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regencyfan93's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I felt like Hong Kong is a distinct place with its tall buildings and its mountains. I would love to go out for hot pot with friends, to eat and talk for hours.
Ben and Sai both figure out what is right for them as individuals and as a couple, as members of their respective families and as career people.
Ben and Sai both figure out what is right for them as individuals and as a couple, as members of their respective families and as career people.
leahkarge's review
4.0
This book was a lovely read, and I enjoyed both main characters so much! Read the full review on my blog.
briarsreviews's review
5.0
I have instantly found a new author to binge read! Hudson Lin has created one fantastic novel that has blown my mind!
Three Months to Forever is a short yet sweet novel about two impressive men falling in love in in Hong Kong. Add in the fact that Canada is also a big part of this book, and you have me instantly hooked! Hudson Lin really did these communities justice with this book, since it is beautifully crafted and respects the cultures.
If I had to compare it, I'd say it was a beautiful Romeo and Juliet -esque story with a splash of Fifty Shades of Grey (but way better, of course). It is R rated though, due to the incredibly sexy scenes Hudson depicts throughout the book. I did find the dominance aspect of the book to be a little repetitive (since it seems to be in every book these days), but that didn't make me want to put the book down.
One major part of this book was the relationship between Sai and his parents. I think the book managed to pull this relationship off and explain the subtleties in an understanding tone. I felt like I understood how Sai felt, even if I hadn't experienced a similar relationship before. I also really liked that there was some ethical issues being discussed. Bringing light to some of the darker sides of business within a romance novel was a nice change within this genre!
It's a fast paced book and follows a very typical narrative, but it still felt so different and real. It's rare to find a good book that opens itself up to so many different communities AND that's a good read. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you love romance! It's high tier reading, and it's not too long so you can easily binge it.
This book is worth every single penny! I want more by Hudson Lin ASAP and I want more readers to be picking up this author's book! What a gem! This book deserves all of the stars!
Five out of five stars!
I received a free copy of this book from the author Hudson Lin in exchange for an honest review.
Three Months to Forever is a short yet sweet novel about two impressive men falling in love in in Hong Kong. Add in the fact that Canada is also a big part of this book, and you have me instantly hooked! Hudson Lin really did these communities justice with this book, since it is beautifully crafted and respects the cultures.
If I had to compare it, I'd say it was a beautiful Romeo and Juliet -esque story with a splash of Fifty Shades of Grey (but way better, of course). It is R rated though, due to the incredibly sexy scenes Hudson depicts throughout the book. I did find the dominance aspect of the book to be a little repetitive (since it seems to be in every book these days), but that didn't make me want to put the book down.
One major part of this book was the relationship between Sai and his parents. I think the book managed to pull this relationship off and explain the subtleties in an understanding tone. I felt like I understood how Sai felt, even if I hadn't experienced a similar relationship before. I also really liked that there was some ethical issues being discussed. Bringing light to some of the darker sides of business within a romance novel was a nice change within this genre!
It's a fast paced book and follows a very typical narrative, but it still felt so different and real. It's rare to find a good book that opens itself up to so many different communities AND that's a good read. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you love romance! It's high tier reading, and it's not too long so you can easily binge it.
This book is worth every single penny! I want more by Hudson Lin ASAP and I want more readers to be picking up this author's book! What a gem! This book deserves all of the stars!
Five out of five stars!
I received a free copy of this book from the author Hudson Lin in exchange for an honest review.
the_novel_approach's review
4.0
I just LOVE it when I find a new author, and I certainly found one with this book. This is a thoughtful rendition of life in the Chinese culture for one homosexual man named Sai. It is also a beautiful guidebook of many of China’s landmarks in and around Hong Kong, not to mention a Chinese foodie to-do list. The dichotomy of Hong Kong where east meets west, and traditional meets modern influences, is truly brought home in the story, and I really enjoyed it.
Sai, or Kwok Sai Hei, is a deeply traditional Chinese man. He has been raised in an elite family, one where filial respect is paramount. He has spent his life, nearly everything about his life, trying to make his father proud of him. He loves the law, but instead of being a human rights lawyer, like he wanted to be, he is a corporate lawyer at the beck and call of his parents and their friends. Sai is a tightly controlled man who is tied by his culture’s strictest influence. Often he is forced to represent friends of his father, or other Chinese elite, against charges of which they are guilty, but it is his job to get them acquitted. To go against the wishes of his family is something he cannot bring himself to do, even when it means he skirts the shadier side of the law for the sake of propriety. Sai’s respite is his friends and the life he has built away from his disapproving family. Sai isn’t happy, but he has built a life he can live with. And then he meets Ben, a man who blows into Sai’s life like a breath of fresh air and forces him to reevaluate everything about himself.
Ben Dutton is searching for something. His life is good, he has a great job that he loves, a family that has always been inclusive, and tons of friends, but somehow it has become not enough for him. When the opportunity becomes available through his job to travel to Hong Kong and help establish an initiative there, Ben jumps at the chance, hoping for some excitement or at least a break from the boredom of his life. What Ben finds is a moody, stern Chinese man named Sai, who ticks every single one of Ben’s buttons. The chemistry with Sai is there right from the get-go, even though it takes them a few meetings to get together and begin to see each other. Ben is such a likable guy; he is the perfect juxtaposition to Sai, and brings a lightness to Sai’s world that has been missing for quite a while. Ben engages you as a reader and has you rooting that some solution will be found and that these two can have their HEA.
So many poignant moments, so many times you realize Sai and Ben are from two entirely different worlds, and they are miles apart in everything but the way they feel for each other. The angst is done well, even if you know what it is beforehand, with the fact that eventually Ben must go home. It is still written well and with a twist that ratchets up the angst and keeps you interested. This story paces well and is a great mix of romance, culture, and tourism.
I will say that I would have appreciated a sequence or two after they get together, or an epilogue, especially if it included a scene at a restaurant with Winston and Amy eating crow about their reservations on the relationship between Ben and Sai. I wanted to see Ben accepted into the new life Sai was building for himself in Hong Kong. I needed a little mix of the new with the old and acceptance and validation for Sai and Ben to really cement their HEA in my mind, but all in all, this is a great addition to the World of Love Series, and I look forward to more stories by this author.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach
Sai, or Kwok Sai Hei, is a deeply traditional Chinese man. He has been raised in an elite family, one where filial respect is paramount. He has spent his life, nearly everything about his life, trying to make his father proud of him. He loves the law, but instead of being a human rights lawyer, like he wanted to be, he is a corporate lawyer at the beck and call of his parents and their friends. Sai is a tightly controlled man who is tied by his culture’s strictest influence. Often he is forced to represent friends of his father, or other Chinese elite, against charges of which they are guilty, but it is his job to get them acquitted. To go against the wishes of his family is something he cannot bring himself to do, even when it means he skirts the shadier side of the law for the sake of propriety. Sai’s respite is his friends and the life he has built away from his disapproving family. Sai isn’t happy, but he has built a life he can live with. And then he meets Ben, a man who blows into Sai’s life like a breath of fresh air and forces him to reevaluate everything about himself.
Ben Dutton is searching for something. His life is good, he has a great job that he loves, a family that has always been inclusive, and tons of friends, but somehow it has become not enough for him. When the opportunity becomes available through his job to travel to Hong Kong and help establish an initiative there, Ben jumps at the chance, hoping for some excitement or at least a break from the boredom of his life. What Ben finds is a moody, stern Chinese man named Sai, who ticks every single one of Ben’s buttons. The chemistry with Sai is there right from the get-go, even though it takes them a few meetings to get together and begin to see each other. Ben is such a likable guy; he is the perfect juxtaposition to Sai, and brings a lightness to Sai’s world that has been missing for quite a while. Ben engages you as a reader and has you rooting that some solution will be found and that these two can have their HEA.
So many poignant moments, so many times you realize Sai and Ben are from two entirely different worlds, and they are miles apart in everything but the way they feel for each other. The angst is done well, even if you know what it is beforehand, with the fact that eventually Ben must go home. It is still written well and with a twist that ratchets up the angst and keeps you interested. This story paces well and is a great mix of romance, culture, and tourism.
I will say that I would have appreciated a sequence or two after they get together, or an epilogue, especially if it included a scene at a restaurant with Winston and Amy eating crow about their reservations on the relationship between Ben and Sai. I wanted to see Ben accepted into the new life Sai was building for himself in Hong Kong. I needed a little mix of the new with the old and acceptance and validation for Sai and Ben to really cement their HEA in my mind, but all in all, this is a great addition to the World of Love Series, and I look forward to more stories by this author.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach
fantasyliving's review against another edition
4.0
I love a nice simple read. No fuss, no complicated roadblocks, just an easy flow romance that shows relationship growth and warmth.
I am definitely on an easy romance kick at the moment. Life is so complicated right now and I just need the satisfaction of knowing that it isn’t always hard for people to be together. This delivered on low angst, which is exactly what I needed.
Getting to know Sai was a little slower than Ben but most of the story is told from Ben’s POV and Sai was a little guarded at first, because of the issues he had with his job and family. Ben was lovely and open. He didn’t hide how he felt, and was willing to be there for Sai when external job drama got in the way of their short time together. He made his feelings about what Sai was putting himself through known, but respected him enough to accept Sai as he was and just be with him any time they could steal away.
The light kink was a really nice surprise. By light, I do mean light, sweet and enjoyable. This would be great for people who haven’t read any kink and want a small taste. Or those who like a little bossiness in the bedroom.
Overall this was nice. It wasn’t quite fluff but a really gentle read. I would read more from this new to me author. I really enjoy her point of view.
Recommended for all romance readers.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
I am definitely on an easy romance kick at the moment. Life is so complicated right now and I just need the satisfaction of knowing that it isn’t always hard for people to be together. This delivered on low angst, which is exactly what I needed.
Getting to know Sai was a little slower than Ben but most of the story is told from Ben’s POV and Sai was a little guarded at first, because of the issues he had with his job and family. Ben was lovely and open. He didn’t hide how he felt, and was willing to be there for Sai when external job drama got in the way of their short time together. He made his feelings about what Sai was putting himself through known, but respected him enough to accept Sai as he was and just be with him any time they could steal away.
The light kink was a really nice surprise. By light, I do mean light, sweet and enjoyable. This would be great for people who haven’t read any kink and want a small taste. Or those who like a little bossiness in the bedroom.
Overall this was nice. It wasn’t quite fluff but a really gentle read. I would read more from this new to me author. I really enjoy her point of view.
Recommended for all romance readers.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
endemictoearth's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. This was a super refreshing read, part romance/part travelogue, and for a change the stakes felt really real. (I guess I mean that half a world away is a pretty compelling obstacle, compared to some things that seem to keep couples apart in romances. :) )
copiouspep's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings: Homomisia and cancer
I really like Hudson Lin’s works, especially since most of her works that I’ve read included lots of delicious sounding food. This one was no disappointment.
Even though I don’t necessarily like positive-only-vibe type characters, I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for the grump/sunshine trope!
This book is set, for the most part, in Hong Kong as Ben gets a temporary assignment to get away from his mundane life back in Canada. He’s very curious about everything, and this ends up with him embarrassing himself in front of Sai and his friend Winston. Most of the book involves Ben and Sai navigating their cultural differences and spending time together by traveling and seeing the sights.
Sai is a corporate lawyer working for his parents and their friends. At first, he’s skeptical of starting something with Ben because he knows that foreigners rarely stay, but their chemistry when they finally get together was really nice to read. Sai’s POV, even though there weren’t that many of them, were my favorite. Even if he didn’t say it, it’s obvious in his actions and the way he talks that he loves Hong Kong.
What was really interesting about this story were the differences between the two families of Sai and Ben. Sai’s parents and all their friends are very traditional, expecting filial respect and looking down on the queer community. He’s working a job he hates that takes so much out of him because it’s expected instead of following his dream of being a human rights lawyer. On the other side, Ben’s family is very supporting and he doesn’t mind talking with them about how much he cares for, and eventually loves, Sai. They encourage him to follow his dreams and his heart even if it might take him far away from his family.
An ARC was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really like Hudson Lin’s works, especially since most of her works that I’ve read included lots of delicious sounding food. This one was no disappointment.
Even though I don’t necessarily like positive-only-vibe type characters, I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for the grump/sunshine trope!
This book is set, for the most part, in Hong Kong as Ben gets a temporary assignment to get away from his mundane life back in Canada. He’s very curious about everything, and this ends up with him embarrassing himself in front of Sai and his friend Winston. Most of the book involves Ben and Sai navigating their cultural differences and spending time together by traveling and seeing the sights.
Sai is a corporate lawyer working for his parents and their friends. At first, he’s skeptical of starting something with Ben because he knows that foreigners rarely stay, but their chemistry when they finally get together was really nice to read. Sai’s POV, even though there weren’t that many of them, were my favorite. Even if he didn’t say it, it’s obvious in his actions and the way he talks that he loves Hong Kong.
What was really interesting about this story were the differences between the two families of Sai and Ben. Sai’s parents and all their friends are very traditional, expecting filial respect and looking down on the queer community. He’s working a job he hates that takes so much out of him because it’s expected instead of following his dream of being a human rights lawyer. On the other side, Ben’s family is very supporting and he doesn’t mind talking with them about how much he cares for, and eventually loves, Sai. They encourage him to follow his dreams and his heart even if it might take him far away from his family.
An ARC was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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