Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Tamarillo Tart
SERIES: Southern Lights #2
AUTHOR: Jay Hogan
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2020
LENGTH: 262 pages
BLURB:
CASSIDY MARTIN is a country boy through and through. He loves his horses, his Lord of the Rings tourist business, and his isolated paradise at the foot of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Not that everyone appreciates the seclusion he craves. Take his ex-wife for example.
The sexy-as-hell guy on his latest tour might be whip-smart and push all of Cass’s buttons, but he’s about as country as a pair of Louboutins, and Cass has been there and done that. Broken heart with the T-shirt.
STEFAN HAMILTON doesn’t do ‘outdoorsy’, he’s a city boy, born and bred. The closest Stef gets to the country is ‘Cowboy Night’ at his favourite Auckland gay bar even if the music makes Stef want to rip his hair out by the roots.
But Stef is also a hardcore Lord of the Rings fanboy. So, when he gets the chance to go on a horse trek to the iconic film locations in the Southern Alps, he sucks up his fear of the gigantic animals and his allergy to camping for the chance to let his nerd flag fly. But when his mate pulls out at the last minute, Stef is left to negotiate the horses, the wrath of mother nature, and an inconvenient crush on the cowboy leading the tour.
City meets country and the sparks fly.
REVIEW:
City meets country!
Sometimes what we perceive we see physically is not what it really is inside a person. At times we try to hide who we truly are in fear of being ridiculed or shamed.
City boy Stef is in town to visit his best friend Tanner who relocated after finding the love of his life. They were gifted with a tour of Stef’s favorite movie shot in New Zealand by Tanner’s boyfriend, Ethan. It was a tour of The Lord of the Rings movie locations and sets. Stef is an LOTR geek. But at the last minute, Tanner had to pull out, but encourages Stef to continue on. The problem is, Stef is not fond of camping, and horses! But what was he supposed to do, he’s already on site and the Tour Guide has seen him.
Cass is an amazing Tour Guide. He prides himself of the kind of experience their clients get when they go on their tours. His family owns a few hundred/thousand acres of land that encompasses some parts of the most scenic spots in this part of New Zealand, including those that were part of some big movie productions. His family has been in the business for a few generations. An accountant by profession, his skills being put to work handling three accounts of their businesses. He loves what he does, especially the horses. He guides the tours himself.
Meeting Stef has brought forth feelings he has kept hidden from his father and his small town. He was married for a while. Ever since his divorce he has devoted most of his time on the business. Meeting Stef in his current tour was a revelation of sorts. He has always known he was Bi, but aside from his ex-wife, he never came out. Before Stef, he never knew he was attracted to sassy and out-and-proud persons. Stef is just so himself and not caring about what others think. But he can also see that there is vulnerability in Stef’s eyes, some pain experienced.
This story got a bit intense about halfway, something happened that nearly stopped my heart! Well, it stopped my heart for more than a few minutes, I didn’t know how things could turn that bad so fast, you scared me Ms. Hogan, and I was getting ready to bawl my heart out!
I find this tale very sweet. Why? Stef’s character is the epitome of someone defying the norm, he lives his life the way he wants, his family and his few close friends are what’s important to him, but underneath it all is someone who is vulnerable, loving, a caretaker and super sweet. He is someone who got hurt bad and he is just trying to protect his heart before it gets trampled again. But TRUE LOVE comes but once, and if you are really lucky, maybe you’ll have two. But you cannot let the opportunity pass, the risk is great, but the reward is a lifetime with who you are meant to be with! So he decided that in order for him/them to have their happiness, they have to risk their heart and mind.
Ms. Jay Hogan has been surprising me ever since I read Crossing the Touchline, and she still is doing that. She injects certain qualities into her writing that gives it the “mmph” that separates it from other stories from other writers. Congratulations!
RATING: 
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