My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex: Volume 1

継母の連れ子が元カノだった #1

by Kyosuke Kamishiro, Takaya-ki (Illustrator)

Ah, high school. Is there any better place to start fresh after a horrible middle school relationship? Nope! Not unless your ex ends up at the same school as you and is now your stepsibling. What was supposed to be a sanctuary of peace where I could avoid ever seeing her again has become a living nightmare! Everywhere I look, I see her—in my house, in my school, in my class. There's no escape! She even claims that she’s the older sibling. Like hell she is!

But I won't lose to her. After all, I'm the older brother in this new family situation. That’s right, we’re family now. No matter how much we may have thought we loved each other before, we saw one another’s true colors and realized we weren’t meant for each other. That’s why even though we may keep up a buddy-buddy sibling act for the sake of our parents, things will never go back to the way they used to be.

Genres: Light Novel, Manga, Romance, Fiction, Japan, Slice Of Life, Comedy

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2022

Reviews

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mizuto and Yume used to date in middle-school, but drifted apart and broke up. A month later, their parents announce they’re marrying, so the pair become step-siblings. They pretend everything is fine, but alone, they bicker and try to one-up each other. Biggest fight is about which one is the older sibling.

This was cute, but not as funny as I hoped. The relations between the two are surprisingly bitter considering their dating had been fairly low-key and hand-holding only. Once the school started and new characters were introduced, things picked up a bit, but not enough to make me continue.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a romance reader, this manga has a lot of potential. It starts off with the main characters having had a romantic history before becoming step siblings and addresses the awkwardness of that scenario. I liked the banter between the characters and the look back at how they were before the big transition.

However, I would say that there were areas that were contradictory that could be further fleshed out and used more effectively. The story was inconsistent with the personalities of the main characters. It shifted back and forth between having them be more innocent and reserved to being outright assertive and seductive. I could see starting off at one and ending in the other but it felt more like being on a rollercoaster with how much they would change from one moment to the next.

I am definitely interested in seeing where this manga goes.

Complementary copy received via Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed.

[Madeleine Knutsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This felt like a prequel to a porno..

[Iroha Miyumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

一年前に、水斗と結女は恋人です。然し、中学校を卒業した時、互いに別れます。けど皮肉ですか、一年後で彼らの父と母は互いに再結婚です。息子と娘の元恋人の関係知るず、親達は水斗と結女は無理矢理に仲良くします。大切な親の為に、彼らは深い感情を隠して、良いきょうだいの関係をフリします。この関係はどれぐらい堪えますか？元恋人ので、家でどんなエベントを起きますか？彼らの隠す感情だけを知ります。

恋愛の小説を比べ、この小説の雰囲気は違いますね？普通学校の恋人関係じゃなくて夫婦みたいの関係です。同じ家に住みので面白いのシチュエーションがあります。ストーリー進むながら、水斗と結女の元関係を少しずつをめせます。この過去のエピソードは大好きです。甘い酸っぱいの青春です。変わった恋愛の小説を探しなら、是非読んで下さい！

One year ago, Mizuto and Yume were lovers. However, when they graduated from middle school, they broke up with each other. But ironically, their parents remarry to each other a year later. Without knowing their son and daughter's former relationship, they force them to get along with each other as siblings. For their precious parents, Mizuto and Yume hide their feelings and fake a friendly relationship with each other. However, how long will this last? Because they were former lovers, what kind of events will happen at their house? Only their hidden feelings know the answer.

Compared to other romance novels, this one is different, isn't it? Mizuto and Yume's relationship is not the typical school lovers archetype, but almost like a husband and wife. Because they live in the same house, there are a lot of funny and interesting situations that occur. As the story progresses, Mizuto and Yume's former relationship is revealed bit by bit. I really loved these past episodes. It's a great example of how youth is both sweet and sour. If you are searching for a different love novel from the others, please read it!

[Adrienne Oliveri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

[Babydemon1998 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Udon Entertainment & Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I did not know what to expect from this story, whether it will be taken seriously, or goes on a more lighthearted line. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise, because it is equally romantic and unserious. The main characters seem to be a bit annoying for my liking, but I decided it's probably because they are teenagers and I am too old to be able to relate to them.
The panels are nicely executed, the drawings are dashing, and the atmosphere is top notch. I am curious how the story progresses, I am pretty sure I am going to continue the series.

[delusioanal | emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel follows Mizuto and Yume, two people who dated in secret and broke up because of mutual immaturity. Only to find out a month later that their parents are getting married, making these exes now step siblings. They both struggle with feelings for each other under their new relationship as siblings that they refuse to address. Making for some kinda weird awkward situations.

Funny moments and some tension, constant bickering. I really enjoyed this and am interested in continuing the series so I can see what else these two get up to. Not someone who has read many graphic novels but I could see myself getting into this, thank you!

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to UDON Entertainment, NetGalley, and Kyosuke Kamishiro for this ARC of “My Stepmom’s Daughter is my Ex.” This is the first volume in the series, so its automatic purpose is to present and begin the story, planting seeds to explore later in the series. As middle schoolers Mizuto and Yume were a couple. They break up in high school—only to find out that fate has other ideas. Mainly: they will be together again, but not as a couple, rather as siblings. As their parents are about remarry, the former couple has to live under the same roof. With the ultimate goal of getting along in order to not hinder their parents’ happiness, they accept the situation. Interestingly, they make a rule of brothers and sisters, whoever first feels attraction towards the other loses.

So. This was a thing. That I read. Yeah.

I honestly put it off because I predicted that there would be inc*st, given the title and synopsis. While there are definitely elements of that (the “rule”???), it does not solely rely on them. I don’t like the characters; they lack any depth that I feel would contribute to the sheer drama that a situation like this would stir up. Instead, we get an airhead tsundere female lead and an annoying, dull male lead. Even when they were together in middle school, they were at least funny. The dialogue is another thing—far too much telling and not showing. The art is…fine. It’s not particularly bad or great, just…there.

Overall, I didn’t like this manga. I will probably not be reading any other parts of this series. Apparently, there is an anime and light novels, both of which I, again, will probably not be watching/reading.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the fan translated Kindle version and was surprisingly enjoyable despite the title. More of a romance comedy than anything else, but I liked the perspective of them being each other's first Ex's since most romances feature couples getting together, not breaking apart but being forced to be in close proximity to each other. Both protagonists are reasonably funny/likable and good people too, like how she was watching out for people trying to use him while he tried to protect her from her crazed stalker friend without her knowing.

I didn't love it though. I don't enjoy all the perspective jumps back to when they were dating, and I also thought the stalker subplot was resolved a bit easily, plus the two's end was really ambiguous, still insulting each other but seeming to be good and nice to each other? I also felt some chapters weren't really necessary or were fillery, like when she made a big deal of putting his clothing back.

But it also had some cute and some minorly funny moments (I don't think I LOLed in real life much but still smiled/maybe chuckled and did enjoy the situation)

I'm not sure if I'll continue. I suspect it'll be the same with the author trying to maintain the status quo while introducing characters to create conflict or tension? And I'm not sure if I'd enjoy that since I usually do prefer some actual development or resolution.

But for a light, easy read, it was fine and decent. Enjoyable enough to pass the time with its romance/comedy in a simple enough school setting and setup though not perfect.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mizuto and Yume’s parents get remarried to each other, making them step siblings. Thing is, they dated each other in middle school. Instead of telling their parents, they decide to pretend not to know each other, and maybe even like each other, in front of their parents. But in reality, they can barely stand each other and squabble all the time. Trapped in the same house they have no choice but to work out their differences…while trying to establish dominance over each other and decide once and for all who the “big” sibling is. Big Sister or Big Brother. Lol

The volume gives you some backstory and the read slowly realizes that maybe their differences are because of miscommunication and some personal growth, at least on Yume’s side. Mizuto’s jealous streak shows throughout the flashbacks. It doesn’t help that the boys in their class are openly using him to try and get closer to Yume… The bitterness and snarky-ness between them, in private, seems pretty on par for teenagers when forced into proximity to their ex.

For a first volume, this was pretty good. The reader gets enough backstory by the end that you get a bit of an idea how this is going to go…maybe. I have theories! I enjoyed the art and may a just say, any close up of people’s faces had some exquisite work done to make the eyes ‘come alive’ on the page.

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musste im ersten Moment ein wenig an »Dein Verlangen gehört mir« von Ai Hibiki denken - zumindest hat mich der Zeichenstil etwas daran erinnert und auch das Stiefgeschwister-Thema - war dann aber doch ein wenig anders. Und wie es immer so ist: entweder man mag das Setting oder man hasst es 😂 ich find's oft ganz witzig und unterhaltsam (liebe zb ja »Marmalade Boy« von Wataru Yoshizumi sehr). Hier begleiten wir ein früheres Pärchen, das durch die Heirat ihrer Eltern zu Stiefgeschwistern wird und von nun an unter einem Dach zusammenlebt. Ebenso gehen sie auf dieselbe Schule und landen in der gleichen Klasse. Außer ihnen beiden weiß niemand, dass sie mal zusammen waren (da sie es einfach für sich behalten wollten damals). Und so nimmt dann natürlich das Chaos seinen Lauf..
Der Manga erfindet nichts neu, irgendwie hat man alles schonmal ähnlich erlebt, doch ich find die beiden eigentlich ganz süß. Im ersten Band tasten sie sich eher noch aneinander an und es fühlt sich mehr wie ein Prolog an. Würde aber ggf schon noch den nächsten Band lesen und anhand dessen mich dann entscheiden, ob's weitergehen soll oder nicht. Man merkt schon, dass es mehr an Teenager gerichtet ist, denn die können sich am besten in die Gedanken hineinversetzen - im Erwachsenenalter schwelgt man eher in Erinnerungen, haha. Nichtsdestotrotz find ich das Artwork auch ganz schön, ebenso hat es einige Details. Ich hatte meinen Spaß und wer seichte RomCom mag, wird hier sicherlich auch Spaß dran haben können 😄

[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Stepmom's Daughter is my Ex is something I probably wouldn't read otherwise, but I wanted to try it to see if there's any progress in the genre. At least in this case there was and this is actually better what I originally thought. But that's all thanks to Irido Mizuto alone. So, our main characters are Irido Mizuto and Ayai Yume, who used to date, but not anymore. But, as luck would have it, their parents got together and now they are half siblings. They kept their dating a secret, so now the whole thing is solely their inner battle and their bickering is only theirs as they need to pretend to be in good terms in front of the others. Well, the guy is actually the only good thing in the series, since he's very normal. This is why I said Irido is best. The girl is your average bimbo, who acts like every other "don't tease me onii-chan" character out there. Meh meh.

The art is OK, the characters look a little too wooden for my liking and I don't really enjoy the ecchi moments either. So, art-wise this is basic. There are some good moments too and even humor, but I don't see that much opportunities to improvement to continue reading.

[Liloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Udon Entertainment and Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Hilarious and Heartwarming Rom-Com with Compelling Characters
"My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex" is a delightful manga that blends humor, heartwarming moments, and relatable characters to create a truly engaging read.

What makes this manga shine is its ability to capture the complexities of relationships and the awkwardness of navigating emotions. Their interactions are both funny and endearing, as they try to figure out their new dynamic while dealing with their past feelings. The supporting characters, like friends and family, add depth and humor to the story.

The artwork is vibrant and expressive, perfectly capturing the characters' emotions and the lighthearted tone of the manga. The pacing is well-balanced, keeping readers engaged and invested in the characters' journey.

"My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex" is a must-read for fans of rom-com manga who enjoy stories with relatable characters and heartwarming moments.

[E (manga_runner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

-quick read
-NetGalley & UDON Entertainment read
For volume one, I thought it was a good start but would definitely like to see more from the characters and some character development.
As the title says it's about two ex who's parents get married to each other, but the two are acting like they never met. There are some moments where there is a flashback to give the reader some context of what their relationship was like and basically how it ended.

Something I did enjoy was the change in perspective, as it wasn't solely from one of their views. The banter between them was good, as it is definitely something even siblings do and to some extent trying to keep those with alternative motives away from one another- both now appear to have a sibling complex to their classmates. As you can imagine there is fan service, but honestly just from the title you can kinda expect there would be.
*This is probably one of the better ex/crush becomes step sibling trope I have read.

[Summer Song · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading! This manga is a quick read, the characters are likable, and the art style is very pretty! The artist has done great work capturing and expressing the various complicated emotions that the character's are feeling. I thought this was very well-done! The constant bickering between the FMC and MMC was entertaining to read. This manga is cute, fun, and entertaining! It also touches on the emotional stress and impact that these characters face due to this sudden and very drastic change in their relationship. I recommend reading this manga especially if you are looking for a quick read that is fun and lighthearted yet emotional at the same time. 4 stars! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the story and plan to try out the anime series.

Thank you very much to Udon Entertainment and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy to read and review honestly.

[Chandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t as funny as I’d hoped. I wasn’t sure whether the story would lean into comedy or take a more serious tone, but honestly, it mostly just made me uncomfortable.

Mizuto and Yume dated in middle school but eventually broke up after drifting apart. Not long after, their parents announce they're getting married—making the former couple step-siblings. The premise alone was already a little awkward, and the early chapters didn’t do much to ease that feeling.

Once school starts and more characters are introduced, the pacing picks up a bit, but not enough to keep me interested in continuing the series. The story didn’t quite land for me, and I didn’t feel a strong connection to the characters or the humor.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy—this review reflects my honest opinion.

[slugbiscuit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mizuto and Yume secretly dated for a year and a half during middle school before their mutual immaturity caused them to turn on each other and break up. Soon after, they are shocked to find out that their single parents are getting married to each other, and they will now be living together as stepsiblings. They also unknowingly enter the same high school, of course. This is a solid romcom premise and a good set-up for comedy (or hentai).

For better or worse, this story is plagued by flashbacks and reminiscings at least every chapter. This serves to over-explain the reasoning behind their current thoughts and actions as well as remind you that they previously dated in case you forgot. That aside, this first volume is pretty entertaining but honestly these two should just bang and get it over with.

[Lindsey (Lindseysbookishreviews) Swindlehurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure if this is a series or if it will be but I can’t wait to pick up book two. This story follows a girl whose mother marries her ex boyfriend’s dad and they become step siblings shortly after they break up. My only issue with this was the fact that the parents never noticed that they dated before hand. I can’t understand the parents getting married but the book insinuates that they don’t know the two kids have dated so I’m curious as to why they were sneaking a relationship in middle school. Overall the banter was cute and I was rooting for them the whole time. I felt like it was a bit mature so I wouldn’t let me 14 year old read this but I would let her around 16-17, overall I did enjoy the story and gave it 4/5 stars.

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 39/𝟸𝟶𝟶 || REVIEW ||
{ My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex, Vol. 1 } by Kyosuke Kamishiro | Rei Kusakabe

★ ★ ★ ★
Length: 250p
Source: ARC - NetGalley, Udon Entertainment
Release Date: July 2024

◇ Mizuto Irido and Yume Irido are step siblings. Oh, and they used to date…if you’re thinking it’s a mess, you’re right. But it’s also cute and hilarious.

◆ The bickering was top notch. The underlying tension was top notch. The small snippets of the past were top notch. I giggled quite a bit.

◇ We were tossed into the story and it jumped around a lot but if you’ve watched (or read) anime/manga, you know many stories are like that. It takes some adjustment but the storytelling is engaging.

◆ For now I’m giving it a solid 4 stars. It’s a great introduction to the series and I can’t wait to read more!

♡ manga
♥ romcom
♡ forbidden romance
♥ stepsiblings

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
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[Adri Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle and high school relationships are never easy. You’re maturing in multiple ways, dealing with lots of changes, and all the hormones in the mix.

Mizuto and Yume were dating not that long ago. Their respective parents decided to drop a huge surprise on their children when Yume’s mom and Mizuto’s dad announced they were getting married. Now they go to high school together, live together, and must share baths?? How can they fight the feelings they once had if they’re in such close confines?

#ThxNetGalley #KyosukeKamishiro #ReiKusakabe #MyStepmom'sDaughterismyEx

Merged review:

Middle and high school relationships are never easy. You’re maturing in multiple ways, dealing with lots of changes, and all the hormones in the mix.

Mizuto and Yume were dating not that long ago. Their respective parents decided to drop a huge surprise on their children when Yume’s mom and Mizuto’s dad announced they were getting married. Now they go to high school together, live together, and must share baths?? How can they fight the feelings they once had if they’re in such close confines?

#ThxNetGalley #KyosukeKamishiro #ReiKusakabe #MyStepmom'sDaughterismyEx

[Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine living under the same roof as your ex unexpectedly. Mizuto and Yume were dating 2 weeks prior when their parents suddenly announced they are getting married and living under the same roof. This first volume shows that Mizuto and Yume defiantly still have feelings for each other, but are trying to navigate their new living situation while trying to make the other fall for them. This first volume made me laugh and the awkwardness of everything was so wonderful! I can't wait to see what dirty tricks they have up their sleeve next volume and what new situations they get themselves into! I'm very grateful for the opportunity to ARC read this and cannot wait for volume 2!!

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is as confusing and annoying as the title is. In this manga, you have two kids who dated in middle school and broke up two weeks ago because their parents got married. They dated for over a year. Even if it was a middle school relationship, don’t you think the parents would know something. Even not taking that into account, the arguments and the historical connotation of their middle school relationship is as obnoxious as a middle school relationship usually is. The male character talks to the librarian so the female character think he’s cheating. This is so ridiculous. I wish it was better and it’s a DNF at 30%.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mizuto and Yume dated, or sorted dated in middle school. But they broke up before high school. But then their parents got together and now they are step siblings living under the same roof. And the pair are working hard on their parents not finding out that they used to be a couple. So they have that pressure. Plus they both got accepted at the same prestigious high school and are in the same class. More awkwardness to overcome. So how will Mizuto and Yume manage their lives? Read this manga and find out!

Thanks Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for the chance to read this title!

[Selena-Marie books_cats_andchemistry_tt · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐ (Arc Review)

It's a good story, however I don't do sibling stuff. So what happens here is thw main characters were together in middle school but no one knew and then they subsequently broke up.

Fast forward about a year or so and their parents are together making them step siblings. Being exs there's still some tension between them, including sexual tension so this made me a bit uncomfortable but this seems to be a going trope in the anime community. So if that's your vibe, go for it but for Me, I won't be continuing this series.

[Kait W · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far the only real personalities we have are our two protagonists and they're wildly inconsistent especially in present day vs 2 week ago flashbacks. The dialogue feels stilted and even sometimes forced. It is super fan-servicey in an uncomfortable way solely about Yume. I think the banter can be cute sometimes. The premise of being exes now forced to be family was interesting, and as someone who enjoyed Marmalade Boy I thought that twist could create a compelling dynamic. I could see myself giving this another volume or two to see if it picks up, but I'm not actively awaiting it.

[Shantel (Nixy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It does show how crazy our world can be and how some areas make it a small world after all. This follows two step siblings that have dated in middle school and the out of the blue they find out that their parents have gotten together. You get to see a lot of banter and moments that embarrass the heck out of them but it does have it humor. However towards the end I wasn’t really vibing with it anymore. It kinda felt repetitive and got a little strange between the two. I’m still glad that I read this but it ended up not being a favorite.

[elena₊⊹. ݁ · Rating 1 out of 5]

***ARC provided by NetGalley***

It became extremely clear, very early into reading this, that I am not the intended audience. I didn’t realize how young the characters would be and it felt a bit too immature for me. I didn’t feel comfortable with the ending of chapter 3 and almost the entirety of chapter 4 (overly sexualized teenage girls are not my cup of tea) and honestly, besides that, i didn’t find the plot to be very interesting. I personally would not recommend this to anyone I know.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

[B. Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general, if this is your cup of tea, I think you would really enjoy it, however I didn’t/it wasn’t for me. Although meant to be funny, I thought their arguing was too immature and not amusing. The characters annoyed me. Also, they broke up 2 weeks ago (from the start of the story) but she became “pretty seductive” since then?? A bit too unbelievable (the parents got married immediately after introducing the kids and in less than 2 weeks??).
I did love his final line of the volume though.

[Kushnuma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Kyosuke Kamishiro and Udon Entertainment for this ARC.

This is volume 1 in the series.

This manga follows Mizuto and Yume who dated during middle school. But just a month after their breakup, they learn that their single parents are getting married and they'll be living in the same house!

This was an interesting read and I had mixed feelings about it. There were some funny moments and some sweet moments as well. It will be interesting to see how things go for them.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this manga. It was an interesting premise what would happen if your ex ended up being your step sibling. The chapters from each other points of view gave a great depth to the story. The art style was very cute.