4.5 stars

So, you know the manga trope where everyone is scared of the MC because he just has a "scary face", but in reality he's a total softie?

Well, this isn't really that, but with the artwork, it almost could be. I was initially turned off of the MMC due to the art depicting him as manic and vaguely depraved. (He's also a convicted murderer). But he quickly grows on you (and the heroine), and you see his softer side along with his backstory. I appreciate the emphasis on character development with a slower unveiling of backstory and plot.

Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this ARC.

It’s always hard to rate the first volume of the series, as not much has gone on as of yet. I enjoy the art style greatly. The characters have depth to them and I liked the allusions to what might happen next. It was a little down on the events to my taste, but I’d like to pick one or more volumes to see where the storyline goes next.

Honestly this surprised me, which is why it got rounded up to 4⭐️ from roughly a 3.5⭐️ overall.

I went in thinking it would be just the developing romance between the prim rich lady with no expressions and the delinquent bad boy with a heart of gold, which has been done to death already. Luckily, they kind of skipped past that bit, but also… they skipped past most of the relationship development. So that’s interesting. The insta-love was sort of putting me off in the first part of this volume… but then we sort of skipped ahead six months or so.

Honestly, this entire volume turned around for me when Halvard showed up. I love Halvard and his presence made this into a different story entirely, and I think the direction it’s going has promise. I would definitely keep going with this series, and it’s all thanks to Halvard throwing an actual plot into this love story. So thank you, Halvard. You’re dope.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing an advance copy of this volume for review!

Un manga davvero molto interessante e diverso dal solito.
Una ragazza ricca, cacciata dalla famiglia per degli errori negli affari, compra un criminale che sta per essere ucciso, per farle da guardia del corpo nel suo viaggio verso la campagna, lontano da tutti, dove nessuno potrà infastidirla con insulti e minacce.
Ma anche il passato di Neneo non è quello che ci si aspetta da un criminale.
Il legame che si instaura tra loro è sicuramente la parte più interessante della storia e il loro modo di flirtare è decisamente fantastico.
La seconda parte del volume poi prosegue con l'introduzione di un altro personaggio, che inviterà i due in una spedizione nel vecchio villaggio di Neneo, e insieme a lui e Freya, partiranno per scoprire cosa è successo e se si sarebbe potuto evitare.

Sono davvero molto intrigata dalla storia, ma sopratutto dai personaggi e mi piacerebbe continuare a leggere questa serie.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima!


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A really interesting and different manga from the usual i read.
A rich girl, kicked out of her family for business mistakes, buys a criminal who is about to be killed, to be her bodyguard on her journey to the countryside, far away from everyone, where no one can bother her with insults and threats.
But Neneo's past is not what you would expect from a criminal.
The bond that is established between them is definitely the most interesting part of the story and their way of flirting is definitely fantastic.
The second part of the volume then continues with the introduction of another character, who will invite the two on an expedition to Neneo's old village, and together with him and Freya, they will set off to find out what happened and if it could have been avoided.

I am really intrigued by the story, but above all by the characters and I really would like to continue reading this series.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read it in preview!

This is the love story of a condemned criminal, sentenced to death for the brutal murder of his entire village, and a wealthy heiress who rescues him from his fate.

Snow and Ink Vol. 1 delves into themes of redemption, the lingering effects of past traumas, and the quest for warmth and connection. Set against a harsh, snowy wilderness, the setting serves as both a physical and metaphorical backdrop for the characters’ journey.

While there were moments of humor, I didn’t particularly enjoy the manga because it felt rushed and underdeveloped, especially the romance. The transition from strangers to lovers happened too quickly! It felt more like a tale of a couple with tragic pasts who eloped, leaving room for further character development.

That said, fans of dramatic, character-driven stories will find plenty to appreciate in this first volume.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy of this manga. This in no way impacts the rating of the book and all of my reviews contain my honest opinions.

I got an ARC from NETGALLEY, however this is my honest review.

So this is about a disgrace noble lady who bought a criminal. He's kinda like her bodyguard/roommate. The move to a small town out of the city.

I am giving this 4 stars because I am intrigue by their past. This is very insta-love but I was more interested on where the plot could go. I would recommend this to manga readers who like historical-setting romance. I hope the female lead gets a back bone because it was hard reading how she just take abuse/attacks.

My biggest complaint is that it is already over haha, I always wish manga were longer. This one moved QUICK. The story progressed very quickly. The art was a mix between being aggressively violent and calm and sweet, which fits with the two main characters. Although I am starting to wonder about the MMC.

If you enjoy a fast-paced romance, with a bit of a violent edge and a mystery, definitely grab this one!

The artstyle and premise made me pick it up, i was expecting a darker story that what this volume was. The pacing was really quick and even if i enjoyed the story i felt like it wasn't fully developed especially bc the quick pace makes it seem rushed.

I really love the character designs and the world seems really interesting but I don't know if I'm interested enough in seeing how it continues.

I do recommend checking it out if you are interested but keep in mind it feels more like a romance drama than what the summaru might sound like.

Snow and Ink is seinen and quite refreshing and at the same time it feels really old. Freya is a wealthy heiress, but because of bad decisions, she lost her place and had to run. She buys this guy Neneo, who's a murderer of an entire village. These two travel together and quite fast fall in love. They also meet Freya's former fiance and Neneo starts to work for him. Freya and Neneo's characters are actually very interesting. Freya seeks Neneo's warmth constantly, feels jealous and they have sex, although we don't get to see that (well, you can interpret it the way you want). They are very adult-like, full of realistic emotions and flaws as people too. The insta love is not my thing, but in this world it works out quite well.

The story is very slow and it's hard to say where this is actually going. The traumas are interesting and all in all I hope this will be as dark and somewhat off-putting as it's now. The manga is distant and hollow, which is something else. It's like there's more darkness lurking only to make this a bigger tragedy this already is. So, a different kind of manga surely.

Snow and ink starts off strong. Crimes are being listed about Neneo, one of the main characters. He is clearly a criminal and people want him beheaded. Freya, the other main character, stands out from the crowd by making a bold statement. She wants to purchase Neneo! Freya proposes a makeshift deal/job for Neneo, to act as her bodyguard, during her exile. The story then picks up quickly after.

Unohana’s Snow and Ink makes a great story here. They wrote two opposite characters who managed to still compliment eachother. Unohana’s main and side characters are dynamic and have complex histories. We manage to get insights to the characters and their pasts though out the story. The story also stays consistent and I didn’t see any plot holes.

Overall, Unohana wrote a good story. It was fast paced, and the dialogue was simple and easy to follow along. The drawings were amazing and the attention to detail was a plus. The only thing I’d say is that as much as I like fast paced stories, sometimes Snow and Ink moved a little too too fast. I have a more insightful explaining below, but it does contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.

Apart from that, I did enjoy reading Snow and Ink, I will continue to read this manga, and I’m also looking forward to more work from Unohana.

My favorite line from the manga: So long as it’s a path you’ve chosen, I’ll follow you even to a dead end.

!!! Spoilers Below !!!

Sometimes I felt that the characters were bonding way too quick or were attached to fast. They had know eachother for a couple days but Freya was already crying to Neneo and hugging him and telling him she was scared he left her? And I understand they’re all alone in the middle of no where, but, developing feelings so quickly makes me a bit uneasy. I’m probably being too picky but that’s the only thing that had me confused with the story.

!!!End of Spoilers!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Miyuki Unohana for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Snow & Ink Volume one is focused around rich disowned Freya, who purchases a criminal to use as a body guard...and possibly enact revenge on the family who no longer wanted her. When feelings come into play, they find themselves willing to do anything for the other...what else do they have?

When Freya's fiancé comes into play, she emphasizes the fact that she cares for Neneo now. Regardless, her fiancé, a research doctor, enlists them to go to Neneo's old village to investigate a strange illness. There is more to Neneo's murderous background than meets the eye...

This is an excellent first volume for shoujo fans, though the mystery of Neneo's murderous past and the history of his hometown adds some flavorful mysterious intrigue. I enjoy the fact that the focus is very tied into the two main characters. There isn't much else besides them, with a few other interactions here and there. Despite the focus, the story is very fast paced, and they are basically in live by Chapter 2. It makes me wonder that perhaps Freya picked a hot guy with ulterior motives in her choice...

Either way, I enjoyed this manga and the second installment promises to shed some light on the mystery behind Neneo's village and his past. An exciting start to a romance with a hidden agenda.

2.5 stars

I read the arc of this and it reads as a rough outline of a longer story with finished artwork. The plot has a lot of potential: an accused murderer and an exiled rich girl meet and fall in love. The issue is it is extremely fast paced and this volume alone could probably be paced out into 10 (maybe an exaggeration but I’m honestly not sure because there’s a lot of potential content that could be spanned out into many more volumes). The dialogue is a bit unnatural and rushed and very tell not show, but the plot is strong enough that I didn’t necessarily get bored, though that doesn’t mean I was invested like I should have been. We get glimpses of the characters motivations, but I wish for something more fleshed out. I would really enjoy this novel if it took its time to build the characters and the relationships properly.

