to let it slide, since I was, after all, there to make a good impression.

I informed the group that we would all be taking a lie detector test! Yay! The horror on their faces made the feminist inside me squeal with excitement.

I couldn't risk impulsively using him for sex, since clearly my urge had not yet been satisfied, and though the feminist in me kind of wanted to “hit it and quit it,” I wasn't ballsy or bitchy enough to do it.

Or when your friend has a baby exactly eight months after her wedding and everyone plays along with the whole it's-a-honeymoon-baby bullshit.

Good Lord, what if I have to go number two?

The fireplace catches my eye... I'll burn it all!... First up, the striped pima cotton t-shirt... I see the tag still on it.

I grasp the sides of the waistband and go for the power tug. That's when I hear the dreaded sound of a rip... That seam is not stretched, it's split. I quickly roll the leggings down my thighs and, in an effort to hide my mortification, hang them back up and slip them in the middle of the rest of the hanging pants, before sprinting out of the dressing room without trying on another item.

He hates red lipstick, just like every other man in this world does.

...recognizing the simple yet impactful meaning of friendships.