“Powder and Pavlova is charming, sexy and poignant; funny at one moment, heart-breaking the next, and I loved every minute of it.” —All About Romance
ETHAN SHARPE’s life is a hot mess. His mother has died, his fifteen-year-old brother is going off the rails and the café he’s inherited is failing. The last thing he needs is another complication—like the man who just walked into his café.
A … the man who just walked into his café.
A much older…
sinfully hot…
EPIC complication.
But Ethan can’t get Tanner out of his head, and maybe some no strings attached stress relief might actually help him get through the day. A little fun, a little time for himself away from the chaos of his life. It couldn’t hurt, right? Then they’d go their separate ways and Ethan’s world might look a little brighter, for a while.
It was a good plan, until it wasn’t.
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Jay has done it again ! Another hit another series. This is a May/December romance between Ethan and Tanner. Follow the slow burn relationship. Tanners time in town is coming to an end , or is it? Follow the relationship between Ethan and his brother.
This is a new to me author but I love the fact that I was laughing within the first 20 minutes of reading. Awkward sarcasm and witty banter just drags you in. Ethan and Tanner are just so amazingly awesome together. A sweet ride with some twists and turns. So good! I will definitely read more from this author.
A heart touching story set in the land of Kiwis.
if you like hurt/comfort and age gap books then you’ve got a twofer in this book. I really can’t express how much I cried while reading this book. My recommendation is to have tissues on hand and maybe a back-up supply.
I received a copy of this work in exchange for my freely given opinion.
A totally brilliant story of an age gap couple with feels that really captivated me. Previous series by the author proved a talent for depicting emotions and I am glad to see it carried on to this new venture. Waiting for more!
Oh my word!! This was a fantastic, amazing, grab-you-by-the-feels, beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking yet hopeful, emotionally charged, slow burning, powerful, hilarious, snarky, delightful, and totally awesome tale. The author takes the slow burning, friends-to-lovers, and hurt/comfort storylines, and skillfully weaves them together into a marvelous gem that I would recommend getting immediately.
Ethan and Tanner were great characters but I expected nothing less from this author. Well-written characters and a storyline that drew me in from the beginning as they journeyed through their highs and lows on the way to their happy ending. I was glad to be along for the ride.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
Tanner and Ethan
After four years of traveling, Ethan got back home for the worst reason.
And now it’s just him and his younger brother Kurt. Ethan, still grieving, has to take care of him and work hard to run the cafe she left him. And business is going down, fast.
Kurt is hurt but also angry, at Ethan. Their relationship is going bad.
Then there is Tanner a somewhat older guy who is in town for business for some months.
They start something good and both know it can’t last.
But the months go by and their connection is getting stronger. And the end is near.
So that’s the story in a nut.
There is so much story. Heartfelt emotions with Kurt and Ethan. Strong loving emotions with Tanner. There is fun, jokes, great humor, and sexiness. There are fights, tears, and grief. There is goodbye. A wonderfully written emotional story that was very touching.
A great development of character and environments and a catching story!
This is definitely an emotional read and such a great start to this series. Ethan and Tanner’s story is such a beautiful one. I am pulled into this slow burn romance and I love going on their journey. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
This is an amazing story about heartbreak, sadness and unbelievable love.
I love this authors writing style and the connection she has between the MC’s is so special. I highly recommend this book and author and it is the start of a brilliant series.
I adore this author’s writing and this book is no exception. This was a fabulous start to a new series. Ethan and Tanner were a wonderful couple. Ethan was mature beyond his years and was dealing with so much pain, drama and stress in his life and along comes Tanner– 16 years older, only in town temporarily and immediately drawn to Ethan. Their relationship developed slowly- friendship, support and understanding first, followed by romance. The author draws you in to their world, feelings, and emotions. Their love was real, deep and extremely hot! Their ending was one of the best Happily Ever Afters I have read in a while! The book could have been a little shorter and dragged briefly in a few places, which is why I am rating 4 stars instead of 5. It was still a fabulous romance and I highly recommend it!!!
This book has a wonderful setting that truly draws you in. As for the characters they find a way to work their way into your heart. Their own emotions are vivid and the struggles they’ve been through so tangible. I am looking forward to more from this series.
I was gifted my copy of this book, in exchange for my review, these are my words and thoughts.
Ethan is struggling. Dealing with the death of his mum, looking after her failing coffee shop and trying to bring his 16 year old brother back to some sense of normal is taking its toll. Enter the hot guy who makes Ethan all warm and fuzzy, he gives Ethan a few miuntes every day, just to dream. Tanner goes to the coffee shop every day just to get an eye full of the much younger guy who works there. He doesn’t normally go for younger guys, but Ethan pushes his buttons and then some. But Tanner’s time in town has a shelf life, an expiration date. Can they have a no strings thing, and walk away? After just one kiss, Tanner isn’t so sure he could.
So much, I wanted to LOVE this, but I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page and thats what I have to stick with, cos, ya know, book feelings!
It was, though, such a delightful, sexy, hot, steamy, bloody emotional read!
I could feel Ethan’s pain, so soon after losing his mother, cos been there, done that. It’s so hard when you DON’T have all the other stuff Ethan has going on, so that the man was still standing was incredible. Even though Kurt, Ethan’s little brother, doesn’t get a voice, you can feel the pain rolling off that boy so hard!
And oh, the flirting! I loved that flirting between Tanner and Ethan, and I’m glad it carried on the whole way through, not just in the beginning. But so much heat was generated by those two!
And oh, the feels! So much the feels! Ethan and Tanner both know Tanner is only in town a fixed time. They both know this has a shelf life, but they both KNOW they want each other for so much more, for much longer, forever. But reading those scenes, as that time draws to a close, I bawled my bloody eyes out! You feel it, right here *insert tapping on chest right where your heart is!* so deep, I wanted to shout at Hogan for putting these guys through so much pain!
And oh, the reunion! Wasn’t sure there would be one, gotta be honest! But Hogan does redeem herself beautifully with that reunion!
And that cover?? Bloody hell if that cover isn’t the most PER-FLIPPING-FECT cover for this book! When you read the book, you’ll see why.
Now, after finishing writing this review, and I’m all overcome by more book feelings so sod it, I can change my mind cos it’s MY review!
5 full and shiny, covered in flour and cinnamon, stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This story has everything I love in a book and more! Age gap, check. Funny witty banter, check. Set in another country, check. Involves food, check. Involves a fear, check. Man just so many things! I felt for Ethan the stuff he had to go through and I felt for Tanner for him too. Both guys have things they need to heal and maybe just maybe find solace in each other.
I am really loving this author! All the books I’ve read by Jay have been just great!!!
Powder & Pavlova is the 1st book in a series called Southern Lights by Jay Hogan.
*****Teaser alert****
This is the story of Tanner & Ethan, it is a great story of finding love helping each other thru some hard times.
Ethan is dealing with the emotions of losing his Mum, and trying to keep her cafe open and getting his younger brother thru the loss as well.
Tanner seems to be put together but has his own demons. After a terrible snowboarding accident 14 yrs prior. He is going to have to confront his ‘fear’ of snow sports. He believes that going to a ski & snowboarding resort will just bring on the hurt of losing his ability to compete.
However there is a time limit to Tanner being in town. We watch as they fall in love, and conquer the obstacles. With Ethan & his brother getting back to being on good terms with each other. Of course we have a happy ever after.
Definitely a must read.
Powder & Pavlova follows Ethan and Tanner. Ethan who inherited a coffee shop after his mother’s death while trying to be a parent/ big brother to his brother Kurt. Tanner having his own struggles but showed support for Ethan during his. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and how they thought. The author pulled me in immediately with the awkward meeting between the two main characters and i loved that.
i found this book to be a bit jumpy at times while meeting Tanner quickly and jumping into the relationship and then it slowed. and while i knew this was romance it lacked it some of those areas for me.
the heartbreak for Ethan and Kurt was ever prevalent and written well. you saw the hurt and comfort they tried to provide, while failing sometimes but the grief was present and didn’t just go away like i have read in most books.
