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Tails x Horns #1
You to Me
Tails or horns. Fate decides.
Childhood friends Sota and Masa have always been together. But when they turn eighteen, all of their expectations shatter. Attention from a persistent bully escalates and childhood visions of a perfect future begin to unravel.
Sota quickly realizes that the transition into adulthood is not as fun as he envisioned. Unexpected feelings emerge and hidden secrets come to light. Sota and Masa’s lives have become more confusing than ever.
Can they accept fate’s design, embracing who they were meant to be? Or will reality tear them apart?
Childhood friends Sota and Masa have always been together. But when they turn eighteen, all of their expectations shatter. Attention from a persistent bully escalates and childhood visions of a perfect future begin to unravel.
Sota quickly realizes that the transition into adulthood is not as fun as he envisioned. Unexpected feelings emerge and hidden secrets come to light. Sota and Masa’s lives have become more confusing than ever.
Can they accept fate’s design, embracing who they were meant to be? Or will reality tear them apart?
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2016
150 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
Lyn Forester
113 books193 followersLyn Forester graduated with a Bachelor in English and an Associates in Graphic Design. She worked in the graphic design industry for ten years before deciding to pursue her other life long dream of becoming a writer. She grew up reading mostly fantasy books, though later in life found a love of urban fantasy and science fiction. She currently works from her home in Washington State where she squeezes in writing time around a busy schedule. When not working, she can be found experimenting with new recipes, reading, or playing video games and the occasional board game.
She loves talking to other readers.
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She loves talking to other readers.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlynforester
FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/lynsreadergroup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lyn_Forester
Website: www.lynforester.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dlBQu1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lynforester...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 16, 2019
This was everything my little Fujoshi heart hopes for. 😁 Welcome aboard for the western world for finally jumping onto the magnificent train that’s called Yaoi. 😉 Lyn Forester definitely knows her business, we get a timid Tsundere aka the shy, innocent, gullible and insecure virgin bottom, a Kuudere also known as the confident, no nonsense, take charge, virile top and a Yandere aka the ultimate villain stalker who’s obsessed with the innocent little virgin. 😉
It’s a sweet friends to lover story with awesome sidekicks and a morally ambiguous villain. 😏 The UST is of course intense and sizzling 🔥 with satisfying high school drama on the side dish and did I mention tail and horns and enhanced palate pleasure? 😍🔥 My pervy little Fujoshi heart couldn’t be happier! 😉 I seriously wish this is a Shounen Ai Anime because that would have been one awesome anime to watch. 😌 I wouldn’t elaborate a lot anymore because no matter what I say, I wouldn’t be able to top Xia Xia’s awesome review. 💜 I think if you are someone who likes classic Yaoi tropes, you’d definitely enjoy this little gem. 🥰
4.75 Sota is Masa’a cute little wifey stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
It’s a sweet friends to lover story with awesome sidekicks and a morally ambiguous villain. 😏 The UST is of course intense and sizzling 🔥 with satisfying high school drama on the side dish and did I mention tail and horns and enhanced palate pleasure? 😍🔥 My pervy little Fujoshi heart couldn’t be happier! 😉 I seriously wish this is a Shounen Ai Anime because that would have been one awesome anime to watch. 😌 I wouldn’t elaborate a lot anymore because no matter what I say, I wouldn’t be able to top Xia Xia’s awesome review. 💜 I think if you are someone who likes classic Yaoi tropes, you’d definitely enjoy this little gem. 🥰
4.75 Sota is Masa’a cute little wifey stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
April 19, 2018
When I find a book so similar to a specific anime/manga genre I’ve (not so) secretly enjoyed for years, I find myself in the need of releasing the monster locked in the closet called Otaku(1) Xia Xia because only she can explain the enthusiasm or the high rating around a story that might sound quite alarming to praise.
*opens closet door* Take it away, weirdo!
Otaku Xia Xia: On it!
Here’s to all my fujoshi(2) sisters and fudanshi(3) brothers, here’s to the otakus, closeted and out of the closet alike. Rejoice! because the West is finally beginning to get it and is crying “All aboard the anime/manga hype train”.
You to Me may not be the most original pea in the pod compared to other genre stories, but I gobbled up the smorgasbord of yaoi cliches/tropes like a parrot in a chocolate fountain. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!
And not just any cliches/tropes, but the tropes of yaoi & BL. RAWWR!
This book used almost every single cliche imaginable and I loved it.
Let’s start with the character stereotypes:
1.The Tsundere= characters that are stuck-up on the outside but loving on the inside. Often, tsunderes are embarrassed by or don't know what to do with their romantic feelings. They usually hide their feelings until the last moment. They are also completely oblivious of their own feelings or if someone has feelings for them.
Say hello to Sota Iso, our MC and a tsundere to the core.
He’s funny, he’s cute, he has a smart mouth and he’s the love interest of two characters. From the moment he appears you know he is an uke (4), a childish, pretty and blushy stereotype with a cute little bod. Several overused cliches form Sota’s background: he is from a single parent family, he is an overeater, he is usually late for school, and he has that childhood friend who always has his back (and is secretly in love with him). And the cherry on top, the trope of all tropes, he has an animal characteristic, in this case a tail. There is a genre called nekomimi - where a fictional character has cat ears on an otherwise human body, and possibly other feline characteristics such as a tail. Most of the tailed characters in this book have cat tails. Our boy has a petite which makes him even cuter, and more special. He also has light colored hair, another trope.
2. The Kuudere - a person who is calm and composed on the outside. They are the ones who are serious and always in charge of a situation. They never panic and are who everyone else turns to in a crisis.
Hello Masa Ito, Sota’s best friend who is the perfect example of a kuudere type.
Masa is the rock that grounds Sota, the shield that protects him and the one that comes up with the best way to get out of a tight spot. Also, you know Masa is a seme (5) from the first moment you read about him. He is almost one head taller than the uke (yes this is a trope), has a nicely build up bod and is dynamite in bed, even if he was a virgin when Sota and Masa first made love. He is secretly very smart and has black hair (a cliché)
And he has horns which makes him super alpha male in the fantasy anime genre.
3. How do you make things more interesting in a manga or anime especially if it's a yaoi? You release the yandere and you let him loose. Inside of a yandere is where the crazy lies. There are generally two types of yanderes, obsessive and possessive. When a yandere is built on its highest potential, things get bloody and sick. The Obsessives will kill anyone and everyone who stands in the way of them having their “true loves.” Possessives will go one step further and even kill the ones they love so that they won't end up with anyone else.
As anime stereotypes go, the yandere is my personal favorite character. I love to see them out of their mind with obsessive and possessive love for the MC, I love to see them destroy everything in their path to have the object of their sick love, even if it’s rape or murder.
Meet our yandere, Ken Jung. Yeah, baby!
Ken is the best athlete, the rich, handsome guy that every girl wants and every boy wants to be like. He has an expensive car, blonde hair (another trope) and he is absolutely obsessed with the MC, pushing things sometimes on the verge of rape.
As a yandere, Ken was a mellow one up to like 96% of the book. When I identified the character type in the first pages, I was soooooo pumped! Imagine my disappointment when I saw he was not bringing out the crazy that such a character is capable of to its full potential. And then, at 96%, our boy Ken delivered and it was like:
BOOMSHAKALAKA!!
The highschool setting in the book, the Samhain festival at the end, the characters meeting and spending time at the arcade and at the coffee shop were also clichés used most often in anime and manga.
The most original parts of this story were the palate thingy and the separation in categories between horned people and tailed people. You don’t get much of an explanation as to why things are like that but you never do get much explanation in an anime or a manga either
So just take it as it is, without spending too much time to question why.
From a writing perspective I loved how funny Sota was. The jokes were smart, the flow was smooth and I connected with both Sota and Masa.
Overall 4.2.
This book delivered up to my expectations and I enjoyed it very much.
Of course I bought the next book in the series, because Mr. Yoshida, Sota’s counselor, is in that one. That’s another type of tsundere (the cold, indifferent one, not interesting in finding a loved one, but slowly broken by one relentless seme), different than Sota, and I will have soooo much fun with him.
(1)Otaku = hardcore anime fan
(2) fujoshi= Girls who enjoy yaoi (a genre in Japan that contains sexual and/or romantic relations between two men)
(3) fudanshi= Boys who enjoy yaoi
(4) uke = bottom
(5) seme = top
BL(5) = Boy's Love
*Free exchange for an honest review for MMRG under the DBML Program*
*opens closet door* Take it away, weirdo!
Otaku Xia Xia: On it!
Here’s to all my fujoshi(2) sisters and fudanshi(3) brothers, here’s to the otakus, closeted and out of the closet alike. Rejoice! because the West is finally beginning to get it and is crying “All aboard the anime/manga hype train”.
You to Me may not be the most original pea in the pod compared to other genre stories, but I gobbled up the smorgasbord of yaoi cliches/tropes like a parrot in a chocolate fountain. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!
And not just any cliches/tropes, but the tropes of yaoi & BL. RAWWR!
This book used almost every single cliche imaginable and I loved it.
Let’s start with the character stereotypes:
1.The Tsundere= characters that are stuck-up on the outside but loving on the inside. Often, tsunderes are embarrassed by or don't know what to do with their romantic feelings. They usually hide their feelings until the last moment. They are also completely oblivious of their own feelings or if someone has feelings for them.
Say hello to Sota Iso, our MC and a tsundere to the core.
He’s funny, he’s cute, he has a smart mouth and he’s the love interest of two characters. From the moment he appears you know he is an uke (4), a childish, pretty and blushy stereotype with a cute little bod. Several overused cliches form Sota’s background: he is from a single parent family, he is an overeater, he is usually late for school, and he has that childhood friend who always has his back (and is secretly in love with him). And the cherry on top, the trope of all tropes, he has an animal characteristic, in this case a tail. There is a genre called nekomimi - where a fictional character has cat ears on an otherwise human body, and possibly other feline characteristics such as a tail. Most of the tailed characters in this book have cat tails. Our boy has a petite which makes him even cuter, and more special. He also has light colored hair, another trope.
2. The Kuudere - a person who is calm and composed on the outside. They are the ones who are serious and always in charge of a situation. They never panic and are who everyone else turns to in a crisis.
Hello Masa Ito, Sota’s best friend who is the perfect example of a kuudere type.
Masa is the rock that grounds Sota, the shield that protects him and the one that comes up with the best way to get out of a tight spot. Also, you know Masa is a seme (5) from the first moment you read about him. He is almost one head taller than the uke (yes this is a trope), has a nicely build up bod and is dynamite in bed, even if he was a virgin when Sota and Masa first made love. He is secretly very smart and has black hair (a cliché)
And he has horns which makes him super alpha male in the fantasy anime genre.
3. How do you make things more interesting in a manga or anime especially if it's a yaoi? You release the yandere and you let him loose. Inside of a yandere is where the crazy lies. There are generally two types of yanderes, obsessive and possessive. When a yandere is built on its highest potential, things get bloody and sick. The Obsessives will kill anyone and everyone who stands in the way of them having their “true loves.” Possessives will go one step further and even kill the ones they love so that they won't end up with anyone else.
As anime stereotypes go, the yandere is my personal favorite character. I love to see them out of their mind with obsessive and possessive love for the MC, I love to see them destroy everything in their path to have the object of their sick love, even if it’s rape or murder.
Meet our yandere, Ken Jung. Yeah, baby!
Ken is the best athlete, the rich, handsome guy that every girl wants and every boy wants to be like. He has an expensive car, blonde hair (another trope) and he is absolutely obsessed with the MC, pushing things sometimes on the verge of rape.
As a yandere, Ken was a mellow one up to like 96% of the book. When I identified the character type in the first pages, I was soooooo pumped! Imagine my disappointment when I saw he was not bringing out the crazy that such a character is capable of to its full potential. And then, at 96%, our boy Ken delivered and it was like:
BOOMSHAKALAKA!!
The highschool setting in the book, the Samhain festival at the end, the characters meeting and spending time at the arcade and at the coffee shop were also clichés used most often in anime and manga.
The most original parts of this story were the palate thingy and the separation in categories between horned people and tailed people. You don’t get much of an explanation as to why things are like that but you never do get much explanation in an anime or a manga either
So just take it as it is, without spending too much time to question why.
From a writing perspective I loved how funny Sota was. The jokes were smart, the flow was smooth and I connected with both Sota and Masa.
Overall 4.2.
This book delivered up to my expectations and I enjoyed it very much.
Of course I bought the next book in the series, because Mr. Yoshida, Sota’s counselor, is in that one. That’s another type of tsundere (the cold, indifferent one, not interesting in finding a loved one, but slowly broken by one relentless seme), different than Sota, and I will have soooo much fun with him.
(1)Otaku = hardcore anime fan
(2) fujoshi= Girls who enjoy yaoi (a genre in Japan that contains sexual and/or romantic relations between two men)
(3) fudanshi= Boys who enjoy yaoi
(4) uke = bottom
(5) seme = top
BL(5) = Boy's Love
*Free exchange for an honest review for MMRG under the DBML Program*
January 25, 2025
Reread January 2025
So sweet and swoony!
Reread April 2023
I love these two so much. They are so cute together.
Originally read March 2022
OMFG! Why did I wait so long to read this?? I absolutely loved it. There was some angst... but not too much. There are some really dumb boys who can't get their heads out of their asses... but not too much. There are a few sexy scenes... but not too much.
Friends to lovers.
Mates.
Snark.
Possessiveness and jealousy.
And OMG, it was only from Sota's POV, but I. DIDN'T. EVEN. MISS. MASA's POV. I can't believe it. They're sweet and adorable.
I hated Ken (glad that bastard got what he deserved)
I greatly dislike Mei and wish Shiro would move on to someone better.
Loved the parentals and the whole tail/horns at transition concept. Loved the ties to the Gaelic holidays.
Just an all-around marvellous story.
So sweet and swoony!
Reread April 2023
I love these two so much. They are so cute together.
Originally read March 2022
OMFG! Why did I wait so long to read this?? I absolutely loved it. There was some angst... but not too much. There are some really dumb boys who can't get their heads out of their asses... but not too much. There are a few sexy scenes... but not too much.
Friends to lovers.
Mates.
Snark.
Possessiveness and jealousy.
And OMG, it was only from Sota's POV, but I. DIDN'T. EVEN. MISS. MASA's POV. I can't believe it. They're sweet and adorable.
I hated Ken (glad that bastard got what he deserved)
I greatly dislike Mei and wish Shiro would move on to someone better.
Loved the parentals and the whole tail/horns at transition concept. Loved the ties to the Gaelic holidays.
Just an all-around marvellous story.
Read
June 3, 2021Will the kid get raped? From the opening scene of sexual assault until the 97% point, that's the question driving the plot. Although very early on, that question morphs slightly to: Will the kid get raped AGAIN?
