kudo5795's review
5.0
So many emotions - I love it!!
I have been so looking forward to this book. Sebastian is such a mess and I wanted to hug him from the first time we met him. I wasn't expecting Remington to be just as much of a mess, but the two together really bring out their bests in each other! I loved seeing them grow and seeing Sebastian improve.
Now let's talk about Rhys. I've wanted a book for him since day one and I'm realllllllly hoping we get it because after this one, I no longer want him to get his ass kicked. I just want to hug him as much as I wanted to hug Sebastian!
Kate has a ridiculous amount of talent and her characters are extraordinary even in their every day lives. I rarely feel as connected to characters as I do to hers and I can't wait to see where she goes next!
I have been so looking forward to this book. Sebastian is such a mess and I wanted to hug him from the first time we met him. I wasn't expecting Remington to be just as much of a mess, but the two together really bring out their bests in each other! I loved seeing them grow and seeing Sebastian improve.
Now let's talk about Rhys. I've wanted a book for him since day one and I'm realllllllly hoping we get it because after this one, I no longer want him to get his ass kicked. I just want to hug him as much as I wanted to hug Sebastian!
Kate has a ridiculous amount of talent and her characters are extraordinary even in their every day lives. I rarely feel as connected to characters as I do to hers and I can't wait to see where she goes next!
bharmonyauthor's review
5.0
While Sebastian and Remington (or any other couple for that matter) could never overtake Sage & Foster as my favorite couple written by author Kate Hawthorne, they definitely came close.
I loved the dynamic between the two MCs as they fumbled their way through having a lack of experience but knowledge of their desires. It's rare to find a romance these days with any sort of kink element in which the Dom is not 100% experienced, perfect, and knowledgeable, and then we get Remington.
It was fascinating to watch these men explore their desires, their reluctant infatuation, and eventual HEA.
Kate Hawthorne continues to deliver book after book with unique plots and prose that draws you in and never lets you go. A Cold Hard Truth is no exception. This is one book you don't want to pass up.
I loved the dynamic between the two MCs as they fumbled their way through having a lack of experience but knowledge of their desires. It's rare to find a romance these days with any sort of kink element in which the Dom is not 100% experienced, perfect, and knowledgeable, and then we get Remington.
It was fascinating to watch these men explore their desires, their reluctant infatuation, and eventual HEA.
Kate Hawthorne continues to deliver book after book with unique plots and prose that draws you in and never lets you go. A Cold Hard Truth is no exception. This is one book you don't want to pass up.
palvi00's review
4.0
I preferred the second book more than the first one for the simple reason of it being more complicated from an emotional and relationship point of view. Sebastian is very strong but he's still struggling to leave behind his wealth, not like Callahan who made it after some thinking and got over it.
Remington is mysterious and I liked how he used his words and still found himself without them, in certain moments.
They both had a lot to figure out, about themselves and their relationship. I felt like this is book is just the beginning, as we don't really see how they'll work some of the issues they know they have to figure out, but I enjoyed how this beginning felt.
We manage to see a new side of Rhys, where he does everything he can to leave his brother out of difficult situations, using others and using himself. I can't wait to read his story too.
Remington is mysterious and I liked how he used his words and still found himself without them, in certain moments.
They both had a lot to figure out, about themselves and their relationship. I felt like this is book is just the beginning, as we don't really see how they'll work some of the issues they know they have to figure out, but I enjoyed how this beginning felt.
We manage to see a new side of Rhys, where he does everything he can to leave his brother out of difficult situations, using others and using himself. I can't wait to read his story too.
notguilty's review
5.0
I was consumed by this book from the beginning. I tried to put it down a couple of times to go about my day, but kept stopping to pick it up again, needing to know what came next.
I don't always like wealthy MCs, but they were both flawed enough (and wanting to disance themselves from the money enough) to make them human and relatable. It's the kind of story where you are rooting for both characters. Their exploration of D/S and their sexuality certainly kept things interesting too!
I don't always like wealthy MCs, but they were both flawed enough (and wanting to disance themselves from the money enough) to make them human and relatable. It's the kind of story where you are rooting for both characters. Their exploration of D/S and their sexuality certainly kept things interesting too!
aligroen's review
4.0
This was a nice story though I had to push myself through the first few chapters because it felt like a complete pity party and it wasn't what I was feeling at the moment. After some false starts Remington and Sebastian are able to work out their relationship and it was nice to see them settled into their life together at the end. I am totally sure if this series is for me as I hadn't read the first book but we'll see when the next one come out if it catches my eye.
I received a copy of this book and am giving an honest review
I received a copy of this book and am giving an honest review
snakeyghost's review
3.0
3 “Everything you do is because I allow it“ stars
After loving the first book in this series, I was so excited to read this one. I was really intrigued by Sebastian and Remington when they were side characters in book 1 of the series so I was, not so patiently, waiting for their book. Sadly it just wasn't what I wanted it to be and I had a hard time getting into the book, but I have been in a reading slump for weeks so I blame that one for that fact.
Brief summary
Remington is 27 years old and he is a virgin. He has a hard time trusting people and he doesn't deal with people well, he prefers to read romance books than to find his own romance. His best friend's boyfriend has a best friend, Sebastian and Remington hates him because he is rich and drinks too much. Sebastian is going through a divorce and his ex-wife is the main antagonist in the book. One of their shared friend signs them up for a dating app and they meet there without realizing who the other is as they are using usernames and fake names. They start a dom/sub relationship online. Then realize who they are in person and continue their relationship and fall in love.
First, I really enjoyed the dom/sub dynamic in this book. Remington is a caregiver and he likes to give orders. Sebastian is lost and overwhelmed and he needs guidance and for someone to take care of him and make decisions for him so he can get his life in order. They worked really well in that sense and I loved how Remington took care of Sebastian, Sebastian thrived under Remington's rules and guidance and I loved to see it. Also, I just loved how Remington made a schedule for Sebastian to follow, that was so sweet.
Second, I really enjoyed seeing how Sebastian dealt with his family's expectations of him. Sebastian is from a very rich and very conniving family and he doesn't want any part of it. I loved seeing how he was tortured between his family's expectations and how he really wants to be.
Side note, I really enjoyed Sebastian as a character, I liked seeing how he dealt with his issues and how he tried to be a better man than he was in the past.
Third, I cannot explain how happy I was that this book was a double sexual exploration. Sexual exploration is my favorite thing in books so I was thriving here. Sebastian had never been with a man and Remington was a virgin. They are both trying a dom/sub relationship for the first time too. The sexual exploration was absolutely delicious and I adored every second of it.
Fourth, the sex scenes in this book were very hot but this is Kate Hawthorne so I didn't expect any less. I was very pleased with the sex scenes, they fit the book well ... although I would have taken way more sex scenes but that's just a me thing.
I don't think I can explain how much I wanted to love this book. It had all the ingredients I look for in a book and I loved the relationship dynamic between the main characters, but there was something about the execution that just left me wanting more.
First, Sebastian drinks too much and he uses alcohol to escape his problems and make them hurt less. The book makes it seem that his drinking problem can be fixed by Remington controlling how much Sebastian drinks but I feel like those issues are way more deep-rooted and needed to be addressed professionally. A good dicking is never going to replace a therapy session and I feel like therapy would have been needed in this case.
Second, sometimes I really enjoy when characters don't communicate, when I feel like it fits with the characters feelings and backstories but I couldn't understand why these guys didn't communicate, it felt more like it was there to drive the plot along than it was linked to the characters and their life experiences. The lack of communication got so bad at times that I couldn't feel the chemistry between the main characters anymore.
Third, my favorite thing about the first book in this series was how both characters were clueless and did not know how to make a relationship work and how they had to really work at it to make it work. And it was the same dynamic in this book but sadly it didn't work for me in this book. I think it's because the couple in this book is in a dom/sub relationship while the couple in book 1 wasn't. I don't see dom/sub relationships the same as I see vanilla relationships and I was annoyed at the dom for always leaving the sub alone and not taking care of him in his time of need because that's the role he took on in the relationship. If his role in the relationship wasn't to take care of his partner then I could have forgiven him for being clueless and not getting it right much easier.
Fourth, Remington is not very good with people and I understand that because socializing is not my strong point either but I just didn't like how he never was there for Sebastian. I understand not being good with communication and socializing because I'm the same, but I would never leave the man I say I love for a week without any contact, it just seems a little too much to me. I feel like Remington should have tried to communicate better even if he isn't the best at it. Remington always abandoned Sebastian when Sebastian needed him. And since Remington was the dominant figure in the relationship, he had a role and a duty in which he should be taking care of Sebastian. So the fact that Remington just abandoned Sebastian all the time just didn't sit well with me. Just a few examples: Sebastian is exploring being with a guy for the first time and he realizes that Remington is the man he is talking to online and he reaches out to Remington and tells him how much he wants to be with him and Remington just abandons him there and tells him they cannot be together without telling him why, Sebastian is going through a divorce that's hard on him and he needs Remington and Remington doesn't contact Sebastian for a week and Remington kept saying how Sebastian should contact him if he needs him but since Remington is the dom, I feel like it's his duty to check on Sebastian and make sure he's doing alright. It made me so sad that Remington just abandoned Sebastian when Sebastian needed Remington more than ever. And Remington apologized for it but I felt like it was too late and I didn't see how he was good for Sebastian after he abandoned him so many times.
Also, I cannot tell you how excited I am for Rhys’ book. This entire book I was just dying to get all the little scraps of Rhys' time I could get, he's such a fascinating character. Redemption stories are my favorite story arcs of all time when done right. And Rhys is definitely a very bad guy and his redemption is going to be so good to read about. And I already feel for him and can tell I'll want to give him a million hugs.
I also enjoy Kate Hawthorne's writing and I enjoy reading this book, it just wasn't everything I wanted it to be, but that's on me, I'm sure most people will enjoy this one more than I did.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
After loving the first book in this series, I was so excited to read this one. I was really intrigued by Sebastian and Remington when they were side characters in book 1 of the series so I was, not so patiently, waiting for their book. Sadly it just wasn't what I wanted it to be and I had a hard time getting into the book, but I have been in a reading slump for weeks so I blame that one for that fact.
Brief summary
Remington is 27 years old and he is a virgin. He has a hard time trusting people and he doesn't deal with people well, he prefers to read romance books than to find his own romance. His best friend's boyfriend has a best friend, Sebastian and Remington hates him because he is rich and drinks too much. Sebastian is going through a divorce and his ex-wife is the main antagonist in the book. One of their shared friend signs them up for a dating app and they meet there without realizing who the other is as they are using usernames and fake names. They start a dom/sub relationship online. Then realize who they are in person and continue their relationship and fall in love.
First, I really enjoyed the dom/sub dynamic in this book. Remington is a caregiver and he likes to give orders. Sebastian is lost and overwhelmed and he needs guidance and for someone to take care of him and make decisions for him so he can get his life in order. They worked really well in that sense and I loved how Remington took care of Sebastian, Sebastian thrived under Remington's rules and guidance and I loved to see it. Also, I just loved how Remington made a schedule for Sebastian to follow, that was so sweet.
Second, I really enjoyed seeing how Sebastian dealt with his family's expectations of him. Sebastian is from a very rich and very conniving family and he doesn't want any part of it. I loved seeing how he was tortured between his family's expectations and how he really wants to be.
Side note, I really enjoyed Sebastian as a character, I liked seeing how he dealt with his issues and how he tried to be a better man than he was in the past.
Third, I cannot explain how happy I was that this book was a double sexual exploration. Sexual exploration is my favorite thing in books so I was thriving here. Sebastian had never been with a man and Remington was a virgin. They are both trying a dom/sub relationship for the first time too. The sexual exploration was absolutely delicious and I adored every second of it.
