CASSIDY MARTIN is a country boy through and through. He loves his horses, his Lord ofthe Rings tourist business, and his isolated paradise at the foot of New Zealand’s SouthernAlps. 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 … 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.
more
This book took place over a short period of time, yet the romance managed to be authentic and sweet. I truly felt the emotion between the characters in each scene, whether it was intimate or merely friendly. I am a big fan of Jay Hogan’s work and I love each of their characters, but Cass and Stef are definitely my favorites.
Cass and Stef are complete opposites yet they compliment each other so well. Stef is incredibly sassy and bold, a trait that may make some men shy away, but not Cass. The banter between the two main characters was a constant joy throughout the book and created many of my favorite quotes.
Beyond the romance, the story was filled with sweet side characters and beautiful imagery. I loved getting to see Tanner and Ethan again, and Dee was a wonderful new face. Though I love them all, a special horse named Arwen captured my heart and claimed her spot as my favorite side character.
I did take off a star because there were a few moments where the timeline was blurred. This was especially true between the last chapter and the epilogue.
Absolutely loved , loved , loved the book. Love Casss and Stef. Jay knocked it out of the park yet again !!
Stef is a city boy through and through. When he goes on an adventure and Tanner bails out, he is forced to enjoy the outdoors. Cass is a country man, he loves where he lives and horses. He is also straight, or something. I really enjoyed their meet cute and how sassy Stef was. Their journey a bit broken and short but the result is an amazing couple. It’s sweet and sexy and heart breaking at times but lovely all around.
City meets Country, Kiwi-style. Romance ensues.
4 stars, with personal caveats.
Upfront – I’m not really a big horses/cowboy/city-country fan, and wouldn’t have bothered with this if it was most other authors. But Jay Hogan wrote one of my favorite books of 2019 (Digging Deep), so I stuck with it. I’m glad I did.
In the first third of the book, scenes seemed to be misplaced, like Stef and Cass shared too much too soon. Objectively, I could tell the purpose of each conversation, but I wasn’t invested in either character enough to care yet. I kept thinking, “GET ON THE DAMNED HORSE ALREADY.” This is where my dislike of these tropes probably worked against me, but I never did feel fully engaged with Stef and Cass.
However, the action-driven second half had me yelling at my family to leave me alone so I could finish. Suddenly, the vignettes that confused me in the beginning made more sense as Stef and Cass found themselves having to deal with a freak storm and its aftermath, as well as their growing attraction. And when Cass spoke with his father towards the end of the book, my heart stuttered a bit – such a quiet, emotion-filled scene. Even now, it makes me glad I read this book.
All in all, It ended up a 4-star read for me, and if you’re a fan of city-guy-meets-cowboy (even though Cass would argue that he isn’t a cowboy), you’d probably rate it higher.
Copy received for honest review.
This is my first book by Jay and I rate it. 4.5 stars
I loved the characters, descriptive location, the side characters, friends and more. It’s Stef and Cass though that sucked me right in and fell in love with
This book primarily takes place over two day span where we ge to know the guys. Stef is a sassy city man and Cass is a true cowboy. They meet when Stef goes on a horse trek to the movie sights.
I loved the banter of these two and with the others on tour. The writing had me invested in these guys and their love story.
These guys were sexy and lit my iPad on fire . I would have liked to have more of the story with family and friends but overall loved the book. I can’t wait for the next book and I’m going back to read the first book of the series.
You can’t judge a book by its cover, even if you’re the author and your life is the book. Stefan Hamilton (Stef) has always been a stereotypical gay man: ‘a bit too precious, didn’t like to get dirty, hair always styled just so, sarcastic, and smart.’ (Chapter 6, location 1304). He wasn’t athletic, or outdoorsy, but his friends roped him into a horseback tour of the location LOTR was shot at. Only, when he arrived, his friends couldn’t come. Little did he know just how much his life was about to change.
Cassidy Martin (Cass) was the exact opposite of Stef. While Stef was a city boy, Cass was a country boy. He was outdoorsy, athletic, tall, and also not out as the bisexual man that he was. Because of his past, he let people think what they wanted, and they typically pegged him as straight. Only Stef had a feeling he wasn’t so straight, but the signals Cass was sending were definitely mixed. Just like Stef had a read on Cass, Cass could see past the act he felt Stef put on. He could see parts of Stef that he couldn’t even realize about himself.
This book has a lot going for it. It has romance, and some hot and heavy rolls in the hay…literally, but it also includes both main characters doing a little soul-searching and making discoveries about the kind of person they really are. It has moments of uncertainty, danger, and a life-threatening accident.
This was the first book I’ve read by this author. What an introduction it was! I love the way she writes. She weaves a tale that draws you in and plants a vivid picture in your head. It left me wanting more. I loved that she included an epilogue that showed the main characters a few months down the road.
This is the second book in the Southern Lights Series. While it can be read alone, reading the first book will enhance your experience. Stef’s best friend Tanner, is one of the main characters from book one. Tanner makes an appearance, via the phone, in the first chapter, and a physical appearance later in the book. There’s a scene where Tanner and Stef discuss a conversation they had had, and it was obvious that it took place in book one.
I loved this book and it is firmly being placed on my TBRA (to be read again) shelf in my library. I know you’re gonna love it, too.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
This book was incredible. While it all takes place over a couple of days, it really doesn’t have that Insta love feel. Hogan writes beautifully and you can absolutely feel the emotions of all the characters. And there are so many emotions at that! This book is funny, snarky, sexy, tense and so much more. Stef and Cas were absolutely perfect for each other, even if it was a completely opposites attract story.
Cass and Stef are so adorable and quirky and just them! This was a wonderful read from this author. The setting, the horses, the the everything!! Even the not so nice side character. Cass and Stef just worked for me and so does this whole series so far.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Southern Lights series, but you don’t NEED to have read book 1, Powder & Pavlova, before this one. Ethan and Tanner DO pop up, but their story is not necessary for this one to make sense. However, personally, I recommend you DO read it, if only because that was a great read, and you knwo, I said so!
Stefan is a city boy, through and through, but his friend booked this trip, so he was gonna enjoy a trip up the mountian to see some Lord of The Rings scenery. Then his friend pulled out, and Stefan is faced withthe trip on his own, he is here already, so why not? How hard can it be? Cass is the tour guide, and Stefan pushes all kinds of buttons he didn’t know needed pushing. How can they keep their hands off each other, when the attraction is scorching hot?
Oh my days, I loved this book!
Loved the snark, the jokes, the witty comments that Stefan throws at Cass, knowing that he is using every single double entrendre he can think of. Stefan KNOWS he wants Cass, but it’s at a level he never had before. Cass is, though, a country boy and Stefan a city boy. However being in the country? It does something to Stefan, and it makes him think. Getting Cass off the mountian, when he was injured, was just what Stefan needed to show he wasn’t just a pretty boy, he was someone who can get it done. Stefan just needs Cass to see that they would be great together.
Cass is mostly in the closet, and he does, bless him, TRY to fight his attraction to Stefan but it isn’t long before he cannot any longer. I mean the whole book takes place over couple days, so it really isn’t long but once they give in? OOOOEEEEEE these boys burn HOT!
While that hotness is great, what I particularly loved about this book was the soul-searching that both Stefan and Cass do. Both men are stuck in their lives, and they are *mostly* happy, but they know something is missing. Stefan is more profound in his musings, I must admit, and he does break your heart a couple of times, he really does. I was very impressed with his outward portrayal of being in control when Cass was sick, and how he managed to keep it together till Cass was safe. THEN he lost it.
Loved that Ethan and Tanner (book 1) pop up, even if it was near the end just to kick Stefan out his stupor, but they are referenced a lot by Stefan throughout the book, as it is THEIR relationship, while not jealous, he wants what they have.
Loved Stefan’s t-shirt slogans and why he got them in the first place.
I love this series, I especially love the covers that reflect where the book takes place.
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I loved this book. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down again. I felt like I got transported to this beautiful country I’m not likely to be able to ever see for myself.
I loved how different the two mc’s are at the start of the book and how far Stef has come in so little time when forced to take the lead at one point. His fear of horses seems to be a big stumbling block for Stef and Cass’s romance to take hold. They are so different, with Stef being a self proclaimed city boy and Cass’s love for the mountains he calls home. Will they make it work in the end?
