Book 103-104
Thigh High: Reiwa Hanamaru Academy, Vol. 1 by Kotobuki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What the hell did I just read? I'll be honest, one of those stars is for the fine art (seriously that's a huge selling point for this one). It's a humor manga that I suspect is a weekly thing because all the 'chapters' were short and shallow (far too shallow for me). This isn't my thing really but okay let's review it.
Reiwa is a secret paradise where precious young blossoms can bloom or some such (which is the tagline) Basically for no known reason all the boys here wear panties, bras and skirts and act out the worst stereotypes of teenaged girls (i.e. being fashioned obsessed and honestly that's all this is about). The blurb makes it sound like it's more than that "The hunks at Hanamaru Academy are putting the boot (and booty!) to gender norm uniforms" (I do see that it IS changed here on goodreads vs what's on the book) So I was expecting some social commentary....yeah not so much.
You get all the fan service though including up skirt shots of the guys panties and them in their bras.
So instead of vapid fashion-crazy teen girls you get vapid fashion-crazy teen guys talking about skirt lengths, the perfect tan and bra types. To be fair it's meant to be vapid. It's humor after all. My library has the next issue so maybe I'll read it but no way would I pay for this. It's just not enough plot for me.
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Murder at Beacon Rock by Alyssa Maxwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a new to me but in fact a long running series that I see uses various Summer Cottages in Newport as settings. I very much enjoyed this and will go looking for earlier books in the series. Emma Cross is related to the Vanderbilts and her fiance Derrick is part of the Four Hundred (the 400 riches families in NY) and part of the fun for me are all the places I recognize in Newport. Ms Maxwell obviously loves the city and it shows.
Emma and Derrick are both reporters and Emma has to navigate being a female investigative reporter in a time where there were few of them (in fact, I'm not even sure she could remain one if she does marry as married women weren't often allowed to work in this time period). Derrick is very into the yachting scene though Emma isn't. After one party she and one of the Carnegie widows, Lucy (who like many of the side characters were real) are at the docks looking at the yachts (as Lucy IS into racing) and discover a woman floating.
Lucille was like Emma an independent woman who helped her father work on math formulas to make yacht construction lend itself to speed. Emma, Derrick and their detective friend, Jesse, don't believe Lucille drowned herself. They have to work hard to prove this was a murder and heaven help them if it is one of the 400 who are the killer because money can buy justice.
Emma and Derrick are interesting characters, Emma more so (mostly because we're in her pov). The mystery was well done and yes I would like to see more.
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