Breath of Flowers, Volume 1

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
2.5 stars

I picked this book up hoping to read something cute and fluffy, perhaps even another take on the girl gender-bending trope, and in a way it is, but it also isn't. Are you confused? Trust me, that's how I'm feeling about this story in general.

Let me first clear the air:
- No, this isn't a story about a transgender person.
This is about Azami and Gwyn, who are both girls. Gwyn only dresses like a boy because she wanted to play basketball –there is more to it, but I don't want to give everything away.

- No, This story is not about Azami slowly coming to terms with her sexuality.
From the synopsis this is what you'd think, especially since she thinks she only likes guys. Whelp there is a super quick turnabout here. I'll go into more detail about this later.

Does it deal with the sports gender-bending trope in a unique way?
I guess?? It isn't how it is usually done, but it doesn't feel truly new. Of course, as the series progresses this doesn't seem like it will be a big part of the story– it seems to have been used only as a way for Azami to not know Gwyn is a girl.

Cute and fluffy???
...this is where things get awkward for me and why I'm marking it 2 stars instead of 3. Remember me saying I was coming back to Azami's quick acceptance of not being straight? Here it is.
Quick note there may be spoilers below, but everything happens in the first chapter

The opening scene of this novel is Azami calling a yaoi manga “hot garbage.”
hmmm, okay I'll take that since I mean maybe she's talking about the format or the particular scene. But then she continues to say that the characters are “just fooling around because they can't... because they haven't found the right girlfriend” and “That kind of love doesn't exist,” and last one “The only love possible is the bond between a young girl and her soulmate.”
Now that last one might be open to saying girls can love anyone, but guys can't, but I mean you can't tell me that all of this is not somewhat homophobic. She even says in one breath that it is horrible Gwyn led people to believe she is a guy and that she loved her. I mean ????? Yet a few days later, without any self-evaluation the girls start dating.
That whole chapter put a whole negative cloud over the rest of the book. I see how that first scene is perhaps supposed to be funny since we know she'll be in a same sex relationship, but more than anything it just made me feel uncomfortable, especially considering the degree of her reaction.

Was the rest of the book cute? I guess? I... after that first chapter I just felt weird about everything.

So, I probably won't recommend this to people. I won't push people away from it, but besides the cute artwork, I don't have much pleasant to say about it.