Linda
Written on Jun 11, 2017
"Asa Cross is a man with a second chance. An opportunity to right a lifetime of wrongs. Every single day is a struggle between who he should be and the man he knows he really is and always was. With a new life in Denver and a whole new circle of friends and family it's a tightrope walk to keep from falling back into old patterns. Asa doesn't want to hurt the people in his life who have come to love him and rely on him but sometimes when the bottom is the only thing you are familiar with it's the easiest place to end up. Royal Hastings has a problem. She's just started to settle into her demanding and dangerous job as a police officer, and more than that she's just started to make real friends. Something that has never come easily for her. The only thing she has to complain about these days is the fact that she can't stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she had to lock up. Not only is her crush on Asa inappropriate considering his endless criminal record, but she's also worried about how her newfound social circle is going to react to the fact she was just doing her job by putting him behind bars. Sometimes the wrong choice is really the only right choice to make"--
- ISBN10 0062333070
- ISBN13 9780062333070
- Publish Date 21 April 2015 (first published 14 April 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint Collins
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
anastasia
Written on May 6, 2017
I put this book off as long as possible, because I didn’t want this series to actually be over. I didn’t want to say goodbye, even though there’s the Saints of Denver series, which is a spin-off of the Marked Men.
Jay Crownover killed it with Asa! She came in with a bad boy BOOM with Rule and ended this oh-so-amazing series with a BANG! From Rule to Asa…pure perfection from beginning to end. This series is, without a doubt, one of my favorites ever! I’ve fallen in love with these heroes and heroines throughout their six book journey.
I was really happy that he got paired up with his Royal. I always loved Royal and I knew she’d be the perfect person for Asa. Trust me when I tell you that Crownover delivered a perfect conclusion to this series, this book was sexy and heartfelt full of trust, forgiveness and redemption. This book had an unlikely pairing with the sexy Southern Charmer who is an ex-criminal with the gorgeous and feisty cop.
Asa always felt the intense guilt and self-loathing about his past and he just never seen the good in himself, he thought he would mess up again, But with a near death experience, he stated to change his ways. Royal was the perfect balance to Asa’s dark nature. She grew a lot over the course of the novel, and I think that the majority of that was due to both her job (and the circumstances surrounding her job during the story) along with her relationship with Asa. Asa helped her realize things about herself that she didn’t know before, and it allowed her to grow into a stronger person. Throughout the story, Royal has such a caring, compassionate spirit and nature, and that helps Asa realize things about himself as well. As I said, together Royal and Asa balanced each other out, and helped each other in ways that neither could have imagined at the beginning of their relationship. They have a very steamy relationship, and I loved every second of it!
All in all, an amazing series and perfect ending. I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to get my hands on the Saints of Denver series!
Check out my reviews of the rest of the series:
Rule | Jet | Rome | Nash |Rowdy | Asa
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Sam@WLABB
Written on Jun 14, 2015
This is Asa and Royal's story, but it's also the closing the door on the Marked Men
"We were marked and had been marked in unforgettable and forever ways."
Crownover did a great job of given us closure or at least letting us know the near futures for all our lovely Marked Men, as well as, setting up the first Saints book. This book was a farewell to people we had grown attached to and it was awesome that each and every one made a cameo at some point. But, the point of this book was Asa and Royal. They were both wounded and laden with guilt. Royal's guilt came from what happened to her partner, while Asa's guilt came from his criminal past. Sometimes, I just wanted to pull a Cher a la Moonstruck, you know, I wanted to smack Asa and tell him to "snap out of it!", but Royal actually did a decent job of that. She wanted that man and she went after him with everything she had, and I loved them together. They both were in alien territory and they were learning this relationship stuff together as they went along, but they were also learning to live in the now and let go of the past. I liked all the opportunities Crownover gave to Asa, I was rooting for him, since I met him, and I found the way she dealt with the BIG conflict between Asa and Royal interesting. And alas, I bid a fond adieu to the Marked Men.
thebookdisciple
Written on May 3, 2015
This is difficult for me to rate. I LOVED Rule. I LOVED Jet. I liked Rome and Rowdy and Nash. I struggled to really feel any connection with Asa and Royal. First, I felt like Royal was a bit desperate and needy chasing after Asa all the time. It wasn't like the determined, get your man kind of chasing. And even though Asa is a good person now, I struggled to really 'get' him. I just felt really disconnected from this book. The best parts were when the other characters made a cameo and that is not what you want from a book. I love Jay Crownover and will always have a special love for this series but this book just didn't click for me.
Full Review at http://www.thebookdisciple.com
Cocktails and Books
Written on Apr 23, 2015
Over the series, he redeemed himself in small ways but in this book, he really stepped up. He knew how to help Royal and was able to give her exactly what she needed. He didn't want her to end up in the dark places he has been or currently still inhabitated. It was fantastic to see Asa realize that he could actually do positive and redeeming acts in his life for a selfless reason. Because his past was full of selfish, destructive actions, he has a hard time believing he deserves any kind of happiness.
In comes Royal...she is exactly what Asa needs too. She wants him to see that he is worthy of love and happiness. She doesn't run away from his stories of past bad behavior and constantly reminds him to live in the present. She is a perfect match for Asa but he doesn't want to believe it.
The bumps and bruises these two endure to get their HEA are heartbreaking but I expect no less from Jay. She sucks us in and keeps us their even after the last page. I am sad to see the Marked Men series coming to an end but so excited for Saints of Denver. She skillfully weaves these new characters into the back story of Asa which leaves us wanting more.
Reviewed by Candace.
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.