4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and VIZ Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked it! The story is intriguing. The cover is completely different to what I thought the story was gonna be about, but enjoyed it.

The art was beautiful and I liked the characters. Satoko seems very strong despite what she’s going through and Goto is interesting. He’s still a mystery to me but I’m willing to find out as more volumes release. He looks like a cinnamon roll, but will certainly kill you.

I loved this. Shinpei is hot and cold and completely obsessed with marriage-focused Satoko. The art style is beautiful and skillfully shows what mood Shinpei is in. For a first volume, it did a very good job of setting up the story. I'm very excited for future volumes!

I was excited to come across an official translation of this series! I had seen a few chapters of it previously and the premise pulled me in. This series isn't for everyone, it is more for people who like a romantic interest to be a bit off kilter, a bit scary. I'm interested in seeing what other scenarios happen for this couple.

oh, this was written for teenage me and I am so here for it. Lots of fun and definitely unhinged, I am super curious where this story is going to go from here

This was such a fun read! Totally wasn't sure if I was gonna like it, though I quickly realized that I was gonna like it. This ended up being one of those rare I read it in one sitting kind of books (high praise). I would argue that the mmc's facial expression might have been my favorite part!
I plan continuing this series as it comes out!
5/5

I'm so glad this series is getting a Western release, while I have read part of it before, it's great to revisit. This is a romance story, a historical story, but has the added twist of story not being what you typically expect to find in romance manga. After her stepmother tries to kill her, Satoko has no choice but to sway Shinpei, one of the assassin's to her side, which she does by promising to marry him. The two escape to a red light district on an island where the story revolves around them trying to find a way off the island. I love the characters and the setting, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

5/5

Sakoto has lived her life at death’s door. Even as a nobleman’s daughter, with wealth and the beauty of a goddess, she can’t do anything but worry about how long she’ll live. Her father just wants her to marry and be happy, and Sakoto just wants her father to be happy. Unfortunately, fate has other plans. Suddenly thrust into the care of an assassin, Sakoto has no other choice but to propose a deal for her safety: marriage.

I could easily read the whole manga right now. Even if it were 50 volumes. I would DEVOUR it.

The art is wonderful. I love how the MMC’s facial expressions are very expressive and shows the range of emotions he feels, even with his personality. But my personal favourite? Sakoto’s hair. Her hair is a character itself. Tachibana gets it. The way they draw hair is worship worthy.

I wish this volume went on forever. Cannot wait to read the next one.

The beautiful daughter of a noble who has a rare heart condition has lived her whole life with one purpose: to secure a marriage that would benefit her family before she dies... but when she finds herself kidnapped, she'll have to rely on the most unlikely person to save her, the very same murderer who was supposed to kill her and in exchange she'll marry him. Satoko is the daughter of a noble who has lived a sheltered life due to her heart condition. She is stunning and determined to repay her father's love by marrying someone who would benefit the family. Yet when she is kidnapped and about to be attacked, she meets Shinpei, a mysterious murderer who she offers her hand in marriage in exchange for him rescuing her. The more time Satoko and Shinpei spend together the more she begins to find herself falling for this strange, loving man who would sooner cut off someone's limb than let anyone get between them. This is the first volume in the series and I am officially addicted. It's charming, got a sweet romance, eccentric characters, and absolutely keeps you hooked!

Release Date: Jan 14,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and VIZ Media | VIZ Media LLC for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I can see why people were excited when this manga got licensed for an English release! There's a lot going on in this first volume! I do love how the story sets itself up as a sort of Cinderella tale at first with the inner family conflict, but then it takes a hard left turn into a suspense story. Now, the girl who only saw herself as a useful pawn for her family actually has to try living for her own sake until she makes it back to her household, and her only ally is the man who was supposed to kill her. It's complicated, intriguing and the art sells the unease. If this is your jam, this is some very good jam.

I'll be honest, I'm not very much into gore, so I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get through this. I was pleasantly surprised though, I really loved this story and I'm planning to continue reading this moving forward.
A young woman of prominence is kidnapped, and negotiates with her presumed assassin; if he helps her live and escape her situation, she will marry him. The premise definitely is very interesting, but for me what made it more interesting is seeing the main character's thought process and survival skills in this situation. Her male lead is quite literally sent to kill her, and he's quite scary, and I like that she acknowledges this. Their dynamic is interesting, as they're both playing into a fake relationship with ulterior motives, and I liked seeing her keep with the mental games he was playing. There is a decent amount of gore, but it isn't too graphic if you're sensitive to it like I am that it would steer you away from reading this.
I'd recommend this manga to any readers who like a good suspenseful story with some action and surprisingly, a bit of comedy.

I think Oreco Tachibana's art is absolutely lovely. The character designs are terrific; no wild hairstyles or outfits are needed in order to tell apart characters. The faces are also very expressive; showing emotions instead of telling in manga is a necessary part of the medium, after all. The plot is where I'm still on the fence about. If you're a fan of "____ or die" scenarios or possible Stockholm Syndrome starts to romance then this might be for you? So far the art is keeping me going as I'm not seeing the romance yet in this volume. Our heroine can die at any time and she sure has moxie, which is making me suspend my disbelief at some of the twists in this manga. Considering all of the curveballs in this manga so far, I'm sure the scene at which this volume ends will be resolved in an unexpected way in volume 2. This volume has taken me on a wild ride and I'm not sure if I like it, but I do want more.

When I first saw the cover, it briefly made me think of Love of Kill, which was a series I greatly enjoyed and drew my attention to this title. While definitely not the same. The main character is finding the strength she needs to survive her situation and get home, meanwhile the guy is a walking red flag that is quite unpredictable. Looking forward to the next volume and I'm very curious to see where this series will go.

This was a lot of fun to read. The male lead is incredibly unhinged and is a total red flag. Didn't mind it, though.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for the review.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.
I think this was a strong start for a manga. The story is not too terribly original, but I did really enjoy the confidence the female lead had. The theme seemed to be the conflict between choosing love and arranged marriages. The beginning lead me to believe that the main lead wants to choose love but will do her duty to her family by having an arranged marriage, and the story would be about her falling in love and choosing for herself. This is a little conflicted by the marriage of convenience trope with the male lead later in the volume but it's only the first volume so it's hard to say where the story will go from here.
While the male leads actions are definitely concerning at times, the female lead at least acknowledges that they're not great so I felt a little better about their relationship. Only a little though.
I am curious to see where the story goes from here!
Would be good for fans of "Apothecary Diaries", "Yona and the Dawn", and "My Happy Marriage". Looking forward to Vol.2.

Firefly Wedding has me in a chokehold these days. The newest chapters have me on the literal edge of my seat while I'm reading so I was ecstatic to see that we're getting this in print!

Volume 1 starts off with a bang and ends on a cliffhanger. I love how unhinged the MMC is and how seemingly "weak" but actually feisty our FMC is. Cannot wait to reread the other volumes when they come out in print.

Satoko is a young noblewoman of marrying age. Her father would like to marry her off to a good family, but Satoko is very ill and not likely to live long. She wishes to be open with her suitors on that fact, which causes hesitation in accepting any of her marriage offers. One day while out in town, Satoko ends up being kidnapped. One of her kidnappers is a very strong swordsman, who likely has the skills to take out all of the other kidnappers. How can she convince him to help her out instead?

This is a fun start to a romance story. I must say I wasn't expecting the character of the male lead, but of course an assassin can't really be that sane, now, can he? It definitely helps create a romance story with a unique twist to it. Satoko is also very smart and self-aware and makes a strong female lead. I look forward to seeing how it develops. The art is quite lovely as well; I especially enjoyed the clothing designs.

I've seen this manga all over tiktok and I am THRILLED it's in a volume now!

With a heart condition that will leave her with a short life, Satoko is determined to find a rich husband for her family but when she is abducted by thugs, her only escape is to convince a manic assassin that she loves him and that they should marry.
What ensues will be an adventure both tragic, heartwarming and humorous.

Artwork is beautiful and has the touch of dark romance that many will love.