Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment

ミツバチとレモンバーム [Mitsubachi to Lemon Balm] #3

by Jil Hashikura

Since Kaoru and Yuichiro confessed their love to each other, they've been going steady. They have mutual affection, so everything should be smooth sailing as their relationship deepens. But it can be hard to know how to take that next step, especially when neither of them wants to rock the boat. Things seem to be at an impasse when a sudden disruption comes along. Will it be the push they need to take their relationship to the next level, or will it only cause misunderstandings?

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Romance, Queer, Asian Literature

Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2026

About the author

Japanese name: 端倉ジル

Reviews

[Bettina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

[Mehsi]

I received this one from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Right from the bat -2 stars for the use of rape/sexual assault to get the characters closer. I was absolutely disgusted by the addition of Yu. Who proceeded to sexually harass/assault Kaoru when they meet in a public toilet and then proceeds to come to their home (to bring back a wallet with some bonus intentions). Proceeds to hug Kaoru despite his no. Goes on to hug Yuichiro. Gets invited home for who knows why. Then at night crawls into Kaoru's bed to harass him, strip him of his clothes and touch him, even though Kaoru said no no no no. I hated that Yui didn't do anything to help Kaoru, I found this disgusting. He was just lingering in the hallway, listening in. WTF, this is your boyfriend who clearly says no. Help him. Gross. There are better ways to get people to talk about their feelings/the fact that one wants to go further and the other isn't ready yet. Stuff them in a closet. Get them a vacation far away from things. Anything but rape/sexual assault, that trope already poisons the BL genre, no need to add more. *pukes*

Also was worried that they (our couple) would have sex despite Yui being clearly intoxicated (another trope in BL that can just fucking die), but thankfully that led to nothing.

The other parts were fun and I enjoyed the rest, but that big thing? Ruined everything. I cannot rate this one very high. Which is a shame because the first two volumes were pretty good (the first one 5+ stars and the second 4.5 stars).

I loved the end bonus story with Yui's sister + her love. That was so cute.

Review to come in November.

[bookishthingswedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮

3.5 ⭐️ thank you Kodansha Comics & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

This was the 3rd volume in this sweet BL manga series and I still very much enjoyed the slow, quiet and sweet dynamic our main characters have. I’m glad we got to see their relationship develop even if it is quite slow.


The artwork is so pretty too!

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank You NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Jil Hashikura for the ARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review!

Final Verdict: 2.0 Stars

I have to say that I wasn't really sure what to think of this one! I remember reading the first book, enjoying the story, and wondering if there was a continuation to it how it would go. This certainly wasn't what I was expecting. I don't want to spoil it, but there was a certain character that appears in this book whose behavior I didn't particularly care for, and I felt it was unnecessary to push the story forward. This is a really sweet manga, and their behavior was portrayed in a way that was meant to be funny, but its humor did not land with me. It was unfortunately really tacked on, and it kind of ruined the vibe. To be honest, the author mentions in their endnotes that they didn't really have a lot of ideas for continuing this story, and I feel that it shows in this volume because much of the story feels disconnected. It's unfortunate, as I really did enjoy the first volume, but this one simply wasn't for me.

[❄ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice continuation. I was really looking forward to this one, since I liked the start of the series a lot and was hoping for more moments between the couple.

The addition of a certain side character was the new 'obstacle' here. I admit I wasn't into the theme of introducing someone to make advances on one of them and I really wanted the focus to be fully onto Yuichiro and Kaoru instead without anyone else trying to break them apart.

Besides that, I still felt glad that it tackled another step into their relationship. They're the gentle and lovely type of couple, so the slow development suits them. Also, I really loved to see Yuichiro's hair growing a bit longer, it suits him a lot.

Lastly, the extra from this volume had me wanting more. It was exciting to have the focus on a lesbian side story. I'm hoping doesn't just end there.

I'm not sure if this is the last volume that has been published so far but I really want more of the overall story. I feel like there's decent material that can be explored in the future.

-I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

Tags: BL manga, serialized, established relationship, sexual harassment, unrequited love (?, extra) .

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short review this time lmaoo

The story finally comes to an end, to be honest i recently read the first two volumes and enjoyed them a bit more than this one.

The artwork is lovely and the main couple, Yuchiro and Kaoru have such a nice dynamic that i really loved. This volume shows how they settle into their domestic life together and deepens their relationship. There were some scenes i didnt enjoy too much hence the 4 stars but overall reading about their relationship was nice.

I quite enjoyed the bonus story with Yu's sister too


Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha comics for the ARC!

[Uzia · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

Girl no just no. This was so bad. I loved the first volume so much and they just had to fuck it up.
There was a creep who was feeling up main character & the bf was sitting outside feeling INSECURE?? BABE YOUR PARTNER IS GETTING FELT UP?? ALSO THE CREEP TRIED TO OPEN HIS DAMN PANTS W I T H O U T CONSENT.

Also it felt so stupid to read abt a bf who was eager to do 'it' but his partner isn't ready so he 'tries' to control himself? Wtf? I hated this sm.

Thank you Kodansha Comics & the author for this opportunity.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. I don’t know that I really needed it and i didnt approve of the behaviour of the new character for most of the volume, once he actually started communicating and acting with some decency i liked him and i was curious about the hint of a romance between him and the brother but the whole scenario in the bedroom was gross.
I actually think the best bit of this book was the bonus story about the sister at the end.

[Demetri Papadimitropoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, the Laundry Got There First
In “Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment,” Jil Hashikura lets shared detergent, horny panic, and one increasingly meaningful pair of hands beat sex to the job of proving two people belong together
By Demetris Papadimitropoulos | October 4th, 2026

Desire is noisy in Jil Hashikura’s “Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment.” Kaoru Mitsuya, former yakuza turned florist’s employee and boyfriend-in-residence, has no trouble naming what he wants. Six months into his relationship with Yuichiro Shirouzu, he has work, shelter, meals, affection, someone waiting at home, and a life he once had little reason to imagine. One omission keeps bothering him: they still have not had sex. Hashikura gets an impressive amount of mileage from Kaoru’s suffering, but the better joke is on his accounting. He keeps measuring intimacy by the one boundary not yet crossed while the pages quietly accumulate everything he has already been given.

Early on, Kaoru knows perfectly well that Yuichiro needs time. Their physical relationship has reached kissing and light touching, and Yuichiro’s inexperience makes anything further difficult enough that Kaoru consciously tells himself to respect his pace. He is also frustrated. Those facts do not cancel each other, however conveniently romance might prefer them to. Kaoru wants his boyfriend sexually and wants to feel that appetite returned. Gradually, “not yet” begins to sound to him less like timing than evidence. If Yuichiro wanted him with the same urgency, wouldn’t it look more like this?

Most romance sequels have already spent their original fuel. The couple got together; now what? Hashikura admits the problem in her afterword, where she says she wondered what another volume could do “since the main couple was already together,” and credits Yuzu, a new source of sexual chaos, with helping push the story forward. You can occasionally feel the push. Still, “sweet moment” mostly resists the drearier sequel trick of damaging a relationship simply to make readers watch it heal again. Kaoru and Yuichiro remain happy. Hashikura has to find movement inside that happiness.

Everything useful about her solution appears in a tube of moisturizer. Yuichiro notices Kaoru’s chapped hands after drying his hair and offers him cream. Kaoru immediately tries to negotiate better real estate. Yuichiro restricts treatment to his hands. Then the scene slows. Kaoru thinks Yuichiro’s hands are delicate; Yuichiro calls his “thick and soft.” Kaoru feels breath near his neck. He notices a heartbeat. Soon the supposedly innocent business of holding hands has him aroused. Nothing dramatic has happened. Hashikura simply lets touch alter category while the characters are still performing the same small action.

The smell of the moisturizer gives the scene another turn. Kaoru says something smells good; Yuichiro assumes he means the cream. “No,” Kaoru tells him. “I meant you.” A comic cannot literally deliver scent, so the dialogue identifies what the image cannot, while the drawing handles what follows: proximity, attention, the slight reorientation of bodies toward one another. Hashikura often strips away some surrounding detail when contact matters most. The effect is less dreamy than selective. A room exists until, for a few panels, the hand or face inside it matters more.

Rather than letting the tenderness cure his complaint, Kaoru kisses Yuichiro and says, “I won’t do anythin’ more. Just this.” Then his interior voice gives away the real wound. He does not want to ruin the happiness or closeness he already has, but it would be a lie to call it enough. He wonders whether Yuichiro will ever “want me back.” That phrase makes the problem larger than intercourse without making intercourse irrelevant. Kaoru already has affection, touch, scent, cohabitation, care. What he lacks is desire returned in a form so plain that he does not have to guess.

If Kaoru fears that he is not wanted enough, Yuichiro fears that he is somehow too little to keep wanting. Talking to Yuriko about a transparent fictional “friend,” he describes a man with a younger lover who freezes when things become intimate, imagines all the better people his partner might find, and cannot understand the choice already made. “Every time he says he loves me,” Yuichiro admits by proxy, “I have to wonder why me.” Kaoru looks at hesitation and suspects deficient desire. Yuichiro looks at devotion and suspects a future correction. They are both collecting evidence against themselves.

Put them in conversation and the difference is audible. Kaoru’s thoughts come in slang, profanity, horny panic, and rapid self-revision. His feelings tend to arrive before tact has found its shoes. Yuichiro qualifies, pauses, diverts, invents a friend. Neither mode is linguistically elaborate, but their rhythms tell us plenty. Kaoru rushes toward meaning. Yuichiro needs time before he will admit that there is meaning to disclose. Their sexual mismatch is already present in the speed of their speech.

Against this arrangement comes Yuzu, who regards personal space as a charming superstition. He spots the couple’s problem, tells Kaoru that Yuichiro is making things difficult, offers himself as the more cooperative option, and promises that he can satisfy Kaoru better. The maneuver is hardly subtle, but it clarifies something Kaoru has not. He has spent chapter after chapter saying he wants sex. Here is someone willing to provide it immediately, without waiting, uncertainty, or any need to decode a blush. Kaoru does not want him. The shortage was never bodies.

Perhaps the funniest proof arrives when Yuzu’s increasingly aggressive touching produces almost no sexual response. Yuzu takes this as an insult to objective reality. Kaoru is almost as surprised. Then he realizes that an earlier version of himself probably would have reacted but now thinks, “I only can if it’s him.” The sentiment is simple; what it reveals is specific. Kaoru has not lost any of his appetite. Desire has acquired a proper noun. The thing he has been impatient for is inseparable from the person making him wait.

Another scene exposes how much intimacy Kaoru already recognizes without giving it that name. Asked what he loves about Yuichiro, Kaoru starts with “stupidly cute” and then falls into increasingly useless, perfect detail. Yuichiro smiles more when drunk. He comes home smelling of flowers. He is trying to learn to tolerate liver. He makes excellent kakuni. When an annoying customer wears him down, he scratches beneath his nose, and Kaoru suspects nobody else has noticed. The list gets better as it gets less conventionally romantic. Kaoru knows Yuichiro down to a private tic. He knows the person he worries he does not possess.

Domestic life keeps leaving similar clues. Baths, meals, clothes, shop shifts, deliveries, birthdays, sleeping arrangements, drinking glasses: none is important alone. Together they begin to describe a household. The best joke is laundry detergent. Someone observes that Kaoru and Yuichiro already smell alike despite not having slept together. No cosmic affinity is required. They use the same detergent. Kaoru has been waiting for intercourse to certify that their bodies share an intimate life. Their laundry has already filed the paperwork.

In Sagan Sagan’s “Old-Fashioned Cupcake,” adult desire likewise emerges through routine, appetite, embarrassment, and ordinary days that turn out not to be emotionally ordinary at all. Hashikura’s pages put more pressure on physical spacing. Yuzu closes gaps whenever he chooses. Kaoru wants to close them and learns to stop. Yuichiro eventually crosses them himself. The movement of one body toward another therefore changes meaning depending on who initiates it, what has been asked, and whether anyone had to be cornered first. Often the most eloquent panel is the one before contact.

More is at stake in Kaoru’s flower-shop job than the cute visual contrast of an ex-yakuza carrying delicate arrangements. The National Police Agency of Japan treats leaving organized crime and establishing legitimate employment as linked problems of social reintegration, with formal programs involving police, reintegration centers, and participating employers. “sweet moment” does not seriously investigate those systems, and Kaoru is no case study. But the context clarifies what Yuichiro originally hands him along with romance: ordinary work, routine, responsibility, and somewhere he is expected tomorrow. Flowers are almost incidental to the larger luxury of becoming boring.

It also matters that Kaoru remains recognizably Kaoru. He does not acquire gentleness by shedding his rough speech, libido, size, temper, or ability to fight. The gym scenes keep strength literal. The flower shop gives that strength fragile things to handle. Yuichiro gives it a different test: sometimes nothing needs to be pushed, fixed, taken, or protected by force. Kaoru’s growing attractiveness lies partly in his capacity to act and his increasing willingness not to act before he is invited.

That care makes Yuzu’s behavior the volume’s most irritating inconsistency. When Yuichiro hesitates, Hashikura attends to the hesitation. Kaoru checks himself. Time slows. Yuzu receives different treatment. Kaoru tells him to quit and later says plainly that he told him to stop; Yuzu continues touching, straddling, provoking, and trying to coax a sexual reaction while the pages turn the encounter into escalating farce. The issue is not that Kaoru is secretly as frightened as Yuichiro. It is that his refusal is perfectly intelligible. The manga is very good at the danger of misreading Yuichiro and less disciplined when Yuzu simply refuses to read Kaoru at all.

Read alongside that problem, Yuzu’s usefulness becomes a little too legible. He can supply jealousy, temptation, scent jokes, an outsider’s diagnosis of the couple’s sex life, and the occasion on which Kaoru has to explain why Yuichiro is irreplaceable. Hashikura’s afterword is almost comically candid about his propulsion duties. Yet he earns some of his space. His shameless availability proves that Kaoru’s frustration is not solved by a more willing partner, and his habit of collapsing distance throws Kaoru’s learned restraint into sharper relief. He is both the lever and, occasionally, the squeak of the lever.

One fact keeps Kaoru’s education from turning into a lesson about how he ought to be satisfied with cuddling. He is not wrong to want sex. Shared detergent is not intercourse; knowing somebody’s favorite pork dish is not sexual reciprocity; tenderness cannot automatically substitute for an intimacy one partner openly values. Yuichiro is equally entitled to take time. The difficult part sits between those truths. Kaoru cannot turn wanting into entitlement, but neither can he reasonably intuit every stage of Yuichiro’s private readiness. Love may involve learning another person’s signals. It cannot require permanent clairvoyance.

Part of what changes on Yuichiro’s birthday is that he finally stops being only the person whose limits Kaoru has to infer. The celebration itself is wonderfully modest: Chinese takeout, home, relief at having time together. Yuichiro admits that he has always found it easier to encourage other people’s romances than to trust his own feelings. Kaoru asks whether he can touch him again. Yuichiro agrees. Kaoru immediately wants to travel backward in time and punch his impatient former self, which is about as close as his interior life gets to contemplative serenity. More important, Yuichiro is now choosing forward motion rather than merely failing to resist it.

Once he says, “If it’s okay for me to turn out the light, take my hand,” every earlier hand scene comes back at once. The hand began as chapped skin. Yuichiro cared for it. Kaoru compared it with his boyfriend’s. Holding became erotic. Kaoru then proved capable of holding without treating contact as permission for more. Now the same object carries a question. Yuichiro does not need to announce himself suddenly transformed or fearless. Kaoru taking his hand answers him physically, but not ambiguously. Hashikura has spent the volume making this gesture mean one thing after another until it can finally mean consent.

Under the covers comes the neatest joke in the book. Kaoru, who has spent months thinking about sex with almost professional dedication, realizes he forgot a condom. Yuichiro has one. He bought it at the convenience store on the way home. That purchase quietly rearranges what came before it. Yuichiro’s desire had a private history Kaoru could not see. The supposedly impatient partner arrives unprepared; the supposedly hesitant partner has planned ahead. And then, with desire mutual, permission clear, and protection available, Kaoru’s body refuses to cooperate. Anatomy files an objection.

Laughter keeps the moment from becoming either reward or humiliation. Yuichiro teases him. Kaoru suffers. They tickle each other, laugh until it hurts, and realize that there is no reason they cannot try again sober. Nothing important has failed. That is precisely what the failure proves. Yuichiro wants him. Kaoru now knows it. Neither man has been rejected. Sex can remain something they want without being made to certify the relationship. When Yuichiro notices how warm it feels to be held by a lover, the embrace is visually familiar but emotionally altered. Earlier, holding felt wonderful and insufficient. Now it no longer has to stand in for anything.

Other weaknesses are quieter. Kaoru’s cycle of arousal, restraint, frustration, and self-rebuke repeats a few times after its psychological point is secure. Yuichiro’s reserve suits the story but leaves Kaoru much fuller as a consciousness. And the bonus story “My Garden,” which jumps nineteen years backward and gives waiting a much longer timescale, arrives after Chapter 6 has already found such a clean stopping place that it feels slightly appended, however intelligently it echoes the main story’s interest in feelings that take time to become speakable. I rate “Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment” 84/100, translating to 4/5 Goodreads stars.

Small things are finally where Hashikura trusts the book most. A hand begins as skin that needs lotion and ends as a way to ask a sexual question. A smell travels from cream to skin to flowers to laundry. An embrace appears early as something Kaoru loves while privately calling inadequate, then returns after intercourse has become possible, gone wrong, and stopped functioning as proof. Hashikura does not teach him to want less. She changes what he knows how to count.

[Dana | Rainbow Romance Reader · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this volume more than the previous one, as we actually get to see how Yuichiro and Kaoru function in a relationship after being together for 6 months (spoiler: they’re a hot mess). It was more engaging overall, despite some hang ups I have with the story.

I liked how the story explored Yuichiro’s insecurities, despite them being together for so long and obviously having a very tender and caring relationship. There were some beautiful moments between them as the story progressed that made me actually believe they were in love, which is something the previous volume lacked. I also loved the bonus yuri story at the end!

However, in terms of plot this volume has no idea what it’s doing. Is it a story about overcoming relationship obstacles and having sex? Is it about resisting temptation? Is it about confronting your own sexuality (seriously, I thought there would be an asexual awakening at some point and then there just… wasn’t). There are a lot of random things happening and none of them really go anywhere.

The worst of all is the introduction of Yuzu’s character, who only exists to continually sexually assault and harass Kaoru. If the point was supposed to be that Kaoru doesn’t want anyone but Yuichiro, there is a much more effective way to show that than to have him be molested on multiple occasions and try to fight back. It was uncomfortable to read and not humorous as intended.

I also didn’t understand why the whole story built up to Kaoru and Yuichiro taking their relationship to the next level, then basically ended with him having ED, with no resolution. What was the point 🥲 it was a lazy way to end the story.

Perhaps I should lower my rating after all, but I’m going to leave it at 3.5 just for the sheer fact that I enjoyed it well enough, and the art is very pretty.

Thank you Kodansha Comics & NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

[MyMeowmoir · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really ruined the series for me….the end of volume 2 was so sweet but then this one was a bit absurd? I expected it to be full of all the cuteness with them as a couple but it wasnt there :(

Thank you kodanasha and netgalley for the arc.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 4 stars, maybe even 4.5, for Kaoru and Yuichiro - and the other Shirouzu siblings. So much about this volume was very nicely handled; I'd say it's largely my favorite so far.

I just really, really disliked the new character, Yuzuru - obnoxious, pushy, sexually aggressive, with no redeeming qualities at this point. He was supposed to have a "tragic backstory" that got toned down into him just deciding to leave college and turn tricks instead for a while. More personality development might've helped, but as it stands, I'm really wary of him becoming Ryo's love interest in a future volume.

It's not that Karou was ever in danger of turning his attention away from Yuichiro - no matter how sexually frustrated he might be, he's in love and isn't the kind of guy who'd hook up with some random dude just because he's not getting it at home. In fact, that was one of the things I really appreciated in this volume. While Kaoru is indeed very pent up and a little bit frustrated and also worried that Yuichiro might never fully return all of his feelings or want him in the same way, he's also putting zero pressure on his boyfriend. He respects Yuichiro and wants to go at a pace that's comfortable for him, even if it feels grindingly slow.

Still, I don't think Karou's loyalty needed to be tested in such an unpleasant way. He first runs into Yuzuru having (paid for) sex in a public toilet, then has to reject Yuzuru's groping and aggressive advances there. Then, Yuzuru pickpockets his wallet and "generously" (according to too-nice Yuichiro) returns it to Kaoru at the flower shop. There, he manages to wiggle his way into an overnight invitation, again thanks to Yuichiro being way too considerate of others, and promptly climbs into bed with Karou and on top of him, aggressively trying to undress him and have sex with him.

None of this was necessary in the slightest. Add to that the weirdness of Yuichiro sitting outside the door and listening in...I guess preparing himself for Kaoru to decide he wants sex more than he wants to stay with him? Since a lot of Yuichiro's hesitation when it comes to physicality is the belief that his partner's going to be disappointed and break up with him eventually.

I got the intention of including this new character, and of him "testing" their relationship. I just hated it. And if this had been the first volume, I probably wouldn't have kept going.

If you cut Yuzuru out, though, the rest was really great. Kaoru and Yuichiro are deepening their relationship in a lot of wonderful ways. Kaoru's spending time with all of the siblings, like at the gym for boxing practice, and I loved that. With him being so alone in the first book, thrown out of his yakuza family and onto the literal streets, it's really nice to see him building a new family that genuinely cares for him.

And I was very surprised by the bonus Yukimasa story! It was sweet, and the one-sided romance was achingly good. I wasn't necessarily that sold on Yukimasa before, so it was great to get a more in-depth look at her personality.

I think the story's done here, for now, so I'll just have to hope that if it returns, Yuzuru will get some massive character development/improvement.

[Crimson Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former yakuza falls fast and hard for the delicate florist. 💐

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an advanced copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½☆ (3.5/5 Stars)

First of all, the cover is adorable. 🥰 It was one of the first things that caught my attention when I saw this manga.

This is also the second book I have read about the two main characters.This is a BL manga and M4M romance, and I thought the idea of a former yakuza falling for a florist was quite a cute one—a guy coming away from the chaos looking for peace.

I liked the contrast between the two characters. One has a much tougher background, while the other is connected to flowers and has a much softer personality. Watching their relationship start to develop was probably my favourite part.

I felt like the softer side of the florist is what the other one needs to help him flourish and bloom, experiencing something true, soft, delicate, and sweet.

There is even a part that mentions them smelling like each other even though they haven't done anything yet; to me, that shows the bond that grew because it was nurtured and fertilised.

There were some really sweet moments between them, and I liked seeing the former yakuza slowly become more comfortable around the florist.

You can tell he falls pretty hard, which made some of the scenes quite funny.

The artwork is also lovely and suits the softer side of the story really well.

The flowers and the florist setting made it look more gentle as well.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was a cute BL manga with an unusual pairing, some funny moments, and a very adorable cover.

[Continuity · Rating 4 out of 5]

{3.5}

This manga series gives me complex feelings. I absolutely LOVE the characters; they're likable, and I could read about them forever. The plot is also very charming, ex-thug x flower shop owner?? I am sat. The art style is also stunning.

