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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why I picked it up: From the TBR pile. Not sure when I bought it or why. For the record, I have not watched the anime or read the manga, so this was my first exposure to the story.
What worked for me: Nice quick read. I found Miyo to be a really loveable character, and Kiyoka quickly grew on me. The time period was interesting. I liked the burgeoning affection between the two leads and I appreciated how gentle and patient Kiyoka was with Miyo. I especially liked that he never pushed her to talk about the abuse she suffered before she was ready, even though he basically knew about all of it. By the end of it, I really wanted them to be happy together. I thought the translation was perfectly serviceable, if not particularly beautiful, as well.
What didn't work for me: The abusive family was almost too much for me. Like they were pretty despicable and near the endwith the kidnapping plot it was almost too much to stomach, I'm glad they got their just desserts though. The worldbuilding was intriguing, but was pretty confusing and lightly sketched out, especially with regards to whatever is going on with Miyo's mother's family and her maybe-Gift (since it's obvious she is Gifted in some aspect) but I assume that's something that develops in later volumes?
What feels crazy to me is that I took a look at the other volumes, and by volume 7 (the most recent release) Miyo and Kiyoka still aren't married. The series is literally called My Happy Marriage?! I feel like it should NOT have taken that long. I will not be slogging through 6+ LNs to see it finally happen. So while I enjoyed the first volume, I won't be picking up any other ones. I think the first volume works decently enough as a self-contained thing, though :)
What worked for me: Nice quick read. I found Miyo to be a really loveable character, and Kiyoka quickly grew on me. The time period was interesting. I liked the burgeoning affection between the two leads and I appreciated how gentle and patient Kiyoka was with Miyo. I especially liked that he never pushed her to talk about the abuse she suffered before she was ready, even though he basically knew about all of it. By the end of it, I really wanted them to be happy together. I thought the translation was perfectly serviceable, if not particularly beautiful, as well.
What didn't work for me: The abusive family was almost too much for me. Like they were pretty despicable and near the end
What feels crazy to me is that I took a look at the other volumes, and by volume 7 (the most recent release) Miyo and Kiyoka still aren't married. The series is literally called My Happy Marriage?! I feel like it should NOT have taken that long. I will not be slogging through 6+ LNs to see it finally happen. So while I enjoyed the first volume, I won't be picking up any other ones. I think the first volume works decently enough as a self-contained thing, though :)
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For the most part, I enjoyed it. But I wanted to read this for the relationship, and when it was already resolved halfway through, I got kind of bored. True, there are other plots, but I wasn't really interested in them. Moreover, this isn't really my most favorite translation, as it causes the writing to be rather plain and straightforward, making the story feel slightly flat. However, I did like all the tropes the author uses (arranged marriage, rags (ish) to riches, etc.) and enjoyed that part of the book. But I'm not really interested in the plot for the rest of this series, and I worry that any conflict in the relationship will either be miscommunication and/or Miyo getting caught up in her own self-loathing and not seeing the truth. I'm fine with the latter, but I don't enjoy reading it more than a couple times. Overall, a mildly fun read, but not anything truly exciting. 3.5 stars.
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
since i read the manga first, this was pretty easy to get through as the manga is a very faithful adaptation of the novel (the first three volumes of the manga, at least). enjoyed it as much as i did the first time!
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent