Blog Tour & Review

Title: Kick, Push

Author: Jay McLean

Release Day: August 4, 2015

PURCHASE LINKS:

US: http://bit.ly/kickpushamznus

UK: http://amzn.to/1L0SmwZ

BLURB

There’s a single defining moment within every skater. It lasts only a second. Two if you're good. Three if you’re really good. It’s the moment you’re in the air, your board somewhere beneath you, and nothing but wind surrounds you. It’s the feeling of being airborne.

The sixteen-year-old version of me would’ve said it was the greatest feeling in the world. Then at seventeen, I had my son. And every single second became a defining moment. Even the ones that consisted of heartbreak when his mother left us.

Seventeen. Single. Dad. That’s what my life became. Yet, every day, I managed to find that feeling of being airborne. Or at least I convinced myself I did. But I lied—to myself and to everyone around me. Until she showed up; Tanned skin, raven dark hair, and eyes the color of emeralds.

You know what sucks about being in the air? Coming down from the high. Sometimes you land on the board and nail the trick. Then kick, push, and coast away. Other times you fall. You fall hard. And those are the times when it’s not as easy to get back up, dust off your pads and try again. Especially when the girl with the emerald eyes becomes your drug... And you become her poison.

GOODREADS LINK: http://bit.ly/1FSYTTZ

MYSZA'S REVIEW

5 STARS

"There are some sacrifices greater than love. And some loves greater than any sacrifice. Tommy's greater than both."

I firetracking loved this book. So many emotions.... Gah, this book made me feel. It had it all... humour, angst, drama, heartbreak, healing, love, loss, pain, happiness. I had butterflies throughout it all. I loved the story, the writing, the feels, but the shining star was a hero himself and his little boy Tommy. I mean other characters were great too, but those boys entirely stole the show. What I also have to stress is how Jay McLean played it all out, she slowly, methodically revealed bits and pieces, never giving an entire thing all at once, she made me bite my nails while waiting for the next big thing to happen. Josh became a single dad at the age of seventeen, having everyone close turn him down, he is desperate, lonely and scared. Quite unexpectedly, he gets help from Chazarae, who lets him stay at the garage apartment next to her house. He struggles to get a job, to raise a son on his own, but never gives up on Tommy, the only thing he is sure of is that he loves his son and will do anything for him.

"I wake up every morning. That's it. There are no hidden secrets, no words of wisdom or encouragement. I wake up. Breathe new air. And fall even deeper in love with a kid I created."

Things settle down and him and Tommy has a good life, Becca comes into the picture. She is Chazarae's granddaughter and will be staying at her house for a while. She didn't have it easy in life while growing up, she can't bear to be touched and have problems with speaking. But who can resist an adorable little boy that Tommy is? Tommy slowly, unconsciously breaks her walls down. While getting close to Tommy, Becca and Josh also forms a bond, a bond that from friendship turns into relationship and a beautiful love story. Nothing good seems to last for Josh, because people from his past reappear, causing drama, miscommunication, pent-up anger and frustration. When you add Becca's secrets from past and future, Josh eventually bursts and results are not nice.

"Seriously, how many times can a person break before the only things left are shattered fragments too small to piece back together?"

When you think that nothing good, except Tommy, will ever happen to Josh anymore, finally there is ray of hope.

"Kick. Push. Coast. Time to coast, son."

And he coasts. At last, Josh is giving himself a chance and goes back to what he always loved, skating, and he is damned good doing it too. His sport career unwinds, he has his son Tommy by his side and he's finally getting to know what being happy feels like, at least as much as he can be happy, given the circumstances. And I was happy for him too, because seriously, after all that boy went through, he deserved it. It's not the end of Josh and Becca's story, but the book ends on a good note, giving us hope for future. And I can already assure that I will be reading continuation as soon as it is released. Fire truck me if I don't!

AUTHOR BIO

Jay is an avid reader, writer, and most of all, procrastinator. When she's not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her two little boys, or devouring some tacky reality TV show.

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

For publishing rights (Foreign & Domestic) Film, or television, please contact her agent, Erica Spellman-Silverman, at Trident Media Group.

AUTHOR LINKS