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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Smooth Hard by L. I. ter Meulen is a lyrical, emotionally charged novel that examines the entanglements of desire, identity, and legacy. We’re with Alec, once a seductive gigolo who carved his identity from rough beginnings into an irresistible enigma. As he lies dying of AIDS in a Paris hospital, his estranged daughter Emily begins a journey of her own, sifting through his life and their tangled connection. As Emily steps into his world of charm, lust, and secrets, she confronts the shadow he casts over her life and the allure of following in his footsteps. Told through a poetic lens, the novel captures a generational cycle of seduction and longing, challenging societal taboos and celebrating the rawness of human intimacy and emotional inheritance.
Author L.I. ter Meulen has a bold and confident style of writing that holds nothing back, and every moment of this concise story is penned with poetic precision, crafting a narrative that is as sensual as it is soul-searching. It’s much more of a cerebral read than you’d expect from the initial opening concept, taking a deep dive into themes of sexuality, mortality, and legacy with striking emotional resonance that comes from the characters’ hearts and minds. Alec and Emily are messy, flawed, and painfully real in their actions and motivations. The author brings difficult family moments and the tough realities of illness to life with sensitively penned dialogue and accurate attitudes of different generations and perspectives on sexuality. What results is a beautifully written, deeply introspective novel that refuses to shy away from the complexities of love and desire and leaves you thinking about choices in your own life long after you’ve set it down. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Smooth Hard for fans of emotive drama and powerful character-driven tales.
