ISBN-13: 978-4-596-95063-5
Language: English
Direction: Right to Left
by: Sophie Weston (Original Story), Kaori Himeki (Adaptation)
Pages: 128
Publisher: Harlequin K.K./SOFTBANK Creative Corp.
Type: One-Shot
Genre: Romance, Josei
Synopsis:Natasha lives to work. Her bitter experiences in the past mean she is disinterested in relationships or marriage, but she agrees to be a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding. At the engagement party, Natasha meets a man who rudely treats her with suspicion, infuriating her. This arrogant man is Kajim, an Arab sheikh, and best man to the groom. But as their paths continue to cross, and danger lurks in the Arabian desert, Natasha finds her true prince.
Character Musings
Natasha Lumber takes on the role of our heroine. She’s bright, bubbly, but strong willed and determined. She’s dedicated to her work, and to her friends, but also hides a dark past that still haunts her today.
Kajim Al Salak is the hero, and what a hero. He’s a bit arrogant, over cautious, and funny as hell. He also hides a dark past that haunts him causing him to be a bit over zealous at times.
General Musings
I loved this volume. The chemistry between our two leads is perfect, giving them a vibrant and glowing feel.
The story, like all Harlequin titles, is short and to the point. Yet despite that this time we have a short story that works really well, Though I will admit I wish it was longer (if only to read more of their interactions).
The thing that makes the story work so well is the bond and chemistry between Natasha and Kajim. They’re perfectly matched and their banter is always light and funny. Even the sad bits that crop up worked really well and impressed me with the way Kaori gets the emotion over.
Art wise is have no complaints, the character designs and settings are all perfect. Sure, it’s a clichéd story, but who cares ‘cause it’s been done so well.
The way that Kajim hides his identity at first is a cliché true, but it works really well. As does the development that he and Natasha go through once it’s revealed. I loved how even after it was revealed they still bantered back and forth. I found it a really enjoyable read.
Publisher Musings
Another good one from Harlequin, good editing and choice of fonts. However just like the last one I reviewed the fonts were a tad to big. However I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing, considering the medium these releases are for (digital/kindle/eBook), having larger sized fonts makes it easier to read. Looking at it from that point of view, it works really well.
Short post I know, but it’s hard to write a medium to large post on a volume of manga that’d do short hehe. I do think however that if your a fan of pure romance styled stories, that Harlequin are a publisher you want to look at more. Some of their early titles are pretty atrocious, but even those are worth reading. Hopefully we’ll see some collected editions with a discounted price, such as 5 volumes for say 800points rather than 1000points.
