✪ The Meaning of You (Fisher & Church #1) ✪ Jay Hogan ✪

 

  

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.


Author’s 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.

  

 

 

Copy received via Neon Rainbow Reviews for an honest review

 

Oooooy, what a book! Seriously. What. A. Fantastic. Book.

 

I went into this pretty blind, just had a quick squizz over the blurb and went romantic suspense - gimme gimme gimme.

 

And wow, that really was what we got.

 

But we got a whole lot more.  There is a lot of emotion, talk and feelings of loss and grief, of another chance at love.

 

It hit the feels with me hard.  Just 4 months ago my father passed, so man, did I shed some tears whilst reading about Nick, his grief, his feelings (I am getting all choked up now just writing this - grief is a temperamental beast that pops up at any time).

 

I adored that Madigan and Nick are older men, around my age with more of my life experiences that the younger crowd.

 

I liked how neither of them were looking for anyone, but  love quite literally crashed into each of them.

 

There was drama, mystery, lots of suspense and WTF moments.  But as they travel along the bumpy road they have found themselves on, reluctant friendships... and more bloom.

 

It is book one in a 2 part series, however there is no cliffhanger and our guys do find themselves in a HFN situation, but with what they have been through already, I can't wait to see what happens with them next.

 

 

 

 

Heart, Humour, & Keepin' It Real

Jay is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for her books Digging Deep and The Art of Husbandry in 2020 and 2024. Her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She's travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor.

Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel.

🌞 Emily Henry 🍷📚 GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE 💛

  📚 Bianca ⭐ Janeane 📚

GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE

Emily Henry

• 22 April 2025

• standalone

★★★★★
4.9 Stars

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR & GLOBAL TIK TOK SENSATION, EMILY HENRY

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress with more than a few plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.

The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.

The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story.

The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story – just like the tale Margaret’s spinning – could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it.

Alice + Hayden

Alice is a journalist. Writing articles for a magazine. But she wants to write something amazing ...something her mom could be proud of.

That's where the legendary Ives family comes into the picture. The super famous and glamorous last living Ives - Margaret - has been hiding away from the public for over 20 years. And Alice found her! Living on a small island in Georgia.

Margaret agrees to being interviewed for a book. Only problem... Alice is not the only one who wants the job.

Grumpy hot Pulitzer winner Hayden is here too and they have a month to convince Margaret to pick the right Author.

Let the fun times begin...

Adorable!

I loved this!

Alice has been a fan of Margaret and her late rock star husband since she was a little girl. Her dad was a fan and she grew up listening to the music and the stories.

And now she finally has the chance to write something meaningful and super exclusive. But there's this annoying other guy - who we of course find very attractive and interesting. I loved them together. He's so adorably grumpy and she is so the opposite.
I usually don't like it when a side story is told in my books. I want to concentrate on my romance and my two darlings. But this book has just enough about Margaret Ives' life that we want even more. More of her, but of course also more about Alice and Hayden. It was the perfect mix of all the stories and I still wanted more! It was all so interesting and exciting and heartbreaking and mysterious and you just have to know how it all ends - Margaret, Alice and Hayden.

I loved reading this. Amazing cast, amazing location. Well, almost - I could've done without the super humid summer heat - I was sweating just reading about it!

I need to see this as a movie one day!

GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE was such a sweet and sparky and heartbreaking and mysterious and exciting love and life story. Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Hayden - he'll be sold out in no time!

↓ Links to the Book & Author ↓

 

other books by Emily:

 

 

Stalking Emily:

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, as well as the forthcoming Happy Place. She lives and writes in Cincinnati and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.

💜 IF YOU STAYED 🌺 Brittainy Cherry 📚

 © ✰ Bianca ✰   

• 22 April 2025
• standalone

★★★★★
4.5 Stars

There once was a man who loved me, until he forgot every memory we've ever shared…

Gabriel Sinclair would forever be my first. My first best friend, my first kiss, my first love…and my first heartbreak. The accident that nearly took his life ripped the memory of me from his grasp—and for the last decades, I've let the guilt of that one terrible night keep us apart.

It took me years to make peace with the fact that he would no longer be in my life, so when he shows up as the architect for my new home, my world's tossed upside down. Now, I'm trapped in a loveless marriage, raising a child, while Gabriel stirs up feelings I thought long buried. It feels like my soul is waking up after years of being in a deep slumber—and my controlling husband will do whatever it takes to keep us apart.

I know I should push Gabriel away to protect him from the shadows surrounding me. Yet, I can't deny the hope that blooms whenever he's near—the chance that he might remember me, that we could reclaim the chapters of our story that we've lost.

Nothing good could come from us, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if this time...he stayed.

There once was a man who loved me… And now he's my only hope for tomorrow.  

Kierra + Gabriel

Those two have been pushed together by their parents when they were only eight years old. They hated each other. But that hate turned into friendship and love. But it all stopped after that car accident when they were 19.

Gabriel lost his memory of her - of everything. And his mother didn't want her in his life anymore.

Many years later he's the architect for her new house. The super modern tech house her husband wants to build.

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!

Well. That was so sad and heartbreaking.

They lost so many years and now they could have something again. But! She's married and he's still not remembering her. Ugh.

Kierra is only staying in her marriage because of her step-daughter. She's her everything. Her husband is a horrible person.
And Gabriel is the absolute opposite of that. He's so sweet and perfect. But he still can't remember her. But tiny little things seem to pop up in his mind every now and then.

Will he hate her once he finds out the whole truth?
We hope not. We so want that super-delayed happily ever after for them all.

I really enjoyed reading it. It was sweet and sad and so many things.

Wouldn't mind watching this on TV one day!

Still not a fan of Brittainy over-using the words PRIOR. Ugh. I just hate that. Just say LAST NIGHT. Why say THE NIGHT PRIOR??? Ew.
There were a few more 'writing things' that bothered me a bit. But pfft. Who cares.

IF YOU STAYED was such a sweet + heartbreaking + very late second chance love story.  Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Gabriel - he'll be sold out in no time! ☺

↓ Links to the Book & Author ↓

 

Other Books by Brittainy:

The Problem Series Book #1

 

Book #2

 

 

 

Compass Book #1

Compass Book #2

 

Book #3

 

Book #4

 

Eleanor & Grey

  

Landon & Shay Book #1

  

Book #2

  

... if you haven't read Brittainy's ELEMENTS series yet ... DO IT NOW ! Standalones!
Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Book #4

Book #1 in the Music Street series - Complete Standalone!

Disgrace - standalone

  

Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Brittainy Cherry, has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.