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stacyknox's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
darkromance_with_callie's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Jay is back and I couldn’t be more excited.
- Small Town
- Brothers Rival
- Forbidden
- Basketball
- Found Family
- Trauma/Healing
Olivia has been through hell in life, and it just keeps raining on her, especially when she hits her brother’s rival with her car while working one of her three jobs one night. Little did she know it would turn her world upside down.
Rhys has battled his demons for years and didn’t think being hit by a car would be the thing to make him want to stay, but the girl driving becomes his new obsession.
The way this story develops is HEART WRENCHING and loved every second of it, and the PLOT TWIST. Dear lord that Plot twist I couldn’t believe it. Did I see it coming, kinda, did I see the how/why? Absolutely Not.
thecaffeinatedbookaddict's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.75
Jay McLean said this is her least angsty read, and while I do agree with that this book still had my heart clenching at points.
This will be short and sweet because the twists and turns in this book are best enjoyed organically.
I love Jay Mcleans writing and I have for years and I am so happy to be diving back into her words. I’ve missed them. She has a way for making her character so damn lovable and deep that you feel everything right along side them. I loved both our main characters in this story and even the side characters nudged their way in. This is dual pov so we get both Rhys and Livs perspective. I connected to the them both almost immediately and while the beginning half of the book was a bit slower for me in pace, the writing and both Rhys and Liv had me glued to the pages.
Like I said I loved our main characters in this book. Both Olivia and Rhys have a deep past to work through but somehow they are exactly what the other needs. This book had me feeling everything right along with these two. Like the author said this book is lesser on the angst but not on the feels. Jay McLean never fails to hit me right in the feelings and Not Made to Last was no exception to this.
Reasons to read:
-Forbidden Love
-Brothers Rival
-Emotional
-New Adult
-Great Writing
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
This will be short and sweet because the twists and turns in this book are best enjoyed organically.
I love Jay Mcleans writing and I have for years and I am so happy to be diving back into her words. I’ve missed them. She has a way for making her character so damn lovable and deep that you feel everything right along side them. I loved both our main characters in this story and even the side characters nudged their way in. This is dual pov so we get both Rhys and Livs perspective. I connected to the them both almost immediately and while the beginning half of the book was a bit slower for me in pace, the writing and both Rhys and Liv had me glued to the pages.
Like I said I loved our main characters in this book. Both Olivia and Rhys have a deep past to work through but somehow they are exactly what the other needs. This book had me feeling everything right along with these two. Like the author said this book is lesser on the angst but not on the feels. Jay McLean never fails to hit me right in the feelings and Not Made to Last was no exception to this.
Reasons to read:
-Forbidden Love
-Brothers Rival
-Emotional
-New Adult
-Great Writing
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
hayleysnextpage's review
4.0
"Kissing Rhys Garrett is like breathing in sunshine, warming me from the inside, thawing my heart, my soul, until cracks appear in my ice-cold armor."
- New adult romance
- Opposites attract
- Forbidden
- Secret romance (brother's sports rival)
- She's her younger brother's guardian
- Secret identity
- Angst (check TWs)
- Flashbacks
- Dual POV
Do you ever read a book and need to take a moment afterward? To process your emotions and fit the puzzle pieces together in your mind? Because that was me after reading Not Made to Last.
We meet Rhys and Olivia when she accidentally hits him with her car. They strike up an unlikely yet secretive friendship (because she knows her brother wouldn't approve), which slowly leads to more.
"Olivia just became my new sport. My new discipline. My new obsession. And she has no f–king clue what she’s in for."
But then secrets are revealed and things change in both their lives, which puts pressure on their already fragile blossoming relationship.
The last 40% of the book had me in a chokehold, and I couldn't put it down. I went from tearing up to my heart racing to my heart breaking in a matter of pages. Jay knows how to make you feel every emotion.
Without going into spoilers, I'll just share a couple of quotes that personify the strength of these MCs and what you can expect within these pages:
- “Ollie… when Rhys loves, he loves with everything inside of him.”
- “The family we create means more than the family who created us.”
I definitely recommend checking out TWs and being kind to yourself, as there are heavier topics discussed. But if you do read Not Made to Last, I can assure you it'll leave a lasting impression as you put all the puzzle pieces together at the end.
- New adult romance
- Opposites attract
- Forbidden
- Secret romance (brother's sports rival)
- She's her younger brother's guardian
- Secret identity
- Angst (check TWs)
- Flashbacks
- Dual POV
Do you ever read a book and need to take a moment afterward? To process your emotions and fit the puzzle pieces together in your mind? Because that was me after reading Not Made to Last.
We meet Rhys and Olivia when she accidentally hits him with her car. They strike up an unlikely yet secretive friendship (because she knows her brother wouldn't approve), which slowly leads to more.
"Olivia just became my new sport. My new discipline. My new obsession. And she has no f–king clue what she’s in for."
But then secrets are revealed and things change in both their lives, which puts pressure on their already fragile blossoming relationship.
The last 40% of the book had me in a chokehold, and I couldn't put it down. I went from tearing up to my heart racing to my heart breaking in a matter of pages. Jay knows how to make you feel every emotion.
Without going into spoilers, I'll just share a couple of quotes that personify the strength of these MCs and what you can expect within these pages:
- “Ollie… when Rhys loves, he loves with everything inside of him.”
- “The family we create means more than the family who created us.”
I definitely recommend checking out TWs and being kind to yourself, as there are heavier topics discussed. But if you do read Not Made to Last, I can assure you it'll leave a lasting impression as you put all the puzzle pieces together at the end.
minxreads's review
0.25
Melodramatic. Bland characters and there’s no plot, seems to be simply written around the tropes. And the ending was less about this story and the MCs are more about what’s the next to come, kinda cliffy but not really, yk? (Going to be about different characters)
Ending: HFN
Ending: HFN
megansendlessreads's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Not Made to Last is everything I expect from one of my favorite authors! I laughed, I cried (a lot), and I celebrated when the characters found their way through the challenges.
Olivia is a character I could root for from the first page to the last. She’s not a perfect character that does no wrong, but instead someone to relate to and cheer for. The complexities of her situation with her family, her job, and her schooling added a lot of tension to the book. I kept waiting for the next shoe to drop and yet somehow was still taken by surprise when new plot developments were revealed. This isn’t a book I could guess the full plot line on.
Then there is Rhys… baby boy Rhys who needs someone to fully and wholly love him. I could not get enough of his strength and vulnerability. Literally another book boyfriend to be obsessed with for sure.
One thing I’ve missed reading is amazing side characters who have depth and their own personalities. I cannot get enough of Max, Oscar, and Dom. I hope to see so much more of them!
I was so engaged in these characters and their personalities, I might have chose reading over my job for most of the day. I could not get enough of them and had to find out how their story ends asap.
Jay McLean is back in the game! And I’m very excited to see what is published next!
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
Olivia is a character I could root for from the first page to the last. She’s not a perfect character that does no wrong, but instead someone to relate to and cheer for. The complexities of her situation with her family, her job, and her schooling added a lot of tension to the book. I kept waiting for the next shoe to drop and yet somehow was still taken by surprise when new plot developments were revealed. This isn’t a book I could guess the full plot line on.
Then there is Rhys… baby boy Rhys who needs someone to fully and wholly love him. I could not get enough of his strength and vulnerability. Literally another book boyfriend to be obsessed with for sure.
One thing I’ve missed reading is amazing side characters who have depth and their own personalities. I cannot get enough of Max, Oscar, and Dom. I hope to see so much more of them!
I was so engaged in these characters and their personalities, I might have chose reading over my job for most of the day. I could not get enough of them and had to find out how their story ends asap.
Jay McLean is back in the game! And I’m very excited to see what is published next!
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
meegzreads's review
4.0
*4 Stars*
ARC kindly received for an honest review.
As usual Jay's writing is addictive. This story has so many things happening - it's quite the roller coaster and complicated situation/story. I liked Olivia and Rhys, and I also liked their family and friends. There were many mysteries in this though and it took a long time for the answers, although we did get them by the end. There were a few things I was a bit confused about too, mainly the connections with Dom/Max/Olivia and the bits where we got a glimpse of the past, but it wasn't obvious when we switched back to the present day.
I think the strength and endurance of these characters is a big feature of this book and I really enjoyed the end and how things played out. This is a really hard book for me to review because I was hooked, but there was just so much happening. So this review probably doesn't make a lot of sense, my apologies lol. Also, EXCUSE ME WITH THAT BONUS CHAPTER NAME DROP!
ARC kindly received for an honest review.
As usual Jay's writing is addictive. This story has so many things happening - it's quite the roller coaster and complicated situation/story. I liked Olivia and Rhys, and I also liked their family and friends. There were many mysteries in this though and it took a long time for the answers, although we did get them by the end. There were a few things I was a bit confused about too, mainly the connections with Dom/Max/Olivia and the bits where we got a glimpse of the past, but it wasn't obvious when we switched back to the present day.
I think the strength and endurance of these characters is a big feature of this book and I really enjoyed the end and how things played out. This is a really hard book for me to review because I was hooked, but there was just so much happening. So this review probably doesn't make a lot of sense, my apologies lol. Also, EXCUSE ME WITH THAT BONUS CHAPTER NAME DROP!
justmyfantasyworld's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
I needed some time to process this story because it did things to my heart, and I had no idea how to process this. I knew going into it would break me, and it did. I got so into the story it made me forget about real life for a bit and was just what I needed. These characters have gone through so much and I loved how the developed and healed throughout the story. And that epilogue, that extra... was amazing. I was something that I hoped for, and I can't wait to read whatever Jay writes next!!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
I needed some time to process this story because it did things to my heart, and I had no idea how to process this. I knew going into it would break me, and it did. I got so into the story it made me forget about real life for a bit and was just what I needed. These characters have gone through so much and I loved how the developed and healed throughout the story. And that epilogue, that extra... was amazing. I was something that I hoped for, and I can't wait to read whatever Jay writes next!!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
reading_with_2_book_lovers's review
4.0
Ahh it's great to have this author back. Rhys and Olivia's story had me on tenter hooks this was a great read, highly recommended