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Mating Tomeo
In 1946 Hawaii, Tomeo Yamaguchi harbors a secret that would be considered shameful by his traditional Japanese family—he aches for the caress of other men.Which makes it particularly devastating when Tomeo’s father hires a tanomoshi—a matchmaker—to find a bride for his son.Tomeo spends time with the tanomoshi, Shin Yamada, and as the men come to know one another, deep feelings emerge, the transition from friends to lovers inevitable. They fall into a clandestine affair, their hushed and hidden lovemaking as beautiful and breathless in their eyes as it is torrid in the eyes of others.More time spent worshipping Tomeo’s body means less time finding him a suitable bride. Shin’s forsaking his duty…but mating Tomeo is worth every stolen second.
- GenresHistoricalM M Romance
103 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2012
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Llewellyn
288 books452 followersA.J. Llewellyn lives in California, but dreams of living in Hawaii. Frequent trips to all the islands, bags of Kona coffee in the fridge and a healthy collection of Hawaiian records keep this writer refueled.
A.J’s passion for the islands led to writing a play about the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani as well as a non-erotic novel about the overthrow of her kingdom written in diary form from her maid’s point of view.
A.J. never lacks inspiritation for male/male erotic romances and on the rare occasion this happens, pursues other passions such as collecting books on Hawaiiana, surfing and spending time with friends and animal companions.
A.J. Llewellyn believes that love is a song best sung out loud.
A.J’s passion for the islands led to writing a play about the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani as well as a non-erotic novel about the overthrow of her kingdom written in diary form from her maid’s point of view.
A.J. never lacks inspiritation for male/male erotic romances and on the rare occasion this happens, pursues other passions such as collecting books on Hawaiiana, surfing and spending time with friends and animal companions.
A.J. Llewellyn believes that love is a song best sung out loud.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 12, 2022
This romance takes place a few years after the events outlined in the author's Pearl Harbor quartet. Written in the same 'lean' style - the attraction was insta but nicely drawn out before the first sex scene around the one-third mark, with heaps of action liberally sprinkled among a fairly decent plot thereafter. I was kept on tenterhooks regarding how the MCs were going to avoid/circumvent Tomeo getting a bride. The resolution came a little too easy with an impression of a rushed ending.
June 12, 2012
Mating Tomeo By AJ Llewellyn
URL: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10104-ma...
ISBN: 9781419940316
Genre: M/M Historical
Rating: Hot
Book Length: Short Novel
Reviewer: Silver Pixie
Book Summery:
In 1946 Hawaii, Tomeo Yamaguchi harbors a secret that would be considered shameful by his traditional Japanese family—he aches for the caress of other men.
Which makes it particularly devastating when Tomeo’s father hires a tanomoshi—a matchmaker—to find a bride for his son.
Tomeo spends time with the tanomoshi, Shin Yamada, and as the men come to know one another, deep feelings emerge, the transition from friends to lovers inevitable. They fall into a clandestine affair, their hushed and hidden lovemaking as beautiful and breathless in their eyes, as it is torrid in the eyes of others.
More time spent worshipping Tomeo’s body means less time finding him a suitable bride. Shin’s forsaking his duty…but mating Tomeo is worth every stolen second.
AJ once again takes us on a journey to Post World War Two; in this novel we meet Tomeo Yamaguchi. A beautiful sensitive man who truly harbors a secret that he doesn’t want or need his traditional Japanese family to ever find out. A secret that Shin Yamada the resident Japanese Tanomoshi himself understands and harbors himself. Can these two men Find happiness and love with each other or will Tomeo’s father keep driving them apart and into the arms of a bride back in their home land of Japan?
AJ once again weaves a wonderful tale of yearning and understanding in post WWII. Hawaii suffered greatly post WWII more then most people care to know or understand. They still in this day and age feel the effects and though its gotten better the islands still weep for their lost. Tomeo and Shin are 2 men who don’t conform to the norm of then or today but they found a way to make it work. Their love for each other, their families and the islands makes me yearn for them. They both want so much to please their families but not at the expense of each other or what they have. The question that begs asking is can their love be enough to keep them together or will they bow to tradition?
On My Erect Peni scale I Give Mating Tomeo 10+ This book is just hot enough to make me need a cold shower
On my Scale of Wait to pay day or Sell the Kids Mating Tomeo is a Sell the Kids on EBay and GET THIS BOOK!
The twists and turns in Mating Tomeo leave you panting and wanting more. I knew from page one that this was going to be another book I wouldn’t be able to put down and I couldn’t. It was a page-turner to the very end and left me wanting another Tomeo and Shin novel.
AJ is the type of writer that makes sure that everything about her stories is historically accurate. Mating Tomeo is no different AJ made sure everything about this story happened or at the very least feasible or possible. There are going to be those who doubt that in post WWII that there could have been (Spoiler Alert) “secret” Clubs catering to the Gay and Lesbian crowd. Before you go off the deep end saying its in possible look at American Gay and Lesbian history. It is not only possible it happened across the United States and is still happening today. It urks me to no end that people cant wrap their feeble little minds around the possibility of things because of the era something was. Sometimes that is the reason these things are possible.
URL: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10104-ma...
ISBN: 9781419940316
Genre: M/M Historical
Rating: Hot
Book Length: Short Novel
Reviewer: Silver Pixie
Book Summery:
In 1946 Hawaii, Tomeo Yamaguchi harbors a secret that would be considered shameful by his traditional Japanese family—he aches for the caress of other men.
Which makes it particularly devastating when Tomeo’s father hires a tanomoshi—a matchmaker—to find a bride for his son.
Tomeo spends time with the tanomoshi, Shin Yamada, and as the men come to know one another, deep feelings emerge, the transition from friends to lovers inevitable. They fall into a clandestine affair, their hushed and hidden lovemaking as beautiful and breathless in their eyes, as it is torrid in the eyes of others.
More time spent worshipping Tomeo’s body means less time finding him a suitable bride. Shin’s forsaking his duty…but mating Tomeo is worth every stolen second.
AJ once again takes us on a journey to Post World War Two; in this novel we meet Tomeo Yamaguchi. A beautiful sensitive man who truly harbors a secret that he doesn’t want or need his traditional Japanese family to ever find out. A secret that Shin Yamada the resident Japanese Tanomoshi himself understands and harbors himself. Can these two men Find happiness and love with each other or will Tomeo’s father keep driving them apart and into the arms of a bride back in their home land of Japan?
AJ once again weaves a wonderful tale of yearning and understanding in post WWII. Hawaii suffered greatly post WWII more then most people care to know or understand. They still in this day and age feel the effects and though its gotten better the islands still weep for their lost. Tomeo and Shin are 2 men who don’t conform to the norm of then or today but they found a way to make it work. Their love for each other, their families and the islands makes me yearn for them. They both want so much to please their families but not at the expense of each other or what they have. The question that begs asking is can their love be enough to keep them together or will they bow to tradition?
On My Erect Peni scale I Give Mating Tomeo 10+ This book is just hot enough to make me need a cold shower
On my Scale of Wait to pay day or Sell the Kids Mating Tomeo is a Sell the Kids on EBay and GET THIS BOOK!
The twists and turns in Mating Tomeo leave you panting and wanting more. I knew from page one that this was going to be another book I wouldn’t be able to put down and I couldn’t. It was a page-turner to the very end and left me wanting another Tomeo and Shin novel.
AJ is the type of writer that makes sure that everything about her stories is historically accurate. Mating Tomeo is no different AJ made sure everything about this story happened or at the very least feasible or possible. There are going to be those who doubt that in post WWII that there could have been (Spoiler Alert) “secret” Clubs catering to the Gay and Lesbian crowd. Before you go off the deep end saying its in possible look at American Gay and Lesbian history. It is not only possible it happened across the United States and is still happening today. It urks me to no end that people cant wrap their feeble little minds around the possibility of things because of the era something was. Sometimes that is the reason these things are possible.
March 19, 2021
A lovely little escape to the Hawaii of the 1940s and a gorgeous love story with two irresistible Asian men.
February 13, 2017
What a gorgeous story
This was a wonderful love story. The characters captured me right from the start. Set just after WWII in the Hawaiian Islands on O'ahu, it beautifully showcases the exoticness of Hawai'i. The details are wonderful from that era. The cultural details are exquisite and fascinating and very well told. And the story flows with an easy narration. This was a lovely feel good story that I'd read again. Even the cover is gorgeous. I couldn't put this book down. It was just delightful. Shin and Tomeo are sensuous and sweet. I was sad to see this story end. It touched my heart. Thank you and aloha.
This was a wonderful love story. The characters captured me right from the start. Set just after WWII in the Hawaiian Islands on O'ahu, it beautifully showcases the exoticness of Hawai'i. The details are wonderful from that era. The cultural details are exquisite and fascinating and very well told. And the story flows with an easy narration. This was a lovely feel good story that I'd read again. Even the cover is gorgeous. I couldn't put this book down. It was just delightful. Shin and Tomeo are sensuous and sweet. I was sad to see this story end. It touched my heart. Thank you and aloha.
August 25, 2013
Originally reviewed for The Book Vixen
In a Nutshell: Lovely multi-cultural romance with a unique setting of post-WWII Hawaii.
Why I Read this Book: I love historical MM romance, not that WWII is ancient history, but the time and the Hawaiian setting captured my attention.
What I Liked: This is a simple, uncomplicated romance I enjoyed. Tomeo and Shin are honest about their attraction and never hurt each other. Their romance has the exuberance of young lovers as they explore each other in cars, sneak kisses at Tomeo’s family dinners and drink cocktails at jazz clubs. The eroticism is well balanced with their emotional development. This isn’t an angst-filled romance but more of a gentle love affair between nice men.
