Review: The Meaning Of You – Jay Hogan

If you’re searching for a romantic suspense with mature protagonists, deep emotions, and a story that blends mystery with second chances at love, The Meaning of You by Jay Hogan is exactly what you need. This book stands out in the MM romance genre for featuring characters in their fifties, offering a heartfelt narrative that combines grief, healing, and the courage to love again. Perfect for readers who want an emotional journey with authentic, realistic characters and a suspenseful plot.

The Meaning Of You by Jay Hogan
Series: Fisher & Church #1
Genres: Contemporary, MM Romance, Suspense

Buy Links:Buy on Amazon

We’d shared a forever love. The kind they write stories about. A once in a lifetime chance at something special. For fourteen years Davis was my world. We were growing old together, fifties and counting. Then it was all ripped away in the blink of an eye.

We’d told each other everything, or so I thought. But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface and it turned out Davis kept a few of his own. Hidden laptops, clandestine meetings, cryptic emails. The husband I’d believed in was a lie.

Or was he?

I have to find out. And Madigan Church is right there to help me. A complicated man. A man I wasn’t expecting. An attraction I can’t deny. Confusing. Challenging. Madigan makes me feel things I’m not ready for. Want things I don’t deserve. Not now. Maybe not ever again.

But with every step into the twisted mystery, the danger escalates. Neither of us is safe. Not from the truth, and not from what’s growing between us.

Because we aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Somewhere amongst my late husband’s secrets is something worth stealing, maybe even worth killing for.

And time is running out.

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I’ve been binge-reading Jay Hogan’s books, and now it was time for The Meaning of You. From the very first pages, this story won me over simply because the main characters are in their fifties, and I’m a reader in my fifties! It’s so rare, truly rare, to see a romance with mature protagonists acting like real, mature people. That alone made me smile right away.

Jay Hogan takes a new direction here, with the first book in a romantic suspense series that blends mystery, danger, and the chance of new love. Nick Fisher lost his husband Davis in heartbreaking circumstances, and just when his life feels like an endless limbo, secrets begin to surface. That’s when he crosses paths with Madigan Church, a gentle, complex, and absolutely charming man.

I loved following Nick and Madigan. Their dynamic is wonderful: Nick is grumpy, closed off, and still weighed down by grief, while Madigan is that heartwarming kind of character, attentive and caring but also quietly strong. Together, their chemistry is undeniable, and even without a single sex scene, the tension and the slow build toward their first kiss were perfect. I read with a smile, with tears in my eyes, and with a full heart.

The mystery surrounding Davis and his hidden secrets was so intriguing. Jay Hogan builds the plot in such an engaging way, full of twists and genuine suspense, without ever losing focus on the characters’ emotional growth. I loved how the romance and the investigation walk hand in hand, each fueling the intensity of the other.

The Meaning of You is a story about loss, second chances, and the courage to open your heart again. It’s a book that will stay with me for a long time, and I’m already counting the days to dive into the sequel that just came out.

Final Rating: 5 stars!

Now tell me: have you read a romance with older protagonists that truly touched your heart? Share your favorites in the comments!