Fourth, the sex scenes in this book were very hot but this is Kate Hawthorne so I didn't expect any less. I was very pleased with the sex scenes, they fit the book well ... although I would have taken way more sex scenes but that's just a me thing.
I don't think I can explain how much I wanted to love this book. It had all the ingredients I look for in a book and I loved the relationship dynamic between the main characters, but there was something about the execution that just left me wanting more.
First, Sebastian drinks too much and he uses alcohol to escape his problems and make them hurt less. The book makes it seem that his drinking problem can be fixed by Remington controlling how much Sebastian drinks but I feel like those issues are way more deep-rooted and needed to be addressed professionally. A good dicking is never going to replace a therapy session and I feel like therapy would have been needed in this case.
Second, sometimes I really enjoy when characters don't communicate, when I feel like it fits with the characters feelings and backstories but I couldn't understand why these guys didn't communicate, it felt more like it was there to drive the plot along than it was linked to the characters and their life experiences. The lack of communication got so bad at times that I couldn't feel the chemistry between the main characters anymore.
Third, my favorite thing about the first book in this series was how both characters were clueless and did not know how to make a relationship work and how they had to really work at it to make it work. And it was the same dynamic in this book but sadly it didn't work for me in this book. I think it's because the couple in this book is in a dom/sub relationship while the couple in book 1 wasn't. I don't see dom/sub relationships the same as I see vanilla relationships and I was annoyed at the dom for always leaving the sub alone and not taking care of him in his time of need because that's the role he took on in the relationship. If his role in the relationship wasn't to take care of his partner then I could have forgiven him for being clueless and not getting it right much easier.
Fourth, Remington is not very good with people and I understand that because socializing is not my strong point either but I just didn't like how he never was there for Sebastian. I understand not being good with communication and socializing because I'm the same, but I would never leave the man I say I love for a week without any contact, it just seems a little too much to me. I feel like Remington should have tried to communicate better even if he isn't the best at it. Remington always abandoned Sebastian when Sebastian needed him. And since Remington was the dominant figure in the relationship, he had a role and a duty in which he should be taking care of Sebastian. So the fact that Remington just abandoned Sebastian all the time just didn't sit well with me. Just a few examples: Sebastian is exploring being with a guy for the first time and he realizes that Remington is the man he is talking to online and he reaches out to Remington and tells him how much he wants to be with him and Remington just abandons him there and tells him they cannot be together without telling him why, Sebastian is going through a divorce that's hard on him and he needs Remington and Remington doesn't contact Sebastian for a week and Remington kept saying how Sebastian should contact him if he needs him but since Remington is the dom, I feel like it's his duty to check on Sebastian and make sure he's doing alright. It made me so sad that Remington just abandoned Sebastian when Sebastian needed Remington more than ever. And Remington apologized for it but I felt like it was too late and I didn't see how he was good for Sebastian after he abandoned him so many times.
Also, I cannot tell you how excited I am for Rhys’ book. This entire book I was just dying to get all the little scraps of Rhys' time I could get, he's such a fascinating character. Redemption stories are my favorite story arcs of all time when done right. And Rhys is definitely a very bad guy and his redemption is going to be so good to read about. And I already feel for him and can tell I'll want to give him a million hugs.
I also enjoy Kate Hawthorne's writing and I enjoy reading this book, it just wasn't everything I wanted it to be, but that's on me, I'm sure most people will enjoy this one more than I did.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
beeziereadsromance's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Beautiful story of two men trying to figure out who they are as individuals and together, whilst falling in love.
I loved the genuine way Remington and Sebastian are shown exploring and growing, sometimes making mistakes or discovering things they don't enjoy; other times getting it very right.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and I have chosen to leave an honest review.
Beautiful story of two men trying to figure out who they are as individuals and together, whilst falling in love.
I loved the genuine way Remington and Sebastian are shown exploring and growing, sometimes making mistakes or discovering things they don't enjoy; other times getting it very right.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and I have chosen to leave an honest review.
kommatator's review
emotional
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
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