Curses & Kitsune (A Paranormal Yakuza Duet Book 2) by CJ Ravenna

CURSES AND KITSUNE is the heart stopping second half to the Paranormal Yakuza duet. Can Jinta and Raiden find a way to be together no matter the obstacles in their way? This is a medium angst, adrenaline filled, hard earned HEA.


From the blurb:

Jinta

Nothing’s easy when you’re fated to a yakuza boss.

I’m possessed by an ancient, powerful kitsune hellbent on chaos and destruction. Until we can find a way to lift the curse, I’m a threat to everyone I hold dear. Tensions within the Namikawa-kai, hunters lurking in the shadows, and vengeful ex-boyfriends want to thwart us at every step.

All I want is to be with Raiden, my mate, the man I love. If we stand together, we can get through it all. But when I see a new, ugly side to Raiden, I can’t help but question if we really want the same things.

When the time comes to run, will Raiden leave it all behind for me?

Raiden

I’ll destroy anyone who hurts my mate—but I’m the one hurting him the most.

I’m the boss now. This is my pack. Tokyo is my city. No one will ever control me again. As I fall deeper into my new responsibilities, Jinta and I grow more estranged.

When betrayal strikes from within my own pack, Jinta is the one who pays the price. Jinta has no place in my world. He’s a pure ray of sunshine in the darkness of my life, and I can’t be the reason he gets hurt. I don’t deserve him. Never have.

I’ve got to let him go. Before the shadows of my world consume the only person I’ve ever loved.

Curses & Kitsune is the final book in A Paranormal Yakuza Duet and concludes with a hard-won Happily-Ever-After.


Molly Otto's review:

Well note to self when they say they HEA is hard earned they are not joking. This one will put you through the ringer and back. After the events of book one, Jinta (Hiro) and Raiden must learn to accept their new places in the yakuza as not a henchmen but boss. These two do not have smooth sailing with enemies coming from all sides its hard to see a way out and free to be themselves. With Raiden's past haunting them, it becomes too much where a separation is needed to see what they truly have between each other is real. With that separation, all threads fall into place, and our men are able to finally see the truth. They will do anything and everything to have their hea. Even if that means tearing down the system and being free. The issues I had from part one are in the past. The author makes up for those and then some. Together, a well-balanced and beautiful duet.


SNik's review:

Second in duet (A Paranormal Yakuza Duet). Paranormal. Established couple. Fated mates. Hurt/comfort. Dual POV. 

Juggling a new relationship on top of navigating a supernatural curse, Yakuza werewolf politics, and family disappointment is a lot for Jinta and Raiden. This conclusion of the duet has a good amount of action as well as a ton of self doubt that both Jinta and Raiden must come to terms with even as they desperately are committed to being together forever. 

I enjoyed the high steam in this book, these two are super spicy now that they are committed and their declarations of feelings as well as their possessiveness really drive the relationship. With enemies surrounding them, Jinta and Raiden are constantly in danger, and everything ends up satisfactorily resolved at the end. A really entertaining duet series, Jinta and Raiden are sweet fated mates that grow into their own strength and rely on the support of the other to make them even stronger. Their HEA and epilogue were great.

Angel's review:

This book is the second one in this series, this can't be read as a standalone, you have to read the first book in order to understand what's happening. Having said that, this book picks up right where the first one left off.

We're plunged back into the war between the two wolf gangs, the hunters, and the cursed Kitsune. The action scenes in this particular book are more intense and frequent than in the prior book. We went on a lot of different journeys with the MC's across these two books, and we really got to see these men grow and evolve into their true inner selves. I loved the concept of the Kitsune, I enjoyed the plot twist of things not being as they might seem. At first glance you would just assume the Kitsune loves revenge and is pure evil... But if you dive a bit deeper, ask meaningful questions, you'll realize there is so much more than what you assumed.

I found this story to be written exceptionally well, the world building in this book is as great as it was in the first one. I appreciated how well the author continued Raiden and Jinta's story so smoothly. Sometimes when character's stories get stretched out across multiple books you lose some important elements. That didn't happen here, which I'm happy about!

Raiden and Jinta are hot and cold, stubborn and fierce, Bold and shy, they can be similar to oil and water at times. They burn hot but can sometimes end up burning each other. There was a lot of conflict between the MC's within the pages of this book. While I do appreciate and enjoy angst, and a hard won HEA, I do think this story might've benefited from a fight or two being left out. When they would fight it would get heated, they'd each get upset, and then steamy times would start and things were okay again. That happened repeatedly, and it got to a point where I don't think they added much to the story aside from conflict and drawing out the story longer. Having said that it didn't detract from the story as a whole, it's just something I picked up on.

Something I loved the most in this book is seeing Jinta and Raiden become the men they've always wanted to be but never knew they could. They had a rough, long, and heartbreaking road to get there, but they arrived in the end. All in all, a terrific duet of books.

Curses & Kitsune is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription