the yearning fox lies in wait by nmura

Kiyo has spent his entire life studying, and he is finally on his way to a prestigious university in Tokyo. But, he's lost. As he sits for a moment trying to compose himself, a dashing man exits and inquires why he has been pacing around his house. Rather than be mad or make fun of his predicament, Ozaki offers Kiyo room and board if he will help take care of his enormous house! It doesn't take long for Kiyo to figure out something is up with his strange new master, other than offering young men a place to stay. Ozaki is actually a fox spirit, and he supposedly hates all humans, except for Kiyo's grandfather, who he had a connection with and offered Kiyo this arrangement as a means to repay the family debt.

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​This story is a cute and tidy one-volume romance that seems a little slow to start and ends rather quickly, but nevertheless offers readers a little bit in a lot of areas. There is romance, historical fiction, a dash of food manga, and some mythology thrown in for good measure. The illustrations are pretty but nothing especially stand out. The bonus chapter has a little bit of spice, enough to satisfy some romance readers who might have thought this title was too chaste for them, but not too much to keep this from school library bookshelves.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9798888770085 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Romance, LGBTQ+, Mythology, Kodansha