More Than This

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. “I know, it’s strange, and I know it might be circumstantial. Like we shared an expericne, and that somehow makes us closer, but, Lisa, Jake, he makes things hurt a little less. He… He’s home for me, right now. If being around him takes the pain away just a tiny bit, then it doesn’t matter how or why he’s here with me. I just… You can’t understand.” The story wastes no time getting into the deep emotions. The first scene showcases just how happy and close Mikayla’s family was. Then, she goes out for prom night and nothing is ever the same again. I was in shock. Talk about the worst night of her life. Everything as she knows it is gone. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must be like. First, was the ultimate betrayal. Then, she met Jake Andrews and his group of friends. She joined them for the rest of prom night and BAM insta-connection between Jake and Kayla. Gahhh. Then the rest of her life is taken away in a flash. With no one else to turn to Kayla ends up staying with the Andrews’. I adore them. They took her in, no questions asked. They helped her arrange everything after and when she almost couldn’t go to college they all helped with that too. “Loved ones. I think I do. Love her, I mean. I think I’m in love with this beautifully broken girl.” Mikayla is probably one of my favorite book heroines. Her situation seriously became messed up in the blink of an eye. But not once did she have thoughts of giving up. She never thought about taking her own life. I applaud her for that. She never tried to run or do something extremely stupid. I loved her. She’s smart, feisty, independent, adorable, and sweet. She accepts the hand she’s dealt and makes the most out of it. But, I mean, if I was given Jake Andrews too I would more than gladly accept. She doesn’t put up with any kind of crap, and I just can’t get over how awesome she is. “God, Jake, I so much more than a lot like you.” “Mikayla, I passed that stage a long, long time ago.” If there’s one thing I can’t resist, it’s a guy that isn’t afraid to speak his mind or go for what he wants. Jake Andrews is definitely one of those guys. Absofreakinglutely. His inner monologue cracked me up at times. He was so respectful, patient, protective, loyal, strong, sexy, and I just love him okay. I can’t list all the reasons. Oh, and that ACCENT. Good lord, I wish I could seriously hear his voice. He doesn’t ever try to deny the insta-love connection he has with Mikayla. He accepts it and her easily. He is a crazy talented baseball player, yet he is still very down-to-earth. Sigh. I can just go on and on about how he’s one of my top book boyfriends. “Because if I kiss you, then I’ll want to taste you, and if I taste you, then I’ll need to f*** yu. And when I f*** you, it means you’re mind. And when I make you mine, I want it to be in our bed. Not a hotel room… Is that okay?” So, basically there was nothing you couldn’t love about this book, Jay McLean is magical like that. I loved their circle of friends. They brought so much comic relief, like Drunk Lucy and Logan’s infamous one-liners. I was also really happy that they accepted her into their circle so easily. Most of the time I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or cry during this book. It was that amazing. Jake and Mikayla hold the record for most non-kissing moments. It was ridiculous. They have burning up the pages kind of scenes and it made my panties melt. And their cuteness together made me swoon. Big-time. The concept of insta-love as it was portrayed in this book made me swoon. I want a Jake, Or maybe a Logan, after all, he does get a book next. This is a heart-felt story about love: family love, first love, young love, friendship love, insta-love, and forever love. It’s a story of picking up the pieces and learning to move on. It’s a story of living and leaning to seize the moment. ““Why should I be jealous?” I ask. He shrugs once. “Because I’m your Jake,” he smiles, “and you’re my Kayla,” he says. He’s my Jake. And I’m his Kayla. I like it. I more than a lot like it, so much more than a lot.”

Funny thing about this book- I came across a few quotes on Goodreads​ for More Than This that immediately caught my attention. “Because if I kiss you, then I'll want to taste you, and if I taste you then I'll need to f*** you. And if I f*** you, that means your mine. And when I make you mine, I want it to be in OUR bed. Not in a hotel room...Is that okay?” And then I saw this... “He's not the heart and flowers kind of guy, but he's the heart and soul kind, and f*** if every girl would rather that than flowers.” And this just added to to my quick liking of this book by quotes alone. “We're testing each other. Seeing how far we can take this before something snaps. Most likely my d***.” I'm a total quote kind of girl. A blurb obviously peeks my interest, but seeing snippets like that are what truly reel me in. After I saw those quotes, I went to the reviews and found so many high rated ones (A LOT!) and I thought to myself, why haven't I heard of her before? So I bought the book. A few days later I started reading only for it to go downhill super fast. Like rolling and tumbling down so fast that I couldn't stop myself! I was so mad! How could I read the reviews and quotes and see so much love for this book and then read such a crappy story? A few days later when I went to pick the book back up (I had to set it down, it was that bad) I opened the book only to see it start from the beginning. I was so confused. I had no idea why none of the highlights wouldn't show up, why it wouldn't sync to furthest read page or why none of story looked familiar. And then it dawned on me. I was reading the wrong book. I know, I know. I'm such an idiot sometimes. I've never done that and couldn't believe I did! Once I started reading the CORRECT book I. WAS. IN. LOVE. Seriously, how are more people not reading this book?!! More Than This has it all! Sarcastic humor, emotionally draining angst, romance (could've used more in my eyes, but still...), a shocking and sad curve ball but most importantly, a moving storyline that left me wanting more! Plus, characters that we can all relate to on some level that were true to their age for once! I really just loved everything about this book. Of course there are a few things that I did take notice on that could've used some work... but in all honesty, I can't even bring myself to complain about them like I normally would. All the good qualities of this book surpass those little flaws. The best part for me? Jake's point of view. I couldn't get enough of it! In my opinion, Jay MacLean nailed the males point of view better than many others I've read! I mean, it was spot on how a guy would think, at least I thought so. Jake doesn't say things like ' it smelled of cinnamon peaches on a dewy morning in the mist of fall.' Seriously, what guy talks like that? Answer: Most males in fiction books. But Jake surely does not! And lady's? JAKE IS SO DARN HOT. Just thinking about him makes me want to read this book again. Oh, and not to mention, his friend Logan...*sigh* So I went back into my highlights to mention some of my own favorite here only to realize that I highlighted nearly the entire book. So now I won't be putting them in here. You know how some books you just connect with more despite some faults? Yeah, this book did me in. I realize all I'm doing is gushing, but sometimes I can't really help it. But then I got to the ending... Not a cliffhanger at all, but sweet Mary Mother and Joseph, I cannot wait for the next book! It's going to be juicy as a peach! More Than This is definitely one of my favorite books this year! Jay MacLean is an author we need to watch out for.

Love, Hate, Betrayal, Tragedy, Acceptance - it is all here in More Than This. Jay McLean, thank you from consuming me with this complete story of young love and so much more. It has everything; I don't think my review will do it justice. I was full of emotions reading this from hating, crying, laughing and loving. How much can a young woman endure? Mikayla (Kayla/Mickey) is your regular girl next door. Her boyfriend James is the love of her life, so she thinks. And her best friend, Megan, has always been by her side. Until Prom Night. Where she is betrayed by both of them. Both James and Megan ruin her and break her heart in the process. But all may not be lost as she happens to meet Jake in this heartbreaking situation. They have an instant connection to each other and Mikayla feels that she can really trust Jake for some reason. She decides not to let her ex and bestie ruin her prom and heads out with Jake and his friends. Jake is the star pitcher set for "big things". He can have any girl he wants. But he is attracted to Kayla in more ways than one. He is amazingly gorgeous, strong and manly for his age. He's sweet, giving, patient, understanding, strong and possessive. And he's attraction and pull towards Kayla is his undoing. He feels so connected to Kayla that he can't explain it as they have only known each other a short time. Putting her heartbreak behind her for the night, Kayla enjoys her night with Jake and his friends only to be dealt a traumatic turn of events that leave her without her family. Jake is there to pick up the pieces - will he be able to heal her heart? Will Mikayla ever be the same person she used to be? Will she allow Jake into her heart and bring her happiness once more? It is such a heartbreaking journey for Kayla, but Jake makes it that little bit easier to deal with things. Through her tragedy she bonds quickly with Jake. Their relationship is slow and frustrating at times, but each of them have their reasons for moving slowly as it is tainted with heartbreak and tragedy for Kayla and for Jake not wanting to loose Kayla for moving too fast after what she's been through. "Talking without speaking. Feeling without touching." I loved that it was dual POV. We get to see how each is feeling and what they are thinking about the other. It makes you want to scream at them both for not sharing their feelings for each other sooner. There is so much angst and sexual tension between them that it was hot and sizzling and maddening at the same time. They both wanted each other so much, and waited to move forward for their own reasons - which were infuriating and admirable at the same time. "Jake She's looking at me with so much emotion that I hope to hell that I'm reading her right, that the look she's giving me is telling me everything I want to hear. That she believes in Fate. In Love. In Us. Forever." The characters and their story are so well developed - you feel as though you really know them. The relationship that Kayla and Jake have is really just beautiful. Watching it grow from friendship to more was exquisite. Every one of the secondary characters (Logan, Lucy & Cam, Heidi & Dylan) are awesome in their own way. The support they are for each other and for Jake and Kayla is astounding. What they bring to the story is acceptance, friendship and love. So many times they made me laugh with their antics and dialogue. They were always there for one another. Jay McLean did a brilliant job and took great care of building this story and the relationships in it and she hit the mark with her depiction of their pain, sorrow, happiness and the intense chemistry that Jake and Kayla shared. A friendship that grew into so much more. A first love that became a forever love. "I more than a lot like you". "I more than a lot like you too, so much more than a lot" Review done on behalf of Forever Me Romance

This book starts out very much like many others, however it changes into something of it's very own pretty quick. It smacks you right upside your head. I never saw it coming. Senior Prom is where we start. Mikayla, Megan (Mikayla's best friend), and James (Mikayla's Boyfriend) are all out for dinner before the main event. When a unimaginable betrayal is revealed, the evening does not go as planned, understatement of the year here. Mikayla ends up in a life changing situation that evening. Relationships are formed, broken, and lost. More Than This proves, that true friends are sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. There is still sometimes kindness among strangers. This book made me run every range of emotion. It will give you all the feels. Parts of this story will literally rip your heart out. Others will make you laugh out loud. Sigh and swoon over the compelling romance unfolding before you. You will cry at least once during your read of More Than This, you have been warned. Mikayla, Jake, Megan, James, Lucy, Cam, Logan, Heidi, Dylan, are all pretty colorful characters to say the least. The characters are amazingly well written, even if you want to cause bodily harm to some of them, more then once. They are all quirky, and unique in their own ways. Lucy pretty much cracked me up the whole way through, especially when she had too much to drink. That girl has the mouth of a drunken sailor, and she's a book junkie. I loved this. Mikayla and Lucy bond over their love of the same book, in a matter of minutes. Book Buddies Unite! Jake has got to be one of the most unforgettable book boyfriends ever written. He's kinda a big deal... The compassion, sincerity, unwavering support, understanding, and sheer adoration he shows Mikayla is what every girl on this planet wishes and prays for. In the times when she needs someone the most, he is always there. "I'm not blind to the confused stares we're getting from the grownups, I just don't care. If she needs me, I'll be there." ~ Jake The undeniable chemistry between Jake and Mikayla is evident from the moment they meet. Watching their story unfold was profoundly moving, with the extreme circumstances that it is born from, it was so much more emotional to read. "She's just, more than anyone else. We haven't slept together, we haven't even kissed, and she's just...more." ~Jake "And I so much more than a lot love him, too" -Mikayla More Than This has so many incredible passages. I may have over 100 highlighters on this book. I could go on for days about how fantabulous this book is. I adored More Than This, so much more than a lot, and I immediately downloaded the next, More Than Her. Jay McLean has a few new Fan Girl's after this. These books are not to be missed. Trust Me. "He is absolutely everything the books tell you that boys should be. And if you were still here today, I would tell you, that in your future, do not settle for anything less than the Jake Andrews of the world. Because they exist, and not just in fairytales." ~ Mikayla

I rated this book 3 1/2 stars; however, I am not allowed, so I rated it a 3. I loved the overall story; loved the drama and the characters and when I was about 20 percent through, I just knew that I was going to enjoy this book and immediately ordered the other books in the series. I got to 75 percent of the book and I wanted to return the books I bought and stop reading this one. This is when Mikayla went to college. The author went through such unnecessary yoyo angst and drama and failed to grow the character and continued to make the H as this perfect boy/man. I wonder why is it that women authors need to make a woman less than do that the man can be more than? Am I to believe that an 18 or 19 year old teenager is a perfect man...totally possible, however...total fantasy. Is there a reason that Mikayla could not grow through her trials and. become as mature as Jake? Instead the author chooses to make Mikayla this crying silly female that was so afraid and unable to believe that Jake loved and wanted her. No matter what Jake did to show her that he cared, she chose to believe that he did not love her and that he wanted to get rid of her. Mikayla had so many things happen to her that would knock anybody off their feet; however, the author could have used many different situations to grow Mikayla and with the help of Jake, come out on the other side. instead the author chose to show yoyo drama and angst that added nothing to the story. Then Mikayla talks to Logan and she sees the light...Really?. In addition, the part that I do not get; they did not do the "kiss" because it would show/tell that he/she was the one? However, they had no qualms about doing fellatio with their mouths and hands. Really?. Perhaps the author could have used that time to grow the h, start the process of growing and standing on her own two feet and in the process understand and appreciate Jake and the good things in her life. Even when she claimed that she wanted the space to find herself, it became a whiney, crying non consequential effort that went nowhere and added nothing to the story. Personal growth and having sex is cool, sexy and fun..one without the other is empty or Christian, lol I was very disappointed how the book ended. it started so promising. Since I bought the story of Logan, I will read the story and see how the author makes such a whore into a person that is worthy. I bet he will become the cat's meow. The thing is, how will the author portray Amanda...I hope that I am pleasantly surprised.

Let me first just say that this review will have spoilers. Personally, I hate reviews that just give you the same thing as the description. I want to know a little before I invest time in something. For example, cliffhangers, and anything that I would think may keep me from reading it or make me want to read it more. So here we go... I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so alive I felt like I was sitting in their group with them and experiencing the same things. I couldn't tell you how much they made me laugh. I had to literally stop reading multiple times to catch my breath and wipe tears from my eyes. I highlighted so much on my kindle. I loved Lucy, and I thought how the author used her for humor when she was drinking was pee-your-pants funny. I could just picture it and I couldn't stop laughing. Logan was funny too. He had that prankster vibe but you could feel the seriousness that was lying underneath the jokes he cracks. There is a cliffhanger, just not with the main characters, Mikayla and Jake. But with Logan. It kinda bummed me out to be left hanging the way I was. At the very end of the book the Author concludes a little Paragraph from Logan's POV. and I swear I read it like a billion times and tried to see if there was any clue as to when his story was going to come out. Jake and Mikayla's story ending pretty nicely. The author gave enough to satisfy but at the same time left you wondering if there will ever be a short continuing of what their future holds. Okay, now lets get down to business. I probably would have rated the actual love story only 4 stars but add in the humor and it was a solid 5 for me. Jake meet Mikayla at a restaurant before prom night. He witnesses a nasty scene go down between her, her boyfriend and her best friend. He invites her to hang with him and his friends at his prom (they go to different schools) and they end up easing her heartbreak. She has a great time and her and Jake connect but the night ends pretty tragically. Without giving too much away, he ends up being her shoulder to lean on and he helps her through a really awful time in her life. What frustrated me the most was that they both were so in love with each other, but kept going round and round. Where they weren't sure how the other felt. They were way more than friends, but mainly friends. They didn't label what they were and that was cool. But I guess I wanted a little bit more of them together. I would have loved for the author to just give me a few more kisses and all that. Most of the book was them being together but not. That's why the actual love story itself only got 4 stars in my book. No pun intended. (; But all in all, I loved the heart break, love, and general emotion that was included in the story. I was getting pretty annoyed with the insta-love theme books where the boy and the girl fall madly in-love without any deep situations or reason beyond the general attraction and mystically magical connection. This book was MORE THAN THAT. Which I really appreciated. There were some grammatical errors but I am not one to care about that. If it's not awful, I can deal. I know I make those errors all the time from typing too fast or not paying attention so they are to be expected. After all, authors are human too. (; So that's my review in a nutshell. I'm pretty glad I invested the time. I devoured the book pretty quickly. It took me less that 24 hours to read because I didn't wanna put it down. I'd say give it a shot. :D

