-LUCY-
There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured.
A heart so strong it will never slow.
There is a promise so sure it can never lie.
He promised me that love forever.
Even when it wasn't enough.
-CAMERON-
Forever. Everlasting. Eternal.
There is no measure of time.
No sounds of the ticking of a clock.
Just the rising and falling of the sun.
And our own sense of forever.
But our forever isn't always.
"I hate that guy," Logan jerks his head toward Jake and
a new kid.
"The new kid? Dylan?"
He nods. "He thinks he owns the school."
"Really?" I glare over at them. "Apparently he kills it on the basketball court, but I dunno." I shrug. "He hasn't said two words to me. He seems quiet."
"Those are the ones you have to worry about, Cam. The quiet broody assholes get all the girls. Better watch him around that new girl of yours."
I play dumb. "What new girl?"
"Shut up, asshole. You don't think I notice you watching her all the fucking time?"
I lift my chin. "I think if there's an asshole in this entire school to watch out for, it's you."
He laughs and adjusts his cap. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm not into stealing my friend's girls." He shoves his hand in his catcher's glove and smacks my arm with it. "Say the word. Claim her. I promise to stay away and I'll make sure she's untouchable to everyone else."
"I'm not an asshole and she isn't property. I can't own her."
"If that's what you want." He raises an eyebrow. "She's cute. In a couple years she'll be hot. Guys will be all over her. I'm just trying to help out."
I think about what he's saying, and he makes a good point. Only he's wrong—she's hot now. "Fine. I claim her. She's mine."
His smirk is instant. "You can't own someone, you pig. She isn't property."
I laugh. "Fuck you."
Jake struts over to us. "Ya reckon that new kid Dylan can hang out with us this arvo? He seems like a top bloke."
Logan's gaze moves to me, confusion clear on his face.
I shrug. He lets out a chuckle before gripping both of Jake's shoulders and shaking him gently. He looks him right in the eye, speaking slowly and clearly. "I have no idea what the fuck you just said."
**Note: Each of the books in the More series may be read as standalones, however it does make more sense if read in order. May contain mild spoilers for the first three books, but it is spoiler-free for More Than Forever**
So, you'd think since I've basically been with Jay McLean since the beginning, I would be used to having my heart stomped all over by her and her characters, right? Or you'd think that writing reviews for her books would be a piece of cake? Or you'd think that I would be used to her talent for weaving an intricate, beautiful story that can simultaneously make me fall in love and break my heart? The answer to all of the above is HELL NO. Each time I get to read a Jay book, I'm scared to death. This book is no exception. I've put off writing my review for as long as I could because More Than Forever haunted me for days, weeks... Lucy and Cameron and their forever love owned me. I have been Jayed once again.
“I love this time of day."
"Sunset?"
"Yeah. You wanna know why?"
"Because it reminds me of us."
"How?"
"Because it's eternal, the rise and fall of the sun. It's forever. Just like us."
I've been interested in Lucy and Cameron ever since More Than This. They were the golden couple. Been together since high school and adorably showing up multiple times in the preceding three books of this series. I LOVED getting to see how they got together in the very beginning. You would think since they were 15 when they got together in high school, that it would be all sweet and innocent, right? That's the first wrong assumption out of many to come in this book. Side note: it's seriously better to not have any assumptions at all going into a Jay McLean book. It just makes getting Jayed all that worse. Anyway, they got together when Lucy's mom passed away and then it was just little Lucy taking care of all her younger brothers because her dad decided to mentally check out. Then, there's Cameron--inexplicably drawn to Lucy, he just starts showing up and helping out. One thing leads to another then we have one of the most romantic, adorable high school romances ever. I wanted it to end there. I really did, because I just knew once they got to college, shit was going to hit the fan. And I was more than right. No spoilers, but god, I'm scared of this book. It's powerful. It's emotional. It's more proof that Jay's books are the epitome of why I read: to feel. To be taken to another world. To fall in love. To be broken. To hope. To experience things I could never in my normal life do.
“She nods again, and my heart tightens. I used to feel it a lot—that tightening in my chest. It took me a while to work out what it was; love—the kind of love that shouldn't exist for two sixteen year olds. It's almost too much. Too heavy. Too soon. I used to worry about what could be left? What is there to look forward to when you fall in this kind of love when you're so young? And then I worked it out. Forever. I have forever to look forward to.”
We see very different sides to both Lucy and Cameron. For one, Cameron is even more romantic than I ever dreamt possible. At 15, he was saying things I could never ever think of a normal guy, much less a 15 year old guy, saying. It was what dreams were made of. Them as he grew older, his love for Lucy only got more intense. I think what I loved most about Lucy and Cameron's story was that we got to watch them grow up together. They endured life together. They were torn apart. They were torn down. They loved and lived and I admire them for all that. They're more real than other characters to me. That's the beauty of Jay's characters--they're incredibly relatable. And Lucy? There were some times that I didn't completely agree with what she did, but at the same time I couldn't imagine her doing anything different. She was young, she was human, and I can't fault her for that. Cameron too.
“To falling in love, even when you don't know it."
"To finding friends that become family, no questions asked."
"To claiming your girls, owning them and making them yours."
"To not dwelling on why horrible stuff happens to good people. To letting love win, and to moving on."
"To finding your forever, and being able to keep them.”
I love the brilliance of Jay's writing. We go back to high school with Lucy and Cameron, then we see them go past where More Than Him ended. And we see the overlaps. We see how closely their lives are intertwined. And as usual, we meet more characters to fall in love with (DIBS on Lucas, by the way). I enjoyed getting to see the other characters we fell in love with in the previous books. And, I love seeing parts of Jay in her book. I can't imagine reading one of her books without knowing her like I do, it makes the experience so much more enjoyable. I don't know if It's because I've come to know her more, but I think we see more of Jay in every book she writes. She gets more bold with each book, which in turn just makes the book MORE. Each book makes my heart hurt more, it makes me want to try to cry more, it makes me laugh more, it makes me fall in love more, and it makes me feel more. For all that, I just have to say thank you Jay, for letting us in. For letting us see you through your wonderful books. It shows how much you've grown, and I'm so freaking proud of you. I can't wait to get my heart ripped out by the next book.
“There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured.
A heart so strong it will never slow.
There is a promise so sure it can never lie.
And we promise that love forever.
Forever and always.”
*Mikayla*
In one night my fairytale ended. Or it may have begun. This is my story of
friendship and love, heartbreak and desire, and the strength to show weakness.
*Jake*
One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any
other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak.
*This is our story of a maybe ever after.*
He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.
I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future.
I couldn’t even predict it.
It was one night.
One night when everything changed.
It was so much more than just the betrayal.
It was the Tragedy.
The Deaths.
The Murders.
But it was also that feeling.
The feeling of falling.
I’ve reread More
Than This about 30 times and I still can’t figure out how I’m supposed to
express in words how much I love this book. The first time I read More Than This I blamed my overly
emotional state after reading to me starting the book at one in the morning and
finishing around 3 in the morning. But every single time, I read it I fall in
love with the characters all over again. The emotions don’t get any less
intense each time either. That is true props to Jay McLean’s writing style. The
storyline is unique and still devastatingly as well as fantastically emotional.
I found the characters relatable not because I’m Filipino just like Mikayla is
half or because they’re young like I am, but because they are REAL. They say
things normal people would say, they’re realistic, fiercely loyal, and
hysterical. I loved the alternating points of view between Kayla and Jake.
Read full review here
"For every action there is an equal or opposite
reaction."
For every choice you make there are rewards,
or there are consequences.
It was my choice to walk away the first time.
And my choice to chase her the second.
But sometimes you don't get a choice,
and all you get are the consequences.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Unless that someone is Logan Matthews.
Because loving him didn't give me
the strength to walk away.
It didn't give me
the courage to fight for him.
And when it was over,
all it gave me was a broken heart.
For every choice you make there are rewards,
or there are consequences.
It was my choice to walk away the first time.
And my choice to chase her the second.
But sometimes you don't get a choice,
and all you get are the consequences.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Unless that someone is Logan Matthews.
Because loving him didn't give me
the strength to walk away.
It didn't give me
the courage to fight for him.
And when it was over,
all it gave me was a broken heart.
Jayed [jeh-ed]
(verb) – being sucker punched in the gut with strong emotions that seem to come
out of nowhere when reading a Jay McLean book.
I came up with the phrase Jayed while reading the
emotional rollercoaster that is More Than
Her. I didn’t know what to expect when it came to Logan’s story, but I
don’t think it was this. More Than Her was
an angsty, powerful story about falling in love and regrets. Yeah, those two
don’t mix well. At all. The way the story was set up was unique and I loved the
dual POVs as usual. Logan and Amanda are full of surprises, and they are some
of the most complex characters I have ever met. I didn’t expect there to be
such dark aspects in MTHer. Like I
said. Jayed. Over and over again. It’s overwhelming in feels, one moment you’re
swooning on Cloud Logan, next you’re on the ground, rocking back and forth in
the corner. Is that normal? I guess for a Jay McLean book it is. MTher is different from More Than This that’s for sure, but all
the real-ness and hardcore feelings are the same.
Read full review here
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our
deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our
darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson
We live in a world of darkness and shadows,
where monsters hide and aim to ruin.
And they did.
They ruined us and turned our dreams into nightmares.
But now we're back.
And we're fighting.
Not just for us, or for each other, but for our light.
We live in a world of darkness and shadows,
where monsters hide and aim to ruin.
And they did.
They ruined us and turned our dreams into nightmares.
But now we're back.
And we're fighting.
Not just for us, or for each other, but for our light.
Ruined. I am ruined. I don’t know how many times I
can say this before the whole world finally believes me, but Jay McLean has
some mad writing skills. Every time I finish one of her books, I sit and slowly
feel the book hangover come over me. It’s ridiculous. I freaking love all her
books. More Than Him was definitely
different from MTHer. But also the
same. Logan and Amanda are imperfectly perfect. See how everything I've said is
contradictory? It's because Jay's books throw me all over the place.
See full review here
Author of Mature YA / New Adult contemporary novels, MORE
THAN THIS, MORE THAN HER and my most recent release MORE THAN HIM.
This year, you will also see the release of my new stand-alone novel 'THE
ROAD', watch this space!!
I enjoy reading and writing books that make people laugh, cry and swoon for dreamy book boyfriends. When not doing either of those, I can be found looking after my two little boys, spending a lot of time talking to people or on ebay when I should be writing (this drives my admin team CRAZY), watching OTH and trying to avoid house work at all costs.
I am so thankful to each and every one of my readers!! Your support and encouragement means so much to me, you are the reason I continue to write and you have all given me the opportunity to do something that I love. You have my HEART!
I enjoy reading and writing books that make people laugh, cry and swoon for dreamy book boyfriends. When not doing either of those, I can be found looking after my two little boys, spending a lot of time talking to people or on ebay when I should be writing (this drives my admin team CRAZY), watching OTH and trying to avoid house work at all costs.
I am so thankful to each and every one of my readers!! Your support and encouragement means so much to me, you are the reason I continue to write and you have all given me the opportunity to do something that I love. You have my HEART!
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