Built by Jay Crownover

Built (Saints of Denver, #1)

by Jay Crownover

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes an electrifying new spin-off series,Saints of Denver, featuring all the characters fans have been dying to read about. Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn't be more different. She's country club and fine-dining, he's cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She's French silk, he's all denim and flannel. Zeb's wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn't matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest-either that or she doesn't return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior. But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer's professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can't risk what's at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming.
But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored.

Reviewed by Linda on

5 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Built was a very emotional story, and my heart broke for Sayer more than once. Zeb was there to pick up the pieces and help her build a new one, though.


Built definitely got to me, because Zeb and Sayer - while seemingly so different from each other - were very similar when it came to the truly important things in their lives. Sayer, holding on to control of every aspect of her life tried her best to resist, but Zeb was too persistent. Zeb was also reliable, strong and loyal and so very lovable.

The whole Saints of Denver series worked well for me, and Built was one of the reasons why. The overall story, the side characters, the writing and the love was all very well done. Written in dual points of view, third and first person perspective, past tense worked well for the story, and also managed to help me know enough about the main characters to appreciate both their strengths and their flaws.



So yeah, I missed having him around. I missed watching him, hearing him, and even smelling that unique scent that all men who worked hard for their money seemed to have.

It was an eye-candy feast that I would have appreciated more fully if I hadn't noticed the muscle ticking in his cheek under thee facial hair that covered it and the emotion in his eyes that darkened them from a deep green shade to one that was almost black.



Charged had a lot of suspense and heartache mixed in with the scorching hot sexytimes! Crownover really does know how to bring on the hotness!



Charged had a deeper sense of danger, but also some more fun than Built included. I really enjoyed getting to know Avett better, as I had thought she was simply a spoiled princess, but she was so much more. And she completely brought out the humanity Quaid had tried to get rid of by becoming the most successful defence lawyer in Denver.

Because it started with Avett in prison, because she was charged with having done a hold-up she had no idea was going to happen, the tension between her and Quaid was palpable from the beginning. At first, it was more irritation than chemistry, but that changed rather quickly. Both Quaid and Avett needed someone who could show them that a different way of living might be much more satisfying than what they had been doing up until that point.

The suspense was really well done, and I enjoyed how smart Avett was in Charged - she showed that she was a grown-up who was capable of making tough decisions and sticking with them. Written in dual point of view as the rest of the Saints of Denver series, I loved the banter between Avett and Quaid, as they had strong personalities and both wanted to be right.



I tapped the edge of my thumb on the black-and-white mug shot photo and couldn't stop the grin from tugging at my mouth. She tried to fire me. 

The man was a predator, a civilized beast in a designer suit. There was more to the handsome lawyer than met the eye. I was dangerously intrigued by what kind of secrets his killer grin and steely blue gaze kept hidden.



Riveted took me on a trip away from danger, where danger was lurking in every dark corner, and it was impossible to know whether Dixie or Church was the target.



Riveted did exactly that to me while I was reading it - I was riveted from start to finish, especially because Dixie and Church had been dancing around each other in prior books in the Saints of Denver series, and I was eager to see what would happen if they finally gave into their attraction and went for it.

I was very happy with what happened once Church realized that Dixie just might be the one for him - even if he had decided he didn't deserve to be happy in any way, shape or form. The danger that followed them while they were biking from Denver to Mississippi heigthtened both their and my senses, and even while looking at their trouble from different angles, I was incapable of figuring out what was going on until it all came to light.

Fast paced, this story had excitement, romance, forgiveness, loyalty and family as main themes, and I couldn't get enough.



If she looked that rumpled and messy after a night alone in bed I couldn't keep my mind off of wondering what she would look like after hours of hungry hands and an eager mouth having their fill of her soft skin and sweet smile.

It felt better than anything ever had even though we were standing up, fully clothed on the side of a highway.



Salvaged was like a hurricane of emotions! I laughed, I cried, my heart fluttered and it broke...



Salvaged was such a beautiful story, because no characters I've gotten to know in past deserved happiness more than Poppy and Wheeler. They had both been through hell, with no one to help them, and feeling both left behind and unloved. Seeing them open up and receive acceptance and love made me so happy. Even it there was still heartache in store for both of them during their story.

There was both suspense and mystery present, as well as some people who were far from happy with the budding relationship between Poppy and Wheeler. I just wanted to cheer both of them on and tell them they should grab love and happiness with both hands to never let it go.

The epilogue of Salvaged was amazing, too, because all the characters from both the Marked Men series and the Saints of Denver series were present, and I got an intimate peek at what was going on with them after the ending of their own story.



There was just something about that beautiful girl with her wounded eyes that made me want to assure her she wasn't the only one feeling shredded and alone.

Being needed was nice, but not when it turned into being needed for the things I could provide instead of being needed for the man that I was.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 June, 2017: Finished reading
  • 5 June, 2017: Reviewed