Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: First Impressions
SERIES: Auckland Med, Book 1
AUTHOR: Jay Hogan
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 57 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2020
BLURB:
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 a 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 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.
REVIEW:
Jay Hogan’s First Impressions kicks off her excellent Auckland Med series, and while you may have previously read this title (it was published in December 2019 as Hogan’s debut), you haven’t experienced this book until you’ve heard its audiobook narrator, Gary Furlong, act the hell out of it.
The story features a bit of a mystery/crime drama, but its focus is squarely on the opposites attract, (pseudo)enemies-to-lovers romance of Michael Oliver, ER doctor/resident at Auckland Med, and K9 police officer Josh Rawlins. Michael is a transplant to Auckland from Los Angeles, which he fled after practically destroying his career, and himself, due to a spiral into drinking and depression. He dug himself out from rock bottom and the anonymity of his life in New Zealand is like a chance at a fresh start. It’s six months into his two-year exchange program at Auckland Med and Michael’s feeling (mostly) settled. He likes his job and his coworkers, and has even gained some friends. He’s anti-relationship, though, but happily, there’s no shortage of hookups to keep him physically satisfied.
However, trouble seems to find Michael. He’s out clubbing when he suddenly finds himself unwittingly caught in the crossfire of a police raid. That’s where he meets Josh, whose physical appeal calls to Michael. He hits on the gorgeous man and Josh shuts him down, with derision. Josh presumes Michael is an arrogant, entitled, pretty-boy flirt and has no use or patience for him or his “type”. To be fair, Michael does project himself as a mouthy, saucy, hit-it-and-quit-it guy, partially because he’s just naturally got a life-of-the-party, confident, snarky personality. But he leans into it hard to mask his vulnerabilities.
Josh grudgingly acknowledges there’s more to Michael than meets the eye when Michael jumps into the fray to help save a fellow police officer when he’s shot during the raid. Nevertheless, Josh doesn’t want to get tangled up with Michael and is determined to keep his distance. Easier said than done because Michael is an eyewitness to the shooting, which imperils him, thereby pulling Josh into his orbit again and again.
Hogan’s strength lies in her character development and Michael, Josh and even the secondary cast – most notable of which is the beloved Cameron Wano who is the protagonist in books two and five of this series – are all given careful, thoughtful treatment. She gives them dimension and complexity as well as evident, distinctive personalities. None of her characters are cookie-cutters or charicatures. They translate as living breathing individuals with fascinating histories and endearing vulnerabilities. These are people we want to know and root for.
Gary Furlong amplifies this multi-dimensionality through his exceptional, emotionally connected vocal performance. He taps into these characters, their backstories and motivations, and channels that through his voice. Michael and Josh have enormous chemistry and you can feel them sparking against each other through Furlong’s interpretation of their interactions, including snappy banter and sharp dialogue, and steamy scenes given a sensual, dynamic feel that prompts the need for a fan, ice … something. Is it hot in here?🔥🔥
While Michael and Josh’s story is threaded throughout, the portrayal of the mystery/drama surrounding the raid and the subsequent attacks on Michael is a bit uneven. There are times it almost entirely fades to the background, but then abruptly reappears in the forefront of the storyline. Furlong’s performance is so engrossing, though, that it’s easy to put the subplot out of mind through the middle section of the book where Michael and Josh’s relationship takes center stage. He also makes it so that we can seamlessly reengage with the subplot when Hogan calls us to, so my complaint about the imbalance is truly a minor one.
Furlong’s narration is impactful, with clear thought and intention in his delivery. Most impressive is how he throws himself into the performance, fully inhabiting the characters with distinct vocal timbres, authentic accents (Michael is American, Josh and crew have Aussie/New Zealand accents), and appropriate inflections, intonations, and emphasis to match the physical actions and reactions that accompany them.
First Impressions provided my first impression of Hogan’s writing and Furlong’s narration. (I first listened to this title when it was released in audio format in December 2020, and then again for this review.) Both left an indelible impression on me and I have been a huge fan and avid follower of both author and narrator ever since. I may have remarked to a fellow reviewer at the time that I just encountered “the narrator equivalent of the holy grail” in Furlong. I’ve listened to many titles of his since, and my opinion has not swayed. I’d listen to him read the phone book. He’s simply outstanding. I give this audiobook my highest recommendation.
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