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Jay McLean
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Lucas - A Preston Brothers Novel (Book 1): A More Than Series Spin-off Kindle Edition

by Jay McLean (Author), Tricia Harden (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 3,214 ratings
In a sprint, every millisecond counts.
When you’re waiting for love, those milliseconds can feel like eons.
--
High school senior Lucas Preston has it all: star of the track team, a scholarship waiting for him, an apartment to himself and a revolving door of girlfriends.
He also has an older sister, five younger brothers and a father who relies on him to make sure those brothers don’t kill each other.
His saving grace? Lois “Laney” Sanders, a girl he started to fall in like with when he was just eleven.
A girl who became his best friend, his confidant, his courage.
It took only sixteen clicks and eight seconds for Lucas to realize that his like for Laney had turned into love.
Eight life-changing seconds.
It’s also the exact length of time it took to lose her.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Preston Brothers
  2. Print length
    380 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2016
  5. File size
    2.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. “I’m sorry he hurt you, but hurting yourself isn’t going to change that. You can’t control what people do or how they treat you. You can only control how you react to it.”
    Highlighted by 331 Kindle readers
  2. Love hard, love fierce, but love right. Be careful with your heart, guard it, and if you feel the need to be reckless, make sure you are the one making that choice. See the world, the good, the bad, the ugly. Learn. Never stop learning, Laney. And lastly, take your time, but don’t waste it. Trust me on that one.
    Highlighted by 295 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Once again Jay McLean has penned literary magic. Lucas Preston was everything I hoped he would be and the chemistry he and Laney shared was electric. The story was rich, complex, and packed with emotion. This is a can't miss book!" - Ella Fox, USA Today Bestseller.
--
"This is one of those books that has you clutching your Kindle to your chest long after you've read the last word. Lucas and Laney's story is so real, raw and heart breakingly honest, that I felt every emotion as they did. I loved their friendship, their romance, their obstacles and their growth into the amazing people they were destined to be. Jay McLean will draw you in with her beautiful writing, make you laugh when you didn't even realise you needed to, make you swoon until you're a puddle on the floor, break your heart then put you back together again. I enjoyed every second of it!" - KA Sterritt, Author of The Fight For Life Duet.
--
"This is a story of friendship, of family, and of falling in love. If you're looking for an emotional read that's full of laughs, this is the book for you. I loved it so much. It gets 5+ stars from me and is going on my favorites list for 2016." - Christy, Top Goodreads Reviewer.--"Poetic, beautiful and raw- this is a Young Adult read that you've never experienced before." - Unbound Book Reviews.

About the Author

Jay McLean is an international best-selling author and full-time reader, writer of New Adult Romance, and skilled procrastinator. When she's not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her two little boys, playing house and binge watching Netflix. 
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 a forever half-done home where music is loud and laughter is louder.
For publishing rights (Foreign & Domestic) Film, or television, please contact her agent Erica Spellman-Silverman, at Trident Media Group.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01M09N9BG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (November 1, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 380 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 3,214 ratings

About the author

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Jay McLean

Jay McLean

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Jay McLean is an international best-selling author and 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.

For publishing rights (Foreign & Domestic) Film or television, please contact Roxanne at SBR Media

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,214 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fantastic start to the Preston Brothers series, with a darling story about true love and wonderful characters. The writing quality is praised for its YA/NA style, and customers appreciate the emotional content, noting it can make readers cry half the night while maintaining a balance of laughter and tears. The book receives positive feedback for its beauty and readability, with one customer highlighting the palpable chemistry between the protagonists.

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103 customers mention "Story quality"103 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as a sweet tale of true love and friendship, with one customer noting its depth as a standout feature.

"...The emotional depth of the narrative is a standout feature, as it explores the intricacies of human connections and the healing power of love...." Read more

"...Best of all though, meeting Lucas. I also really liked the jump from present to past, seeing the characters getting fleshed out and really building..." Read more

"...series by Jay McLean, featuring an emotional and entertaining best friends to lovers romance for Lucas and Laney in a spin-off of the amazing More..." Read more

"...and watch their relationship evolve over the years as issues of love and friendship, along with angst-fueled moments, drive this story that kept me..." Read more

97 customers mention "Readability"97 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with one describing it as a rollercoaster ride.

"...McLean's writing is both heartfelt and engaging, with a knack for creating relatable characters that resonate with readers...." Read more

"...While for the most part I found the writing unique and compelling, it was at times throughout the story a bit overbearing and overkill with quirks...." Read more

"...to lovers romance for Lucas and Laney in a spin-off of the amazing More Than series...." Read more

"...Laughs, tears and everything in between, this book is one hell of a rollercoaster, and I loved every single moment of it! I loved it!" Read more

87 customers mention "Emotional content"81 positive6 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, describing it as a touching story with heart-wrenching moments and tears of joy, with some customers noting it had them crying half the night.

"...The emotional depth of the narrative is a standout feature, as it explores the intricacies of human connections and the healing power of love...." Read more

"...book in the Preston Brothers series by Jay McLean, featuring an emotional and entertaining best friends to lovers romance for Lucas and Laney in a..." Read more

"...clamoring to add this book to your shelves, long to be charmed by this loving and likable couple, and will be greatly anticipating each new..." Read more

"...His family is close, loving and supportive – and absolutely hilarious – and Lucas’ loyalty and devotion to them is beautiful to see...." Read more

40 customers mention "Writing quality"40 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as fabulous and easy to read, with one customer highlighting the fantastic dialogue.

"...McLean's writing is both heartfelt and engaging, with a knack for creating relatable characters that resonate with readers...." Read more

"...While for the most part I found the writing unique and compelling, it was at times throughout the story a bit overbearing and overkill with quirks...." Read more

"...I love a well-written best friend bond, but the layers and depths of Lucas and Laney really brought out the feelings in me...." Read more

"...Just... wow. McLean writes wonderful YA/NA stories, getting us to the heart of her characters, making us relate to them and love them –..." Read more

36 customers mention "Character development"36 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer noting how the author gives voices to many new characters, while another mentions how the story delves into the characters' heads.

"...'s writing is both heartfelt and engaging, with a knack for creating relatable characters that resonate with readers...." Read more

"...really liked the jump from present to past, seeing the characters getting fleshed out and really building the romance from young children to teens...." Read more

"...Alongside this likable main couple was an equally appealing cast of secondary characters, the rest of the Preston family, who clearly have hurts of..." Read more

"...Primary characters are well developed. Family dynamics are, too, with lots of funny and touching moments...." Read more

36 customers mention "Laughter"36 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, appreciating the right balance of laughter and tears throughout the story.

"...I mean, it did bring some charm and funny banter between the brothers but some aspects of it just felt off and a bit all over the place with one..." Read more

"...roller coaster of emotion, angst, frustration, drama, shock, tears, laughs, and love...." Read more

"...And she’s done it once again with Lucas. Funny, smart and romantic, this is a story of childhood best friends who grow to become more, full of all..." Read more

"...This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster, from laughing out loud at some moments, to feeling absolutely furious with Lucas, and even sobbing..." Read more

28 customers mention "Beauty"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful, describing it as sweet and natural.

"...But when they do, it’s beautifully done, with lots of emotion, and it all felt very real and very natural...." Read more

"...With your kind heart and humble attitude. And while you’re a beautiful girl, your looks or the way you dress shouldn’t be the reason people are..." Read more

"...With your kind heart and humble attitude. And while you’re a beautiful girl, your looks or the way you dress shouldn’t be the reason people are..." Read more

"...What a breathtaking, heartbreaking, extraordinary beyond words love story...." Read more

26 customers mention "Pacing"26 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's pacing, noting it hooks readers from the first page and serves as an excellent introduction to the Preston Brothers series.

