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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This story hit me with so many feels from so many different places. Each character resonates with you.
Let’s start with Conner. He has spent his life preparing to be a basketball star. He has hope and dreams and you literally ~feel~ them through the pages.
Conners dad. As a parent, you understand his viewpoint..although you may not agree with it. Mclean does a fantastic job of writing his story in a way that makes you understand where he’s coming from.
Ava. Wow. Once you realize what Ava is going through on a daily basis. Her struggles and life, you are INVESTED in this girl.
Ava’s Brother. Man. This guy. He’s amazing. I love him. He is not an added character with no meaning. He’s an integral part of this story and should get major props.
Ava’s Mom. Jesus. Ava’s mom resonates with me so deeply. I can’t even. No spoilers, but she is a super complex character to write and as a reader you will see that. She has struggles. Her storyline is so complex. As a reader, this character leaves your heart open and bleeding for her.
I’ve read every Jay Mclean book ever published. This book has so many multiple storylines interconnected. Jay always has amazing side characters. You get glimpses of them in all her books, but this book tells each of their stories simultaneously.
The angst of this book builds and builds. I understand why this book is part of a duet. The story can not be contained in one book. This is a book that sticks with you long after you read The End.
Thank goodness the conclusion follows so quickly, I need more of these characters in my heart.
This book created magic in my heart.
9
It’s been awhile since Jay has written anything new. Some might think she’s lost her touch by taking such a long break, some might skip reading it. I feel bad for them because JAY EFFING BRINGS IT. I’d like to say I devoured this book and couldn’t wait to read it, but that’d be lie. I KNEW I would be stuck with a book hang over. I took my time, cherished the words and the characters truly real story.
If I had to describe this book in just a few words I’d say it’s incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking. Jay does funny, she does serious and relatable. I laughed, I cried, I swooned and my heart hurt. It still does.
Ava is not just any girl. Everyone knows her, knows her story, says terrible things and doesn’t really give her the time of day unless it’s to pick on her. She’s beautiful and has been through hell. She continues to live there every day because she wants to. Her story, her family’s story is brutal, but the way her step brother and her step up is simply selfless.
Connor is the new kid in town. He’s just trying to make it to his end game. Professional basketball. He’ been through his own personal hell and thrived. He doesn’t know Ava’s story, but he wants to. She’s not one to share her story or her burden with anyone. She has no friends, but Connor somehow weasels his way into her life. They bend through each others struggles. They try so hard to be “the person” for the other, but real life gets in the way when you carry so much responsibility as a teenager.
“It feels like my soul’s on fire and she’s holding the match.”
This book is a duet, so you know the story isn’t over, but you’ve got to wonder what Jay will do with their story in the next book.
This book is full of real emotion, real sadness, and real love. I hope that you’ll love this story as much as me. The characters will leave a lasting impression. I haven’t stopped thinking about their story since I finished reading.
“I’ll travel through time to get to you.”
I’ve been reading Jay McLean since 2013. I can remember tearing up, short of ugly-crying, when I read More Than This… and I also have some of her books in my TBR shelf.
I was so stoked when I received an email about being given this ARC. I’ve been waiting to read this since it was announced. It was’t only the blurb that got to me, it was also because I know deep down without any doubt that it was going to be good.
The love story of Connor and Ava left me raw and and wide open… I tried so hard not to cry, but I was unsuccessful. My chest hurt as if it was my own heart that got broken… as if I was the one going through self-pity… as if I was the one who had to accept a dreary future… and as if I was the one who had to let go of the sole reason of my happiness.
This book will make you see how much a person is capable of sacrificing for their loved-ones… that you’ll do what you need to for them even if the stakes are very high.
It was sweet and heartbreaking at the same time… From the first page to the last, I was pulled in, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to their tumultuous journey in the next book.
To the fans of Tijan, Abbi Glines and LJ Shen, this is the book to pick up next!
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!!
No one writes YA as perfect as Jay McLean.I literally found myself holding my breath as I read these pages. Jay’s signature swoon worthy moments are heart melting and, as is her specialty – the angst is palpable. Ava and Connors story is as heartbreaking and beautiful. I was not ready for it to end and am I counting the minutes for the 2nd book!! If you are familiar with Jay’s other books, this will feel like home, if you are new to Jay, buckle up and be prepared to feel the magic.
Heartache and Hope is the perfect title for this book and I am not ok after finishing it. I should’ve known that the first part of this duet would slay me, it is a Jay McLean book after all. Nobody does angsty, soul crushing high school romance like she does. The opening alone had me clutching my chest. And while there were some light and fun and easy moments, Ava and Connor’s story was heavy.
Both a little broken and a lot lonely. These two unlikely allies form a bond that gives them something to look forward to instead of the normal stressors of their everyday life. The more I learned about each of them the more I just wanted to wrap them and give them a safe place to land. They had both suffered and endured and lived through more than most do at twice their age. And as Connor and Ava let their walls down, and grow closer, they find the magic that is in the everyday.
But when the demands of their life- school, care giving, basketball, family- start to compound, the fragile ground their standing on starts to crumble. There was a great intensity leading up to the final quarter of the book. It was building and leading up to what I had no clue. But I wasn’t expecting that! To quote Jay McLean, Heartache and Hope was “passionate and painfully perfect.” That ending left me in tatters and I need to know what is next for Ava and Connor (and it better be something happy).
ALL THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE
Magic. Pure heart magic. Between the pages of this book you’ll find a captivating and magnificent tale created by one of the most talented YA authors out there. Jay McLean poured her magical fairy dust throughout this story and I fell. Hard . I’m writing this review and trying to see through the tears that won’t stop pouring from my eyes. Jay, what have you done to me?!!
I have been waiting for new words from my unicorn author, and when I saw she was writing a duet, I was elated. Heartache and Hope, the first book in Heartache Duet, was EVERYTHING.
“Love is not a noun. Love is something you do. Something you prove. Something you work hard to create. Love is not something that simply exists because you say it. Love is not a noun. Love is a verb.”
The queen of teen angst, ruler of first-love romance made me feel hope and heartache—the pure magic of being young and falling so in love, your heart is bursting.
“We fight, we float, we laugh, and we fall. God, do we fall. Deeper and deeper into these reckless emotions.”
I’ve fallen in love with many of Ms. McLean’s books in the past and I have to say that Connor + Ava’s story took my breath away. All that this pair have been through will break your heart. You will cry. You will hurt. But above all, you will fall in love. And, when you finish that last page, you’ll hold your breath in anticipation of First and Forever. Because when you’re done, you’ll need MORE. I can’t say it enough—MAGIC!!
“Today… Today is a +infinite day.”
Such an amazing read. I absolutely fell in love with Connor and Ava. Their story is definitely filled with emotions and angst. From beginning to end you will root for these two and FEEL for them. Another must read by Jay McLean! I can’t wait to read book 2.
Jay Mclean is back and she has delivered a phenomenal book that will rab hold of your heart and refuse to let go. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down! good job my husband works nights, who needs sleep?
Jay picked the perfect name for this book as it breaks your heart but gives you hope!
My heart broke for Connor and Ava, they had been through so much. Together they seem to find some light in the darkness, gives them strength, they have hope together.
Jay McLean has a way with her words that make you feel absolutely everything, every word, every emotion! oh I just wanted to reach out and hug Connor and Ava.
The ending ………… well I need the next book now! I need my heart put back together!
Jay McLean is the Queen of first love YA stories! She has a way of making the characters find and fall in love and have us fall in love with them in the process. Ava and Connor do just that even though they aren’t supposed to be anything more than good friends…first and foremost…always.
Connor is the new guy at school that moved to a new state in a private school so that he could get noticed by a D1 college for his amazing basketball skills. He wasn’t at all prepared to feel like the fish out of water at his new school not seeming to fit in with anyone. And he definitely was not prepared for Ava, the quiet girl at school that seemed to go out of her way to not interact with anyone.
Ava was so much older emotionally than anyone her age should’ve felt even though she was just a teenage girl in high school. She had a rough go at life and was just trying to get by keeping it all together. She wasn’t ready for life to take the sudden turn that it did.
This story grabbed my attention from the beginning and and wouldn’t give it back. I fell asleep reading this book and dreamt of Ava and Connor…true story. I cannot wait to see where Jay McLean takes us in the second book of this duet…you definitely want to read Heartache and Hope.
You know, there are certain authors who you know before evening opening a book that they will take you on a journey, not only with the new people you’ll meet between the pages, but with your emotions too. Jay McLean is one of those. Man, have I missed her writing and words! H&H was everything I was hoping for and more. No one, and I mean no one, writes like Jay. She has a way of pulling out every detail of feeling and emotion and everything in between. I had goosebumps and tears and longing and laughter and just EVERYTHING. I’m in love with Connor and Ava. They ARE magic! But Jay is the real magician and I applaud her for a comeback like no one else. Such a beautiful read! I can’t wait to see where this story ends. Just perfection…
This book! OMG… once I started I couldn’t put it down. My feelings were all over the place. Connor and Ava are both young and struggling with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Jay McLean talent is mind blowing. I wish I could give this book ALL the stars.
I’m still kind of an emotional mess right now after finishing yesterday afternoon. I kept trying to process the story and how I wanted to write my review but no words can express how much pain and sorrow I went through with this couple.
These kids have gone through so much in such a short span of time in their lives and it sucks that they have had to go through all these hardships at such a young age, especially Ava. This girl for going through so much, she is still a strong individual who is willing to sacrifice her happiness for all the hardships she has to go through and doesn’t want to take anyone down with her or give them false hopes when she doesn’t even know what the future holds for her.
Connor (bless his golden heart), even though he knows what Ava is going through, he still wants to be a part of her life and deal with her hardships together. But he also has to think about his future and if he becomes what he wants to do with his career, then he’ll be able to provide for the girl he loves and her family.
The hardships is this book broke me completely and I was a mess of tears. This is one of the best, most emotional reads I’ve read this year! Jay McLean has slayed me with this book!
Oh the feels! I felt this story to my core! I love, love these two! Ava and Connor are my newest favorite couple! I enjoyed this so freaking much! It’s freaking MAGIC!
I love and enjoy how easy Jays words always flow! How they keep me sucked into each and every word, it just makes my reading such a great experience. You know when your reading a good book when the background noise can’t even interfere with what’s happening inside your mind!
I got so involved in their story. I couldn’t put this down! I felt so much. It’s truly perfection! I’m so glad Jay is back! But I need more. I need the conclusion to this epic story! I feel so lost. Only these two can calm the ache I’m feeling!
I’m such a huge Basketball fan, that I totally understood Conor with his love for basketball! This whole story was so freaking relatable, it made my reading experience all the more exciting! These two shared so much things I enjoy! I was so in awe with them! I would yell to myself “omg I like that too” lol
This book is truly my best read of the summer! It’s so touching it will have you believing in MAGIC
In 2016, I joined this amazing ARC team called The COPA Crew. It introduced me to some of my favorite authors. Jay McLean quickly became one of them. The first book of Jay McLean’s that I ever read was Combative. Over the last three years, I devoured her More Than series and the Preston Brothers. I have a few more books to go before I can say I’ve read her entire catalogue but what I have learned is that every single book is nothing short of amazing. I’m #TeamMayhem 100%.
The first book in the Heartache Duet, Heartache and Hope, is an absolute roller coaster. I don’t know when I’ll feel emotionally stable again but I’m guessing it’ll be after I finish First and Forever. I can’t stop thinking about Connor and Ava and even though the conclusion will be here in two short weeks, I’m not feeling patient in waiting for the rest of their story. This book made me laugh. But it also made me cry, a lot. Jay McLean has a talent for connecting you to her characters from the very beginning and feeling everything that feel: elation, heartbreak, devastation, and hope. I can’t wait for the conclusion of this duet and spending time with these characters again.
*4,5 stars*
It’s been way too long since I have read this auhor but when she’s writes, it’s something much deeper you feel than the words she writes! I truly feel that way, with every book I’ve read by her so far. This story was something powerful and very real ‘cuz I think a lot can relate with it, even if you can’t, there’s just something that will make you feel every emotion… I can’t wait to read book 2 in this duet series and see how the story goes!
Connor starts at a new school and tries to be the best basketbal player there is but it isn’t easy. He doesn’t seem to fit in and memories from the past take ahold of him. When he first meets Ava, he doesn’t know what to make of her as she doesn’t say anything but one event seems to change their dynamic. Ava hasn’t had the easiest life and taking care of her mom is taking a toll, even when her stepbrother is trying to do the best he can to provide for them. Ava and Connor’s relationship is changing fast and their bond is getting stronger. Even though Connor is trying to help her the best he can, it’s not easy but they try their hardest to keep afloat. But when things turn to worse, they’ll have to make a hard choice that will change their future…
OMG! So incredibly heartfelt and full of angst. I absolutely adored this book and I am on pins and needles waiting for the next journey and continued love story.
Conner Ledger moves to another state and another town with his father in hopes to be noticed for his basketball skills. His main focus is being accepted to a D-1 college and be able to become pro and gain success. He has demons. He has fears of abandonment. However, he continues to focus and that focus is the end game. Conner never expected to have a girl blast into his life and his heart. Ava has her own demons and responsibilities of her own. These two try to make things work. Complications arise and so does distance.
Can Conner and Ava find a solution or is love lost for both of them!
Super Fantabulous
7 STARS if possible
Oh. My. Gosh.
Emotions, I am drowning in them.
Books like this are exactly why I read. To disappear into a story so gripping that reality disappears and those characters lives are playing out like a movie in your head.
“When the world is at its darkest, that’s when the magic appears.”
Just like the title explains Ava and Connors story is so damn heartbreaking, but you can see the hope just lying underneath the surface.
“Love is not a noun. Love is something you do. Something you prove. Something you work hard to create. Love is not something that simply exists because you say it. Love is not a noun. Love is a verb.”
Both of them have so much going on and wind up becoming each other’s Anchor in a way. Their love story is really something special.
While this book is heartbreaking, it’s so much more than that. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s so damn hopeful. It’s a story about struggle, growing up, family, first loves, and finding yourself. It is a beautiful crazy ride.
“Oh, my God, Connor!” I practically squeal. “You let me drool all over your weenus for three hours?!” He busts out a laugh. “Say it again but whisper it seductively.”
Ava’s life is such a chaotic mess and I truly felt for her and all that she has to endure at such a young age. All while growing up, discovering herself, and falling in love for the first time. She is so strong.
And Connor with all of the pressure he has on him to succeed and trying to take on Ava’s troubles as well.
These two together are magical.
This book is really something special. It will dig deep into your heart and not let go.
“It’s not stupid to hope, Ava. Sometimes hope is the only thing that gets us through to the next day.”
This is just one of those books that is a must read.
It’s so tragically beautiful. It’s worth every moment, every laugh, and every tear. It will stick with you for a long time to come.
Jay McLean did a wonderful job with this story and it will forever be a favorite of mine.
Jay McLean has done it again!! She is my Unicorn Author. I always connect with her and her beautiful words.
In her signature style, she brings us all the heartbreaking angsty feels while making us laugh-out-loud with her supporting characters who are the best friends you want to hang out with in real life.
This book was a “don’t stop until its finished” read for me. I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the Characters from the gate and couldn’t untangle myself from the web Jay created.
There is always, ALWAYS, a line in Jay’s books that resonates with me in a deeply personal way.
“Love is not something that simply exists because you say it.
Love is not a noun. Love is a verb.”
I wanted to reach out and high-five McLean.
You’re GD right it is!!
If there’s someone out there who can write a better angsty, heartfelt, heart-tugging high school love story than Jay McLean, I have yet to find that person. Heartache and Hope is such a perfect example of this- Ms. McLean beautifully captures the pain and despair, the highs and the lows, the ups and downs of meeting someone and falling in love, even when, especially when, things are stacked against you.
Connor and Ava’s story truly was full of such heartache and hope, and I felt it all. I wanted to jump into my Kindle and hug them both, to hold them tight and tell them they’d be okay, that everything would be okay. But would it? Would they be able to handle all that life’s throwing at them? Because I’m not sure I’d abe able to.
Even though Ava is one of the most dedicated, most determined young heroines I’ve had the pleasure of reading, she’s still just a young woman and my God did my heart ever hurt for her. She’s carrying a load that even the strongest of adults would buckle under, yet she does it with such dignity and grace, I’m just in awe of her.
And Connor, sweet, kind, darling Connor, he’s truly what teen-age girls dreams are made of. He’s carrying a heavy burden as well- between school and basketball, his feelings for Ava, trying to live up to all that’s expected of him, while still dealing with a past that constantly haunts him.
These two completely stole my heart. I want to ease their burdens and take away some of the pain. I really need for these two to find their happy.