I loved, LOved, LOVED this series. ALL of them. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, but I couldn't stop listening to them, ALL of them. (Yes, I'm an audiobook fanatic) All of the characters, all of the situations, all of the curveballs that life throws at these characters are real, and Jay Hogan makes them ALL real and believable. Expertly written and beautifully narrated, I fell in love with all of these audiobooks. Even though I can get them through Hoopla, I'm going to buy them to add to my always love and keep collection, they're that good. And, as I allude to in my title, I wish there were more of this series.

I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud listening to this book. Tai and Emmett are so hysterical as they fight the chemistry happening between them. And then, when they connect, a bonfire explodes and the story is beautiful. But, as someone who had to merge a child into a passionate gay relationship, I truly loved Jays way of blending the love of a parent with the love of a lover, as Leo learns of and accepts with open arms the new development in his father's life. Beautifully and amazingly written.

As a homosexual "man of a certain age" I can't communicate how much I loved this story. It is so beautiful and so agist positive. I too was not looking for love anymore, it just wasn't going to happen when, WHAM! there it was, staring me in the face with all the love and positivity and POSSIBILITIES of the future. It was mind-blowing. JUST LIKE THIS BOOK.

I really don’t know how to say this anymore: Jay Hogan never fails to amaze and entrance me! I think all of my reviews of her books are more or less a variation of this core sentence!
Unguarded is a sweet, but emotional romance, with a widower veterinarian who is bi but not out; a super flashy gay man down on his luck and in search of his way in life. A cute 10-year-old boy still reeling from losing his mother and a menagerie of super cute animals make for a funny and entertaining read.
The depth of Emmet and Tai feelings takes them by surprise, as well as the reader. I could not stop rooting for them and hoping they would find their HEA and that nothing bad would happen to them!
This is the only book I have read so far in the series, and it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Of course now I am curious about both the established couples which are mentioned and for some characters who haven’t found their happy ending yet, but they so deserve it!

Romance with older men is hard to come by, and I absolutely loved how the author manages to introduce both Jed and Nash who, though still vibrant and full of life, have a few decades under their belts and both their bodies and minds show it! Though Nash has been trying with all his might to retain the body of a much younger man (something which seems to be required in the gay scene especially when hooking up with much younger men, which was the norm for him) he allows himself to mellow and accept his age when he starts to see Jed. Jed on the other hand, does not have any pretence about his physical appearance, he’s been married to a woman for most of his live and just wants to focus on his kids and his granddaughter. He has suppressed his bisexuality when he married his wife, and though he’s been divorced for many years, he doesn’t see the need to explore that part of himself, especially when the last thing he wants is a new relationship.
The book is so full of emotions, fear but also longing, sweet moments and heart-breaking ones; it shows all that is family: the good, the bad, and sometimes, the ugly!
There’s a reason Jay Hogan is one of my favourite authors and that’s her capability of transporting you so deep into a story you feel like you know the characters, you feel their pain and their joy and everything they go through, you live it with them. No wonder I’m left with such a book hangover the day after!

This book gave me so many feelings, it filled my heart with emotions and hope. If I had to sum up the book in one word it would be that: HOPE. In the mist of all the grief, the pain, the fear that both Penn and Kurt are facing, there’s still hope and the sense of wonder at what the two of them can be capable of overcoming and creating together.
Kurt may be only twenty years old, but he has been through so much in his young life, that he had t grow up fast. And if in some aspects he has all the cockiness and recklessness of youth, he also has a strong head over his shoulders and proves to be the rock in Penn’s storm.
Penn is 30, he has made a life for himself in Australia, far from the land he loves and from a father he can’t seem to see eye to eye with; a father who is now on death’s bed and has demanded Penn came back to manage the winery at the southernmost edge of New Zealand, which is as much Penn’s soul as it represents his complicated relationship with his dying father.

I love being transported in the beautiful land that is New Zealand by Jay Hogan’s magical words. Her writing style just resonates with me, so much so that her books have become an auto-buy for me.

This book was amazing!
Granted, that’s what I say after each and every one of Jay Hogan’s books, but… that’s just how things are for me! Her writing style is catching and her characters are complex men with a myriad of facets.
Here we have two grumpy men, who shouldn’t work at all on paper, and who undoubtedly clash when they meet, but the more they get to know each other, the more their walls crumble and they find in the other what they didn’t know what they were looking for.
Adrian has intrigued me from book 1, he has always been this aloof, mysterious side character, always around, but always on the outskirts, and now we really get why: he has his fair share of secrets and burdens.

Stef and Cass couldn't be more different from each other: Stef is city "born and bred", he's a fem out and proud gay man from Auckland who's idea of roughing it is a three stars hotel and cannot fathom a place where there's no brunch. When his best friend's boyfriend gifts him a 2 day riding trek in the locations of LOTR (Stef's secret nerd guilty pleasure) and he meets Cass, the half-closeted, bi trek guide, whose heart and souls are in the Southern Alps. The attraction is immediate but their lives are so different and apart, plus they've both been hurt in the past.
The book is incredibly sweet and despite the heavy flirting from both men, there are just a couple of super hot moments between them. As a matter of fact, it's really a case of love at first sight, given that the main part of the book takes place in just the two days of the riding trek.

Very well written, with great character development and beautiful scenery description. Another 5 stars from me to this incredibly gifted author.

t's a May/December story set in Southern New Zealand, between two men on a borrowed limited time together, and each of them is dealing with overcoming their own grief meanwhile.
Ethan, 23, is dealing with the recent loss of his mother to cancer, and struggling with raising his youinger brother and carring on his mother cafè.
Tanner, 39, is only in Queenstown for a few months to launch his business branch, and being in the mountains brings back the pain of losing his former career as a pro snowboarder to an injyury.
Ethan and Tanner cannot stay away from each other despite knowing that when the time comes to part, that will rip both their hearts in two.
A lot of tears where shed towards the end of this beatiful book.

Cam and Reuben are my absolute favourite couple from author Jay Hogan and I absolutely loved being back with them with the preparations for their big day!
Of course, them being the absolute stand-outs that they are, what with Reuben being the first out All Blacks and Cam being… well, Cam, getting ready for a wedding could not be exactly smooth sailing, now, could it? Between that, exciting but scary possibilities for the future and some minor (and major) accidents along the way, this book had me captured and took me for an emotional roller coaster from page one to the very last word!

Once again Jay Hogan deserves a 5-stars rating from me, and every time I am reminded why her books are an auto-buy for me.
Her writing is so emotional and catching, that it transports you so deep inside the story you just "live" it along with the characters!
Sandy and Miller's story is a whirlwind of emotions, laughter and tears. I adored them both: I was actually looking forward to Sandy's story since book #3, but I was also instantly entranced by Miller.

I adore this series, and I love how all the three books are so different from one another. With some visiting characters, especially in this one.

The characters are great: prickly and sometimes fastidious pathologist Edward has all his walls build up a mile high, but when they fall down and he let's loose, he's wild!
Detective Mark is a carefree, no-strings-attached, no-commitment man, but when he sets his mind and his heart on something (or someone) he's laser focused on the end target.
Jay Hogan's writing is engaging and emotional, and brings you deep within the story!

I loved this!
I absolutely adored both MCs: Cam, the out and proud and loud gay man, and reubens, the deep in the closet, potential All-Blacks rugby player.
I suffered with Cam and Reubens in their struggles to be together with everything (sport, family, obligations and also self-esteem) fighting against them.
Jay Hogan has earned a sure spot in my one-click-authors folder!

First thing I will say is this: Jay Hogan was a new to me author but I completely fell in love with her writing style; it’s humorous, exciting, emotional and it kept me glued to this book and left me wanting more!

The story is a beautiful enemies to lovers: both men have preconceived notions about the other, which are torn down piece by piece as they get to know each other, entering a tentative acquaintances with benefits arrangement. None of them wants more (or so they tell themselves), Josh having been burned before and wanting to protect himself and especially his daughter, while Michael is so sure he’s not, and doesn’t want to be, relationship material, that he runs scared at the first sign of commitment.

The other thing that’s so interesting is the drama/mystery plot in the background, which is what actually throws Michael and Josh together, and keeps them on their toes all throughout the book.

I am definitely diving in book 2 right now, because I loved this author’s style, and also because I need more Cam in my life (also, rugby player, yum…)

A wonderful addition to the Painted Bay series. I sensed from the previous books that Kane was more than the teenage bully who harassed Judah in high school, and the reserved, closed-off man we met as an adult certainly does not fit the bullying type.
As always the truth hides under layers and as get to know “the real” Kane, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. The same apparently goes for Abe, a 44-years-old choreographer, a friend of Judah’s, whom he’s in town to help, who doesn’t stop at what he’s told about Kane and what he has done in the past, but sees him for everything he is.
The book is achingly beautiful, I confess to shedding a few tears here and there, and with the sexy accompanying of tango music and dancing in the background it makes for a super-hot read, too.
I love being transported in the beautiful land that is New Zealand by Jay Hogan’s magical words. Her description of the landscapes is so accurate and beautiful I can actually figure it perfectly in my head and it’s almost like being there myself.