Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Three Months to Forever
SERIES: World of Love
AUTHOR: Hudson Lin
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 134 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2018
BLURB:
Ben is looking for an adventure when he accepts a temporary assignment in Hong Kong, but he never anticipates how his life might change when he meets a sophisticated, intriguing man named Sai. Their initial attraction is sizzling and soon grows into more as Sai takes Ben on a tour of the city’s famous landmarks and introduces him to the local cuisine. Sai stimulates Ben’s intellect and curiosity, and for jaded corporate lawyer Sai, Ben’s innocent eagerness is a breath of fresh air. It would be so easy to fall in love….
But nothing is that simple. Sai’s job forces him to do things that violate his morals, and the difficult dynamics with his family is a major obstacle to any lasting relationship with Ben. Back in Toronto, Ben’s father is ill, and can he really leave behind his home for a man he’s only known a short time? With the clock ticking, they must decide whether to risk it all and turn three months into forever.
REVIEW:
I have read one short story and one full-length novel by Hudson Lin. This novella is definitely my favorite work of hers so far. This story is an intimate, realistic look at two men who literally have three months to work out their feelings for each other before returning to their “real” worlds—but they discover that the most real thing of all is their honest, easy affection and inevitable love.
I appreciate how we see Hong Kong, a place both accessible and very closed-off to outsiders, through a tourist’s eyes in an honest way. Toronto-born Ben instantly loves everything about his new temporary home, but he still acknowledges he’s a visitor, and he respects that. His awe and outward excitement are endearing rather than cringey. The point of view is not a new one for fiction, but it certainly works, and it perfectly embodies Dreamspinner’s “World of Love” series.
I really like Sai as the alpha-male love interest. He manages that perfect balance between growly and stoic, but he’s never mean or pushy towards the more awkward, submissive Ben. I like seeing Asian men as strong, masculine romantic leads, especially since they don’t often get a chance to shine in romance works due to long-held racist stereotypes that Asian men are inherently weak. In general, Lin’s characters are always carefully-crafted and feel like real, flawed people. And the slightly dom/sub dynamic to Ben and Sai’s bedroom activity (some dirty talking, a little spanking) is delightful and very in-character.
The romance is better than the plot in this book. The conflict about Ben’s father that is detailed in the blurb ends up being a total non-issue, which is a bit of misdirection, since we’re led to believe it is the crux of Ben and Sai’s separation. The drama sort of fizzles out and never becomes anything too dramatic, which is a little disappointing—but Ben and Sai are enjoyable enough to make up for the lack of a more tangible plot.
Though this isn’t a tension-filled tale of love standing the trials of distance, it’s a sweet, sexy romance about two people who find each other under unexpected circumstances and just know that they have to make it work.
RATING: 
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