Strut (Style #2) by Jay Hogan


A second chance at something great. Photographer, Hunter, is ready to try for something real with model Alec, but when Alec's career is possibly in jeopardy along with their insanely busy lives, can they make it work? There is nothing that Hunter wants more than to be the person Alec relies on while they love each other forever.

From the Strut blurb:

New Zealand farm boy turns New York fashion model.
Fairy tale? Maybe. But it hasn’t been easy. A year in this crazy city, working my tail off just to survive in a ruthless industry where sex sells and boundaries are too readily crossed.

A year and a reassuring ocean away from Hunter Donovan—a sexy, humiliating mistake that I’m not about to repeat. Distance is good. Distance is safe.

But now Hunter is back. In New York. In my life. In all those treacherous feelings that haven’t gone anywhere. But when my world suddenly crashes and I have to piece myself back together and fight for my career, will Hunter be there when I need him? Will we have what it takes to make it through this, together?

Note: This book contains themes of sexual harassment and sexual assault.


SNik's Review:

Strut is the second in series (Style), can be read as a standalone but might be best if read in order due to shared secondary characters. Hurt/comfort. Age gap. Sort of a second chance. Dual POV. Heed content warning.

Struggling model Alec is finally seeing the rewards of all his hard work after moving to New York and living with nine other guys while barely scraping by even with his bartender job, he’s finally getting some big chances.

Running into famous photographer Hunter again stirs up all of Alec’s feelings, but Alec will not compromise his emotional needs as he wants a relationship and Hunter has always been a one and done type of guy.

This time around though Hunter is not willing to let a chance with Alec pass by again, and he allows his tightly protected feelings out as he fights to spend more time with Alec so they can try for something more.

Both Alec and Hunter are determined, confident, sweet and committed as they communicate their feelings honestly while burning up the sheets.

I feel like Hogan’s characters seem to experience very realistic life events, and their responses are true human expressions, sometimes making mistakes but coming to terms with forgiveness and caring while fighting to have love in their lives.

Beautiful and sometimes gut-wrenching writing from Hogan made Strut a great read, and I am here for this series for as long as it continues.

Rating: 4.5 Stars


Heather's Review:

We met Alec and Hunter in Flare and I was excited to see that they were getting the next book in the Style series... and it didn't disappoint. If you're looking for a hurt/comfort read with a bit of an age gap and set in the corrupt world of New York fashion modelling, you can probably read it standalone... but I recommend starting with Flare because you'll meet and see Hunter and Alec interact for the first time and also get to know the side characters who feature prominently in Strut!

I love how the characters interact in the beginning of the book - there might have originally been an instant connection, but with the passage of time, Alec is less willing to see a future and Hunter needs to fight for it.

This book is fast paced, steamy and topical - it addresses the issues of sexual harassment in the modeling industry and the power imbalance that young models face when trying to break into the industry - it's emotional, passionate and gritty in places, but sweet and tinged with humour in others...

Strut is definitely not a fluffy read, but oh so amazing and real...

Rating: 5 Stars

Sarah C's Review:
 
Wow. This book. This book was amazing. I didn't read the first in the Strut series, but I knew I liked Jay Hogan's writing and the book sounded good so I decided to read it and I don't think I will ever be the same. Jay handles sensitive topics so beautifully - all the while balancing out something that could make for a dark book with the right amount of humor and fluff. The reactions in this book all felt so real that by the time I finished it, I was mad that Alec wasn't a real person.

Because as much as I loved Hunter (he checks so many of my boxes), it was Alec that stole the show. Alec, the farm boy who decided to become a model but never once lost his giant heart. He's a caretaker by nature and you can see it in the story - especially through his comraderie with Tim.

And the relationship between Hunter and Alec? Chef's kiss. The fact that they had a not so great hookup a year ago set for an interesting history in the narrative, and it kept the zero to sixty nature of their relationship from feeling too much like instalove. Instead, they were two men who had a draw to one another a year ago and finally learned how to get it right.

This book is emotional. Just a warning. And it handles the emotions that come from an assault so beautifully. The support between the characters and just - THIS BOOK. It has been almost a week and I'm still incoherent. I literally would not change a single thing about this book.

Rating: 5 Stars

Strut is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription

Comments

  1. This is such a great review team. Thanks for the incite to a book I wasn't sure about but now know I'll get.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment