Jay Crownover’s
New York Times and USA Today bestselling
Marked Men series continues with the much
anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.
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.
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.
She puffed out a breath and
her bangs fluttered over her winged brows. “He’s a survivor for sure, but there
is a difference between merely getting by and living the life you’re supposed
to live. I had no idea how love was supposed to look or feel until I met Jet. I
wasn’t living a full life until he gave me the strength to let go of everything
else.”
Her eyes flared hot, gold
just like Asa’s did when he was excited about something. I was a tiny bit
jealous that just saying her man’s name had that effect on her.
“I want Asa to do more than
survive, Royal. I want him to finally be happy for once in his life. I want him
to do more than just get by. I want him to have something that is his and his
alone that he doesn’t ever feel like he has to fight for.”
I gulped a little bit as
emotion started to clog my throat. I set my almost empty beer down on the table
in front of me and twisted my fingers together. “He has all of that within his
grasp, but his hands are too busy holding on to the past and reaching for the
future to grab on to it.”
She opened her mouth and then
snapped it closed as she leaned back in her chair. She crossed her arms over
her chest, covering up the Valkyrie straddling a flaming guitar and the word enmity as she did so. The shirt with the
ripped-off sleeves that showed the sides of her black bra seemed out of place
with her pointy red cowboy boots, but it was Ayden, so she rocked it and looked
perfect doing so.
She shook her dark head. “I
know he is. I was hoping that since he can’t stop staring at you, and keeps
looking at me like he wants to drop-kick me across the bar, maybe you had
convinced him to let some of that go. We can’t go back in time and we can’t
predict the future. He’s living in suspended animation.”
I shifted again as the
jukebox switched to an old Christina Aguilera song, which had several
middle-aged ladies climbing up from the table they were sharing and doing some
serious booty shaking. It made me grin even though the topic of conversation
wasn’t exactly cheerful.
“Every once in a while he
puts it all away, and every now and again I feel like he’s reaching for a
lifeline to stop himself from sinking. It gives me enough hope that I’m willing
to stick around and see how it all plays out.”
She ran her finger around the
rim of her shot glass and licked the salt off. “What are you going to do if you
ever have to lock him up again? He’s a trouble magnet. Even when he’s trying to
keep his nose clean.”
I sighed and shoved my hands
through the front of my hair. “I keep telling myself I’ll cross that bridge if
I ever come to it.” I leaned closer to her when the dancing women moved a
little closer and their laughter got loud enough that I had to talk over it.
“Did you know he was willing to do time, to sit in jail for a crime he didn’t
even commit because he’s so twisted up on the inside about everything that
happened before? How can someone even function with that kind of guilt filling
them up?”
My voice caught and I let out
a shuddering breath. I started a little when Ayden’s hand reached out and
landed on top of the fists I hadn’t even been aware I was making. I mean I knew
about guilt and the way it could affect a person’s thinking. My own guilt had
kept me away from Dom when he needed me most, but I let it go when I realized
it was poisoning everything in my life. I would always feel bad for what
happened that night in the alley and I would never get over seeing Dom fall,
but it couldn’t be the only moment that defined my life or my career. I needed
Asa to realize everything he was missing by refusing to let go.
Ayden’s fingers squeezed
mine, and I had to squeeze back because she was the only other person alive
that could understand how hard caring for a man like Asa could be.
“That’s why I worry. All he’s
done since I brought him to Denver is function. Nothing more and nothing less.
That’s no way to live. But now he watches you like you matter, like he’s
worried I’m going to scare you off with all the stories of his past misdeeds.
So I have hope, a thin, tiny thread of hope that there is finally something out
there in the world that he’s going to realize he has to wake up and live for.”
And don’t miss the previous books in
The Marked Men Series!
RULE
JET
ROME
NASH
ROWDY
Asa by Jay Crownover is the sixth book in the Marked Men Series and I will say that I wasn't 100% eager to read his story even though he always intrigued me as a character but as soon as I started, I was hooked and I think it was one of my top 3 of all of the Marked Men Series books. This book was a 4 star read for me and I highly recommend that everyone read this amazing series that will have you hooked from the very first book up until the last! Jay Crownover has a way with words and her depictions of these tattoo hotties can definately raise the temperature in any room they are in.
The reader was first introduced to Asa in Jet's books, as he is Ayden's screwed up brother. Always looking for the next get rich quick scheme, Asa was known to turn on the southern charm and to get whatever he wanted, whether it be a woman or a woman's money. After a near death experience makes him question everything about his life, he moves to Ayden's hometown and takes a job at Rome's bar where he starts as the bartender and slowly moves to become the manager. Asa struggles everyday to not return to his conman ways, because he doesn't want to let his sister Ayden down again when she is given him another chance to make something of his life.
Royal was a character so unlike Asa in every single way. A copy that can be totally ditzy at times , often locking herself out of her apartment or her car. Being a cop meant everything to Royal and she prided herself on doing the right thing. She became friends with Nash and Saint who lives across the hall from her and was slowly brought in until she became one of the Marked Men's family. After a tragedy that no police officer ever wants to face, Royal began drowning her sorrow at the bottom of a bottle in Asa's bar on her nights off; and trying to get Asa to take her home and have his way with her.
Asa tries to hard to stay away from Royal no matter how attracted to her he is, because he is forever worrying that he will not be able to stay on the straight and narrow and will revert back to his money scheming ways and there is no way that he could take a cop down with him. Royal wants Asa like she has never wanted anything before and she refuses to give up until she has figured out and gotten the intriguing man with the charm and southern twang to take a romp with her in between the sheets.
The back in forth between these two is amazing and will have you laughing at times. The growth that Asa has as a character can be seen with each turn of the page throughout this novel; giving him the ability to perhaps redeem himself by the end. You will have to read to find out how the future plays out for Asa and Royal but I promise that you won't be disappointed.
ASA was the sixth and final book in The Marked Men Series and it was a sad and bitter sweet to see this series come to and end. I absolutely loved this book and this series and would recommend to others. Even though these books can most likely be read as stand alone's I just wouldn't recommend it.. this book especially because you will get every character from the other stories in this one and see how all there lives get wrapped up in a perfect bow. Well maybe not all is perfect but I feel like it was worth every 5 stars that I would give this story.... But don't worry Divas she is writing more about the secondary characters but it will be in a new series called The Saint Of Denver Series, the first book will start out with Sayer and Zeb's story and I have to say I am soooo looking forward to there tale because wow you thought opposites attract with some the marked men I have a feeling this one will blow our minds! If you haven't read the whole series this the order you should read-- Rule, Jet, Rome, Nash, Rowdy, and finally Asa. Wow what a crazy ride this story was, I have to say I can't really pinpoint which story in this series was my absolute favorite but Asa really did steal my heart and my panties.
Royal and Asa are as opposite as they come when it comes to priorities but in the bedroom they are put together like missing puzzle pieces and they steam up the sheets. But is this enough for a real relationship when morals come into play. Can the cop and the bad guy actually be a real couple? Or will too many things stand in there way? Tragedy, twists and turns will billow into this story and will leave you speechless but how will it all play out??
Go get this book and the whole series! You will not be disappointed.. I truly missed hearing about Rule ,Jet, Rome, Nash, and Rowdy because it had been so long since I read there stories but this book will bring it all back and leave you wanting to go back and read there stories all over again. Thanks Jay Crownover for giving this Indie world the Marked Men and making it leave a lasting impression that I will never forget.. oh and I do believe you will always be known to me as the first book I read about prince alberts and loved every second of it! Ahhh good by marked men but no worries I will visit you all again very soon!
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with Better When He’s Bad. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
