Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Hard Sell by Hudson Lin

7 reviews

levilore_'s review

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I was drawn this book because of its diversity, but it lacked a lot of the relationship building that I like in romance books. There wasn't enough drama for me, but the industry aspects were somewhat interesting and I could tell the author wrote the story from a place of experience.

Some of the comments made by the MCs made me dislike them, so that definitely didn't help sway me to like this book more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

ruthiedr89's review

funny inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

nitya's review

emotional relaxing tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Pedophilia

Pedophilia from minor character, not main pairing

peachmoni's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The premise was cute, but it was hard to root for Danny or Tobin when they both seemed like kind of unlikable people. As well, the finance plot is a little boring if you aren't especially interested in that type of work.

The repeated mentions of Tobin as a kid and of Tobin "always trying to keep up with the big boys", even when Danny and Tobin are in an adult relationship, was deeply creepy for me. 

Also, Ayan's criticisms of Danny's work are ABSOLUTELY correct (the guy blackmails people into selling their shares to investors - whether or not Cyrus is a bad person, that is not great). But it's addressed so lightly and then never circled back to. 

As well, are we supposed to feel bad for Danny running over a cyclist? I honestly don't know why that section was included (to show how stressed Danny is? To let Tobin care for him? To show he's a nice guy who pays the cost of the lawsuit?). Either way, it did not make me feel positively about Danny at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia and Trafficking

criticalgayze's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Y'all, I am torn on this one.

I appreciate that, from the jump, this novel makes clear that it is more focused on bringing two characters together through emotional, rather than sexual resolution, and I appreciate the chemistry the characters have. I also appreciate that Lin has some clear experience in the world of which she writes. I think the steam is good, and I think the angst is believable.

However, I think in trying to paint the villainy and toxicity of capitalism and high finance that Lin goes a little overboard in a way that leaves me a little unsettled as a reader. I am specifically speaking on the introduction of a minor character who may be involved in sex trafficking, which the characters all decide to ignore for their own personal business interests for the vast majority of the novel. Even when it is finally "resolved," none of the characters have to deal with sitting on this information for months. In this way, the cartoonish skeeze that we associate with the über wealthy turns into something that I think sits wrong in my stomach trying to finish what Lin clearly ultimately means to be a redemptive romance.

I hope that future installments tone down the excess here, or I'm not sure I can continue with Lin as an author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Trafficking

onemamareads's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/hard-sell

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Car accident

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Trafficking