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Dinner for Three
Struggling to raise his young brother on his own, Shizuku has been working as a male companion in order to make ends meet. One day, he mistakenly thinks that his little brother has been kidnapped and attacks his neighbor, Tsujido. Seeing that the brothers need help, Tsujido starts to cook warm meals and care for them. For the first time, Shizuku got a taste of what it's like to be taken care of in a family...
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 8, 2024
This was a sweet story of a young man, Shizuku, who has spent most of his life just trying to survive his abusive family, who then finds purpose when he starts raising his younger brother. He's more than happy to do so, but it has left him always putting himself last.
When Shizuku and his brother move into a new apartment, they start to form a connection with their reclusive neighbor after he starts preparing meals for them.
We're in Shizuku's mind for the whole story (with the exception of a bonus at the end), and it results in a very simplistic, sometimes naive, prose that sometimes falls flat, and sometimes leads to poignant observations. He's such a sweetheart and I wanted nothing more than his happiness.
The neighbor, Tsujido, is quiet and a bit antisocial, so sometimes it's hard to read him, but his love for Shizuku comes through clearly. I am very grateful that we get a bonus with his point of view at the end, because it showed that he too had insecurities and flaws, and added depth to their relationship.
It seems in the author's note that they intended for the story to continue beyond this book, but I don't see any signs of this turning into a series. Regardless, this ended in a very nice, hopeful place, and I felt satisfied and happy with it.
When Shizuku and his brother move into a new apartment, they start to form a connection with their reclusive neighbor after he starts preparing meals for them.
We're in Shizuku's mind for the whole story (with the exception of a bonus at the end), and it results in a very simplistic, sometimes naive, prose that sometimes falls flat, and sometimes leads to poignant observations. He's such a sweetheart and I wanted nothing more than his happiness.
The neighbor, Tsujido, is quiet and a bit antisocial, so sometimes it's hard to read him, but his love for Shizuku comes through clearly. I am very grateful that we get a bonus with his point of view at the end, because it showed that he too had insecurities and flaws, and added depth to their relationship.
It seems in the author's note that they intended for the story to continue beyond this book, but I don't see any signs of this turning into a series. Regardless, this ended in a very nice, hopeful place, and I felt satisfied and happy with it.
September 8, 2024
Ahh, thank you to Edelweiss and LoveLove for giving me a DRC!
I've been waiting for this story to come out for months, but my Amazon Kindle order got canceled recently, so I was gutted.
The story is told from the older brothers perspective, and at first, I thought something was up with the translation since the sentences felt... simple? But I wonder if it was done intentionally to show his "limited" vocabulary? This might just be random musings, but the story was very simple, easy to read, and the beginning had an air of innocence in each sentence.
You don't really know how much time exactly has passed since they've been living next to the neighbor, but I guess it to be at least 6 months. Thus, their budding relationship didn't feel too fast-paced to me.
I loved the patrons at the host bar, who constantly looked after the older brother and offered him advice that was actually useful. They also gave him room to decline speaking about his issues as well. Even when he's interacting with the neighbor, I loved how he respected the older brothers choices and didn't ridicule him.
Overall, the story was adorable! I didn't really find it to be realistic (I'm a pessimist), but I enjoyed seeing the trio become a little family. The brothers finally gained someone who cared and showed care through actions while the neighbor was able to have a personable relationship and fall in love. I love reading light novels and getting to get a glimpse of what the characters might look like, and we get quite a few images in this story.
I definitely recommend this title if you're looking for a fluffy romance and endearing characters with not-too complex backstories. There aren't any second leads or 3rd act breakups just for the sake of pushing the word count.
I've been waiting for this story to come out for months, but my Amazon Kindle order got canceled recently, so I was gutted.
The story is told from the older brothers perspective, and at first, I thought something was up with the translation since the sentences felt... simple? But I wonder if it was done intentionally to show his "limited" vocabulary? This might just be random musings, but the story was very simple, easy to read, and the beginning had an air of innocence in each sentence.
You don't really know how much time exactly has passed since they've been living next to the neighbor, but I guess it to be at least 6 months. Thus, their budding relationship didn't feel too fast-paced to me.
I loved the patrons at the host bar, who constantly looked after the older brother and offered him advice that was actually useful. They also gave him room to decline speaking about his issues as well. Even when he's interacting with the neighbor, I loved how he respected the older brothers choices and didn't ridicule him.
Overall, the story was adorable! I didn't really find it to be realistic (I'm a pessimist), but I enjoyed seeing the trio become a little family. The brothers finally gained someone who cared and showed care through actions while the neighbor was able to have a personable relationship and fall in love. I love reading light novels and getting to get a glimpse of what the characters might look like, and we get quite a few images in this story.
I definitely recommend this title if you're looking for a fluffy romance and endearing characters with not-too complex backstories. There aren't any second leads or 3rd act breakups just for the sake of pushing the word count.
April 28, 2025
Pretty cute, but something in it just didn't click with me. Either way, it was short and sweet.
almost made me cry.
but not yet.
almost made me cry.
but not yet.
September 14, 2024
Dinner for Three was a mixed read for me. On the positive side, I loved the premise, which had a lot of potential, and the illustrations, which looked great. However, I thought this book suffered a lot from its short length. Because of this, the relationship progressed at a pace that simply didn't feel realistic, going from nothing to sex in the space of a chapter. It was hard to really get behind this development in their relationship when it felt so awkward and sudden. I would have liked to have seen a more gentle progression to their developing feelings for each other. I think it didn't help that Shizuki, despite his actual age, was portrayed as so child-like it also made that sudden shift to a sexual relationship feel a little uncomfortable. Due to that dynamic, this book may not appeal to everyone, but overall it was an okay read, so I am giving it three stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2024
I liked the idea more than the execution, but it was cute.
Light novels are a little hit or miss for me - in terms of writing style and literary merit, they're more in line with YA (which I'm swearing off of). But they're also spicy? Plus illustrations. So it's an odd mix of not quite enough story, some simplistic language, and then a surprising amount of smut packed into a thin volume. Which isn't to say I didn't like it. I just thought it could've been really great with a bit more depth.
Like I said, the overall setup is really, really cute. 20-something Shizuku (I think it said his exact age was 21 or 22 but I don't feel like flipping back through to confirm) is raising his elementary school step-brother, Kikutaro. Shizuku was born pretty young to parents who didn't particularly care about (or want) him. His mother was beautiful and loving in her own way...but not enough to keep her from abandoning her child with her drunken, abusive husband once she met a better (or at least richer) guy.
Shizuku's father hit him often, and also stole Shizuku's earnings - because once he reached middle school, he had to start picking up part-time jobs in order to supplement the income his father often wasn't bringing in. This meant that Shizuku's intellectual (and social) development got stunted to a certain extent. Not only did he not have a chance to go to college, he didn't even make it to high school. So he thinks of himself as, and regularly calls himself, an idiot - he doesn't know many big words and doesn't have a lot of the experiences he might've picked up with a more normal childhood/teenage life.
Despite all this, Shizuku is outgoing, charming, empathetic, and selfless. He works hard, even when he's not particularly good at the job, and he always approaches things with a cheerful attitude. The main thing that keeps him going is the knowledge that he needs to give his little brother a better life than he'd had. Some time back, Shizuku's dad and the new wife, Kikutaro's mother, had run off and left them both, so they're truly on their own now.
Except for their handsome 30-something neighbor, a product designer named Tsujido who works from home and starts babysitting Kikutaro while Shizuku is at his host club job, then cooking for and feeding them both at night.
The initial development of this new little family was really nice. Everything's told from Shizuku's point of view, but Tsujido's growing affection for him is clear. He thinks Shizuku is endearingly cute, earnest, and extremely hardworking. He also sees all the selfless behavior in how Shizuku prioritizes his brother and constantly sacrifices his own needs to ensure Kikutaro is fed, clothed, and happy.
Shizuku, in turn, starts getting really attached to Tsujido: the first person he's ever met who's just genuinely nice to him all the time, without seeming to need or want anything in return. He loves eating there at night and talking to Tsujido, especially once Kikutaro starts falling asleep early and leaving the time for just the two of them to hang out.
I don't know his level of obliviousness is really realistic, especially when he's working in a host club and hearing all kinds of stories there - and there's a certain amount he is aware of from other people's stories if not his own experience. At times, Shizuku is infantilized a bit too much - I get that he's supposed to be sweet and innocent and all that, but I would've liked to see more of Tsujido appreciating more of the practicality and resourcefulness that's made it possible for someone so poor and downtrodden to make a wonderful life for himself and his little brother.
Tsujido does make a point of telling Shizuku that he's not an idiot - he had his chance at further education taken away from him, and he's still young with plenty of time to pick up more knowledge. I would've liked more scenes like that.
Instead, we get a traditional angsty miscommunication, where Tsujido kicks Shizuku out right after they have sex, because he thinks Shizuku was basically selling himself in exchange for all the things Tsujido had been buying for him. We finally get a little bit of an explanation for that in a final chapter from Tsujido's perspective - he was cutting Shizuku off for a while because he was upset that he'd taken advantage of Shizuku without having meant it that way, and didn't want to keep making Shizuku feel obligated to him. But from Shizuku's perspective, it was awful and unwarranted and a little bit petty.
The bones of an overall good story, with some parts that could've been filled in better. But I like the little life they're forming together, and the author's note ideas about Kikutaro's years-down-the-line future and his own romantic spinoffs were interesting. I'd try another volume if we did get that kind of a timeskip story.
Light novels are a little hit or miss for me - in terms of writing style and literary merit, they're more in line with YA (which I'm swearing off of). But they're also spicy? Plus illustrations. So it's an odd mix of not quite enough story, some simplistic language, and then a surprising amount of smut packed into a thin volume. Which isn't to say I didn't like it. I just thought it could've been really great with a bit more depth.
Like I said, the overall setup is really, really cute. 20-something Shizuku (I think it said his exact age was 21 or 22 but I don't feel like flipping back through to confirm) is raising his elementary school step-brother, Kikutaro. Shizuku was born pretty young to parents who didn't particularly care about (or want) him. His mother was beautiful and loving in her own way...but not enough to keep her from abandoning her child with her drunken, abusive husband once she met a better (or at least richer) guy.
Shizuku's father hit him often, and also stole Shizuku's earnings - because once he reached middle school, he had to start picking up part-time jobs in order to supplement the income his father often wasn't bringing in. This meant that Shizuku's intellectual (and social) development got stunted to a certain extent. Not only did he not have a chance to go to college, he didn't even make it to high school. So he thinks of himself as, and regularly calls himself, an idiot - he doesn't know many big words and doesn't have a lot of the experiences he might've picked up with a more normal childhood/teenage life.
Despite all this, Shizuku is outgoing, charming, empathetic, and selfless. He works hard, even when he's not particularly good at the job, and he always approaches things with a cheerful attitude. The main thing that keeps him going is the knowledge that he needs to give his little brother a better life than he'd had. Some time back, Shizuku's dad and the new wife, Kikutaro's mother, had run off and left them both, so they're truly on their own now.
Except for their handsome 30-something neighbor, a product designer named Tsujido who works from home and starts babysitting Kikutaro while Shizuku is at his host club job, then cooking for and feeding them both at night.
The initial development of this new little family was really nice. Everything's told from Shizuku's point of view, but Tsujido's growing affection for him is clear. He thinks Shizuku is endearingly cute, earnest, and extremely hardworking. He also sees all the selfless behavior in how Shizuku prioritizes his brother and constantly sacrifices his own needs to ensure Kikutaro is fed, clothed, and happy.
Shizuku, in turn, starts getting really attached to Tsujido: the first person he's ever met who's just genuinely nice to him all the time, without seeming to need or want anything in return. He loves eating there at night and talking to Tsujido, especially once Kikutaro starts falling asleep early and leaving the time for just the two of them to hang out.
I don't know his level of obliviousness is really realistic, especially when he's working in a host club and hearing all kinds of stories there - and there's a certain amount he is aware of from other people's stories if not his own experience. At times, Shizuku is infantilized a bit too much - I get that he's supposed to be sweet and innocent and all that, but I would've liked to see more of Tsujido appreciating more of the practicality and resourcefulness that's made it possible for someone so poor and downtrodden to make a wonderful life for himself and his little brother.
