Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Foxed
AUTHOR: Jay Hogan
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Southern Lights Publishing
LENGTH: 9 hours and 19 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2023
BLURB:
Foxed: To be thrown into a state of uncertainty—flustered, bamboozled, bewildered, puzzled, vexed.
AKA, me. Jed Marshall. 55-year-old successful classic car mechanic; divorced, mostly closeted, and whose wholly inexperienced bisexuality has suddenly awakened after one smouldering look and said, “Damn, who’s the hottie?” Or words to that effect.
Cue, Nash Collingwood. 53-year-old scarily smart high school principal; out, gay, confident, and sexy as hell. He’s also my daughter’s boss. So, not complicated at all, right? Nash could ignite a bonfire with a single sultry look, comes fully accessorised with a charm offensive Churchill would be proud of, an easy-going flattery that thrills my heart far too effortlessly, and an impressive track record with men many decades my junior.
In short, Nash is everything I’m not, and everything I’ve avoided for roughly my entire life. He’s the hot rod to my sensible family car, that is if you like your family cars with a few dents, creaky suspension, unexpected backfires, and a dodgy stick.
The last thing I need is a relationship—especially with a man. I buried that pipe dream a long time ago and a little loneliness is a small price to pay. The festive season and long summer vacation are on our doorstep. I’m finally getting things right with my family who mean everything to me, and I don’t want to mess that up.
But Nash doesn’t care about my awkward inexperience, or clumsy excuses, or any of my insecurities. Nash only sees me. He wants me. For the first time in years, I feel alive and sexy and a whole lot more than just a good father and grandfather.
I should walk away, but the closer Nash and I become, the more he fills my grey world with colour, and the promise of a second chance at love I never thought possible.
REVIEW:
I have yet to read a Jay Hogan book that I didn’t love, and Foxed continues her consistent delivery of highly enjoyable MM romances. I love that Hogan embraces romance between older, mature men — here, Jed Marshall is a 55-year-old divorcee and grandfather with his own successful niche car restoration business, and Nash Collingwood is the 53-year-old high school principal at the school where Jed’s daughter Abbie is a teacher. Both have resigned themselves to being single – or at least they had. Jed starts to feel like something is missing in his life, but he’s afraid to reveal/explore his bisexuality after having been married to a woman for so long. Nash is less settled with his situation and makes the first move by revealing his attraction to Jed.
As is usually the case in a Jay Hogan book, the characters are complex and vividly drawn in a relatable way. The plot keeps your interest and has a bit of a twist (and a small amount of angst) later on. She includes plenty of UST, sexy times, humor, and heartwarming feels. Jed and Nash are super hot together; their chemistry is undeniable. She strikes all the right notes in conveying the theme of being true to yourself and not hiding who you are, especially from the people closest to you. It’s a lesson Jed struggles with, and Hogan brings us on that journey.
When it comes to Hogan’s stories, I lean heavily on the audiobooks because I know Gary Furlong is working his magic at the mic. I am never disappointed with his vocal performances, and his narration of Hogan’s books is intrinsically special because of his intuitive connection with Hogan’s characters and her intentions for them as part of the larger plot. Furlong is a phenomenal storyteller who grabs us from word one and absorbs us completely in Hogan’s gorgeous fictional universes and the unique journeys of each of her couples.
Foxed may be Furlong’s best performance of a Hogan story yet. Perfection. I could have happily listened to him regale us with Jed and Nash’s love story for many more hours. He’s so good that nine-plus hours flies by, leaving you wanting more of the Furlong/Hogan storytelling. I highly recommend the Foxed audiobook.
RATING: 
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