The Art of Husbandry by Jay Hogan; Narrated by Gary Furlong

The Art of Husbandry is the start of a new series, incredibly well written with lots of emotion and brilliantly narrated

From the blurb:

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.


Lesetiger's review:

Jay Hogan is a very talented author who completely draws the reader or listener into her world. Unfortunately, I've never been to Australia, but I loved the descriptions of the landscape and I could really imagine what it's like there.

The story has serious themes and has been written emotionally. There were some parts that touched me deeply, that were intense because they were written so realistically.

Gil has lost the footing under his feet after the death of his daughter. He grieves. For a long time. A very long time. He has nightmares and panic attacks. To find a way out, he signs up for a job on a sheep farm in the highlands.

The sheep farm is run by Holden, a handsome young man who isn't really looking for a relationship. And when the two meet for the first time, something clicks. The chemistry is right and the sparks fly. But it takes a while for the two of them to find each other.

There's just one problem: Gil's time on the farm is only temporary. Can Holden risk losing his heart?
Wow, the author has written the protagonists with a lot of depth. Gil's grief is palpable and you want to hug Holden as you read for how thoughtfully he treats Gil. The story is heartbreaking, but insanely well written.

Did I mention that I love the setting? The mountains, the countryside, the sheep farm with the sheep and the dogs, the mustering, the hard work, it was all described in such detail that it was right in front of my eyes.

There are great supporting characters, especially Spider, Holden's dog, who adopts Gil without further ado. But Zack and Luke also developed really well.

And with Gary Furlong, I experienced the story even more intensely as an audiobook. He has a talent for portraying emotions vividly and giving each protagonist their own personality. I experienced Gil's deep sadness almost "live" as well as Holden, who gave him support and hope. Gary Furlong did a phenomenal job and I was able to empathize with both Gil and Holden very well. Highly recommended as an audiobook!

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and seeing the people on the Miller farm again.


The Art of Husbandry is currently available as an audiobook, e-book and paperback, and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription