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Jade Harbour Capital #1
Hard Sell
One night wasn’t enough.
Danny Yip walks into every boardroom with a plan. His plan for struggling tech company WesTec is to acquire it, shut it down, and squeeze the last remaining revenue out of it for his Jade Harbour Capital portfolio. But he didn’t expect his best friend's younger brother—the hottest one-night stand he ever had—to be there.
Tobin Lok has always thought the world of Danny. He’s funny, warm, attractive—and totally out of Tobin’s league. Now, pitted against Danny at work, Tobin might finally get a chance to prove he’s more than just Wei’s little brother.
It takes a lot to get under Danny’s skin, but Tobin is all grown up in a way Danny can’t ignore. Now, with a promising patent on the line and the stakes higher than ever, all he can think about is getting Tobin back into his bed—and into his life for good.
If only explaining their relationship to Wei could be so easy…
Danny Yip walks into every boardroom with a plan. His plan for struggling tech company WesTec is to acquire it, shut it down, and squeeze the last remaining revenue out of it for his Jade Harbour Capital portfolio. But he didn’t expect his best friend's younger brother—the hottest one-night stand he ever had—to be there.
Tobin Lok has always thought the world of Danny. He’s funny, warm, attractive—and totally out of Tobin’s league. Now, pitted against Danny at work, Tobin might finally get a chance to prove he’s more than just Wei’s little brother.
It takes a lot to get under Danny’s skin, but Tobin is all grown up in a way Danny can’t ignore. Now, with a promising patent on the line and the stakes higher than ever, all he can think about is getting Tobin back into his bed—and into his life for good.
If only explaining their relationship to Wei could be so easy…
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2021
40 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Hudson Lin
17 books86 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.
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March 11, 2021Asian??? M/M??? SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE + BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND??? Ohmygod.
May 25, 2021
Wow, this book had so many issues, I hardly know where to start.
I was initially very excited by this book based on the cover and blurb. A m/m book with 2 Asian MCs sounded very promising and based on the blurb, it was a brother’s best friend trope, which I personally love. However, that’s also where the good news begins AND ends.
I never really got a very good read on Tobin and his desperate need for independence and to stand on his own two feet. I get that he’s the baby of the family and everyone sort of hovers and he feels a little claustrophobic. But he grew up in a wealthy family, went off to college, and spurred his parents financial assistance with college and I...didn’t really understand that.
Daniel, I actually had a better read on - he grew up poor, with a single mom who worked hard to make ends meet, he basically became the 3rd de facto son in Tobin’s family, and I got his need to be financially independent and well off, his incessant need to “repay” Tobin’s family for all that they’d given him. Bu it really pissed me off how he treated Tobin for the bulk of the book.
I don’t recall the age gap between the two characters but sometimes, they really treated Tobin so young and it just felt really weird.
Next - the corporate business-y part of the book, which is how Tobin and Daniel end up back in each other’s orbit after hooking up 7 years earlier at Tobin’s brother (also Daniel’s best friend) Wei’s bachelor party. They were at cross purposes and I totally get that but I do thing too much of this book focused on that and the inclusion of Cyrus, the owner of the struggling company Daniel’s company is trying to takeover and Tobin’s company is trying to save, added nothing but extraneous complications. Cyrus is a transphobic, homophobic asshole and possibly a pedophile. No, seriously. There’s a plot line in the book where it’s thought that he’s engaging in sex trafficking and basically everyone knows and decides to not turn him in but instead, use it as leverage to get him to sell the business to Daniel’s company and I was like WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING??? It was such a bizarre part of the story that really went nowhere so I’m not sure what the point of including it in the book even was.
Tobin also lives with his lesbian roommate and her girlfriend and I have to say, I felt some of the language he used to describe her and her girlfriend was really offensive AF.
It’s too bad that there were so many problems with this book because based on the cover and the trope, there was a potential for this book to be amazing. There was also an accident where Daniel, while driving, is distracted and hits a cyclist and...again, why? Based on what followed (a scene where Tobin takes care of Daniel and their emotional intimacy and physical intimacy is furthered) I can kind of see why it was in the book but surely there were better ways to do it. It just all felt a little too much.
CW: transphobic, homophobic side character, possibly a pedophile, sex trafficking, car accident, I don’t know if i covered all of it, there was so much that happened that felt unnecessary to the central romance.
I received an ARC, the review is all mine.
I was initially very excited by this book based on the cover and blurb. A m/m book with 2 Asian MCs sounded very promising and based on the blurb, it was a brother’s best friend trope, which I personally love. However, that’s also where the good news begins AND ends.
I never really got a very good read on Tobin and his desperate need for independence and to stand on his own two feet. I get that he’s the baby of the family and everyone sort of hovers and he feels a little claustrophobic. But he grew up in a wealthy family, went off to college, and spurred his parents financial assistance with college and I...didn’t really understand that.
Daniel, I actually had a better read on - he grew up poor, with a single mom who worked hard to make ends meet, he basically became the 3rd de facto son in Tobin’s family, and I got his need to be financially independent and well off, his incessant need to “repay” Tobin’s family for all that they’d given him. Bu it really pissed me off how he treated Tobin for the bulk of the book.
I don’t recall the age gap between the two characters but sometimes, they really treated Tobin so young and it just felt really weird.
Next - the corporate business-y part of the book, which is how Tobin and Daniel end up back in each other’s orbit after hooking up 7 years earlier at Tobin’s brother (also Daniel’s best friend) Wei’s bachelor party. They were at cross purposes and I totally get that but I do thing too much of this book focused on that and the inclusion of Cyrus, the owner of the struggling company Daniel’s company is trying to takeover and Tobin’s company is trying to save, added nothing but extraneous complications. Cyrus is a transphobic, homophobic asshole and possibly a pedophile. No, seriously. There’s a plot line in the book where it’s thought that he’s engaging in sex trafficking and basically everyone knows and decides to not turn him in but instead, use it as leverage to get him to sell the business to Daniel’s company and I was like WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING??? It was such a bizarre part of the story that really went nowhere so I’m not sure what the point of including it in the book even was.
Tobin also lives with his lesbian roommate and her girlfriend and I have to say, I felt some of the language he used to describe her and her girlfriend was really offensive AF.
It’s too bad that there were so many problems with this book because based on the cover and the trope, there was a potential for this book to be amazing. There was also an accident where Daniel, while driving, is distracted and hits a cyclist and...again, why? Based on what followed (a scene where Tobin takes care of Daniel and their emotional intimacy and physical intimacy is furthered) I can kind of see why it was in the book but surely there were better ways to do it. It just all felt a little too much.
CW: transphobic, homophobic side character, possibly a pedophile, sex trafficking, car accident, I don’t know if i covered all of it, there was so much that happened that felt unnecessary to the central romance.
I received an ARC, the review is all mine.
September 21, 2023
Hard Sell by Hudson Lin
Contemporary M-M romantic erotica. Diverse. Asian heroes.
Danny Yip and Tobin Lok had one night together but life and timing had them going in separate direction. They meet again when Danny plans to buy and gut a business for his Capital portfolio. Finding Tobin at the company and reconnecting changes both their thoughts to a possible future together.
The reconnection of Danny and Tobin is hot and steamy and often.
I hate games and manipulation in business. Blackmail and extortion is illegal for a reason. This and a couple other tragic incidents included in the story made me distance myself from the story and characters.
2.5
Contemporary M-M romantic erotica. Diverse. Asian heroes.
Danny Yip and Tobin Lok had one night together but life and timing had them going in separate direction. They meet again when Danny plans to buy and gut a business for his Capital portfolio. Finding Tobin at the company and reconnecting changes both their thoughts to a possible future together.
The reconnection of Danny and Tobin is hot and steamy and often.
I hate games and manipulation in business. Blackmail and extortion is illegal for a reason. This and a couple other tragic incidents included in the story made me distance myself from the story and characters.
2.5
April 26, 2021
I really liked this book and enjoyed the relationship between Danny and Tobin!! Did this book have me tearing up by the end? YES IT DID. Although I have a few comments regarding the story, overall, I enjoyed it and would definitely re-read it!
Trigger warnings include homomisia, transmisia, vehicular accident resulting in injury (not one of the MCs), blackmail, mentions of human trafficking, suggestions of sex with minors (not either MC), and lots of scenes/moments where MCs contemplate having kids someday.
I admit I knew nothing about this book before I started reading it. I like the author and have read her books before and was SUPER STOKED to see that Carina Press has TWO Asian models on the cover!!! That like, almost never happens?? And with m/m?? And in the age of illustrated covers?? I have never been more excited about seeing a cover! So of course, I was going to read this.
Soooo. Because I was so excited to read this, I may have forgotten what the blurb was by the time I started the book, so for a chapter, I mistakenly thought the MCs were Danny and Cyrus. Oops. Daniel “Danny” Ip (I don’t know why the blurb says his last name is spelled Yip when the book says otherwise, but though in Chinese they’re the same) is a guy who’s super intimidating and very good at his job. Or he was. At 35, he’s beginning to feel himself burning out but the money, the position is all he’s worked for and the thing is, he used to enjoy the grind that came with the job.
Cyrus West is the CEO of a company called WesTec and he’s the guy Danny has to convince to want to sell his company to Danny and Jade Harbour. HE IS NOT THE LOVE INTEREST. He’s also super awful. Danny’s job is buying struggling companies at a low price, do some restructuring, and sell high. I want to say this makes him a venture capitalist? The book never says the words, but, I think that’s what he is.
So, while Danny’s planning on doing his thing to win over WesTec, in walks his best friend’s little brother. Who isn’t quite so little anymore.
Tobin Lok is 26 and works at a company’s whose job is to help struggling companies find their footing again and make money. So he’s kind of like a consultant. I think. This puts Danny and Tobin at odds with what they’re looking to do with WesTec and they’re facing each other again after 7 years with basically no contact.
I admit that this book is WAY smarter than I am. I don’t really understand any of the business and finance aspects of this book and what was really happening so reading all of that was just vibes for me. No thoughts at all really. Except, I can’t say I particularly loved how quickly and neatly the book wrapped up the whole deal with WesTec at the end. It almost felt like a side note after all the stuff that the characters did the whole book to try to win over WesTec.
So let me talk about what I do know.
The tone of this book was a little strange. I think that had more to do with me going into this book not entirely knowing what it was going to be about. Because tropes like best friend’s sibling? It’s fun! Set amongst an Asian family?? DELICIOUS CHAOS.
But then there’s tropes like you have the millionaire, the business setting with a guy that’s supposedly competent at his job, and then the random human trafficking subplot that comes out of NOWHERE? It’s one step away from the dark romance vibe and it was just really weird to me. And I only say one step away because the sex in this book is completely consensual. And like, I read dark romance, but I guess I just wasn’t quite expecting this type of tone based on the books I’ve read from this imprint. The Cyrus subplot was...a lot darker than I would’ve expected. But high stakes and all that, I guess.
I will say there are moments that baffled me enough that this book is a 4-star book rather than 5 for me, and one of them is how much the characters want kids?? I think it’s because I read this too early, and the ARC I read didn’t come with any trigger warnings and I know the Carina Adores line is usually good about them so maybe they’ll be in the final version of the book? But yeah, I just had things catch me by surprise. And the kid thing is a big one for me.
There was a whole lot more going on with the contemplation and talks from both Danny and Tobin wondering if they wanted kids then I would have expected. I don’t love (okay, maybe closer to hate) books that talk about how much the MCs want kids and dreaming about having kids. And it just went on and on. I don’t know, I’m fine with kids in books? Like I loved Tobin’s niece and nephew just fine? But all the stuff that happens in the before stage where the kids don’t exist yet just super squeaks me out.
AND THEN. I think the weirdest part of the story was probably that Danny and Tobin BOTH had evidence that there was a human trafficking case on their hands and and they just...didn’t do anything with that info? They didn’t care enough to act on the info and that was a hard one to swallow. Now, I don’t know if it’s because Tobin comes from a fairly wealthy family, and Danny himself is a literal millionaire, but there’s definitely a level of disconnect I had with the two characters that turned me off from them at times. Like doing nothing about a certain someone being a sexual predator???
There’s also offhand comments from Tobin that didn’t seem necessary (Tobin thinking that audiobooks didn’t count as reading??? or calling his lesbian roommate, Ayán, a “bleeding heart liberal” because she doesn’t like Danny’s VC job). It was just a whole lot of weird moments that came out of nowhere for me in this book that made me wonder at times if the author even wanted me to like Danny or Tobin.
I think both characters are a bit messy in their own way and OVERALL, I think I really like them both by the end? When it felt removed enough from the business drama and they finally got their act together. But it did feel like a long journey to get to that point.
I really enjoyed the parts that I could relate to: the big family get-togethers for the holidays with everyone your parents know, calling older women and men “Aunties” and “Uncles” even if you’re not related to them, and family feeling a bit overwhelming sometimes with their protectiveness. I’m Chinese American and this book is just *chef’s kiss* when it comes to how seamlessly it all gets weaved into the fabric of Danny and Tobin’s lives.
I think the only thing I would’ve wanted to know is whether Tobin’s parents only speak English at home or is that only with the kids? I think it was mentioned that Tobin and his family travels to Hong Kong to visit family so they might be Hong Kongers? Do they speak Cantonese at home and how much do Tobin and his brother, Wei, know of the language? Does Danny speak the language or even understand it? I don’t think it was ever mentioned. It’s not really all that important to the story. I’m just curious because I see that a lot with other Asian families I know where first gen parents speak English with their kids but their own language amongst themselves. And the kids might understand a bit of the language but definitely not a whole lot? So I just wonder how it is for Danny, Tobin, and Wei growing up.
There’s a lot of stops and starts to Danny and Tobin’s relationship. There’s certainly a hurdle to overcome with Danny and Wei being best friends and Danny having known Tobin for years and years, even though he didn’t start being attracted to Tobin until they were way older. I think there’s a fine line with this trope? I don’t usually read it because it can go so wrong. But I think it worked here since it was Tobin who was infatuated with Danny the whole time when they were kids, Danny and Tobin didn’t hook up until Tobin was 19, and then they didn’t even see or speak to each other for another 7 years after their one-night stand.
I am excited to return to this world with book two, which will star Danny’s wealthy co-worker, Ray Chao and I guess we’ll finally see why he’s working at Jade Harbour when it seems there’s gossip around their industry that Ray is technically rich enough that he doesn’t have to work at all. I’m also interested to see who his love interest will be!
I’m not seeing anything about this book or the sequel being made into audiobooks, BUT I WANT THIS TO BE A THING SO MUCH (and pretty please cast an Asian narrator).
I’m in love that we got a m/m book with SO. MANY. Asian characters in it. And they’re actually pictured on the cover!!! I hope the sequel’s cover matches this one and gives me a handsome Ray with his love interest modeled on the cover. I really did wind up loving Danny and Tobin by the end and the story had a lot more twist and turns than I would’ve ever expected. The family is endearing and kind of reminds me of my family. The epilogue was also really great and I even got teary eyed.
***Thanks to the publisher for approving me for this ARC on NetGalley***
Trigger warnings include homomisia, transmisia, vehicular accident resulting in injury (not one of the MCs), blackmail, mentions of human trafficking, suggestions of sex with minors (not either MC), and lots of scenes/moments where MCs contemplate having kids someday.
I admit I knew nothing about this book before I started reading it. I like the author and have read her books before and was SUPER STOKED to see that Carina Press has TWO Asian models on the cover!!! That like, almost never happens?? And with m/m?? And in the age of illustrated covers?? I have never been more excited about seeing a cover! So of course, I was going to read this.
Soooo. Because I was so excited to read this, I may have forgotten what the blurb was by the time I started the book, so for a chapter, I mistakenly thought the MCs were Danny and Cyrus. Oops. Daniel “Danny” Ip (I don’t know why the blurb says his last name is spelled Yip when the book says otherwise, but though in Chinese they’re the same) is a guy who’s super intimidating and very good at his job. Or he was. At 35, he’s beginning to feel himself burning out but the money, the position is all he’s worked for and the thing is, he used to enjoy the grind that came with the job.
Cyrus West is the CEO of a company called WesTec and he’s the guy Danny has to convince to want to sell his company to Danny and Jade Harbour. HE IS NOT THE LOVE INTEREST. He’s also super awful. Danny’s job is buying struggling companies at a low price, do some restructuring, and sell high. I want to say this makes him a venture capitalist? The book never says the words, but, I think that’s what he is.
So, while Danny’s planning on doing his thing to win over WesTec, in walks his best friend’s little brother. Who isn’t quite so little anymore.
Tobin Lok is 26 and works at a company’s whose job is to help struggling companies find their footing again and make money. So he’s kind of like a consultant. I think. This puts Danny and Tobin at odds with what they’re looking to do with WesTec and they’re facing each other again after 7 years with basically no contact.
I admit that this book is WAY smarter than I am. I don’t really understand any of the business and finance aspects of this book and what was really happening so reading all of that was just vibes for me. No thoughts at all really. Except, I can’t say I particularly loved how quickly and neatly the book wrapped up the whole deal with WesTec at the end. It almost felt like a side note after all the stuff that the characters did the whole book to try to win over WesTec.
So let me talk about what I do know.
The tone of this book was a little strange. I think that had more to do with me going into this book not entirely knowing what it was going to be about. Because tropes like best friend’s sibling? It’s fun! Set amongst an Asian family?? DELICIOUS CHAOS.
But then there’s tropes like you have the millionaire, the business setting with a guy that’s supposedly competent at his job, and then the random human trafficking subplot that comes out of NOWHERE? It’s one step away from the dark romance vibe and it was just really weird to me. And I only say one step away because the sex in this book is completely consensual. And like, I read dark romance, but I guess I just wasn’t quite expecting this type of tone based on the books I’ve read from this imprint. The Cyrus subplot was...a lot darker than I would’ve expected. But high stakes and all that, I guess.
I will say there are moments that baffled me enough that this book is a 4-star book rather than 5 for me, and one of them is how much the characters want kids?? I think it’s because I read this too early, and the ARC I read didn’t come with any trigger warnings and I know the Carina Adores line is usually good about them so maybe they’ll be in the final version of the book? But yeah, I just had things catch me by surprise. And the kid thing is a big one for me.
There was a whole lot more going on with the contemplation and talks from both Danny and Tobin wondering if they wanted kids then I would have expected. I don’t love (okay, maybe closer to hate) books that talk about how much the MCs want kids and dreaming about having kids. And it just went on and on. I don’t know, I’m fine with kids in books? Like I loved Tobin’s niece and nephew just fine? But all the stuff that happens in the before stage where the kids don’t exist yet just super squeaks me out.
AND THEN. I think the weirdest part of the story was probably that Danny and Tobin BOTH had evidence that there was a human trafficking case on their hands and and they just...didn’t do anything with that info? They didn’t care enough to act on the info and that was a hard one to swallow. Now, I don’t know if it’s because Tobin comes from a fairly wealthy family, and Danny himself is a literal millionaire, but there’s definitely a level of disconnect I had with the two characters that turned me off from them at times. Like doing nothing about a certain someone being a sexual predator???
There’s also offhand comments from Tobin that didn’t seem necessary (Tobin thinking that audiobooks didn’t count as reading??? or calling his lesbian roommate, Ayán, a “bleeding heart liberal” because she doesn’t like Danny’s VC job). It was just a whole lot of weird moments that came out of nowhere for me in this book that made me wonder at times if the author even wanted me to like Danny or Tobin.
I think both characters are a bit messy in their own way and OVERALL, I think I really like them both by the end? When it felt removed enough from the business drama and they finally got their act together. But it did feel like a long journey to get to that point.
I really enjoyed the parts that I could relate to: the big family get-togethers for the holidays with everyone your parents know, calling older women and men “Aunties” and “Uncles” even if you’re not related to them, and family feeling a bit overwhelming sometimes with their protectiveness. I’m Chinese American and this book is just *chef’s kiss* when it comes to how seamlessly it all gets weaved into the fabric of Danny and Tobin’s lives.
I think the only thing I would’ve wanted to know is whether Tobin’s parents only speak English at home or is that only with the kids? I think it was mentioned that Tobin and his family travels to Hong Kong to visit family so they might be Hong Kongers? Do they speak Cantonese at home and how much do Tobin and his brother, Wei, know of the language? Does Danny speak the language or even understand it? I don’t think it was ever mentioned. It’s not really all that important to the story. I’m just curious because I see that a lot with other Asian families I know where first gen parents speak English with their kids but their own language amongst themselves. And the kids might understand a bit of the language but definitely not a whole lot? So I just wonder how it is for Danny, Tobin, and Wei growing up.
There’s a lot of stops and starts to Danny and Tobin’s relationship. There’s certainly a hurdle to overcome with Danny and Wei being best friends and Danny having known Tobin for years and years, even though he didn’t start being attracted to Tobin until they were way older. I think there’s a fine line with this trope? I don’t usually read it because it can go so wrong. But I think it worked here since it was Tobin who was infatuated with Danny the whole time when they were kids, Danny and Tobin didn’t hook up until Tobin was 19, and then they didn’t even see or speak to each other for another 7 years after their one-night stand.
I am excited to return to this world with book two, which will star Danny’s wealthy co-worker, Ray Chao and I guess we’ll finally see why he’s working at Jade Harbour when it seems there’s gossip around their industry that Ray is technically rich enough that he doesn’t have to work at all. I’m also interested to see who his love interest will be!
I’m not seeing anything about this book or the sequel being made into audiobooks, BUT I WANT THIS TO BE A THING SO MUCH (and pretty please cast an Asian narrator).
I’m in love that we got a m/m book with SO. MANY. Asian characters in it. And they’re actually pictured on the cover!!! I hope the sequel’s cover matches this one and gives me a handsome Ray with his love interest modeled on the cover. I really did wind up loving Danny and Tobin by the end and the story had a lot more twist and turns than I would’ve ever expected. The family is endearing and kind of reminds me of my family. The epilogue was also really great and I even got teary eyed.
***Thanks to the publisher for approving me for this ARC on NetGalley***
May 26, 2021
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
What a beautiful find it was for me to come across an m/m romance book with two Asian leads - with a beautiful cover with models to boot!
This won me over in the premise alone - an age difference AND brother's best friend combo. Delicious!
Daniel "Danny" Ip walks into WestTec, a start up that's starting to crack hoping to swoop in and prove to his boss Joana, at Jade Harbour Capital, that he still has what it takes to run the equity investment game.
What Danny doesn't expect to find in Calgary is a very grown up Tobin Lok. Tobin. Tobin who wants to be called by his full name, and who bristles at any mention of being "baby Toby". Because that's who he use to be. Danny's best friend Wei's baby brother.. The baby brother Danny spent a long night seven years ago doing unspeakable things to after Wei's bachelor party when Tobin was 19.
Filled with starts and stops and conflicting emotions, this was a great beginning to what I can tell is going to be a fun series.
I confess I struggled a bit with the characterization of both Danny and Tobin. I felt like there was a lot of conflicting information about them, and not a lot of opportunities for the reader to pick up on their characteristics for ourselves.
There were also quite a few subplots in this that felt really out of place and tangential to the story.
From Tobin's life in Vancouver, his roommate and her girlfriend- including some unfortunate and unsavory wording and decriptors that I wish were caught in editing. At times it seemed like Tobin and Monica were good friends, and at others it seemed like they didn't really care about each other and that confused me.
To a completely unexpected trafficking subplot that came out of left field and never really panned out.
At some point Tobin's dad asks if his English is troubling him, though there isn't a single other mention of it throughout the story and up to that point it felt safe to assume that the Lok children had been raised in Canada from a very young age, if not born there.
I wish there were stronger secondary relationships in the book. Tobin talks about not wanting to leave his life behind, but he honestly doesn't have much of one? I understood Danny only having Wei in his life since he is very much married to his job, but I felt like I didn't have the full picture of what Tobin's life was like.
The biggest wasted opportunity in my opinion was understanding Tobin and Danny's relationship better when they were younger. Maybe a couple of well placed flashbacks or reminiscing could've shed some light on that area.
Tobin also mention's avoiding Toronto and Danny after their initial hook up, but we never got to see the emotional toll that took on both of them, and the idea of "it was always you" didn't sound all that convincing without the goods to back it up.
The epilogue moved me greatly, though I wished we could have explored how Tobin and Danny's relationship altered the Lok family dynamic, and how they were able to grow and evolve within that space for a greater sense of fulfillment.
I hope we get to check back in with these two in Ray's book, and I'm very excited to read his story..
What a beautiful find it was for me to come across an m/m romance book with two Asian leads - with a beautiful cover with models to boot!
This won me over in the premise alone - an age difference AND brother's best friend combo. Delicious!
Daniel "Danny" Ip walks into WestTec, a start up that's starting to crack hoping to swoop in and prove to his boss Joana, at Jade Harbour Capital, that he still has what it takes to run the equity investment game.
What Danny doesn't expect to find in Calgary is a very grown up Tobin Lok. Tobin. Tobin who wants to be called by his full name, and who bristles at any mention of being "baby Toby". Because that's who he use to be. Danny's best friend Wei's baby brother.. The baby brother Danny spent a long night seven years ago doing unspeakable things to after Wei's bachelor party when Tobin was 19.
Filled with starts and stops and conflicting emotions, this was a great beginning to what I can tell is going to be a fun series.
I confess I struggled a bit with the characterization of both Danny and Tobin. I felt like there was a lot of conflicting information about them, and not a lot of opportunities for the reader to pick up on their characteristics for ourselves.
There were also quite a few subplots in this that felt really out of place and tangential to the story.
From Tobin's life in Vancouver, his roommate and her girlfriend- including some unfortunate and unsavory wording and decriptors that I wish were caught in editing. At times it seemed like Tobin and Monica were good friends, and at others it seemed like they didn't really care about each other and that confused me.
To a completely unexpected trafficking subplot that came out of left field and never really panned out.
At some point Tobin's dad asks if his English is troubling him, though there isn't a single other mention of it throughout the story and up to that point it felt safe to assume that the Lok children had been raised in Canada from a very young age, if not born there.
I wish there were stronger secondary relationships in the book. Tobin talks about not wanting to leave his life behind, but he honestly doesn't have much of one? I understood Danny only having Wei in his life since he is very much married to his job, but I felt like I didn't have the full picture of what Tobin's life was like.
The biggest wasted opportunity in my opinion was understanding Tobin and Danny's relationship better when they were younger. Maybe a couple of well placed flashbacks or reminiscing could've shed some light on that area.
Tobin also mention's avoiding Toronto and Danny after their initial hook up, but we never got to see the emotional toll that took on both of them, and the idea of "it was always you" didn't sound all that convincing without the goods to back it up.
The epilogue moved me greatly, though I wished we could have explored how Tobin and Danny's relationship altered the Lok family dynamic, and how they were able to grow and evolve within that space for a greater sense of fulfillment.
I hope we get to check back in with these two in Ray's book, and I'm very excited to read his story..
April 5, 2021
Review to come
October 22, 2022
I am trash for age gap, don't @ me
This was a really sweet and 🔥🔥 read! The Canadian setting was wonderful too.
And totally checking out Ray's book! The tropes *chef's kiss*
Content warning: past parental death, pedophilia (not main pairing!), transphobia, human trafficking mention, car accident, outing, racism, homophobia, sex scenes
This was a really sweet and 🔥🔥 read! The Canadian setting was wonderful too.
And totally checking out Ray's book! The tropes *chef's kiss*
Content warning: past parental death, pedophilia (not main pairing!), transphobia, human trafficking mention, car accident, outing, racism, homophobia, sex scenes
June 10, 2021
Good writing but unfortunately a lot of plot points that I didn’t really enjoy reading.
My big issue with this book that I want to state first is the role of lying in this plot. Danny's lying is the cause of a majority of this book conflicts and I almost never like that as a plot point. The particularly frustrating thing is that it really didn't feel like that needed to be the cause of the conflict. The conflict could have been the fact that Tobin and Danny are on opposite sides of a work situation and the person they are both working for is a bad person. This business element really took a backseat when I was expecting it to be the main focus. Things about this were brought up that went nowhere, like the weird aside into sex trafficking, which will always drive me crazy because of the way sex trafficking statistics are used to make it seem like a much bigger issue than it really is. I just wanted less lying from Danny and more outside business-based conflict.
As far as the characters go, they weren't bad but I never felt like I actually got a sense of them as characters beyond a few character traits. Like Danny is married to his job but isn't super happy in it anymore and Tobin wants to be independent of his family. There were also times that these felt like they were weirdly overlapping. Like at one point Tobin seems to be expressing dissatisfaction with his job even though that wasn't really part of his plot and Wei, Danny's friend and Tobin's brother gives Danny a speech about allowing others to help him, which seems much more Tobin's issue.
Tobin and Danny have also known each other basically their whole lives and slept together seven years before the start of this book. Because of this, their attraction at the beginning felt really sudden and almost like insta-love because we never get to see their growing feelings for each other. I don't always like flashbacks but I think in this book they would have been nice so we could see how they first got together and it would make their attraction for each other seem less instantaneous.
As I said, the writing was good in this and it was really more of a plot that I don't tend to like that made me enjoy this less. I would still read the second book in this series and I think this author has really good stuff ahead of her, this one just didn't quite work for me.
My big issue with this book that I want to state first is the role of lying in this plot. Danny's lying is the cause of a majority of this book conflicts and I almost never like that as a plot point. The particularly frustrating thing is that it really didn't feel like that needed to be the cause of the conflict. The conflict could have been the fact that Tobin and Danny are on opposite sides of a work situation and the person they are both working for is a bad person. This business element really took a backseat when I was expecting it to be the main focus. Things about this were brought up that went nowhere, like the weird aside into sex trafficking, which will always drive me crazy because of the way sex trafficking statistics are used to make it seem like a much bigger issue than it really is. I just wanted less lying from Danny and more outside business-based conflict.
As far as the characters go, they weren't bad but I never felt like I actually got a sense of them as characters beyond a few character traits. Like Danny is married to his job but isn't super happy in it anymore and Tobin wants to be independent of his family. There were also times that these felt like they were weirdly overlapping. Like at one point Tobin seems to be expressing dissatisfaction with his job even though that wasn't really part of his plot and Wei, Danny's friend and Tobin's brother gives Danny a speech about allowing others to help him, which seems much more Tobin's issue.
Tobin and Danny have also known each other basically their whole lives and slept together seven years before the start of this book. Because of this, their attraction at the beginning felt really sudden and almost like insta-love because we never get to see their growing feelings for each other. I don't always like flashbacks but I think in this book they would have been nice so we could see how they first got together and it would make their attraction for each other seem less instantaneous.
As I said, the writing was good in this and it was really more of a plot that I don't tend to like that made me enjoy this less. I would still read the second book in this series and I think this author has really good stuff ahead of her, this one just didn't quite work for me.
May 17, 2021
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It started off so strong that I thought it might be a 5 star read, but then it didn't end up living up to its potential for me. This was mostly two-fold: I thought I would love the main characters, but I didn't really end up doing so, because I don't feel like I got to know them that well beyond the few characteristics they're given. Then I also feel like the conflicts weren't developed enough to fit seamlessly into the story - they felt a little forced. There were parts I really liked though - mostly the dynamic between the main characters - and I think I'll still want to read the sequel. I was just hoping to love this instead of just liking it.
May 25, 2021
Content warnings:
I was immediately sold when I saw there were two Asian men on the cover, and even more interested when I saw this was a best friend’s sibling book. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but my reaction to the book was, well, complicated.
Tobin’s had a crush on his older brother Wei’s best friend Danny since they were kids. Seven years ago, they had a one night stand at Wei’s bachelor party, but haven’t talked since. So it’s a big surprise to run into each other while they’re both evaluation WesTec – Tobin to help them determine how to remain solvent, and Danny as a representative of Jade Harbour Capital, who want to buy the company out. They reconnect and can’t deny that there’s still an attraction between them, but is a fling worth ruining both of their relationships with Wei?
Both men were complicated individuals. Danny has a serious chip on his shoulder about wealth. He was raised by a single mother who worked hard to provide everything she could, but he lucked out by being best friends with Wei Lok, whose family was rich and basically considered him another son. He’s done everything he can to repay them (or at least everything they’ll let him do, which isn’t much), and he enjoys the finer things in life. The rat race is never-ending, though, and Danny’s frankly burned out by his job, tired of the long hours and constant travel required. But besides work, what else does Danny have? In contrast with Danny, Tobin grew up with all the advantages, but he’s chosen to go it on his own, refusing his family’s help. He’s always been treated as the baby of the family, especially by Wei, and it seems the majority of his decisions are to reinforce that he’s an adult.
Their relationship has several complications, both internal and external. First, of course, is the best friend’s sibling trope. Danny still thinks of himself as unworthy of the Lok’s status, that they would be upset if they knew he and Tobin were together. They both worry that their relationship will impact each of their relationships with Wei. There’s also Danny’s workaholism (even on “vacation,” he’s spending hours working) and the fact that they live on opposite sides of the country. Danny’s obsession with work – and how he downplays it – is almost infantilizing to Tobin, and it takes a lot of time working on their communication before they get their HEA.
Wei’s relationship with both Danny (who lives near him and frequently babysits his twins) and Tobin was, well, also complicated (I swear this is the last time I’ll use that word in this review). I was initially frustrated by his reaction to Danny and Tobin’s relationship, but liked the way he owned up to being in the wrong. What little we see of the Lok family in general seemed wonderful, and I would’ve honestly liked to see more of them on the page. It was nice, comforting found-family vibe, very much in contrast with Tobin and his roommate and Danny’s relationship with, uh, everyone.
And now for the negative. There were a lot of content warnings I wasn’t expecting. At one point, both MCs find out that a private investigator took photos of someone they’re working with in flagrante delicto with someone who “could be very young-looking eighteen-year-olds.” While both separately realize they should report it to the police, they… don’t? Instead they (and the ex-wife) intend to use it as leverage to get him to sell the company. I’m honestly not sure what the point of including this was – the character involved was already plenty skeevy without that additional complication. There’s smaller things that really rubbed me wrong as well. Tobin makes several derogatory comments about his roommate’s girlfriend, calling her a dyke and a bleeding heart liberal for raising questions about how Danny earns his money (and capitalism in general). It was weird and gross and I have no idea why it was there, either.
Overall, while I enjoyed the book – I do love messy characters – the content greatly affected my enjoyment of it, and I’m not sure whether I’ll continue with the series.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was immediately sold when I saw there were two Asian men on the cover, and even more interested when I saw this was a best friend’s sibling book. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but my reaction to the book was, well, complicated.
“Yes, we’re both working with WesTec, and potentially at cross-purposes, but that doesn’t make us enemies or competitors.”
No, Tobin agreed. But what did it make them? Family friends? Childhood friends? Acquaintances? Former lovers? Maybe future lovers?”
Tobin’s had a crush on his older brother Wei’s best friend Danny since they were kids. Seven years ago, they had a one night stand at Wei’s bachelor party, but haven’t talked since. So it’s a big surprise to run into each other while they’re both evaluation WesTec – Tobin to help them determine how to remain solvent, and Danny as a representative of Jade Harbour Capital, who want to buy the company out. They reconnect and can’t deny that there’s still an attraction between them, but is a fling worth ruining both of their relationships with Wei?
“What happened to that guy who thrived on hard work, always looking for the next challenge, eager to conquer every mountain before him? When had he faded into this shell of a man who wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep?”
