Name: More Than This
ISBN: 9781477820384

Jay McLean

More Than This

Megan Lowe

I loved this story. It’s heartbreaking but it’s also heartwarming. I love the instance acceptance of Mikey by Jake, his friends, and his family. This is a great, comforting story.

Follow Lucy and Cameron, after the death of her mother, as they grow up through high school and on to college. Not all love is forever, but can Lucy and Cam's love be the exception?

More Than Forever

meha 

Camlucy best couple in the series and that’s that!

There's no emotion greater than fear. No ache greater than grief. No sound greater than silence. *** I'm grateful he showed up on my doorstep, pissed off and angry at the world. If he hadn't, I wouldn't be here. And I don't just mean here on this journey with him. I mean here, in this world. * I wonder what events in all our lives-hers included-are The Turning Points? The points where we all determine that the fear of our pasts and the uncertainty of our futures are greater than our need for happiness. Here. Now. While time and everything around us stands unmoving... who's to say we can't have it all? *** We wanted it all. We wanted it with each other. We thrived on the chaos we created. And ignored the Mayhem that ensued. Because falling in love was easy. But sometimes, love isn't enough.

More Than Enough

All I can say is that this book had me in a emotional roller coaster and so much pain!

Emilie Adele Rognmo

five stars isn’t nearly enough to rate them. since this is my all time favorite book i think it’s only fair i give it a proper review. 

from the first moment i met lucy i felt an instant connection to her character. then along came cameron, and together they literally changed my life. these characters have become a safe place for me to escape whenever the world becomes too much.

i have cried endless tears for them, i have laughed so hard i almost peed, and my phone has been thrown into walls. there’s so many emotions i can’t even begin to express them. the fact that there’s another book on the way makes me so excited i can’t even start.

there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that this book will be with me for the rest of my life. 


aaand, some of my favorite quotes;

“because it’s eternal, the rise and fall of the sun. it’s forever. just like us.”

“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.”

“i love you, lucy. i’ll always love you, even if you don’t know it. so... even if forever isn’t eternal, i promise to love you for our forever.”

“i really like you, cameron."
i grin. "yeah?"
"yeah," she says dreamily.
and then my heart begins to race.
my palms begin to sweat.
and all I can hear is the blood pumping in my ears.
"good," i respond, and then inhale a huge breath. "because i'm kind of in love with you, lucy.”

“because in a time of nothing but pain, and anger, and emptiness, and hurt... he healed me.
he made it stop.
he made it better.
he made me fall in love.
love.
i love him.”

“you're not an object, i don't want you to think that i own you."
she shrugs. "why not? i'm yours.”

Samantha Chavez 

I couldn't even finish this book. 
I mean has the author ever experienced the death of a loved one before because this book makes it seem like she hasn't. The main character mourns for a night and by the next day had almost forgotten about it and moved on to wanting to have sex with a guy she's known for one night. She considered him "family" after knowing him for a few hours, the two of them not even having had any real characters. And him? He started off as an okay guy and then turned possessive and annoying. 
This book is offending and the death of her family was used just to get her closer to the boy. I can't even remember their names. This book was horrible.

Nedu

lol I knew I shouldn't have bothered with this

if there is a record of number of times you can roll your eyes while reading, I just beat it.

"For every action there is an equal and 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.

More Than Her

i continue to cringe from the dialogue in this series

I read 3 books just to read this and honestly it was worth it.

Megan Williams

So, I really love the other books in the series….like seriously in LOVE with this series. So I had some major – and I mean MAJOR – expectations for More Than Forever. Plus, it was about the two characters that I have been dying to read about it. So going into this book I was kind of expecting it to be either super awesome or a disappointment….

Luckily for me, More Than Forever was A-MAZ-ING!

Everything about it was so perfect. The characters were unique and well written. Jay McLean managed to give them their own unique personalities and I loved how individual they were. They definitely weren’t two-dimensional. Lucy was so heartbreaking yet easy to relate to. Her past and what she believes in made the book so much better to read. Cameron was just the perfect male lead in this book. He was drool worthy in every way and I loved how mature he was yet sensitive. Every action was meant to help others. 

Of course this book had some drama. I mean, how lame would it be without some heart wrenching twist that would make me want to scream and cry to the point where I almost threw my nook across the room?….super lame. That’s why this author tore my heart out and put it on a stake when she wrote in the plot twist. There is no other way to write an interesting read.
--- I wasn’t this understanding when I first read the book, but now that I got the chance to calm down and re-read I do understand why Jay McLean had to hurt me in this way…. she did it for the book ---
 
One thing that struck me as kind of awesome was the way that the book progressed. It was almost like I was growing up along with Lucy and Cameron as the author took me from the very beginning of their relationship to the ‘end’. 
--- ‘end’ is a relative term that could mean anything from the end of their relationship to the end of the book. ---

I would actually consider reading this book before More Than This just because it is set before that book and doesn’t give too much away. But that’s just me.

Even with the drama and the crying – my crying – this book is one of the best I’ve read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an fantabulous read.

More Than This. I can’t even tell you how much I love this book, because I love it so FREAKIN much! It just has all the elements that I love so much in the books I read. It has Tragedy, Love, Recovery, Heartbreak, and the perfect Resolution. I mean, this book just hits all the key points that I look for in a book and leaves me wanting more. 

So first off, this book hits some hard points pretty soon in the book. It was a little bit different from other books I have read as the betrayal and tragedy hit right in the first few chapters instead of the usual middle of the book road bump. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that Mikayla’s prom night is probably the worst. Betrayed and then devastated. It can’t get any worse than that. 

One thing I really really liked about More Than This, is the emotion that the author is able to give to the book. Every sentence is used with purpose and has imbedded with just so much feeling. I’ll be the first to admit that I totally got caught up in this book. 

(Yes, that does mean that I ended up crying at some parts…) 

Anyways, *cough, cough* it was really easy to like the characters. Mikayla was going through this whole tragedy thing and I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Plus, she was such a strong character in this book that I didn’t get frustrated when she was emotionally weak and needy. (And not the annoying kind either, I promise!)

Then there was Jake… *sigh*. Okay, first, he plays baseball. He’s super hot. He’s super nice, and he has amazing friends… What’s not to love??? Jake is definitely a character that you will be swooning over for weeks after reading this book. And of course his connection with Mikayla is absolutely perf! They really brought out the best in each other and it’s what made the book that much better.

So the main story line of this book revolves around Mikayla and her recovery/blooming romance with Jake that may or may not pan out to something special. They do go through quite a few challenges and some worried parents but in the end I think the author wrote the perfect story to fit these characters. (Or the other way around ;) )

The story is told mostly from Mikayla’s POV so it’s a great insider look on what the characters are feeling as they go through some of the major life decisions in More Than This. I actually really liked how the author used this perspective to further along the book. It was nice not getting the personal perspective of everyone in the book but instead was focused on Mikayla and Jake. 

Overall, this book was seriously amazing and I would recommend it to any type of reader. More Than This should be the top book of your reading list this year.



So, side note:

 Compared to the other books in the series, More Than This is my favorite. Also, while More Than This is the first book in a 5 book series, it can be read as a stand alone novel (Although I personally would go ahead and read the rest of the books in the series). More Than This is the only book in the series about Mikayla and Jake specifically, but the other books will show their relationship after More Than This.

Click: To read my review of More Than Forever... Another 5 Star Read
https://bkwrm29.wordpress.com/2014/07...

celeste

well this takes the cake for most unrealistic and infuriating new adult i've ever read. and this comes from someone who has read (and loved) a shitton of wild NA, but maaan this was just bonkers.

you expect me to read that the heroine just met this dude, learns that her entirely family was massacred and decides to go to this stranger’s house for the night? nah fam. not only that but the family of said stranger, the H, is just okay with a random girl suddenly living in their house as if they've adopted her? without even knowing who she is? hmmm nah. i'm expected to believe that she has no extended relatives, no friends at all, and would rather stay living at the stranger hottie's house (ofc) instead of her mother's bff whom she calls 'aunt'? hard pass.

even if i overlooked this ridiculousness, there's still the characters to deal with. character depth or development?



the characters were incredibly underdeveloped, and the fact that the H says he thinks he loves the h the very night he meets her is just too much bs for me. insta lust? i get it, but insta love? how can you say you love a person you just met, ergo you don't even know???? moreover, jake’s jealousy and possessiveness was actually scary. he legit almost punched his best friend because he saw him giving the h and his sister a ride in the car. do y’all understand that? HE HAS A FIT OF ANGER BECAUSE HE SEES HIS FRIEND GIVE MIKAYLA A RIDE. whenever they go to a party, he goes absolutely berserker every time he sees her talking to a guy, causing a scene in said party because he sees that the h IS HOLDING A DRINK THAT HE DIDN'T BUY HER. and this is not because he thinks the drink might be drugged, it’s because he sees that it’s a guy who bought her a drink. we later learn after his anger fit that said guy was actually a friend of the h. smdh i can't even with that, christian grey doesn't hold a candle to this dude.

as regards the h, 
  sighs.
 this girl loses her entire family to murder but somehow is laughing and thirsting over the stranger she just met a day after the murders happened. yeaaaah, totally realistic. unless this girl is secretly ted bundy and has no feelings whatsoever, i can't for a second believe that she would cry a little the next two days and be done with her mourning of her entire family including a little sister of 9 years old.

also, so much girl hate in this book ughhhhhh. the h calls every female who dares to walk up to jake and talk to him 'slut-bags' just for the sole reason that they talked to her crush. she calls another one 'tramp tits' and yells at her because she sees the chick talking to the H. TALKING. when she sees how stunning the H's ex-girlfriend is, she legit says that she hopes she is dumb, or used to be fat because she is so jealous of her. WTF IS THAT. honey, chill the fuck down and deal with your jealousy in a healthy way please. this slutshaming in NA is getting old, and this book came out in 2013, that’s definitely not that far long ago to blame it on the ‘it’s outdated’ excuse.

i don’t know what y’all saw when giving this book 5 stars, i only wish my eyeballs had never had the misfortune of reading this one.

"God Jake, I so much more than a lot like you."
"Mikayla, I passed that stage a long, long time ago."


The prologue to More Than This sucked me in immediately. Tragedy... Deaths... Murders... What on Earth? Isn't this a love story? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it's so, so very much more than that. It's about family, betrayal, loss, grief, acceptance and moving forward. But it's also about love, hope and friendship. This book was a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I think it took me through every possible emotion and made me feel all the feelings. There were several "WTF?!" moments that I didn't see coming a mile away.

More Than This is told through Mikayla and Jake's perspectives. The alternating perspective chapters were very well written. Each character had a clearly-defined voice. So many books do this now, but not all do it well. There was no question whose chapter I was reading, even if I missed the heading at the beginning.


  "It's just you. It's only ever been just you. It will always only ever be just you."


My heart absolutely broke for Mikayla through the duration of the book, but at no time more than in the first few chapters of the book when she deals with the ultimate betrayal and a horrifying crime... on the same night. I cringed, I cried. I truly felt for her. I can't say she was the strongest female character I've ever read, but given all she went through in such a short span on time, the fact that she was even upright and functional was nothing short of amazing. So she suffered from a bit of low self-esteem and some trust issues. It's truly no wonder.


  "I think I do, love her, I mean. I think I'm in love with this beautifully broken girl."


I adored Jake. So much more than a lot. He may have started out the worst day of Mikayla's life as a total stranger, but by the end of the night, they were bonded. Forever. I like when authors take the road less traveled and don't feel the need to make every male character a "bad boy." Sure, we all love reading about the reformed bad boy/manwhore, but it's just as nice to read about a genuine nice guy. Especially when he's also not a giant ... wait, I can't use that word... Well, when he's still a GUY. Sure, Jake was feeling all the feelings about Mikayla, but he wasn't hopelessly whipped. He also wasn't an ass. He still had depth and needs and he made mistakes, but he was just so damned likable.


  "We're looking so intently into each others' eyes, trying to see into each others' souls. Talking without speaking. Feeling without touching."


Mikayla and Jake's chemistry was instantaneous. It was so believable. Genuine. I thoroughly enjoyed their journey. It was heartfelt. It was sweet. It was sexy, but not smutty. It was tumultuous, but not in a way that made me want to scream at them and shake them and throw my iPad across the room. I thank Jay McLean for taking me on this journey with her beautifully-written characters. I can't wait to see where she takes them (and me!) in the upcoming second book, More Than Her.

The only even semi-negative thing I have to say about the book was that I found there to be way, way too much slang. Towards the end, I was getting sick of seeing "fricken" and "cut a bitch" and "legits." Maybe other readers wouldn't have this issue, but it was starting to grate on me by about the 3/4 mark of the book.

If you're a fan of New Adult books, pick this one up. Seriously. You won't regret it. As a matter of fact, I'm sure you'll be with me, chomping at the bit for the second book's release. It's worth mentioning that, though this is a series, there is no cliffhanger! :)

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
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It's really difficult for me to put my thoughts about More Than Her into words. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, More Than This. The main character in this book, Logan, was a likable minor character in the first book. The mysterious "Her" is someone we have met before and I did like the two of them as a couple. (Rest assured, Jake and Mikayla fans, nothing more is going to happen to your favorite couple. Mikayla is not "Her.") But something never quite clicked for me. I think it was because of all the angst. Yes, I love good angst in my books, but sometimes it just gets to be too much. It pains me to say that this was one of those times. 

Neither Logan nor "Her" have had easy lives so far. They both brought a ton of baggage into their relationship. They made their fair share of mistakes. But, I really did like them together. Neither of them were perfect, but they worked together well. They were a cute couple. Their feelings were obviously strong and I loved the back-and-forth of their interactions. There were as many charming, funny moments as there were sweet and sexy ones. I cheered on this couple. I wanted them to work, even at the times it looked like it wouldn't work out at all. 

I won't say much more because of potential spoilers. But, the book went in a direction I found equal parts unexpected and unwelcome. It just didn't work for me, which was a shame, because up to that point I was dealing with the angst and I was thoroughly wrapped-up in the story of Logan and "Her." The cliffhanger at the end didn't thrill me, but it didn't turn me off either. The last line of the book is absolutely brilliant and it alone makes me incredibly eager to read the third book in this series to see what happens and to see if I can find the magic of the first book again.

"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.

More Than Him

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
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When I wrote my review for More Than Her, I said that the book and I never quite clicked, that it was a little too angsty for me to fully enjoy. Any bad feelings left with the ending of More Than Her were quickly forgotten as More Than Him got underway. Yes, there was plenty of the drama and angst I've come to expect from Jay's books, but in a good way. This book didn't hurt my heart as I read. Sure, it had a few gut wrenching moments, but they worked well in the frame of the story and didn't seem completely overwhelming this time around.

  
    "When I woke up in the hospital, the first thing I remember thinking was that maybe Logan and I were connected somehow, more than just a boy and a girl in love. Maybe our souls were entwined – if he hurt, I hurt. If he stopped breathing, I did too. If he died, maybe I would die with him."
  

This book picks up where More Than Her left off. Amanda is released from the hospital after the horrendous events of the other book. She quickly learns that Logan has left town and she's absolutely crushed. With the help of friends, and somewhat surprisingly, Dr. Matthews, she begins putting herself back together. She doesn't get over Logan, but she puts on a fair show of trying. Then, at a party, she sees him and their journey back to each other begins.

I'll admit that, while I found Logan swoony in More Than Her, I also thought he was a bit of a jerk. While he talked about how much he loved Amanda, he still enjoyed the attention of other girls a little too much for me, especially given his past. Unfortunately there were a couple cringe-worthy moments in this book that made me realize my initial impressions weren't too far off. Don't get me wrong, there's no cheating and there's no doubt he does truly love Amanda, but he needs to think a little more about her feelings. It was a bit of a turn-off to me. That said, he did really grow in this story. His time away from his real life and Amanda was spent grooming him into a better, more grounded person. His escape and his experiences truly led him back to Amanda and made them stronger in time.

