I got Highway Blossoms as part of a bundle on another website and decided to give it a try. This was my gateway drug into the worlds of both visual novels and the yuri genre. I've gone through quite a few visual novels since then but this one still ranks near the top as one of my all-time favorites. This novel-length story (it took me 11+ hours to get through the whole thing, although I am kind of a slow reader) is well-written, tugging at your heartstrings in parts (dammit, who's cutting onions around here??) or making you literally laugh out loud in others. (Try Goofball mode, it's even more hilarious!) Highway Blossoms is a story of two young women who meet by chance on the roads of the American southwest. They go on a treasure-seeking road trip adventure together, and being opposites in many ways find that they each have a lot to teach each other about life--and love, as their friendship blossoms into attraction and then full-blown love. Amber, the one too mature for her age and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. And Marina, the naive happy-go-lucky immature ditz (sorry Marina!) who could nonetheless bring a smile to anyone's face with her big heart and girlish attitude. Each navigating the roads of the southwest and of their evolving relationship. I thought Marina's character was a bit of an anime trope (though I do know people in real life with her attitude and way of thinking), but it played well against Amber's sense of uber-responsibility and protectiveness. This story really hooks into your emotions and had me captivated throughout. The story is for the most part PG-13 material, although there is an "adult patch" that will add or unlock content not suitable for teh kiddiez. I just read the regular story though and believe me, it's more than fine without the nudity and hoochee-wawa. ;) If you're on the fence about buying this, do it. Take a lesson from Amber & Marina and have a new experience unlike any you've had before.