Tsujido does make a point of telling Shizuku that he's not an idiot - he had his chance at further education taken away from him, and he's still young with plenty of time to pick up more knowledge. I would've liked more scenes like that.
Instead, we get a traditional angsty miscommunication, where Tsujido kicks Shizuku out right after they have sex, because he thinks Shizuku was basically selling himself in exchange for all the things Tsujido had been buying for him. We finally get a little bit of an explanation for that in a final chapter from Tsujido's perspective - he was cutting Shizuku off for a while because he was upset that he'd taken advantage of Shizuku without having meant it that way, and didn't want to keep making Shizuku feel obligated to him. But from Shizuku's perspective, it was awful and unwarranted and a little bit petty.
The bones of an overall good story, with some parts that could've been filled in better. But I like the little life they're forming together, and the author's note ideas about Kikutaro's years-down-the-line future and his own romantic spinoffs were interesting. I'd try another volume if we did get that kind of a timeskip story.
February 8, 2025
2.5 stars
I was very excited to learn of a new avenue for translated BL novels from Japan, and I don't regret buying this book if only so more novels will be translated in the future. But, admittedly, Dinner for Three did nothing for me. Part of it is down to me - I do tend to jibe a little less with translated Japanese novels of this kind than with Korean and Chinese. Part of it is because there are certain themes in Japanese content that I don't click as well with in written format, whereas I can kind of let it be in a drawn medium.
In a lot of ways, this book was a lot like reading a manga volume, sans all the allowances we give to manga (such as the drawing smoothing us over, the expressions helping carry moments and enhance feelings, and even the understanding that between scenes many things may have happened. It's kind of like the difference between watching a stage play and a movie - we tend to forgive "pacing issues" in stage plays a lot more than we do for film).
Anyway, my number one issue was Futakawa Shizuku himself. I have seen this a lot in Japanese content and studied in university, but innocence, childlikeness, and cuteness are all considered virtues. This becomes rather uncomfortable with an MC like Shizuku, because there is a certain eeriness to it. It's almost like reading about a child, and I do not particularly enjoy thinking of children in sexual situations. This is something that would've been far less noticeable in a manga because we wouldn't be spending much time directly in his head, where we can see how simple his thought process is. It really does feel like someone who might be 21 physically but is closer to 14 years old emotionally and developingly. Just because he is a host and knows what sex is doesn't negate that.
Then there is Tsujido. I'd love to tell you his full name, but Shizuku doesn't know it. And this is something that bothered me, a lot. . That's because we literally know nothing about this man. We know he lives alone, works from home as a designer, and cooks as a hobby. And that's... *checks notes* yep, that's all we know. How am I expected to like a guy when he is nothing but a cardboard silhouette?
In addition to this, it doesn't feel like there is a proper build-up for their relationship at all. Heck, I'm not even sure they actually love each other! It seems to me like it could've been anyone, being nice, feeding the siblings, and caring about them and Shizuku would feel the same way about them. This is the consequence of having a ML that's as fleshed out as a piece of paper. As Shizuku knows nothing about him, it doesn't really appear like he likes him for himself as much as for how he behaves towards them, despite protestations to the contrary.
There are more little things that bothered me, but honestly, it doesn't really matter. End of the day, I don't believe their relationship and I find Shizuku as an MC to be unsettling.
Comments on the translation: overall seemed smooth, but why oh why did we localize honorifics and name order? It's Futakawa Shizuku, not Shizuku Futakawa, and does Kikutaro actually call him by his name or does he call him any variation on older brother? I can't tell because you localized it!!
I was very excited to learn of a new avenue for translated BL novels from Japan, and I don't regret buying this book if only so more novels will be translated in the future. But, admittedly, Dinner for Three did nothing for me. Part of it is down to me - I do tend to jibe a little less with translated Japanese novels of this kind than with Korean and Chinese. Part of it is because there are certain themes in Japanese content that I don't click as well with in written format, whereas I can kind of let it be in a drawn medium.
In a lot of ways, this book was a lot like reading a manga volume, sans all the allowances we give to manga (such as the drawing smoothing us over, the expressions helping carry moments and enhance feelings, and even the understanding that between scenes many things may have happened. It's kind of like the difference between watching a stage play and a movie - we tend to forgive "pacing issues" in stage plays a lot more than we do for film).
