First Impressions (Auckland Med Book 1)

Josh is drool worthy. Hot as hell, check. Is a K9 police officer, double check. Loving father and brother, triple check. Now throw in the sexy doctor, Michael and you have a great steamy story. Michael has a lot of healing and self forgiveness to work through. Michael is a protective father who doesn't want to get burned again. The story of these two finding each other is heartwarming and full of love and steam. The whole series is a great ready.

If I had based my assumption about this book on the first half of the first chapter, it would’ve been a DNF. Michael’s club adventures were trifling to me. But I pushed through, only because I wanted to see how the crazy club scene/crime would pan out. Michael and Josh’s first time is technically dubcon, so fair warning. Michael suddenly deciding to be a mostly permanent bottom all of a sudden was…weird. And Josh’s kid, Sasha, has way too much mouth and attitude for an 11yo; I hate mouthy, disrespectful kids in real life and in books. Also, does in everyone in NZ talk like they dislike each other? You wouldn’t know they were friends if the book didn’t say so.Eventually, I grew to like Michael & Josh and their weird relationship. I kinda liked Cam, the head nurse and Michael’s only friend. And the plot line of the crime had a nice twist and resolution. So it was okay.

The first novel in Jay Hogan’s Auckland Med series, First Impressions is now available as an audiobook. Beautifully performed by Gary Furlong, the whole experience of this story is enhanced by his spectacular narration, and makes First Impressions a highly enjoyable listening experience.First Impressions is a fast moving thriller, with a good dose of dry humor, and creative, interesting characters. I enjoyed the mystery, but this novel is really about the romance. Two uber macho guys, both in need of some serious self-healing, gradually break each other’s walls down, and navigate through the choppy waters of a relationship.In my opinion, enemies to lovers is one of the hardest tropes to write convincingly, and Jay Hogan totally nails this one. These are authentic and wonderfully developed characters. Their raucous humor, domineering posturing, and masculine blustering are wildly entertaining. And the peeks of insecurity they both show are refreshingly realistic. From the first moments these two men entertain changes in their relationship, it works for me.Thankfully Jay Hogan doesn’t make us wait too long till they get between the sheets, because the physical romance scenes are fantastic! What starts as super raw and smoking hot lovemaking gradually blurs as these two alpha men explore elements of dominance and submission. The intimacy they share as they each take turns bottoming for the first time in ages, opens up new facets of their relationship.Gary Furlong’s sexy, sassy spin on these characters absolutely makes the most of this novel! He understands these complex men, and capitalizes on the chemistry between them. From the animosity which develops in the opening scene, through their grudging acceptance of a friendship, and the eventual explosion which happens between the sheets, Mr. Furlong clearly gets what Jay Hogan is going for in these guys.Gary Furlong is brilliant with his voices, and I’ve never heard him do a Kiwi accent before. Of course, it’s wonderful! Josh and his mates have a ton of personality, and their banter is classic. Mr. Furlong really brings these New Zealanders to life.I’ve heard that an American accent can be very difficult to do well. The way Gary Furlong flows between Michael’s flat Southern California twang and the rich, round tones of the natives is truly impressive. Plus, he adds in fascinating inflections, makes the most of emotions, and keeps the story rolling forward at the fast pace which Jay Hogan sets.There’s a great deal of action going on throughout First Impressions. In addition to the gripping mystery, we get to know Josh and Michael’s stories. Josh has drama with his family and friends, and Michael works to make a new life for himself in Auckland. The supporting cast is interesting, and I’m glad we’re getting Cameron’s story next in Crossing the Touchline. I’ve got my fingers crossed Jay Hogan plans to take advantage of Gary Furlong’s superlative skills and bring the whole Auckland Med series to audio.

I can tell this was the author’s first book but it had a good storyline and had good sexy scenes. I normally don’t call out weird plot holes but I may have missed them but there were a few times when I felt like things were glazed over or completely missed. With that said I have read others of this author and I do like her later books much more.

Absolutely loved this book. Fast paced, tight plotting, exciting storyline, fully fleshed out characters.

Storyline:I read book three in the series first and immediately went and purchased the first two. I would suggest you read the entire series as the character development is simply fantastic. This author’s writing is incredible. The characters are so fleshed out and real. Their problems are not over exaggerated, felt so true to life, and so relatable.I need to disclose that Michael Oliver is one of my favorites and I might be a tad protective of him. He is dealing with some serious inner demons that nearly caused him both his job and sanity. Moving temporarily, to work in a hospital in New Zealand, from the states is how he has decided to cope with his past. He may appear care-free, but this brilliant physician is barely hanging on. He uses his sharp wit and avoiding any lasting relationships to mask his pain. Joshua is a police officer that is a dog handler. Being in the K9 unit is the perfect fit for this devoted cop and father. Michael meets Joshua when a fight, that leads to a stabbing, happens at a club he is visiting. Wrong first impressions are dispelled as the two men get to know each other.I was riveted to the fast paced storyline and read almost non stop to the finish. The secondary characters are just the best, and the charge nurse, named Cam, demands your complete attention. Josh’s daughter, Sasha, was a pure delight.A scorching romance, along with the perfect amount of angst and suspense, grace the pages of this well written story. If the men can realize how much they mean to each other, then their lives can drastically change for the better. I highly recommend this intriguing and brilliant story. Happy reading!Audio: Narrator: Gary FurlongI love this narrator’s voice which was a combination of sultry and soothing. I always appreciate when you are able to tell who is speaking in a story and there was never a time I was lost. The narration did justice to the book and was fast-paced and perfect! Mr. Furlong’s interpretation of Dr. Oliver was impeccable and matched his giant and snarky personality to a tee. I highly recommend this audio and urge you to give it a try. Happy listening!

Although this is the first book in the Auckland Med series, it’s not the first for me. I started with book 3, am bouncing back to book 1, then plan to tackle book 5. In other words, you can start anywhere and you’ll love the books, but staring at the beginning has its advantages.I really enjoyed this book. The meet cute was, well, interesting. Dr. Michael Oliver has, uh, just done the deed in the bathroom of a bar when some knife-wielding thugs show up. He’s rescued by K9 Officer Josh who isn’t impressed with the handsome guy he met whose fly isn’t zipped and who’s obviously just been debauched. Or done the debauching. Doesn’t really matter – it’s not behavior Josh respects. But when Josh’s colleague is injured, the ER doc steps in to save the day.When Michael’s life is threatened because he witnessed the attack, Josh steps up and offers the doctor a refuge. Sparks keep flying and eventually Josh overcomes his scruples and he gives in to temptation. But here’s the thing – Josh is built for permanence. He has a daughter he adores and his last partner, whom he believed he’d be with forever, cheated on him. He’s distrustful of any playboys.Michael had something truly tragic happen to him back in LA and he’s in Auckland for a new start. He was in a long-term relationship and he destroyed it. So he’s definitely not going down that road again. Yet as he spends time with Josh and his lovely daughter, all those plans kind of blow up.But the bad guys are still after him, and when he’s forced to make a choice, it might just cost him everything.Really great book. I loved watching the push and pull between two men who would be so wrong for each other and yet are so right. Huge shout out to Gary Furlong. I adore him as a narrator and he did a brilliant job. Off to the next book…

So much chemistry, so much connection, so much heat. This was definitely a romance story, a bit fantastical, but wonderful escapism. Well developed characters and story line. Good flow, easy to read. I know I can usually count on this author to deliver and she certainly did with this one. Will be looking for the next in the series.

This book held my attention from start to end. The chemistry between Michael and Josh was off the charts even though they were total opposites. I recommend this book.

This was a bit of a rollercoaster of big enjoyment with dips of 'I don't really get this'.If I take the bits that didn't really work for me first. To be honest, it's mostly about the sex...there's lots of it and at some points it's either very unlikely (e.g. where one of the MCs is quite badly injured but both men manage to completely rock the other's socks off.) or a bit unnecessary. I would prefer some of that page time to have been about their growing bond outside of the bedroom.Aside from that, though, there's a lot to like. The author has given us two complex characters in a classic enemies to lovers scenario and an entertaining plot. Honestly, I'll happily dive into most crime/detective or medical/first responder stories, so the plot was always likely to work for me. I do like Michael and Josh's backstories and how their relationship develops because of them, leading to good personal growth. Sasha (Josh's daughter) is a treat, too. She's a sassy preteen who's wise beyond her years.So, it's 3.5* from me for First Impressions, but I'll definitely give more in the Auckland Med series a go.

This is a debut novel from Jay Hogan with a Kiwi feel to it which is subtle but definitely plays a part in the narrative.It's a classic enemies to lovers with a bit of a suspense/crime drama element on which the quite lovely (if somewhat dramatic) relationship is sat upon.The pacing is good (I had an ARC so there were edits which I believe are to be ironed out in the final copy) and there are some time jumps which are managed well and clearly marked and which definitely were needed to advance the plot along.Both Josh (oh Josh!) and Michael are fully fleshed out characters with believable human frailties and both acted like utter arses at times and both were vulnerable and made mistakes - as happens very much in 'real life'.Josh is easier to relate to (although still an arrogant arse!) but Michael eventually wormed his way into my heart because he really needed Josh (much as he didn't want to) and he had an epiphany about his own behaviour which felt earnt and not just chucked in for the dramatic effect.I enjoyed this one a lot, it's a decent length and the pacing allows for the romance to develop from the instantaneous lust which hits them both at a most unwelcome event - the scene of a police raid on a gay nightclub.The secondary characters are good too (I want both Cam and Mark's stories next please Jay!) and Josh's almost 12-year-old daughter is well written, not an uber child speaking like a grownup, but a developing mini-human learning to deal with changes.When these two finally do give in to the lust, the scenes are explosive, powerful, passionate and - in a complete turnaround for Michael - with a hint of a submissive kink and a whole lot of emotions neither man was expecting.The crime element of the story I thought also worked well, it hooked into the very real drugs issue which plagues some of New Zealand's major cities and I felt it had believable outcomes and the police elements were also well researched (imho as someone who spent almost 20 years as a journalist dealing with the police a lot!)I'd love a follow up for these guys a few years down the line because I did honestly believe in their HEA.