I enjoyed this manga quite alot, it could just be the CJ person in me but this story was both cute and holds some interesting meanings.

I wanted to like this. There was so much potential but it just kept jumping around with no real direction. One moment you were talking about one thing then the next it was something else with zero transition.

"Snow & Ink" is a fast paced manga that invests in it's characters quickly and forms intense bonds between them. This is definitely not part of the slow burn genre. Neneo is a criminal that has been sentenced to death and right before the sentence can be carried out, Freya purchases him. She is desperate to escape the judgement of ruining her family business and wants to disappear... what better way to do that than with the help of a criminal? Even though they both seem to have given up on moving their lives forward, the cold is enough to make anyone cling to something warm...

“If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll find her a husband myself. She’s pretty enough, so I’m sure somebody would take her in. But, if she doesn’t want that, I’ll fulfill all her needs. I’ll make sure there’s no room in her life for you, until the very end.” - Neneo

✨ Snow & Ink is a story about Neneo, who committed a heinous crime of murder and was on the verge of execution. Freya Gibson, a young lady from a wealthy family, decided to buy Neneo to protect herself from her own family and to seek revenge.

✨ I was really intrigued from the moment I read about Freya buying a criminal just to protect herself. I thought she must be a rich sociopath who was bored with her life and needed some “sprinkle me with attention.” But nope, she wasn’t like that at all. She’s more of a rich, kind, intelligent, and humble young lady, who was mistreated by her community and disowned by her own family because of a huge mistake.

✨ Then there’s Neneo, who's this total badass who was incarcerated for killing 50 people. He’s practically a psychopath. But there’s always a twist you wouldn’t want to miss. Another character that kept me interested was Halvard, a rich misfit who happens to be Freya’s ex-fiancé. I sense a love triangle here. Ughhh. I can’t wait to read the next volume to see what happens next.

✨ Overall, this has been a wild read for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves super fast-paced romance and mystery.

✨ Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing manga.

✨ WHAT I LIKED:
📌 When Freya accepted Neneo for who he is
📌 Freya and Neneo kissed multiple times
📌 When Halvard protected Freya without her knowing
📌 When Freya said, “I can still find things I like, even in unfamiliar places.”
📌 Every time Neneo came to Freya’s rescue

✨ TROPES:
📌 FAST - PACED ROMANCE
📌 GRUMPY X SUNSHINE
📌 POLITICAL INTRIGUE
📌 WEALTH GAP ROMANCE
📌 OPPOSITES ATTRACT
📌 VIRUS OUTBREAK
📌 LOVE TRIANGLE
📌 REDEMPTION ARC
📌 A SUBTLE AMOUNT OF SPICE

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6798226355

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/08/28/arc-review-snow-ink-volume-1-by-miyuki-unohana/

This is HILARIOUS and at the same time serious and ROMANTIC out of nowhere!

I love this manga so much! The presentation, the art sequence, the quiet and the chaotic characters, the unassuming romance quite surprised me!

Love the main characters as well as the prickly side characters!

It IS the story of a romance between a killer and the heiress who saved him from being killed. Both are outcasts and had to leave their past but the past isn’t easy to let go even after all the escape!

Perfect read!

I am so happy the romance is NOT AT ALL CHEESY!

Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the ARC.

I am hesitant to say this compares to My Happy Marriage (MHM), because although both include two characters being bought together somewhat reluctantly/out of necessity, the relationship for the couple in MHM took some time to develop, where as in this manga it felt more like Insta love. To me, pacing was definitely an issue in this manga. Would have loved to see Freya and Neneo slowly open up to each other, or at least gain a deeper understanding of each other before they could even consider developing romantic feelings. Still don't know how I feel about the fact that she bought him and how he kind of has no choice really. For the start to a series, it was decent, albeit fast passed, a little confusing but mostly okay. Not overly convinced that I'll be reading the next installment in this series, but I am slightly curious about what adventure these characters will embark on next.

This was not really my thing. The description sounded interesting, but I couldn't get over the whole "buying a person" thing. I'm also someone who loves watching characters slowly and naturally grow and learn, but there wasn't really character development here. Things happened way too fast for me to feel anything, and it felt unnatural

This was a really interesting premise and promising first volume. I ended up really liking both leads, as well as the side character introduced in this volume. I'm interested to get a more complete understanding of both lead's histories, as they are explained but not fully fleshed out yet. I think the dynamic between the two was very cute, although surprising that it developed as quickly as it did. I'd definitely read the next volume!