Will he be able to escape the rapist who's hunting him down? Will the rapist's group of buddies succeed in their attempts to capture the kid so he can be raped again? Will the kid be jumped by the rapist in the halls at school, on the walk home, on his frightened dash from his next-door neighbor's house to his own, or even inside his own house if he forgets to lock the door behind him?
Will he be able to overcome his trauma, and allow his love to touch him? That has to be worked through. Will he able to overcome his trauma, and allow his love to kiss him? That has to be worked through as well -- as does every step of increasing intimacy between the two of them. Will his flashbacks ever stop? Will he ever be able to talk about it with his counselor?
For me personally, no amount of adorable relationship antics between the kid and his love could compensate for the horror of seeing him terrorized by his rapist for the entirety of the book.
And yes, it was indeed rape, not "attempted" rape:
Will he be able to escape the rapist who's hunting him down? Will the rapist's group of buddies succeed in their attempts to capture the kid so he can be raped again? Will the kid be jumped by the rapist in the halls at school, on the walk home, on his frightened dash from his next-door neighbor's house to his own, or even inside his own house if he forgets to lock the door behind him?
Will he be able to overcome his trauma, and allow his love to touch him? That has to be worked through. Will he able to overcome his trauma, and allow his love to kiss him? That has to be worked through as well -- as does every step of increasing intimacy between the two of them. Will his flashbacks ever stop? Will he ever be able to talk about it with his counselor?
For me personally, no amount of adorable relationship antics between the kid and his love could compensate for the horror of seeing him terrorized by his rapist for the entirety of the book.
And yes, it was indeed rape, not "attempted" rape:
April 12, 2018
This was... Not what I expected, and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit! If we had half stars it would probably land at three and a half, but I enjoyed this more than just a three star-rating, so four it is.
I do think it's important to mention that there are explicit rape-attempts, and even though Sota 'laughs' it off in the beginning, he is most definitely not okay with it!
So for those of you with triggers, please be careful and proceed with caution.
*EDIT: As the lovely Teal pointed out:
What threw me off a wee bit, in the beginning was Sota's descriptions and attitude; Sota read very blasé about the whole thing and sort of didn't fight Ken?!
I actually thought for a few minutes that Ken would be the love-interest, and that it would be an 'enemies-to-lovers-type-thing'... So there's definitely something with the start of this one.
I think the sample of this book will give you a level of the explicit-ness and the language in general.
---------------------------------------------
Now when I got into it, I actually enjoyed this story quite a bit, and the reason for that was that is just WAS.
There was no crazy, elaborate worldbuilding, there were no explanations of why/how/when, and there were no weird POV shifts. This story just WAS in all it's simplicity and I kinda enjoyed that.
So! All children are born genderless, and at around six years old they develop a gender.
The next 'shift' happens when they turn eighteen and develop further and either become a tail or a horn (and it really just means that they grow a tail or horns... That's it, though the horns might be more assertive?)
Mostly people know when they near their 18th birthday what type they will become, though nothing is set in stone.
It seems that pairings hereafter are with horns and tails, and that they do have fated mates, BUT if you have found someone you love, nobody will care if you stay with them instead of searching for your mate. Very simple.
Sota and Masa have a dream that they will both be tails, and continue on being best friends, being close and living next door to each other with their (imaginary) girlfriends, however when their birthdays arrive things change and I for one am REALLY happy with the outcome.
Sota was DELICIOUSLY oblivious. Masa was deliciously protective/alpha-like without it being OTT and their experiments and smexy times were just generally delicious (the palate-thing was weird, but again not overly explained it just WAS and made for some pretty lovely mouth-play:-)
This story will definitely not be for all. It was quite simplistic at times and the first person narrative with only Sota's POV will annoy some.
I enjoyed Sota because he was a smartass, he made me laugh and I liked his development even though he was still very 'young' at the end of the book.
I have never read manga or yaoi or whatever it's called, however I have a feeling that this book follows some of the 'rules'/plot-types from this other type of story, but please do correct me if I'm wrong.
This story did make me consider figuring out what the whole manga/yaoi-thing is, since I liked the power balance between Sota and Masa.
I also really want to gave major props for Masa dragging Sota to 'therapy' and making sure that he talks to somebody about the bullying and the attempted rape.
I'm so happy that this was not a typical case of: "I totally don't need anybody, I'm fine and don't need help!"
The ending was a wee bit rushed and the
This was not a difficult book or a very complex one, but I really enjoyed it for it's simple take on it's world, and at no point did I feel that things were too simple or too difficult. It really just WAS.
So for those of you with triggers, please be careful and proceed with caution.
*EDIT: As the lovely Teal pointed out:
"As part of the transformation, the mouth physically transforms into a highly-sensitive new erogenous zone, and that kid's mouth was raped. With hands instead of a penis? Yeah, he just barely was spared that. But it was still an act of violent penetration."
What threw me off a wee bit, in the beginning was Sota's descriptions and attitude; Sota read very blasé about the whole thing and sort of didn't fight Ken?!
I actually thought for a few minutes that Ken would be the love-interest, and that it would be an 'enemies-to-lovers-type-thing'... So there's definitely something with the start of this one.
I think the sample of this book will give you a level of the explicit-ness and the language in general.
---------------------------------------------
Now when I got into it, I actually enjoyed this story quite a bit, and the reason for that was that is just WAS.
There was no crazy, elaborate worldbuilding, there were no explanations of why/how/when, and there were no weird POV shifts. This story just WAS in all it's simplicity and I kinda enjoyed that.
So! All children are born genderless, and at around six years old they develop a gender.
The next 'shift' happens when they turn eighteen and develop further and either become a tail or a horn (and it really just means that they grow a tail or horns... That's it, though the horns might be more assertive?)
Mostly people know when they near their 18th birthday what type they will become, though nothing is set in stone.
It seems that pairings hereafter are with horns and tails, and that they do have fated mates, BUT if you have found someone you love, nobody will care if you stay with them instead of searching for your mate. Very simple.
Sota and Masa have a dream that they will both be tails, and continue on being best friends, being close and living next door to each other with their (imaginary) girlfriends, however when their birthdays arrive things change and I for one am REALLY happy with the outcome.
Sota was DELICIOUSLY oblivious. Masa was deliciously protective/alpha-like without it being OTT and their experiments and smexy times were just generally delicious (the palate-thing was weird, but again not overly explained it just WAS and made for some pretty lovely mouth-play:-)
This story will definitely not be for all. It was quite simplistic at times and the first person narrative with only Sota's POV will annoy some.
I enjoyed Sota because he was a smartass, he made me laugh and I liked his development even though he was still very 'young' at the end of the book.
I have never read manga or yaoi or whatever it's called, however I have a feeling that this book follows some of the 'rules'/plot-types from this other type of story, but please do correct me if I'm wrong.
This story did make me consider figuring out what the whole manga/yaoi-thing is, since I liked the power balance between Sota and Masa.
I also really want to gave major props for Masa dragging Sota to 'therapy' and making sure that he talks to somebody about the bullying and the attempted rape.
I'm so happy that this was not a typical case of: "I totally don't need anybody, I'm fine and don't need help!"
The ending was a wee bit rushed and the
This was not a difficult book or a very complex one, but I really enjoyed it for it's simple take on it's world, and at no point did I feel that things were too simple or too difficult. It really just WAS.
May 11, 2020
4.75 stars
I rarely round up to 5 stars, but I have to here.
I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t two MCs who charmed the hell out of me.
The main characters, Sota and Masa, exist in the Japanese genre of Yaoi-and this is my first taste. I loved it.
