We’d shared a forever love. The kind they write stories about. A once in a lifetime chance at something special. For fourteen years Davis was my world. We were growing old together, fifties and counting. Then it was all ripped away in the blink of an eye.
We’d told each other everything, or so I thought. But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface and it turned out Davis kept a few of his own. Hidden laptops, clandestine meetings, cryptic emails. The husband I’d believed in was a lie.
Or was he?
I have to find out. And Madigan Church is right there to help me. A complicated man. A man I wasn’t expecting. An attraction I can’t deny. Confusing. Challenging. Madigan makes me feel things I’m not ready for. Want things I don’t deserve. Not now. Maybe not ever again.
But with every step into the twisted mystery, the danger escalates. Neither of us is safe. Not from the truth, and not from what’s growing between us.
Because we aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Somewhere amongst my late husband’s secrets is something worth stealing, maybe even worth killing for.
And time is running out.
This story features the death of a spouse who is not a main character.
‘The Meaning of You’ is the first book in a romantic suspense series following the same couple. There are no cliffhangers.
THE FACTS
📕Great mystery
📘slow-burn relationship, complex and interesting
📙 extremely emotional, well written
📘 wonderful supporting characters
THE GOOD BITS
Jay Hogan has started off a new series with a fantastic book. “The Meaning of You” is the first book in the “Fisher & Church” series.
This novel opens with one of the most action-packed and emotional sequences I think I have ever encountered. It shouldn’t come as a surprise because Jay Hogan’s books are always packed with story even though they are categorized as romances. They’re romances that are woven through a complex and wonderful story.
There are relationships between people in this novel, and between the two main characters, but the story is much more about loss and connections.
The book opens with a brief glimpse into the life of Davis – Nick’s deceased husband. The opening scenes tease the reader with a little insight into what occurred that fateful night without revealing all.
Then we meet Nick. Time has passed since Davis’ accident and Nick is mourning what he has lost. His husband is lost to him even though Nick still has a place to visit and a hand to hold. The Davis that he knew is gone after such a traumatic brain injury. One day while visiting he bumps into a young man who is visiting his aunt. Madigan apologizes but he and Nick get off on the wrong foot.
Now, if you’re read the blurb, you already know that Davis is dead. This is the event that leads Nick to finally try and clean up some of his husband’s belongings. He finds far more than he bargained for including a connection with Madigan.
First and foremost, this book is a delectable mystery. After finding some of Davis’ belongings, Nick begins questioning what he once thought was the love of his life. Did he really know his husband at all or is there an explanation for what he has discovered? Nick reaches out to Madigan reluctantly when he realizes that he needs help… in more than one way. He credits Davis with a lot of the positive changes that he was able to make, but deep down Nick isn’t a ray of sunshine. He’s challenging, moody, and the love-of-his-life doesn’t seem to be the person he thought he was.
Madigan is comforting and discomforting at the same time. Nick doesn’t know what to do with the feelings he has for the new man in his life. But Madigan is straightforward, intelligent and caring and he has boundaries. I really enjoyed reading the way these two men negotiated their feelings during such a sensitive time. I liked that Madigan understood he was drawn to Nick but he wasn’t willing to settle for less than what he deserved.
These two “silver foxes” are old enough to know that there is a lot they are both carrying but they’re also able to draw boundaries and set limits. It was refreshing to read about a relationship that was realistic and thoughtful. Don’t let that fool you into thinking there’s no chaos or danger in this book because there is. While there is danger building around Nick and Madigan, there’s danger within the friendship for them. The push and pull is real – both acknowledge that there’s something between them but Nick’s on an emotional journey in more than one way. He has a lot to sort out, a mystery to solve and grieving to do. Then on top of all that Nick needs to figure out if he’s willing to risk his heart again. He thought he’d had it all. He had the relationship that he thought would be the one for his entire life. And it was torn away from him.
There is a fantastic supporting cast of characters in this novel, and I hope that we get to see more of them in future books. This book ends with some parts of the mystery being resolved, but there’s still enough to make me look forward to the next book in the series.
THE LINKS
🖊 Author
I bought a copy of The Meaning of You by Jay Hogan. This is an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 