The artwork is gorgeous, but I just couldn't get into the story. The protagonist is practically sleep walking through the story, with no real affect or emotion. The story is not particularly interesting and drags on excruciatingly while the protagonist berates herself (in her bland, bored way). And the dialog is just ridiculous, both in content and quality. Just no. This is about as spicy as white rice, and even less satisfying.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but the protagonist (Momo) is two-dimensional and insipid, it's really hard to imagine anyone developing such an overwhelming passion for her that they'd buck tradition to be with her. Honestly, if this guy were really yakuza, I'd expect him to marry his arranged bride and keep the girlfriend as mistress, but I suppose that doesn't fit the romanc narrative. The art though, is great. The beautiful characters are stunning, and the main character's love interest is a hottie who does the death stare with aplomb.

While the characters are lovely to look at, the story is a mess. There is very little consistency in key details, like the main character's memories of her cousin from the last chapter directly contradict the whole premise the story opens with. Characters are just introduced but don't provide anything that takes the story anywhere. Plot and story are paper thin, and the characters are even thinner. It's not even particularly hot, so this story doesn't have much to recommend it.

This one is a winner. The art is gorgeous, and the stories are solid. The title story, in particular, is emotionally powerful and romantic, with very sympathetic characters who show growth as the story progresses. The threads of the story are gathered together in the final tale, and if the ending is a bit trite, it's a world well worth visiting.

I'd say this one is a hot mess, but that sounds like it might actually be appealing. If you're looking for something to get you a bit bothered, skip this one. It is more likely to turn your mood in the opposite direction. Let's see... Storyline: Muddled and all over the place. Characters: Can characters be described as -3 dimensional?? Art: Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Sex: Not hot. Redeeming qualities: Hard copy's probably recyclable.

Although it aims high, this story fails to realize its potential. This story tries hard to bridge the divide between psychological intrigue and emotional tension using sex, but the characters aren't fleshed out enough to make this work. The missed potential here lies in a sci-fi thread that could've been expanded upon, and the relationship between the two male characters would've been incredibly effective if explored more deeply. The homoerotic undercurrent is probably the best part of the story, and should've been more prominent, because the female character is just blank. The artwork isn't the worst, but it suits the overall story in being a little bit ugly, a little bit beautiful, and very messy. Kudos to the creators, though, because the atmosphere of the story is effective: claustrophobic, unsettling, yet exquisite in its way. Sadly, this is neither intellectually engaging, nor sexually exciting.

Finally, subversion of all the cliches, these stories are hot and ring true! The stories here don't rely on the same old done to death passive female characters in romances. Here are the women who know their own minds, and want to actively take part in their own lives, including their sexuality. The title story upends the traditional gender and experience roles, and other stories include other women who enjoy taking charge and indulging their lusty sides. These stories are about women who are tired of being led around in life and love and want to own themselves. A really good collection for readers who have a little life experience and realize it doesn't have to be all about stock characters, tropes, and cutesy. Real life is funny, sexy, painful, and dirty - just like this.