Best friends since birth, the meek, smaller Sota is bullied and victimized by a classmate. But the larger, dominant Masa always comes to the rescue. In the midst of this bullying at school, these 2 best friends nervously await their 18th birthdays, when they’ll either sport a tail or a set of horns. These appendages represent sexual maturity and are erogenous zones.
Sota is adorable and who wouldn’t want a bf like Masa. The way the author wrote the interaction between these two is phenomenal and so fun.
Told in 1st person, single narration by Sota, we still get a wonderful, in-depth view of Masa’s feelings and ideas.
This friends to lovers, fated mates book is recommended for anyone who loves a good YA story-without giving up steamy scenes-a snarky, sarcastic MC, paranormal themes, and a sweet HEA.
I rarely round up to 5 stars, but I have to here.
I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t two MCs who charmed the hell out of me.
The main characters, Sota and Masa, exist in the Japanese genre of Yaoi-and this is my first taste. I loved it.
Best friends since birth, the meek, smaller Sota is bullied and victimized by a classmate. But the larger, dominant Masa always comes to the rescue. In the midst of this bullying at school, these 2 best friends nervously await their 18th birthdays, when they’ll either sport a tail or a set of horns. These appendages represent sexual maturity and are erogenous zones.
Sota is adorable and who wouldn’t want a bf like Masa. The way the author wrote the interaction between these two is phenomenal and so fun.
Told in 1st person, single narration by Sota, we still get a wonderful, in-depth view of Masa’s feelings and ideas.
This friends to lovers, fated mates book is recommended for anyone who loves a good YA story-without giving up steamy scenes-a snarky, sarcastic MC, paranormal themes, and a sweet HEA.
October 11, 2025
Paranormal, friends since birth to lovers, next-door neighbors, YA, fated mates.
This was the first book where I felt like I could tag it “secret relationship” and “fake relationship” at the same time, which was a little weird haha. But Masa and Sota are faking their relationship at school to keep the school bully away from Sota, while at the same time keeping their quickly-developing real relationship a secret from their parents.
Premise: When they turn 18, everybody becomes either a horn or a tail. The beginning of the book gives a fantastic little bit of world-building to explain the horns/tails, genders, and developmental stages.
I really enjoyed this book. It's nearly 400 pages and I breezed right through it. I enjoyed being in Sota's head, and as much as I love dual POV, it was totally unnecessary here; Masa might as well carry around a billboard broadcasting his feelings for Sota. The two other friends Masa and Sota make, Shiro and Mei, took time to like but they grew on me. I got to the end and actually really liked Mei a lot. I hope we get to see more of her in future books. Sota and Masa had lovely parents, and Sota had a school counselor that seemed genuinely helpful and caring. Even if Sota struggled a lot with talking about things.
!!Spoilers and TW situations ahead!!
For the warnings: The school bully isn't just a bully. TW, he is a and is constantly trying to get Sota alone. The book opens with Sota being This is the first few pages of the book; if you read this and that scene is too much for you, put it down immediately, because it gets worse for Sota. He later shoves his fingers in Sota's mouth, which is a wildly erogenous zone for Tails. Sota experiences real, actual body betrayal; he's instantly turned on and desperate to come, even as he's sickened and horrified by his reaction and desperate to get away. Masa does rescue Sota, but this really didn't feel like he was "saved just in time." Masa is not aware of how bad it was for Sota.
Drawback: the book needs an editor. There were several words misspelled or used incorrectly, as well as simple issues like subject/verb agreement, tense, etc. Just a heads up.
This was the first book where I felt like I could tag it “secret relationship” and “fake relationship” at the same time, which was a little weird haha. But Masa and Sota are faking their relationship at school to keep the school bully away from Sota, while at the same time keeping their quickly-developing real relationship a secret from their parents.
Premise: When they turn 18, everybody becomes either a horn or a tail. The beginning of the book gives a fantastic little bit of world-building to explain the horns/tails, genders, and developmental stages.
I really enjoyed this book. It's nearly 400 pages and I breezed right through it. I enjoyed being in Sota's head, and as much as I love dual POV, it was totally unnecessary here; Masa might as well carry around a billboard broadcasting his feelings for Sota. The two other friends Masa and Sota make, Shiro and Mei, took time to like but they grew on me. I got to the end and actually really liked Mei a lot. I hope we get to see more of her in future books. Sota and Masa had lovely parents, and Sota had a school counselor that seemed genuinely helpful and caring. Even if Sota struggled a lot with talking about things.
!!Spoilers and TW situations ahead!!
For the warnings: The school bully isn't just a bully. TW, he is a and is constantly trying to get Sota alone. The book opens with Sota being This is the first few pages of the book; if you read this and that scene is too much for you, put it down immediately, because it gets worse for Sota. He later shoves his fingers in Sota's mouth, which is a wildly erogenous zone for Tails. Sota experiences real, actual body betrayal; he's instantly turned on and desperate to come, even as he's sickened and horrified by his reaction and desperate to get away. Masa does rescue Sota, but this really didn't feel like he was "saved just in time." Masa is not aware of how bad it was for Sota.
Drawback: the book needs an editor. There were several words misspelled or used incorrectly, as well as simple issues like subject/verb agreement, tense, etc. Just a heads up.
February 8, 2019
2.5 stars
I am actually putting this one down for now. Stopping at 75%
Maybe it’s because of my expectations, but when I started this book I wasn’t expecting so much high school drama. On top of the high school drama, there is jealousy. I love jealousy when it’s the right kind, but this jealousy was petty and childish and it didn’t feel good to read.
Sota is really hot and cold. I am not a big fan of his personality, which naturally gravitates to complicating most things.. and whinnyness.. he was really whinny.
I pushed through all of that and eventually decided to stop when I just started getting bored and lost interest. I got to the point where I didn’t really care what happened next. So, I decided to start another book and leave this one at 75% for a bit.. it will probably be a DNF for me.
I’m in the minority here, but that’s how I felt.
I am actually putting this one down for now. Stopping at 75%
Maybe it’s because of my expectations, but when I started this book I wasn’t expecting so much high school drama. On top of the high school drama, there is jealousy. I love jealousy when it’s the right kind, but this jealousy was petty and childish and it didn’t feel good to read.
Sota is really hot and cold. I am not a big fan of his personality, which naturally gravitates to complicating most things.. and whinnyness.. he was really whinny.
I pushed through all of that and eventually decided to stop when I just started getting bored and lost interest. I got to the point where I didn’t really care what happened next. So, I decided to start another book and leave this one at 75% for a bit.. it will probably be a DNF for me.
I’m in the minority here, but that’s how I felt.
April 25, 2018
A copy of this book was provided by the author in return for an honest review via Goodsread Don’t Buy My Love program.
Aw…. This was super sweet and funny. A definite trigger warning for any who might need it. Some serious angst with the . I loved the little interjections of humor, the Poptart and Toaster pet names. Sota is immensely funny with his “thoughts”. Good descriptions of first sex and teenage drama. Great world building, twisting our modern one with the gender determination at ten, and then growing either a tail or horns at age 18. Even the scenes of intimacy were exceptional. A lovely friends to lovers story: fated mates who happen to have always been BFFs.
NOTE: Book two’s main character is introduced here, but that story is not YA.
Aw…. This was super sweet and funny. A definite trigger warning for any who might need it. Some serious angst with the . I loved the little interjections of humor, the Poptart and Toaster pet names. Sota is immensely funny with his “thoughts”. Good descriptions of first sex and teenage drama. Great world building, twisting our modern one with the gender determination at ten, and then growing either a tail or horns at age 18. Even the scenes of intimacy were exceptional. A lovely friends to lovers story: fated mates who happen to have always been BFFs.
NOTE: Book two’s main character is introduced here, but that story is not YA.
Read
September 24, 2018This would be a sweet and cute story if not for the rapist. Sadly, with the existence of a rapist, the undeveloped aspects of this story were brought into the limelight. The lack of world building and character development, especially for Masa, really irked me. The thing that saved this story from being rated 1* is the cuddling :P
April 25, 2018
YA/NA is not my favorite genre. But there was so much about this I loved.
Sota and Masa have been friends forever. And Sota wants them to continue this way. But change is coming. On their 18 birthdays they mature into Tails or Horns, basically getting a Tail or Horns. Tails and Horns are separated due to their different natures so Sota hopes Masa is Tail like him. It does not turn out like Sota hoped.
Both characters are so relatable, from Sota who hopes desperately his BFF is going to be a Tail like him so they can stay together, and his fear, shame, and unwillingness to talk about Ken, the Horn who bullies him and won’t let him be, to Masa who loves Sota secretly and won’t tell, and hides his secret, not just the love but the fact he knows he’s a Horn, and takes several days to decide how to tell him.
It was angsty, teenagy but so easy to understand. The sexual assault in this story was harsh, and sad, and rage inducing, and like everything else completely real and relatable. The relentless bullying and violence Sota endures time and time again that hit me right in the heart. Millions of people endure this kind of abuse every day and while I knew what would ultimately happen, the crumbs were there and it was obvious from the beginning, it still pleased me so much when it happened and Masa stepped in to make the choice he needed to save his friend.
There is no insta lust or love, Sota needs time to grips with his life and Masa is there backing him every step of the way. The author does such a fabulous job of showing the reader the world building without huge info dumps. I learned what I needed to know at the time I needed to know it.
I loved both characters so much. It wasn’t till the end that I realized the entire books was in Sota’s POV. And though part of me is disappointed, I think it was better that way. Sota’s journey was not simple and required all our time in his head to understand.
Overall this was lovely. Engaging, emotional, and I couldn’t put it down.
I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review as part of the Goodreads M/M DBML program.
Sota and Masa have been friends forever. And Sota wants them to continue this way. But change is coming. On their 18 birthdays they mature into Tails or Horns, basically getting a Tail or Horns. Tails and Horns are separated due to their different natures so Sota hopes Masa is Tail like him. It does not turn out like Sota hoped.
Both characters are so relatable, from Sota who hopes desperately his BFF is going to be a Tail like him so they can stay together, and his fear, shame, and unwillingness to talk about Ken, the Horn who bullies him and won’t let him be, to Masa who loves Sota secretly and won’t tell, and hides his secret, not just the love but the fact he knows he’s a Horn, and takes several days to decide how to tell him.
It was angsty, teenagy but so easy to understand. The sexual assault in this story was harsh, and sad, and rage inducing, and like everything else completely real and relatable. The relentless bullying and violence Sota endures time and time again that hit me right in the heart. Millions of people endure this kind of abuse every day and while I knew what would ultimately happen, the crumbs were there and it was obvious from the beginning, it still pleased me so much when it happened and Masa stepped in to make the choice he needed to save his friend.
There is no insta lust or love, Sota needs time to grips with his life and Masa is there backing him every step of the way. The author does such a fabulous job of showing the reader the world building without huge info dumps. I learned what I needed to know at the time I needed to know it.
I loved both characters so much. It wasn’t till the end that I realized the entire books was in Sota’s POV. And though part of me is disappointed, I think it was better that way. Sota’s journey was not simple and required all our time in his head to understand.
Overall this was lovely. Engaging, emotional, and I couldn’t put it down.
I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review as part of the Goodreads M/M DBML program.
April 13, 2021
Re-read 4/12-13/21-- still a fantastic story, and I'm still completely in love with adorable Sota and protective Masa, who are both so head over heels for each other. Author recently said she has more in store for this universe -- squeeee!
Original review: Fantastic world building! The exposition here is beautifully subtle and well woven into the action of the story. Sota is so entertaining as a narrator -- I loved the single POV instead of trying to sort out MC internal thoughts. The cover gives away the main plot twist, but it's obvious from the beginning what's going to happen on their birthday -- I can't wait to read the rest of the series and wish I had more of this world in store (Mei? Shiro? Sota's Mom, pretty please?!) to look forward to devouring.
Original review: Fantastic world building! The exposition here is beautifully subtle and well woven into the action of the story. Sota is so entertaining as a narrator -- I loved the single POV instead of trying to sort out MC internal thoughts. The cover gives away the main plot twist, but it's obvious from the beginning what's going to happen on their birthday -- I can't wait to read the rest of the series and wish I had more of this world in store (Mei? Shiro? Sota's Mom, pretty please?!) to look forward to devouring.
July 12, 2021
Wow - I loved this! A refreshingly different type of mates story to what I’ve read recently, with people getting either tails or horns on their 18th birthday.
This had great character development, some nifty side characters and a beautiful friends-to-lovers story, that although I think would be classed as YA, reads as a very mature story.
Will definitely pick up book two.
This had great character development, some nifty side characters and a beautiful friends-to-lovers story, that although I think would be classed as YA, reads as a very mature story.
Will definitely pick up book two.
September 29, 2022
Well this is just adorable! I am kind of annoyed though at being taunted with an endless supply of desserts throughout with not a single sweet treat in my apartment! Haha
March 13, 2019
Really cute read!
January 30, 2021
Captivating. Fantastic World-building. Heartfelt.
Why did I waited until now to read this book?
Shame on me , as You to Me - Tails × Horns book 1 - is a welcome and refreshing NA story that's has meaning, beautiful message , passion and sensuality all wrapped around an interesting and layered world-building ; that I am excited and eager to learn more about it.
In conclusion, You to Me made me laugh , cry and everything in between. Yes, I recommend it.
Why did I waited until now to read this book?
Shame on me , as You to Me - Tails × Horns book 1 - is a welcome and refreshing NA story that's has meaning, beautiful message , passion and sensuality all wrapped around an interesting and layered world-building ; that I am excited and eager to learn more about it.
In conclusion, You to Me made me laugh , cry and everything in between. Yes, I recommend it.
August 31, 2025
Horns & Tails 🥰
I have read this series probably a hundred times. I wish I had it in hardback form. If you haven’t read this series I highly recommend it. The world building is unbelievable and so awesome throughout.
Masa and Soto are so adorable together and I love that they have been friends forever. I cannot give away the story, but I wish everyone could find this kind of happiness. 💜💜
I have read this series probably a hundred times. I wish I had it in hardback form. If you haven’t read this series I highly recommend it. The world building is unbelievable and so awesome throughout.
Masa and Soto are so adorable together and I love that they have been friends forever. I cannot give away the story, but I wish everyone could find this kind of happiness. 💜💜
November 16, 2021
3.5 really cute. I liked it
June 13, 2025
This was a really interesting take on bio-kink and the concept of gender. Up until 6 you do not have a biological gender, then at 6 your gender presents as male or female, finally, at 18 you either grow a tail or horns (become the sub/dom) but it’s not as strong on the biological need to sub/dom as other biokink books such as Marina Vivancos or Jamie Kassel.
I normally avoid single POV but it worked here. I also liked the cultural elements as it wasn’t based on a western society. It just covered the MCs during this shortish time period of maybe a month and I would have like an epilogue once they’d headed to college - which is at 20 in this world. I recommend if you like coming of age, biokink and friends to lovers.
Please do check your CW as there’s two attempts at SA on page.
I normally avoid single POV but it worked here. I also liked the cultural elements as it wasn’t based on a western society. It just covered the MCs during this shortish time period of maybe a month and I would have like an epilogue once they’d headed to college - which is at 20 in this world. I recommend if you like coming of age, biokink and friends to lovers.
Please do check your CW as there’s two attempts at SA on page.
October 5, 2016
I'm sitting here with a smile on my face. Sota and Masa are simply adorable. I just want to wrap my arms around them and never let go. Sota's so clueless, but Masa's patience with him is perfect. I loved this book so much that I literally couldn't stop reading once I'd started. If not for work and sleep, I'd have been done last night. I can't wait to see what more Ms. Forester does in this universe, because I want to devour it all.
The second I was told about this story, I knew I had to read it. It's right up my alley. I love boys in love with each other, because they're always so unbearably goofy and snarky and completely endearing. I'm so glad I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy, because waiting until the 11th to read it would have been far too long.
Non-spoilery review: If you enjoy BL or Yaoi, this is definitely for you. Especially if you enjoy mating stories. You won't be able to forget these two.
The second I was told about this story, I knew I had to read it. It's right up my alley. I love boys in love with each other, because they're always so unbearably goofy and snarky and completely endearing. I'm so glad I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy, because waiting until the 11th to read it would have been far too long.
Non-spoilery review: If you enjoy BL or Yaoi, this is definitely for you. Especially if you enjoy mating stories. You won't be able to forget these two.
July 21, 2017
This book was a pleasant surprise. It was a perfect mixture of cute, steamy, and serious; giving an accessible take on relationships and roles with a fantasy tweak.
Plot summary: Masa and Sota are best friends awaiting their last transition into adults (in regards to their relationship roles) either the dominant Horns, or submissive Tails. Sota, who is certain he will be a Tails wants the same for Masa.(putting this in a way that hopefully spoils absolutely nothing) Transitions occur. Sexy shenanigans ensue. **Trigger warning: In the beginning of the story there are instances of sexual aggression and bullying. (however I personally think that the serious issue of sexually based bullying was handled very well, and was in no way romanticizing of the heinous action)
After little ado, this book was recommended to me by my best friend, but I was tentative going in. I ended up liking it so much that this is my first review (apologies for any awkwardness)
I think the best thing about this book are the characters so they will be the main focus; however this book was highly original in social building and plot.
With no preparation I was shocked at my attachment to Sota in the first few chapters.
He a perfect oblivious little tulip and I want to shelter him from the world, that sarcastic floofy idiot.
I thought that was it then Masa showed up with his equal perfection. He's a hunk of understanding sweetness, who just says everything that you want to hear, that bastard
These characters are deep and well developed, interacting in realistic ways to difficult decisions. their voices were original and entertaining. Even the side characters; family members, friends acquaintances, and antagonists, are easy to follow and encounter.
The romantic aspects of this book were a great balance of sweet and steamy with development of the relationship rationally as well as sexually. There's a lot of introspection and and thought put into everything. The descriptions of the ...sex scenes... are also something to enjoy.
Honestly the best thing about this novel is the ease and creation of this world where gender and sex are not static and/or judged. I have read novels in the past either featuring or starring LGBT characters, and there has always been some level of stereotyping, or detriment to the relationship based on the influence of others and conflict. This book set up a world where a gay relationship was not taboo, or frowned upon. It simply was; and this portrayal let me experience relationships based purely on the type of people the partners were.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend
Plot summary: Masa and Sota are best friends awaiting their last transition into adults (in regards to their relationship roles) either the dominant Horns, or submissive Tails. Sota, who is certain he will be a Tails wants the same for Masa.(putting this in a way that hopefully spoils absolutely nothing) Transitions occur. Sexy shenanigans ensue. **Trigger warning: In the beginning of the story there are instances of sexual aggression and bullying. (however I personally think that the serious issue of sexually based bullying was handled very well, and was in no way romanticizing of the heinous action)
After little ado, this book was recommended to me by my best friend, but I was tentative going in. I ended up liking it so much that this is my first review (apologies for any awkwardness)
I think the best thing about this book are the characters so they will be the main focus; however this book was highly original in social building and plot.
With no preparation I was shocked at my attachment to Sota in the first few chapters.
He a perfect oblivious little tulip and I want to shelter him from the world, that sarcastic floofy idiot.
I thought that was it then Masa showed up with his equal perfection. He's a hunk of understanding sweetness, who just says everything that you want to hear, that bastard
These characters are deep and well developed, interacting in realistic ways to difficult decisions. their voices were original and entertaining. Even the side characters; family members, friends acquaintances, and antagonists, are easy to follow and encounter.
The romantic aspects of this book were a great balance of sweet and steamy with development of the relationship rationally as well as sexually. There's a lot of introspection and and thought put into everything. The descriptions of the ...sex scenes... are also something to enjoy.
Honestly the best thing about this novel is the ease and creation of this world where gender and sex are not static and/or judged. I have read novels in the past either featuring or starring LGBT characters, and there has always been some level of stereotyping, or detriment to the relationship based on the influence of others and conflict. This book set up a world where a gay relationship was not taboo, or frowned upon. It simply was; and this portrayal let me experience relationships based purely on the type of people the partners were.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend
September 20, 2018
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The yaoi-feel mixture of coming of age, soulmates, and erotica really worked. And it’s just plain sweet and fun, usually. There’s the requisite bad-guy bully to give on-going tension. Actually, the bad guy is a psychopath who forces himself on our sweet POV character, Sota. Some of the scenes are hard to read. *A warning for non-consensual attacks. But I love Masa, Sota’s BFF, who has a secret of his own to reveal and is always there for Sota. Also, the growing of a tail or horns is an interesting and different take to transitioning to adulthood. (I think I really related to the frequent mention of chocolatey goodness in the all sweets Sota would constantly eat up. Yum.)
November 20, 2021
I actually wanted to read this because of the cover. I love the cover. Not much angst, it was a cute little story. The world building is very different than I am use to but I really like it. You aren't hand fed all of it. There is a still bit of a gap of knowledge though (which just makes me want to read more in the series!) Still I felt the influence of Yaoi in the story. It really fits in with that style of writing. I just fell in love with the characters and their romance. Sota is all brash and huff but a marshmallow inside. Masa is strong and silent but is so in love with Sota. Fun story. I'm off to by the rest of the series ;)
May 6, 2024
cute as heck! Really enjoyed it, and I'm not usually a fan of characters this young, so that's saying something. I think the alternate universe really made the difference.
February 7, 2018
Sota and Masa, next door neighbors, classmates, best friends. Born hours apart they have gone through everything together but the biggest change of all is coming. At 18 you transition and on the hour of your birth, you grow a tail or horns. Classes change, friends change, mates start to search for one another. Sota and Mesa planned to stay together when each grows a tail but fate intervened. For the first time ever they will be separated if only in class. Neither plans to allow the separation in school to come between their closeness. However, the girls have their sites set on Mesa and a violent bully wants to claim Sota as his own. Is their best friend status at risk, will they drift apart or become even more important to one another?
