Truthfully, I had no idea that Caroline Kepnes had another Joe Goldberg stroy in her arsenal, but it turns out it belongs in the form of a prequel, You First.
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Book Review: Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Asako Yuzuki’s novel Butter first appealed to me as I was browsing a Hudson News on the way somewhere (I honestly don’t remember where at this point). The cover was bright yellow with a cow and some blood and a little bit of Japanese, and I was intrigued. Then the blurb made it sound even more interesting!
Read moreThe Prosecutor’s Proposal Series Review
Though I may not have seen that many KBLs, I will say that The Prosecutor’s Proposal has managed to secure a spot in my top three with it’s plot and the chemistry between the two leads.
Ju Taeseon and Lee Chaeha are connected by a fifteen year old crime. The former’s father, the head of a casino, was murdered by the latter’s father. Now grown and working as a ruthless prosecutor, Taeseon has changed his surname and has also come to find that Lee Chaeha is working as an investigator. In a plot to exact a cruel revenge, he selects Chaeha specifically to be his investigator in a recent murder case that took place near the casino. While working the case, Taeseon insists that Chaeha reinvestigate his father’s case. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me, but what is this if not a work of fiction?
Anyway, despite how long ago the crime took place, it’s seems to be just as traumatic to both men in present day. Taeseon lives in fear of what he witnessed and also failed to prevent, while Chaeha fears becoming his father, if he was in fact a cold-blooded killer. Not long after the pair team up on the current murder case, it’s clear that Taeseon’s hatred fades a little as he finally encounters Chaeha in person, rather than through a screen. He seems to put in effort to help Chaeha out, especially when he sees him being abused and bullied by a number of different people, including an uncle, as well as the main suspect in their case.
Actually, it doesn’t take long for either of them to start falling for each other. Taeseon hates himself for it at first, but he eventually relents. As the saying goes, Chaeha fell first, but Taeseon definitely fell harder. Their intimate scenes were SPICY, because the chemistry was just so good. Also, just kissing well goes a long way in selling a relationship. As much as the Thai BLs get it right, there are some long-term couples who just don’t. There was no awkwardness in any of their interations throughout the series. As their relationship progresses, it becomes clear that they might be in danger from someone in their inner circle.
I’m going to be honest though and tell you that I had a hard time following along with the current crime. Having said that though, I did find the real culprit, at least the one carrying out the crimes, didn’t come as much of a surprise to me, but they did still sell the tension well. Although I didn’t find the plot to be that easy to follow, I did like that this was a more mature story, rather than that of high school or university love. Of course, a large amount of tension came from the reveal that Taeseon is connected to Chaeha’s past, but with only eight, twenty minute episodes, you know that conflict was resolved quickly. I like the shorter episodes, because sometimes the Thai ones really drag at the hour mark.
All in all, this was a strong series, and I was so glad I tuned in when I only had to wait for the final two episodes to drop. And although I know it’s not common, I hope the two lead actors in this series get to work opposite each other again someday. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Book Review: Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
Picking books this year has been a struggle for me. In an effort to mix it up a little bit here at the end of the year, I looked back at some titles I wrote down the last time I was walknig through Barnes and Noble, and Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch, managed to stick out.
Read moreBook Review: Case File Compendium, Vol. 2
I feel like I’m being really smart with spacing out these Case File Compendium novels. Once I got my hands around the translated writing style, I really couldn’t put the first volume down. The same goes for the second!
Read moreBook Review: Unhinged (Necessary Evils) by Onley James
Recently I’ve been feeling a little unmotivated to read mainly because I’ve been picking some average or below average titles. The algorithms that be decided that Unhinged, the first in the Necessary Evils series by Onley James, was something that needed to be in my life. I’ll admit, I was a sucker for the premise, so I borrowed it from my digital library.
Read moreBased on a True Story – Season 2 Review
I’m a bit surprised by how quickly a second season came around for Based on a True Story, though news of new episodes seemed to hardly be advertised anywhere for it!
Read moreBased on a True Story – Season 1 Review
Because let’s be real, a new comedy series starring Kaley Cuoco is definitely going to get a second season whether it deserves it or not. I’m not saying Based on a True Story is not deserving of a second season, but this certainly is not as good as other comedies I’ve watched recently.
Read moreBook Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager
I had the great honor of meeting the great Riley Sager, one of my favorite authors, at the beginning of the month where he was promoting his new book, The Only One Left.
Read moreBook Review: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
My friend warned me that this book, Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter, was intense, but I think what she meant was disturbing. I’ve consumed a lot of media over the course of my life, whether it be print or onscreen, so I’d consider myself somewhat desensitized, but this book was kind of on a whole other level.
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