Ava Diaz needs saving.She just doesn’t know it yet.Just like she doesn’t know a thing about the boy she sits next to on the first day of senior year.He thinks she’s a brat.She thinks he’s entitled.Maybe first impressions don’t always last… Because Connor Ledger’s about to save her.He just doesn’t know why.Heartache and Hope is mature young-adult Sports Romance, 80k full-length novel and is the … Romance, 80k full-length novel and is the first book in the Heartache Duet
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My heart cracked a little, swooned a lot and loved for tons.
Jay MacLean wrote some heavy emotional Young Adult story about two young people who had to grow up faster than the others. Living far from the realities of teenagers with weights on their shoulders they shouldn’t have for their young age.
Ava and Connor won me over from the first time. That girl who lived to be on bubble, unfriendly and but rude at times and that boy with a heart of gold who pushed all her defenses and broke almost all her walls.
I thought I was ready for the heartbreak coming and the inevitably of their situation. But I wasn’t at all. The author conveyed throughout the main characters such powerful emotions that went straight to the guts. Just young love at its best…The butterflies and the swooning, the rage and happiness, the turmoil of emotions that could felt any teenagers. The pressure to take care of their families and responsibilities they had to handle.
For a moment they met in the middle, a place where they found their peace and happiness. A bubble that might explode at any time, like a ticking bomb. Ava was for a long time the girl apart, who wanted to be alone. Pushing anyone due to the heaviness of her situation. I was in awe of her behavior and strength, of her maturity for that young age. In her attempts not to seek for help and ended trapped into it, she guarded her heart and also friendship to anyone. How could she be a teenager with this family dynamic? One good day, ten other bad days coming. A nightmare on repeat.
Connor was focused on basketball until he met this girl who wanted to be alone, who tried to keep him at bay. The moment he saw her, he was sold, attracted like a moth to a flame, knowing perfectly that trying to crack the code to her heart wouldn’t be easy. A bit perseverance and strong determination was the key. I swooned and sighed so much with him. A boy with so much love and fighting spirit. The words he used to describe his feelings were just… damn my heart.
This was the kind of story that speaks to my heart. The narrative was poignant, raw and rough. The main characters never hide how they felt, in the good and the bad times. In spite of this emotional side, there was such magic in this book, even in the darkness they could find that ray of sunshine when they were together. A chemistry so beautifully written, that made me smile so many times I lost count.
This story was charged emotionally for sure but the author managed to find that balance between the moments of joy and the ones that broke me apart. From the beginning I was rooting for them, not to let it go. Now I have to wait for the second book and I have such hope for them, that they would finally find the ending they deserved, with some obstacles to overcome.
Jay McLean made me a believer. Just heartbreakingly beautiful.
What is it about Australian authors and their tendency to make me cry like a baby?
Jay McLean sure knows how to write a book full of words that resonates deep within your soul. I lost count on how many times I had to take a breather just because I couldn’t handle so many different emotions all at once. Crying. Laughing. Swooning. I did all those things.
I love this book so hard and Jay McLean for not sugarcoating things and keeping it real. Connor and Ava will drive you nuts. You will have the urge to shake them many many times. But throughout their thorny journey, you will root for these imperfect teens with baggage worth a lifetime.
I highly recommend.
Hey lovely readers!
Here’s a book review for you! But before I get to that,I want to tell you all a little story.
I’ve always loved to read, and I’ve always been into romance, even way before I should have been haha! But, it was really only two years ago that I really got into contemporary and new adult romance. Now it’s my genre of choice, I mean my blog is a romance book blog! And guess what? It was a Jay McLean book that caused me to fall in love with the genre. I discovered her More Than Series on a crappy winter day, I binged all the books in 3 days (thank you crazy snow storm) and I was hooked. That weekend, More Than Him and More Than Her (books 2 and 3 in the series) became my favorite romance books and Jay became my favorite author. And now I have a (somewhat) successful blog and because of that I received Jay’s newest release as an ARC. Truly a dream come true. So thank you Jay from the bottom of my heart. I’ll never be able to thank you enough. Now to the review!
So let me just wipe the tears out of my eyes, because this one made me ugly cry so hard (all the best books do)! This review took me awhile to write, because for awhile all I could think to write was “this book is amazing” over and over. And no, I’m not kidding. But after some serious music therapy and a re-read (yup I’ve already read it again) I finally got my thoughts into sentences that actually say things and convey my love for this book.
Jay has this amazing ability to make all her stories mean something, they leave an impact on you, you always learn something about yourself, at least I do, and that to me is so amazing. This story is no different. You meet Connor and Ava and you know it’s going to be rough, you know it’s going to hurt. but you don’t know just how much you’ll learn from them. They’ll put a little magic back in your life, magic you didn’t even know you needed or wanted.
So this book is a YA sports romance and I love a good sports romance. There’s some sport, some teen angst, some skipping class, some fights, some laughs, all the smut you could want, and most importantly a boy and a girl learning just how awful life can be sometimes. If you read my blog you probably know I like books that are tough. The ones that put the awful stuff right in your face and force you to confront it. I love the ones that don’t shy away from the scary things, the horrible stuff that happens every day that no one wants to talk about. This book packs that punch. Connor has been through something awful, Ava is pretty much living her own personal nightmare, but somehow they manage to find peace within each other. There’s something so beautiful and powerful about that.
But what I think these two learn throughout this book is that you have to love yourself first. You cannot expect someone else to make you whole, make you better, pick up your pieces. Heartache and Hope reminds us that there is magic in the people we love, but also in ourselves. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.
In case it’s not clear, I 100% recommend this one for any romance lover and I myself cannot wait for book #2
Thanks for reading guys! Talk to you soon! Adrianna
And Jay is back with a bang
How is it possible that my heart feels so empty but so full of love and emotion at the same time. The answer is this story. Ava and Connor are going to take up residence in your heart and never leave. Unconditional love, faith and loyalty. Life can play tricks on you, life can be hard and for some day to day life can be brutal. I love a slow burn romance so watching Ava and Connor build on their friendship was beautiful. The author brings Ava’s reality to life with stark realism. The secondary characters are just as well developed and important to the storylone. It’s a duet so we have a cliffy of sorts but I don’t care I loved every word of this book. Now to see where book two takes us.
Welcome back Jay we’ve missed you.
***5 Stars***
Ok. I KNOW that I should have been prepared for what was going to be thrown down simply by the name of the book and duet, but DAMN, my heart…Talk about being shattered and then pieced back together, not just once, but at various times throughout the book. I mean this one had me getting all teary and sniffly one moment, frustrated and a little growly the next and then laughing out loud and even getting a little swoony. It was exhausting emotionally and yet, satisfying all at the same time and though things do end on a bit of a cliffy, which is never fun, I cannot wait to get my hands on the conclusion to Ava and Connor’s journey.
Ava and Conner. My heart hurt for these two. They are both good, hard working kids that life/fate has leveled a lot of weight on. Ava is sassy, sweet and has a good heart. She has had to grow up faster than she ever imagined and is doing her best to keep her head above water. Conner is determined. He has a goal and is willing to do all that he can to achieve it. Their journey, thus far, has been a fun one overall. Things are rocky due to all that is going on in their lives, but when they let their guard’s down and are just in the moment, they have a connection that makes it so easy to believe they could be so much more.
This one hooked me from the start and though there is a cliffy of sorts, it’s one that wasn’t necessarily a surprise, so no major WT??? Issues, but it does have me wanting the conclusion to Ava and Connor’s story ASAP! There are some pretty heavy issues that Ava and Connor deal with, and not just everyday teenage drama, so there could be some triggers, but overall everything has been handled well. And as for the supporting cast of characters, all are well written and give a lot of depth to the story, though my fav of the bunch is Trevor ~ he’s just kind of everything.
So, if you love YA romance and are looking for something that will definitely take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, then this one is a definite must read!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book is the exact reason why i would wait 10 years inbetween Jay McLeans books because when she releases a book you know it’s going to be something she has poured her heart into and it’s going to be the best story it could be.
This book certainly lives up to its name, you have all hope in the world but what comes when the hope is lost heartache and lord do you feel all the emotions.
Connor and Ava had such an amazing chemistry right of the bat but you never imagine how different there stories are but how they feel the same pressures in life. The story with Ava’s mum was so sad and the heartbreak that comes along with this type of tragedy and to see how Ava is affected broke my heart.
Connors story was also a sad one, but he is such a beautiful boy who had felt abandonment and all he wanted to be was loved and the fact that this was such a hard time for him you could feel his disappointment in himself and the pressure he was feeling just falling out of this book.
This book was everything and more i laughed and cried and got so lost in the story i couldn’t put it down until i finished it. My heart broke at the end and i just cried till i could pick my phone up and write my review this book hurt my soul in so many good ways.
Absolutely loved this story i can’t wait for the next book and i am so excited to be back in the world of Jay Mckeans words because they are so beautiful and her stories are ones i never forget.
Loved loved loved this book this book deserves all the heartbreaking stars
“I moved here with one thing on my mind. Work hard enough to get noticed so I move one step closer toward the end game. But… but maybe fate had other plans for me. Bigger ones. Because you’re here, with me, and you noticed me, Ava, so maybe… maybe the end game was never about basketball. Maybe my end game is you.
Gah! Jay McLean is back and better than ever before. I truly believe that Heartache and Hope is BY FAR her best book to date. It reminded me of all of the reasons why she is one of my go-to authors. This is a beautiful romance that is perfect for those who want to escape for a while and read about a lovely couple who struggle but never give up hope.
Ava is not your typical teenager. She lives a difficult life trying to balance school and taking care of her disabled mother. She works tirelessly, day after day, without complaint. She sacrifices both a social life and love life all to take care of what needs to be done. But then she meets the new guy at school and despite her best effort to resist him, she simply can’t. He makes her heart flutter and turns her world upside down.
Connor is new to town and completely focused on basketball. That is his dream and ultimately the end game. But then he meets Ava, and the attraction is immediate. The sparks begin to fly and with a little work, he is able to tear down her walls. The two of them fall hard and fast, causing him to question everything he thought he wanted.
Watching Ava and Connor together was beautiful. In each other, they found comfort and love, but over time, that love is continually tested. Their story is filled with both heartache and hope. My heart absolutely ached for them as they struggled to find their way in life. This beautiful coming of age tale will make you experience all of the feels that come with first love. I smiled. I laughed and I cried. I loved this book so hard! PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS!
I am absolutely blown away after reading this. This book is something else. I can’t move past Heartache and Hope and to be honest I don’t think I want to. Jay McLean may have taken a short break from writing but she’s come back better than ever with a truly unforgettable story. This book is pure perfection. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to do this story or it’s characters justice so this review is going to be super short and sweet.
I went into this book thinking I knew what I was getting into. I was so wrong. I never expected to be bombarded with so many emotions while reading this. I didn’t expect to still be thinking about the characters days after finishing. These characters are so easy to love, they don’t have perfect lives and if anyone deserves good things it’s these two. It’s not even just the two main characters that will make you love them. Trevor…I fell so hard and fast for this guy. The more I found out about him the harder I fell and I’m desperate for more from him.
There’s so much love packed into the pages of this book, it’s hard not to like nearly every single character. But it’s not all sunshine and flowers. I had a sense of foreboding, a feeling of desolation that made my heart ache and made me cling to my hope that it was all going to be okay in the end. This story is sweet, it’s sad, it’s everything in between. It really is an emotional rollercoaster read.
Heartache and Hope is a must read. It’s a story that will stay with me forever and an all time favourite of mine.
“Teenage hormones are one hell of a drug.”
Jay McLean does a beautiful job, in Heartache and Hope, blending the magical feelings of young love and the bitter realities some must face in life. H&H has a mature YA feel, and covers some serious subject matter. Told in the dual POV’s of Ava and Connor. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but this is book one in a duet so it lends to the build of the characters relationship!
I want to say so much about Ava and Connor, but I think it’s best you meet them on your own. They are lovable, they are flawed, and they feel real. Their love is… *sigh*. It just is. These are two people who fit so easily together, but have other important things that require their focus, so they try to avoid it. Two people who make each other so happy and so hopeful, but can’t seem to easily navigate how to make it all work. In H&H Ava and Connor are juggling responsibilities, harsh realities, high school life, and young love. It’s not always easy, but to them it feels worth it and the ride is such a good one.
It wouldn’t be a Jay book without an amazing cast of side characters in our main’s lives. They not only give so much depth to the main story, but they really have a life of their own. I love how Jay could make me feel invested in the friends/family without taking away from Ava and Connor’s story.
H&H is the first part of Ava and Connor’s story and it will own you, break you, and heal you. I mean it’s in the title, so prepare yourself for a little heartache. There is It’s an intense read, but a good one. Jay is definitely back and better than ever.