Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 6 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris faces off against the Queen and the church. Fortunately, she has some good allies and the truth in her corner or the tide would have been much different given the original players. The side story at the end seems to circle back to perhaps the same festival as mentioned at the end of the volume 3, except it is clear that this takes place shortly after the church is built and while Dean is still just the mysterious part time employee Iris is desperate not to fall for yet trusts more and more each day. Even though the setting and timing is given a bit clearer this time around the focus is actually Mina and her growing feelings for their local priest. Tanya makes a very awkward and unusual fairy godmother in this attempt in a Cinderella story.
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December 31, 2023
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 5
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 5 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris is beginning to realize just how dangerous Yuri may truthfully be in addition to the possible threat from the current queen. At the same time, it's even more evident just how loyal those closest to her truly are. That may become even clearer as the end of this book leads into the announcement that the church is excommunicating her, essentially making her a social piranha. The short story at the end this time focuses on Sei and his determination to do well in his work and his service for Iris - certainly a theme it seems with all of those who actually work with her and see her own dedication to their causes.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris is beginning to realize just how dangerous Yuri may truthfully be in addition to the possible threat from the current queen. At the same time, it's even more evident just how loyal those closest to her truly are. That may become even clearer as the end of this book leads into the announcement that the church is excommunicating her, essentially making her a social piranha. The short story at the end this time focuses on Sei and his determination to do well in his work and his service for Iris - certainly a theme it seems with all of those who actually work with her and see her own dedication to their causes.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 4
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 4 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The foundation party goes as well as can be expected, and we finally see Iris' friend Mimosa in one of the tea parties afterwards. The end story this time around focuses on Rheme, who seems to be one of the smaller characters despite still having a rather large part of Iris' inner circle and workings when it comes to information and how everything is structured, both for the corporation and for the fife (or duchy as it's referred to in the light novels). The link between Dean and Alfred is even more obvious to begin with in the manga given the artwork gives it away immediately where the written text could be slightly more ambiguous up to a certain point. Yuri remains a bit of a childish annoyance while also managing to be a legitimate threat at the same time.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The foundation party goes as well as can be expected, and we finally see Iris' friend Mimosa in one of the tea parties afterwards. The end story this time around focuses on Rheme, who seems to be one of the smaller characters despite still having a rather large part of Iris' inner circle and workings when it comes to information and how everything is structured, both for the corporation and for the fife (or duchy as it's referred to in the light novels). The link between Dean and Alfred is even more obvious to begin with in the manga given the artwork gives it away immediately where the written text could be slightly more ambiguous up to a certain point. Yuri remains a bit of a childish annoyance while also managing to be a legitimate threat at the same time.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 3
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 3 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dean enters the picture this time around as we see how Iris continues to expand her ideas through her domain and Irina issues her invitation back into high society. As with the last book, the blurb at the end is a small insight into the characters, but also very confusing as to when it takes place in the storyline. The interaction indicates that it may be when Dean is still considered to just be an employee and not part of the family, however, there are many references to Iris' grandfather that is no longer there. It is possible that they are referencing Louis' father rather than the General, but so far in the series most reference to any grandfather has been to the General, who also is supposedly the most non-aristocrat of the bunch even though he's also a noble, which would fit with the general descriptions. However, it's also well known that for not coming across as a noble, being the head of the army, he's still rather intimidating, so perhaps not. Without further clarity in this snippet it's hard to really pinpoint who they're talking about or when it might take place, leaving it rather ambiguous at best.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dean enters the picture this time around as we see how Iris continues to expand her ideas through her domain and Irina issues her invitation back into high society. As with the last book, the blurb at the end is a small insight into the characters, but also very confusing as to when it takes place in the storyline. The interaction indicates that it may be when Dean is still considered to just be an employee and not part of the family, however, there are many references to Iris' grandfather that is no longer there. It is possible that they are referencing Louis' father rather than the General, but so far in the series most reference to any grandfather has been to the General, who also is supposedly the most non-aristocrat of the bunch even though he's also a noble, which would fit with the general descriptions. However, it's also well known that for not coming across as a noble, being the head of the army, he's still rather intimidating, so perhaps not. Without further clarity in this snippet it's hard to really pinpoint who they're talking about or when it might take place, leaving it rather ambiguous at best.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 2