This is an amazing coming of age story. There are authors that you know you can depend on to fill certain reading desires you may have. You know who to go to if you want a strong heroine or an action-packed story, sexy times or teenage angst. When you pick up a book by Lyn Forester you know that you are going to be transported into another world. Her world building skills are exceptional. The layering, the attention to detail, the subtle nuances she adds change the everyday world we live in into an original creation all her own. But what I have also come to realize is that she is extraordinary at portraying M/M relationships. I first fell in love with her men of Port Lapton, Malachi and Aiden. In House of Glass Declan and Felix are so good together I have concerns for the female of the RH. Now in You to Me, I have found a new young couple to love, Masa and Sota. Masa is the ideal. He's loving, protective, accepting, indulging. Sota is an adorable, sarcastic goof unaware of how cute he is. The two together are a delight. Best friends that know each other, as well as they, know themselves, hidden feelings, new love, lasting love, forever love. Simply perfect. The boy's relationship is a nice balance of sweet and sexy. There's a lot of personal inner thoughts and conversation between the boys and the sexy times are highly enjoyable. Had the book only had these two characters I would have loved it but even the side characters in this book are perfect. The lovely parents; the awkward, unfiltered un-transitioned classmate; the not-so-bad mean girl, the nasty bully, the counselor all fill their role thoroughly.
This book has one other special message that should be mentioned. This is a world where gender and sex are not static, where they don't seem to be slotted into a particular role, and they are not judged. Even the worry over tails and horns seems to be normal teenage angst and not attached to any preconceived stigmas. People are people, love is love. I can't tell you how refreshing that is! On a more superficial note, the new cover is way more eye-catching than the original cover. This book is a true gem.
This is an amazing coming of age story. There are authors that you know you can depend on to fill certain reading desires you may have. You know who to go to if you want a strong heroine or an action-packed story, sexy times or teenage angst. When you pick up a book by Lyn Forester you know that you are going to be transported into another world. Her world building skills are exceptional. The layering, the attention to detail, the subtle nuances she adds change the everyday world we live in into an original creation all her own. But what I have also come to realize is that she is extraordinary at portraying M/M relationships. I first fell in love with her men of Port Lapton, Malachi and Aiden. In House of Glass Declan and Felix are so good together I have concerns for the female of the RH. Now in You to Me, I have found a new young couple to love, Masa and Sota. Masa is the ideal. He's loving, protective, accepting, indulging. Sota is an adorable, sarcastic goof unaware of how cute he is. The two together are a delight. Best friends that know each other, as well as they, know themselves, hidden feelings, new love, lasting love, forever love. Simply perfect. The boy's relationship is a nice balance of sweet and sexy. There's a lot of personal inner thoughts and conversation between the boys and the sexy times are highly enjoyable. Had the book only had these two characters I would have loved it but even the side characters in this book are perfect. The lovely parents; the awkward, unfiltered un-transitioned classmate; the not-so-bad mean girl, the nasty bully, the counselor all fill their role thoroughly.
This book has one other special message that should be mentioned. This is a world where gender and sex are not static, where they don't seem to be slotted into a particular role, and they are not judged. Even the worry over tails and horns seems to be normal teenage angst and not attached to any preconceived stigmas. People are people, love is love. I can't tell you how refreshing that is! On a more superficial note, the new cover is way more eye-catching than the original cover. This book is a true gem.
September 15, 2025
First off, I love this book. Loved the characters, loved the relationships and omegaverse-ish*** interactions, loved the (surprising, to me at least) mental health representation and depiction of a survivor who refuses to be a victim. I immediately added this one to my favorites shelf and will probably reread it in the future. (Also, I don’t often feel compelled to review books even when I loved them, so that should be telling right there.)
Second off, whew! I thought I was getting a light and fluffy read and while it had all the cozy vibes and snarky, silly banter I wanted, it also had some fairly dark moments. No spoilers, but if there aren’t trigger warnings there probably should be (I can’t remember and I’ve already returned my copy. I’ll include my own content warnings at the very end to avoid spoilers here).
Third and last, I’m seriously impressed by this author’s ability to show compassionate but realistic depictions of what feels like real people. The good guys are flawed even when trying their best, and the bad guys aren’t pure Evil (although That One Guy comes pretty close 🤬 and I would absolutely help Masa with his murder dreams).
5/5 stars, plenty of good 🌶️, would definitely recommend! (Unless the content warnings hit too close to home. Your mental health comes first—please take care of yourself. ❤️)
***I debated whether to label this under omegaverse or not because it isn’t the traditional A/B/O setup, but ultimately I think it can be classed under that umbrella because you have secondary genders & fated mates and how those affects culture, relationships, and individual interactions. (On a random note, if I ever go to a graduate school I will find a way to write an in-depth analysis of omegaverse. Secondary genders are *fascinating*, and my inner nerd wants to do sociological *research*. 😂🤦♀️)
Content/trigger warnings below with potential spoilers
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Probably enough space, right?
Here are the content/trigger warnings that I think really should be mentioned, although there could potentially be ones I’ve missed.
- sexual harassment over years, ranging from inappropriate comments to unwanted touching and forced kissing (that line between harassment and assault blurs pretty quickly)
-stalking with backup
- on page, detailed sexual assault with involuntary biological reactions used against the character (inciting artificial arousal and taking advantage)
- fear of telling authorities (teachers, police, etc.) because perpetrator is respected in the community
- PTSD symptoms (although probably could have been worse since mc is usually a master at ignoring the things he doesn’t want to think about)
- on page sexual assault/coercion under threat of harm to others
Hopefully that gives enough of an idea to make an informed decision.
Peace out ✌️
Second off, whew! I thought I was getting a light and fluffy read and while it had all the cozy vibes and snarky, silly banter I wanted, it also had some fairly dark moments. No spoilers, but if there aren’t trigger warnings there probably should be (I can’t remember and I’ve already returned my copy. I’ll include my own content warnings at the very end to avoid spoilers here).
Third and last, I’m seriously impressed by this author’s ability to show compassionate but realistic depictions of what feels like real people. The good guys are flawed even when trying their best, and the bad guys aren’t pure Evil (although That One Guy comes pretty close 🤬 and I would absolutely help Masa with his murder dreams).
5/5 stars, plenty of good 🌶️, would definitely recommend! (Unless the content warnings hit too close to home. Your mental health comes first—please take care of yourself. ❤️)
***I debated whether to label this under omegaverse or not because it isn’t the traditional A/B/O setup, but ultimately I think it can be classed under that umbrella because you have secondary genders & fated mates and how those affects culture, relationships, and individual interactions. (On a random note, if I ever go to a graduate school I will find a way to write an in-depth analysis of omegaverse. Secondary genders are *fascinating*, and my inner nerd wants to do sociological *research*. 😂🤦♀️)
Content/trigger warnings below with potential spoilers
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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Probably enough space, right?
Here are the content/trigger warnings that I think really should be mentioned, although there could potentially be ones I’ve missed.
- sexual harassment over years, ranging from inappropriate comments to unwanted touching and forced kissing (that line between harassment and assault blurs pretty quickly)
-stalking with backup
- on page, detailed sexual assault with involuntary biological reactions used against the character (inciting artificial arousal and taking advantage)
- fear of telling authorities (teachers, police, etc.) because perpetrator is respected in the community
- PTSD symptoms (although probably could have been worse since mc is usually a master at ignoring the things he doesn’t want to think about)
- on page sexual assault/coercion under threat of harm to others
Hopefully that gives enough of an idea to make an informed decision.