This is going to be a short and sweet review. I had no idea what I was going to get after reading this book blurb. Deaths? Murders? Is it a mystery, a romance, horror? Well, it is definitely a romance like none other than I have ever read. This is a story about two people who find each other at one of the most incredibly difficult moments in life. They bond and fall in love through the tragedy and heartbreak and emerge on the other side a strong and united couple. Mikayla is a young girl on her way to the prom. She has just finished her senior year and is going out with a group of friends and her long time boyfriend. But at the restaurant, everything she thought she knew about him is thrown up in the air. Jake is witness to the drama. He also happens to be there and with a group of his friends. When things go bad for Mikayla, he offers to sweep her away. Jake is kind of a big deal. He is a baseball player with a burgeoning career. When he sees a crying Mikayla, he knows he has to step up and help her out. They go out and have a good time. On her way back home Mikayla discovers that her entire family has been struck by tragedy.No one knows why. The only thing Mikayla knows is that she was lucky that she wasn’t with her family that night. She has nowhere to go. No other family to take her in and in the instant that she discovered that her world was turning upside down, her mind connected Jake to her. He and his family became her life raft.There is no gentle easing into this story. It hits you hard and fast. Mikayla is left dealing with the aftermath of some enormous tragedies and Jake is there for her every step of the way. Jake knows that he needs to be careful. Mikayla is incredibly fragile right now. All he wants to do is shelter and protect her. He has some cave man tendencies and he is definitely an alpha male. Jake is to die for. He is one of my favorite book boyfriends. He is just amazing. He is adorable, sexy, smart and loyal. He is one of the good ones. I really liked Mikayla too. She was going through so much in this book and despite all of it, she came out on top. She had to grow up fast and Jake was there with her on her whirlwind journey. There are deaths in this book, there is betrayal and cheating, but in the end, there is a HUGE helping of happily ever after. This one got really high ratings on GoodReads. I would rate it somewhere between four and five stars for me. There is heavy romance with some seriously swoon worthy moments, not as much steam as I usually prefer, but hey, they’re young. This is more of a Young Adult/New Adult book. If you like those genre’s then this would be a good solid choice for you.

I adored this book. I loved every single second (even the frustrating ones). At its heart, this was a modern day fairytale about a “regular” girl. And, as all good fairytales do, it starts with a tragedy. Well, actually two tragedies. The first is the catalyst for Mikayla and Jake’s chance meeting. The second is what both keeps them together, and threatens to tear them apart. The thing that makes this story different, and sets it apart from the hundreds of other NA books I’ve read with similar themes, is all in the execution. There was this amazing mix of humor and sweetness amidst the sadness, lust and swooning. It just struck the perfect balance for me. I cannot imagine a more perfect hero then Jake. (Except that he’s not perfect, just almost perfect – which of course, made him really perfect) He truly was a hero in this book. He is sweet, understanding, protective, and all around swoon-worthy. He was also a guy. His inner dialogue had me laughing more than once. “Nothing says awkward like coming in your pants while dry humping.” I loved how he took care of Kayla, and how basically from the moment they met, he was willing to do whatever it took for her to be ok. I appreciated how their relationship developed (even if I wanted to scream with frustration a few times). While they bonded quickly, neither of them was willing to rush into something, though they both had different reasons for that. I think that a lack of communication was the one thing that irked me ever so slightly. (ok, maybe more than slightly). The story is told in dual POV, so we get to see what both Mikayla and Jake are thinking. This is both wonderful, and frustrating, because as the reader, we KNOW how much they love each other, but neither of them is willing to put the words out there. There is always talk of “show don’t tell” – but Mikayla and Jake took that to a whole new level. They “showed” so much that there was so doubt in anyone’s mind how they felt about each other, but the lack of “tell” created some serious problems. I have to say, I do lay the blame for that more on Jake then Mikayla. You know why she’s not “telling”, and while it was unnecessary, I understood and sympathized with where she was coming from. I had to keep reminding myself that they were only 18, so I didn’t try and climb in the book and shake some sense into them. But, in the end, I loved them. Even when I wanted to kill them. I was so invested in their story – in them that every threat to their relationship had my heart pounding. The cast of secondary characters were amazing. I absolutely loved all of them. Cam and “book-worm” Lucy, Heidi and Dylan, and Logan all brought so much color and humor to a story that could have gotten bogged down with the heavy topics (and seemingly never ending sexual frustration). I can’t imagine anyone NOT wishing for a group of friends just like them. Lucy in particular was a favorite of mine. I always have a soft spot for fellow book lovers (even if they are fictional characters). Drunk Lucy was even more fun. ”I swear to god, Micky,” Lucy snarls at her, Cam’s pretending to hold her back, amused by her drunk state. “I’ll cut a bitch for you, just let me go, Cam. Let me go!” she yells, trying to fight his grip. Overall, it was a beautiful story, wonderfully told – that is immediately getting a space on my favorites shelf. Highly recommended.

FÁCIL DE LEER

More than this is a story about a girl, a boy and their unique love story. But it's so much more than that. It's also a story about a girl who lost everything and her new beginning with a Jake Andrews who is kind of a big deal. But not only had the main characters grown on my heart but also the secondary ones. Every character is so real that they could be someone out of the daily life. There aren't perfect heroines with who you can't identify yourself with. Maybe you can't relate to one of the characters 100%, it's more like you find one or more facet that is similar to your own. Above all, this book it's a story about friendship, family, love and heartache. It made me laugh out loud, cry, and feel things I never had experience before while reading. Even after I finished the book it stayed with me. This story will stay with me forever because it's a unique. To celebrate the re-release of this beautiful book I re-read it. And it was just as awesome as the first time.

Key words for this review is AMAZING: The story --- AMAZING The characters --- AMAZING The author --- AMAZING Loved *^* #Jakeislove

Jay McLean you just completely wrecked me. I don't know what I expected when I started this book but what I read was certainly not it. I absolutely resented having to sleep & do mum jobs because it tore me away from this story. There can't be many emotions I didn't feel while I read. I was so drawn into the book & into these characters. It's been such a long time since I've read a YA/NA book & only a rare few have touched me in the way that More Than This did. I fell so in love with Jake Andrews & his family & friends. What they gave to Mikayla after all she had been through gave me such faith in humanity. The hilarity of Jake & Mickey's friends brought so much to the story & I can't wait to read theirs. Then there's the wonderful Jake Andrews. He had me openly swooning & my heart pounding on so many occasions. It was gut-wrenchingly sad but so incredibly beautiful. I'm completely broken right now & so happy at the same time. Thank you for an amazing story. And one more thing - I KNEW IT!!!!!! :)

This book is everything!!!! Perfect! Jay didn’t disappoint me! I loved everything about this book. The story, characters...literally everything! This book is a must.