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 2 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
We see Berne's rather spectacular temper tantrum in this version, as well as his shock as he realizes he doesn't recognize his own sister, both physically or in how she manages both their lands and her business. The side story at the end of this book wouldn't make much sense if not for also reading the light novels as it brings in Mimosa, who has not yet entered the scene in the manga and isn't part of the storyline until after Iris returns to high society in the capital, which has not yet happened in this version of the story. Having read the light novels first though, her character is at least familiar, even if the timing for the side story and the context seems a bit out of place.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
We see Berne's rather spectacular temper tantrum in this version, as well as his shock as he realizes he doesn't recognize his own sister, both physically or in how she manages both their lands and her business. The side story at the end of this book wouldn't make much sense if not for also reading the light novels as it brings in Mimosa, who has not yet entered the scene in the manga and isn't part of the storyline until after Iris returns to high society in the capital, which has not yet happened in this version of the story. Having read the light novels first though, her character is at least familiar, even if the timing for the side story and the context seems a bit out of place.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 1
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 1 by Suki Umemiya
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This covers a lot of the same ground as the light novel does, with the addition of the girl's day scene at the end of the book. Of course being in manga form, we trade off a lot of the text for imagery in the different book format. It's still familiar, but enough to of a difference to be enjoyable as well. The art is slightly different too than what is used in the illustrations of the light novel, so while the characters are recognizable, they are not exactly the same as previously portrayed.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This covers a lot of the same ground as the light novel does, with the addition of the girl's day scene at the end of the book. Of course being in manga form, we trade off a lot of the text for imagery in the different book format. It's still familiar, but enough to of a difference to be enjoyable as well. The art is slightly different too than what is used in the illustrations of the light novel, so while the characters are recognizable, they are not exactly the same as previously portrayed.
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I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 4
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 4 by ＡＴＡＫＡ
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mystia is still determined to change her fate and seems to think the only way to do that is to trigger the love interests with the boys and the heroine, who is more interested in idolizing Mystia herself and has no interest in the boys, while the boys all each want Mystia as their bride and also don't care about Alice at all. Helen seems to be another troublemaker that didn't exist in the original storyline. A few things that our Chaos friend has dropped have hinted at perhaps knowing that this is part of a game as well and as if the players are actually erased when they deviate from the storyline or their intended purpose, though if that were the case, would think Mystia herself would have run into issues long before now. Regardless, it seems as if despite her best efforts, she keeps finding herself in situations that could be taken very wrong (as evident by Weiss' reaction for awhile there) even if she's doing everything in her power to not be in the way and to do things right. Perhaps there's a difference in just living kindly and trying to force the storyline in this case, though.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mystia is still determined to change her fate and seems to think the only way to do that is to trigger the love interests with the boys and the heroine, who is more interested in idolizing Mystia herself and has no interest in the boys, while the boys all each want Mystia as their bride and also don't care about Alice at all. Helen seems to be another troublemaker that didn't exist in the original storyline. A few things that our Chaos friend has dropped have hinted at perhaps knowing that this is part of a game as well and as if the players are actually erased when they deviate from the storyline or their intended purpose, though if that were the case, would think Mystia herself would have run into issues long before now. Regardless, it seems as if despite her best efforts, she keeps finding herself in situations that could be taken very wrong (as evident by Weiss' reaction for awhile there) even if she's doing everything in her power to not be in the way and to do things right. Perhaps there's a difference in just living kindly and trying to force the storyline in this case, though.
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I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 3
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 3 by ＡＴＡＫＡ
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
For all that Mystia keeps trying to trigger these "love events" for the heroine and all of the boys, it seems that she remains the focus of attention all around. Despite her best efforts, she's also making new friends left and right with even the girls adoring her mostly aside from those that are just too cruel and seem to be filling in where Mystia is refuses to play her previous villainess role as she remembers it. As a result, her entire class seems to now adore and nearly worship her overall. Meanwhile, jealousy rages with the boys and each one still seems convinced he's the one she'll end up with.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
For all that Mystia keeps trying to trigger these "love events" for the heroine and all of the boys, it seems that she remains the focus of attention all around. Despite her best efforts, she's also making new friends left and right with even the girls adoring her mostly aside from those that are just too cruel and seem to be filling in where Mystia is refuses to play her previous villainess role as she remembers it. As a result, her entire class seems to now adore and nearly worship her overall. Meanwhile, jealousy rages with the boys and each one still seems convinced he's the one she'll end up with.
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I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 2
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 2 by ＡＴＡＫＡ
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
School has officially started, but nothing seems to be going as planned. If anything, there seems to be an unhealthy amount of attention and infatuation focused on Mystia. All of the boys seem convinced he's the one she loves for one reason or another when in truth she's trying to avoid all of them. Even side characters and the servants who had no dedicated "routes" in the game she played in her previous life seem to be in on the infatuation and obsession, which is a little disturbing all in all.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
School has officially started, but nothing seems to be going as planned. If anything, there seems to be an unhealthy amount of attention and infatuation focused on Mystia. All of the boys seem convinced he's the one she loves for one reason or another when in truth she's trying to avoid all of them. Even side characters and the servants who had no dedicated "routes" in the game she played in her previous life seem to be in on the infatuation and obsession, which is a little disturbing all in all.
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I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 1
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! 1 by ＡＴＡＫＡ
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Similar to Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, this is another series where the main character wakes up in an otome game, holding both the memories of that character's life as well as their previous normal life when they played the game and how the story ended for the character they are now living as (which was not a favorable ending). As a result of these memories, Mystia is determined not to fall to her character's fate, however, she also can't seem to help stepping in when someone needs aid. Using her knowledge of the game, this allows her to save her fiancée's mother, altering the course of the game and their interactions - though just how far those changes may spread is yet to be seen.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Similar to Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, this is another series where the main character wakes up in an otome game, holding both the memories of that character's life as well as their previous normal life when they played the game and how the story ended for the character they are now living as (which was not a favorable ending). As a result of these memories, Mystia is determined not to fall to her character's fate, however, she also can't seem to help stepping in when someone needs aid. Using her knowledge of the game, this allows her to save her fiancée's mother, altering the course of the game and their interactions - though just how far those changes may spread is yet to be seen.
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December 30, 2023
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 8 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 8 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This final volume of the series finishes Mer's tale from her childhood to marrying Louis. While it isn't pointed out anywhere, it would seem that they named their eldest child, Berne, after their lost friend from that fateful battle. Dean even makes an actual appearance in the end for a cute little scene with him, Iris, and their children, rather than just being referenced along the way. This is one rather large family that has a very interesting history behind the scenes of the kingdom in many ways.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This final volume of the series finishes Mer's tale from her childhood to marrying Louis. While it isn't pointed out anywhere, it would seem that they named their eldest child, Berne, after their lost friend from that fateful battle. Dean even makes an actual appearance in the end for a cute little scene with him, Iris, and their children, rather than just being referenced along the way. This is one rather large family that has a very interesting history behind the scenes of the kingdom in many ways.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 7 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 7 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Less is seen of Iris in this installment as we dive back into Mer's past and pick up with her training. This time around, the training will expand into the etiquette required of a noble that she had previously ignored following her engagement to Louis (though neither of them appeared to know exactly who they were being engaged to and were both prepared to turn down the arrangement from their parents in favor of the other - lucky for them that wasn't necessary). We also see the beginning of the queen's interest in Mer here, and how that plays into their interactions with the prince. Also took a bit to connect the dots with Sharia, but we see the beginnings of that relationship as well. Mer's first round at the Academy has just wrapped up and it seems something else may loom on the horizon.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Less is seen of Iris in this installment as we dive back into Mer's past and pick up with her training. This time around, the training will expand into the etiquette required of a noble that she had previously ignored following her engagement to Louis (though neither of them appeared to know exactly who they were being engaged to and were both prepared to turn down the arrangement from their parents in favor of the other - lucky for them that wasn't necessary). We also see the beginning of the queen's interest in Mer here, and how that plays into their interactions with the prince. Also took a bit to connect the dots with Sharia, but we see the beginnings of that relationship as well. Mer's first round at the Academy has just wrapped up and it seems something else may loom on the horizon.
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December 29, 2023
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 6 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 6 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It seems Iris and her family are still the focus and lead in for this story, however, the entire thing is written as educating Iris on her mother's history and childhood, so while they are there, the majority of the story is told from Mer's point of view. Every now and then it comes back to the present to segue into another part of the story or show some other recent interaction, but the majority of the book focuses in Mer's childhood sword training and how she first met Iris' father.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It seems Iris and her family are still the focus and lead in for this story, however, the entire thing is written as educating Iris on her mother's history and childhood, so while they are there, the majority of the story is told from Mer's point of view. Every now and then it comes back to the present to segue into another part of the story or show some other recent interaction, but the majority of the book focuses in Mer's childhood sword training and how she first met Iris' father.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 5 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 5 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris continues to both surprise and impress as she reads the political situations and now must deal with war on top of proposals. Letty's ambitions are a bit of a surprise, but also in some ways the perfect solution. Aside from Iris' near breakdown at the news, the situation really plays off unintentionally to the best interests of all parties even if it's not originally what any of them thought would happen when the story began. The ending of this book reads like the end of the tale entirely, however, it appears that there are more installments for the series, so curious to see which direction the story spins from here.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris continues to both surprise and impress as she reads the political situations and now must deal with war on top of proposals. Letty's ambitions are a bit of a surprise, but also in some ways the perfect solution. Aside from Iris' near breakdown at the news, the situation really plays off unintentionally to the best interests of all parties even if it's not originally what any of them thought would happen when the story began. The ending of this book reads like the end of the tale entirely, however, it appears that there are more installments for the series, so curious to see which direction the story spins from here.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 4 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 4 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
On the plus side, we finally get to see Dean reveal his true identity and make a move - rather spectacularly at that. On the downside, it seems Dean and Iris are both still partially hiding in the sand, refusing to actually reach out for what they both really want. With the war now back in play though, how might that change Iris' previous convictions on the political field and using her proposal to further the kingdom rather than her own happiness?
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
On the plus side, we finally get to see Dean reveal his true identity and make a move - rather spectacularly at that. On the downside, it seems Dean and Iris are both still partially hiding in the sand, refusing to actually reach out for what they both really want. With the war now back in play though, how might that change Iris' previous convictions on the political field and using her proposal to further the kingdom rather than her own happiness?
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 3 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 3 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
We get to see Dean's sister in this installment, who seems to get along rather well with Iris. Iris, of course, has a seemingly never ending array of challenges facing her. Fortunately, this seems to have gone off rather well, though it's clear Yuri and Divan are plotting more. Dean and Iris continue to grow closer together as well, to the point where both seem to recognize their own feelings, but refuse to admit them to the other for various reasons, each believing that it's best for them both. Fortunately, it appears that even the majority of the town and the duchy are back on Iris' side now that the previous excommunication issue has been resolved, though it was rather surprising how she chose to deal with the government officials that had not been doing their jobs since the announcement was first made.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
We get to see Dean's sister in this installment, who seems to get along rather well with Iris. Iris, of course, has a seemingly never ending array of challenges facing her. Fortunately, this seems to have gone off rather well, though it's clear Yuri and Divan are plotting more. Dean and Iris continue to grow closer together as well, to the point where both seem to recognize their own feelings, but refuse to admit them to the other for various reasons, each believing that it's best for them both. Fortunately, it appears that even the majority of the town and the duchy are back on Iris' side now that the previous excommunication issue has been resolved, though it was rather surprising how she chose to deal with the government officials that had not been doing their jobs since the announcement was first made.
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Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 2 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 2 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris is in a bit more trouble when the church decides to excommunicate her, leading to a chain of reactions affecting both her duchy and her business. Fortunately, she has some very strong allies in her corner and her network seems to keep growing as the conflict continues. Her relationship with Dean continues to be more complex as well, though we get more insights into his own situation and those who support him in this story.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Iris is in a bit more trouble when the church decides to excommunicate her, leading to a chain of reactions affecting both her duchy and her business. Fortunately, she has some very strong allies in her corner and her network seems to keep growing as the conflict continues. Her relationship with Dean continues to be more complex as well, though we get more insights into his own situation and those who support him in this story.
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December 28, 2023
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 1 (Light Novel)
Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter 1 by Reia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In some ways, this is similar to tales like The Abandoned Empress and I Swear I Won't Bother You Again that I've recently picked up. Instead of going back in time however, Iris gains memories of a previous life as a Japanese citizen who loved playing an Otome game following the story line of the life she finds herself now living. She must rely on her combined knowledge of the game and the economics of her past life to improve her standing and make a living for herself in this new reality after being cast aside from the second prince, her previous fiancé. This installment leaves off where she is getting ready for a party hosted by the royal family, which will be the first time she sees any of the nobility since her departure at the beginning of the tale outside of her own family, though none of that nobility is aware that she is the name and person behind the rise of a new company everyone now adores for their products and wants membership to for access to more exclusive products.
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In some ways, this is similar to tales like The Abandoned Empress and I Swear I Won't Bother You Again that I've recently picked up. Instead of going back in time however, Iris gains memories of a previous life as a Japanese citizen who loved playing an Otome game following the story line of the life she finds herself now living. She must rely on her combined knowledge of the game and the economics of her past life to improve her standing and make a living for herself in this new reality after being cast aside from the second prince, her previous fiancé. This installment leaves off where she is getting ready for a party hosted by the royal family, which will be the first time she sees any of the nobility since her departure at the beginning of the tale outside of her own family, though none of that nobility is aware that she is the name and person behind the rise of a new company everyone now adores for their products and wants membership to for access to more exclusive products.
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December 27, 2023
I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! 3
I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! 3 by Haru Harukawa
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Violette seems to have realized she no longer knows how things will turn out in this reality as Maryjune and Claudia are not attracted to each other without her bullying forcing their roles and putting them together, but that's not who she is anymore as she refuses to walk the same path that lead to her past misery. Meanwhile it seems everyone else is now convinced that she is no longer pursuing Claudia because they are secretly dating except for Yulan who seems to want Violette's happiness above all else, though preferably that would be with him. Even with the rumors and realizing that her plans must change, Violette still seems unaware that Prince Claudia is gaining interest in her, even after he asks her rather pointedly if she understands what he was telling her. Seems things could continue to be rather confusing at this point.
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My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Violette seems to have realized she no longer knows how things will turn out in this reality as Maryjune and Claudia are not attracted to each other without her bullying forcing their roles and putting them together, but that's not who she is anymore as she refuses to walk the same path that lead to her past misery. Meanwhile it seems everyone else is now convinced that she is no longer pursuing Claudia because they are secretly dating except for Yulan who seems to want Violette's happiness above all else, though preferably that would be with him. Even with the rumors and realizing that her plans must change, Violette still seems unaware that Prince Claudia is gaining interest in her, even after he asks her rather pointedly if she understands what he was telling her. Seems things could continue to be rather confusing at this point.
