Sensual Phrase: Vol. 2

by Mayu Shinjo

Synopsis
Working side-by-side on the set of Lucifer's brand-new music video, singer Sakuya and lyricist Aine discover they can no long deny their sexual attraction to one another.

But before sparks turn to flames between the two songbirds, the president of Lucifer's record company decides he wants a pieces of pretty Aine for himself. If she doesn't succumb to his desires, he's vowed to sabotage Lucifer's hit-making future!

Aine is forced to make a difficult decision. Does she rebuff her new suitor, or does she sacrifice herself for the love of Sakuya? Things get even more twisted when she discovers the president of Metro Records is, in fact, the half-brother of the man she loves!

Review
Well, one thing I'll say about Shinjo, she doesn't really prolong things unnecessarily. Maybe that's because she realizes she's writing mature material, not playing around with little teenage girls who aren't supposed to read naughty things anyway. I mean, she does tease a little, but then gets to the point, if you know what I mean. Of course, this does have the problem of eliminating the sexual tension, so how else is she supposed to keep the reader interested? The answer to that is to make a soap opera-like story, including highly improbable events that constantly happen. In this volume, it's the rich half-brother of Sakuya, who's bent on destroying Lucifer for some reason that's not really explained. I suppose that he's supposed to be like his father: he takes what he wants without asking.

I don't usually like soap operas, because their stories get out of hand and become so ridiculous that they're unbelievable, and I can no longer relate or remain interested in the story. So, while I don't mind the story yet, I guess we'll see how long I can stand it.

Fortunately, there isn't much of the music part of the story in this volume, so I didn't have to be bored or skip over parts. The author puts bios in, though, which I guess if you're interested in that kind of thing, you'll love it, but as for me, I thought it got in the way. Also, I wonder if the author should be showing you some of these things in the story, rather than telling you as an aside. Oh well.

Final thought: I'll read the next book.