Bauhinia Star
- 3.2 out of 5
- 58 ratings
- 188 pages
Overall Content Rating: Restricted R
The novel follows adult men navigating boats, business, and relationships in Hong Kong, with a cynical, adult tone. Language is a major concern: frequent insults, misogynistic name-calling, and many strong expletives appear in work scenes, social drinking, and personal grievances. Sexual content is oriented toward mature readers, including references to one-night encounters, sex work, and health consequences, without relying on the samples for graphic on-page sex. Parents should also note a scene of deliberate self-harm with a knife and an angry threat of violence; emotional distress around marriage, money, and identity is woven through the story.
Reviews first uploaded October 6, 2026 1:14 pm. Revised October 9, 2026 8:00 am. Page updated October 9, 2026 8:00 am.
These summaries are AI-generated from relevant Amazon reviews of this book.
Crude Mild
1Apart from language counted elsewhere, crude category sampling shows only occasional dismissive name-calling in domestic conflict; other sampled matches in this group are ordinary non-vulgar uses.
Amazon reviews mentioning crude
Specific words
- stupid: 1
Fbombs Heavy
16Strong four-letter words appear throughout the book in frustration, arguments, casual conversation, and one music reference, often clustered in angry rants.
Amazon reviews mentioning swearing
Specific words
- fuck: 16
Profanity Heavy
49Crude and demeaning language is common, especially insults aimed at women and men, mild oaths, and scattered stronger terms in everyday dialogue and internal thoughts among adults in Hong Kong and boating settings.
Amazon reviews mentioning profanity
Specific words
- bitch: 12
- hell: 10
- damn: 9
- bastard: 7
- shit: 7
- ass: 1
- bullshit: 1
- butt: 1
- goddamn: 1
Sex Moderate
8Adult characters discuss and pursue casual sex, prostitution, sexually transmitted discomfort, and impaired intimacy; crude sexual insults appear during anger. Samples do not show prolonged explicit sex scenes, but sexual behavior and consequences are part of the plot tone.
Specific words
- hooker: 2
- whore: 2
- cum: 1
- cunt: 1
- orgasm: 1
- wank: 1
Violence Moderate
6A character self-injures by cutting his hand with a knife, with blood and bandaging described; there is also a verbal threat of serious harm and minor injury from shaving. Other violent-sounding words in samples are not physical attacks.
Amazon reviews mentioning violence
Specific words
- blood: 4
- bleed: 1
- smash: 1
About this book
What do you do when your wife kicks you out of your home and you've got nowhere to live? Well, if your name's Matthew Swain, you live on a boat. It doesn't matter that you don't know anything about the sea or that the person who sold you the craft is dodgy boat dealer Garry Jones. What could possibly go wrong? Matthew Swain is a devoted father of three, deeply in love with his wife and owner of a struggling English tuition centre in Hong Kong. His world is shattered when he tragically loses his eldest daughter. His life becomes further unhinged when he discovers his wife is having an affair with an ophthalmologist. Swain is forced to find somewhere new to live and out of sheer desperation comes up with the idea of living on a boat in the local marina. While fighting his inner demons, Swain is also confronts external challenges as the boat almost sinks (twice) and almost blows up (once). Despite the urging of his companions, an immoral boat dealer and a Filipina domestic helper, to loosen up and make a fresh start he unswervingly tries to piece his damaged family back to together. But unable to consummate his grief for his lost daughter and at the mercy of his capricious wife, Swain is pushed to breaking point until – at the brink of insanity – something has to give. Read more