Midnight Secretary Vol. 3by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 10 Kaya's reassignment has been extended. Kyohei realizes he has feelings for Kaya, and struggles with that. When Kaya overworks herself to the point of collapsing, Kyohei comes to a decision, and, typical of him, leaves her out of the loop.Wow. This volume just caused my opinion of this story to skyrocket. I really liked it before, but now I'm loving it. Some of the new expressions on Kyohei and a few tender moments, combined with his inner struggle, make him infinitely more attractive. This is officially a fantasy where the girl wins and melts the heart of the "bad guy." There are two panels (close ups of his face) that had me swooning, my favorite of which has him looking back over his shoulder at her with a smile (a "he loves how she's all-business, so he won't argue with her" smile). It's such a simple, little thing, but with the character it has a huge impact; I think my heart jumped when I first saw it. My two favorite moments in this volume happen early on. The first is after Kyohei has made love to Kaya and quenched his thirst for her blood. She's resting, eyes closed, and he goes to move the hair off her face with his fingers -- gently. Again, such a small gesture has a big impact. She stirs, causing him to pull back, clenching his fist in frustration, both at himself for the act and for being caught. It's those details that make his transition believable. The other moment is actually seeing him super-jealous when he sees Kaya having a drink with her current boss. I like it because it was not his normal, possessive jealousy, but one specific to Kaya, enough of a difference that his driver notices something's different as well. Kaya is really amazing. I love that we get to know the inner workings of her mind and her thoughts; that really makes it much easier to identify with her and understand why she tries so hard for Kyohei. I appreciate the little extra story at the end, giving us a bit of background. Her hairstyle has changed slightly (and I love that a reason is given!) making her seem not as uptight but still very professional. Her new boss seems nice, and everybody certainly loves him. It also seems like he's slowly and subtly trying to get closer to Kaya. Sometimes, with the way he looks at her and guesses at things regarding her and Kyohei, I begin to have a sneaking suspicion that he's also a vampire (or some other non-human). Her situation grows increasingly complex and stressful when her reassignment is extended. She handles everything as I would expect of her, making for some great plot points. There's a lot of lovemaking in this volume. Nothing graphic is depicted, just Kaya's breasts. And let me tell you, some of the scenes are pretty hot 'n' heavy. At one point Kyohei says he will make sure she can't walk straight the next day, and sure enough she's stumbling and trembling on her way into work. There's intimacy, and a growing tenderness, especially as Kyohei starts to realize his feelings and becomes concerned with Kaya's overdoing it. It's all well done, and seems like the perfect adult romance. Written: February 1, 2014
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