Customer Reviews

Sleeping With Money (Yaoi Novel)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is maybe the first time I read a yaoi novel where the story is almost as interesting as the sex... (not that I read so many, so maybe this is not an exception!).

Tatsurou is a yakuza member without the attitude: from a poor family and with hopes to improve his perspective, soon out of high school he joined up a gang and now lives as debt collector. The work is pretty simple, since the reputation of the gang is enough for him to collect the debt without really making nothing of nasty. But then he is asked to collect a debt from the one man that in the past tried to help him and Tatsurou can't do that. In a drunken stupor he makes a bargain with Sagami, a former high school mate, now president of an important financial firm: Sagami will borrow Tatsurou the money he needs in exchange of his body: the day in which they sing the contract Tatsurou surrenders his body to Sagami and again every month as interest till the day he could repay the borrowing.

Both Tatsurou than Sagami are interesting characters. Tatsurou is a good guy without perspective that earns his day in the only way he knows; he knows that he is not a tough guy and he fears the day when someone will uncover his disguise. When he makes the bargain with Sagami he knows what he will face but he didn't expect to enjoy it so much. As he refuses to admit that he is not a bad guy, he refuses to admit that he is attracted by Sagami, and justifies his surrendering with the fact that Sagami compels him and during sex he is tied down; but he knows very well that the ties that held him are as weaken as his opposition, and that he could break them when he wants.

Sagami felt in love with Tatsurou in high school: he was entranced by the young boy with the angel face and the fiery behavior; actually he felt in love the first time he saw tears in Tatsurou's eyes, and at first he tries to do all he can to see again that tears. But he really doesn't want to hurt Sagami, he wants to see that tears from pleasure not from pain. It's obvious that Sagami is enjoying what they are doing together, but if let him know believe that he is forced will leave to the guy his honor, he will do that, since he most of all loves Sagami's spirit will.

As always in this yaoi novel there is sex, and a lot of it, but it's not too much unbelievable as in other stories, even if multiple orgasm one after the other without resting time and the use of some sexual terms that in the past I only heard for female anatomy make me turn up my nose here and there. But well, it's funny, and no one is expecting reality from this type of fiction!

First of all, i wasnt really that keen on getting this book after reading the summary in here and after reading some disappointing yaoi novels recently. I just bought this thinking what the heck its only 8.99 or something, so if its bad its not so painful. But boy oh boy!!!!!!!!!! AM I REALLY GLAD THAT my impulsiveness sometimes pays off. Worth the money and you are in for a surprise in this one. Its got some really plot, a past track storyline which could get you hook up and cannot wait for the next page (dont care much for the grammar problem, like some people do), and here's another thing if you are a YAOI FAN, celebrate in this one. It zizzzling hot. (You know what i mean, WINK) wheewww. This book is highly entertaining and have some comic moments. This one stays in my collection!! Katagiri san you Rock!!

Is a story about a young Yakuza chief and a salary man, both of them met at a very young age when they were both participating in a kendo tournament, the salary man defeats the yakuza (sorry forgot their names) but the yakuza leaves a deep impression on the salary man, some years after they meet each other again in a bar, the yakuza tells him the story of his life how he have gotten on so many fights, how he had joined the yakuza group and how an old man had helped him when no one else would, and now he was been forced by his yakuza boss to collect a debt of 10 million yen which obviously the old man couldn't pay, and he didn't want to collect it either, so the salary man ends up burning the paper that included the debt, the next day the yakuza wakes up with a hang over realizing what they had done with the paper decides to go and look for the same man and collect the debt from him, the salary man simply refuses, desperate he ends up making a contract the money for exchange of having his body once a month,

****There starts the story with really sexy scenes, lots of troubles that they need to overcome and above all love, I definitely recommend it if you like yakuzas, salary mans and a little amount of sadism this is for you. And last but not least a seme totally in love with his uke.

I picked up this novel because I'm a big fan of Sakuya Fuji, and the artwork in this novel did not disappoint me. Great artwork.

However, I was really blown away how good this novel was and how original the concept of it was. In general, the reverse of the plot tends to happen.

In this case, a poor Yakuza young boss, Tatsurou, finds himself unable to collect the debt of one of his childhood's mentors. In the end, he gets trapped by his old high school kendo rivals, when the loan note gets burned and he has to sell his body to a legal loan company to cover the debt.

Having the yakuza as the uke was interesting, and I thought it might be tough to protray a yakuza as stronger then Sagami, the seme. However, even though the seme is a salaryman, I'm glad the author was able to explain why Sagami is so blasted strong.

I absolutely adore both the uke and seme personalities. Usually the case in lot of yaoi novels, the seme is is sadistic and in control. That's not really the case here. Sagami is a great seme, who goes through a lot to capture his first love by any means necessary. Tatsurou is also hilariously obstinate in his denial about loving the way Tatsurou makes him feel. It's amusing how they both react to each other.

I would highly recommend this novel. It is by far, my most favorite yaoi novel to date. It's definitely worth multiple re-reads.

I LOVED this book! The story was sexy and funny, and the sex was explicit and plentiful. The perfect recipe for yaoi. The book opens with Sagami "mounted atop" Tatsurou and about to collect on a debt. Only, the author flashes back to the preceding events just before the payoff. A truly delicious way to hook a reader.

Tatsurou is a yakuza. Only, the yakuza life isn't what it used to be. Sure, some people are afraid of him but his flashy car is borrowed and he barely makes enough money to live on. His role in the gang is to collect debts. When the gang president sends him to collect from an old man who owns a factory, Tatsurou runs into trouble. He knows the old man from when he took Tatsurou in as a kid. He can't bring himself to shake the man down. While drowning his woes in booze, he runs into an old school rival. Sagami isn't afraid of him and easily solves Tatsurou's problem by burning the debt note! Only, the gang is expecting that money and will come after him for it.

Sagami has been in love with Tatsurou since he cried after losing a kendo match when they were kids. He knows Tatsurou won't give up his tough guy image to be his lover without a fight. So, Sagami strikes a deal to loan the money in exchange for his body. Slowly, Sagami weans him away from the yakuza life (for which he really isn't suited anyway). Sagami is calm and collected through most of the story, while Tatsurou is the quintessential reluctant uke. Their battle of wills is delightful, and fun. Tatsurou is falling in love with Sagami, but doesn't understand the feeling since he's never been in love before.

The romance had a surprising depth, and the characters are very charming. I fell for the hot-tempered, tender-hearted Tatsurou immediately. And Sagami was dignified and loving, a nearly prefect seme. The translation was relatively smooth, and the story flowed well. Overall, I can't recommend this yaoi novel enough, and I will look for more by this author.

This is Barbara Katagiri's first yaoi (boy's love) light novel for Biblos, and presented to us in the English speaking world by June Manga. Being a light novel, the vocabulary is not overly difficult, being at a high school level so easily read without having to think too hard. This does not detract from the story, however, for despite the uncomplicated language use and comedic nature of the characterisations, it is not an ill conceived and executed story. Rather, it is one that is written to provide light entertainment, and this it does quite well. From the opening paragraph, the reader is aware that Tatsurou is literally in a bind, tied up on some guy's bed. This hooks one right in as Tatsurou then reflects just how the hell he got himself in such an undignified mess, and while this could have been heavy, it was not. Katagiri managed to pull this off so that it is genuinely funny. Tatsurou knew what he was getting into, but he is tied simply because when it comes to crunch time, he can't help put up some resistance as payback to the perceived affront to his yakuza dignity. It is his very rigidity and sense of self importance that not only rings true, but makes him so amusing. His inner vulnerability is revealed as the story rolls on, and adds depths to his personality that keeps the reader interested in his plight, though I must admit I did not feel too sorry for him when Sagami got his hands on him. It is literally a fun romp, through the underbelly of Japanese society to between the sheets and back again.

It is a romp made all the more enjoyable by the insertion of the wonderful illustrations made by Sakuya Fujii. From the full colour glossy frontispiece to the black and white full page illustrations scattered through out the novel at key points, these really help feed the story along as we get a full visual image of the styles and personalities of the two characters. Tatsurou's tacky but expensive designer suits and bleached hair really spring to life, providing a vivid contrast to the elegantly suited Sagami. The animal print shirts favoured by Tatsurou really add impact to the reader's impression of Tatsurou as a wild beast of a man who needs to be taken down an peg or two, and perfectly tailored hand made dark suits of Lovely's CEO provides the perfect visual foil. If you are looking for porn though, you will have to look elsewhere. The pictures are not of explicit scenes, bar one, and even there you can see what they appear to be doing, but nothing is actually shown. Likewise, while the story seemingly has a somewhat smutty premise, it is a romantic comedy, and as such the focus is love, not smut.

This is the kind of book you read for the sex in part, so please understand this review includes the sexual aspect.

There is two parts to this story, probably written at different times. I think the authors note confirmed that, but I can't remember.

This novel is exactly the kind of thing people say about yaoi novels, with The rape turning into love.

First part is about rivals, yakuza underworld, ecet. Kind of attempts to be edgy and dark or whatever, I know lots of people are into that. The one rapes the other, and it's about their relationship throughout. That part was ok.

Part 2 is where it goes downhill for me personally, in that it becomes pure romance. They fall in love. It's 100% romance from rape.

While the writing was pretty good, the way it just slips like it was trying to tread the line between edgy and dark fetishist, to romance and love, just doesn't do it for me. It kind of ends up with a "Look I can do both" feeling.

this is my top 3 favs! good n sweet story with also action in it as well..n i liked the characters. Plenty of sexual encounters!....i've read it about 10 times!

I though this book was great. I really have been enjoying the Yaoi Novels and this is one of my favorites. The story was fun and lighthearted and had everything and plenty of it that you look for in this type of book.

The few art pages within the novel are absolutely beautiful and help illustrate what is going on perfectly. The story is beautiful and each character is easily distinguishable from one another because of how well the writer describes them and has them act.