I can't stop reading so glad I did. ( )

I can't stop reading so glad I did. ( )

My initial instinct was to give Passion in the Viewfinder five stars, because, well, it’s Yamane. However, when I compare it to the multi-book spanning Arc of Truth (Vols 3-5), it’s just not up to that level. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. It was an excellent installment for the Finder series, with hot, explicit sex, and more development of Asami and Takaba’s relationship.

Passion returns to the format of the first two volumes in the series - a collection of shorts, rather than one continuous plotline. The stories focus on Takaba trying to rebuild his life, his career and his friendships while also coming to terms with how he feels about Asami and his role in Takaba’s life. The format works because Takaba has more than one “assignment” in his job, and after the intense Arc of Truth, something a bit more light-hearted was welcome. Where I think it fell flat was the last story wherein Yamane intertwined the “in love” story, which appeared as a short in Volume 1, with Finder. The original short concerned two young men who are attracted to each other learning that their fathers are in love with each other as well. I wasn’t particularly fond of this story the first time (too much school-boy angst), and having the boys go on a school trip with Takaba ending up as a “chaperone” didn’t improve it. The few scenes where Takaba learns the danger of dropping Asami’s name were funny, but overall it was weak and took up too much of this volume.

I don’t mind a return to the short collection format, but I would prefer all the stories be in the Finder universe (e.g. a story about Fei Long dealing with the aftermath of Truth would have been awesome). I would love to read a collection of the other shorts, in a volume distinct from the Finder series, so that Yamane could explore other characters without Finder overshadowing them. Still, this was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it. ( )