Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel (Marked Men, 5)

I read this series from beginning to end – no breaks. Having read Built (Saints of Denver, #1)  the mention of previous characters and some story lines that obviously had been started in the Marked Men series had me wanting to go back and read it. I am so glad I did as I had not only missed a great series but also meeting many of the secondary characters and their issues which is who the Saints of Denver is about. This series mainly takes place around a Tattoo shop where a man called Uncle Phil took in a group of men who were walking the line and gave them a job and purpose.As I read these back to back I am going to write one review for them all. This is what I call an ensemble series – each book builds on the next one. Each book does have its own couple that get their HFN/HEA but some things started in one book may not get a resolution until another.<b><u>Rule (Marked Men #1)</b></u> – This book is one that starts a side plot/story that isnt finished until the 3rd book in the series. The Archer family had three boys – oldest Rome and twins Rule and Remy. Even though Rule and Remy were identical twins they couldnt be more different. Remy was the good one and Rule broke all the rules. Shaw Landon entered their lives when she was 13 and they became her surrogate family. Shaw and Remy were very close but Rule is the one she has secretly loved since first meeting him. Even though they are all adults now Rule is still wild and out of control. That got worse when Remy died. Remy's death fractured the Archer family and Shaw is doing her best to try and keep it together. She does not succeed. But Rule finally see's her and does his best to try and make up for his past and be the man she deserves.<b><u>Jet (Marked Men #2)</b></u> - Jet Keller doesnt work at the Tattoo shop but he is good friends with the men who work there. He is the lead singer of a band and writes songs for both his band and others. He is very talented but has refused to leave town to expand his career due to trying to protect his mother from his father. Problem is she doesnt want his help and has no plans of ever leaving him. Ayden Cross (best friend of Shaw) is a woman with ugly past she doesnt want anyone to find out about. She left her past behind in Kentucky and wants to just finish college. One thing she doesnt want is the attraction she has for Jet. He tempts her inner bad girl too much and scares her that she could easily go back to that person she is trying so hard to forget. In this one we met her brother Asa who has no redeeming qualities (until his book which is the last in the series)<b><u>Rome (Marked Men #3)</b></u> – Rome we met in his brother book. He has always been the glue in the family and in on his 8th year of 10 in the Army. During that book he didn't deal well with a family secret when its revealed and that left him estranged with his family. When he gets done with his last tour and leaves the Army he is lost and suffering from PTSD and dealing with all his demons in a bottle and being angry at the world. Cora Lewis runs the front desk of the Tatoo shop along with doing body modifications. She is a fouled mouth take no crap little pixie who also plays the role of momma bear. These two were an odd pairing but fit together perfectly once they worked through some big issues.<b><u>Nash (Marked Men #4)</b></u> – This was the weakest of books to me. Neither Nash who works at the tattoo shop and Saint Ford who is a ER nurse were as interesting as the other characters but it does introduce us to Royal Hastings a cop that is the main heroine in the last book of the series.<b><u>Rowdy (Marked Men, #5)</b></u>  - I think this was my favorite book because it introduced us to the cast of characters that are in the new series Saints of Denver. Rowdy ended up in foster care at a early age after his mother died. The foster home was next door to Salem and Poppy Cruz. Salem's father was a fire and brimstone Texas preacher that was a tyrant at home. Rowdy, Salem and Poppy all became close with Rowdy putting all his hopes and dreams into them. When Salem who is a couple years older finally takes all she can take with her father and leaves home she breaks Rowdy's heart and he then hitches all his happiness on Poppy. That also ends in heartbreak and now as a grown man Rowdy still uses his broken heart over the Cruz sisters and a reason to never thinking he will ever find the one. When Uncle Phil on his deathbed decides to play matchmaker and offers Salem the position of running a new Tattoo branch she waste no time in taking the job hoping to get a fresh start with Rowdy. Problem is he wants nothing to do with her. But its not long before these two start a sexual relationship but trust is a huge issues between them and when Poppy shows up in bad shape all the secrets from years ago come to light. I cannot wait for Poppy's story which will be told in the Saints of Denver series. She soo deserves a HEA. This is where we also meet Zeb Fuller and Sayer Cole (Rowdy's sister) who are the couple in Built (Saints of Denver, #1)<b><u>Asa (Marked Men, #6)</b></u>  - Asa Cross has gone through quite the transformation from the book Jet. He was almost killed and since coming out of a coma is trying to live on the right side of the law. Rome took a chance on him and gave him a job as a bartender. Asa beats himself up a lot through out this book and doesn't think he is worthy of happiness and thinks he is just one con away from returning to his old self. Royal Hastings is the cop we met in Nash's book and she has always had the hots for Asa but he turns her down every time. After her childhood friend who also happens to be her partner on the force is shot multiple times Royal goes into a tailspin over the guilt. Asa finally gives into Royal but doesn't know how a cop and an ex criminal are going to work out.Through out each of the books we get previous couples weddings and births of children. Every book had great epilogue. I really enjoyed this series and this author is defiantly a must buy.

Where do I begin? Jay Crownover created a series that EVERYONE MUST read. I have to say, the Marked Men is one of my favorites. These rowdy, arrogant, cocky men, have a soft side underneath their hard rough exterior. With each book that Jay writes, she has me falling in love with these men all over again.Rowdy had a rough childhood with losing his mother at a young age, he was forced into the system. He was placed in a small town in Loveless, Texas with a foster family. He formed a friendship with the two girls that lived across the street, Poppy and Salem Cruz.These two girls were his best friends for years, that was until Salem left town when she reached the age of eighteen (18). Salem left town for her own reasons, but she never stopped to realize the repercussions of her actions and how they affected others... especially, Rowdy.Rowdy had no family, accept the family that he formed when he met the Marked Men. Jet, Rule, Nash and Rome were his family. Phil, Nash's father who passed away, took Rowdy under his wing and gave him the love that he needed and the encouragement to follow his dreams. When Phil set his plan into motion prior to his passing, none of the Marked Men knew what to expect, they only knew that everything Phil did, he did for a reason.So the day that Salem received a phone call from Nash offering her a position, it took one click of the mouse for her to look up the shops website, and she knew her decision. ABSOLUTELY, she was heading to Denver. For years, Salem was a traveling gypsy, roaming from place to place. Never planting her roots. But when she saw who was at the shop in Denver, she knew she didn't want to run anymore. Rather than continue to run from her past, she wanted to run toward her future. A future with Rowdy. BUT.... Will Rowdy feel the same way?It was like staring at everything that I suddenly wanted in the center of a crystal ball telling me that was what my future was supposed to look like. ~ SalemWhen Rowdy walked up the stairs at the new shop, he never knew his life was about to change. He never expected to see Salem standing before him. The girl who took part of his heart when she left him ten years ago. Rowdy never recovered from that. Everyone that Rowdy loved and cared for left him. Whether it was intentional or by accident. Losing his mother, left him an orphan, so when Salem, his best friend left him as well, he never wanted to feel that pain again. He never wanted to open himself up to anyone to allow himself to get hurt again. When Salem arrived, something in Rowdy changed. He began to feel emotions that he never felt before. There was something about Salem, that made him want more. Made him want to try. The two of them needed to be able to address their pasts. They needed to both open up on how they truly felt about each other. Will Rowdy forgive Salem for leaving him ten years ago? Will Rowdy be ready to mend that relationship? Will the two of them be able to move forward? Can they overcome the obstacles in their way?"You started all of this, Salem. You don't get to back away just because you don't like what's hiding in the dark once the light you're shining hits it." ~ RowdyRowdy and Salem knew each other. They saw each other for who they truly were. They accepted each other for who they were. Salem and Rowdy were bound in ways that they couldn't explain. Salem always encouraged Rowdy to pursue his interest in art, to pursue his dreams in what he loved."You always saw me Salem. You understood me when I didn't even get myself. You were by best friend and then you left. I can't care about someone, attach myself to someone, when they're just going to leave me in the end." ~ RowdyThis book pulled at the strings of my heart. Rowdy needed to be loved, he deserved to be loved. I wanted Salem to love him, I wanted her to stay. I wanted her to prove to him that love doesn't always hurt and that she wasn't going to leave. That Rowdy was worth fighting for. I was routing for the two of them the entire time. I wanted to see both of them happy. Both, Rowdy and Salem had unsettled feelings from their past, and until they spoke openly about them, they would never be able to move forward. These two loved hard, and fought hard as well. The chemistry between the two was off the charts, you could feel the love the two had to each other, as well as the pain that they both endured.MY FAVORITE QUOTE FROM ROWDY !!!!!"I've heard you say my name in a lot of ways, Salem. Gotta say hearing you say it in bed when I'm about to eat you up is probably my favorite to date." ~ RowdyI will scream it from the roof tops, if you have not read The Marked Men Series, you do not know what you are missing. One click this series, because you will fall in love with these tatted up bad boys in a blink of an eye.

Please bear in mind that this is the fifth book in the series and therefore, the review may contain spoilers to the previous books.This is another Jay Crownover book that took me two readings in order to get my thoughts into some kind of order. I really do struggle with books that feature siblings forming relationships with ex’s. However, Rowdy provides a different perspective looking at the different forms of love we have in life and how they can be confused based upon personal experience/needs; especially concerning romantic versus platonic – friendships can become blurred due to unavoidable circumstances.Taking into consideration Rowdy’s deep abandonment issues, it is easier to understand his attachment to Poppy (even if I didn’t like it). Jay does a wonderful job of distinguishing different forms of relationships and love within the narrative, connecting the reader with the characters (however reluctantly lol). The misinterpretation of feelings and the hurt that occurs as a result are clearly shown within the plot.It is amazing how time and distance can provide a much-needed clarity and change of perspective when circumstances make you re-evaluate past events and the emotions that accompanied them. Showing situations in a whole new lights and opening new pathways as a result.I absolutely adored Salem, she is an inspiration; self-reliant, she shows women how to believe in themselves and hold their own value as a prize possession. She is amazingly self-aware and has been from a young age, deeply caring and compassionate. She is an incredible role model for young women. Tattoos, piercings and rockabilly clothes are my personal heaven (I desperately want Salem’s wardrobe). Salem tends to put the people she cares about before herself at the detriment to her own happiness.The use of karma/fate/destiny undertones within the narrative added to my adoration. Phil Donovan’s legacy continues through the ‘family’ he has built from the motley crew of tattoo artists and their partners.There is a very intricately woven plot in Rowdy with some unexpected twists that take the book into an intense action fuelled story on all fronts :) The plot deals with some sensitive subjects including domestic violence and the use of religion as a means of control and justification for heinous acts.Jay Crownover is a genius where character progression is concerned, cameo appearances of our favourite Marked Men shows the continuation of the relationships already established while laying the foundation for the next couple brilliantly. What more can I say but I LOVE THIS SERIES – Jay Crownover never disappoints :)

----How these marked men have grown, from the ever petulant Rule way back when! to Jet, Rome, Nash, now Rowdy and then Asa, has been a great journey. They are such a tight group of people; not forgetting the ever loving, fiercly protective ladies from Shaw, Ayden, Cora, Saint now Salem and looking forward to getting to know Royal either.This was a good heartfelt story, of a life of 'what ifs' 'second chances' 'firsts and lasts'.We briefly know Rowdy and from what I remember I sadly didn't do a re-read! he was the strong silent type. He was always there in the background, on hand should any of the other guys and girls need help.Salem, a very strong willed but immensely protective girl. She'll have your back without a second thought, and soon earned her place amongst the group of ladies.It has been an interesting read with the introductions of new characters, with the bonds firmly in place.I thought Salem's reasons for taking the job were a bit rash, although she never one figured that things might not work out. She was a tough cookie, never once took NO! for an answer. She really fitted in seamlessly.Understandingly, Rowdy was cautious but also held onto bucket loads of anger and rage, not realising the feelings were still as strong. When he did get his head out of his ass, that was special. They both had a past, but also a past that held them bound and both didn't know that they were actually looking for each other.It appeared every other member of their inner circle could see what was happening, long before they both could.Absolutely loved catching up with the others, seeing how their lives are moving forward, meeting little RJ, being there with all the major life experiences and feeling like your part of it.I had been holding my breath, when Poppy came back into their lives, she was Salem's sister and Rowdy's first crush and I did feel for Salem, especially with ow hard she and Rowdy had been working at their friendship, their insecurities and hang ups.Poppy got it all spot on, but the lines of communication were so blurred. I am glad that all three finally realised and those blurred lines soon became crystal clear.Rowdy and Salem's reunion, was tinged with bittersweet moments, but these two were hell bent of moving forward together.Then Rowdy is thrown into chaos, he learns that he has a sister, and he is not happy about it at first, but I am pleased for them both that they are beginning to become friends. Loved how unsure Rowdy is when his friend seems to be making a play for Sayer.Loved Salem, specially with her unconditional love for her little sister, there for her when she needs it the most. How strong was she when she stood up to her parents and how sweet the moment when she visited Rowdy's moms headstone at the cemetery. She is definitely a friend I would want at my side.If you want to read about a bunch of very sexy hot fiercely protective group of people, watch them grow from sultry boys into reMARKable men, this series is a must. Pick these boys up and devour each and every one of them. Follow them through their individual journeys, but also their journey as a close knit group.Rowdy and Salem's journey has been an emotional roller coaster, tears threatening on more than one occasion. They both had skeletons, but together they helped each other dust them off and have a future worth dreaming about.Cant wait to see how they continue to grow up and to see how Asa and Royal manage to break through and shine together.

I only started reading Jay Crownover's Marked Men series this year, but it's quickly became one of my favourites. I've been looking forward to Rowdy's book ever since I started the series. Rowdy is such a mysterious character, and we don't really know much about him or his past - only that he got his heart broken when he was younger - so I couldn't wait for his book to finally unravel the mystery of Rowdy.Finding out about Rowdy's past actually broke my heart. Rowdy never knew his dad, and his mother died in a car accident, so he'd been in foster care since a very young age. Young Rowdy was extremely sweet, adorable, naive and my heart broke for him. After Rowdy had his heart broken, he gave up on finding love and never let himself get too involved with women. He closed himself off, but he was still so sweet and adorable, but also sexy and extremely charming. I adored Rowdy.When Salem arrived at the end of Nash, I knew she was going to cause some trouble for Rowdy. It turns out that Rowdy lived next door to Salem's family when they were growing up, and he had a strong bond with Salem and her sister Poppy. Salem never fit in with her family, and she was always rebelling against her father's rules. She's feisty, strong and confident. She was determined to get out from under her father's rules, so at 18, she packed her bags and left - leaving behind her sister and Rowdy.Rowdy and Salem both work in the tattoo shop together, so there's no escaping each other. Salem is determined to make Rowdy understand, but Rowdy doesn't want anything to do with her. He's still hung up on the past, and he doesn't know whether he can trust Salem. Rowdy always hinted that something happened with Poppy - who broke Rowdy's heart - and we find out a lot more about Rowdy, Salem and Poppy, and we see how much guilt Salem carries for running off and leaving Poppy with their father. I loved seeing Rowdy and Salem together, and seeing the way they interacted with each other. It was pretty obvious that they were meant to be together. They had some serious chemistry in the bedroom, I think they have the hottest relationship of the series for me - but they had a lot of s*** to sort out before they could even think about being together properly. And the Poppy showed up in the second half and s*** got real. It was crazy and had my holding onto my kindle for dear life. My heart was racing because I just wouldn't have been able to deal with it if something happened to any of the characters.I love that all the characters in this series are so intertwined into each others lives. I always get to see my favourite characters! I was totally right about the Shaw & Rule thing; I had a stupid smile on my face thanks to Rome & Cora; Jet & Ayden are still having some problems, but they're amazing and Nash & Saint are just adorable! Asa is also quickly becoming one of my favourites, and I felt so bad for him in Rowdy. He just can't catch a break. I'm dying to read his book, and if he and Royal don't get together, I will not be happy.Yet again, the epilogue has just left me dying for the next book. I just can't get enough of these guys, their girls and their world. It's such an amazing series, and I just need Asa right now!

Rowdy is finally here! I have been waiting for this book for quite a while! We are now on book 5 of Jay Crownover’s Marked Men Series.If you want to check out my reviews of the other books in the series follow the links below.RuleJetRomeNashThis story is all about old school player Rowdy who you will already know as one of the members of the Marked family if you’ve read any of the other books in the series.When you read about Rowdy through the eyes of the other guys and girls in this series you get them impression that he is a massive player but in the fourth book, Nash, you start to get this feeling that there is more to his character, particularly towards the end when his late manager and mentor Phil gets involved.Enter Salem. Blast from Rowdy’s Texas past and just another in the line of people who’ve left him. Salem fits into the fold nicely with attributes akin to those of the other girls in the series. I liked the relationship she had with the rest of the gang and I liked that even though she’s just a tiny bit older than the rest of them that her life experience adds to a sense of maturity and wisdom that she has.Rowdy and Salem’s relationship is tricky and you don’t really get to see the full extent of the situation until partway into the novel. I was a bit disappointed with the relationship that Rowdy had with Poppy, Salem’s sister, as I thought that might have been a cause for some drama and possible a love triangle between the three.About half way through I felt like Rowdy and Salem’s story had been told and after that it became a lot more about previewing other characters who might make a main character appearance in the story. Asa, who you will also know from earlier in the series is going to be the main character in book six and I felt like part of his story was focused on here even though we already know what his character’s colourful past has been like.Although I did feel like the story of the main characters had petered out after the halfway point of the story I did enjoy the same style of writing that I’ve come to expect and look forward to from Jay. I will definitely be buying Asa when he’s ready!

This is great book. I have loved 'The Marked Men' series and this book did not disappoint. Ms Jay Crownover had done it again, well done. A great book for a great lovable character.Rowdy has known Salem since he was 10 years old. They were friends and Rowdy lived next door to Salem and Poppy. When Salem was 18 years old she left her religious parents and a 15 year old Rowdy behind.Rowdy started dating Poppy and asked her to marry him, but she said no and Rowdy left and he never saw Poppy or Salem again…till Nash called her on behalf of Phil who said she will be a great assist to the new shop.Salem only came because of Rowdy and Rowdy is avoiding Salem like the plague.After a talk with Jet, he decides to take a chance. There is the question of Poppy.Poppy is Salem's sister and she loves her, so when Salem gets a phone call from her when she is in a compromising position he lets her go and walks out.In this book there are some surprising events. Rule and Shaw, Jet and Ayden, Rome and Carla, Nash and Saint and the events that bring Asa and Royal together but not in a good way.I have a hard time deciding what book I loved more. But I have loved every character's and I have connected with every character from all the books.I can't wait for 'Asa' and I read on Jay Crownover's page on Goodreads that Asa is the last book in 'The Marked Men' series but there will be a Spin off with the boys from the New shop 'Saint's of Denver' and you know it will be epic.