Anyway, my number one issue was Futakawa Shizuku himself. I have seen this a lot in Japanese content and studied in university, but innocence, childlikeness, and cuteness are all considered virtues. This becomes rather uncomfortable with an MC like Shizuku, because there is a certain eeriness to it. It's almost like reading about a child, and I do not particularly enjoy thinking of children in sexual situations. This is something that would've been far less noticeable in a manga because we wouldn't be spending much time directly in his head, where we can see how simple his thought process is. It really does feel like someone who might be 21 physically but is closer to 14 years old emotionally and developingly. Just because he is a host and knows what sex is doesn't negate that.
Then there is Tsujido. I'd love to tell you his full name, but Shizuku doesn't know it. And this is something that bothered me, a lot. . That's because we literally know nothing about this man. We know he lives alone, works from home as a designer, and cooks as a hobby. And that's... *checks notes* yep, that's all we know. How am I expected to like a guy when he is nothing but a cardboard silhouette?
In addition to this, it doesn't feel like there is a proper build-up for their relationship at all. Heck, I'm not even sure they actually love each other! It seems to me like it could've been anyone, being nice, feeding the siblings, and caring about them and Shizuku would feel the same way about them. This is the consequence of having a ML that's as fleshed out as a piece of paper. As Shizuku knows nothing about him, it doesn't really appear like he likes him for himself as much as for how he behaves towards them, despite protestations to the contrary.
There are more little things that bothered me, but honestly, it doesn't really matter. End of the day, I don't believe their relationship and I find Shizuku as an MC to be unsettling.
Comments on the translation: overall seemed smooth, but why oh why did we localize honorifics and name order? It's Futakawa Shizuku, not Shizuku Futakawa, and does Kikutaro actually call him by his name or does he call him any variation on older brother? I can't tell because you localized it!!
October 9, 2024
"Dinner for Three" broke the yaoi/bl curse I have been under and I not only finished it but I loved it and if you are looking for a short and lovely romance between a cinnamon roll and his grumpy neighbour, or just trying something new or translated, I highly recommend this.
I requested this thinking it was a manga but mostly because the title specified that it was a light novel and since I'm in the middle of the worst book slump ever, I was willing to risk it and reader, I'm so glad I did. I read this in less than a day and resented every moment I had to stop reading it.
The handful of illustrations added a nice touch to the novel but I fell in love with the story itself and the pace at which it's set. The author can pack a lot into a few pages without making it feel rushed.
The story follows Shizuku, a young man working as a host at a Japanese club who cares for his younger brother and their neighbour Tsujido who offers to look after the kid while Shizuku is at work and cook for the three of them.
Even if the author still played with the power dynamic between these two characters in which the older, more powerful, educated and richer Tsujido takes care of Shizuku who is not as knowledgeable and worldly as him, he always gives him a choice, particularly when it comes to their eventual romantic relationship, without ever pressuring him or pressing him to catch up to him. In every other bl book I picked up before, I ended up DNFing because they all used this problematic trope where intimacy if forced so the consent throughout those scenes and how respectful and considerate these characters were of the other in all aspects was wonderful to read.
The only part of this book that gave me pause was that a young kid just hang out with a grown man for hours every day and sleep in his bed. Look, I can allow some leeway for cultural differences but that part…no.
This was the sweetest romance between two regular people who slowly get to know each other and decide to make a life together and that final interaction between Tsujido and Shizuku's little brother was the perfect way to finish this wonderful book and I love where I left all these characters.
But then to make it even better, the author lobbed all these wonderful possibilities for these characters future at me and I don't know if there is going to be a sequel but I would be honestly happy either way because this was delightful and I really, really hope I can get my hands on more books like this.
Thank you to Edelweiss and LoveLove and Tokyopop for this DRC.
I requested this thinking it was a manga but mostly because the title specified that it was a light novel and since I'm in the middle of the worst book slump ever, I was willing to risk it and reader, I'm so glad I did. I read this in less than a day and resented every moment I had to stop reading it.
The handful of illustrations added a nice touch to the novel but I fell in love with the story itself and the pace at which it's set. The author can pack a lot into a few pages without making it feel rushed.