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I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! 2
I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! 2 by Haru Harukawa
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Violette seems to be getting closer to Yulan, while her plans to pair her sister and the prince together aren't going as well. The end of this volume leads to questions if Yulan may also be aware of Violette's previous fate and how this tale seems to be unwinding differently along the way. We get a nice side story towards the end of when Violette and Yulan met as children and how Yulan started falling for Vio. The text chapter at the end focuses on Claudia and Milania, though they are discussing the two sisters and their qualities and behavior. Seems they are both on the fence about Violette's change of heart and actions with this second time around.
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My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Violette seems to be getting closer to Yulan, while her plans to pair her sister and the prince together aren't going as well. The end of this volume leads to questions if Yulan may also be aware of Violette's previous fate and how this tale seems to be unwinding differently along the way. We get a nice side story towards the end of when Violette and Yulan met as children and how Yulan started falling for Vio. The text chapter at the end focuses on Claudia and Milania, though they are discussing the two sisters and their qualities and behavior. Seems they are both on the fence about Violette's change of heart and actions with this second time around.
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December 21, 2023
Guild Hunter 12.5: New Year's Eve
Guild Hunter 12.5: New Year's Eve by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a hilarious short piece from the email newsletter focusing on Eve, Ellie's little sister, hanging out with other hunter trainees on New Year's eve. Of course being hunters, both Elena herself being hunter born and Raphael given he's the city's Archangel, are hot topics of conversation. Eve proves to be a bit deeper and far more loyal than perhaps original thought of, especially given the odd divide that often takes place in Elena's family thanks to their shared father. Could also completely see Elena planning that little bombshell for her New Year's eve message given her sometimes wicked sense of humor and the way she loves playing with those closest to her. It would be nice to see some of these little family scenes woven into the main story going forward, though if not, side stories like this are some nice icing on the cake.
Psy-Changeling 19.6: Mate
Psy-Changeling 19.6: Mate by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a cute little snippet that hails back to the start of the series with Lucas and Sascha. It's nice to see how devoted these pairs remain even as the series continues to move forward and events change. Naya is another little spot of joy and continues to grow as well. It's nice to see things circle back to the original heart of the pack once in awhile.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a cute little snippet that hails back to the start of the series with Lucas and Sascha. It's nice to see how devoted these pairs remain even as the series continues to move forward and events change. Naya is another little spot of joy and continues to grow as well. It's nice to see things circle back to the original heart of the pack once in awhile.
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December 12, 2023
Mahjong Club: Solitaire Game
Mahjong Club: Solitaire Game (Android)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is one of the smoother Mahjong games I've tried over the years. The daily challenges are interesting, though it's a tad annoying that you are forced to use paid (or earned if lucky) power ups to shuffle the deck if the tiles happen to be stacked in a way that you can't reach some of them without shuffling while the general play will automatically shuffle any time you run out of moves without any power up or bonuses required. So far it hasn't been an issue with overall game play, though could see it becoming a blocker down the line as the puzzles get more difficult.
Mistplay: Play to Earn Rewards
Mistplay: Play to Earn Rewards (Android)
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
While the idea is enticing, you can only play a small range of games that are synced to the app and must load them through the app to track the game time for any rewards. When you aren't actively playing games for the app, it'll run in the background to drain battery and force notifications to try and get you to do more in the app, including making purchases in the games, which kind of defeats the purpose of trying to earn rewards with the game play to begin with.
Merge Gardens
Merge Gardens (Android)
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
While the idea is interesting, in reality this is really a combined merge game and a match 3 style game with a set series of quests and nothing unique in the design other than where you place the merged items. Ultimately, this won't be one to keep as it has more lag than some other merge games in addition to the forced match levels to progress with the quests.
Merge Cooking: Theme Restaurant
Merge Cooking: Theme Restaurant (Android)
My rating: 1 of 5 games
The gameplay has an interesting concept, but the course of events is very forced, including frequent ads for bonuses and power ups needed to create the recipes for the next order. There isn't really anything as far as creative license as it's all very linear with no choices as you play through each level and simply pay out the coins for whatever the next stage is. The game will glitch and jump around or freeze if you don't follow the correct sequence of events and fill out the game play the way they want you to.
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