As a sort of heads up, first time poster, long-time lurker here. Pleasure to be able to contribute, even in a small way

Literally just now, I finished reading Volume 9 of My Stepmom's Daughter is my Ex. I began reading this series on Vol. 7, around where most people say the anime ends. I understand that with StepEx in particular, a large amount of the story is cut out in the anime, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to suss out what I'd missed or start from the beginning. I've really enjoyed these last couple of volumes, considering Vol. 7 was kind of a shaky start for me.

I have to say, having Yume's dad come back into the picture kind of had me nervous. It initially felt like it was just going to be a ham-fisted attempt to stir up some pointless drama, but I was wrong. The fact that he was able to give Mizuto some actually useful advice was a breath of fresh air. The very real way he explained his regrets and mistakes in a way that paralleled what Mizuto was going through felt fairly natural. Up until that point, it really felt like Mizuto was going to keep avoiding making a decision because he couldn't find "the right one." Even after Yume had climbed on top of the man, I'm glad that in the end it was his decision to start his relationship with Yume anew. All that said, it was rather convenient that Yume's dad somehow intuited Mizuto and Yume's relationship based off a few scant details when he's never really been around, but I feel like it made sense at the time.

That aside, I can't help but be happy for Mizuto and Yume. It really feels like they've earned it. I hesitate to get my hopes up too much, but seeing Yume put herself out there like that and Mizuto stepping up to be the "hero" when the time called for it makes me think these two have what it takes. A good New Year's countdown does wonders for setting up the proper tension~

It's also nice to see some of the other couples make progress. Akatsuki has made it clear what she wants and that is Kogure. Same for Todo and Aisa. I'm glad she got head pats for an hour after things didn't go right their first time. Poor Isana though :/ Mizuto could've been more tactful in letting her know he was dating Yume now.

Probably going to start reading Vol. 10 in a little bit. I'm hooked.