COMBATIVE
Combative #1
Jay McLean
Genre: Contemporary Suspense Romance
Release Date: May 16, 2015

We all play victims to our pasts; to the choices we make and the lives we create.
They define who we are.
And sometimes if we’re lucky enough, the past stays where it belongs: in the past.
I’m not one of the lucky ones.
I never have been.
Because now the past is knocking on my door, offering deals I have no choice but to take… deals that will help bring justice—not just for me, but for my brothers.

The problem?
The deal is a ticking time bomb.
One I didn’t know existed.

Tick.
Tock.

I think it is safe to say that I am a Jay McLean fan for life. This woman can write so many different styles and genres that it would be hard not to be a groupie! WHERE THE ROAD TAKES ME is one of my all time favorite books and it has all the emotion you could want and a powerful story that I cannot seem to get enough of. COMBATIVE is a totally different story and genre that proves Jay can bring it in all aspects of writing and leaves you stunned in the end.

COMBATIVE is a story of second chances, finding truth, and learning to love again. This story is filled with all the emotion I have come to expect from Jay. There are heart breaking flashbacks, struggles in the present, and uncertainty in the future. The ebb and flow of this tale will draw you in and hook you till the very end when you are left in a rather shocked state of confusion and anticipation. So be warned… this book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger.

This book is filled with so much and that alone makes it great. We have flashbacks to Ky and Jackson’s childhood, giving us an understanding of who they are, where they came from, and the situations that caused them to make the decisions that have landed them in the places they are today. These two men have some major issues to work out and some things to work through together but one thing is true: they are brothers through thick and thin and will do whatever it takes to care for each other. I loved the dynamic between these two. Watching them learn to trust each other again and to forgive the past is heartfelt and an incredible theme and foundation to the story. Family is such an important component to their lives, both family left behind and family lost. This theme draws our characters together and adds something beautiful to the story.

Madison and Ky are two very interesting characters who somehow click beautifully. Madison has some serious issues but the mystery in regards to her past is hidden well and so intriguing. I found myself attempting to figure out what she had lived through and what caused her to react to life in the way that she did.  She is a battered soul who longs to find beauty in the small things and embrace the freedom she lives in each day. Ky is a man who feels he has lost everything, but a change of perspective allows him to find hope in what he thought was broken, giving him a purpose to live again. These two are so different and so wounded. But when you put them together it works so very well. They mesh in such a way that only Jay’s characters can. They bring peace to the chaos of their past and acceptance and hope for a future. Watching their love grow was beautiful and sweet. The pace was slow but that worked perfectly with the story, allowing the reader to embrace their journey and cheer them along.

The element of mystery and intrigue is a huge factor in this story that continues to grow as you read. On the last page, that mystery explodes into a who new realm of possibilities. COMBATIVE is a fabulous first book in a new series. With that fact in mind, this book lays such a solid foundation to what is happening. We have Jackson and his undercover work. There is Ky, a man facing his demons and learning to forgive and allow people back into his life. Maddison is a woman of mystery who captivate Ky’s heart. There is a dangerous underground world that all these characters have found themselves drawn into and the question is what will happen in the end. I am excited to see where Jay takes this series and cannot wait to learn move about Maddison, Ky, Jackson, and those they are fighting against.