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The Art of Husbandry

A Mackenzie Country Story

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The Art of Husbandry

By: Jay Hogan
Narrated by: Gary Furlong
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About this listen

When life drowns you in lemons, to hell with making lemonade. I wanted to burn the whole world. But eighteen months from the day my life was torn apart, I’m tired of the anger. Tired of the nightmares. Tired of putting one foot in front of the other just trying to survive. Three months on a high country sheep station in the middle of nowhere is precisely the reboot I need. A chance to break free. To breathe again. To find a way forward.

I put my entire life on hold and head south to Mackenzie Country. But falling for the captivating young station boss was never part of the plan. Holden Miller might be smart and sexy and push all my dusty buttons, but we come from two different worlds. I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m not interested in love. I’m done with all that.

But Holden doesn’t care about my rules. Nestled safely in the arms of the spectacular Southern Alps, on an isolated sheep farm at the top of the world, Holden begins knitting my battered heart together one careful stitch at a time. And with every pass of the thread, every braid of the river on our doorstep, I catch a tantalising glimpse of something I’d almost given up on.

Happiness, and maybe even love.

If I have the courage to reach out and grab them.

Author Content Note: This book contains references to the past death of a child and PTSD.

©2023 Jay Hogan (P)2023 Jay Hogan Literature & Fiction Romance Heartfelt

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I often say books break me then put me back together. Part of me thinks that’s because I’m easily breakable, and part of me knows it’s because I feel things so acutely. I’m that reader who gets so invested that I throw the book across the room if the author does something I don’t like. I cry copious tears – even with happy endings. And, when I’m scared, I want to put the book in the freezer like Joey used to (Friends reference, don’t worry if you don’t get it).

This book had me doing two of the three. I didn’t throw anything. Thankfully. Likely because although Jay ripped my guts out, she didn’t put a step amiss. The tears might not have been copious, but they were definitely present. And although I didn’t put my iPod in the freezer, there might’ve been a couple of times when I considered taking a break.

Okay, let me start from the beginning. In the trigger warnings for this book is ‘past death of a child’. I admit I kind of glossed that over. Learn from my mistake – don’t. It’s immediate, it’s brutal, and it’s front and centre to the entire book (as it should be). The truth is, I don’t know how parents carry on when their children die. No matter the cause. But Gil’s got way more than just grief to deal with. His disintegrating marriage and the death of his daughter send him away from everything he’s known. He’s friends with a woman who needs him to help out on a sheep and cattle ranch for a few months. He figures it’ll be the space he needs. So he leaves the apartment he’s been inhabiting, puts his psychology practice on hold, and heads out to be a manager.

But if Gil’s hoping to numb himself, he quickly discovers that’s not possible. No one has secrets in these parts. And, soon, he finds himself drawn to the man who runs the station. Holden is younger, brasher, and always busting his butt to prove he’s up to the task of being in charge. He doesn’t see what Gil quickly does – that he’s where he’s meant to be. The relationship starts slowly, but once it takes off, that’s that. And Holden’s a patient man – he sees Gil’s PTSD and is willing to do whatever he can to help. And, for the record, Spider is, like, the best dog ever.

This relationship, though, has an expiry date on it. Gil has to go home to resume his life. His therapy practice. To resolve the dissolution of his marriage once and for all.

Holden’s not willing to let Gil walk away so easily – he’s waiting his entire life to meet the right man and, in the end, he’s not willing to give up without a fight.

OMG, this book. Even now, I can remember how the story affected me. How it will stay with me. How I consumed it in just a day and a half. How I never wanted it to end. Part of that journey was Gary Furlong. I’m a huge fan and his narration of this book was one of his best performances – and he’s given some great ones. From his portrayal of Calleigh, to the gut-wrenching depths of Gil’s despair, Gary hit every single note.

I recommend this book, but just be forewarned – it’s emotionally brutal and has the most perfect happy ending.

Hang on to your heart

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Written with such emotional intelligence, a rollercoaster of a story dealing with grief and trauma. The narrator does an incredible job of conveying the emotion. Jay Hogan is a master storyteller. The descriptive scene setting paints a vivid image of what must be a stunning land... It will stay in my heart forever.

Beautiful storytelling

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Once again Gary Furlong has done an incredible job narrating one of Jay Hogan's books. 5+ stars all round for me. I'm a massive fan of this lady's work, and she just keeps getting better and better. The story is a breath taking tale of love, loss and relationships. So full of emotion, it is a tough read in parts due to the nature of the story, but I don’t regret one single tear. Also, whilst in parts it is incredibly sad, I found it also to be uplifting. A definite tear jerker which is high praise to the author that she can get such a reaction from her reader. Despite this though, it wasn't a heavy book to read. Gil and Holden are beautiful together, so natural, gentle and real as their relationship develops. As usual Jay writes beautifully, with a great deal of humour, and her descriptions of the New Zealand country side are fabulous and real. So highly recommended.

There are trigger warnings, which are mentioned in the blurb.


Al the Feels

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I read this book last year and loved it! It deals heavily with grief and loss but is handled so beautifully. Gary Furlong manages to convey all those feelings through his narration. Definitely recommend this to everyone, so glad I reread this in audio 🥰

Wonderful narration for a wonderful book

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