I adore Amanda. I have since she first appeared in the series. She's sweet and spunky, strong despite the horrific things she's been through. She's equal part girlie girl and tomboy. I find her relatable and I've always been solidly Team Amanda, so when Logan screwed up, it took a lot for me to forgive him on her behalf.

  
    "In the most horrible of circumstances, that's what you were to me – a light in the darkness. That's what you became, and that's what you stayed. In my head. In my heart. My light. Forever."
  

More Than Him was a beautiful second chance love story. It was emotional and sexy. I couldn't put it down. It was also a relatively short and super quick read. Told from both Amanda and Logan's POV, I felt like I really got the full story. While their story was a bit rocky for me and I was unsure where they were headed after the first book, this one was a satisfying conclusion. Fans of the series will be pleased.

As is beginning to be a trend with Jay's books, there was a teaser chapter from another character at the end of the book. I hadn't ever thought about the series continuing after the conclusion of Amanda and Logan's story, but I really hope it does. I adore the secondary characters in the teaser chapter and now I find myself desperately wanting more of them, too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
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Cam and Lucy's story. Cam and Lucy's story! I feel like I've been waiting on this forever, so I was over the flipping moon to get an early look at it as part of this blitz. It was so good, y'all. If you've been loving this series so far, go buy this book immediately. You will not be sorry.

Lucy's been my favorite character in the More series since the very first book. I loved that she was a bookworm and thoroughly appreciated the bookish references thrown in. It always made me smile when I could figure out which book she was talking about without a title ever being mentioned. Lucy is sassy and feisty and that's my favorite type of female character. She and Cam always made a fantastic couple while they were in the background of other characters' stories, so I couldn't wait to see them shine and learn more about them.

I knew I liked Cam with Lucy, but I never had a strong read on his character on his own until I read this book. OMG this kid. I. Love. Cam. He's so sweet and thoughtful and just an all-around good guy. He's one of the least complicated, swooniest good book boyfriends I've met in a long time. He's also sexy, funny, artistic and intelligent. Total package, right? Right.

More Than Forever spans a long period of time – from Cam and Lucy meeting in their early teens until they're in college. For a long time, it seemed like everything with them would be totally rosy and nothing could come between them. Well, I was silly for actually believing that because this is a Jay McLean book and there has to be a twist or two in there. And there was. There was also the frustrating lack of communication between characters that made me want to yell at them – but only because I love 'em so much and hated watching them make mistakes.

There was no sitting this book down once I started reading it. Cam and Lucy were so freaking cute as they started out, and they just got better from there. I loved the dynamic between them and adored their banter. Of course, as their relationship grew, things got sexier and there are some pretty steamy scenes here. *fans self* More Than Forever wasn't all romance, though. There's a great focus on friendship and family, particularly Cam's relationship with his mom's boyfriend. They just made me smile.

More Than Forever was a great addition to the More series. It's also my favorite book in the series so far. It was the best of what Jay McLean has to offer – likable characters, a wonderful pairing, great romance, fun sexy times, humor and a ton of heart, and just enough strife to make it real, but not overly angsty. If you're a fan of new adult and not reading this series, you should be.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Joleen

5 STARS because this book made me cry my heart out and laugh like an idiot at 2am!

Jacelyn

I'm giving this book 4 stars. 

If you don't mind a bit of spoilers, please click on the spoilers. 

(view spoiler)[Initially, I want to give only 3.5 stars only, because it's a normal plot that how a girl survive through a tragedy. What had changed my opinion is Chapter 49, the story told by her mum.

This is a beautiful story written lots of reality and a bit fairy tale fantasies. 
Recommend to read for an enjoyable sweet love story :) (hide spoiler)]

No further questions asked. 
4 stars for More than her!