What do you think?
Rate this book
Dragon Boats & Doctor's Notes: A Sapphic Sports Romance
Two hearts, one boat, and a race against time—will love or work win the day?When workaholic obstetrician Julie decides to join a dragon boat team, she never expected to be so captivated by enigmatic team captain Rae. Dragon boat was supposed to help change up her routine, not blow her entire life out of the water, but now Rae is making her question every decision she's ever made.
Rae has always been a natural caretaker, and seeing Julie's all work-no play approach to life brings out all of their protective tendencies. The unending shifts and emotional toil of working at a busy Toronto hospital isn't sustainable, but no matter how many times Rae points that out, Julie doesn't seem willing to change.
As they train for the biggest regatta of the year, Rae and Julie must decide whether their budding love is worth fighting for, or if they'll let Julie's dedication to her job drive them apart.
DRAGON BOATS & DOCTOR'S NOTES is a sapphic, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, sports romance with F/Non-Binary main characters.
Rae has always been a natural caretaker, and seeing Julie's all work-no play approach to life brings out all of their protective tendencies. The unending shifts and emotional toil of working at a busy Toronto hospital isn't sustainable, but no matter how many times Rae points that out, Julie doesn't seem willing to change.
As they train for the biggest regatta of the year, Rae and Julie must decide whether their budding love is worth fighting for, or if they'll let Julie's dedication to her job drive them apart.
DRAGON BOATS & DOCTOR'S NOTES is a sapphic, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, sports romance with F/Non-Binary main characters.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2025
13 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Hudson Lin
17 books87 followersHudson Lin was raised by conservative immigrant parents and grew up straddling two cultures with oftentimes conflicting perspectives on life. Instead of conforming to either, she has sought to find a third way that brings together the positive elements of both.
Having spent much of her life on the outside looking in, Lin likes to write stories about outsiders who fight to carve out their place in society, and overcome everyday challenges to find love and happily ever afters.
When not engrossed in a story, Lin knits, drinks tea, and works the 9 to 5 in the beautiful city of Toronto, Canada.
Having spent much of her life on the outside looking in, Lin likes to write stories about outsiders who fight to carve out their place in society, and overcome everyday challenges to find love and happily ever afters.
When not engrossed in a story, Lin knits, drinks tea, and works the 9 to 5 in the beautiful city of Toronto, Canada.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 17, 2025
4.5 stars. This was just the cutest and sweetest little read! I loved it. My one and only complaint (that’s not really a complaint) is that I wish this were longer. I adored these characters so much and the romance was so good and I wanted more by the end. Rae and Julie were perfect for each other but the obstacles between them felt real.
Julie is a workaholic and she’s running herself ragged. She joins Rae’s dragon boat racing team and there’s a spark between them even though they get off on the wrong foot. Work keeps Julie busy and late all the time and Rae is a stickler for being on time. They also can see how Julie has no work/life balance and wants to ease some of her stress. I loved Rae so much. They’re a bit abrasive, unapologetically so, but I didn’t mind at all. I thought they were so incredibly swoon worthy and I loved how they took care of Julie. There was a bit of a dominant side under the surface that I wish had been explored but that’s just me. Julie is incredibly sweet and kind and I loved that she was willing and open to compromise to be with Rae. I loved the ending.
Overall, this was wonderful. Sexy, romantic, and has a great cast of characters.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Julie is a workaholic and she’s running herself ragged. She joins Rae’s dragon boat racing team and there’s a spark between them even though they get off on the wrong foot. Work keeps Julie busy and late all the time and Rae is a stickler for being on time. They also can see how Julie has no work/life balance and wants to ease some of her stress. I loved Rae so much. They’re a bit abrasive, unapologetically so, but I didn’t mind at all. I thought they were so incredibly swoon worthy and I loved how they took care of Julie. There was a bit of a dominant side under the surface that I wish had been explored but that’s just me. Julie is incredibly sweet and kind and I loved that she was willing and open to compromise to be with Rae. I loved the ending.
Overall, this was wonderful. Sexy, romantic, and has a great cast of characters.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this short and sweet romance! There's not many sapphic romance staring Asian Americans and this book is so well written and diverse with nonbinary MC. The workaholic doctor and the Ulta competitive dragon boat captain are both very likeable and decent caring people, I just wish the book is longer, can't get enough of their heartwarming story!
December 10, 2025
This is the first book I have read by this author. And i enjoyed it very much. I knew a little about Dragon boats. but it was enough. Rae and Julie make a lovely couple. And PoPo rounds it out. I hope i can find more by this author. Highly recommend. Enjoy.
May 20, 2025
Heartwarming story about Rae, devoted granddaughter, flower shop owner, and captain of her dragon boat team and Julie, an overworked, career oriented doctor. Julie decides to join a dragon boat team that one of her college friends is on and meets Rae, the captain of the team. Their initial meeting didn’t go well when Julie was late for practice, but from the start there was something about her that Rae was drawn to. The story unfolds as they fall in love and overcome challenges and growth. This was a great quick read that gets you in the mood for romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 14, 2026
Julie is an obstetrician, working long, exhausting hours, totally devoted to her job and her patients. She is the most senior in the department, and because of her loyalty to the hospital and her calling, she finds it very difficult to keep a good work life balance.
Rae is founder and captain of the local Dragon Boat team. They often can be found out on the water with their teammates rowing. In their personal life, their elderly and frail PoPo (grandmother) is their only family, and the florist shop they founded and run is their other passion.
When the dragon boat team is short of a rower because of an injury, the team’s drummer Beile suggests to Rae her university friend Julie as a replacement.
This is a wonderful story, with little angst, only having to overcome Julie’s work life attitude and her exhaustion after some tragic days at her work.
I loved it, especially with the Asian connections.
Rae is founder and captain of the local Dragon Boat team. They often can be found out on the water with their teammates rowing. In their personal life, their elderly and frail PoPo (grandmother) is their only family, and the florist shop they founded and run is their other passion.
When the dragon boat team is short of a rower because of an injury, the team’s drummer Beile suggests to Rae her university friend Julie as a replacement.
This is a wonderful story, with little angst, only having to overcome Julie’s work life attitude and her exhaustion after some tragic days at her work.
I loved it, especially with the Asian connections.
May 20, 2025
The fact that this was expanded from a short story to a novella is apparent in the issues this book has. It felt like reading the middle of a novel, jumping in when the story had already started but you weren’t allowed to read the first 1/3 of the story.
The topics in this book were too large for such a short number of pages. Julie is dealing with burnout and a career crisis, and there’s a lack of depth in the way it’s handled. Instead of actually exploring what’s led up to this point, we’re hit over the head by Rae’s frustration and assertion that Julie needs to upend her life. This works in tandem with Rae’s resentment towards Julie’s prior commitments—a resentment that was present from the get-go and developed alarming quickly.
And speaking of quick, Julie and Rae barely know anything about each other for the vast majority of the book. Most of the page time happens across approximately 3-4 weeks, and they really only spend time together a handful of times, half of which were just sexual encounters. There’s little to no actual communication between them, other than Rae being angry Julie is late to dragon boat practice or commentary on Julie’s job and life choices.
My favorite character was PoPo, Rae’s grandmother. She was fun and added a nice layer of humor to the story.
The sex scenes between Julie and Rae were also generally enjoyable to read.
***Thanks to the author for providing an ARC.***
The topics in this book were too large for such a short number of pages. Julie is dealing with burnout and a career crisis, and there’s a lack of depth in the way it’s handled. Instead of actually exploring what’s led up to this point, we’re hit over the head by Rae’s frustration and assertion that Julie needs to upend her life. This works in tandem with Rae’s resentment towards Julie’s prior commitments—a resentment that was present from the get-go and developed alarming quickly.
And speaking of quick, Julie and Rae barely know anything about each other for the vast majority of the book. Most of the page time happens across approximately 3-4 weeks, and they really only spend time together a handful of times, half of which were just sexual encounters. There’s little to no actual communication between them, other than Rae being angry Julie is late to dragon boat practice or commentary on Julie’s job and life choices.
My favorite character was PoPo, Rae’s grandmother. She was fun and added a nice layer of humor to the story.
The sex scenes between Julie and Rae were also generally enjoyable to read.
***Thanks to the author for providing an ARC.***
May 16, 2025
In this short, sweet and spicy sapphic romance by Hudson Lin, we meet Julie and Rae, when Julie joins the dragon boat team that Rae just happens to be the captain for. Getting off to a rough start, their relationship soon delevops into something more romantic, and standing by each other during difficult times🐲
Sometimes it takes another person for you to see that you are in need of a change in your life, and sometimes that person just happens to be the very attractive dragon boat captain. I really enjoyed following both of their journeys, as they navigate their feelings as well as work and relatives.
Finished this in one sitting, a light and perfect read for a sunny say☀️
(And also, there is just something about the name Rae that I just absolutely love🤤)
Sometimes it takes another person for you to see that you are in need of a change in your life, and sometimes that person just happens to be the very attractive dragon boat captain. I really enjoyed following both of their journeys, as they navigate their feelings as well as work and relatives.
Finished this in one sitting, a light and perfect read for a sunny say☀️
(And also, there is just something about the name Rae that I just absolutely love🤤)
June 7, 2025
4.5 Stars
When I used to row crew when I was younger, I remember watching the dragon boats practicing on the river across from us. I remember thinking about the effort the were putting in and how smooth it looked watching the boats float down the river. When I was reading this book, I could picture the dragon boats, and I could feel how intense the workouts were. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fairly short, but I loved the connection between the two main characters. The relationship progressed quickly but they seemed so perfectly matched. I love that the book included such diverse characters, and it was never a big deal. Both of the main characters were Asian and I loved seeing their culture through food, actions, and family. The queer representation is fantastic with the two main characters and I always get excited when I see non-binary characters or characters using they/them pronouns. One of the things that really hit me was the discussion of duty vs. work life balance. This is something I have struggled with for years and it was refreshing to see it discussed.
The fantastic thing about these characters were how real they felt. I could see every high achieving professional female when I read Julie’s character. She wanted to do her job well. She wanted to succeed. But she did so at the detriment of her own well being. As someone with a job that has taught me the importance of compartmentalizing, I could see myself in Julie when she would tune out and shove the hard stuff to the back of her mind. Rae’s desire to take care of this strong, accomplished woman made me smile so much. They gave Julie the chance to break down when she needed to, because she knew that they would be there for her.
This was such an enjoyable book. I don’t often get to get books with LGBTQIA characters that are not MM, so it was such a joy to read characters that were diverse members under the queer umbrella. For a shorter story, there was a lot of great spicy scenes that were very well written to the point that you could feel the passion between the two characters. This was an entertaining read and a great one for anyone looking for a book with more diverse queer characters.
When I used to row crew when I was younger, I remember watching the dragon boats practicing on the river across from us. I remember thinking about the effort the were putting in and how smooth it looked watching the boats float down the river. When I was reading this book, I could picture the dragon boats, and I could feel how intense the workouts were. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fairly short, but I loved the connection between the two main characters. The relationship progressed quickly but they seemed so perfectly matched. I love that the book included such diverse characters, and it was never a big deal. Both of the main characters were Asian and I loved seeing their culture through food, actions, and family. The queer representation is fantastic with the two main characters and I always get excited when I see non-binary characters or characters using they/them pronouns. One of the things that really hit me was the discussion of duty vs. work life balance. This is something I have struggled with for years and it was refreshing to see it discussed.
The fantastic thing about these characters were how real they felt. I could see every high achieving professional female when I read Julie’s character. She wanted to do her job well. She wanted to succeed. But she did so at the detriment of her own well being. As someone with a job that has taught me the importance of compartmentalizing, I could see myself in Julie when she would tune out and shove the hard stuff to the back of her mind. Rae’s desire to take care of this strong, accomplished woman made me smile so much. They gave Julie the chance to break down when she needed to, because she knew that they would be there for her.
This was such an enjoyable book. I don’t often get to get books with LGBTQIA characters that are not MM, so it was such a joy to read characters that were diverse members under the queer umbrella. For a shorter story, there was a lot of great spicy scenes that were very well written to the point that you could feel the passion between the two characters. This was an entertaining read and a great one for anyone looking for a book with more diverse queer characters.
May 20, 2025
Spice Level: 2/5 Open Door
Julie is an Obstetrics doctor who spends a lot of time at the hospital delivering babies. Rae is the owner of a flower shop and is the captain of a dragon boat team.
One of Rae’s teammates on the boat gets hurt and has to be out for a while, and another teammate gets their friend, Julie, to join. Julie is habitually late, which doesn’t put her in good graces with Rae. No matter how mad Rae gets at Julie for her tardiness, they can’t help but find her intriguing. After some lingering eye contact at a picnic for family and friends, the heat turns up between the two.
This was a really enjoyable short read. I ate this book up. Boating is the main reason the MCs meet but then it takes a back seat to the complications that Julie’s profession brings to both the MCs lives. I enjoyed that this book is “normal” and by “normal” I mean there’s no crazy third act breakup or a storyline that just doesn’t seem plausible (at least some people would think). This story just kind of emulated real life and it was refreshing. I’m always a sucker for tattoos and Rae is incredibly sexy with their tattoos.
Support Asian representation. Author and MCs are Asian. Check this book out.
Julie is an Obstetrics doctor who spends a lot of time at the hospital delivering babies. Rae is the owner of a flower shop and is the captain of a dragon boat team.
One of Rae’s teammates on the boat gets hurt and has to be out for a while, and another teammate gets their friend, Julie, to join. Julie is habitually late, which doesn’t put her in good graces with Rae. No matter how mad Rae gets at Julie for her tardiness, they can’t help but find her intriguing. After some lingering eye contact at a picnic for family and friends, the heat turns up between the two.
This was a really enjoyable short read. I ate this book up. Boating is the main reason the MCs meet but then it takes a back seat to the complications that Julie’s profession brings to both the MCs lives. I enjoyed that this book is “normal” and by “normal” I mean there’s no crazy third act breakup or a storyline that just doesn’t seem plausible (at least some people would think). This story just kind of emulated real life and it was refreshing. I’m always a sucker for tattoos and Rae is incredibly sexy with their tattoos.
Support Asian representation. Author and MCs are Asian. Check this book out.
May 27, 2025
It was intimate and worshipful, two souls finding comfort in each other, taking and giving as each needed.
-----
Content warning (not a complete list)
Illness and death in hospital and elderly woman injured in fall.
-----
About the book
Novella
Standalone
Third person POV. Dual POV.
Spice: medium
-----
Dragon Boats and Doctor's Notes is a sapphic romance between the captain of a dragon boat team and the obstetrician that recently joined the team. This book has a sweet and spicy romance with Asian and nonbinary representation. If you're looking for a cute and short read, consider reading this.
Julie and Rae were great. I found them interesting, both as individuals and as a couple. The romance was a cute hurt/comfort without being very angsty. I liked how it realistic like the romance was; two people trying to find balance and make things between them. I wished the romance was a bit more fleshed out though.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and I liked the characters, especially PoPo. This was a cute read.
This was an arc read. I'm grateful to Booksprout for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
-----
Content warning (not a complete list)
Illness and death in hospital and elderly woman injured in fall.
-----
About the book
Novella
Standalone
Third person POV. Dual POV.
Spice: medium
-----
Dragon Boats and Doctor's Notes is a sapphic romance between the captain of a dragon boat team and the obstetrician that recently joined the team. This book has a sweet and spicy romance with Asian and nonbinary representation. If you're looking for a cute and short read, consider reading this.
Julie and Rae were great. I found them interesting, both as individuals and as a couple. The romance was a cute hurt/comfort without being very angsty. I liked how it realistic like the romance was; two people trying to find balance and make things between them. I wished the romance was a bit more fleshed out though.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and I liked the characters, especially PoPo. This was a cute read.
This was an arc read. I'm grateful to Booksprout for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 30, 2025
ARC:
I had to read this book by because of family ties to obstetrics and I was pleased (or you could argue, not pleased) to see that Hudson Lin had managed to hit the nail on the head with the absolute diabolical state healthcare is not just in the States but the UK. The volume of hours of work Dr's have to put in and the very real conversation that has to be had about burnout.
With that in mind I did enjoy following Julie through her journey to realisation after Rae rowed into her life. And I totally get where Rae was coming from too even though at times I wanted to shake her and say 'blame the system not the person. Rae was exactly what Julie needed to pull her out of work and realise there was more to life.
But my fave character, hands down, PoPo. Ack I just love her.
A feel good story that I only wish was a little longer to really get into the drama a bit more
I had to read this book by because of family ties to obstetrics and I was pleased (or you could argue, not pleased) to see that Hudson Lin had managed to hit the nail on the head with the absolute diabolical state healthcare is not just in the States but the UK. The volume of hours of work Dr's have to put in and the very real conversation that has to be had about burnout.
With that in mind I did enjoy following Julie through her journey to realisation after Rae rowed into her life. And I totally get where Rae was coming from too even though at times I wanted to shake her and say 'blame the system not the person. Rae was exactly what Julie needed to pull her out of work and realise there was more to life.
But my fave character, hands down, PoPo. Ack I just love her.
A feel good story that I only wish was a little longer to really get into the drama a bit more
January 1, 2026
3.5
this book is a very lighthearted novella that tries to pretend it’s about sports but really you could remove the sports from the book and replace it with anything else and it would still work. which is what my main downfall of the book is. you have the name of the sport in the title of the book and apart from the first chapter and the last chapter the sport hardly makes itself present and the characters are literally doing anything other than the sport.
i suppose that makes sense when julie is meant to be a workaholic however, the author doesn’t stress the importance of dragon boat. it’s not a big enough part of the plot/story to make a difference.
the characters are okay but there’s nothing that makes this book one where ill think about it again. but i got it for free so i can’t complain.
this book is a very lighthearted novella that tries to pretend it’s about sports but really you could remove the sports from the book and replace it with anything else and it would still work. which is what my main downfall of the book is. you have the name of the sport in the title of the book and apart from the first chapter and the last chapter the sport hardly makes itself present and the characters are literally doing anything other than the sport.
i suppose that makes sense when julie is meant to be a workaholic however, the author doesn’t stress the importance of dragon boat. it’s not a big enough part of the plot/story to make a difference.
the characters are okay but there’s nothing that makes this book one where ill think about it again. but i got it for free so i can’t complain.
June 2, 2025
Rae and Julie have very different boundaries when it comes to work/life balance, but they both enjoy the same sport and definitely enjoy each other. It was great watching them try to understand the other’s view and meet somewhere in the middle. I need a Rae in my life for sure! The side characters made me smile and I’d love a series of connected shorts with Beile’s or Viola’s stories and maybe some more PoPo.
Side note - The food descriptions are definitely going to make you hungry!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Side note - The food descriptions are definitely going to make you hungry!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 11, 2025
This is a story well worth a read. Julie and Rae do not have the most auspicious of beginnings, but it doesn’t take long for them to give in to the draw. These characters were so realistic. I could see myself in both of them in different ways. Julie is a perfectionist and a workaholic. Rae is driven and yet a caretaker at heart. These two balanced each other out well and made this an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2025
Wow what a fantastic storyline I loved the main characters their chemistry shined throughout but their difficulties were exceptional but their love was highlighted in so much depth making it hard to put down a must-read congratulations.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 5, 2026
This was different.
I loved the book. The chemistry between Rae and Julie is amazing. Like with their relationship, you sometimes know right away when you find the right person for you. And like in the book there are sometimes hurdles to get over and compromises to make from both parties to make a relationship work.
I loved the book. The chemistry between Rae and Julie is amazing. Like with their relationship, you sometimes know right away when you find the right person for you. And like in the book there are sometimes hurdles to get over and compromises to make from both parties to make a relationship work.
September 15, 2025
Quick and enjoyable read for fans of insta-love!
OBGYN, Julie finds herself on a local dragon boat team headed by the no nonsense Rae. The two quickly find themselves absorbed in one another’s orbit, with Rae providing care to an overworked Julie and Julie providing Rae comfort when they most need it.
Readers who enjoy the following will enjoy this quick novella:
🩺 Opposites Attract
🚣🏻 Insta-love
🩺 Sapphic Romance
🚣🏻 Low Angst
🩺 Sports Romance
🚣🏻 Asian Representation
This was a sweet story of learning to find a good work/life balance and being a supportive partner through life’s most difficult obstacles.
OBGYN, Julie finds herself on a local dragon boat team headed by the no nonsense Rae. The two quickly find themselves absorbed in one another’s orbit, with Rae providing care to an overworked Julie and Julie providing Rae comfort when they most need it.
Readers who enjoy the following will enjoy this quick novella:
🩺 Opposites Attract
🚣🏻 Insta-love
🩺 Sapphic Romance
🚣🏻 Low Angst
🩺 Sports Romance
🚣🏻 Asian Representation
This was a sweet story of learning to find a good work/life balance and being a supportive partner through life’s most difficult obstacles.
December 18, 2025
The spice was awkward…. Rae spent too much time being pissed at Julie for working and basically guilting her into leaving a job she loved… Rae was supposed to be this butch athlete but they fell short by being an overbearing control freak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2026
appreciated the cultural aspect. fun and cozy.
this book was more fast-paced than i am used to (i.e. second ever in-person meeting and imagining intimacy). also, intimacy would not be the first thing on my mind after my popo receives emergency surgery after a fall.
this book was more fast-paced than i am used to (i.e. second ever in-person meeting and imagining intimacy). also, intimacy would not be the first thing on my mind after my popo receives emergency surgery after a fall.
May 23, 2025
Dragon boats and doctors notes was a lovely sapphic romance story with two characters Rae and Julie I liked very much ,very interesting and a beautiful romance.
June 30, 2025
A cute novella. Instalove, grumpy/sunshine, nice spice. And a wonderful, loving grandma (PoPo) to add to the sweetness.
July 13, 2025
A very lively, happy summer romance. No suprise tricks or twists-just cozy comfort. Will be recommending for sure.
July 6, 2025
You can tell this was the expansion of a short story, and I think it needed to be expanded a bit more with the characters' back stories and that would make the conclusion feel less rushed. Other than that, it's a cute romance with very likeable characters.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews