[Series Review] Marked Men, by: Jay Crownover

I'm having a hard time writting reviews these days. After a kind of reading slump, I'm back to reading in full mood because of summer, but that doesn't mean that I'm catching up with reviews, because its not and its wrong (at least, for me). This summer I'll try to catch up, but to make this task easier... why not review an entire series than one review per book? So, this will be the first of many this summer.

Marked Men

by: Jay Crownover

"...opposites don't just attract they freaking catch fire and burn the entire city down."

— Rule (Book 1)

The whole series was a rollercoaster and I love every single bit of it, from Rule to Asa, from Shaw to Royal. I love the unity, the friendship, the girls night out, the love... everything! When I began to read the first book, I never thought that I was going to get attached like this. I didn't wanted to end, so thank God that there will be more in the spin-off series.

★★★★☆

Rule was an interesting, funny and hottie (which all of them are) character and it was the best one to begin the series. But Shaw was a very different girl, I never thought they were going to hook up like they did. Their problems run deep in the past and Rule wasn't having, he didn't want to go back even thought he was stuck there. She made it through his thick inked skin until she couldn't come out and certaintly she didn't want to. Rule thought he was destined to fuck up and screw everything he had with Shaw, but she made him change his mind and really see the good they have. The story was totally sweet, but don't tell Rule because he swears that he isn't sweet or cute.

“Love isn’t perfect. It’s hard work and sometimes it’s more effort to be in love than it is to just run away. If you keep looking for perfect, the real thing is going to pass right by you.”

— Jet (Book 2)

★★★★☆

After the first book and some interactions between characters, it was totally obvious that the next one going down (in love) was Jet and Ayden. They were really fuck up, like they have baggage, but they still made it through all and found the love for each other. Jet is the gorgeous rock band member that loves music more than breathing fresh air. Ayden is the southern girl that lived her old life as much as she wants until she escaped to have a better life, now that old life is catching up with her and doesn't want anyone to know. When she sees that people she loved can be dangerous, she cut ties with Jet, leaving him bleeding love, which broke his and her heart. Jet went away in a tour, but came back running when he discovered everything that Ayden hide and he was ready for her rescue. But basically both needed to be rescued. I didn't like much how the story went, but I certainly love their scenes together and of course, the end. Which lead us to the story of Cora and Rome.

“You were right, you are perfect for me because I’m just as imperfect as you are, but with you, it’s all just flawless.”

— Rome (Book 3)

★★★★½

Now, Rome is in my top favorites. He had the most fuck up head, while Cora has the most colorful one and didn't mind the gray one of Rome. This couple was really an opposite, but they made it work and they actually are perfect for each other. Because no matter how much they don't have in common, they compliment each other. She made him come out of this hole after returning from the awful war and he made her love again eventhough her heart was broken from a relantionship before. Plus, we have our very first pregnant couple, guess that after all Rome really have good aim. In this book we are introduced to the Bar, which at the end Rome becomes its owner and we know a little more about Ayden's brother, Asa. And at then we have the horrible news that Uncle Phil is dying and guess who is the nurse... Saint! Or as I call it, the one for Nash.

“I think on the journey to finding the love we crave, the love we truly deserve, the first stop has to be the love we have for ourselves. That’s a love that can never be lost and can only grow and get stronger the more it is fostered and developed.”

— Nash (Book 4)

★★★★★

Oh, this one right here was my favorite of them all. Nashville was definetly my favorite! He hates that name, so let's keep it to Nash. And his one is no other than Saint, a long lost girl that had a crush in him from the first time she saw in on school. He had so many issues back then, that being an asshole was typical, plus he was trying to gain attention from his mom and failing. But Saint didn't have a perfect life either, he had inside issues, because her body, her acne or whatever else any teenage girl has. After being crushed, she focus on her life, her career, but when she stumbles back in Nash's life, there is not coming out of his net again. He is almost as fuck up as he was back then, but now instead of mommy issues (which he still has), he just comfronts that his uncle is going to die and that he is actually his father. So, Saint to the rescue! She sure is a saint and a nurse, she actually repairs everything he had broken, but Nash doesn't let go of the fact that she doesn't like herself much, so he helps her too. They helped each other and love each other and that was lovely. In this book we meet Nash's new neighbor, Royal (who is a cop), we meet Zeb Fuller (who is a kind of like Bob the Builder) and the Marked Men (Rule, Nash & Rowdy) open a new store called Saints of Denver. And at the end, we are introduced to a new manager called Salem Cruz, which results to being the biggest love in Rowdy's old life. Now that was a twist in the end.

“I kissed her because I had to. I kissed her because I wanted to. I kissed her because kissing her was starting to make me feel like I had found something I wasn't really aware I had been looking for. Mostly I kissed her because ever time she kissed me back I felt her settling a piece of herself even more deeply inside of me.”

— Rowdy (Book 5)

★★★★½

If I made a list of my favorites from number one to number six, this would be number three or really fighting number two with Rome's book. Rowland is definitely a Texas name, but let's keep it to Rowdy because we are in Denver. He doesn't have a really fuck up head, but he is very clear that he had the one in his life, and she left him go, which is actually wrong. Salem knows better, but she wants to dug deep until knowing all of this past secrets, which will be hard for Rowdy because he doesn't crack easy. But for Salem, Rowdy can do and will do anything, right? I liked that Salem wasn't really like the other girls, good and kind of easy to be with. She was wild, a fighter and just like Cora, very colorful in whatever she has to say. Rowdy was the lone wolf, a foster kid after his mom was murdered, but then Salem comes to him and don't want to let him go and after that comes Sayer, which results to be his sister and doesn't want to let go of him either. So, now, Rowdy isn't as a lone wolf as he was. But now, he needs to come to the realization that neither of them are going away, that they will stay with him as longer he wants.

“Karma has a way of catching up with you, especially when you laughed in her face one too many times.”

— Asa (Book 6)

★★★★☆

So, this is Asa's book. Yeah, I know, what a name...! Asa is that badass of all the badass. He commit every crime that he could back in the days, but now he is a reformed person. After almost losing his life forever, having that wake up call made him see that the life he was living wasn't good for him and neither for the ones he loved. And now, we have him very intrigued with a redhead called Royal, but as you know she is a cop, someone that would be a no-no for him, but Karma is a bitch. After Royal being in a shooting that almost cost her parthner's life, she wasn't nearly as focus as before. And damn, she wanted trouble and that how she ends falling for Asa. I liked their relationship and all, but I really hated that Asa didn't tell her the secret... her mother was really a bitch and it almost cost him his happy ending. I know that it means that he isn't as selfish as before but damn.

I swear these men where going to be the dead of me. Their awesome tattoos, their speeches about love, their piercings in places that shouldn't be there but make everything better and their testoterone, indeed where the dead of me. My favorite tattoos were Nash's dragon and Rowdy's boat. And of course, the girls weren't far behind, because Shaw's snowflakes, Cora's tags of Rome and Salem's past drawing that Rowdy made, were as beautiful as the guys tattoos. Plus, the KIDS! They were totally adorable and I wish I could see more of them in the following series, at least a peek... pretty, please? Saints of Dever is coming soon and I can't wait for them. I know the first of them will be Zeb with Sayer, but who will be the others? Maybe Avett will be there or even Dixie with Church, hell if I know. I just want more men!

As you can see I really really recommend these books. They aren't that long and after two chapters you can't actually stop from reading them. They made my days better!

“We were marked and had been marked in unforgettable and forever ways. We were all better men for it. Marked men. None of us would have it any other way.”