Both men were complicated individuals. Danny has a serious chip on his shoulder about wealth. He was raised by a single mother who worked hard to provide everything she could, but he lucked out by being best friends with Wei Lok, whose family was rich and basically considered him another son. He’s done everything he can to repay them (or at least everything they’ll let him do, which isn’t much), and he enjoys the finer things in life. The rat race is never-ending, though, and Danny’s frankly burned out by his job, tired of the long hours and constant travel required. But besides work, what else does Danny have? In contrast with Danny, Tobin grew up with all the advantages, but he’s chosen to go it on his own, refusing his family’s help. He’s always been treated as the baby of the family, especially by Wei, and it seems the majority of his decisions are to reinforce that he’s an adult.
“It was probably the hottest sex they’d ever had. It was definitely the worst idea Tobin had had in a long time.”
Their relationship has several complications, both internal and external. First, of course, is the best friend’s sibling trope. Danny still thinks of himself as unworthy of the Lok’s status, that they would be upset if they knew he and Tobin were together. They both worry that their relationship will impact each of their relationships with Wei. There’s also Danny’s workaholism (even on “vacation,” he’s spending hours working) and the fact that they live on opposite sides of the country. Danny’s obsession with work – and how he downplays it – is almost infantilizing to Tobin, and it takes a lot of time working on their communication before they get their HEA.
“If he came between them, if their friendship ended because of him, even for as ridiculous a reason as Wei’s misplaced guilt, Tobin wasn’t sure he could live that down.”
Wei’s relationship with both Danny (who lives near him and frequently babysits his twins) and Tobin was, well, also complicated (I swear this is the last time I’ll use that word in this review). I was initially frustrated by his reaction to Danny and Tobin’s relationship, but liked the way he owned up to being in the wrong. What little we see of the Lok family in general seemed wonderful, and I would’ve honestly liked to see more of them on the page. It was nice, comforting found-family vibe, very much in contrast with Tobin and his roommate and Danny’s relationship with, uh, everyone.
“This week was supposed to be a fun getaway with his hot lover. And now suddenly, there’s a greedy ex-wife and possibly trafficked sex workers, and everyone seemed to be okay with it, except him.”
And now for the negative. There were a lot of content warnings I wasn’t expecting. At one point, both MCs find out that a private investigator took photos of someone they’re working with in flagrante delicto with someone who “could be very young-looking eighteen-year-olds.” While both separately realize they should report it to the police, they… don’t? Instead they (and the ex-wife) intend to use it as leverage to get him to sell the company. I’m honestly not sure what the point of including this was – the character involved was already plenty skeevy without that additional complication. There’s smaller things that really rubbed me wrong as well. Tobin makes several derogatory comments about his roommate’s girlfriend, calling her a dyke and a bleeding heart liberal for raising questions about how Danny earns his money (and capitalism in general). It was weird and gross and I have no idea why it was there, either.
Overall, while I enjoyed the book – I do love messy characters – the content greatly affected my enjoyment of it, and I’m not sure whether I’ll continue with the series.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
May 26, 2021
I've read so many good romance novels by Asian authors this month and this one was seriously a let down. Put simply, this book is kind of a mess. There's good material here, but it's buried under a lot of unsophisticated writing and questionable bits to the extent where the romance is hard to enjoy. This is not a debut novel, but it feels very much like one.
The big problem with this book is that the tropes it banks on (brother's best friend, past one night stand, age gap, second chance-ish romance) rely on understanding the history between the characters, but Lin never really gives us flashbacks to Danny and Tobin's relationship at any point in time. They refer to it vaguely, so we definitely understand Tobin's long term crush on Danny, and we also understand how indebted Danny feels to the Lok family for extending their home and their wealth to him while his single mother worked. But the two never seem to mesh together - I never quite understood what attracted Danny to Tobin when they had their drunken one night stand, and I never saw the overbearing overprotectiveness that Tobin was trying to escape in his family. (Also, Tobin spends half the book whining that people treat him like he's still a kid... while continuing to act extremely childishly.) As a result, Wei's reaction to Tobin and Danny having a relationship is hard to place in context - another review said his anger lacked nuance and I agree.
Relationships are another place where this book pulls up short. There was really an inadequate amount of angst between Tobin and Danny despite the fact they spend the entire book not having their shit together. Also, Tobin's relationship to his roommate and her girlfriend is bizarre. I legitimately did not know if they were friends or if they hated each other. Tobin's inner monologue about his roommate and her girlfriend also uses a lot of potentially lesbophobic language (he calls Ayan a "dyke" and later, he calls the couple "the lezzies") and the haziness of their relationship is what makes this possibly problematic - if they were friends and using this language is part of their friendly and teasing rapport (and this was all crystal clear in text), then I wouldn't have a problem with it, but since most of the time it seems they don't actually like each other, it seems this language is used to be derisive and rude, which is not okay - especially coming from a gay male character towards gay women, why do we need homophobia within the queer community?
The villain of this story is also unnecessarily terrible. Cyrus West's introduction is skeevy enough - he outs Tobin in front of Danny, and makes some thinly veiled homophobic comments - but then we discover that he bailed on a patent (an all important thing for the plot) because his collaborator was trans and Cyrus is also transphobic, and his wife is seeking a divorce because her private investigator discovered that he was soliciting possibly underaged victims of sex trafficking. And even when four people (the wife, Danny, Ray, and then Tobin) are privy to the incriminating evidence, they put off going to the police so they can blackmail Cyrus for a while. Also, since Cyrus being The Worst never really has consequences that play out on the page, I don't know why Lin had to go there at all. It seemed unnecessary.
Overall, this book had bits that had potential but the craft is clumsy and overcluttered - I think this needed more rigorous editing to cut down on frilly bits (ie. the bicycle crash that only happened to get Tobin and Danny to be vulnerable and intimate with each other after fighting). I think this should have been published under a harlequin imprint to cut out a lot of the extra stuff and laser focus on the romance. I may read the second book in this series because Ray was an entertaining side character, but I'm not so sure.
(If you want a story with similar vibes (male/male, age gap, power imbalance, the angst of not knowing if getting together is a good idea) I'd recommend Beijing Comrades by bei tong - it also has the fanfiction vibes of this novel; or if you don't mind the couples being female/male, Alisha Rai's Forbidden Hearts trilogy basically covers all the tropes in this book over three couples in three books.)
The big problem with this book is that the tropes it banks on (brother's best friend, past one night stand, age gap, second chance-ish romance) rely on understanding the history between the characters, but Lin never really gives us flashbacks to Danny and Tobin's relationship at any point in time. They refer to it vaguely, so we definitely understand Tobin's long term crush on Danny, and we also understand how indebted Danny feels to the Lok family for extending their home and their wealth to him while his single mother worked. But the two never seem to mesh together - I never quite understood what attracted Danny to Tobin when they had their drunken one night stand, and I never saw the overbearing overprotectiveness that Tobin was trying to escape in his family. (Also, Tobin spends half the book whining that people treat him like he's still a kid... while continuing to act extremely childishly.) As a result, Wei's reaction to Tobin and Danny having a relationship is hard to place in context - another review said his anger lacked nuance and I agree.
Relationships are another place where this book pulls up short. There was really an inadequate amount of angst between Tobin and Danny despite the fact they spend the entire book not having their shit together. Also, Tobin's relationship to his roommate and her girlfriend is bizarre. I legitimately did not know if they were friends or if they hated each other. Tobin's inner monologue about his roommate and her girlfriend also uses a lot of potentially lesbophobic language (he calls Ayan a "dyke" and later, he calls the couple "the lezzies") and the haziness of their relationship is what makes this possibly problematic - if they were friends and using this language is part of their friendly and teasing rapport (and this was all crystal clear in text), then I wouldn't have a problem with it, but since most of the time it seems they don't actually like each other, it seems this language is used to be derisive and rude, which is not okay - especially coming from a gay male character towards gay women, why do we need homophobia within the queer community?
The villain of this story is also unnecessarily terrible. Cyrus West's introduction is skeevy enough - he outs Tobin in front of Danny, and makes some thinly veiled homophobic comments - but then we discover that he bailed on a patent (an all important thing for the plot) because his collaborator was trans and Cyrus is also transphobic, and his wife is seeking a divorce because her private investigator discovered that he was soliciting possibly underaged victims of sex trafficking. And even when four people (the wife, Danny, Ray, and then Tobin) are privy to the incriminating evidence, they put off going to the police so they can blackmail Cyrus for a while. Also, since Cyrus being The Worst never really has consequences that play out on the page, I don't know why Lin had to go there at all. It seemed unnecessary.
Overall, this book had bits that had potential but the craft is clumsy and overcluttered - I think this needed more rigorous editing to cut down on frilly bits (ie. the bicycle crash that only happened to get Tobin and Danny to be vulnerable and intimate with each other after fighting). I think this should have been published under a harlequin imprint to cut out a lot of the extra stuff and laser focus on the romance. I may read the second book in this series because Ray was an entertaining side character, but I'm not so sure.
(If you want a story with similar vibes (male/male, age gap, power imbalance, the angst of not knowing if getting together is a good idea) I'd recommend Beijing Comrades by bei tong - it also has the fanfiction vibes of this novel; or if you don't mind the couples being female/male, Alisha Rai's Forbidden Hearts trilogy basically covers all the tropes in this book over three couples in three books.)
did-not-finish
August 6, 2021DNF @ 30%
HARD SELL just wasn't working for me despite a good initial start. I felt like the beginning was pretty strong and I really liked how much care and affection Danny and Tobin had for each other even though they hadn't seen each other in years. I personally found the finance and acquisitions part of the plot really boring but that's just me and might be more interesting to other readers. Danny and Tobin start seeing each other when they're both in town but then around 25% in Danny pulls back so hard that I began to wonder why he was stringing Tobin along and I couldn't figure out what Tobin saw in him. They lost all of their great chemistry so I hope that this gets resolved past the point I stopped.
My other big issue is that the side plot of the douche tech boss having sex with underage women and possibly being involved in sex trafficking (this was only just being developed at the 30% mark so I'm going off other reviews here) felt like it came out of left field. Additionally I'm really uncomfortable with the fact that Danny and his coworker know about this and instead of reporting him to the police they, along with the guy's angry wife, decide to use it as leverage to force the guy to sell his company. Danny initially suggests reporting the crime but then backs down super easy when his coworker basically shrugs it off. Anyway, sadly not for me.
Content Warning: Up to what I read the following happened: Cyrus West outs Tobin in a business meeting and makes several other homophobic and transphobic comments; developing side plot involving sex with underage minors or possibly sex trafficking
HARD SELL just wasn't working for me despite a good initial start. I felt like the beginning was pretty strong and I really liked how much care and affection Danny and Tobin had for each other even though they hadn't seen each other in years. I personally found the finance and acquisitions part of the plot really boring but that's just me and might be more interesting to other readers. Danny and Tobin start seeing each other when they're both in town but then around 25% in Danny pulls back so hard that I began to wonder why he was stringing Tobin along and I couldn't figure out what Tobin saw in him. They lost all of their great chemistry so I hope that this gets resolved past the point I stopped.
My other big issue is that the side plot of the douche tech boss having sex with underage women and possibly being involved in sex trafficking (this was only just being developed at the 30% mark so I'm going off other reviews here) felt like it came out of left field. Additionally I'm really uncomfortable with the fact that Danny and his coworker know about this and instead of reporting him to the police they, along with the guy's angry wife, decide to use it as leverage to force the guy to sell his company. Danny initially suggests reporting the crime but then backs down super easy when his coworker basically shrugs it off. Anyway, sadly not for me.
Content Warning: Up to what I read the following happened: Cyrus West outs Tobin in a business meeting and makes several other homophobic and transphobic comments; developing side plot involving sex with underage minors or possibly sex trafficking
June 30, 2021
This is my first book by this author and the start of a series. I will diffidently be reading book 2. I really liked the story once I figured out the direction the author was trying to move the story. From the beginning, there were two plots...one involving competing work issues and one involving family issues. Each plot could have easily become the main plot and had the story advance around it. I became aggravated fairly soon into the book with the attitude of Tobin's brother, Wei. He treated Tobin like a baby and tried to make decisions for him like he was 6 years old...and more aggregating was that Tobin and Danny actually allowed it and tried to base their relationship around it!! I don't know very much about Asian culture but it seemed fairly unreasonable considering that Tobin was 26 years old. Overall it was a good beginning for what I hope will be a longer series than most books of the m/m genera.
April 6, 2022
This could've been such a good book with a little editing and a little tough love. There was too much happening... And Danny. I could not stand Danny.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
July 13, 2022
Jackie Lau posted about this series on her IG. Brother’s Best Friend/Best Friends Brother is one of my favorite tropes so I grabbed the audiobook.
I loved the history and family bonds that Lin wrote for these two. Tobin’s resistance to being treated like the baby of the family and Danny certain he has to prove his place in the world. They were obviously destined for each other, but overcoming Danny’s obsession with work was a big hurdle. Plus both of them worrying about Wei’s reaction to them. This is a good one when you’re in the mood for angstier and push/pull between the MCs.
I really felt Danny’s apology and commitment to putting Tobin first. Their HEA and the ending were wonderful.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Tyler Tetsuda and I enjoyed his narration. He was a great fit for the characters and brought the emotions through well. Good listen.
I loved the history and family bonds that Lin wrote for these two. Tobin’s resistance to being treated like the baby of the family and Danny certain he has to prove his place in the world. They were obviously destined for each other, but overcoming Danny’s obsession with work was a big hurdle. Plus both of them worrying about Wei’s reaction to them. This is a good one when you’re in the mood for angstier and push/pull between the MCs.
I really felt Danny’s apology and commitment to putting Tobin first. Their HEA and the ending were wonderful.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Tyler Tetsuda and I enjoyed his narration. He was a great fit for the characters and brought the emotions through well. Good listen.
December 18, 2021
My favorite part of Hudson Lin's Hard Sell is the family drama. I loved Tobin's mom, truly endearing.
There's a lot going on in the story. Between Danny hiding stuff from Tobin, Tobin and Danny hiding their relationship from their family, Cyrus and his machinations... like I say, it's a lot. Darker elements pop in here and there, with wheeling and dealing a plenty. Danny finally is forced to face up to some of his motivations in an interesting turning point.
The cast of supporting characters could each get a book of their own.
thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the copy of Hard Sell, all opinions are my own
There's a lot going on in the story. Between Danny hiding stuff from Tobin, Tobin and Danny hiding their relationship from their family, Cyrus and his machinations... like I say, it's a lot. Darker elements pop in here and there, with wheeling and dealing a plenty. Danny finally is forced to face up to some of his motivations in an interesting turning point.
The cast of supporting characters could each get a book of their own.
thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the copy of Hard Sell, all opinions are my own
April 26, 2025
I think I don't like 'best friend's brother/sister' romance in general, because it makes no sense to me. All of the close friends I've let into my life are great people; why would I not want my sister to be involved with great people??
So brother Wei is an asshole and his best friend Danny is a wuss. Tobin was the only good one, he deserved better. The side plots are trash.
So brother Wei is an asshole and his best friend Danny is a wuss. Tobin was the only good one, he deserved better. The side plots are trash.
March 21, 2022
Was this perfect? No. There were some pacing issues, some over-the-top situations that could have accomplished their goal by other means (but if I know what I'm in for, I can really get into soapy dramatics), and I wasnt a super fan of the language Tobin used to refer to his lesbian roommates, especially considering the text did not support that kind of relationship. (His roommates are barely mentioned and their relationship and characters are pretty flat as a result.) Also a little more angsty than I prefer, but that is a taste thing.
BUT! I loved how sweet and nostalgic the first half of this was. And the writing quality and style itself was so so lovely. Really! The prose at times was really beautiful and it's just a quality I really appreciate when I find it.
I liked how distinct the characters were from each other. Tobin definitely felt younger, he definitely felt 26, and Danny for sure felt 35. I liked the family dynamics, I thought there was a lot of depth there and I could feel the years they had all known each other.
Overall I was pretty impressed - I didnt really have any expectations going in as this is a new to me author - and I can't wait to read Ray's story!
BUT! I loved how sweet and nostalgic the first half of this was. And the writing quality and style itself was so so lovely. Really! The prose at times was really beautiful and it's just a quality I really appreciate when I find it.
I liked how distinct the characters were from each other. Tobin definitely felt younger, he definitely felt 26, and Danny for sure felt 35. I liked the family dynamics, I thought there was a lot of depth there and I could feel the years they had all known each other.
Overall I was pretty impressed - I didnt really have any expectations going in as this is a new to me author - and I can't wait to read Ray's story!
March 25, 2023
tobin is precious and must be protected at all cost.
danny could go missing and I woudn't care.
this was a lot of things, brother's best friend, second chance, kinda workplace romance, taking down the bad rich guy. but there was too much going on. we didn't have time to focus on any of them. danny kept getting on my nerves and not treating tobin the way he deserved so I wasn't sold on the romance. I'd still give this author another try, maybe this one just wasn't for me.
danny could go missing and I woudn't care.
this was a lot of things, brother's best friend, second chance, kinda workplace romance, taking down the bad rich guy. but there was too much going on. we didn't have time to focus on any of them. danny kept getting on my nerves and not treating tobin the way he deserved so I wasn't sold on the romance. I'd still give this author another try, maybe this one just wasn't for me.
Read
October 26, 2023
Trigger & Content Warnings
Outing
Homomisia
transmisia
Paedophilia
Child sex trafficking
Death of a mother from cancer recounted
Blackmail
Car-and-bicycle accident
Outing
Homomisia
transmisia
Paedophilia
Child sex trafficking
Death of a mother from cancer recounted
Blackmail
Car-and-bicycle accident
May 28, 2021
"You deserve more than me settling for what's safe. You're worth the risk of trying, even if things don't work out."
📚 Series? Yes.
📚 Genre? Contemporary Romance > LGBT Rep
📚 Read for? Carina Press Blog Tour
📚 Cliffhanger? No
⚠ Content Warnings: Homophobia | Transphobia |
⚠ Book Tags : Asian Author. Asian Leads. M/M Romance. F/F Romance Side Characters. Age-Gap Romance. Brother's Best Friend Trope.
When I first saw Asian male leads on the cover of a romance book, I was sold right away. My heart was pumping with excitement and I really did had extremely high hopes. Were they met? A little.
Hudson Lin's Hard Sell pitched a book with two tropes I want to read more about: age gap and brother's best friend. I know there would be angst, pining, and some pain! I have to admit, this book really delivered that and I had a good time knowing both Tobin and Danny, as well as witnessing how their love story turned out.
In this story, both Danny and Tobin work in the world of business. Seven years after their one-night stand, they have a chance meeting through WestTec, a company Danny is eyeing to buy and where Tobin is working as a consultant. Sparks still fly between them. And Tobin, now older and braver, is ready to pursue and see where their attraction takes them.
What makes this book special to me is that these two leads actually grew up with each other. I wish the author expounded on their backstory because it would have been so awesome. However, the little things I got were still satisfying and it made me have a better appreciation for their current journey to love.
In this book, we experience a lot of push and pull in their love story. First, they are guarded with their feelings. Second, they have their work drama influencing their choices. And finally, the guilt they feel towards Wei, Tobin's older brother.
Aside from that, you will see glimpses of the inner struggles of both of these men. I saw how they felt about their families, their career growths, their futures, and how their current self compares to their past.
Now in terms of the romance parts, this book is a whole of seggsy. If you are wishing for an M/M read with on-page spicy scenes, this one has A LOT a lot. Honestly, I am happy about that because some of my recent reads had fade-to-black moments or off-the-page scenes.
What hindered me to love everything about this book surrounds WestTec, the company they are working for. First off, this book was filled with business jargon and it took a huge chunk of the story. I don't know if the goal was to educate, but for people who are not business majors, this can be boring and confusing.
Not only that, I felt uncomfortable with how this story handled human trafficking. It was touched on very little that you'll miss it if you blink. But when you notice, you would look for some point of resolution — but it was pushed aside. Until now, I don't know what to feel about that. It should have been just removed from the story if it wasn't going to be addressed anyway. So, I am removing 0.5 stars from my rating of this book because of it.
Overall, this book had tons of potential to be a new favorite for me. Focusing on the romance, Hard Sell gave me a love story — and the epilogue definitely did seal the deal!
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Synopsis:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.7/5 ☁
Much thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and the opinions are fully my own. Also, all quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
📚 Blog ♡ Booktube ♡ Bookstagram ♡ Facebook ♡ Twitter 📚
📚 Series? Yes.
📚 Genre? Contemporary Romance > LGBT Rep
📚 Read for? Carina Press Blog Tour
📚 Cliffhanger? No
⚠ Content Warnings: Homophobia | Transphobia |
⚠ Book Tags : Asian Author. Asian Leads. M/M Romance. F/F Romance Side Characters. Age-Gap Romance. Brother's Best Friend Trope.
When I first saw Asian male leads on the cover of a romance book, I was sold right away. My heart was pumping with excitement and I really did had extremely high hopes. Were they met? A little.
Hudson Lin's Hard Sell pitched a book with two tropes I want to read more about: age gap and brother's best friend. I know there would be angst, pining, and some pain! I have to admit, this book really delivered that and I had a good time knowing both Tobin and Danny, as well as witnessing how their love story turned out.
In this story, both Danny and Tobin work in the world of business. Seven years after their one-night stand, they have a chance meeting through WestTec, a company Danny is eyeing to buy and where Tobin is working as a consultant. Sparks still fly between them. And Tobin, now older and braver, is ready to pursue and see where their attraction takes them.
What makes this book special to me is that these two leads actually grew up with each other. I wish the author expounded on their backstory because it would have been so awesome. However, the little things I got were still satisfying and it made me have a better appreciation for their current journey to love.
In this book, we experience a lot of push and pull in their love story. First, they are guarded with their feelings. Second, they have their work drama influencing their choices. And finally, the guilt they feel towards Wei, Tobin's older brother.
Aside from that, you will see glimpses of the inner struggles of both of these men. I saw how they felt about their families, their career growths, their futures, and how their current self compares to their past.
Now in terms of the romance parts, this book is a whole of seggsy. If you are wishing for an M/M read with on-page spicy scenes, this one has A LOT a lot. Honestly, I am happy about that because some of my recent reads had fade-to-black moments or off-the-page scenes.
What hindered me to love everything about this book surrounds WestTec, the company they are working for. First off, this book was filled with business jargon and it took a huge chunk of the story. I don't know if the goal was to educate, but for people who are not business majors, this can be boring and confusing.
Not only that, I felt uncomfortable with how this story handled human trafficking. It was touched on very little that you'll miss it if you blink. But when you notice, you would look for some point of resolution — but it was pushed aside. Until now, I don't know what to feel about that. It should have been just removed from the story if it wasn't going to be addressed anyway. So, I am removing 0.5 stars from my rating of this book because of it.
Overall, this book had tons of potential to be a new favorite for me. Focusing on the romance, Hard Sell gave me a love story — and the epilogue definitely did seal the deal!
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Synopsis:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.7/5 ☁
Much thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and the opinions are fully my own. Also, all quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
📚 Blog ♡ Booktube ♡ Bookstagram ♡ Facebook ♡ Twitter 📚
July 23, 2021
Danny Yip has all the success he ever wanted. He was raised by a single mom who did everything she could to give him what he needed, and he had no intention of struggling like she had to. Now, he is a successful businessamn, and the current project he has been assigned by his company, Jade Harbour Capital, is to go to Calgary and look into WesTec to see if it is a company they should acquire. It is a big surprise when he arrives to find Tobin Lok also working their as a consultant.
The two have a past. Tobin is the younger brother of his best friend Wei. In fact, their family were like a second family to Danny, and Wei and Tobin's parents might have helped him "secretly" to afford what he needed for his education. Tobin also always had a crush on Danny, and they might have hooked up on the night of Wei's bachelor party. They haven't actually seen each other since.
Now, the two of them are going to find both of their worlds thrown up in the air as they have to sort out if they want to pursue a relationship (or something else) and have to deal with how their conflicting work assignments and their "familial" relationships might create a challenge.
This was actually a pretty interesting and fun read. It was a bit racier than I tend to prefer my romance novels to be, but the book had a pretty good story and really interesting characters that I found myself caring about. Lin does have a companion book coming out that will focus on one of Danny's coworkers, and I know that I am looking forward to it.
The two have a past. Tobin is the younger brother of his best friend Wei. In fact, their family were like a second family to Danny, and Wei and Tobin's parents might have helped him "secretly" to afford what he needed for his education. Tobin also always had a crush on Danny, and they might have hooked up on the night of Wei's bachelor party. They haven't actually seen each other since.
Now, the two of them are going to find both of their worlds thrown up in the air as they have to sort out if they want to pursue a relationship (or something else) and have to deal with how their conflicting work assignments and their "familial" relationships might create a challenge.
This was actually a pretty interesting and fun read. It was a bit racier than I tend to prefer my romance novels to be, but the book had a pretty good story and really interesting characters that I found myself caring about. Lin does have a companion book coming out that will focus on one of Danny's coworkers, and I know that I am looking forward to it.
July 28, 2021
I was drawn to this primarily because it featured two Asian MCs set in a non-historical/alt-universe setting. Whilst I'm not all that interested in the world of high finance and corporate takeovers, the relational arc for Danny and Toby was quite well drawn out despite several roadblocks and some inexplicable 'changes of heart'. Coming from a similar background myself, what truly amused was the featured Asian-parental helicopter parenting style of care and concern. The struggle to individuate and self-actualize for those who're considered 'younger' was realistically portrayed, as are the negative developmental and relational ramifications that can come with familial duty, misplaced guilt, over-developed loyalty and obligations. I thought brother Wei's reaction a little OTT ... it seemed overblown and overwrought (which then resolved with seemingly little work or fanfare). 3 stars overall.
May 20, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary finished copy and the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
3.5 ⭐️
Sibling’s best friend is one of those tropes that really gets to me in a good way so Hudson Lin’s Hard Sell’s synopsis had me eager to dive in.
Danny Ip is a private equity investor who visits a tech start up so he can make his offer. When he arrives he realizes that Tobin Lok, one of his closest childhood friends & also the brother of his best friend, & *also* the man he hooked up w/ 7 years ago & hasn’t talked to since, is working w/ the company as a consultant instead of a potential buyer.
Danny knows that nothing can happen between himself & Tobin. Nothing. Can. Happen. *pause for smooching.
Simply put, there are some things that work & don’t work for me about this read.
The chemistry between Danny & Tobin is intense & the ways they’re also tender & nurturing are lovely. There’s a real sense for me that they’re special to each other & that their bond is both enhanced by their long history together but that they both respect each other now (thanks to Alexandria Bellefleur’s Hang the Moon for helping me see that part of this trope in a new way).
But some aspects of the way the sibling’s best friend trope are done here don’t totally work for me. It’s a little strange how Danny refers to Tobin in his head at the beginning of the book. Maybe “kid” or trying to think of Tobin as a sibling are distancing mechanisms but also Danny hooked up with him 7 years ago so I think that ship has sailed...
In addition—& this is something I’ve benefited from in reading other people’s commentary on the trope—Tobin’s brother’s extreme agitation at their relationship doesn’t feel fully nuanced to me. I needed more from that storyline if that’s the direction this trope is going in.
& in general, some of the humor just doesn’t work for me.
The backstories are engaging, I rooted for both leads, & I definitely wanted their HEA. Moreover, I’m really looking forward to checking out another read from Lin; I just have some quibbles with this one.
Release date: 5/25.
CW:
Tobin is outed by the tech start-up owner. Tobin hooks up w/ someone else when they’re on a break—I know that can be a dealbreaker for some.
3.5 ⭐️
Sibling’s best friend is one of those tropes that really gets to me in a good way so Hudson Lin’s Hard Sell’s synopsis had me eager to dive in.
Danny Ip is a private equity investor who visits a tech start up so he can make his offer. When he arrives he realizes that Tobin Lok, one of his closest childhood friends & also the brother of his best friend, & *also* the man he hooked up w/ 7 years ago & hasn’t talked to since, is working w/ the company as a consultant instead of a potential buyer.
Danny knows that nothing can happen between himself & Tobin. Nothing. Can. Happen. *pause for smooching.
Simply put, there are some things that work & don’t work for me about this read.
The chemistry between Danny & Tobin is intense & the ways they’re also tender & nurturing are lovely. There’s a real sense for me that they’re special to each other & that their bond is both enhanced by their long history together but that they both respect each other now (thanks to Alexandria Bellefleur’s Hang the Moon for helping me see that part of this trope in a new way).
But some aspects of the way the sibling’s best friend trope are done here don’t totally work for me. It’s a little strange how Danny refers to Tobin in his head at the beginning of the book. Maybe “kid” or trying to think of Tobin as a sibling are distancing mechanisms but also Danny hooked up with him 7 years ago so I think that ship has sailed...
In addition—& this is something I’ve benefited from in reading other people’s commentary on the trope—Tobin’s brother’s extreme agitation at their relationship doesn’t feel fully nuanced to me. I needed more from that storyline if that’s the direction this trope is going in.
& in general, some of the humor just doesn’t work for me.
The backstories are engaging, I rooted for both leads, & I definitely wanted their HEA. Moreover, I’m really looking forward to checking out another read from Lin; I just have some quibbles with this one.
Release date: 5/25.
CW:
Tobin is outed by the tech start-up owner. Tobin hooks up w/ someone else when they’re on a break—I know that can be a dealbreaker for some.
May 19, 2021
This is Hudson's hottest title yet. It's all the more hot because both Asians are attractive and attracted to each other. Oh, and they're in North America, in Canada and not Asia! Two childhood friends, family friends, reunite as adults when their respective jobs bring them together on the same project. The story is swoonworthy and romantic. The men are sexy AF! I very much appreciated the emotional journey the book took and I can't wait for the next installment in this series. Yah, another sexy Asian man is to center the next title!
Importantly, there is no orientalia. This speaks to the importance of #ownvoices and representation!!! Lin consistently gets two major things right: the portrayal of Asian men and the romance between men. The stories are uplifting and creatively "real."
I've read 5 titles from Lin and I would readily read more! Each title has been uniquely different and immersive.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Importantly, there is no orientalia. This speaks to the importance of #ownvoices and representation!!! Lin consistently gets two major things right: the portrayal of Asian men and the romance between men. The stories are uplifting and creatively "real."
I've read 5 titles from Lin and I would readily read more! Each title has been uniquely different and immersive.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2021
Hudson Lin has quickly become my new favorite M/M author and instant auto buy. Given that the genre is still pretty whitewashed and filled with straight-passing 20-somethings, it's a breath of fresh air to have novels featuring gay Asian men who are not stereotypes or written as trauma porn drama llamas. Not to mention, gay Asian men having really hot sex.
Seriously, sign me up for more!
This is the second Hudson Lin book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A nice balance of angst and sexy times amongst the high stakes world of finance and internet start-ups. Tobin and Danny are totally meant for each other, if they can just get out of their own way. There's family relations, lots of good food and yes, sex. Good looking men getting down and dirty. Oh and a Toronto/Vancouver that is ethnically diverse. Because well, they ARE.
Bring on book 2. I'm very curious about Ray...
Seriously, sign me up for more!
This is the second Hudson Lin book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A nice balance of angst and sexy times amongst the high stakes world of finance and internet start-ups. Tobin and Danny are totally meant for each other, if they can just get out of their own way. There's family relations, lots of good food and yes, sex. Good looking men getting down and dirty. Oh and a Toronto/Vancouver that is ethnically diverse. Because well, they ARE.
Bring on book 2. I'm very curious about Ray...
Read
May 1, 2021Categories
Contemporary Romance, Carina Adores, Male/Male, Gay
Miniseries
Jade Harbour Capital (Book #1)
Contemporary Romance, Carina Adores, Male/Male, Gay
Miniseries
Jade Harbour Capital (Book #1)
May 26, 2021
*Actual rating: 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I haven’t had much luck with the offerings from Carina Press when it comes to their queer romances - as someone who already is pretty aphrenrsive about romance novels, especially when it comes to contemporary ones, I fully expected to either be let down by more stiff characters that were caricatures and following more formulaic tropes towards the end.
However, maybe it’s because of the talent that Hudson Lin brings to the genre, or the fact that this was a truly diverse read with great distinct MCs who stood out on their own along with a supporting cast of characters, or the fact that family and friendship were such strong themes throughout the novel. Whatever the reason, I actually really enjoyed the story. Danny and Tobin were interesting characters on their own, and even together I definitely felt that single pain as I was more about about their relationship and dynamics.
While I did find a few descriptors and dialogue cringey, and I did wish that Lin had incorporated more of her work in finance into the narrative, I really did enjoy the novel, and hope to read more from her. Hudson Lin proved that regardless of the story, diverse characters, #OwnVoices in regards to queer rep and culture does go a long way to make a story enjoyable for the reader.
I haven’t had much luck with the offerings from Carina Press when it comes to their queer romances - as someone who already is pretty aphrenrsive about romance novels, especially when it comes to contemporary ones, I fully expected to either be let down by more stiff characters that were caricatures and following more formulaic tropes towards the end.
However, maybe it’s because of the talent that Hudson Lin brings to the genre, or the fact that this was a truly diverse read with great distinct MCs who stood out on their own along with a supporting cast of characters, or the fact that family and friendship were such strong themes throughout the novel. Whatever the reason, I actually really enjoyed the story. Danny and Tobin were interesting characters on their own, and even together I definitely felt that single pain as I was more about about their relationship and dynamics.
While I did find a few descriptors and dialogue cringey, and I did wish that Lin had incorporated more of her work in finance into the narrative, I really did enjoy the novel, and hope to read more from her. Hudson Lin proved that regardless of the story, diverse characters, #OwnVoices in regards to queer rep and culture does go a long way to make a story enjoyable for the reader.
June 3, 2021
Warning: Hard Sell contains numerous descriptions of delicious food. Do NOT read if you are hungry or you'll be sad that you can't stuff your face with the yummy dishes the characters eat.
Now that I've gotten the disclaimer out of the way. let's get to the meat (haha) of my review.
Danny is the epitome of high powered, corporate businessman at the beginning of Hard Sell, and I wondered how this prickly character would win me and Tobin, his love interest, over. Of course, Tobin is the perfect match for Danny. Yes, Danny and Tobin have lots of history going way back, but it's their connection as adults that makes a sweet romance.
I loved the focus on family--bio and found--and Asian culture. I'm always eager for books featuring non-white characters, and both main characters are. Danny's struggle with having a romantic relationship with Tobin due to his bond with Tobin's family and his dedication to his job some together to create of perfect storm of conflict for Danny and Tobin. I couldn't help but ache for and empathize with both of them.
Tobin brings lightness and joy into Danny's life and, while their age gap is apparent, they fit so well together.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***
Now that I've gotten the disclaimer out of the way. let's get to the meat (haha) of my review.
Danny is the epitome of high powered, corporate businessman at the beginning of Hard Sell, and I wondered how this prickly character would win me and Tobin, his love interest, over. Of course, Tobin is the perfect match for Danny. Yes, Danny and Tobin have lots of history going way back, but it's their connection as adults that makes a sweet romance.
I loved the focus on family--bio and found--and Asian culture. I'm always eager for books featuring non-white characters, and both main characters are. Danny's struggle with having a romantic relationship with Tobin due to his bond with Tobin's family and his dedication to his job some together to create of perfect storm of conflict for Danny and Tobin. I couldn't help but ache for and empathize with both of them.
Tobin brings lightness and joy into Danny's life and, while their age gap is apparent, they fit so well together.
***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***
September 15, 2021
DNF, stopping at 21% because I can't dredge up interest in the next chapter, which looks like more of the same. The pacing so far is both glacial and repetitive, and yet there was also an annoying jump in time? I know, I can't explain that, either.
The author seems to have some knowledge of the financial world (I wouldn't know) but fails to keep narrative tension. The first is just research. The second is critical to good story-telling.
The author seems to have some knowledge of the financial world (I wouldn't know) but fails to keep narrative tension. The first is just research. The second is critical to good story-telling.
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