Title: Digging Deep
Author: Jay Hogan
Genre: Contemporary
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 342
Reviewer: Maryann Kafka
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About The Book
Drake Park has a complicated life. As a gay male midwife, he’s used to raising eyebrows. Add Crohn’s disease and things get interesting—or not, considering the sad state of his love life. Experience has taught Drake that most men are fair-weather sailors when it comes to handling his condition—gone for dust when things get rough. Staying healthy is a full-time job without adding in any heartbreak, so a little loneliness is a small price to pay. If he says it often enough he might even believe it. One thing for sure, the cop who arrested him isn’t about to change that.
Caleb Ashton does not have a complicated life. A senior detective with the Whangarei Police Department, he likes his job and is good at it. He works hard and plays hard, happy to enjoy as many men as he can while he’s still young enough—or at least he was. These days he feels adrift for the first time in his life, and the only thing sparking his interest—a certain prickly young midwife.
But can Drake find enough faith to risk opening his heart again? And does Caleb have what it takes to cope with the challenges Drake’s condition presents?
The Review
Drake Park and Caleb Ashton are two very opposite people.
Drake is a midwife and lives a very structured life. He has Crohn’s disease which is very complicated. The disease not only effects his health but his relationships with people. His one serious relationship only lasted a few years and the break-up really affected Drake. He’s faced the reality of it all and is determined to just live his life the best he can and no longer get involved with anyone.
Caleb has a more than busy life being a detective. He has no time for commitments and just sticks to his casual one night stands.
How Drake and Caleb meet is somewhat funny and almost turned out to be a huge fiasco. After this odd meeting Caleb, sees his mistake plus he can’t get his mind off the snarky Drake and tries to make a date with him. Although, Drake keeps putting him off, Caleb makes a great effort in learning as much as he can about Crohn’s disease and comes up with some interesting ways to woo Drake. But the battle isn’t easily won. There’s a lot of ups and downs that both Drake and Caleb have to overcome and sometimes it leads to hurtful moments and misunderstandings.
Jay Hogan really delves into the personalities and lives of the Drake and Caleb in this interesting story that involves a serious disease. There’s heavy thoughts about having a relationship with Crohn’s disease being a major factor. Both characters have to struggle through making some very hard decisions and emotions.
With the many serious moments the author also gives us humor between Drake and Caleb, both their families that are very supportive and loving and toss in Caleb’s very unique friend Daniel/Carmen and Peter and anything is bound to be said.
Besides this being an education about Crohn’s disease, what I really appreciated about this novel is the “Acknowledgments”. It really shows that Jay Hogan did some serious research and reached out to people who have Crohn’s.
I have to admit, this is a first time read for me by Jay Hogan and I was thoroughly educated and entertained!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read. I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors. My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book! As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb peaks my interest I will read the book. My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading. I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended. But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