What I Also Liked: I really liked the setting of post-WWII Hawaii. I’ve never been to Hawaii but this book has lovely descriptions of the island, including flora, fauna and the pineapple plantation where Tomeo works. Additionally, the post-WWII setting is well integrated into the romance and story as Tomeo’s family have their first phone installed and are finally getting food after being on war rations. I adored the multi-cultural aspect of this book as it’s set in the Japanese-American community after the Pearl Harbor bombing so the prejudice Tomeo and his family face is part of book, as well as their culture around food and family.
I really enjoyed the community of Tomeo’s family and Shin’s lovely father. Tomeo’s father is a traditionalist, hence arranging a marriage for Tomeo. Shin’s father is a loving one that I really liked, up until nearly the end of the novel when I think he did something out of character. The plot of Shin finding Tomeo a bride provides good tension for the novel but doesn’t overshadow the romance which was important for me.
What I Didn’t Like: As I mentioned, I really liked Shin’s father with his gentle acceptance of the world they live in which is why I was a tad shocked when he reacts the way he does to Shin and Tomeo. It’s handled well at the novel’s conclusion but it seemed a bit out of character. And I think I’m used to having total resolution with family members in MM romance and that’s not the case here so I may be judging this all a tad harshly.
IMO: This was an enjoyable read with a gentle, sexy romance with a stellar setting.
*review copy from publisher*
In a Nutshell: Lovely multi-cultural romance with a unique setting of post-WWII Hawaii.
Why I Read this Book: I love historical MM romance, not that WWII is ancient history, but the time and the Hawaiian setting captured my attention.
What I Liked: This is a simple, uncomplicated romance I enjoyed. Tomeo and Shin are honest about their attraction and never hurt each other. Their romance has the exuberance of young lovers as they explore each other in cars, sneak kisses at Tomeo’s family dinners and drink cocktails at jazz clubs. The eroticism is well balanced with their emotional development. This isn’t an angst-filled romance but more of a gentle love affair between nice men.
What I Also Liked: I really liked the setting of post-WWII Hawaii. I’ve never been to Hawaii but this book has lovely descriptions of the island, including flora, fauna and the pineapple plantation where Tomeo works. Additionally, the post-WWII setting is well integrated into the romance and story as Tomeo’s family have their first phone installed and are finally getting food after being on war rations. I adored the multi-cultural aspect of this book as it’s set in the Japanese-American community after the Pearl Harbor bombing so the prejudice Tomeo and his family face is part of book, as well as their culture around food and family.
I really enjoyed the community of Tomeo’s family and Shin’s lovely father. Tomeo’s father is a traditionalist, hence arranging a marriage for Tomeo. Shin’s father is a loving one that I really liked, up until nearly the end of the novel when I think he did something out of character. The plot of Shin finding Tomeo a bride provides good tension for the novel but doesn’t overshadow the romance which was important for me.
What I Didn’t Like: As I mentioned, I really liked Shin’s father with his gentle acceptance of the world they live in which is why I was a tad shocked when he reacts the way he does to Shin and Tomeo. It’s handled well at the novel’s conclusion but it seemed a bit out of character. And I think I’m used to having total resolution with family members in MM romance and that’s not the case here so I may be judging this all a tad harshly.
IMO: This was an enjoyable read with a gentle, sexy romance with a stellar setting.
*review copy from publisher*
October 30, 2012
I know A.J. loves the islands but his passion for the hidden history of it never stops enthralling me. This is a devastating yet uplifting story. Tomeo is a young Japanese man living in Hawaii after World War II.
His uncle and family are missing back on the mainland and Tomeo's parents hire a tanomoshi to both find the uncle and procure a mail order bride for Tomeo from Japan. I had no idea how bad life was for Japanese immigrants in the islands after the war was over. People didn't trust them and yet the Japanese families worked so hard. Tomeo is a pineapple plantation manager whose life is difficult until he meets Shin, the tanomoshi.
Tomeo doesn't want a bride. He is gay but has never been with a man. Soon it emerges that Shin is also gay. Can these two men find love together?
When Tomeo's uncle is found in an internment camp on the mainland I realized how sad but true this story could be. There is great sex, love and humor here. Tomeo is a joy.
His uncle and family are missing back on the mainland and Tomeo's parents hire a tanomoshi to both find the uncle and procure a mail order bride for Tomeo from Japan. I had no idea how bad life was for Japanese immigrants in the islands after the war was over. People didn't trust them and yet the Japanese families worked so hard. Tomeo is a pineapple plantation manager whose life is difficult until he meets Shin, the tanomoshi.
Tomeo doesn't want a bride. He is gay but has never been with a man. Soon it emerges that Shin is also gay. Can these two men find love together?
When Tomeo's uncle is found in an internment camp on the mainland I realized how sad but true this story could be. There is great sex, love and humor here. Tomeo is a joy.
August 19, 2013
This was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's sweet and sexy and emotional. The rich history, lush scenery, and look into traditional Japanese customs only add to the enjoyment of it. World War II is a time period that fascinates me, but you don't often hear too much about the time right after the war, which is something that intrigued me about this story. I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews