This was an unexpected surprise! I went into this knowing nothing so to get a fake dating story full of sexual tension, soft moments and a “we aren’t going to fall in love but its definitely gonna happen by accident” was great!

I really liked the art style too. It really captured the personalities of the two main characters. I really enjoyed them both! I can’t wait to see these two absolutely fall for each other in future volumes after this great set up volume!

4.5/5

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

While on the job at a TV station, Akari Sayo accidentally discovers her boyfriend cheating on her (actually cheating on his partner WITH her to be exact). Before she has time to even process this, she gets assigned to film a documentary of the super handsome and mysterious musician Chizuru Kobuchi. But when she goes to his house to start the job he completely shuts her down and won’t help her out. However, after he gets her name, he changes his mind and agrees to take part in the documentary…if she agrees to be his pretend lover.

While the plot itself wasn’t anything super unique/special and there was a mad case of instalust, the art style was absolutely STUNNING. It may be reason enough why I end up continuing on in the series. I’d be very curious to see how Akari and Chizuru’s romance develops in later volumes.

3/5 stars

After catching her boyfriend cheating on her and then having her co-worker dump a project on her, Akari Sayo doesn't think things could get any worse. The project is a documentary about Chizuru Kobuchi, a musician. However, her co-worker never mentioned that Chizuru declined to participate in the project. Unsure of what to do, Akari asks him to reconsider, and he says he'll do it on one condition–he wants her to pretend to be his lover.

I have very mixed feelings about this manga. The art is lovely, and the premise is cute. I love the fake dating trope! But this fell flat for me.

First of all, this seems more like a josei manga than a shojo. There's a lot of talk about sex, and it stops just short of an actual sex scene. Despite this, I feel like Akari acts like a high school girl.

The male main character, Chizuru, seems like a creep. He made me feel uncomfortable while reading this. He seemed to get a little better by the end, but I still dislike him.

The pacing felt rushed, and the fake dating felt kinda forced. I didn't have time to get attached to the characters or even feel sorry for Akari for getting cheated on.

Things finally seemed a bit more interesting at the end. The next volume preview made me curious about where this series will go from here, but I won't be continuing this series. As much as I love the art and enjoy this trope, I don't really have any desire to keep reading this one.

If you like josei series, then you might like this shojo series.

Content: some language, cheating, lots of talk about sex and it gets close to having a sex scene

~ Thank you so much netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review ~

The art was my favourite part of this for sure. Especially the hair and eyes, I thought the stylization of them was lovely. I feel like it’s hard to get to know characters super well in the first volume of a manga series, so I can’t say I became super attached to either, but I was still intrigued to see how they would progress. The plot was probably my least favourite thing about this, as everything progressed so quickly I found it hard to take seriously. However despite that, I did actually feel a lot of chemistry between the two, so I found their dynamic was developed well. I think if things had slowed down a little, I could have possibly processed it better. I did still enjoy it and recommend it for fans who enjoy shoujo but want a bit more mature content.

~ Mentioned in this video on my channel, skip to 17:33 ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIiplm3LhNw&lc=UgzWCKEiGXCUo3CqaQ94AaABAg&ab_channel=readingwithmerb

~ Goodreads review ~
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4803704770

4 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

While the storyline is a bit far fetched it is handled really well, and is one of the best romance mangas I have read in a long time. Possibly close to an all time favourite, with a good mix of romance and silly antics. A journalist sent to interview to renowned composer, is rejected but then ends up with a fake relationship in order to help inspire music for his latest projects. The leads have really great chemistry and I am excited to see their relationship develop further.

I really liked this. Chizuru and Saya are interesting together. Saya just caught her boyfriend cheating but it turns out he was cheating with her. Then she meets composer and musician Chizuru and they decide to fake a relationship to help with his current song. It's an interesting story and its just the start. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for proving me with an ARC of this manga to review!

A Serenade for Pretend Lovers is about a woman named Akari, who works for a TV station. One day while she is at work, she catches her boyfriend cheating on her with his wife. She later gets an assignment to film a story about a composer, who keeps trying to avoid this. Upon going to his house, shenanigans ensue, and the two enter a "pseudo-love" relationship.

I'll be honest, I did not like this manga at all. The male lead came off as very forward and would not listen to the female lead when she told him she was not comfortable with things. It struck me as borderline rape-y. The story also was not interesting to me.

If you like the fake dating to lovers trope, you may like this title.

It's a cute yet a little strange story, the heroine is at the same time willing to move foward the awkward situation she's with her ex boyfriend and conflicted with the composer she met for the work. I can't tell if he's geniunly ignorant with what touch love, or if he's creep but the story what fun to read and well drawn.

Thank you to NetGalley for this manga!

Tochika Nekome's A Serenade for Pretend Lovers # 1 was such a sweet little manga about a TV reporter named Akari Sayo who happened to be working when she sees her boyfriend, who is cheating on her. Akari Sayo is barely able to process what she's seeing before she's given a new assignment to manage a documentary about a musician named Chizuru Kobuchi, who takes an interest in Akari as soon as he learns her name.

This was a quick little read that reminded me why I love manga. It was filled with cute characters and the beginning of a great little romance series. I can't wait to read the next volume and see how Akari and Chizuru's "fake" romance develops.

the manga is really very interesting, being the first volume introduces the story and the various characters well. I will definitely continue to read the next volumes, it intrigued me a lot!

Volume one has the first four chapters named as serenades, as music is a theme and Kobuchi is a composer that Sayo has to do a documentary on. This manga is fast paced and interesting because right off the bat Kobuchi is not welcoming to Sayo or even the idea of the documentary. He has a deadline that he is trying to meet and he thinks it will take up too much time.

Sayo as a character in terms of her job is very persistent, which is a nice change of pace. She isn’t timid about her work. Things take a turn when Kobuchi changes his mind about letting her into his home to film the documentary when he finds out her name. From then on he asks her to pretend to be his lover. Both Sayo and the reader will be confused about this, but it’s compelling because up until this point we know both of them to be dedicated to their jobs so how does this even fit in. He explains his reasoning pretty quickly though and then it becomes us just watching to see who is actually going to fall in love.

This feels like a josei, mainly because it feels like it has both of them working towards job goals and also it is a bit spicier than a shoujo. Individually the characters are interesting and time moves very quickly. I like that Sayo seems to be concerned with doing her job and doing it right, and emotionally she is fresh off a relationship where she was betrayed so she is already hesitant about love.

The art style is very pretty to look at as well. This volume seems like a promising start and I recommend reading it if you like the fake relationship trope and just anything to do with music. This is a Kodansha digital release.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Was unable to provide feedback due to the title being archived. I'm a bit gutted about this as I was looking forward to reading it.

Thank you though

I enjoyed this manga. The premise is nice but Sayo seems immature. She’s fallen head over heels for a guy she just met. She is such a distraction and I’m afraid she’s not going to do her job. Chizuru is crazy. For the next book in the series, I would like to see Chizuru's POV.
I hope this becomes a sweet love story.

Waiting for book 2....

This manga was super cute. The art style is exactly what I prefer in a manga. Things happen a little quicker than they typically would in a book, but the same could be said for much of the manga I've read over the years where events tend to be a bit pacier. Works for my brain if I'm being honest, but may not work for yours. I thought Sayo was an adorable lead and I hope things work for her and Chizuru.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series when I can get my hands on it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this manga for an honest review.

Thank to kodansha and netgalley for the arc.

I really lile that manga, it was very cute and funny. Although, it gives of the vibes of a josei, the girl so far as a highschool girl behavior here and there and I find that a bit out of place at times.

It looks like its going to be a sweet romance and I really want to enjoy more of it.

This is a manga in which Sayo, a female reporter gets given the assignment of interviewing famous composer Kobuchi, to record him in a documentary. When she meets him he is apprehensive but then immediately suggests that they should pretend to be lovers in order to inpsire him to compose the score for a romantic film he's been hired to do. Pretend in all aspects ... including physical.

Some minor spoilers in this: <spoiler> When it comes to physical intimacy, this manga is quite risque in the topic, as there is almost immediate kissing and near-make out scenes. I didn't mind this at all, but it was quite unexpected going in, I had misunderstood the tone this would take</spoiler>. Would recommend for older YA/NA depending on where this goes in future volumes.

The character dynamic is interesting and I don't quite understand the composer's motivations, which is why I think the next volume may shed a light on him and his personality a little bit more. Overall a fun read, a bit more adult than the other manga I have read but in a good way.

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I provide voluntarily.</i>

Rating: 3.94 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 3.75/5
-Cover: 4.5/5
-Story: 3/5
-Writing: 4.5/5
Genre: Romance
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!

First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't too sure what I was getting myself into when requesting this manga. In all I am happy with how it came out. Sayo finds out her boyfriend is a cheating douche canoe and she is shoved with this major project to interview this kind of weird pianist. Some bits are kind of eyebrow raising but I am interested in seeing where this goes.

Another manga series with an intriguing premise that I couldn't get into.
I wanted to like this one, but I think it was dragging overall, not allowing the reader to breathe.

But I'm still curious about how this will play out.

I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope but it felt a bit unbelievable in this. Which isn't the worst, since this is fiction and it doesn't have to be all believable, but I wish I would have believed Akari and Chizuru's motives for fake dating a little more.

Overall it was cute but very predictable.

3.5 stars rounded down.
0/5 spice.

This is a fake-dating fluffy josei manga.

While the story/imagery is a cute, fun, quick read, the pacing is a bit rushed (even for a manga) giving us little to no background on either of the main characters and really jumping in head first to the fake-dating story line that without taking any time to make this idea seem necessary to either character. There are also a few kiss scenes that are somewhat cringey.

Overall, I am interested to continue the series and see if the romance/fluff makes up for the lack of underlying plot and if there will be any increase in spice.

An ebook copy of this manga was provided to me via NetGalley by Kodansha Comics in exchange for an honest review.