Unguarded by Jay Hogan Blog Tour

I fled Boston and my cheating jerk of an ex with three hundred dollars and a lip gloss in my pocket. Waking up the next day in Burlington, Vermont, with a crick in my back and a frozen ass wasn’t exactly in the plan. If there was one. Which there wasn’t. Story of my life.

Three hours later and I’ve been hired as temporary help in the local veterinary and grooming clinic, which is kind of impressive since I know zip about animals and even less about grooming. But one thing I do know—I’m crushing hard on the sexy, absent-minded vet I work for.

My life is a hot mess. The last thing I need is another relationship. Emmett pushes all my buttons, but he isn’t out. He's overwhelmed with a business to run and a son to look after and the kind of domestic life I never thought I wanted.

I should walk away.

But Emmett believes in me, and I might just be starting to believe in myself. As different as we are, is it possible we're exactly what the other needs?

Unguarded is a stand-alone novel in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Vino & Veritas series!
For book one, Featherbed, click HERE.
For book two, Heartscape, click HERE.
For book three, Headstrong, click HERE.
For book four, Undercover, click HERE.
For book five, Aftermath, click HERE.
For book six, Booklover, click HERE.
For book seven, Flipcup, click HERE.
For book eight, Hideaway, click HERE.
For book nine, Turnabout, click HERE.

 

 

Book 10
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

The final client of the morning was a grumbling, overweight Pekingese cross named Charles, with an attitude to rival Genghis Khan and an owner who refused to come in with her dog because she didn’t want the nippy little demon to associate her with any discomfort.

Under instruction from Ivy, Tai had the growling, muzzled dog wrapped in a towel and pinioned against his stomach, his expression caught somewhere between are-you-fucking-kidding-me and abject terror.

I told him what we were about to do and he stared at me in wide-eyed disbelief. “You did not just say you were going to milk this little guy’s anal glands?”

I swallowed a laugh. “I believe those were my exact words.”

His gaze flicked down to the squirming dog, then back up. “Do I even want to ask why?”

I shrugged and pulled on some gloves. “The anal glands are two little sacs on either side of the rectum. Normally they get expressed every time the dog poops. Helps mark his territory.”

“Oh. My. God.” Tai rolled his eyes dramatically. “I think I dated a guy like that once.”

Ivy snorted while I grappled with an influx of images involving Tai with another guy and that whole territorial marking thing. I snapped the second glove on my wrist like an elastic band, hoping the pain might shock some sense into me.

It didn’t.

Tai got his freak under control and tucked Charles firmly back against his stomach. It was the first time I’d ever been jealous of the mutt.

“I know I’m going to regret asking this,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “But what happens when things don’t get expressed, on the whole anal-gland front? And I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Welcome to my world.” Ivy appeared from the supply room.

I caught Tai’s eye and waggled my eyebrows. He was hella fun to tease. “I’m so glad you asked that question. If they don’t get expressed naturally, not helped by poor diet and excess weight, then the glands can block and get smelly and painful. They can even form an abscess that can burst onto the skin.”

Tai’s mouth dropped open in horror. “Holy crap. And also—another date of mine.”

I gave a strangled laugh and realized I hadn’t had so much fun at work since... well yeah, it had been a while.

“Damn, that’s disgusting. The poor thing.” Tai lifted Charles to smooch him safely around the back of his ears. “We need to talk about your diet young man,” he cooed to the dog who, miracle of miracles, appeared to calm. “Fiber is the key, plus plenty of water and attention to timing. Clean, screened, and fit for a queen.” He glanced up with a wicked grin. “Right, Mr. Vet?”

Ivy coughed loudly, while every semi-functioning neuron in my body focused on only one thing that shall not be mentioned.

“I, yeah... I guess,” I managed to croak. “Although maybe not the screening thing, not for dogs.”

Tai lifted Charles to eyeball him. “Safety first.”

Ivy joined us at the table. “Okay, you two. Let’s get this done so I can spritz the room. Keep a firm grip,” she told Tai.

His eyes widened. “This is going to smell worse than I thought, isn’t it?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Think fishy.”

Tai got a tight hold on the wriggling dog. “Huh? Not my first guess. Okay, I’m ready. I have to say, it feels a little like an initiation.”

I flashed him an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine. Now hold that tail up.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew, and sure enough—

He snorted. “Not the first time I’ve been told that.”

I shook my head, gently squeezed, and...

“Whoa.” He gave a long blink and jerked his head around and out of the way. “Ewww, Charles. That’s some nasty shit right there.”

I grinned from ear to ear, pretty much as I had from the minute Tai had walked into my clinic. I was so fucked.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the tenth book in a series of stories written by a collection of talented authors and set in Sarina Bowen’s True North world. I am really enjoying the connections, and yet the variety of styles offered by the different writers. This is a sexy story of a vet who gets a second chance at love from an unexpected encounter. It is a book which is very moving but is also SO full of humour – I laughed out loud on multiple occasions and had a smile on my face for most of the time.

Escaping from an unhappy relationship, Tai finally stops when he reaches Burlington and a chance visit to Vino & Veritas gets him an in at the local vets, where they need help urgently. Cue plenty of opportunities for animal illness/cleaning humour, and Jay Hogan delivers repeatedly! Even just remembering back, I can feel my lips rising into a smile and my eyes sparkling with the funny incidents. But vet Emmett is very wary, and widowed young with a son to bring up, he is uncertain of exploring his attraction to Tai.

As we see their friendship develop and Tai's self-esteem and confidence return, we cannot help but want them to see what is right in front of them. I will not reveal more, but I promise you a really engaging, fun, and sexy story is delivered here.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
‘I smelled like a drag queen’s tuck after a pride parade,’ has got to be one of the best lines I’ve read in years. I’ve become a huge Jay Hogan fan this year and I love that they’ve written a story for this series. Vermont is a long way from New Zealand, but Tai brings all of Hogan’s Kiwi charm and snark with him to the US. Somehow the hot-mess go-go dancer ends up in Burlington, sleeping in his car with not much more than a pair of leather trousers to his name. Fortunately, Emmett, a gorgeous and benevolent veterinarian, takes pity on Tai and offers him a temporary job.

With a storyline borrowed almost directly from Schitt’s Creek, Tai is possibly even less qualified than Alexis Rose for his job as a vet’s receptionist. Warm, sarcastic, and always entertaining, Tai quickly becomes an essential part of Emmett’s life. The connection between the two men is instant and electric but Emmett is a wary single father and Tai feels he has nothing to offer Emmett as a partner.

I’ve read three very similar bisexual single dad romances this month. This is probably the strongest of the three in terms of writing and character development but I’m finding it a difficult trope to get on with. The child-focused nature of Emmett’s life pushes the book into ‘sweet’ and ‘heartwarming’ territory. I personally prefer the author’s sexier, more complex and more adult writing in the Auckland Med and Southern Lights series. It’s a personal preference. Readers who love kids in romance will really enjoy this and I’m hoping this book introduces a whole new audience of American readers to one of my favourite new authors.

 

 

 

JAY HOGAN is a New Zealand author of mm romance and romantic suspense and a 2020 US Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance for her novel, Digging Deep.

Connect with Jay

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Unguarded (Vino & Veritas #10) by Jay Hogan to read and review for this tour.

First Impressions by Jay Hogan

Michael

Two years ago I made a mistake—a big one. Then I added a couple more just for good measure. I screwed up my life, but I survived. Now I have the opportunity for a fresh start. Two years in NZ. Away from the LA gossip, a chance to breathe, to rebuild my life. But I’m taking my new set of rules with me.

I don’t do relationships.

I don’t do commitment.

I don’t do white picket fences.

And I especially don’t do arrogant, holier-than-thou, smoking-hot K9 officers who walk into my ER and rock my world.

Josh

One thing’s for certain: Dr. Michael Oliver is an arrogant, untrustworthy player, and I barely survived the last one of those. He might be gorgeous, but my daughter takes number-one priority. I won’t risk her being hurt again. I’m a solo dad, a K9 cop, and a son to pain-in-the-arse parents.

I don’t have time for games.

I don’t have time for taking chances. I don’t have time for more complications in my life.

And I sure as hell don’t have time for the infuriating Dr. Michael Oliver, however damn sexy he is.

Second Edition
First Edition published by Blackout Books, 2018.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
The slow build sexual tension in this book is electric. The family-focused dog handler and the playboy ER doctor hate each other at first sight – but they can’t escape the chemistry that draws them together.

It’s easy to love Josh. He’s a devoted single parent and a genuinely good person. His adorable canine partner is also pretty attractive. But honestly, he’s a little safe and a little bland at times – and it was bad boy Michael who really captured my heart. We first meet him when his backroom hook-up is interrupted by a police raid. He’s gorgeous, talented and arrogant – and he’s fighting some difficult demons. Michael made me laugh and he kept the book from falling into saccharine, white picket fence territory.

I enjoyed the action in this book. From Josh’s first drug raid to Michael’s terrifying run-ins with bad guys, the story is fast paced and exciting. The overall plot wanders a bit (I’m not sure the book needed the storyline about Josh’s parents or the one about the softball team...) and there might be a few too many characters but I liked the characters and I enjoyed their relationships. Some of the action near the end of the story isn’t terribly plausible but I felt thoroughly invested in the very real and relatable characters.

This is part of a very loosely linked series. I read this several months after reading the second novel and there really isn’t much that connects the two books. Michael and Cameron work together at Auckland Med but neither man plays a big role in the other’s story. Plot wise, the two are very different. This story gives readers police action and an organised crime storyline while the second book focuses on a closeted rugby player. I've enjoyed both books but readers don’t need to read them in sequence.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in the series but was rereleased after book two. I really enjoyed Crossing the Touchline, so was keen to read this one too. Cam is the lead in book two, which as you get to know him here, makes a lot of sense.

An engaging mystery, which involves the doctor Michael and K9 officer Josh. They first meet with Michael in a somewhat compromising position – so definitely not a good first impression. However, with time they fall into a friendship/romance. As Michael is on a short contract in NZ, and due to return to LA, he is more than a little reluctant to settle down, even if he has broken all his rules already.

I found the two men were well written, and their hopes and fears well expressed. I did, however, hate how Michael was so selfish in his complete disappearance from Josh's life. Whilst it made sense that he needed the time and space to resolve his demons, he caused a lot of pain and angst that was just cruel. I chose to forgive him because Josh did, but I was not impressed at all!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Michael is a successful trauma doctor. He is enjoying being around people who don't know his past. While he's taking this break from LA, being around a different bunch is both comforting and terrifying.

Josh is trying to live his best life. With his daughter and dog walking alongside him in this life, he knows that he can ill afford to screw up. He loves his job and, despite the dangers, can't see himself doing anything else.

Michael and Josh's relationship starts on very rocky territory. Neither man is looking for something real and the fact that Josh can't stand Michael only adds to the stress in both men's lives. But when danger lurks around Michael, Josh can't help but want to protect him.

This is a relationship of more enemies-to-lovers. The chemistry is lacking for me and it seems they really only get together out of spite and a need for release. At times, I found myself skimming the pages because there is a lot of dialogue that just isn't necessary. I enjoyed the mystery behind the danger and liked Josh's daughter a lot. Overall, this was just an okay story for me. It had so much more potential, but just didn't hit the spot for me.

Also Available in the Auckland Med. Series

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

For reviews & more info, check out our Crossing the Touchline post.

JAY HOGAN is a New Zealand author writing in m/m romance, romantic suspense, and fantasy. She has travelled extensively and has lived in the US, Canada, France, Australia, and South Korea. She has a BA degree in nursing and in theology, and in another life, she was an intensive care nurse, counselor, and a lecturer.

Though a late bloomer publishing-wise, she has always had pen to paper from poetry to fiction, benefitting from the unwavering support of a long-suffering husband and the services of an in-house beta reader—oops, sorry, she means daughter.

She is a cat aficionado, especially of Maine Coons, and an avid dog lover (but don’t tell the cat). She loves to cook (pretty damn good), loves to sing (pretty damn average), and as for loving full-time writing—absolutely… depending of course on the day, the word count, the deadline, how obliging her characters are, the ambient temperature in the Western Sahara, whether Jupiter is rising, the size of the ozone hole over New Zealand, and how much coffee she’s had.

Connect with Jay

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of First Impressions (Auckland Med. #1) by Jay Hogan to read and review.

Crossing the Touchline by Jay Hogan

What if you’ve worked your whole life for a dream, to play rugby for the most successful sports team on the planet, the New Zealand All Blacks?

What if that dream is so close you can smell it?

What if you meet someone?

What if you fall in love?

What if your dream will cost the man who’s stolen your heart?

And what if the dream changes?

Reuben Taylor has a choice to make.

Cameron Wano is that choice.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh wow. I loved this story so much! This is a gritty, angst-filled read about the unlikely relationship between a rising rugby star and an A&E charge nurse.