The story follows Shizuku, a young man working as a host at a Japanese club who cares for his younger brother and their neighbour Tsujido who offers to look after the kid while Shizuku is at work and cook for the three of them.
Even if the author still played with the power dynamic between these two characters in which the older, more powerful, educated and richer Tsujido takes care of Shizuku who is not as knowledgeable and worldly as him, he always gives him a choice, particularly when it comes to their eventual romantic relationship, without ever pressuring him or pressing him to catch up to him. In every other bl book I picked up before, I ended up DNFing because they all used this problematic trope where intimacy if forced so the consent throughout those scenes and how respectful and considerate these characters were of the other in all aspects was wonderful to read.
The only part of this book that gave me pause was that a young kid just hang out with a grown man for hours every day and sleep in his bed. Look, I can allow some leeway for cultural differences but that part…no.
This was the sweetest romance between two regular people who slowly get to know each other and decide to make a life together and that final interaction between Tsujido and Shizuku's little brother was the perfect way to finish this wonderful book and I love where I left all these characters.
But then to make it even better, the author lobbed all these wonderful possibilities for these characters future at me and I don't know if there is going to be a sequel but I would be honestly happy either way because this was delightful and I really, really hope I can get my hands on more books like this.
Thank you to Edelweiss and LoveLove and Tokyopop for this DRC.
September 27, 2025
This was short and sweet. However I do have a few issues.
The first was how Shizuku was written. So he was a victim of child abuse, neglect and abandonment. All he has in his life to go for is his little step-brother. Because of the child abuse he was never able to go into High School, which is optional in Japan. So he left school at 15 or 16. But he's written like he's 12 half the time and with a lack of understanding of words that a 15 year old would definitely know the meaning of. On the one hand I do understand his immaturity, because of the abuse, but on the other hand he pretty much says he's always had to rely on himself and has become a parental figure for his brother, so surely that would mean he would be forced to mature and grow up.
That causes issues when it comes to Tsujido though because it creates this unhealthy power imbalance and dynamic. Tsujido never says his age but it's safe to assume he's in his 30s when Shizuku is 21. That's fine. But Tsujido keeps calling him a kid and in his POV chapter outright tells himself that Shizuku isn't a child but an adult. Which is just weird. The power imbalance comes in with the education and financial levels.
But, that being said, Tsujido gives me the impression of the kind of person that would help and support Shizuku. I feel like he would help him to study so he could take High School level exams so he could get a better job to properly support his brother.
My other issue is the translation. I don't know Japanese and I haven't read the original book, but I've read enough translated Japanese stuff by now to easily tell that this has been heavily Americanised. The use of dollars, not Yen, the way the names are written with the family name coming second, not first, and using words like 'mall' just makes it feel too American. The only un-American part of it was when Tsujido said the hospital bill was less than $10. I'm not American but even I know a brief visit to the hospital for a fever to get some medicine could break the bank.
But nah this was sweet.
The first was how Shizuku was written. So he was a victim of child abuse, neglect and abandonment. All he has in his life to go for is his little step-brother. Because of the child abuse he was never able to go into High School, which is optional in Japan. So he left school at 15 or 16. But he's written like he's 12 half the time and with a lack of understanding of words that a 15 year old would definitely know the meaning of. On the one hand I do understand his immaturity, because of the abuse, but on the other hand he pretty much says he's always had to rely on himself and has become a parental figure for his brother, so surely that would mean he would be forced to mature and grow up.
That causes issues when it comes to Tsujido though because it creates this unhealthy power imbalance and dynamic. Tsujido never says his age but it's safe to assume he's in his 30s when Shizuku is 21. That's fine. But Tsujido keeps calling him a kid and in his POV chapter outright tells himself that Shizuku isn't a child but an adult. Which is just weird. The power imbalance comes in with the education and financial levels.
But, that being said, Tsujido gives me the impression of the kind of person that would help and support Shizuku. I feel like he would help him to study so he could take High School level exams so he could get a better job to properly support his brother.
My other issue is the translation. I don't know Japanese and I haven't read the original book, but I've read enough translated Japanese stuff by now to easily tell that this has been heavily Americanised. The use of dollars, not Yen, the way the names are written with the family name coming second, not first, and using words like 'mall' just makes it feel too American. The only un-American part of it was when Tsujido said the hospital bill was less than $10. I'm not American but even I know a brief visit to the hospital for a fever to get some medicine could break the bank.
But nah this was sweet.
October 12, 2024
I enjoyed myself, but I am still gonna complain 🤭🫣🤫🤔 It had some of my fave bl manga tropes, until it didn't. We have a cute, precious, too pure for this world mc and his precious younger brother who the mc is living and working for. And we have a closed off, grumpy, cool older guy neighbor. It was cute and I loved the domesticity. This reads like a script for a 5 chapter manga. Thing is, this felt rushed. After the misunderstanding trope kicked off it resolved too quick! I wanted more tension! More longing! More pain on the ml's part 😒 ML was a dick, imo, and faced no consequences. The mc had to bridge the gap, and even though he did say something kinda hurtful, the ml could have clarified 🙄😒 I am crusty about a grown man throwing a fit. It just gave me the ick because the ml should kno the mc enough to know the mc is an airhead with a limited vocab and a deficiency in love.
The alternate POV was bad. I love a viewpoint if it gives us something new. The dialogue was word for word the same and the scenes didn't feel much different despite the shift in POV. It was lacking meat.
Overall I still liked this. It is quick and easy to read. The spice is nice tooooo. I want more light novels. I am here with my hands out demanding more.
Cw child physical abuse, neglect
The alternate POV was bad. I love a viewpoint if it gives us something new. The dialogue was word for word the same and the scenes didn't feel much different despite the shift in POV. It was lacking meat.
Overall I still liked this. It is quick and easy to read. The spice is nice tooooo. I want more light novels. I am here with my hands out demanding more.
Cw child physical abuse, neglect
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
A Dinner for Three is a sweet BL romance that focuses on the struggles of a young man trying to raise his brother after being abandoned by their parents, and learning to trust and open himself up to help from others and accepting love for himself when everything else he has is given to his brother.
I found this to be a very cute story with touching moments, loved the MC and his little brother! Their relationship was sweet and you can see how much they both care for each other! I also loved some of the self awareness the MC had about himself, even if it was a little self deprecating and demonstrated how big of a hit someone living in poverty can take to their self esteem. The ML was a very typical Japanese ML being the big gruff stoic type with a heart of gold. Wish we could have seen more of his thoughts before we went in hard on the miscommunication but that is again a common trope in Japanese BL. I did struggle with the last 1/3 of the book as miscommunication is one of my least favourite tropes, but if that is something that appeals to you then it will be right up your alley!
Overall this was a quick read(154 pages) and had enough sweet moments to keep me reading, with a satisfying ending that neatly concluded the story! 4/5 Would recommend!
I found this to be a very cute story with touching moments, loved the MC and his little brother! Their relationship was sweet and you can see how much they both care for each other! I also loved some of the self awareness the MC had about himself, even if it was a little self deprecating and demonstrated how big of a hit someone living in poverty can take to their self esteem. The ML was a very typical Japanese ML being the big gruff stoic type with a heart of gold. Wish we could have seen more of his thoughts before we went in hard on the miscommunication but that is again a common trope in Japanese BL. I did struggle with the last 1/3 of the book as miscommunication is one of my least favourite tropes, but if that is something that appeals to you then it will be right up your alley!
Overall this was a quick read(154 pages) and had enough sweet moments to keep me reading, with a satisfying ending that neatly concluded the story! 4/5 Would recommend!
June 29, 2025
I liked it and I was a bit upset with it. The story follows two brothers who were abandoned by their parents and then they meet their neighbor when they move into their shabby apartment. Shizuku works to provide for his little brother as best he can with jobs that do not require much of a person without much education. Tsujido is the cool neighbor who doesn’t really like people but an encounter with Shizuku’s little brother brings them together. Meals every day, words of encouragement, solace and eventually love come into play and made me like this. I did not like it because Shizuku, although there are parts where he acts like the adult he is, still does not have a complete grasp on certain aspects of life that make him seem like a child. The fact that Tsujido and Shizuku fall in love sometimes feels questionable but it tries to get put to rest when you get both of their point of views about each other. Best characters are the ladies/clients of Shizuku at his job. They hold nothing back and we love supportive people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2025
Lighthearted and easy to read, if a bit shallow. The length of the book doesn't do the plot progression any favors, because everything happens too fast. (Or maybe I've gotten used to danmei series being multiple volumes.)
What I did appreciate though was how Tsujido doesn't buy into Shizuku's "I'm an idiot" bullshit and recognizes the life situations that led to Shizuku not having a chance at proper education. In fact, a majority of the people surrounding Shizuku are quite nice - like his boss, his clients, even his coworkers. I also liked that my worry about a potential conflict involving the parents didn't come to pass.
But ultimately this book is just too short for you to form any sort of deeper attachment to the main couple or the little brother. Pretty forgettable work.
What I did appreciate though was how Tsujido doesn't buy into Shizuku's "I'm an idiot" bullshit and recognizes the life situations that led to Shizuku not having a chance at proper education. In fact, a majority of the people surrounding Shizuku are quite nice - like his boss, his clients, even his coworkers. I also liked that my worry about a potential conflict involving the parents didn't come to pass.
But ultimately this book is just too short for you to form any sort of deeper attachment to the main couple or the little brother. Pretty forgettable work.
November 27, 2025
A totally bland story with nothing you've never read, with main characters you can't emotionally connect to and a plot which refuses to develop connections properly but still wants you to feel something for the main characters when they're jumping to "love" and confessions out of the blue. There are so many good food related BLs with a younger brother involved and at least 90% of those that I've came across are better than this. Two stars because I like the prominent side characters here like Harumi, Hiroko and Kikutaro, and for the illustrations and also because I could stomach it enough to finish it. Don't spend your time on this.
December 16, 2024
This was a cute quick read (well, quick-ish, I read pretty slow so it took me longer than it should've). The writing style was quite simplistic, but it worked well as it fit with the narrator. I did find the romance a bit icky at times. As Tsujido would regularly refer to Shizuku as child-like, naive, and innocent. I just often find romances between an older/mature character and a naive/child-like character icky, regardless if it's "legal" or not. I chose to ignore my misgivings about this dynamic while I was reading, but I still didn't like it.
June 22, 2025
I need to research more for buying some books. I didn't realize this would be a boy's love novel, or kind of graphic, when I started it. A quiet neighbor decides to help a kid who lives next door. The Kids big brother thinks the kid was kidnapped, and confronts the neighbor. It starts a friendship, that turns into love between the two neighbors.
Not the story I was expecting. It was charming, but offputting, since it's not my normal thing. Some parts were funny. Others were rather graphic and uncomfortable.
Not the story I was expecting. It was charming, but offputting, since it's not my normal thing. Some parts were funny. Others were rather graphic and uncomfortable.
November 13, 2024
3.5. This was super cute - Shizuku was probably the least believable as a character but he was completely consistent throughout, which I do respect.
November 17, 2024
I know it's a light novel, but I wish there had been more character development. The concept was good, but the execution was subpar.
January 13, 2025
3.5 stars
Cute but not particularly well-written. Nice for a quick, easy read.
Cute but not particularly well-written. Nice for a quick, easy read.
February 15, 2025
I liked this one a lot. Short, cute, sweet, sexy. Made me smile, gave me butterflies, made me cry… glad I bought it
February 24, 2025
It's a cute story with classic BL tropes. An easy laid back read. Good for a quiet Saturday evening. It's a good read but didn't blow me away.
July 31, 2025
Cute story~ enjoyed the read~
November 24, 2025
This reads as incredibly creepy. Although it is about 2 adults in a relationship, the continued description of one as "child-like" is a hard pass from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2025
Such a heartwarming and sweet story!
January 23, 2026
2.75 stars ⭐⭐⭐
January 29, 2026
I don’t like when adults are constantly described as child like. At first it comes off as just uneducated but then the innocences and childish manner itself is romanticized which yuck
August 8, 2025
Contemporary light novel about a pair of poor brothers being taken care of by their neighbor. This was fine, if you’re a fan of caretaking then you might like this. Shizuku (a 20 year old adult) was written in a naive, childish way that makes him come across as younger than he is. That sort of neoteny is fairly common in Japanese media but I don’t care for it
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