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jackiehorne's review
3.0
I enjoyed the low-conflict, "we're only going to be together for six weeks, so let's not let our feels get away from us" romance between thirty-year-old repentant Kane, living and working on the mussel farm owned by the family of Judah, the boy he once violently abused, and forty-four year old freelance choreographer Abe, visiting the small New Zealand town of Painted Bay for a six-week working vacation, helping Judah choreograph a dance recital for physically disabled kids. Neither man really came alive off the page for me, though, as unique, individual characters. Kane is portrayed as feeling unworthy of being loved, both because of his past bullying of Judah and of the far more frequent abuse of which he was the recipient at the hands of a violent and homophobic father, which makes makes it ok for the reader to buy into his transformation from antagonist to protagonist. But he doesn't seem to have much of a personality beyond that. And Abe, who supposedly loves the life of a globetrotter, which points to a personality who thrives on variety and change, never seems to experience wanderlust or boredom while he is in Painted Bay; he doesn't have much of a character arc beyond the typical het romance "I'm tired of sowing my wild oats and now feel the need to settle down into a nice monogamous relationship in a small town." And I really didn't care for .
Spoiler
the threat of Kane's father hanging over the story, particularly the threat that he might act violently toward Kane's cats, or even Kane himself. Happily, that never happens, thank goodness. But I really didn't like that during his final confrontation with his father, Kane punches him. If we're supposed to be anti-violence/anti-bullying here, having Kane be "exorcised" by inflicting violence on his abuser seemed precisely the wrong message to be sending...tinkcourtney's review
5.0
Just beautiful!
I was a little worried that this book would have a lot of angst based on Kane’s past, but it was honestly more focused on healing and moving forward. More hope and less despair. And omg the crazy chemistry these guys had! The descriptions of their dances were smoking hot. I just loved it all.
I was a little worried that this book would have a lot of angst based on Kane’s past, but it was honestly more focused on healing and moving forward. More hope and less despair. And omg the crazy chemistry these guys had! The descriptions of their dances were smoking hot. I just loved it all.
azidy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
amyreadsandsails's review
4.0
Get past the first chapter in this book - it's infodump. Beyond that, the dancing is sexy, we've got a silver fox and a closeted younger man. Super steamy. Set in New Zealand with a lot of found family. The sappy couples that I'm guessing were from the previous books were a little OTT but overall, a very fun read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
writtenechoes's review
5.0
This was quite honestly one of the most beautiful romance novels I’ve ever read. My heart broke for Kane multiple times. Kane and Abe’s love just jumped off the page from the beginning and watching Kane’s walls slowly fall down for Abe was such a beautiful thing. And Judah and Kane finally working everything out to start a friendship.
This was as much a romance novel as it was a novel about found family. I just was really moved by this. I really hope this isn’t the end of this series because I love all these characters and would read about them forever! I want Patrick’s story and Jam’s story and Terry’s story. I want them all.
But Kane and Abe will always have a very special place in my heart.
This was as much a romance novel as it was a novel about found family. I just was really moved by this. I really hope this isn’t the end of this series because I love all these characters and would read about them forever! I want Patrick’s story and Jam’s story and Terry’s story. I want them all.
But Kane and Abe will always have a very special place in my heart.
layla87's review
5.0
Audio: 5 stars
Story: 4.5 stars
Easily my favorite in the series.
Loved both characters so much
Both were nuianced and layered.
I adored Kane. Dude got the short end of the stick in everything in his life. And he overcame them all.
Abe was just the biggest sweetheart and he complemented Kane beautifully.
The dancing subpot was sexy AF
The steam was sweet and sensual
Kane's *condition* was handled with tact and grace and I loved how it was discussed and how it didn't impact their attraction to each other.
All in all: great book ❤️
Story: 4.5 stars
Easily my favorite in the series.
Loved both characters so much
Both were nuianced and layered.
I adored Kane. Dude got the short end of the stick in everything in his life. And he overcame them all.
Abe was just the biggest sweetheart and he complemented Kane beautifully.
The dancing subpot was sexy AF
The steam was sweet and sensual
Kane's *condition* was handled with tact and grace and I loved how it was discussed and how it didn't impact their attraction to each other.
All in all: great book ❤️
kaitlin_durante's review
5.0
Oh my goodness Kane's redemption in this book was EVERYTHING.
I loved seeing him learn to accept his past and move forward with Abe.
Abe was such an excellent support system for Kane and an ally when Judah struggled to move beyond the past to see that people can change.
The family that Judah, Leroy and Kane have built with their partners, family and the town was just wonderful and this series warmed my heart even if I did cry a few times.
I loved seeing him learn to accept his past and move forward with Abe.
Abe was such an excellent support system for Kane and an ally when Judah struggled to move beyond the past to see that people can change.
The family that Judah, Leroy and Kane have built with their partners, family and the town was just wonderful and this series warmed my heart even if I did cry a few times.
always_anxious's review
4.0
3.5
I loved this as much as I was able to with my heart hurting the whole damn time because of the looming separation
I loved this as much as I was able to with my heart hurting the whole damn time because of the looming separation
ofbooksandromance's review
5.0
5 “You are the most important thing I can’t live without, Kane. You.” stars
Do you know I’ve never held hands with a man before?” [...] “I’ve done other things with men, but I’ve never held hands.” [...] “Then I’m honoured to be your first.”
Jesus. Fucking. Christ. That pretty much sums up my thoughts about this book. It hit all of my buttons and was just perfect for me. Even if I spent hours trying to find something that I disliked, I wouldn't be able to, because this was exactly everything I have ever wanted in a book. It was my second most anticipated new release of the entire year and safe to say, it lived up to my every expectations.
While this could be read as a standalone if you wanted to, it’s the redemption of someone who did bad things in book 1 of the series so I feel like it would be beneficial to read it in order, so you have the full picture of what the MC did previously.
When we met Kane in book one, it’s because he was one of the main character’s, Judah, bully in high school and he had kicked him really badly and left him bleeding. Which was all I needed to know to want his story. Someone who did bad things getting their redemption is my favourite book trope of all time and the way this was done gave me all of the feels.
Brief summary
Kane just turned 30 and he's living a life he doesn't really enjoy and he is working at the local muscle farm. He is lonely and all he has is his cat, Bossy. Abe, who is 44, is a choreographer who comes to town for 6 weeks to help with a dancing program there. They start hanging out, dancing and through the time they spend together, they fall in love.
First, this book is as much a journey of Kane falling in love with Abe as it is a journey of Kane falling in love with himself. We got to see Kane grow and be able to achieve the things he has always wanted in life but thought that he couldn’t have before. At the start, Kane was so lost and alone in life, but throughout the book, he found love, friends and what he wants to do with his life. It was a beautiful journey and one I loved witnessing.
”But you’re not that person anymore and you deserve to live your life. You deserve that.”
Second, I want to talk about the redemption part because it's one of the best redemptions I have ever read. I liked how the book put a focus on Kane explaining his previous actions to the people he wronged so that he could finally start moving on with his life. Plus, since the story was focused on him making friends and finding a family in a place he felt he didn't belong in, it melted my heart. I love when redemption books focus on showing what brought the character to act badly in the past and how they became a much better person, that's exactly what I want and what I found here. I must admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Kane before, as he was shown as an evil side character, but throughout this book, I realized that I had fallen in love with him and that he might be my favourite character that Jay Hogan has ever written.
Third, Kane bullied Judah before and thats all the town could remember of him, and Abe is Judah’s friend so he was told everything that Kane did before. A lot of people in town never forgave him for that and he was so scared that he would never able to move on because of it. Yet Abe never judged Kane for what he did in the past. When Abe learnt what Kane did, he knew that Kane had changed since then and he never judged him for his past actions and allowed Kane to explain his side instead. It was just wonderful.
Abe had seen me. Me. Kane Martin. Free of my fucked-up past, the pretence, the hiding, the shame. Abe had simply seen a guy that he apparently found attractive. And wasn’t that just a fucking mind trip?
Fourth, I adored how all of the dramatic events in this book and the angst that happened during it was related to the characters and their lives and not based on outside of the relationship events. It’s my favourite kind of angst and it worked so well in this book.
Fifth, Kane is not used to sharing his emotions. He bottled up his feelings and never talked about them or about himself in the past. So it was harder for him to open up to Abe, yet he still tried so hard to do it. I appreciated how he didn’t run away because of that and how he was always honest, even if it was painful for him to do. These two communicated so well, and even made it a point to always tell each other how they felt and to listen to what the other had to say. It was a thing of beauty.
Sixth, I loved the relationship between Kane and Abe. Abe was very protective and he made sure to defend Kane and say how good of a man he was to everyone that he ever talked to. I love partners who are supportive of each other and no one is more supportive than Abe. If anyone had anything bad to say about Kane, Abe was there to defend him. They always protected each other and were such a well suited couple. Besides, we got to see all of the small moments that made their relationship what it was and that worked for me lots. I just adored everything about their relationship, it really worked for me.
He trusted me. Not just with his body, but with his secrets, his hurt, his tender places. After everything that had happened in his life to break his faith, Kane trusted me.
Side note, the banter between Kane and Abe was also just the best. Dry humour and good banter are things that I love and this book had both of these things in abundance.
Another side note, I just want to mention the sex scenes because they were perfect and so full of emotions that they made me cry my eyes out. It’s not often that a sex scene makes me cry but damn, in this book they tugged at all of my heart strings.
Seventh, just in case it wasn't clear, I adore Kane. I don't even think I can begin to try and count how many times I cried while reading because I felt for him and what he was going through. He seemed so lost and alone in the world and all he wanted was for someone to see him and care about him. It was a feeling I can really relate to, so every time Kane felt that way, I just wanted to give him the biggest hug in the world.
Side note, I also love Abe. I love how he was super fierce with a heart of gold and how much of a protective streak he had. He was the best fit for Kane I could have ever imagined and I just adored him for it.
Eight, I'm pretty sure I will have to drink water every minutes of every day for a week to make up for how much I cried here. I started crying at page 10 and I’m pretty sure I only stopped at the end. This book wrecked me and then put me back together. It was the perfect ratio of hurt to comfort for me, and not only did I cry at the angst but at the comfort too, since it was so sweet and so pure. Everything about this book made me emotional while I read. I’m pretty sure I didn't go a chapter without shedding at least one tear.
Ninth, I really liked how important dancing was to the relationship. It was how they connected and communicated. They shared a lot of quiet moments just dancing together and it was just the sweetest thing.
Tenth, It's no secret that I love everything Jay Hogan has ever written. I have read all of her books (but one) and she is one of if not my favourite writer. But I still want to comment on how good the writing is. She describes every details in a way that makes me feel like I’m there myself. It makes me want to travel to New Zealand so I can have the same experience as the characters. Plus, I also can always relate to the characters and I would love to be their friend. Honestly, I've enjoyed every second I spent reading her books and same goes for this book.
Eleventh, one of my pet peeve in books is when one of the main character has a parent who ruined their life and then forgives them for everything they ever did. I was so glad that this wasn’t the case in this one. Kane had a really bad childhood and he was scared to be gay because of his homophobic father and the book didn’t make it seem like he had to forgive him for what he did to him. That was incredibly refreshing and I just loved it so much.
Finally, this was one of the best reading experiences I ever had. Everything did it for me, the redemption, the characters, the romance, all of it. I don’t think I will be able to stop thinking about this story any time soon.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
Do you know I’ve never held hands with a man before?” [...] “I’ve done other things with men, but I’ve never held hands.” [...] “Then I’m honoured to be your first.”
Jesus. Fucking. Christ. That pretty much sums up my thoughts about this book. It hit all of my buttons and was just perfect for me. Even if I spent hours trying to find something that I disliked, I wouldn't be able to, because this was exactly everything I have ever wanted in a book. It was my second most anticipated new release of the entire year and safe to say, it lived up to my every expectations.
While this could be read as a standalone if you wanted to, it’s the redemption of someone who did bad things in book 1 of the series so I feel like it would be beneficial to read it in order, so you have the full picture of what the MC did previously.
When we met Kane in book one, it’s because he was one of the main character’s, Judah, bully in high school and he had kicked him really badly and left him bleeding. Which was all I needed to know to want his story. Someone who did bad things getting their redemption is my favourite book trope of all time and the way this was done gave me all of the feels.
Brief summary
Kane just turned 30 and he's living a life he doesn't really enjoy and he is working at the local muscle farm. He is lonely and all he has is his cat, Bossy. Abe, who is 44, is a choreographer who comes to town for 6 weeks to help with a dancing program there. They start hanging out, dancing and through the time they spend together, they fall in love.
First, this book is as much a journey of Kane falling in love with Abe as it is a journey of Kane falling in love with himself. We got to see Kane grow and be able to achieve the things he has always wanted in life but thought that he couldn’t have before. At the start, Kane was so lost and alone in life, but throughout the book, he found love, friends and what he wants to do with his life. It was a beautiful journey and one I loved witnessing.
”But you’re not that person anymore and you deserve to live your life. You deserve that.”
Second, I want to talk about the redemption part because it's one of the best redemptions I have ever read. I liked how the book put a focus on Kane explaining his previous actions to the people he wronged so that he could finally start moving on with his life. Plus, since the story was focused on him making friends and finding a family in a place he felt he didn't belong in, it melted my heart. I love when redemption books focus on showing what brought the character to act badly in the past and how they became a much better person, that's exactly what I want and what I found here. I must admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Kane before, as he was shown as an evil side character, but throughout this book, I realized that I had fallen in love with him and that he might be my favourite character that Jay Hogan has ever written.
Third, Kane bullied Judah before and thats all the town could remember of him, and Abe is Judah’s friend so he was told everything that Kane did before. A lot of people in town never forgave him for that and he was so scared that he would never able to move on because of it. Yet Abe never judged Kane for what he did in the past. When Abe learnt what Kane did, he knew that Kane had changed since then and he never judged him for his past actions and allowed Kane to explain his side instead. It was just wonderful.
Abe had seen me. Me. Kane Martin. Free of my fucked-up past, the pretence, the hiding, the shame. Abe had simply seen a guy that he apparently found attractive. And wasn’t that just a fucking mind trip?
Fourth, I adored how all of the dramatic events in this book and the angst that happened during it was related to the characters and their lives and not based on outside of the relationship events. It’s my favourite kind of angst and it worked so well in this book.
Fifth, Kane is not used to sharing his emotions. He bottled up his feelings and never talked about them or about himself in the past. So it was harder for him to open up to Abe, yet he still tried so hard to do it. I appreciated how he didn’t run away because of that and how he was always honest, even if it was painful for him to do. These two communicated so well, and even made it a point to always tell each other how they felt and to listen to what the other had to say. It was a thing of beauty.
Sixth, I loved the relationship between Kane and Abe. Abe was very protective and he made sure to defend Kane and say how good of a man he was to everyone that he ever talked to. I love partners who are supportive of each other and no one is more supportive than Abe. If anyone had anything bad to say about Kane, Abe was there to defend him. They always protected each other and were such a well suited couple. Besides, we got to see all of the small moments that made their relationship what it was and that worked for me lots. I just adored everything about their relationship, it really worked for me.
He trusted me. Not just with his body, but with his secrets, his hurt, his tender places. After everything that had happened in his life to break his faith, Kane trusted me.
Side note, the banter between Kane and Abe was also just the best. Dry humour and good banter are things that I love and this book had both of these things in abundance.
Another side note, I just want to mention the sex scenes because they were perfect and so full of emotions that they made me cry my eyes out. It’s not often that a sex scene makes me cry but damn, in this book they tugged at all of my heart strings.
Seventh, just in case it wasn't clear, I adore Kane. I don't even think I can begin to try and count how many times I cried while reading because I felt for him and what he was going through. He seemed so lost and alone in the world and all he wanted was for someone to see him and care about him. It was a feeling I can really relate to, so every time Kane felt that way, I just wanted to give him the biggest hug in the world.
Side note, I also love Abe. I love how he was super fierce with a heart of gold and how much of a protective streak he had. He was the best fit for Kane I could have ever imagined and I just adored him for it.
Eight, I'm pretty sure I will have to drink water every minutes of every day for a week to make up for how much I cried here. I started crying at page 10 and I’m pretty sure I only stopped at the end. This book wrecked me and then put me back together. It was the perfect ratio of hurt to comfort for me, and not only did I cry at the angst but at the comfort too, since it was so sweet and so pure. Everything about this book made me emotional while I read. I’m pretty sure I didn't go a chapter without shedding at least one tear.
Ninth, I really liked how important dancing was to the relationship. It was how they connected and communicated. They shared a lot of quiet moments just dancing together and it was just the sweetest thing.
Tenth, It's no secret that I love everything Jay Hogan has ever written. I have read all of her books (but one) and she is one of if not my favourite writer. But I still want to comment on how good the writing is. She describes every details in a way that makes me feel like I’m there myself. It makes me want to travel to New Zealand so I can have the same experience as the characters. Plus, I also can always relate to the characters and I would love to be their friend. Honestly, I've enjoyed every second I spent reading her books and same goes for this book.
Eleventh, one of my pet peeve in books is when one of the main character has a parent who ruined their life and then forgives them for everything they ever did. I was so glad that this wasn’t the case in this one. Kane had a really bad childhood and he was scared to be gay because of his homophobic father and the book didn’t make it seem like he had to forgive him for what he did to him. That was incredibly refreshing and I just loved it so much.
Finally, this was one of the best reading experiences I ever had. Everything did it for me, the redemption, the characters, the romance, all of it. I don’t think I will be able to stop thinking about this story any time soon.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
alexisisreading's review
5.0
I love a good redemption arc story and Kane 100% deserved his happy ending. I had been curious about him since Book 1, and to see his story got me a bit emotional. He's been through a lot and I liked how through his redemption he doesn't make excuses for his past but opens up to Abe and gets to finally experience life without the weight of his past clouding peoples judgment of the man he has become. I loved how protective Abe was of Kane and how he wasn't afraid to call Judah and Leroy out when Kane was purposely being left out. I loved how sweet Abe was, he truly was the perfect book boyfriend. I loved how quickly the trust and attraction between Kane and Abe happened. Both had never experienced this kind of connection before and I was happy for both of them.
Overall, I thought their story was very heartwarming and I can't believe this is the last book in the series :( I need Patrick and Terry to have their own happy endings!!!!
I rolled over and drew him into a soft kiss. “I like you, Abraham Tyler.” He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. “I like you too, Kane Martin.
Overall, I thought their story was very heartwarming and I can't believe this is the last book in the series :( I need Patrick and Terry to have their own happy endings!!!!
I rolled over and drew him into a soft kiss. “I like you, Abraham Tyler.” He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. “I like you too, Kane Martin.