Thursday, October 10, 2013

Giveaway + Book Review - More Than This by Jay McLean



*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. 

5 STARS (more really 6 Stars)
I more than a lot like you ... so much more than a lot

WHERE DO I BEGIN?!  I'm just going to be upfront with you. I.LOVED.LOVED.LOVED.LOVED --- > MORE THAN THIS! 

My Emotions:
At 1% - I had no idea what to expect, my girlfriend recommend it to me, so I said, oh what the heck.

At 1.1% - I KNEW this was going to be something special

At 8% I am grinning because of all the cuteness!

At 14% I am in a fit of laughter

At 17% I am like NOOOOO!!!!!! 

At 38% I am shaking because I love it so much

At 82% I am crying big fat ugly tears

At 100% I had a book orgasm

YES.IT.WAS.THAT.GOOD



It all begins with one night.... 

Mikayla catches her boyfriend cheating on her with Mikayla's best friend on prom night. What an asshole right? Well, Jake was at the right place at the right time and suggests Mikayla spend prom night with him and his friends. Mikayla agrees.

The whole read was perfection and I really loved the beginning.  I thought Mikayla (Kayla) and Jake had an adorable meet-cute. I am ALL about the damsel in distress story line, so this worked for me.  The first 20%  is really funny and will bring a smile to your face. I loved Jake's friends and the McLean wrote some fantastic side characters. I LOVED every single one of them from Cam, Lucy, Heidi, Dylan and Logan.  Lucy is my favorite.

We should totally be book best friends


Then the read shifts and you are just gutted. I wasn't expecting it and I was thinking to myself, oh lord, this is something, but it's also fantastic at the same time.  Because of the shift Kayla and Jake become closer.  I LOVED this.  I thought Kayla and Jake were perfectly written characters.  I loved Kayla. I thought she was just this sad broken, but beautiful and you couldn't help, but just-want-to-hug-her kind of girl. And Jake, LORD, how I love Jake. He is the alpha male we girls dream up, he's caring, yet possessive, aggressive and loyal. 

Jake = Book Boyfriend.



Oh and the sexual tension was INTENSE and I LOVED IT! Am I using "LOVE" a lot? Maybe, but it's just me being honest.  I think McLean is an epic writer. I was highlighting almost every page, I could quote the whole read. I loved More Than This. 

I was absorbed, I laughed, I cried, I was gutted and I SWOONED VERY HARD.

Oh and I can't wait for book 2, More Than Her.  More Than This does not end on a cliffy (Thank You), but you get an intro to More Than Her and oh gosh, I just want this read  .... so BAD.

Okay, enough of me gushing, go read More Than This and then message me so we can talk about it. 

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE READ.




Jay, you are from Australia, tell me, is it like what we Americans see on TV?  Do you dingoes in your backyard? I’m kidding.  What’s it like living in Australia? Is it hot all the time? 
I don't really know what it's like to live anywhere else, so I can't compare it to anything. I think it would be very similar to America -- without guns. lol. We do, however, have pet Kangaroos in our back yards and Koalas in our homes. Joke. 


I’m a MAJOR fan of More Than This.  The story is just so unique and beautiful to me.  Where did you get your inspiration? 
I'm an avid reader myself, and I loved reading books that have epic love stories. You know the type, the can't live, can't breathe without you kind of love. I also loved pages that just had intimate moments between the couples. I often found myself skimming books that had other characters in the storyline too often. So I came up with the idea, and went from there. 

I have a total crush on Jake, he’s a major book boyfriend of mine, is his character based on anyone you know? 
Yes and no. I think Jake is every girls kind of dream boy. But, he is loosely based on my own man. The whole knight in shining armor, saving the day type hero. The patience. The understanding. That's all him.

Can you tell us five fun facts about yourself?

1. I would rather have a snake wrap around me, or pick up a spider, then be anywhere near a moth.

2. My eyes water when I'm nervous.

3. The above happens all time, because I'm extremely socially awkward. 

4. I never have anything charged properly. My phone, laptops and e-readers are on constant low battery warning, because I can't seem to let any of them go long enough to fully charge.

5. I find it really difficult to drive with shoes on.

Okay, so you didn’t have a cliffy at the end of More Than This, but you did give us a little excerpt to book 2, More Than Her, Logan’s story. Can you give us any deets on it? 
I don't know how much to say without giving too much away. It's very much Logan's story. We follow him and his life at college. The other characters are still in there, we do get an insight into more Cam and Lucy, Dyland and Heidi, and of coarse, Jake and Micky. It has a little of his past, a lot of his present and a little of his future ;)

I would love to meet you. Do you have any plans in visiting America? Maybe for a future book signing? 
I'd actually had plans to go to Vegas for Naughty Mafia - as a fan though, not for a signing. But I guess we'll see how things pan out. Either way, I'll be there. :)

I noticed on Goodreads you are writing another book not relating to the More series. When can we expect that one?
I haven't decided if I want to write that one before or after Cam and Lucy's story. I do want to write about Heidi and Dylan, as well as two other characters you'll meet in More Than Her, so I guess it's just what ever inspires me. I'm also looking at writing another Jake and Kayla book.


“He was going to meet you at the cages after he dropped us off. He was just there for me, that’s all.” I pause for a minute. “Wait, he didn’t tell you?”

Jake’s shaking his head, taking it all in. “He said it wasn’t his story to tell, and if I wanted to know I had to hear it from you.” He blows out a breath, puffing out his cheeks with the force of it. “Fuck, Kayla. I really am an asshole. I was a dick to him, and to you. And Julie, shit, I scared the shit out of her. Why didn’t you tell me? Was that what last night was about?”

“Yeah. I didn’t think about it until I was at the pharmacy with Julie, and then I wigged out, and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t tell you, because I wanted to be sure first. I didn’t know what I was going to do if … you know.”

“So you’re not. For sure? Like a hundred percent?”

“Yeah, Jake.” I nod my head. “I’m sure.”

He breaths out a heavy sigh, and we sit in silence for a long time.

“Can I stay with you tonight? Please, Kayla?” It’s barely a whisper.

I scoot across the bed and lift the covers. He takes his shirt off and gets in. We face each other. Holding on, not wanting to let go, not even for a second.

We’re looking so intently into each other’s eyes, trying to see into each other’s souls.

Talking without speaking.

Feeling without touching.

“Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just you. It’s only ever been just you. It will always only ever be just you.”

And then he kisses me. A quick kiss on the lips. But it has the passion of a thousand kisses, and holds the power of a thousand promises.

“So much more than a lot,” he says, before we fall asleep, the best way we can, in each other’s arms.

Playlist - > HERE


Jay is an author of Mature YA / New Adult contemporary novels, MORE THAN THIS and a soon to be released sequel, MORE THAN HER. She enjoys reading and writing books that make people laugh, cry and swoon for dreamy book boyfriends. When not doing either of those, she can be found looking after her two little boys, and being completely awkward in most social situations.

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1 comment:

  1. great review and interview!I really loved this book and cannot wait for Logan. :-)

    ReplyDelete