Book Review: Asa (Marked Men #6) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
384 Pages

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

 Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

We were marked...

 

It's no secret that I love these boys. Crownover has had me hooked since Rule, and hasn't let me go. So, to say that I was super excited for Asa is an understatement. While this may not have been my favorite book of the series, it still held that fire and sass that the Marked Men are known for, and I gobbled up every sentence.

We first met Asa way back in book 2, Jet. And not going to lie, there wasn't a whole lot that was likeable about him. He's an ex-criminal with a rap sheet that could probably cover the state of Texas. He's a con man, a thief, and a liar...or actually he was. A near death experience has Asa rethinking his lifestyle, not to mention, he wants to make up his past mistakes to his sister. Since working for Rome at The Bar, Asa has seemed to turn his life around. At least that's how it looks to everyone else, but to Asa himself, his past will always define him. He's no good, and he's definitely not good enough for that redheaded cop who keeps propositioning him.

Being a cop is all Royal has ever known. When her partner and best friend is injured on the
job, Royal starts to question how good of a cop she actually is, and more importantly, if this is what she should be doing with her life. On a path of self-destruction, Royal sets her sights on Asa. That southern charmer has always been on her mind, but deep down, she knew she should stay away. But now, she doesn't care and she wants Asa.

We tasted like sex and always.

I loved these two together. They were both a mess and both so full of self-loathing, but with each other, they were safe and free. Asa was used to charming the pants of women, but with Royal, he was determined to keep her pants on, so to speak. He fought his own want because of his hatred of himself. Meanwhile, Royal hated herself so much that she just wanted to feel something other than regret. With Asa, she felt everything - good and bad. She also didn't take his shit and constantly called him out.  When Asa finally gives in, he gives in believing he'll tear her up but in reality, she's the one owning him.

My only hitch with this one was that it didn't seem to have the same vibe as the rest. Not that it was a bad thing, but compared to the other books, this one just felt...off. I think it's because Asa was an outsider. He wasn't part of the tattoo crew, and while he was around from almost the beginning, it was more like he was looking through the windows instead of being an active participant. I also think that the lack of the other guys threw me. The Marked Men series has always seemed to be rooted in the friendships of these guys and that just wasn't present here. Most of the story was just Asa by himself. I missed the camaraderie of the gang. 

This series will remain one of my favorites. Each boy has a special place in my heart and I can see myself going back to them multiple times. Crownover's writing style is so real and the characters so vivid. These boys were so alive and jumped off of the page demanding to tell their story. The series wrapped up perfectly with us knowing where each boy lies. And that last paragraph...perfection. Can't wait for the spin-off series!

Book Review: Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
416 Pages

After the only girl he ever loved told him he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and decided he was going to do everything in his power to live up to his nickname. Life was all about a good time, good friends and never taking much too seriously. Rowdy learned his lesson early on, when you care that much about anything it can destroy you, and he never wants to risk feeling like that again. Only now he has a new coworker, a ghost from the past who’s making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in a house with too many rules, too many regulations, and no fun allowed. That never worked for her so she left it all behind as soon as she could, but she never forgot the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been in love with her little sister. Fate and good intentions from an old friend have placed her right in Rowdy’s path and she’s determined to show him he picked the wrong sister all those years ago. A mission that is going along perfectly until the one person that ties them together shows up and could very well tear them back.

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

 

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

“I always thought it was the firsts that matter, but now I know it’s the lasts that stay with you.”

Finally! Finally I get to Rowdy’s book. I had an inkling early on that Rowdy would be my boy, and damn, I was not wrong. There was just something about him that hooked me, even though I couldn’t place it. His blue eyes and pompadour just hooked me. And now…now I’m gone.

Source

In previous books in this series, Rowdy St. James comes across as being the carefree one. He’s the one who just rolls with the punches, always looking for a good time. It just seemed like nothing could rattle him. That is until Salem Cruz walks in. Not much was known about Rowdy except that he was in love once in his past and when that ended, he basically just decided that love was too much of an effort. It was something he didn’t need in his life. But it wasn’t Salem that made Rowdy swore off love; it was her little sister, Poppy.

Salem may not have been the one who turned him off of love back in the day, but she did break his heart. When she was younger, she and Rowdy formed an unlikely friendship. Along with Poppy, the three of them grew fiercely close. However, living under the harsh rule of her father proved to be too much and Salem left town as soon as she could. Leaving Rowdy in the dust. But she never forgot him. And when a job opens up in the Marked business, Salem packs up her life and heads to Colorado, completely unprepared for the welcome she receives.

While I was worried about the storyline going in – boy loves one sister, gets dumped, falls in love with the other – I should have known just to trust Crownover. This was more than a classic love story, this was about accepting and facing the past and coming out stronger on the other side. Rowdy’s been running this whole time from the pain inflicted upon him by Poppy, and when Salem shows up, he not only has to face that but also Salem’s betrayal. 

I was a little iffy on Salem in the beginning. She just came in, guns blazing, and basically gave Rowdy no room to process and then she was upset when he didn’t welcome her with open arms. But the more we got to know her, the more I warmed up to her. She didn’t end up being my favorite girl in the series, and honestly I’m not sure that I completely love her with Rowdy, but I did come to appreciate her strength and how much she cared for those around her. And her puppy was just adorable.

Then there was Rowdy.

Source

All of these boys are broken in their own way and I love how each story is so different from the others. None of them overshadow each other and I still care about the other guys when they show up. But it’s Rowdy’s vulnerability and overall sweetness that won me. I loved watching him struggle with understanding the different feelings he felt for both sisters in the past. While he puts on this ‘bad boy’ front, he is more like a lost little boy just waiting for everyone to leave him and I wanted to hug him. So much was thrown at him here- more than just the arrival of Salem- that my heart constantly ached for him. 

All in all, I believe that Rowdy is my favorite book of the series and definitely my favorite boy. I look forward to whatever else Crownover has in store for these boys especially based on the little hints that were dropped in this book. I can’t wait!

Book Review: Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
302 Pages

Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

 Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

 

Nash, Nash, Nash...what am I going to do with you?

 

Out of all of the boys so far, Nash seems to be the most put together and just all-around with it. He's the voice of reason when it comes to the lives of his best friends and also when it comes to the Marked tattoo shop. But just when everything seems to be going good for him and those around him, Uncle Phil, the man who practically raised Nash, falls severely ill and also unearths a secret that has been buried for years, shattering everything Nash thought he knew.

 

Saint, a shy redhaired nurse that we met in Rome's book, knows Nash from high school. The only problem is, they both remember their relationship a little differently causing Saint to act cold toward Nash and him wondering why. What Nash doesn't know is that Saint was madly in love with him back in high school, but her low-self esteem and misreading signs caused her so much pain and heartache that she never wanted to see Nash again.Well, like all of these other boys, that just won't do. Nash is determined to know why Saint dislikes him so much, especially since he can't seem to stop thinking about her.

Crownover once again owns me. Having already had three books of slowly getting to know Nash, I loved diving into his head. He's such a sweetie and really wears his heart on his sleeve. He goes through some heavy stuff here and despite all of this, manages to keep his head. Nash seems to be the thoughtful one of the group so it makes sense that when push came to shove, he was able to know when to fight and when to just make himself happy. 

Then there was Saint. Oh, Saint...I wanted to love her and I wanted her to be perfect for Nash, but I honestly didn't feel it. Don't get me wrong, I liked her but there was just so much about her that didn't mesh well with Nash. She just frustrated me to no end. Saint was the first girl in this series to really struggle with self-esteem. Having been overweight in high school and tormented by her classmates, her image of herself is slightly skewed. She doesn't believe she's beautiful and she tended to sabotage everything she touched. While I liked the spotlight on bullying and it's after effects, I felt that this book more than the others had all of the romance cliches. By the time it got to the climatic showdown, I could have gone either way with if they ended up together or not. I just wasn't that invested in their relationship even though Nash was a gem. My heart connected more with the life story more than the romance.

This is definitely a series that is driven by the friendships, I was much more aware of my love for the dynamics between the boys when I was hoping for more of those interactions than Nash/Saint. Still, I loved it and just blew through it like I did all of the others.

 

 

Book Review: Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
387 Pages

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

 Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

Spunky Tinkerbell meets ‘Captain No-Fun’ in the third installment of the Marked Men series. We have met both Rome and Cora in previous books and no one was more shocked than me to realize that these two would be thrown together in the most unlikely of ways. 

Cora Lewis is basically the mother hen for all of the boys. She runs the office part of the Marked business and she always seemed content taking care of her friends. However, when she starts to see how happy and in love some of them are, old feelings resurface and suddenly she’s struggling with the realization that she may never find her ‘one’. And she won’t settle for less than perfect – no baggage, no drama, nothing that rocks the boat. Basically, everything that Rome Archer is not. 

Rome is Rule’s older brother whom we met in the first book. Having just returned from his final tour of duty, he’s unsure of where he fits in. The bombshell that was dropped on his family right before he left last time didn’t help. He hasn’t spoken to his parents since then and his relationship with his brother has also suffered. Instead of the light hearted older brother everyone knew, Rome now spends his days chasing the bottom of the bottle with an unsurly attitude. So of course him and Cora clash – horribly.

One night after too many drinks, Cora is the one cleaning up after Rome and it begins this intricate relationship between the two of them that has Rome seeing a way out of the darkness where he’s been and Cora questioning just what exactly Mr. Perfect is.

What I love about these books is how Crownover writes her characters. They’ve stayed true to who they are throughout the series and none of them get lost or overshadowed by the other. And they are all so different. While Cora’s constant talk of finding the perfect guy did drive me up the wall (Honey, there’s no such thing as perfect), I could see the reasons why she was hesitant to get involved with someone especially someone like Rome. While she is older than the rest of the crew and should know how ridiculous finding a perfect guy is, I understood why she was doing it. Her past relationship left a nasty scar and when it shows back up, she reacts the only way she knows how. Out of all the girls so far, I feel like I connected with Cora the most. 

Then there was the topic of PTSD with Rome. Watching him struggle to find his place was heartbreaking. Here was a guy who had purpose and direction in his life. Now he’s back to civilization and he has no clue what he’s doing. No place to live, no job, just the memories of what happened overseas to keep him up at night. While the relationship was definitely the focus of the story, I liked that it wasn’t the only thing that saved Rome. This book gives meaning to ‘right place, right time’ even if Rome didn’t think so. And it goes to show what can happen with the kindness of strangers.

Up next is Nash’s book and I can’t wait to dive into his mind.

 

Book Review: Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
416 Pages

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook.

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

Jet Keller was all kinds of temptation wrapped up in too-tight pants and with too many personal demons hidden in those dark, golden-rimmed eyes.

These boys are going to be the death of me.

A year ago, Ayden Cross was all ready to have a one-night stand with rocker, Jet Keller. Until he said no. Now, the two of them share a house and pretend every day that there is no attraction between the two of them. Needless to say, they're failing...horribly.

Ayden has her entire life planned out, all right down to what kind of guy she wants: secure and stable. In fact, she seems to have everything  together - to the outside world at least. Inside, she's struggling with the girl she used to be, the one she wants to hide from everyone but who is struggling to come out. And Ayden is terrified of what will happen if she lets that happen, which is why she needs to stay away from Jet.

Jet is the rock star who doesn't want to be famous. Everything about him screams 'rock star' from his tattoos and piercings to his tight pants and brooding attitude, but inside he's thoughtful and determined and wants more than anything to protect those people that he loves. And because he's a musician, the words that come from him *swoon*

She was like music, something I craved, something that I felt deep in my blood and I wasn't sure what to do with it.

As it does with most, their passion comes to head in an explosive confrontation and they both decide to dive right into whatever this thing between them is. Drama, emotions, explosive fights and sexy times fill up this story of two people realizing it's ok to let go of the past, in fact, sometimes embracing it makes you a better person.

Once again, Crownover drew me in with her intricate relationships. Each story is about two specific people, but it's filled with a group of characters so vivid, I just adore them all. Their friendship and sense of loyalty make me want to be a part of this group. And I have a feeling I have yet to read my fave boys book (just a feeling lol).

Book Review: Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 23, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
432 Pages

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook.

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

His name was Rule. I mean, seriously, based on that name alone this book should have been ridiculous. But damn it all if that boy didn't own his name and this book. And I loved every second of it.

Rule Archer has a giant chip on his shoulder. Having dealt with the death of his twin brother, Remy, and the subsequent fall out with his parents, he's out to prove that he doesn't need anyone and he lives life his own way. Tattooed, pierced, and with different color hair almost every week, Rule defines 'bad boy'.

Shaw Landon grew up with the Archers and considers them more of a family than her own. Even though everyone assumed it was Remy who had her heart, the secret was that Shaw loved Rule. Having come to terms that he would never see her as an actual girl, Shaw throws caution to the wind and gives in to her feelings in an alcohol induced night.

On the outside, these two were as different as you could get. But once you strip them down to the core of what made them who they were, it's so easy to see how well they fit. Unfortunately, not everyone else saw that. What I loved about this book was how Crownover removed their layers piece by piece. They both struggled with the difference of being who everyone wanted them to be and being who they were inside. It was a slow breakdown of character and I was interested in watching them grow.

And it wasn't just Rule and Shaw's relationship that kept me reading. It was Rule's relationship with his brothers and with his friends. It was Shaw's relationship with the Archers. Every relationship, friend or lover, in this book had life and I enjoyed reading all of the different interactions.

While the premise wasn't really anything new, I found that while Crownover succumbed to some typical cliches, she did with a sort of finesse and made them seem new. The old 'take and idea and make it your own' worked here. I wasn't annoyed with the actions that had me screaming in other books and I believe that was mostly in part to these rich and lively characters that she created. I mean, they all just jumped off of the page at you. In Rule's case, he jumped while screaming the whole way. These characters demanded your attention and I have a feeling that each subsequent book will be the same.

Having met most of the guys that will star in the other books, I cannot wait to dive into each of their stories. The little glimpses of each of them here just left me wanting more. And of course, I'm desperate to know which of these Marked Men will steal my heart the most.