I love the ‘star-crossed lovers’ feel to this story. And while this is Reuben’s book, it was Cam I fell hard for. Part flamboyant diva, part tiger, Cam is confident and fabulous. He’s the emotional grown up in the relationship, and every time Reuben let him down my heart broke a little bit for him. In contrast, Reuben is a little bit clueless. He desperately wants to secure his place with the All Blacks, but his dysfunctional family makes it almost impossible for him to focus on his sport. And while Reuben is fearless on the pitch, he can’t stand up to his father and he can’t make things right for his nephew. Reuben constantly hurts Cam, but it is never intentional. The heat between Cam and Reuben is combustible and I love the way they complement each other perfectly. The sweet, sexy chemistry between Cam and Reuben is fantastic.

I love the balanced portrayal of gay men in this story. A few years ago, I remember teaching a PSHE lesson during Pride month and showing a video made by Gareth Thomas. The first comment by one of my rugby playing students was ‘I don’t mind gays like that – it’s the ones that go all girly that make me sick.’ M/M sports romance can sometimes seem to encourage this sort of divisive narrative, so I love the way the author of this book focuses on Cameron’s strengths. While Reuben is a rugby god, he’s also an emotional mess. Off the pitch, it’s Cameron who is fierce, centred, and in control of his life.

I also really enjoyed the rugby in this book. Rugby is much more familiar to me than American football, so I was able to really engage with the sport in this story. The All Blacks are spoken of with a hushed reverence by fans around the world and I loved the way this book made me feel like I was getting behind the scenes access to the legendary team.

This book isn’t without flaws. It’s a long read and the plot wanders in places. There’s also a whole lot going on. Reuben’s home life is complicated and ugly and more of the story focuses on his family relationships than on his rugby. And while Cam and Reuben are wonderfully complicated characters, I didn’t like the overly simplistic portrayal of characters like Reuben’s father. But ultimately, I loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read by the author and as soon as I finished it, I was searching Amazon for anything else by the same author. Sadly, I couldn’t find anything but I’m crossing my fingers for more in the near future.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second in the series and I have not yet read book one, but will remedying that soon! It involves a couple who are side characters here, so it wasn't essential, but clearly the story is well worth a read. I didn't feel like I had missed elements important to Cameron and Rueben's story. What is interesting is that I couldn't resist reading this book because I am a huge sports romance fan, especially rugby, and actually the series is linked to medical romance – turns out that together they are fabulous!

Cam is a very much closeted rugby player with a total pig of a father, and a distracted single dad brother. He is holding everything together in the hopes of getting his big break with the All Blacks and saving his nephew from the life he has had. That means that his life can only be training and childcare for now. He is introduced to us, however, finding someone so irresistible at a wedding that he breaks all his rules and kisses the man, and then pushes him away when some teammates come to find him. Thankfully we recognise it as blind fear, rather than disinterest, and so does he. For Cam though, it is a nasty reminder of how denied he was by his only serious boyfriend... but you need to read the book to find out more.

As these two men fight an attraction which spills off the page, fate seems determined to keep causing them to meet, and they finally try for friends. Reuben tries to keep his nephew safe, and his father off his case, and his mind on the game – but really, his thoughts are of Cam, of how to balance rugby with love, and how to prevent his father from blackmailing him.

There was an amazing mix of small moments of calm and intense, surrounded by huge issues and how on earth they could be resolved. One could only admire both men, who in their way were trying their very best for each other, even if it took the inexperienced Reuben time to catch up.

Lovely, lovely book, thank you, Jay Hogan.

JAY HOGAN is a New Zealand author writing in m/m romance, romantic suspense, and fantasy. She has travelled extensively and has lived in the US, Canada, France, Australia, and South Korea. She has a BA degree in nursing and in theology, and in another life, she was an intensive care nurse, counselor, and a lecturer.

Though a late bloomer publishing-wise, she has always had pen to paper from poetry to fiction, benefitting from the unwavering support of a long-suffering husband and the services of an in-house beta reader—oops, sorry, she means daughter.

She is a cat aficionado, especially of Maine Coons, and an avid dog lover (but don’t tell the cat). She loves to cook (pretty damn good), loves to sing (pretty damn average), and as for loving full-time writing—absolutely… depending of course on the day, the word count, the deadline, how obliging her characters are, the ambient temperature in the Western Sahara, whether Jupiter is rising, the size of the ozone hole over New Zealand, and how much coffee she’s had.

Connect with Jay

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Crossing the Touchline (Auckland Med. #2) by Jay Hogan to read and review.