However, the pacing of the story is its biggest downfall. If this was just the continuation of the series, I would have no issues, but apparently this is treated as some sort of conclusion based on the author's note? (Technically, vol 2 was the end, and the author was asked to continue? Even vol 2 wasn't ended in a satisfying way.) There are just too many plot points that weren't concluded, and there were brand new plot points brought up (with Yuichiro's siblings both getting possible love interests, which I really want to see!!!) I just wish there were more volumes.

Also, there's a new character introduced that I think could really turn some readers off to the story. I really like the concept of this character, and I find them really interesting, but unfortunatley they kept forcing themselves on the MC. This is an unfortunate trend in many manga, and it's one that I find to be distasteful. I think they could've done their job as a foil to the MC's relationship just fine without that one particular scene.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel purely because I deeply love the characters. Objectively, this should be rated lower due to a lack of cohesive plot and a solid ending, but I can't bring myself to do it. Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[S Rosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really disappointed in Yui

Kaoru is basically SAed twice. The second time is in their home after Yui lets the guy who SAed Kaoru the first time spend the night in their home. The guy sneaks into Kaoru’s bed in the middle of the night, gets undressed, tries to force Kaoru to get undressed, and molests him as Kaoru REPEATEDLY tells him to back off and that he’s not interested. And Yui overhears all this!! He saw the guy sneak into Kaoru’s bedroom and decided to just listen in and even as he hears them fighting and hears Kaoru tell him to stop he just sits outside the door and listens as it happens. I get that he has insecurities about being intimate himself but what does that have to do with the person he claims to love being sexually harassed on the other side of the door!? He didn’t try to help him at all! And when Kaoru finally got the guy to back off with no help from his boyfriend, Yui just slunk away to pretend he didn’t hear anything rather than even going to check if his partner was okay after what would have been at the very least an uncomfortable, if not traumatic experience.

I’m also not thrilled at the implication that the perv that tried to force a blow job on Kaoru in public that then SAed him again later after knowing he was in a relationship and they were kind enough to give him a place to stay, is going to be set up with Yui’s brother. Because it definitely seemed to imply that was going to be a future relationship and his brother deserves better.

[Lucsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: Sweet Moments" portrays something that is rarely seen: what happens after a late bloomer who struggles with intimacy falls in love.

It is never said outright, but I personally choose to see Yuichiro Shirouzu as asexual, considering how many other characters' orientations and identities are present in this story, which I absolutely love. This series belongs in my favourite category: everyone in the family is gay.

This was a great and very original story addressing intimacy, with one partner not being ready and struggling with communicating, and the other trying to offer all the support and space he can, but struggling with not having his feelings returned in a way he can recognise. I loved the tropes, I loved the sweetness, I love that even if this entire book is about intimacy, it never showed too much, except on one occasion involving a secondary character coercing one of the main characters, which, quite honestly, was totally unnecessary to the story and ruined my enjoyment of the book.

I do think the author has a great instinct when it comes to the story she wants to tell, but the execution falls a bit short. That being said, I'm still curious about this author's other works, because I did enjoy this and loved seeing all these characters again. I really hope the author writes more sequels or other books following Yuichiro's siblings because I loved seeing their little romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this DRC.

[Eve Rever de livre · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est une petite histoire qui se finit et j'avoue que ça me rends triste quand même car j'ai beaucoup aimé découvrir cette histoire très douce entre nos deux personnages !

Dans ce tome ci, j'avoue qu'il y a quelques choses qui m'a un peu embêté par rapport aux consentements. Il y a un truc qui fait que oui il y a de la communication MAIS il y a un truc qui fait que en tant que lecteur c'est un peu ...limite.

Néanmoins, j'ai passé un bon moment avec cette histoire. Je recommande ce titre si tu cherche une petite romance douce et surtout queer avec un fleuriste et un " délinquant "

Merci Netgalley pour m'avoir permis de découvrir en avance ce titre.


------

This little story is coming to an end, and I have to admit it makes me a little sad because I really enjoyed discovering this very sweet story between our two characters !

In this volume, I have to admit there were a few things that bothered me a bit regarding consent. There’s something about it that means, yes, there’s communication BUT there’s also something that makes it feel a little… borderline as a reader.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this story. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a sweet, and above all, queer romance featuring a florist and a “delinquent.”

Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me the chance to read this book early.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment is the final volume of Jil Hashikura’s BL series. After the events of the last volume, our protagonists have finally entered into a romantic relationship, but have not had sex yet. The story follows Kaoru as he struggles to suppress his ardor, and Yuichiro as he examines why he’s so afraid to allow himself to be loved.

This is a weird one. While no less sweet and tender than the other volumes, the overarching plot swerves from dealing with the consequences of Kaoru’s yakuza past, and instead focuses on Kaoru being propositioned by an androgynous sex worker in a men’s room and repeatedly sexually harassed by him. Yuichiro’s siblings continue to be cops for some reason. My favorite part of the story was actually the little bonus chapter about his sister being in love with an older woman, and I sincerely wish we had gotten more of that story.

