With the release of Midnight Rain on the horizon, SuBLime gave us the opportunity to take a peek early and I am so glad they did! The cover art gives off this sort of gloomy, brooding, almost sad vibe - and it's spot on - but there's so much more to this title.

Our story begins when Ethan (our dark haired hottie from the cover art) witnesses a fight going on outside of his apartment one night. The next day, who should happen to walk into the laundromat Ethan is currently in but one of the men he saw fighting last night? Striking up a conversation about getting blood out of clothing we learn that the other man's name is Mike. Both men are down on their luck, living in a rough part of town with no one and nothing of value in their lives. Until now.

This rough-and-tumble romance is very off-the-beaten-path for BL and I LOVE it! Nobody here is rich, naive, or particularly young. Neither man has the ability to save the other from his troubles. Both are flawed, damaged, and more than a little worn down. Both Ethan and Mike have secrets, and their motivations are vastly different but somehow they steadily grow closer over time. At first, Ethan seems almost entirely too open and attached, but in time we gain perspective on that. On the other hand, Mike is very reticent and tries his best to put distance between himself and Ethan no matter how much the tiny voice in his heart grows. 

There are a couple brief moments in here that could be problematic for some readers: a single instance of nonconsensual touching, and mention of suicidal ideation. I know these are hot topics for some but I want to be clear that this manga handles these uncomfortable situations far better than most. The non-con is fully addressed as the perpetrator (no spoilers!) independently acknowledges and apologizes for his actions. As for the suicidal thoughts, they are part and parcel of the character's experiences and state of mind when these two meet. It's not just thrown around casually, it is clearly meant to depict the mental health struggles occurring as a result of the hard living going on in this story. 

Quite possibly one of my favorite aspects in Midnight Rain is that we get a POV shift part way through, so we are hearing from both Ethan and Mike in turn. I love getting both sides of the story! I also love that this is not a linear romance, nor is it a fluffy one, yet it tugs at your heartstrings watching them struggle to learn how to love and be loved in return. I'm also not going to lie, the spicy scenes were excellent! It really wasn't until I was reading Midnight Rain that I thought to myself you hardly ever see men with body hair in BL. Or facial hair, for that matter! Kudos, CTK! Ethan is definitely welcome eye candy!

Speaking of CTK - there is no denying how absolutely stunning the art is in Midnight Rain. It's SO.PRETTY. And if I may foam at the mouth for a moment here - the fact that Ethan and Mike's first time is in a public place? That was gutsy and I LOVED IT! 

If you want to read a BL that has grit, emotion, some very hot sex scenes, men that aren't old but aren't young either, and gives off a bit of a wrong-side-of-the-tracks Romeo & Juliet vibe - this is the one for you! Midnight Rain drops on December 13th and you can secure your copy right  HERE

We officially (and happily) declare this title SPICY.

Publisher: SuBLime

Release Date: 12/13/22

Age Rating: 18+

Page Count: 194