A few years ago, a friend recommended New Zealand author, Jay Hogan, to me. By this time she already had a reasonably long back list and I spent many months reading some of the best books I’ve ever enjoyed. Digging Deep was one of those books and what an utterly unforgettable story it is. I love every single story this author has ever written and regularly re-read/listen, but I especially love those books where she uses her extensive knowledge as a senior Critical Care Nurse practitioner/teacher - Digging Deep in particular.

Drake Park’s life is complicated enough juggling a busy professional life as a male midwife, but add his chronic disease into the mix, and he has a more difficult life than most. On the whole he makes it work, but bitter experience has taught him that he’s not able to experience the kind of life that most gay men enjoy. Drake has learnt that he cannot compromise his health and, more especially, that trusting a man to understand him and his complex health needs has only led to heartbreak and disappointment in the past. The stress is never worth the inevitable pain.

Drake is pretty much resigned to a life alone with the emphasis on staying healthy, when he ‘meets’ police detective, Caleb Ashton, under less than auspicious circumstances. Caleb is a bit of a Tom cat with a commitment phobia, but for some reason he can’t explain, is immediately drawn to the gorgeous young man he arrests. Yes, Caleb arrests Drake, but is soon filled with overwhelming regret after he becomes fully aware of Drake’s condition and consequently realises the unnecessary pain and humiliation he has caused him.

Wanting to make amends, but also intrigued and attracted to the gorgeous young midwife, Caleb attempts an apology, in fact, more than one apology. Drake is having none of it. He’s prickly and sarcastic rebuffing Caleb at every turn. Caleb has to work extremely hard to even get Drake to agree to a conversation with him. What follows is often hilarious, but also sweet and endearing, as Caleb researches Drake’s Chrone’s disease - this appears to be the way to earn Drake’s trust - and then to prove he understands and is not put off by what he learns.

Drake is the recipient of some rather unusual gifts from his admirer, all pertaining to Chrone’s - Caleb’s rather unusual ‘bouquet’ being a case in point. Slowly Drake is worn down by Caleb’s resilience to his put-downs and amused and even secretly thrilled by his unusual and thoughtful gifts.

This story lends itself perfectly to the outstanding and fabulous performance by the multitalented Gary Furlong. Funny, witty, and snarky, as is the norm with any book written by Jay Hogan, there are also some tense and highly emotional moments. One such moment completely overset me and I felt myself wholly there in that place and time experiencing Drake’s utter despair. I’m not often moved to tears, but such was the impact of Jay Hogan’s words on me and Gary Furlong’s interpretation of them, that I was thoroughly undone. Such a beautiful, moving, utterly captivating story but also, at times - heart wrenching. I honestly cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially the audio version. A perfect author/voice actor team. 5 highly deserved stars.

As always, top tier narration from Gary. He never disappoints! This book started off funny and I had no idea what how it would go from there. I literally laughed and cried during this listen. All the books I’ve read/listened to by Jay have real life issues that people deal with and I enjoy that. It’s refreshing. The side characters in this book were the best. They were funny and caring and exactly how true friends and family should be! I’m very thankful I was given the opportunity to listen and review this one.

This story will break your heart and put it back together. I adored Gil and Holden and the whole cast of characters. This was my first book by Jay Hogan but it wasn't my last. I have been working through her collection.
Gary Furlong does an amazing job with the audiobook.

I received an ARC copy of this audiobook and I have to say I absolutely love this book! The Narrator was great and the story was very well done.

I've loved all of Jay Hogan's books, at least all the ones that I can get as Audiobooks. I get sucked in from the very beginning and find myself falling in love with all of the characters. I've related to so many of them that I keep coming back for more.

Let's get one thing out there first. One of the MCs has Crohn’s disease. This is not a prop to make the MC 'more interesting', it's not mentioned in passing then ignored for the rest of the book. The author doesn't shy away from the problems of this condition in discussions or in actions. It isn't something that is conveniently forgotten at sex scenes and yet despite the inevitable talks and angst those scenes are sexy, considerate and tender.

Drake is prickly and has been hurt before and he's quick to use his condition (justifiably) to keep prospective lovers at arms length. You can feel his pain, his frustration with dealing with this condition every damn day. Forgetting for even a moment is not an option and even a simple meal with family requires military precision. Caleb is a sweetheart. An arsehole cop when we first meet him, and a commitment-phobe to boot, Caleb takes on the challenge of wooing Drake. Turns out Caleb is a thoughtful wooer and a previously undiscovered romantic.

As usual Gary Furlong does an exceptional job, his performance adding an extra layer of pathos and sass.

Excellent writing and a lovely tale. Highly recommended.

Cat gives this Audiobook 5 meows for the story; 5 meows for the performance with a 3 purr heat indes...
trigger warning...read the book blurb.

Digging Deep is such a beautiful story. I love stories with a physically challenged character. Drake is such a wonderful character. He is an activist, a male midwife, business owner with 2 partners and has a moderate case of Chrones. If his is moderate I'd hate to see bad. He's also mixed race. I loved seeing a bit of the Asian too. And then we had Caleb. The exact opposite. Hardworking, hard playing lead detective that arrests Drake for entering a public building during a protest...during one of his outbreaks. At first I disliked Drake, but he worked his way in.

This story is so beautiful and has some heartbreaking moments. It's a bit of a slow burn but the sexual tension is there. All the side characters are awesome and both have amazing friends and family.

The narration is very good. I do wish there had been more distinction between characters, but the accent, pacing and emotion all make up for it. I'd definitely relisten to this.

There are times in my life when something moves me. When I can see how my life has changed after that encounter. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s an event. Often, for me, it’s a piece of art. Specifically, a book. In this case, it’s Jay Hogan’s latest audio. Now, I’ve listened to several of Jay’s books and have loved them all. Jay is talented and just has a way with words. Her MacKenzie County books have been especially moving. And I knew they’d be tough listens. Just check out the trigger warnings to know how rough. But well worth it.

Digging Deep comes with a trigger warning that listeners have to check before listening to the book. Normally I prefer to go in blind – very little puts me off my game. But I know there are a lot of people who do have things that upset them. That’s completely legitimate. In this book, I read there would be something tragic. I knew it was coming. From nearly the beginning, the event was projected. Yet, when it came, I found myself moved and tearing up. Because of the way Jay wrote the tragedy. And how the characters dealt with the aftermath.

Okay, on to the story. Drake is…quite a character. He’s a take no prisoners and only apologize when you’re really wrong kind of guy. He’s a gay midwife. Unapologetically so. He’s also got Crohn’s disease. I had a friend with that about forty years ago. Her prognosis was really bleak. The world of medicine has changed a lot since then. Drake has a long list of things he has to do, but he’s carved a life for himself that works. As long as he sticks to the rules.

Caleb is a rule follower. As a cop, he likes law and order. His first encounter with Drake is, at the very least, interesting. Creative on Jay’s part. But as different as the two men are, they…connect. Something precious in today’s world. And Caleb isn’t put off by Drake’s illness. Very little fazes him. He wants to be a loving partner, even though he’s not known for that. And Drake’s been burned, so he keeps Caleb at arm’s length for a long time. Then a series of tragedies and dramatic events have them seeing things clearly – possibly for the first time in their lives. The question is whether those events will tear them apart or make their bond stronger.

Well, this is a Jay Hogan romance, so you know the answer. Still, this book is well worth the time to listen. You’ll be left in no doubt why it was nominated for an award. And I have to say Gary Furlong’s performance was absolutely perfect. I’m a huge Gary fan and he’s always fabulous. Sometimes he’s even better than that. I’d rank this as one of his best performances ever. You have to listen to this audio. It will break you and put you back together in all the right ways.

This story will tear at those heart strings, no tugging here just full on tearing. Big fat ugly tears. Followed by lots of love and heart cuddles. My goodness this story was nothing short of amazing. I am so in awe of Jay's storytelling and this one is just so good.

Poor Drake is a gay male midwife. Lots to deal with there. But, he also has Crohn's disease. Nasty, painful disease to say the least. His heart is pure gold and he is so right as a midwife. You can feel the love he has for his job and his patients.

In a hilariously sad meet cute we find Drake being arrested by the gorgeous Caleb. Who tries to shoot his shot and is spectacularly turned down by Drake. This whole scene had me cracking up.

There is a VERY sad, tragic event that should be headed as a potential trigger warning (as stated in the beginning of the book) when a mother loses her late term baby. The devastation that Drake endures is palpable and another testimony to Jay's writing skills.

I listened to this on audio, narrated by the incomparable Gary Furlong. I discovered Gary through Jay's books and am blown away by his talent. All audiobooks should be performed by him. These two are a fantastic duo.

From the initial meet-cute, through an emotional rollercoaster of a journey. I found this story touching, authentic, real and poignant.

This story has angst, miscommunication, heat, pain, first love and the perfect amount of sass, sarcasm, and humor you can’t help but laugh along or roll your eyes as the case may be!

Jay has created a wonderful family of mismatched characters both, main and secondary, you can’t help but fall in love with. From sexy and caring cop Caleb to spiky and snarky Drake to the ever dramatic and dangerous Carmen, to the not Korean but totally Korean mum, Alison, all this book’s characters are just fantastic!

I loved Caleb and Drake’s journey and found the very real-world aspects and devastation they had to face made the story that much more authentic. I loved the back and forth between these characters and the use of humor and sarcasm to get through even every day, was balanced perfectly throughout the whole story. The Crohn’s aspect was thoroughly researched and I enjoyed the authenticity of getting to know this disease and what sufferers face. I loved Drake’s courage and growth, and Caleb’s strength and “staying power” and felt their connection grow. I loved the feelings generated throughout this story and the incredible truth that sometimes someone can just come into your life and turn your life around, someone that just changes your life, sometimes you have to fight for “the one” and when you’ve found your person, there’s no question you would fight to keep them! I loved the connection and bond these characters have and their mismatched family to boot!

I loved these characters and their very unique journey. My first read by Jay and definitely not my last! I also have to say I loved her New Zealand humor as it can be so close to Australia, I just had to love it more!!

The Science of Attraction is a steamy, heartfelt romance filled with Jay Hogan's trademark warmth, insight and down-to-earth humour.

When Paddy Lane had a massive stroke at the end of the previous book, life changed drastically and eldest son Jules has stepped up to take over the running of Lane Station. The past five months have been both challenging and invigorating - this is what he’s meant to do with his life and everything is going exactly as it’s supposed to - until the day Liam Skelton shows up and every thought Jules has had about himself and about the direction his life is taking flies right out the window.

Jules has known he’s bisexual since he was a teenager, and as he’s always been far more attracted to women than men, he hasn’t seen the point in rocking the boat. But there’s something about Liam – with his striking good-looks and air of confidence – that absolutely does it for Jules and makes him start to wonder what it would be like to be with someone he can be fully himself with.

Liam, an occupational therapist, has been employed to help Paddy to improve his speech and mobility, and needless to say, the old man isn’t happy at having his “gay arse in charge of his rehab.” The first few days are awkward, to say the least, until Liam confronts Paddy’s prejudice head on and makes it clear that he’s a professional and expects to be treated as one. The uneasy truce that develops between them surprises everybody on the station; Paddy is never going to wave a rainbow flag, but he does at least start to show Liam the respect he deserves.

The principal storyline revolves around Jules working through his complicated feelings about his sexuality and figuring out how to balance his desire for Liam with his desire to continue to run Lane Station. Paddy threw his brother Zach out when he told them he was gay, and Jules has been reluctant to be the cause of any further family fractures, so at first, he tries hard to fight his intense attraction to Liam. He’s the first and only man who has ever produced this kind of reaction in Jules, and as he’s only going to be around for a few weeks, getting involved with him would be only be asking for trouble. But Jules has never felt so powerfully attracted to anyone, ever... and he knows he’s fighting a losing battle.

The romance here is as sexy and well-developed as I’ve come to expect in a Jay Hogan book. The chemistry between Jules and Liam is electric from the get-go and I enjoyed their love story; the author really knows how to write a sizzling sex scene, although there are a lot of them here and I have to admit that after the first few, they started to feel like padding. And while I really appreciated the thoughtful way Jules’ situation unfolds, the storyline sometimes feels stretched a little thin for the page count.

And for all the family drama, this is a fairly low-angst listen. There is mention early on that Liam isn't a relationship kind of guy, but we’re not given a reason for that other than that he likes his own space, and whatever concerns he might have had in the past don’t appear to be a problem for him when it comes to Jules. So the main conflict in the story arises from Paddy’s homophobia, leading to Jules’ fears that being with the man he loves may lead to his losing his home and the future he’s worked so hard for – and the only other real obstacle is that Jules and Liam need to work out how they can make a life together given Liam isn’t local and his job generally requires him to travel.

Once again, Jay Hogan does an absolutely fantastic job of transporting listeners to the gorgeous locations of the Mackenzie Basin and into the daily lives of the workers on the remote sheep stations there.

Gary Furlong's narration is, once again, outstanding. He's a fantastic vocal actor who really gets under the skin of the characters and always finds the emotional heart of the story. His performance is well-paced and clearly differentiated, and he's able to portray a large-ish cast of characters in such a way as there's never any confusion as to who is speaking. He's particularly good as the cantankerous Paddy - all grumpy gruffness - and does a great job of conveying the genuine emotional connection between the two leads.

This isn't my favourite Mackenzie Country book - I liked the first two a little more, but any JH book is head and shoulders above most of the other contemporary romances out there, and with Gary F. in the narrator's chair, there's no way it could be anything other than a terrific listen.

I mainly listen to audio books as I walk to and from work, but listening to this story, I found myself continuing when I got home. Drake is a midwife and has Crohn's disease, he is sworn of romance and at times very snarky. Caleb is a police officer who has never had a relationship and has never planned for one until he arrests Drake.
This is the first book I have listened to narrated by Gary Furlong and with any audiobook I listen to, it takes me a bit of time to get in to them, but the way it was narrated, I was in to it before the end of the first chapter. There was no confusion identifying the characters. The sensitive scenes were narrated with so much feeling I had tears in my eyes and it made me feel that I was there watching the whole scene play out. Whilst some scenes were heart-breaking, there was some light relief mainly down to Carmen who had me laughing at some of her comments she threw at Caleb.
I own this book on my kindle and as of yet I have not read it. I will take time to read it as the writing is excellent and now thanks to the brilliant narrative of Gary Furlong. I will probably read it with their voice in my head

4.5 Audiobook

This is another wonderful love story from Jay Hogan! I believe this is now my second book by this author and I already look forward to more.

The narrator, Gary Furlong, is fantastic! The performance was emotional and well-acted. I could always tell when it was a different character speaking. I just love listening to Gary Furlong's voice!
The narration made a good story even better for me.

This is the story of Caleb, a police officer, who arrests Drake, a gay male midwife who has to manage Crohn's Disease, when Drake is using a public restroom during a protest. While these aren't the most auspicious of circumstances, Caleb becomes drawn to Drake's spitfire black cat personality and decides to pursue him. Caleb is typically a hookup kind of guy, but after long chats with his friends, and some soul searching, he realizes that he truly wants to know Drake and maybe date him. Drake, on the other hand, after a lifetime of dealing with Crohn's - not to mention the arrest - is quite wary and not sure he wishes to attempt dating Caleb or anyone else after having his heart broken some years previously. The ways in which Caleb does some "old school wooing" with Drake is quite possibly one of my favorite parts of the book! Not only was I charmed by Caleb, Drake was as well. There is a lot to navigate and negotiate with Drake, given that he has Crohn's, and at times, this becomes a lot for Drake. He is exhausted and scared. The physical intimacy aspect of a dating life is particularly challenging for someone with Crohn's and he fears giving his heart to Caleb, only to have it shattered if Caleb can't deal with the reality of Drake's life. The bulk of this story is dealing with these negotiations, so to speak - each of the MCs having fears at one point on their very bumpy road to an HEA. This is very much the epitome of a hard-won HEA - both of the MCs end up going through A LOT. Thankfully, both MCs have supportive family and friends to help them through. In particular, the BFFs - Aaron and Daniel/Carmen - are stellar side characters & I particularly loved Carmen/Daniel. The careers of the MCs also come into play in this book and are another source of tension in the book.

This story felt very real and believable to me, not least of all because the author clearly researched Crohn's very well. At times, it felt like there was so much emphasis on the medical issues that the romance aspect of this book was shortchanged a bit, particularly in the middle to end. While I understand that this is a very real thing that people with medical issues such as Crohn's have to deal with, I guess I prefer slightly less reality in my books and a bit more romance. While there wasn't a huge amount of spice, there were definitely a number of steamy moments and the MCs were hot together. I particularly enjoyed Caleb's attitude and openness. As much as I love a snarky twink, I have to say that Caleb's steadfastness for most of the book really endeared him to me. I had some teary moments at various parts of the book, especially during that lovely end. I definitely enjoyed this audiobook.

Thanks to the author for a preview copy of this audio. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have now listened to this book on audio, and enjoyed it even more courtesy of Gary Furlong's excellent narration. I really like these characters, they are so much fun, and I loved the hidden disability rep. It's a great listen and the narrator puts a lot into it. Definitely recommend as a cute romance with a lot of heart and a bit of action. Love the writing and dialogue, as always with Jay Hogan, and it's a great standalone read.

Jay went all in with this pulling no punches when Drake was suffering at his worst with his Crohn’s disease . In places it was hard to read knowing everything Drake was going through and on top of that trying to hold up a new relationship with Caleb although he was intent on pushing Caleb away. Their HEA was a rollercoaster of emotions and was so good when they both gave in and let themselves try instead of being worried due to past relationships expecting this would be the same.
I loved the sarcasm and wit so much and giggled at some of the things and I absolutely loved Carmen/Daniel can they have a book please.