I love Jay Hogan’s writing and this is no exception. i will read other books the author provides.
Powder and Pavlova, another hit romance for Mr Jay Hogan. His writing style takes you through pain, trauma and love soothingly. Ethan has to take care of his late mother’s business and his younger brother after his overseas sabbatical. Tanner just got to town for a business but doesn’t plan on staying. Their journey is not without fight but it also has lots of sparks, awesome coworkers, and a rebel brother in the mix. It’s a great read!
u2063
I’m not sure what I expected from the blurb, but what I got was one of the most moving and deeply touching books I’ve read in a long time. All the feels are packed in this page turner but so are the laughs. Main characters Ethan and Tanner are obviously so lovingly written. You can’t stop yourself (I couldn’t) from falling in love with both of them immediately. The cast of supporting characters are bright and add to the wonderful story. Honestly, I’m not surprised, Jay Hogan writes brilliantly and has quickly become one of my most favourite authors. Quick mention, I LOVED that the author including so many regional (New Zealand) touches, it was wonderful and immersive.u2063
Lovely. Blubbed for every word between 83-88%, every bloody word.
This story deals with overcoming grief in many forms and the lengths people go to to protect themselves from that hurt. Ethan & Kurt are dealing with the loss of their mother, an immediate and intense hurt. Into this comes Tanner, older, more put together, except Tanner is still running from the grief of his career-ending injury 14 years ago.
Despite the subject matter I found this a light read (apart from that 5% of impending separation that I could barely read through my tears), funny in places, definitely hot (Ethan and Tanner caused sparks in the bedroom), with a great sense of place. The conflict was real with understandable reactions on both sides (even though I wanted to slap Ethan on occasions).
Can’t wait for the sequel.
I have read both books in Jay Hogan’s “Auckland Med” series and really liked them but she outdid herself with this new start for the “Southern Lights” series.
I was intrigued with both Ethan Sharpe and Tanner Carpenter’s stories as they both struggled and came to realize, somehow, someway they had to make decisions that were difficult. This is more than a story of a May/December romance. Tanner is much older than Ethan and I sympathized with him quite a bit. He not only considered but based some important decisions on the age difference of him and Ethan. He often has fears that even if he and Ethan had a chance at a serious relationship, Ethan would find someone closer to his own age.
Jay Hogan creates such a sweet, funny, and clumsy moment for Ethan when he first takes time to talk with Tanner. There’s also the moment when Tanner attempts the slops again. Ethan hates skiing but joins Tanner and he makes an attempt at skiing and it really brings out the support they both give to each other.
I found this novel to be a very well written and constructed romance novel that takes place in Queenstown, New Zealand with beauty and charming wintery moments. The storyline has a variety of emotional scenes; heartbreak, drama, humor, romance and special friendships. The emotions between Ethan and his brother Kurt were heart wrenching at times and my heart went out to both brothers. The beauty of this story, that really stood out for me was the physical relationship between Ethan and Tanner, it was just right, not so many explicit scenes and some just left to the imagination.
There’s a wealth of secondary characters: Kurt, Elle, Luce, and especially Adrian whose somewhat of a mystery. Tanner’s very interesting friend Stefan, who will be in the next upcoming “Southern Lights”, “Tamarillo Tart”.
I highly recommend this for everyone that loves an emotion filled romance novel.
Oh my goodness, this is a spectacular start to a new series! Ethan and Tanner’s story is so beautiful and touching, and the writing, just like the Queenstown setting, is absolutely magical. I was hooked right from the beginning and I’m honestly a little devastated it’s over now. But, what a journey it was. Ethan and Tanner will make your heart break; they’ll make you laugh and cry, and then stitch it back together again in the best way. Both characters are fleshed out incredibly well and I didn’t struggle at all to really feel what they were going through. I was aching for them so much that the ending felt like the best reward!