Off Balance: A Painted Bay Story (1) Paperback – 29 Sept. 2020

Judah and Morgan spark from the first moment they meet and it never stops. I was a little hesitant in the beginning as it was a little bit lacking in some scenes but it then became really intense which I loved and the medical information was excellent as I'd never heard of it. These guy's soon chose each other and nothing short of a blast was separating them.

Yet another superb 5 star read from Jay...in fact, I think this is my fave Jay Hogan read yet 💜🧡💛💚💙.These two just had it all; I loved the sexy, suggestive banter, the feels, the puddle of goo moments and the fact that even though Judah had his annoying, life-altering condition, Morgan did his very best to deal with it AND make Judah feel good about himself. The secondary characters were great too...other than Judah's jealous older brother Leroy, who needed a few good kicks up the backside 🤬🤬🤬 and definitely ought to have been more of a protective big brother when Judah was facing up to the inevitable bullying he received at school. Book 2 of this Painted Bay series eagerly awaited!! Great read Jay.

Really liked both Judah and Morgan, it was easy to become invested in their lives and relationship, it grew organically and was filled with emotion. Really liked the pace of the story and felt overall the depth of emotion throughout was well written. A really enjoyable read.

Ugh, this was just divine! I adored Judah and Morgan’s story so much, a testament to the delicious writing style that made for an intimate reading experience. I felt like I knew these characters so well, they wereFunny, likeable, and absolutely fire together. I could write so much more about this book, but I won’t. I’m going to miss these characters a lot. A beautiful read ❤️

Both main characters have lost so much and are both a bit broken, Judah may never recover. But they are the perfect cure for each other’s misery, leading to a great HEA. There’s a threat to life plot, misery and grief, angst, homophobia and bullying, unpleasant family dynamics. This balanced by lust, love, eventual proper communication and a satisfying outcome for a lot of people. All due to a cruel condition I’d never heard of.

While you still knew there was going to be HEA there was a bit more depth to the characters and supporting characters. Some writers aren't very adept at giving their characters a different feel but thankfully Jay is not one of them. You can always tell who is speaking , no having to re-read something because you are not sure.I will not talk to much about the story because I always think it is better to go in without anybody else take on it to cloud you opinion just to say that Judah is just the right side of sarcastic to be funny while Morgan is a wonderful bear of man and Leroy needs a smack to the back of the head. Good depth and knowledge providing a good insight to the condition and incorporated expertly into the storyIt does leave some great teasers of things to come. What's Kane's story and who did Terry go on a date with?Looking forward to the next one.

The characters and their individual personal details in this book were sublime. I loved the little snuggling storyline in there as well as their personal development throughout the book. It did have a couple of slower points but overall a great read - loved both Judah and Morgan.Looking forward to Leroy’s story!

This author shore can write.Judah and Morgan are a lovely couple.Judah especially is a full on character, and thanks to Jay Hogan, Morgan came into his life.I look forward to book 2 now, hoping that you readers get book one and emerse yourselves in this lovely story

Awesome history. Makes you wanna be a better person and fight your problems. It’s equal parts a sweet plot and a sexy plot.

I loved this story big time. Judah and his weakness, his smirk, his attitude. They way he faced life... and how could you not love Morgan aswell?One of the best romance I read lately.Raccomanded.

If you're looking for a love story with characters you'll also fall hard for, then look no further than the visceral, delightful, beautifully emotional Off Balance.Two men who should have nothing in common on the surface have so much in common and find love in the small New Zealand town of Painted Bay. They're surrounded and supported by secondary characters who give you a sense of community and belonging as well. No one gets away without their flaws and vulnerability being seen, especially Judah and Morgan, which makes this so relatable and promises much in following books.I've never read Jay Hogan before but the cover of Off Balance absolutely called to me and I couldn't resist it, and teamed with that blurb, I had no chance of resisting - I do have investment in a ballet danseur, and Judah Madden didn't let me down. He of the ballet tights, pink jeans and fishnet top and (sometimes) makeup, wearer of his heart and passion on his sleeve - he's worked and fought hard to be who he is and he owns it.Morgan Wipene is, well... everyone deserves a Morgan to come into their life. Kind. Generous. Steadfast. Loving. Knower of the right things to think and feel and, better still, say. What a perfect pair they makeThe sex in Off Balance is smouldering, hot. They tear up the sheets, or should I say ballet tights? Read it and you'll see.This book is one of silver linings. I believe in looking for them in my own life. I think they make our life bearable when hard times call, and both of these MCs have had hard times come for them, yet they bear it in the most human of ways.This will not be the last book of Jay Hogan's I read but I find it hard to believe anyone this author writes could surpass the addictive and wonderful Judah and Morgan.5 star reading from start to end.

I wouldn't miss reading this book. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it though. Judah was just so self-destructive I couldn't stand it and I had to look up many words that seemed to be more common in New Zealand. But then this book just got to me. With Judah and Morgan falling in love I fell in love with this book. I loved that they always stood together, always had each others backs. Their love was palpable. And I loved the representation of physically challenged people. Being physically challenged but pushing your boundaries and having the strength to fight back when you struggle, inspiring others and even being a role model to children in a similar situation is such an important message for empowerment. Me, as a physically challenged person, I feel very well represented by this.

Off Balance, this first book in the Painted Bay series, is a perfect start to what I suspect will be a winning series. Jay Hogan’s gift as a writer is her creative ability to endow her characters with personalities to which we can relate. Judah has lost his professional ballet career due to illness. We see this assertive, independent young man question his future, his options, and we see his struggles. How many of us have encountered challenges in our lives and found the strength to persevere? We see ourselves in characters like Judah, and I think that’s valuable for the success of a book. Readers want to read about people to whom they can relate. Judah discovers a support system in his small town of Painted Bay, and Morgan, the local fisheries officer, plays a prominent role in supporting Judah. With a happily-ever-after at the end of Judah’s personal journey, Ms. Hogan can now get busy writing more stories in this series because they’ll just be that good.