Our Funny Love Story

by Byrd Koto

A comedy of errors, until fate reveals its twisted sense of humor.

Kamada Eizo, a web novelist fresh from college, lands his dream—a flagship fantasy serial with an ambitious publisher. His breezy charm is a front, concealing desperation to claim a life that could be taken from him.

Miyamoto Ran detests liars. Grim and uncompromising, the editor stakes his future on one goal: unearthing the lost work of an author who vanished eight years ago. Securing Eizo’s success is his only path to that prize.

Polar opposites—and fueled by a misdelivered package—they clash at every turn, trading barbed banter and tit-for-tat one-upmanship until a high-stakes deadline forces an uneasy truce. Yet, as they draw closer, Ran begins to see through Eizo’s mask, sensing that the fragile connection they share is built entirely on carefully wrought artifice. But for two men who have had the story of their lives once stolen, how far will one go to win it back, even if it means silencing the other's voice?


OUR FUNNY LOVE STORY is an Achillean literary mystery perfect for fans of slow-burn queer romances with psychological depth, banter that runs hot, and layered storylines promising there is more than meets the eye — and Sally Rooney, Haruki Murakami, and Alexis Hall.

Or tl;dr: sad boy lit with heated banter and a hopeful heart.

Please note this is Book 1 of a duet that ends in a happily-ever-after.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Mystery

396 pages, ebook

Expected publication March 2, 2026

About the author

Byrd Koto is an ESEA (East and Southeast Asian) author of genre-blenders with queer yearning, mystery and humor. Her stories center on psychological realism, where alienated characters explore relationships, identity, desire, and loss across the many worlds they inhabit. Born and raised in Singapore, she has an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the City University of Hong Kong.

Her debut novel, Our Funny Love Story (Book 1 of the Resistance Series), is out in Spring 2026.

She writes about all things bookish under the sun at byrdkoto.com. Join the mailing list at the same site to receive the latest updates. @byrdkotoauthor on socials.

Reviews

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy wow. I read pretty fast, but I inhaled this book as soon as I got the ARC copy. I was absolutely hooked!

This book definitely reminded me of danmei, and is an incredible debut novel. Ran and Eizo's interactions drew me in and had me both laughing and groaning. my one criticism is that now I'm stuck hanging on until the next book comes out!

Fantastic book. If you enjoy indie novels, danmei, misunderstandings, and enemies to lovers, this book is for you!

[ang ⭑ · Rating 4 out of 5]

full review to come asap

funny? check. story? check. love? check. the genre is called a slow burn for a reason, isn’t it?
this had me hooked for three days to the point that i put off my drifting off time even when i was exhausted merely because it quickly became a short tradition of mine to continue this story in the evenings.


I have received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, therefore I would like to sincerely thank the platform as well as the publisher, Victory Editing, and the author, Byrd Koto, to whom I wish a successful publication and a wonderful writing career.

[Kat Kraehen · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRO. I had my speculations on The Big Mystery (I won’t say it specifically in case it’s considered a spoiler) since about 47% and I am FUMING that I have to wait until the next book to find out if I’m right or wrong!

Oh, also, as full disclosure I am an ARC reader of this book and my opinions are my own etc etc.

I walked into Our Funny Love Story expecting a comedic dislike-to-lovers achillean romance, and what I didn’t expect was that it would also be steeped in one big mystery that ties grumpy boi Ran and sunny-but-secretly-sad boi Eizo (or someone Eizo-adjacent? 👀) to the plot. As Eizo is a writer and Ran is an editor, there were snippets of the stories Eizo has written and Ran has edited interspersed throughout the book and I was HOOKED on dissecting the hidden meaning behind each snippet. Although I’m someone who is Not That Great at figuring out mysteries or catching onto secrets before they’re revealed, I still have tonnes of fun trying my best, and this book was PERFECT for that <3

And of course, the romance threaded throughout the book was super funny and cute. As another reviewer mentioned, it IS a slow-burn in the truest sense in that Ran and Eizo don't get together in this book. But the intrigue is absolutely there, and hell, that's what book 2 is for <3 Anyway, we all love a grumpy and sunshine pair, and (for me, anyway) ESPECIALLY when the sunshine one is secretly traumatised and hiding behind a smile~ Although their initial animosity was from a misunderstanding that at one point had me going “Will y’all just TALK about this??”, watching them bicker and one-up each other was enjoyable enough for me to let that slide.

I will say I was worried at one point, quite early on, when Eizo tries to piss Ran off by writing a saucy short story about two men with similar names to theirs, BUT, my worries were allayed when Eizo was soon after chastised and told what a creepy move that was, and imo he felt sufficiently guilty and tried to make up for it.

As someone who felt some similarities between Eizo’s childhood home life and my own, I was hooked on his interactions (or lack thereof, until nearer to the end of the book) with his cold and unavailable mother. And to add another note on the relationship between Eizo and Ran, I really appreciated that their animosity didn’t begin to wane because they were simply attracted to each other, but because they both became intrigued in each other’s mysterious lives/pasts. I love characters who can’t resist a puzzle <3

Anyway TL;DR: I can’t wait for the next book and I’m pissed that it’s not out now XD

(edited to spell Eizo's name right (I kept writing "Ezio" ajdhkjfh) because I'm a DISASTER <3 )

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounding up

I was extremely honored to read Byrd's debut novel Our Funny Story. As someone that's an avid BL reader and that basically grew up and studied within Japanese culture, there was no reason for me to not check it out!

I will admit some of the writing style did take me out a lot (I'm a bit picky about writing style and how a story is told I'm sorry), especially there was some dialogue that I found incredulous that a normal Japanese person wouldn't say or think with the amount of Western references they made, but the story was still interesting and easy to follow. We have our two opposites: Ran the stickler that follows everything by the book yet who is still driven by a story that haunts him and Eizo the always smiling new writer that transferred to the city with a mysterious past, that's hidden not just from the other characters, but to the reader too. The amount of coincidences and their internal petty battles with each other was funny, but something always kept coming back to them, like they can't escape with each other. Both of the characters had a lot of hidden layers between them and now knowing how Eizo is like, it makes me wonder what else these characters are hiding from us.

I understand that this is just part 1 out of a duology so there's probably going to be more to be explained later, at least I hoped. I think it set up the mystery and there are inklings of the romance here and there and I do hope all of those raised questions will be answered in the next book. I wish Byrd all the best, thank you again for letting me read your debut!

[Kienn Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What would you say if no one were watching? Something funny, so the night becomes less lonely?"

arc review!
an m/m enemies to lovers literary and genre bending mystery-romance... the writing is lucid and the imagery and semiotics are striking... its so beautifully layered i want to pore over every detail again! i love the characters and how they were introduced, they have very particular personalities refined into the smallest of details and every choice felt so natural... i heavily related to them in lots of respects lol
this has got to be one of my favorite depictions of enemies to lovers. like. they hate eachother and cant stop thinking about each other and the tension theyre so unhinged omg like WDYM YOU SENT SMUT TO HIM TO ASSERT DOMINANCE HELLOOO and the smut is literally integral to the plot help i love this

Ran
Tea
"Miyamoto Ran wasn’t someone you could mess with."

Eizo
Coffee
"Besides, romance was the last thing on his mind. Romance was always the last thing on his mind."

some of these lines are so rawly hilarious
"Time to pluck those feathers off the stem, Little Motherfucker."
and the enemies to lovers tension...
"Eizo felt like he was prey."

every twist and every detail landed... the layers to the narrative and the characters had me hooked... THE TENSIONN I CANT STOP SMILING I NEED TO STARE AT THE ART OF THEM

i had my theories and suspicions... the craft, the layers, im still thinking ab it...
the ending... WHAT???? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ???!!! I NEED BOOK 2!!!!

[Alix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Booksirens and the author for the ARC

Last year, I really started liking slow burn romances. So I was pretty excited to read this MM romance. I mean it said it had the tropes/themes I enjoyed; enemies to lovers, banter, some mystery, and a hint of grumpy x sunshine.

It definitely was a slooooooooooow burn of sorts, but not so much romance. Don’t get me wrong the banter between Ran and Eizo was funny at first and I loved that they each upped it every time they met and it just became way more interesting to see what was going to happen when they were together. The whole publishing setting was fun. The mystery as the ending came was great and so worth the slow and steady pace of the book.

However, both MCs seemed seriously childish to me. Ran with his constant remarks about shitting and toilet humor. I mean it get it he’s crass as a survival technique, but idk it just wore on you a bit. Then there’s Eizo, the whole time he was just shifty and okay he had parents who weren’t there but he just irked me the most.

Overall, I liked the story but didn’t really care for it too much. I personally don’t know if I’d want to read the second book just to confirm my suspicions about both MCS and the mystery they both have. Star rating wise: ⭐️⭐️

[Faith L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished OUR FUNNY LOVE STORY and think the characters had interesting motivations and solid character development. The themes surrounding art, literature, and publishing were done well.

I appreciated the side characters and how Ran and Eizo perceive them. There's depth to Ran and Eizo's perspectives, and the way they speak with other characters reflects the deeper meaning of the themes. For example, the discussion(s) with Misaki were excellent and cerebral.

I didn't expect Ran and Eizo's relationship to go the way it did, and I was pleasantly surprised. They definitely had a dynamic that felt complicated and compelling.

My favourite quote is in the last chapter, and I would like to wait until the book publishes before sharing that here!

My initial statement, as seen below, still stands. I think there can be effort to not reinforce the gender binary.

I have highlighted quotes, and since this is an ARC, I'll just share this one:
"An escape artist with words. A young man whose smile ended below his eyes."

Initial thoughts posted in December 2025:
"If he were a man, perhaps someone in his forties or fifties who tended to plants on the weekends. If she were a woman, maybe someone in her late twenties or thirties who took great care of her belongings."

I don't really like the gender binary shown in this quote. I appreciate the characterisation of Ran and Eizo in the first few chapters, however, I think this book isn't for me.

Thank you Byrd Koto for the ARC.

[Luqueerbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the author, I got a free arc of this book for an honest review.

Wow, what a book.

I have so many questions and theories now. I was pretty sure of some things while reading, but the ending turned everything upside down and reset everything, which I absolutely loved. It was mindblowing, really outstanding debut novel.

This story is full of secrets and hidden meaning, it's like peeling back the layers of an onion without knowing the end, which adds complexity and humanity to the characters, as we try to unravel the mystery of half-truths and lies.

Eizo and Ran are both incredibly realistic characters. They feels so alive and vibrant. Far from perfect, and even though I disapprove of some of their actions as a reader, they always stuck me as real flawed human beings and I rooted for them every step of the way.

I'll gladly follow them on their path next year when the second and last book of this duology comes out.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars
This book was interesting but not what I was expecting.
I really liked the writing style, the whole plot of the book publishing business was very nice too. I really liked when the author put Japanese words and then explained what the Kanji meant.
The characters are interesting and I like their grumpy/sunshine dynamic.
Why did I just rate it 3,5 stars? There is barely any romance, the title literally says "our funny love story" and there was barely any love in it. I know there is a second book coming but still,this book needed some more romance for the title to make sense in my opinion.
Also the way Ran was always talking about shit and toilets was weird af.
I want to thank the author for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series, and I loved how confidently it sets everything up while clearly promising more romance to come.
The writing pulled me in right away, it’s sharp and flows so easily that I kept reading without noticing the pages adding up. The plot is smart and engaging, with enough mystery and tension to keep you curious the whole time.

What really stood out to me was the banter between the two leads. It’s witty, charged, and feels natural rather than forced, which made their dynamic a joy to read. Even as a slow burn, it never felt dull just intentional.
I read this as an ARC and honestly can’t wait to see where the story goes next, because this was a strong, compelling start.

[Miryam Drakon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

It’s safe to say I’m starting this year with some fantastic reads. I’m usually not one for a good laugh, something a certain someone loves to remind me of (you know who you are). But this one? I was absolutely cracking up and completely fell in love with it.

I’ll admit, all the writing, editing, and publishing-related details were a bit hard for me to follow at times, but I did my best... promise. And the slow burn? Chef’s kiss. Their story is genuinely beautiful, and I cannot wait for the sequel to see what happens next.

This is also the moment I realised that Byrd is a fantastic writer,
'He had never fallen in love before, but if love were a flavor, all it took was the first sip for him to fall hard.'

[Perle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our funny love story was funny alright with a little love but damn that was something

The character of Ran is so interesting to me. Foul mouthed, methodical, very autistic imo, but also very touching. I believe you have the same journey as Eizo when it comes to Ran. At first he’s scary, annoying, revolting even. And by the end you’re totally in love with his character

The book was so well written, not a typical romance at all. It reminded me a lot of the way R.F Kuang writes!

I laughed out loud at some of the dialogues between Ran and . Their banter was something else hahaha

I can’t wait for book 2 and for the mystery to unfold !! I believe that when they are completely honest with each other, we will get the best love story

[Kim Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Review*

At first I wasn’t sure what to expect while I read the story of Ran and Eizo. The banter and push pull of their dynamic is hilarious while also frustrating. Has enemies to lovers written all over this book while the slow-burn romance builds so naturally and hits all these deep notes on identity and loss.

The cliffhanger made me want to throw my kindle but we were warned prior that this was a duet so I should have known I’d be left hanging.

Until book 2 comes out, I’ll wait to see happens!

What I’m missing is the contact of romance and character development of physical touch but that’s a personal preference.

[Estee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an ARC.

As a long-time reader of BL and more recently, danmei, I was surprised to chance upon an original English rendition on Threads where the author was promoting the ARC.

I expected a cute shounen ai style romance between two men who couldn’t stand each other but slowly grow attracted to each other. What I got was unexpectedly more, pushing it into an interesting realm of mystery and a dive into deeper, serious topics such as interpersonal dynamics and identity in a society that values conformity. While Eizo and Ran are the protagonists, the women in the story are also written very realistically and don’t look like they are just there to prop up the men, as they are sometimes written as in BL stories. The writing style also reminds me of Japanese literature.

It is light on romance and physical touches, which some MM readers may not like. Otherwise, this is a really good read and I will be waiting for the sequel.

[Michele Inoue · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Some write to be seen. Some write to be found. Then there are those who write to hide. To be forgotten. To be buried under a sea of words.”

What a book! This was the perfect book for me to start 2026 off with.

Slow burn? ✅
Enemies to lovers? ✅
A story about a writer and an editor? ✅
Set in Tokyo? ✅

What else could I ask for? 😅

I showed up for a humorous enemies to lovers story set in Japan, and I’m staying for the characters, the slow burn, the mystery...well, everything!

I hadn’t turned the first page of chapter one and I was relating so hard with Ran. I felt so seen! And then Eizo is introduced, I just wish I could sit and talk with him about books over coffee. The slow burn is perfect. I was not expecting to be so invested in the mystery that hovers over this story. Byrd Koto did a wonderful job, and I can’t wait to read more from her.

[Bree Vass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was certainly different than my usual reads, but I think I needed a little more actual romance, for an M/M love story. (Maybe I'm just more of a medium-burn girly?) I DID enjoy the banter and the grumpy/sunshine type of vibes!

[Linsey Toney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our Funny Love Story is book one in the Resistance series. If I'm being really honest I don't love this book. I feel like romance was lacking, slow burn that didn't burn, romance that was barely mentioned. That said the book is written well, just didn't feel like a romance IMO.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.