In Step by Jay Hogan

Narrated by Gary Furlong

Jay Hogan’s wonderful Painted Bay series comes to a close with In Step which is my favourite book of the set and probably my favourite book of of hers full stop. It’s a poignant, emotional romance combined with a superbly-crafted tale of redemption, forgiveness and finally coming into one’s own that is both heartfelt and heartbreaking; and the always excellent Gary Furlong’s narration is absolute perfection.

Note: There are spoilers for the other books in the series in this review.

We were first introduced to Kane Martin back in Off Balance, book one of the series. A loner who doesn’t really fit in, he lives quietly on the fringes of town, his bullying attack on Judah Madden back when they were at school still very much present in the memories of most of the locals. Then, in On Board, he came to work for Judah’s brother Leroy after Leroy’s mother discovered Kane sleeping in his car and immediately offered him a job. Leroy wasn’t best pleased; he’s only just begun to repair his fractured relationship with Judah, and made it a condition of Kane’s employment that Judah agreed to it.

Several months later and Kane is living in the small bedsit on the Madden’s homestead, but although he’s formed a good working relationship with Leroy and his partner Fox, he accepts he’ll never be more than an outsider in Painted Bay. Which, he thinks, is probably just what he deserves, considering what he did to Judah. Still, he’s grateful to have a roof over his head, a job he enjoys, and the space to work out what he wants to do next. Until recently, he’d been working on his family farm, but after years of living with his arsehole of an abusive father, Kane finally snapped and walked away – which is how come Cora found him living out of his car. But his fade-into-the-background existence is suddenly up-ended when an old friend of Judah’s arrives in town, a beautiful, interesting man who looks at Kane as though he might actually be worth knowing.

Freelance choreographer Abe Tyler has come to Painted Bay to help Judah with the recital Judah is organising to showcase the hard work of the kids in his dance therapy classes. Abe has worked hard to make himself a good career in a very competitive field, and absolutely loves the job and all the travel it entails. The somewhat nomadic existence he lives has never bothered him, until, that is, he meets Kane and starts to think about something he’s previously believed impossible – that he might actually want to put down some roots in just the sort of small town he’s vowed he doesn’t want to live in.

Kane and Abe are drawn to each other from their first meeting, but Kane isn’t out and is determined to keep his distance. Having to hide his sexuality from his homophobic father meant hiding it from everyone, and he’s hidden it for so long, that it’s become second nature. It’s been years since he’s allowed himself to feel any sort of attraction to anyone, but Abe somehow gets through his defences and the sizzling chemistry that’s been buzzing between them since that first meeting just won’t be ignored. They agree to a short-lived fling while Abe is in town and then go their separate ways; Abe has work booked in the US and Europe and Kane doesn’t plan on sticking around in a place where he’s constantly judged for something he did as a scared, desperate teen. They both have plans which don’t include a relationship – so when what they’re doing and what they’re coming to mean to one another quickly starts to feel not at all fling-like, they both know they’re in trouble.

The romance in this book is absolutely gorgeous. I loved the way Kane and Abe’s intense, passionate connection is reflected in their coming together to perform an equally intense and passionate dance, the Argentinian Tango; and how Kane’s growing confidence in the dance mirrors his personal growth as he opens himself up to Abe, to life… and to the possibility of a brighter future. The scenes in which he and Judah finally confront one another over their shared past are gut-wrenching, real and ultimately uplifting.

I’d been hoping for Kane’s story ever since he appeared in Off Balance, and not only was I not disappointed by In Step, I’m happy to say it surpassed my expectations. Kane is a wonderfully rounded character – damaged, vulnerable and flawed, yet endearing and loveable. In short, he’s very, very human. He’s been through a lot, but never – not once – does he use that as an excuse for his behaviour; he’s owned it and tried, every day, to make amends and do better. The truth behind what he did is just as complicated as the person himself, and it’s very clear he’s lived with it every day, and that he doesn’t believe he deserves forgiveness – not even his own. But Abe’s genuine interest in him and the pleasure he takes in Kane’s company start to change that. For the first time in his life, Kane begins to feel truly seen as the man he is now – to Abe, he’s not that kid who did a vicious, stupid thing out of fear – and starts to learn to stop defining himself by that one act of violence, that he’s a good person and he deserves to be happy. Watching him coming into his own and start to live as an authentic life is an utter joy and immensely satisfying.

I’ve talked a lot about Kane – and In Step really is his show – but Abe has an important journey to go on, too, one in which he begins to question whether the life he’s lived so far is the life he wants for his future. He’s a strong presence in the story, proving to be exactly the supportive, intuitive, generous partner Kane needs. One of the many things I always enjoy about Jay Hogan’s romances is that there are no silly or contrived misunderstandings; she writes relationships between people who think and behave like adults, and here we have two men who realise that what they have is special and are prepared to do whatever it takes to make their relationship work.

Gary Furlong is one of my favourite narrators, and he consistently delivers performances that are both technically accomplished and extremely well acted. He’s done sterling work in all Jay Hogan’s audiobooks and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, but his performance here really is something special. His portrayal of Kane is simply outstanding; he’s captured every facet of this complex character – his innate kindness, his vulnerability, his shy charm, his guilt and shame, his wry humour… every word, every emotion is perfectly judged. Abe is equally well-rendered and also comes to vibrant life in all his snarky, sexy, intuitive glory. The secondary cast isn’t huge, but every member is clearly characterised and differentiated, and the couples from the previous books are portrayed consistently, Judah and Leroy especially (it seems love hasn’t smoothed off any of Leroy’s rough edges!).

In Step is an exquisite, beautifully-written romance that will bring a tear to the eye one minute and have you snorting with laughter the next in that way so very distinctive to Jay Hogan’s work. The two leads are fully-rounded individuals with chemistry that leaps off the page, the relationships – both romantic and familial – are expertly written, and Gary Furlong’s superb performance more than does the story justice. This one is a definite keeper, and is very highly recommended.

Caz

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