Read was fun and easy to do in one sitting. Great characters. Plot was interesting. Romance was adorable.

I absolutely love everything that Harlequin Manga has put out recently especially since most of these mangas are retelling old romance stories that people my age wouldn't even consider reading but the artwork is divine and the stories are really sweet.

I actually got accepted for several of these Harlequin Manga's. I didn't enjoy this one as well. I haven't read the actual book, I will say that. But I didn't enjoy the story and got confused easily. The art is beautiful, but the story wasn't there for me.

This is an instalove romance story. It was a good read and I liked the illustrations.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

The artwork is pretty good in this manga. So The story is a little erratic though so I’d have preferred if that had gone smoother. I would have given it a 5 star rating.

Once again, I want to say what a delight it is to lose myself in the beautiful illustrations of these romance manga comics. I love how the illustrations bring the characters to life and tells me a story. And I love that sometimes these stories leave me wanting more and I looking for the original book to read. That has happened quite a few times to me.

This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Harlequin and Netgalley!

Dante's Blackmailed Bride is the first book in the The Dante Legacy and tells the story of Francesca and Severo.

I really liked this manga, but it felt a bit rushed. I know that all these Harlequin manga are a bit rushed because they're only 128 pages, but this one seemed more rushed than the others. Besides that, I really enjoyed this manga!

Review to be posted on sources mentioned on my profile tomorrow.

I received this manga from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review!

With this book we come to the end of my Harlequin Manga party! 19 manga, 20 days, and a girl who is kind of sad that it over because quite a few had cute romance, but is also happy with some rest from all the drama and standard tropes that fill these books.

This last one, I just adored the cover (I want her dress), and the blurb sounded quite steamy and hot. However, the title was a bit eh, blackmailed bride? Uh oh. That doesn't sound too promising. Here is to it being quite different from what I would think from that title.

"It's as though the darkness has melted away and revealed this beautiful sculpture of a man." Oh my. And apparently it was kind of destiny that these two met. They are fated together. At least that is what I guess from it. I did have a laugh that they immediately had sex. I am not sure if that will lighten the electricity between you two, but hey, I am not complaining. The sex scene was very well drawn and very steamy.

Oh dear, drama starts! Not sure how I feel about it, but at least this time I saw it coming. She is a designer for a brand that used to be in the Dante family. He is a Dante. This can become very interesting. She doesn't want to betray the new owners, and he wants to make her his. Yep. What could possibly go wrong.

I do like the magic element to this book. Namely the legend of the Dante family. If someone is fated with someone and they touch there is an inferno going on in them that won't stop. That sounds indeed like both a blessing (you know your soulmate) and a curse (you can never get away from the feeling).

I did like that they had a chance to talk, talk about the curse, about family.

I did like that he wasn't one to give up. Unlike most times I wasn't that creeped out as he at least did nothing touchy-feely as she didn't want that. He just gave her her favourite food, called her his treasure, gave her flowers. It was very sweet of him.

But of course, the drama gets on my nerves. I understand that he wants her, and that he also wants her to be in the Dante group. She is talented, and yes TH is going under, but to push her like this? To make her feel terrible as he has to choose between love and her father. :|
Then again the whole business side to the story is also quite interesting, yes I am conflicting, sorry! It does make the characters show their true colours, we learn more about them during those confrontations (like that Dante isn't the big villain he quite often seems to be).

The ending made me smile though, how everything just clicked together, how everything came together. How everyone got their happy ending. Not just Dante, not just Francesca, but also Kurt and Tina. It was wonderful.
"Wrapped in the inferno, happiness is ours!" Awwww!

The book also has quite a few more sex scenes than most of the Harlequin and they are also more clear. In the way of what was shown. Still no penises or vaginas, but way more boobs and way more suggestive. I did like it though.

All in all, this was a pretty decent love story with a magical element to it.

This is a nice read, the art is bright and inviting . Severino and Francesca meet and the attraction is instant, unfortunately they are rivals in the jewellery business . The relationship was cute and is the story well adapted to fit into manga, was an interesting read but not one of my favourites. It just didn’t hold my attention as well as other stories.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Harlequin/SB Creative as the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book title : Dante's Blackmailed Bride: a Harlequin Manga

Author : Day Leclaire; Illustrator : Ellie Misono

Release Date : 20 September 2017

Francesca Sommer is a new jewelry designer who worked for the Fontaines. During a work party, Francesca steppe out for some fresh air in the balcony. A sexy stud later appeared and introduced himself as Savero Dante... yes, it reminds one of Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy including Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso! Our Dante in this story felt like he was burning in inferno as soon as he touched Francesca. He then tried to persuade Francesca to become his because he believed the old myth that happened in their family. Once they touched somebody and started to have a blazing shock through their body. 

The rest of the story is not going to be spilled here. It is a surprise that one should read and find out. What I can say is that the plot of the story is evoking and the end of the story is emotionally touching especially when Francesca finally reunited with her biological father. The conflict is portrayed and illustrated beautifully as the artist is able to captured it and put it into the manga-style. It is just a perfect reading to sweeten one’s life.

Review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/dante-blackmails-bridea-harlequin-manga-by-day-leclaire/

Two jewellers both alike in dignity… I guess these lines sound familiar, well they should. The plot starts from the rivalry between two jewellers, with Dante Corp. striving to buy the other one out. Love gets in the way when the head of Dante Corp., Severo, falls in love with the rival's designer… the steam level is HOT, and it ends better than the Shakesperean tragedy, so you only have to one click to enjoy the details yourself.

Severo Dante and Francesca meet and the attraction sizzles between them. Sev just can't let Francesca go and she agrees to a one night stand. He just hustles her off to a bedroom and she goes with him. (Dont try this at home because he could be a mad axe murderer).

Meanwhile this event is a business event and if the two of them had slowed down they would have realised that they are business rivals because Francesca is the leading jewelly designer for a firm that Sev wants to buy out!

Oh dear!

After the one night stand things become very complicated because Sev is convinced that he is fated to be with Francesca. Her loyalties are divided because her employer is actually her dad but her dad doesn't know that she is his daughter.

Sev doesnt realise this and starts wheeling and dealing to get Francesca to work for him but she is so principled that the whole plan goes wonky and it serves Sev right because you cant strong arm someone into working for you.

Some of these male characters in these Manga romance have the most reprehensible behaviour!

Anyway the reader is left to follow through the story to find out how it will be resolved. Can it be resolved?

Francesca is so honorable and talented and beautiful inside and out, and she does the right things but will it cost her the love she has for Sev and the desire she has to get to know her father?

An interesting story with strong sparkly attraction and business ups and downs, also great artwork.

Copy provided by Harlequin in via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.