While browsing through Reddit looking for a new m/m romance to read, I saw someone describe one of the main characters of Heat Stroke by Tessa Bailey as a “muscular himbo puppy who dotes on his love interest.” While I haven’t read anything from Tessa Bailey previously, I am 100% into the doting character trope. Because of this, I decided to take a chance and picked up this book to see if it lived up to this particular user’s description.
The meet cute is one of the most important parts of a story. It sets the tone for how two characters will interact throughout the rest. Whether they’re total strangers brought together by happenstance or they just happen to turn a specific way in a crowd and catch a special someone’s eye, the meet cute is the building block of any romance story.
But what happens when the meet cute builds a rocky emotional foundation for a relationship? For me, Beautiful Things by Nao Inui has one of the shakiest starts.
A new title was added to Shonen Jump’s lineup this past weekend. Joining its ranks is Embers by Kei Kurumazaki and Sotaro Nishii. While there are several exorcist, comedy, and action titles already in serialization, there is only one other sports manga which is the sports/romance series Blue Box.
Manga fans kick off February with several publishers including Yen Press, Viz Media, and even Dark Horse announcing new licenses. As always with these kinds of events, we get excited and hope that we’ll see something that we want to add to our reading list.
Here are the titles that caught my interest from the announcements.
We don’t see many stories (yet) set during the COVID pandemic. Home Office Romance puts this world event front and center. This manga really excels at showcasing those earlier days of lockdown when everyone had to readjust to working from home. From rearranging a home office to enjoying an extra hour of sleep without having to deal with a commute, I think everyone who lived through this experience will appreciate all the slice-of-life details shown in this manga. This background paired with a sweet romance piqued my interest.
2025 certainly has no shortage of games lined up for fans of all genres for those looking for something new to dive into. While Naughty Dog wants to shove yet another The Last of Us Part II Remastered edition down our throat, let's discuss titles that people actually want to play that will be releasing soon. Here are five games I’m particularly looking forward to this year!