Peace out ✌️
November 12, 2023
Finally got around to reading this one, and while I loved the story between Sota and Masa, I experienced way too much discomfort with the rape storyline to enjoy the book. I was on edge the entire book due to that horrific plotline, and I couldn't settle back and fully immerse myself into their story. It was relentless and completely unnecessary, in my opinion. That poor sweet boy did not deserve to be terrorized like that for THE ENTIRE BOOK. I also expected a lot more from Masa as Sota's much stronger mate. *sigh*
Having said that, the tail x horns universe is sooooo cute. I absolutely adore how everyone's tails totally give their emotions away. Of course Sota got a super cute fawn tail - that suits him. I really love the uniqueness of the tails x horns and the barbed tongue that fits into the grooves of their mate's mouth. It was just so interesting to read about something that is alpha/omega-lite. However, I also appreciated that other relationships aren't looked down upon by many of the people in this universe. There seems to still be appreciation for tail/tail or horn/horn relationships as well as couples who stay together in spite of not being mates. It truly is a Love Is Love universe!
“Why do you think I’m mad?"
“Well, aside from the obvious anger cloud, your tail is stiff.”
I drop my backpack to rest on top of it. “It does what it wants.”
“It does that when you’re angry,” he says behind me.
I stiffen. “Don’t think you know my tail better than I do.”
He moves to walk beside me, one easy stride for my hurried two. “When you’re sad, your tail droops. When you’re scared, it tucks in tight against your body.”
“Shut up.”
“And when you’re happy, it gets perky.” He counts them off as if he’s reading from a manual. “And it quivers when you’re excited.”
Masa's total awareness of Sota's tail expressions was absolutely adorable. I loved them together so so much. I also enjoyed the other 2 novellas for Sota and Masa since they deserved a fully romantic and sweet story.
Having said that, the tail x horns universe is sooooo cute. I absolutely adore how everyone's tails totally give their emotions away. Of course Sota got a super cute fawn tail - that suits him. I really love the uniqueness of the tails x horns and the barbed tongue that fits into the grooves of their mate's mouth. It was just so interesting to read about something that is alpha/omega-lite. However, I also appreciated that other relationships aren't looked down upon by many of the people in this universe. There seems to still be appreciation for tail/tail or horn/horn relationships as well as couples who stay together in spite of not being mates. It truly is a Love Is Love universe!
“Why do you think I’m mad?"
“Well, aside from the obvious anger cloud, your tail is stiff.”
I drop my backpack to rest on top of it. “It does what it wants.”
“It does that when you’re angry,” he says behind me.
I stiffen. “Don’t think you know my tail better than I do.”
He moves to walk beside me, one easy stride for my hurried two. “When you’re sad, your tail droops. When you’re scared, it tucks in tight against your body.”
“Shut up.”
“And when you’re happy, it gets perky.” He counts them off as if he’s reading from a manual. “And it quivers when you’re excited.”
Masa's total awareness of Sota's tail expressions was absolutely adorable. I loved them together so so much. I also enjoyed the other 2 novellas for Sota and Masa since they deserved a fully romantic and sweet story.
April 8, 2018
Refreshingly original New Adult premise. In this contemporary AU, children are born without gender and become male or female at age 7. At age 18, they have another major transition, where everyone sprouts either a pair of horns or a tail. “Horned” people are supposedly more aggressive and alpha, while “tailed” are the opposite, but the book’s characters turned out to be individuals with varying degrees of “dominance” in their personalities.
The concept was charmingly executed, with a deft balance of cuteness and practicality. I loved that the horns and tails were all different. Aside from the paranormal aspect, the romance was a traditional friends-to-lovers story. Standard high-school/college character tropes appear (the bully, the mean girl), but I was happily surprised by how the storylines were handled. The writing was excellent: smoothly flowing, grammatical, and engaging.
Possible triggers:
The woefully generic blurb, by the way, gives no indications of the book’s unique worldbuilding. I’m very glad I saw a promo post describing the horns and tails or I never would have picked this one up!
Recommended.
The concept was charmingly executed, with a deft balance of cuteness and practicality. I loved that the horns and tails were all different. Aside from the paranormal aspect, the romance was a traditional friends-to-lovers story. Standard high-school/college character tropes appear (the bully, the mean girl), but I was happily surprised by how the storylines were handled. The writing was excellent: smoothly flowing, grammatical, and engaging.
Possible triggers:
The woefully generic blurb, by the way, gives no indications of the book’s unique worldbuilding. I’m very glad I saw a promo post describing the horns and tails or I never would have picked this one up!
Recommended.
September 19, 2021
Loved this
I enjoyed reading this book so, so much. I will definitely be returning to reread it multiple times in the future. This was a very cozy friends-to-lovers with lots of great hurt/comfort and the author did an excellent job with pacing and building romantic tension. I also thought the author did a good job using Sato's tail to betray his inner feelings to the reader and to Masa without having to make Sato always have to blurt things in order to move the plot forward. I am not a very talkative person or a blurter but like many who read romance I do enjoy fantasies of being understood by a romantic partner so I love when an author can achieve those two things simultaneously for the MC (which is honestly easier to do in fantasy and probably part of why I love the genre).
For other readers of fanfiction:
This "read like a fanfiction" to me in that it
a) didn't have a significant plot outside the main romance (which I appreciated)
b) didn't mess around by inserting a compulsory 3rd act break-up (which I really appreciated) and
c) had the vibes of a/b/o (size difference, fated mates, some instinctive behaviors) though without the explicit biological biological aspects.
I enjoyed reading this book so, so much. I will definitely be returning to reread it multiple times in the future. This was a very cozy friends-to-lovers with lots of great hurt/comfort and the author did an excellent job with pacing and building romantic tension. I also thought the author did a good job using Sato's tail to betray his inner feelings to the reader and to Masa without having to make Sato always have to blurt things in order to move the plot forward. I am not a very talkative person or a blurter but like many who read romance I do enjoy fantasies of being understood by a romantic partner so I love when an author can achieve those two things simultaneously for the MC (which is honestly easier to do in fantasy and probably part of why I love the genre).
For other readers of fanfiction:
This "read like a fanfiction" to me in that it
a) didn't have a significant plot outside the main romance (which I appreciated)
b) didn't mess around by inserting a compulsory 3rd act break-up (which I really appreciated) and
c) had the vibes of a/b/o (size difference, fated mates, some instinctive behaviors) though without the explicit biological biological aspects.
September 2, 2019
The reason it took me so long to get through is, well it should've come with a trigger warning. There were a couple of scenes that made me reallllllly uncomfortable, and it made it hard for me enjoy the book. But all in all, its actually a wonderful love story.
When I picked this up after seeing in my news feed, I was more than intrigued. Who doesn't love a friends to lovers story? This book really fit the bill. You can feel the chemistry between the two main characters, and it never got old. Although I did find the protagonist Sota to be a bit immature sometimes, he still made me laugh.
The side characters even kept things interesting. Particularly Mei. Now I never like to leave spoilers, so this will be warning. Its a mild spoiler. Mei showing interest in Masa (Sota's soon to be mate) really kept the comical ball going.
This was indeed, an undiscovered gem. I hope more people do get around to reading it for themselves.
When I picked this up after seeing in my news feed, I was more than intrigued. Who doesn't love a friends to lovers story? This book really fit the bill. You can feel the chemistry between the two main characters, and it never got old. Although I did find the protagonist Sota to be a bit immature sometimes, he still made me laugh.
The side characters even kept things interesting. Particularly Mei. Now I never like to leave spoilers, so this will be warning. Its a mild spoiler. Mei showing interest in Masa (Sota's soon to be mate) really kept the comical ball going.
This was indeed, an undiscovered gem. I hope more people do get around to reading it for themselves.
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