Overall, a nice end to a mostly-sweet story with some weird spots along the way. A great story if you like BL manga that keeps the action to chaste kisses and hand-holding.

Thank you Kodansha Comics for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kitsu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received.

This manga was just not it for me. I had stopped reading BL manga because I couldn't stand all the horrible and cringe tropes that came along with them, but I decided this one too sweet to pass up and it was until the addition of the new character that was brought in just to stir the pot and force the relationship along. It's also not even the fact that they used that trope to progress the relationship, it was the sexual harassment, and sexual abuse that crossed the line for me. We are so past using that horrible tactic in our BL to progress our plot and relationship lines. That made this volume just icky for me and I wanted to stop it right then and there... but then we follow that up with a chapter where they almost have sex when completely inebriated and I thought well there goes almost every disgusting trope BL is known for. Thankfully they didn't have their first time at that moment because it would've just ruined so much, but the damage was already done by that point.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics and the mangaka Jil Hashikura for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Visionary Druid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former yakuza Kaoru Mitsuya and florist Yuichiro Shirouzu are now in a relationship. But, they have yet to take the next step: sex. Kaoru struggles to hide his frustration, while Yuichiro deals with his insecurities. Will a possible rival drive them further apart? Or will he push Yuichiro to grow intimate with his younger lover?

This one-shot sequel disappointed me. I expected to see Kaoru and Yuichiro experiencing the honeymoon phase of their relationship. However, six months have passed, and nothing has really changed between them. Yuichiro still behaves skittishly towards any advances Kaoru attempts.

I thought the new character introduced in this volume would elicit Yuichiro’s jealousy. Instead, he accosts Kaoru at every turn with Yuichiro becoming aware of it. I expected Yuichiro to misinterpret the situation or get mad. Nope, he seems to have become introspected. That is what frustrated me the most. I have this feeling that the new character will be paired off with Yuichiro’s younger brother.

[jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 || funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

But Yuichiro took me in when no one else would. If he needs me to wait, I’ll wait for him.

A sequel befitting its title, Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: sweet moment chronicles the lives of Yuichiro and Kaoru six months into their blossoming relationship. Unsteady on their toes yet eager to inch closer to each other, we watch as they re-stumble and fall back into each other's arms, especially with an outside force pushing them to confront their own fears and insecurities.

I do hope we see more of them, especially the side couples. I adore short and sweet stories like these, just so so healing to the heart.

Big thanks to the author and publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha comics for providing me with ARC

This has many two different stories: one involving Mistuya and Yuichirou, and another involving Yuriko and Yukimasa. And we get introduced to a new character and a new romance is hinted at.

First comes Mistuya and Yuichirou's story in which they try to take their relationship to move on from simply hugs. Which is really cute. This is the most wholesome couple I've seen. And there are no graphic scenes and here is where we get introduced to a new character. I hope author does make new side story with that character. I love him already. Unserious looking character definitely hiding deeper trauma and probably avoidant attachment style.

I was hoping there would be asexualism in the story but sadly, it's just that Yuichirou was really scared and awkward. Which was endearing so I am not complaining but no asexuals sadly :(

And comes the story of Yuriko and Yukimasa which... well it is better if you read it on your own...

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kodansha for the eARC for review!

Loved that I got to pick this up right after finishing the second part earlier that day, but where the first volume was a five star read, a really cute BL with an unexpected age gap (it was very cute; unexpected in that the "softer" one is older - but he's still in his 20s!) this one is more a 3.5 (rounding up to 4 because it's cute and I enjoyed this series overall). It's a cute continuation with a random extra character (that I like!) trying to jam up the relationship with his one-sided interest in one of the guys, but this all gets worked out pretty quickly (even through it's through more than borderline sexual harassment). And then? Where you think this sequel volume will be like, okay, they're finally gonna Take Their Relationship To The Next Level?

Well.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the extra chapter with Yu's sister but I wanted that to be a whole volume or series! She's so hot and cool she deserves her own story more than just one chapter. And a girlfriend. She deserves.

[Carly (carly_reads_queer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third and final installment we find Kaoru and Yuichiro 6 months into living together, working together, and being in a relationship. While they are both committed to one another they are struggling with next steps and physical intimacy.

This was a sweet and beautiful conclusion to the series. Kaoru is aggressively tempted by another man, but remains steadfast in his love and dedication to Yuichiro. While Yuichiro navigates his fear of not being good enough and of abandonment.

In the end, with patience and communication, they end up sharing love confessions and are ready for the next step in their physical relationship. Though they fumble it in the most endearing way. These two are the most charming and lovable characters and paired with Yuichiro’s meddling family and friends this was a wonderful journey.

What you’ll get:
•Achillean (Yaoi) Romance
•Vol 3 of 3 of BL Manga series
•Ex-Yakusa/Florist
•Established Relationship
•Boss/Employee
•Chronic Illness Rep
•Next Steps
•Navigating Physical Intimacy
•Love Confessions

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not wake up today anticipating that I'd get an advanced copy of the third and final installment of Honey Bee & Lemon. Thanks so much to Kodansha and NetGalley. I just bought/read the second volume last week and was sad to say goodbye to them.

This volume serves as a one-shot of 6 months after they've been a couple. It's not a long time in our eyes, but we quickly realize there hasn't been any physical distance changes since then. In normal BL logic (this is sarcasm), it would've typically occurred after volume 2. Instead we get our main couple going through the awkward phases of the beginnings of a relationship and it's kind of sweet to witness. We get more backstory on them as individuals and even a plot device mover who just winds up have his plot moved, haha.

Overall, it was sweet and we got to say goodbye to them as couple AND we got some inklings of future stories that could be made, assuming the mangaka would want to. Solid 4 star read series for me.

[TheRedBookBox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm: Sweet Moment Vol 3 by Jil Hashikura - This is more of a fan service epilogue to the first two columns of Honey Bee & Lemon Balm. Our MMCs Kaoru and Yuchiro have been together for six months, but still haven’t moved beyond hugging and kissing. The story mainly follows them becoming closer, as well as showcasing one or two new possible couples Jil Hashikura could follow up with in a new story. The manga was PG-13 and mostly sweet, with some spicy discussions. The drawing and line work was lovely; if you’re just looking for fluff, you can probably skip the first two volumes with the main story and just read about two young men being adorably awkward as they become closer.

I’m really hoping to see more from this universe from Jil Hashikura! Meanwhile, thank you to Jil Hashikura and Kodansha Comics for the advanced reader’s copy!

Notes:
-MM couple
-Told from both MMC’s perspectives
-Discussion of sex work

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the previous two volumes ended with the leads in a good place as a new couple, this followup notes that they still do be kind of awkward, and what ties together the chapter vignettes is the desire for sexual intimacy vs Yuichiro's hesitancy when it comes to romantic and sexual matters. Overall, I found it a satisfyingly meandering look at their lives.

We also get more backstory on how Yuichiro became a florist in a family of cops, and backstory of the doomed yuri variety following up on the omake in the previous volume noting that Yuki has a crush on Yuriko.

I do want to note that while the previous two volumes were very chaste, this one not only deals with the main couple aiming to have sex (though we don't really get much of that happening on page) and it also has a plot line where Kaoru gets harassed by a sex worker he 'saved' such to the point that the sex worker asks why he isn't getting hard after being groped (and Kaoru says it's because he only wants one man).

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honey Bee, Lemon Balm Vol. 3 was such a sweet wrap-up to Yuichiro Shirouzu and Kaoru Mitsuya’s story. 🍯🐝🍋🌿 After all that slow burn and miscommunication, we FINALLY get these two confronting their feelings. A new character in need of some help ends up being the push they apparently desperately needed, and I loved finally getting that romantic payoff.

And their first night together? 😂 The silly little plot twist surrounding it was honestly so fitting for these two and this series. Overall, this was a cute and satisfying ending to such a quick, easy-to-binge BL series. I’m glad we finally got to see Yuichiro and Kaoru stop dancing around each other and actually acknowledge what has been simmering between them.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley!

[Lucy R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am grateful that I was given an ARC to review.

The art was very nice in this manga, however unfortunately I found the plot line a little too unbelievable at points.
Interactions with a particular character rubbed me up the wrong way and made me wonder why the others let him get away with his behaviour.
He repeatedly tries to grope and have sex with the main character without his consent, and it was just treated as a non issue. In fact he was treated as a cutesy character.
I'm disappointed that this sort of trope is still present in BL, I would have expected it from something published in the early 2000s but not now.
I have nothing against depictions of toxic behaviour and relationships when it is presented as such, but when it's presented as ok and not an issue that's when I think it's harmful.

[Akansha · Rating 4 out of 5]

You two are so lucky. You haven't even slept together and you already smell the same.

I was going to rate it 3 stars but in the end the author decided to put it in a bonus GL story with a yearner and how could I not increase a star for them.

This is the final volume of the manga and I think this series is will be best enjoyed if you binge all the three volumes. It's light, sweet and has the kind of softness that I rarely read. Yuichiro is a romantic at heart but only for others, when it comes to his own love story he isn't confident, he is scared. His brother explains the reasons well. There is a character introduced just to forward the plot and I didn't really get the point of that. It made me think they will always need a clutch to move forward. This manga has a hopeful ending and so I am not sure if this is the last we are seeing them.