Showing posts with label Jay McLean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jay McLean. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2015

(Quick) Book Review: Combative by Jay McLean




We all play victims to our pasts; to the choices we make and the lives we create. 
They define who we are. 
And sometimes if we're lucky enough, the past stays where it belongs: in the past. 
I'm not one of the lucky ones. 
I never have been. 
Because now the past is knocking on my door, offering deals I have no choice but to take… deals that will help bring justice—not just for me, but for my brothers.
The problem? 
The deal is a ticking time bomb. 
One I didn't know existed.
So, if you have been reading my blog for a little while, then you know how obsessed I am with Jay McLean's books. I love them so much and have reread her More Series countless times, way more than any other book series or standalone. I just love her writing and the way she can make you fall in absolute and irrevocable love with her characters. So, that being said, when she told all of the members of her MoreMunity on Facebook that she had decided to not publish her novel, Combative, we were crushed. Devastated. Just plain sad. But through it all we came to understand her reason. She wasn't happy with the way it had turned out. And why would you want to publish something, share something with tons of people, if you weren't 100% sure it was the best it could be? The answer, you don't. Jay then began to release a chapter or two at a time on the website Wattpad. Then, boom! I get a notification on facebook from the MoreMunity group saying that Jay McLean had posted something. Me, being curious I click on it. Then my whole world lights up with fireworks because she had just shred the link to be able to buy the entire first book in the Combative Series on Amazon. I bought it no questions asked and immediately stopped reading the book I had been reading at the time to begin devouring this one. And all I've got to say its, I'm not quite sure what she thought was so wrong with this book, because it was freaking fantastic. 



It's a little different than her other books. There's more mystery in Combative than there was in the More Series, Where the Road Takes Me, and Boy Toy Chronicles Vol. 1. It had situations, such as organized fighting (like Fight Club style) in it. This is something that Jay hasn't explored before and I feel she did an amazing job at. I only had one problem with this book, but it wasn't enough of an issue for me to dock any stars off. My problem was that I felt like Madison and Ky's relationship started really quick. It was kind of insta-lovey and I would have liked to see it a bit more strung out. However, as I thought about it more while reading, it seemed like their relationship wouldn't have been able to start out any other way. As you got to know the characters more you realized that they were the type of people that couldn't just skirt around a relationship. They're the all or nothing kind of people. This is the first book in a series and it ends on a huge cliffhanger. I'm super excited to see what book two will bring and I definitely need answers to my many, many questions.  




More Series

Where The Road Takes Me

Boy Toy Chronicles Vol. I

Two people. 
Multiple lives. 
One ticking time bomb. 
Tick. 
Tock.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Tag Tuesday: The GoodReads Book Tag

It's time for yet another "Tag Tuesday" here on HEA and for today's tag I decided to do the "GoodReads Book Tag. As I always, I got the questions here. I did start writing this on Feb. 18th, so they first few questions may be a little different than what I'm currently reading, to-reading, and have read-ing (?). Without further ado...

Question 1: What was the last book you marked as read?

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler



Question 2: What are you currently reading?
1. Bait  by M. Mabie
2. Some Kind of Normal by Juliana Stone
3. Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven
(click on the books to go to their Amazon pages)


  



Question 3: What was the last book you marked as to-read?

1. Foolproof by Jennifer Blackwood
2. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider 
3. Invincible by Amy Reed
(click on the books to go to their Amazon pages)


   


Question 4: What book do you plan to read next?

I don't know, but I have a lot to choose from as you can probably tell from my 
"Bookaholic's Not-So-Anonymous #1" post last week! :)

Question 5: Do you use the star rating system?

Yes, I do. I like giving books stars. I think it's an easy way for people to quickly get the feel for what you thought of a book! :) 

Question 6: Are you doing a 2015 Reading Challenge?

Yes! I love doing the challenges. I'm not super picky about it when it comes to the end of the year, but I do try to set a realistic goal! Last year I pledged 70 books, I think and I ended up reading about 85, so for this year I pledged to read 85 books. I think that pledging the amount you read the previous year is more realistic than saying "I read 70 books last year, I want to read 200 this year." 

Question 7: Do you have a Wishlist

Not on GoodReads, but I do have a small one on Amazon, plus I keep a TBR list of books coming out in 2015. If you click here, you can see that list. 

Question 8: What book do you plan to buy next?

Probably, Confess by Colleen Hoover. It comes out on March 10th and I'm super excited about it!!! However, I've technically already bought it, because I preordered it....my  credit card has not been charged though, so actually it will be. ;)
(click on image to visit its Amazon page)


Question 9: Do you have any favorite quotes, would you like to share a few?

Yes, and you can find them here.
Here's one that I really love from Black Box by Cassia Leo:

Question 10: Who are your favorite authors?

I actually went on to the link on GoodReads that tells you your most read authors and according to that, it's Jessica Sorensen, Kelly Elliott, and Colleen Hoover. However, my all time favorite author is Jay McLean. Big surprise, right? I talk about her A LOT, so you should of known. ;) I do enjoy all of those other authors though, especially CoHo and Kelly Elliott!!
(click on the images to see the authors Amazon page)
                       
                                     Jay McLean                           Colleen Hover
            


Question 11: Have you joined any groups?

I'm in one, it's the Jay McLean Official Group, you can click here to join!

Question 12: How many shelves do you have on GoodReads?

I have a total of 3 (Read, currently reading, and to-read) that I use, but 5 (even-better-the-second-time-around, and possible reads) all together. 




If you are curious as to what other books I’ve read, or want to read head on over to my Pinterest page where you can see all of those amazing books! You can also friend me on GoodReads for even more book goodness, and like the HEA…Book Blog Facebook page to keep up to date on book teasers and other blog awesomeness. You can also find me on Tumblr, where I post other blog related items. Check it out!!

Until next time...

Have an "unexpectedly phenomenal" day and happy reading!