First and Forever by Jay McLean

"We don't need labels, Connor. Friends or not, you're always going to be the boy who went out of his way to show me that magic is real and that it exists and..." She pauses a beat, her exhale warming my chest. "You'll always be irreplaceable to me."

First and Forever by Jay McLean

First and Forever is the second book in the Heartache Duet, and must be read after Heartache and Hope.

There are no more goodnight kisses.
No knocks on windows.
No lengthy text messages.
No late-night phone calls.
And no game day balloons.
There’s just Connor.
And Ava.
Existing in a world filled with nothing but heartache.
While searching the darkness for glimmers of hope.
Because with hope, comes magic.
And magic is forever.

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While the very end of First and Forever gave me what I was looking for with this duet, getting there wasn't in any way easy on my heart. Connor and Ava were destined to be together, no doubt about it, but they needed to get out of their own way first. Connor needed to stop trying to protect Ava by keeping things from her. And Ava needed to stop playing Connor for a fool. While the author did an incredible job of conveying the love between these two, I felt that Ava spent too much time leading Connor around. So while many elements of this story made it worthy of all the stars, I felt that the constant push and push and pull and repeat was a bit too much for me.

I loved Miss D and I loved what happened with Connor's dad. I loved the friendships and family dynamics and the push for more. There was just so much to love about this story! Connor was an amazing hero, definite book boyfriend material, and Ava was no slouch in the heroine department. I wonder if Karen and Rhys well get their own books?? I highly recommend this to readers who are looking for a story full of feels.

Jay McLean is a full-time reader, writer of New Adult and Young Adult romance, and skilled procrastinator. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her three boys, investing way too much time on True Crime Documentaries and binge-watching reality TV.

She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her hurt and make her feel.

Jay lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in her dream home where music is loud and laughter is louder.

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