Reviews

Lucas by Jay McLean

potatocouch13's review

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5.0

This book broke me

sidekicka7x's review against another edition

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5.0

This is book is everything! So emotional and sweet and funny and just overall fantastic. I love everything about it. I freaking adore Jay's writing.

farmills's review

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4.0

Thank you, Ms. McLean, for another awesome read. It did not disappoint.

anete's review against another edition

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  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

rachelthebomb14's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective sad

5.0

giovannarsx's review

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2.0

the book never ended!!! omg... meh
1. it was really uncomfortable reading about cooper and laney relationship bc the book is supposed to be lucas and laneys
2. really cliche about lucas loving laneys forever and making out with other girls all the time, such a turn down for me, but I kept reading because I loved this family.
3. It would be a good book for me if it was faster and with like 500 pages, but I felt that the book would never end you know.
4. The worst part were after the shooting, the author wrote about laneys recover but cmon, there was noooo need.
Boring reading, I tried.
Definitely not going to reed Logan's book.

tiffany_bibliophage's review

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4.0

This is one of those romances you read where you fall in love with the whole damn family. You feel like a member, just watching the shenanigans around you. You enjoy your time in their world and feel a loss of many when you’re through.

Brian, and his daughter Lois (Laney) move to a town in North Carolina. Brian is newly divorced, his love for his daughter guiding him through single parenthood. It’s a new life away from his horrible ex, Laney’s mom.

Laney was my favorite. I knew from the shirt she wears (“Look at meow, I’m making pay purr”) that she’s special. Laney’s not the popular girl. She’s not exactly the nerd either. She’s a mature, kind, thoughtful, perceptive young woman. Laney was lovely. For a while Lucas doesn’t deserve her, but Laney never loses her cool. She patiently waits for him to get his shit together. And when Lucas is too much, she does what she needs to to protect her heart. I respect that.


Tom Preston owns the construction company Brian has gotten employed with. Tom is married to Kathy, and together they have seven children; Lucy, Lucas, Leo, Logan, Lincoln and Liam (twins), and Lachlan. Brian and Laney spend a lot of time with the Prestons.

The Preston family was a delight! I loved the kids and their different personalities! I loved seeing them interact. The Preston family is the family that we all needed growing up, sans that one horrible thing (iykyk).

When Lucas first met Laney he was immediately drawn to her. Laney immediately noticed how cute Lucas was. I think Lucas fell in love with her. He just didn’t realize that he had fallen. The way Lucas was with Laney during their childhood was so sweet. Lucas has the biggest heart, and it shows with Laney and his family.

Lucas and Laney’s relationship starts out as best friends, moves to the outskirts of enemy territory, before finding their friendship again. This story isn’t all roses and romance. Our characters go through it, and it takes them a while to find their footing. If only Lucas would say what he’s thinking, out loud, it would have saved him a bunch of trouble. I guess I could say the same for Laney. Either way, miscommunication, overthinking, teenage nerves, and an unhealthy relationship makes this whole shebang much more difficult than it should have been, but every minute was worth it for the love these two were capable of.

I enjoyed my time in this world and I’m excited to read more and return to the Preston family.
4.5 Stars

hoardingbookwyrm's review

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5.0

Whenever I get ready to read a Jay McLean book, I have to prepare myself. I need a glass of wine or a bottle of hard apple cider, a box of tissues and a cuddly blanket. And maybe a teddy bear. I know that she is always going to rock my world with her words. Lucas was no different. In fact, it crept up there to snuggle in close to Where the Road Takes Me as my favorite McLean novel.

I’ve made no bones that friends to lovers stories are my favorites. And this is one of the best I’ve read. Lucas and Laney have known each other since they were eleven. They became best friends. You get glimpses of both their past and present, helping to give insight into their relationship. I love this in books with this trope. It adds to the depth and history. And I like that, as with all of her novels, the characters don’t become relationship savants overnight. They have to work at it and often make mistakes.

The characters were fantastically written—complex with flaws. They both make mistakes. Laney is introverted and into crafting. She’s a natural caregiver and fills that role with ease and grace. Lucas has become the glue that holds his family together. He assumes the leadership naturally. He’s got a bit of bad boy inside. But he’s mostly all heart. It was great seeing the More Than gang again, even if in a secondary manner.

This book will grab hold of your heart, play with it a bit, bruise it, shatter it and heal it all before the story is done. It’s an emotional read that is raw, real and heartbreaking. It pulls the feels out of you. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw my Kindle off the highest mountain. I was fully immersed in the story.

This is an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful book. It’s definitely one of my favorites of the year and is hitting my re-reads list.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
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jaimejustreadsromance's review against another edition

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5.0


Prepare yourselves for that trademark Jay McLean humor, heart-wrenching angst and honest to goodness, warm, fuzzy kind of romance because she brings it ALL in this first installment of the Preston Brothers series.

This book was like the most awesome and frightening roller coaster. There was the slow and steady climb up that initial first hill and then the subsequent drop that you sort of expected, but not really. Then just a bunch of dips and dives and then, whoa, where did that loop de loop come from? There's a fear of imminent death combined with an unexplainable excitement and anticipation until eventually everything evens out and the ride comes to a stop and you can't wait to get off and do it all over again.

This story was laugh out loud funny and getting to read more about the Preston clan, especially Lachlan, was really a highlight. Middle School Mayhem was awesome!!!

This story was also frustrating as hell and, even now, I struggle with some of the things went down and how upset it all made me, but that's just another aspect of the story that really pulled me in. Feelings suck, but when a book can make you feel that much, it's gold.

What made all of the bs, the misunderstandings, the drama, and mistakes worthwhile was that there was always love there. The way that Lucas felt about Laney always shined through. I could feel it.

There are eleventy-three hundred things I could say about this story, but the most important thing you should walk away from this review knowing is that you NEED to read this book. ASAP. Just have your tissues ready and try not to read in public because you might get sweary.

*I received an ARC for voluntary review

jocelynesoto's review against another edition

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5.0

Why is this it first time that I have read this book???
Why did I wait so long??
This book has been on my TBR for a while now and with the release of the third book in the series coming out, Leo, I have finally gotten the chance to read it.
OH MY GOD. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
Reading Lois (Laney) and Lucas story was something that I needed. This book is filled with so many emotional, funny and sweet moments that I did not what to put it down. Lois and Lucas were made for each other from the first page. Their relationship is something that tulles at a readers heart strings. Its so freaking amazing that it should be protected at all times.
I loved the book from beginning to end. I loved the relationship, I loved the random funny moments that had me laughing out loud, I loved the whole dynamic of the characters. I loved it all.
This is the first time that I have read a book from this author and I can tell you right now that I will be reading everything that she had put out because I need more!
I absolutely loved Lucas and I can't wait to read Logan and every book that comes after.

My rating : 5 stars.