A Foreign Love Affair  by Ayano Yamane

 

Ayano Yamane never disappoints, and this is no exception!  A Foreign Love Affair is by the author that brought us that fabulous Viewfinder series.  In this story, Ranmaru is the heir to a wealthy Yakuza clan, and he's just gotten married on a very lavish cruise ship!   However, he gets drunk on his wedding night, and ends up spending the night with the ship's sexy captain!  The two meet again in Italy, and the romance is on!

 

Il Gatto Sul G, volume 3 by Tooko Miyagi

 

Although it took three years to arrive, the third volume in the Il Gatto Sul Gseries does not fail.  Protagonist Riya Narukawa is a violin virtuouso with a promising career ahead of him at an early age, but he possesses a terrible secret, one which threatens to destroy him.  He must ultimtely choose between Kousaka or Atsushi – one who would not hesitate to break his fingers, and the other is nothing but sweetness personified.  The light and the dark.  The good and the bad.  How will his passions play out in this final movement of the series?  The story is well told and carefully crafted, a must-have for music lovers.

 

On Bended Knee by Ruri Fujikawa

 

Hibiki and Wu Xiong (Buyuu) Wang have been close friends since childhood.  Now grown, Hibiki is Buyuu's personal bodyguard, his employer being a up and coming businessman, set to inherit his the leadership of his family's long-established and successful corporation.  Buyuu flirts with Hibiki constantly, who tries to maintain a professional distance between them, and yet hide his feelings for his friend at the same time.  How long can he resist before love finds a way to bring them together?  And this is just the first of several short stories which make up this volume!  Each story is filled with pretty bishounen and sexy stories – a win/win situation for all!

 

Renai Sousa:  Love Control Volume 2 by Ai Hasukawa

 

Kei Yamashiro and Takashi Okumura are back in the tale begun in the first volume of Ai Hasukawa's Love Control.  They met when Kei was hired to decorate Takashi's office.  His client flirted with him outrageously, so Kei decided to teach him a lesson by having the other man fall for him – but he ended up falling for his client instead, and they became lovers.  Now, in the second part of their tale, his insecurities are coming out, and he worries that he will lose Okumura.  I love the manga-ka's artwork, and the story of these two men is to die for!  You can't go wrong with a little Love Control under your Christmas tree!

 

Gakuen Heaven – Nakajima by You Higuri

 

This volume of the popular Gakuen Heaven series is a sequel but it is also not a sequel, as it is actually set in an alternate universe and the main pairing has been changed, but it is still the story of mysterious transfer student Keita Itou who attends the prestigious all-boys Bell Liberty school.  He and Student Council Vice-President Nakajima are a couple, but Keita is insecure about their relationship, and he feels that his lover doesn't treat him well.  When word reaches him of alleged double dealings by Nakajima, his faith is severely shaken, and he is unsure what to do.  Hot and romantic both, this is a book calculated to reach the heart of those who loved the first book – and the change in pairing works if you just remember that it's an alternature universe.  Another winner for stuffing that favorite yaoi reader's stocking!