Strong Atypical MM Romance. As an MM romance, this one both works and does a good job of showing off atypical sexualities - specifically pansexual and demisexual. And both leads are well fleshed out, with strong and compelling backstories along with solid reasonings for why they haven't yet gotten together. On the business side... there are more issues with the story. For one, a late development should have happened sooner and for a very different reason, and likely would have in reality. For another, while it is refreshing in that the author had the courage to go *there*, one has to question just how real such a scenario truly is. But for those seeking to simply get lost in a MM romance and ignore pesky "reality" questions... this actually works quite well. Very much recommended.

(would round up to 3.5)

There's a lot to like about Going Public; the dynamic between Ray and Elvin is sweet and believable. I really liked seeing different sexualities being represented (especially with an mlm romance), with Elvin being demisexual and Ray pansexual. The trajectory of the romance was nicely paced. I appreciate the insight into different family and class dynamics, and the impact of those factors in a relationship.

What doesn't make this a four star read was the side plot. It didn't add anything to the story other than forced drama. Something else, something less extreme, could've elevated the story instead of randomly thrown in drama for shock value.

There's still a lot to like about Going Public, at its core it's a sweet love story. Just too much mess surrounding and distracting from it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I never felt like these types of books where for me, but I decided to try one anyway...

And I was correct! These types of books are not really for me, but that doesn't mean they are bad. This book had some good representation, especially the demi sexuality representation stood out for me because we rarely see that in books. But yeah, other than that, these kinds of books just aren't for me. Especially the whole mafia thing... It makes me so anxious while reading, so I probably won't be reading anymore books with that kind of subject. because it's just not fun for me to read.

But I'm still glad that I decided to give this book a try! It was a good way to test my reading tastes! The ending was a bit abrupt in my opinion, but the whole book felt a bit short to me so that was to be expected.

So in conclusion: not my personal taste in books, but still glad that I read it for the representation and to get to know my reading taste better.

Thank you, Carina Adores, for allowing me to read Going Public early!

I hadn't had the honor of reading any of Hudson Lin's previous works, but if Going Public is any testament to Lin's writing style, I can't wait to devour the other books. I loved this achillean romance and I especially loved the fact the both protagonists are Asian. I'm not always okay with romances which feature a employer-employee relationship, but as I said above, I adored this one.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was surprised by the direction that this book took with the mob family and how it ended. I found parts of it slow but all in all an okay read.

3.5 stars.
Overall this book was a very fun read. The romance, at least at the start, was fun to watch as it blossomed, I enjoyed the pining and jealousy from both sides.
However, I often found myself being frustrated with both Ray and Elvin. As Elvin said Ray was an 'entitled bastard' which I did enjoy at times but at other times felt annoyed by it.
There was a scene at the end where Ray said I love you to Elvin twice, Elvin didn't react at all and then got mad when Ray tried to leave and called him a dumbass for leaving, like what else was he supposed to do? Sit there in awkward silence as Elvin ignores him?
I did love the side plot with the drug cartel and Ray going to prison, although I did feel like it was a bit rushed I did enjoy it and it did make me want to carry on reading.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

Romance novels are my guilty pleasure, and I don't often get to read a lot of them because they're something I prefer to read at home. This one was enjoyable, but the plot seemed to come secondary to Elvin's crush and Ray's loneliness. I was surprised it took the two so long to come together given how often they sighed about their issues, or spent paragraphs contemplating them while staring into the nether. I did really appreciate that they were pansexual and demisexual (respectively) instead of this just being another romance novel where the gender is flipped but the plot isn't. The weirdly vague mob boss aspect of this story could have been better fleshed out, and added to the plot, but it is what it is. Overall, a pretty good read.

Ray is a partner at Jade Harbour, a job he does because he loves, not because he needs the money. Elvin is his incredibly devoted assistant. They've been working together for years. Elvin's involvement in Ray's life is beyond what a normal assistant would do, and Ray is at the center of his life, and Elvin at the center of Ray's.

What was a good working relationship turns into something more though.

Ray is pansexual and Elvin is demisexual, which I do love. Elvin's crush has been developing for some time, but he keeps their relationship strictly professional. If professional includes making him coffee in the morning, because Ray thinks he makes it the best, and shooing Ray's overnight exploits out of his apartment in the morning.

I feel like the drama outside of their budding romantic relationship was definitely just there to be drama and I could have done with something else, and possibly more minor. Don't worry, I won't spoil anything. That aside, this was a cute, fluffy romance.

I like how Lin kind of explored the complicated relationships in families, and touched on how those can impact so many things from jobs to partners. Both Elvin and Ray have complicated families, in polar opposite ways. To me, that felt like the most realistic part of this story.

This is the second book in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to understand what's happening. I jumped right in with this one and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. All in all, this was a solid read, and it held my attention well.

3.5* Perhaps an uncomfortable read, if you're a Westerner. But, pretty authentic, from what I know of Chinese culture.

At times this tale made me, a British-born Asian, rather uncomfortable, as I'm not traditional and I rebelled against my culture and upbringing, and there are quite a few familiarities with what I saw/experienced, which I think Westerners will struggle with, like the huge disparity between the leads in terms of finance, social status, confidence and attitude. And Elvin's subservience, his belief that he's not good enough and that it is his station in life to be below Ray. I got it, as classism exists still in many societies, but Elvin was a modern guy and it made me sad that he'd think so little of himself. I struggled with him thinking it was his place to sleep on a floor, not even a couch, when he and his boss ended up sharing a room in a small B&B. I struggled with the hours he did, that Ray took for granted, and I struggled with how he put Ray first in everything, going as far as to go to Ray's house every morning - unpaid - before work, to deliver the dry cleaning, to get Ray up, make him breakfast, tidy up after the night before, make him his coffee (though Elvin bought cups of coffee for himself and the doormen at Ray's flat). But, it was Elvin's choice and upbringing, and his parents seemed to encourage it - his father thanked Ray at one point for employing him. As I said, I think many Westerners will baulk at this imbalance, but it's pretty authentic.

I didn't like Ray and I couldn't quite marry that he'd be as underhand as he was, given how traditional his upbringing had been. Yes, he'd rebelled by not joining the family business and doing his own thing, but at the same time, he'd had the same distanced upbringing that I saw Chinese friends have - parents pay for education and the best schools, pay for activities, but the upbringing is distant emotionally and kids are raised to take over the family business, like it or not, with university studies chosen with the latter in mind. Yes, there were some slight deviations shown, but it doesn't show the culture in a good light, though it does in an authentic one in many ways. Then again, we'd seen this guy in book 1, so that he'd continue in the same vein wasn't surprising.

The first time the guys get together, Elvin tries to pick up Ray's clothes from where he's just undressed and left them, saying that they're too good quality to leave on the floor - really? Another example of his subservience and him feeling that he's not on the same level as Ray. And, the next day when Elvin needs clothes, he searches for Ray's oldest and most worn ones - ugh, I'm starting to repeat myself.

The author added a bit of a mystery - which I sussed out about 2 mins after one passing character uttered some rather giveaway words - which the guys didn't handle well. I mean, who keeps stuff like this from the boss of the firm, especially when lives and the business could be at risk? Ray was made out to be smart and a player in life, and yet he was all bull in a china shop, no pun intended, and he deserved what happened to him. It all ended well, but it's not the way to do business, especially in something as regulated as finance, and I couldn’t see how the authorities didn’t get more involved. And, it showed pretty much all the characters other than Elvin and Ming as underhand and without ethics.

I enjoyed how true the author made this tale to Chinese culture, but I also felt it had a theme of a racism of sorts, as pretty much every single person of any importance is Chinese. Why? This is a tale set in Canada, and it wasn’t as if the investment firm was China-centric. I think, including the bad guys, there were only 3 or 4 non-Chinese people.

Don’t get me started on the romance between the leads – it was a nonstarter. No passion, no romance and a declaration that felt faux on Ray’s part. Too much got rushed and wrapped up at the end and Ray’s sudden largesse and insistence at changing the lives of Elvin’s family, and the Bollywood feel added to the fauxness. This tale didn’t work at all for me in the HEA and happy families stakes, but it was an interesting insight into Chinese culture and saving face.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley for my reading pleasure.

This is the second book in the Jade Harbour Capital series, but each book can be read as a standalone as they focus on different characters. What both books in this series have in common though is the addictive stories set in the Canadian finance world and that they are full of diversity and family bonds. Just like with the first book, Hard Sell, I read this one in one sitting, completely hooked from the very first page!

In Going Public, the two main characters are Jade Harbour partner and playboy Raymond Chao (Ray) and his assistant, the shy, sweet and demisexual Elvin Goh. Elvin has been in love with Ray for as far as he can remember, but never even hinted it to Ray. Not only because Ray is his boss, but also because he knew Ray would never be interested in him that way, being a filthy rich and flamboyant player who goes from party to party and bed to bed. But when a scandal hits, Raymond leans more and more on Elvin and reveals more of himself in a way that starts to build a whole new intimacy between them.

I loved the slow burn romance, the right amount of angst, demisexual awakening and diversity. I also really enjoyed the family bonds and dynamics, with Elvin taking care of his large family and Ray’s strained relationship with his family and especially his father and head of the dynasty, Chairman Chao. I have to admit that I missed my favorite couple from the first book, Danny and Toby though. It would have been lovely to get some glimpses of their life after Hard Sell, to connect the two books in this series more.

But all in all, this was an addictive, romantic and highly enjoyable story with a bit of a thriller/mafia twist, and I sincerely hope that we will get more books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Four and a half stars


Going Public by Hudson Lin is the second in the excellent Jade Harbour Capital series. Raymond Chao is an operating partner at Jade Harbour, and despite or perhaps because of his wealthy and exalted background and connections, he’s worked hard to make a name for himself at the growing agency. Elvin Goh has been Raymond’s assistant for years and loved him for nearly as many. His working class family is miles away from his boss’s moneyed and well-connected one.

Hudson Lin writes these characters beautifully, and their paths as they grow to build a relationship outside of the office is not a smooth one. The portrayal of Elvin and Ray’s families also rings true, and their complicated emotions surrounding their families and lives really resonates. I absolutely look forward to reading more from Hudson Lin.

I was so excited for this book. It has:
- Asian main characters.
- A Demisexual main character.
- Takes place in Canada.
- Boss and assistant dynamic.

And mostly I did love it. Elvin is such an adorable character and it is hard not to love him. Ray is less easy to love, but somehow the reader is still drawn in.

The story is fun and interesting too, with the romance happening along the way.

But, the ending was rushed. Everything comes to a head so quickly and made it hard to enjoy the way things wrap up. It's hard to explain why I was disappointed without giving away pieces of the story (which I refuse to do), so trust me when I say the ending isn't bad, just everything happens too quickly to be really good.

I also had minor issues with how Ray and Elvin communicate and navigate their relationship.

But at no point is there any worry about someone finding out about them, which is oddly a relief. It's like an openly gay relationship isn't an issue, so why bring that angst into the story. It may not be accurate, but it's nice to see

This was a gorgeously written slow burn romance! Seeing such diverse rep featuring the East Asian community is so, so special to me and even more so with such accurate portrayals. I read it all in one sitting, so that gives you an idea of how well paced and intriguing Going Public is.

Hudson Lin is an author to keep your eyes on for sure.

This was an ok read for me. There were times I felt dropped into the middle of the story, so I don't know if there was a previous book in the series. The characters were engaging and I appreciated Elvin's family situation and how he felt no one took care of him. It definitely picked up once Raymond picked up on his interest. Then the whole mob thing just took it off the rails. I did find myself skimming through some of the "drama" with the mob to try to get back to the romance. I think the world-building worked for the story. and gave atmosphere to the reading experience.

This started out alarmingly slow, to a degree where I wondered what I was in for. Then it segued into a "meet cute" between one of the male leads and a lawyer and I even wondered if I was mistaken about the genre.

Then the story shifted and I was confused once more about whether it's an office drama with a romance sub plot.

This story wanted to be many things, a slow burn romance, a work saga, a crime drama. And it didn't have enough to make the whole thing work.

Ultimately I was left largely unimpressed.

This was my first book by Hudson Lin and it was absolutely wonderful. This is technically the second book in the Jade Harbor Capital series, but it 100% stands on its own, in fact the main couple from the first book was not even mentioned in this book. Going Public is the story of Ray, an operating partner at Jade Harbor, and Elvin, his assistant. Ray is pansexual and Elvin is demisexual and their time spend working closely leads feelings to develop between the two. The two must navigate their new relationship while dealing with some less than legal practices that are discovered at one of the company’s investment companies.

I really really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed having a book set in Toronto as it was a nice departure from the numerous books I read that are set in New York. I really liked both Ray and Elvin and especially liked seeing demisexual representation. I liked that both our heroes were from Hong Kong as we so rarely get LGBTQ representation featuring people from the East Asian community. This book really struck a good balance between the internal and external conflict. The shorter length kept the pace moving and I found myself constantly engaged in the story. I will have to track down the first book in the series and keep my eyes out for more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Carina Press for the ARC.

Hudson Lin delivers a wonderful slow burn romance with the perfect balance of angst, intrigue, and sweetness. Going Public is a 2022 must read.

This book, and the series, is so awesome. I really enjoy reading about Asian financiers in Canada. Very sweet and sexy without the hyper-masculine tropes of many romances. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Second in the Jade Harbour Capital series, this M/M romance can definitely be read as a stand-alone. Elvin Goh is the long-time personal assistant to Raymond Chao, supremely capable, dependable, and nursing unrequited love for his boss. When they unexpectedly find themselves in a business situation with legal consequences, the two grow closer and slowly recognize their mutual feelings of connection and love. But the timing may not be ideal. I am enjoying this series and look forward to what comes next from this author.

Second book of this series and I was so happy to read it!

I really enjoyed the first book of this series and I was very excited to see the second book being released! I loved the demisexual representation in this book and that more authors are representing it in their books as well. This book is a slow burn, and you get to see how the characters build their relationship from professional to romantic along the way.

And did I mention it's set in Toronto?? So cool!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the earc in return for an honest review.