"...The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of intensity and tenderness that keep readers invested...." Read more

"...along with angst-fueled moments, drive this story that kept me glued to the pages...." Read more

"...took me by surprise, but it’s wonderfully written and I could not read fast enough...." Read more

"...It was one of those rare reads that had me hooked from the very first page, and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it in just 24 hours, it was..." Read more

Great story! Loved Luke & Laney
4 out of 5 stars
Great story! Loved Luke & Laney
This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style. It was exactly what I needed right now. It was a light easy read, a little quirky and packed some major feels. ⠀ This book features the best friends to lovers trope with a touch of second chance. I loved Lucas (Luke) and Lois (Laney)! Their friendship was so sweet and their journey from best friends to lovers was adorable but painful at times. Told in Dual POVs, you get both sides of the story and although Laney’s character was a bit on the insecure side, it worked well with the storyline and how things unravel. ⠀ This one isn’t high on the steam scale. There are a few sex scenes that don’t go into much detail but make it clear what’s going down. ⠀ Oh! Also, I really loved the whole Preston family! Seeing how they all worked together to make their daily life run somewhat smoothly was heart warming. They’re all a little crazy and Lucas had his hands full but still managed to keep the household together. I definitely plan on reading the rest of the books in this series.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Taylor Hardy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    "Lucas" by Jay McLean is a captivating contemporary romance that weaves together themes of love, loss, and personal growth. The story follows Lucas, a young man grappling with his troubled past and a deep-seated fear of opening up to others. As he navigates the complexities of relationships, he meets a strong-willed female lead who challenges him to confront his demons and embrace vulnerability.

    McLean's writing is both heartfelt and engaging, with a knack for creating relatable characters that resonate with readers. The emotional depth of the narrative is a standout feature, as it explores the intricacies of human connections and the healing power of love. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, adding layers of tension and sweetness to their journey.

    The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of intensity and tenderness that keep readers invested. McLean's ability to blend humor with serious themes makes the reading experience enjoyable and thought-provoking. Overall, "Lucas" is a beautifully crafted story that will appeal to fans of romance and those looking for a poignant exploration of personal transformation.
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  • Ida
    4.0 out of 5 stars Both the good and the bad kind of anger
    Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book made me really emotional and mad, which most of the time was really really good. However there were parts of the story where my anger was the bad kind, where it was towards the actual writing rather than on behalf of the characters.

    The book drew me in from the get go. I already felt for Laney from page one and loved the exposition about her mom and meeting the Prestons. Best of all though, meeting Lucas. I also really liked the jump from present to past, seeing the characters getting fleshed out and really building the romance from young children to teens. An extra (good) punch in the gut was the tragedy of losing a loved one. That happening so early in the story and yet being able to make me cry is very telling of good writing and characterization. That being said I did have some issues with the story pretty early on.

    While for the most part I found the writing unique and compelling, it was at times throughout the story a bit overbearing and overkill with quirks. I mean, it did bring some charm and funny banter between the brothers but some aspects of it just felt off and a bit all over the place with one brother saying this, one doing that and one going through this or that. It didn’t always help how many jumps forward the story made instead of going deeper into the present. That however was both good and bad since the book did and probably needed to make room of a whole year and a lot of characters. It was just that it at some moments lost needed depth because of it.

    Moving onto the main plot and plot twist in the romance. This is mostly where my anger (both the good and the bad) came in. The story made sure I felt and related to Lucas and Laney early on so the drama of what transpired between them, as well as drama from the past made me steam with anger being that I felt so much on their behalf. This became a trend for me throughout the story with Cooper coming into the picture and everything that led to. With that, sadly came the issue I had with the relationship between Laney and Lucas and what broke it.

    Lucas was made out to be the fault in everything that went wrong in both romance and friendship and this annoyed me to no end. It led me to like Laney less. Sure, Lucas had his faults but since he owned up to them for the most part I had no issue whatsoever with him. Laney however in my opinion made way too big a deal out of him waiting one extra day to break up with Grace, especially since he had a pretty good reason to wait. Just for that she pretty much went no contact with him and the family that had treated her as part of them through her childhood. She then jumped immediately into a new relationship and basically rubbed it in Lucas’s face. Worse is that Lucas was the one responsible for constantly reaching out and mend their friendship, take crap from Cooper while getting yelled at by Laney for not laying down and taking said crap. Then he had to be okay with being blocked and having to use Leo’s phone to stay in contact with her. All of this while Laney did nothing to have his back or own up to her own faults.

    I get it. This was a story of domestic abuse and how it can completely control the victims life and decisions. And for the most part I really loved how it was written and handled in the story, especially in the ending. That being said, Laney never took any accountability for how she treated Lucas before or after all of that and Lucas became her doormat that she herself described herself as in the beginning of the story. All of this just because he waited one extra day? It was really unsatisfying, especially since Lucas just took her crap without second thought or any self indignation.

    This book really was a rollercoaster of emotions from anger, sorrow, happiness and sadly annoyance. I am invested enough though to read something else by this author in the future.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer Leigh (@jenjenbookfan)
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great start to the Preston Brothers series!!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬 is the first book in the Preston Brothers series by Jay McLean, featuring an emotional and entertaining best friends to lovers romance for Lucas and Laney in a spin-off of the amazing More Than series. I loved the precocious Preston boys when I read Lucy and Cam’s series years ago, so it was fun to revisit that world! It was a true roller coaster of emotion, angst, frustration, drama, shock, tears, laughs, and love. I love a well-written best friend bond, but the layers and depths of Lucas and Laney really brought out the feelings in me. I challenge anyone to read this book and not fall in love with the whole Preston family, ready to commit eleventy-three hours in a row to reading everything you can find!😂 I am diving into Logan next!
    ★★★★.5
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Larissa Rye
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book may contain triggers for some people!
    Reviewed in Canada on June 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I really really liked this book! These Preston Brothers!! Gah I can’t wait for each one of their books, each brother stole a piece of my heart in this book.

    My heart broke for Lois in this book, she went through so so much. It always makes me really think about how many women/men go through domestic violence in a day. I like that the author wasn’t afraid to talk about such serious topics & I think she did so very very well.

    These two together were so cute but also so extremely frustrating for the first half of the book. But it is set in High school & who truly talks about their feelings in high-school?! So I liked that the book was realistic.

    I can’t wait to read the next book!
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  • Leyendo Forever
    4.0 out of 5 stars Spanish & English Opinion :: A surprise to find this book!
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 31, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    SPA :: No había tenido el gusto de leer algo de Jay McLean entonces antes de leer la serie “More Than”, leí esto.
    Me gustó mucho. Luke es un book boyfriend y su historia es llena de emociones pero con HEA.

    Laney es un personaje con el que es fácil encariñarse. Me impactó la parte donde ella se pregunta cómo pudo permitirse estar en una situación difícil cuando ella se considera fuerte, determinada, inteligente... la parte de violencia está muy bien manejada, dándonos una perspectiva de lo que vive alguien dentro de una relación abusiva y las personas a su alrededor.

    Luke es un hombre de familia. Me gusta esa parte del libro, con relaciones súper entrañables entre hermanos, hijos y padres, entre Laney y Luke. Estas historias de BFFs a novios me parecen realmente lindas.

    Fue una grata sorpresa encontrar este libro. Me gustó mucho y seguiré leyendo la serie.

    ::

    ENG :: Before this book, I wasn’t familiarized with Jay McLean’s work. Finding this book was a fluke and I really enjoyed it. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite genres. However, the way this story goes is heart-warming, original and special and ending with a HEA is one of my favorite things.

    Laney is a strong woman, and her character really shocked me when she said that she always considered herself strong, determined and intelligent and couldn’t comprehend how she allowed herself to be in the middle of a violent dynamic. It’s was a very strong statement and the book manages the topic in a great way. We get a glimpse of how this impacts not only the persons in the relationship but others around them.

    Luke is a book boyfriend guy. He’s loyal, a completely family guy, and he learns from his mistakes. His brothers are amazing, the dad is great and Laney and him are sweet.

    Definitely, will keep reading the series!
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  • Jill jennings
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love hard, love fierce, but love right.
    Reviewed in Australia on July 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Oh my heart !
    This book was everything .
    How could anyone not love the Preston family !!!!

    I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read this book ! Lucas and laney are 2 young hearts destined for each other but have a journey before they get it right.
    They meet as kids and fast become best friends . But typical of teenage angst lost their way because of misunderstandings and assumptions .

    I won’t say a lot because
    It’s so worth the read and the journey mclean takes you on but I laughed and cried big ugly tears and I fell in love with this family all over again !

    I’ve read the more then series before , and while you don’t need to have read it to read this book I definitely rev Coleen you do because it’s just as good as this one and adds a new depth to this family and what they go through !
    After I’ve read Logan and Leo I’m going to go back and do a reRead ;)

    This book was awesome and totally worth your time
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  • Vanessa
    5.0 out of 5 stars MORE PRESTON PUNKS!
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I read Lucas without even knowing what it was about. I didn't want to expect for something and be frustrated. And boy, I can't think of one book Jay has written that I didn't fall hard in love.
    Lucas is the story of Lucy's brother (if you don't know who Lucy is, just stop right this second and go read More than series - the ENTIRE series - and you won't regret it).
    We have a glimpse of him in More than Forever and you can see how special Lucy and Lucas relationship is.
    The Preston family is one that I fell in love since the beginning - especially Lachlan - but in this book we got to know all of them a little closer. Leo, Logan, Liam, Lincoln and Lachlan are SO fun! It was amazing getting to see each personality, they're so different and yet so good together.

    AND... if you miss the More gang, there's a special treat! You won't regret any moment of it.
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  • Carolin Jache
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, emotional and amazingly written book
    Reviewed in Germany on April 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    How does Jay McLean do it? I mean, there are a lot of amazing authors out there. With some, you click more. With others, less so. The writing is a vital point in the decision making. The characters, humor, ability to make you emotionally involved. The butterflies. Jay checks all those points with me and so much more. Her books, her words... They are what makes me remember why I started reading aka. escaping into fictional worlds all those years ago in the first place. The world surrounding the Preston family is one I havn't seen in books before. Yes, there were books heavy on family dynamic. But never was I ever THAT emotionally drawn to a whole bunch of dudes. And a girl. And their girls. Simply sai: a whole XXL-family.

    I started the books in the wrong order. I first read the second book in this series, "Logan", and only now the first one, "Lucas". But it didn't lessen my reading experience. Anyhow, "Logan" already blew me away and now this story did, too. Not only the romance, the book as a whole was completely perfect. The right amount of drama, the right amount of funny to keep the drama at bay, the right amount of sexy to keep the focus on the emotional connection. Just right. Just Jay McLean.
    "Lucas" as well as "Logan" were books that sucked me into the story from the first word and I couldn't stop reading until I've reached what was "The End" for each. Although, there are still enough Preston punks there to write more books about. Just sayin', Jay ;-) This is not me being greedy, simply me loving every single word and loving every character and wanting more of them. Simply because these stories made the world a better place for the hours it took me to read them.
    Talk about angst. To all my fellow angst-addicts out there, just one word: Jackpot.
    All in all, I can recommend Jay McLean in general, her 'Preston brothers'-books most of all. Emotional, addicting, funny, angsty, poignant and just beautiful from start to finish.
    5+ stars. And a little advice from me - try to dive into the books with as little knowledge beforehand as possible. Because from the plot alone, I never would have guessed those books were for me. But I vaguebooked it (literally) and it was the best decision ever, because I otherwise would have missed out on something so amazing.
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