This story is full of action which overflowing rivers, thunderstorms and very spooked horses. I enjoyed it all and would definitely recommenced this book.
When I pick up a Jay Hogan book I always know I’m in for at least one very late night as I won’t be able to put it down. This story was no exception. The hurt/comfort in this story made me happy.
I always get a kick reading a story set in New Zealand, and this one had the added bonus of loads of LOTR references. The banter is fabulous, and I loved Stef and Cass as individuals and a couple. Stef is a wonderful mix of sass yet vunerable, and very capable, while Cass is working through his own demons, and trying to resist Stef. Good luck with that. Yet these opposites fill the missing piece in each other, and are stronger together.
The supporting cast is great, and I enjoyed seeing Tanner and Ethan again. I really liked Tomas too and I hope he gets his own HEA at some point. I liked Stef and Benny’s sibling relationship too. It felt very real.
The horses were also characters in their own right, especially Arwen.
The descriptions of the settings are wonderfully detailed, and very evocative of the mood of the story. I felt as though I was there. The action scenes were edge of seat, and I blame them for another very late night. I was seriously worried, although I liked the accuracy of the injury and that it wasn’t a quick recovery, but realistic. And as for that scene in the hay. Wow. Hot as.
I loved the epilogue. It’s sweet, feel good, and perfect for these guys. Another winner for this author.
I sense a theme for this series. So far, both Powder&Pavlova and Tamarillo Tart have relationships that development between men that had home bases a country apart, and they had to struggle to solve the issue with the distance. But, as opposed to Ehan and Tanner’s relationship which developed over the span of several months, Cass and Stef fell for each other in TWO DAYS. And if you think that in such a short amount of time it’s not possible to feel a connection strong enough to have someone uproot their live, Stef and Cass will make you a believer.
I’m trying not to give too much of the story away, while explaining why I found it wonderful. And I’m even going to confess something. While I loved Cass to pieces, and I was absolutely crazy about his kind heart and generous soul, to me, the shining star of this book was Stef. Admittedly, I was already charmed by him after reading Powder&Pavlova, but just from the first pages of Tamarillo Tart, I became his number one adoring fan. Snarky, funny and just in your face, make no excuses attitude, prickly, irreverent, and overconfident… at least while in his natural city habitat. Being outdoors and in the middle of nature brought out all his insecurities, but I loved how he took the opportunity to test himself at every turn, not backing down no matter how afraid he was. And THAT was my favorite thing about this book: watching Stef grow and see himself as more than a superficial socialite. In just a few hours the circumstances forced him to reconsider most of what he’d thought true about himself, making him realize that he was strong enough to handle any challenge…the scariest of which was giving his heart to Cass.
While Stef has claimed for himself a tiny, teensy place in my heart, I loved everything about Tamarillo Tart and I found it all breathtaking. Not only the buildup of feelings between Stef and Cass and their insane chemistry, but also the scenery. It was so incredibly and vividly depicted that I wished I could move to New Zealand myself. And I particularly want to thank the author for the laughs, caused either because of Stef’s snark and dry humor, the way he tried to get a rise out of everyone around him, his outrageous tshirts, the shameless flirting and entertaining banter between him and Cass, or his interactions with cute, opinionated Arwen and the other horses. I laughed so much I was crying through most of the book and I appreciated how even the more dire situations have been lightened by humor.
I loved every book I’ve already read by this author, but Tamarillo Tart is my absolute favorite by far. I just wish how Stef ‘threatened’ Cass to use said fruity tart had happened on page. That would definitely have been hot!
I absolutely loved Tamarillo Tart. I thought Stef and Cass were such a great pair. I loved the meet-cute too. I loved that they had such an adventure to start out their romance. Everything kept me reading in one swoop. It was so enjoyable to read a book set in New Zealand. And I’ll admit, totally not a LOTR fan, but I loved that they used references about the books/movies in the book all the way through. The secondary characters really added to this story. The book was super hot, sexy and full of great dialogue and interesting adventures and that there was little miscommunication (it’s fine sometimes, but I loved that these men in their late 30s had their crap together). I’ve never heard of tamarillos and now I really want to try them. I truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one and I definitely recommend this book!