When yakuza underboss Shigure Matsunaga meets Kenneth Harris at a boring social event, he's surprised to find himself attracted to the blond gaijin with the mismatched eyes. Shigure is even more pleased when he discovers Ken not only speaks Japanese fluently, but is fluent in Japan's ways, even the more violent of the martial arts. Ken's expertise at kendo is not his most striking quality–it's the passion beneath his quiet, almost fragile exterior that ignites Shigure's lust, and the two come together as explosively as they spar. Shigure is a dangerous man in a dangerous position. He's been trying to keep the peace with the Daito–kai–Shigure's hated rivals–but the danger on the streets is escalating, threatening those Shigure most wants to protect. He may claim to love his gaijin, but before he can keep Ken safe, Shigure will have to overcome hostility from his people, a hidden enemy, and, the most insidious opponent of all, his own hard–won pride.
Review
Its narrative drive keeps the novel Yakuza Pride by H.J. Brues very readable to the end, although it could be considerably shorter and still make for a good read. When young Caucasian Kenneth Harris meets the somewhat older Yakuza underboss Shigure Matsunaga the sparks immediately fly. The heavily-tattooed gangster and the slender blond with two differently colored eyes are as unalike physically as they are compatible sexually. The two men have wildly uninhibited sex practically every time they are in each other’s vicinity. Their romance is complicated by the dislike some of Shigure’s men have for the gaijin (foreigner) who has so captivated their boss. Unfortunately, as well-written as the book is it takes a good half of its considerable length to arrive at any plotline other than Ken and Shigure’s ceaseless passion. When the plot begins in earnest it concerns an apparent attempt to get Shigure’s gang and its main rival, a Korean-led criminal organization, to destroy each other so that a third party will benefit from the vacuum created. Things really heat up when Ken is kidnapped and tortured. Among the better elements of the novel are the examination of whether East and West can ever truly be compatible, and Brues’ apparent considerable knowledge of the Japanese language and culture. Perhaps because the author is a woman rather than a gay man the sex scenes sometimes suffer from overly-purple prose and somewhat clinical descriptions, but overall it is well worth the reading.
