Review - Built by Jay Crownover

Title: Built

Series: Saints of Denver #1

Author: Jay Crownover

Release Date: January 5, 2015

Sometimes a real hero lets you save yourself . . .

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. But none of that has stopped Zeb from wanting the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her—even if the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest.

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. When he shows up at Sayer’s door needing her professional help, she’s both disappointed and relieved that she won’t get the chance to find out just how good he could be.

But as they team up to right a wrong and save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide cannot be ignored.

“Crownover weaves a tale that touches every emotion and keeps the pages turning.” —Liliana Hart, New York Times bestselling author

ADD TO GOODREADS

AMAZON US / AMAZON UK

A series—even a spin-off—needs a good, solid foundation upon which to build, and Jay Crownover has given her new series, the Saints of Denver, that and more in this excellent first installment. Built was fantastically enjoyable from start to finish, and I found myself so invested, I didn't want to put it down.

So, you know what? I didn't. I read Built in one day, tucked up in my bed with my sick baby boy, and devoured the words Ms. Crownover left on the page like I was starving for them. Because, in a way, I was. I've been interested in Zeb and Sayer since Rowdy, one of my favorite Marked Men books, and I feel like I've been waiting forever to find out what happened to this perfectly mismatched pair. To finally get their story—and to have it be so right—made me a very happy reader indeed.

I simply loved this couple. Together, and separately. Zeb was easy. He's a tattooed, bearded mountain man with a dark past, and he’s just trying to make good in the world. He was kind, passionate and (mostly) patient. It would have been impossible not to love him, when he was so amazingly alpha and yet, so sweetly sexy. He was dirty words and genuine gestures, and his decisions—from protecting his family which landed him in trouble, to standing up and being a man when he needed to be—just made this giant a GIANT yes in my book.

But here's the thing. This book was Sayer’s. Truly, it was. Broken, beat-down Sayer, whose emotions were on ice and whose biggest, rashest decision came when she moved to Colorado to find Rowdy, her brother. Yes, she was cold, closed off and made the wrong choices, but she was human and she grew. She'd been hurt and Ms. Crownover did an excellent job of portraying that throughout Built. There were enough glimpses of the real Sayer—the one that helped the people she loved just because she loved them—and her chemistry with Zeb was intense enough to carry her past her flaws and into my heart. I was rooting for this person that needed to find her color, and when she did? Ugh, my heart pounded.

With fun (but not over-the-top) moments with some of the Marked Men series’ finest, this book was a perfect starting point for the Saints of Denver. It can be read completely standalone (or after the also excellent Leveled, which is book #0.5), so new readers are in for a real treat. An introduction to Denver, Jay Crownover-style. And a rock-solid foundation upon which this new series can be Built. 

~ Review by Beth

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and Welcome to the Point series. 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.

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

WEBSITE

BLOG

GOODREADS

Release Day Launch and Giveaway - Leveled by Jay Crownover

Title: Leveled

Series: Saints of Denver #0.5

Author: Jay Crownover

Release Day: November 2, 2015

We all need a hero...let the Saints of Denver begin.

Orlando Frederick knows what it is to be leveled by pain. Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure if he can do it again.

Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working towards a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own...if only the man will let him close enough to mend what's broken.

ADD TO GOODREADS

AMAZON US / AMAZON UK

Ahhhhh, an M/M read from Jay Crownover? One that bridges my beloved Marked Men with the Saints of Denver? GIMME. NOW. <<-- Essentially all the words I was capable of when I found out about it. And now I'm done, my words are more like, ‘I want more. Now!’ 

Dominic Voss and Orlando Frederick both know what it is to suffer. Dom’s trying to get to back to full fitness and his job on the beat—a job that defines who he is—after a life-threatening injury, while Lando has closed himself off to the idea of love after the worst kind of ending to his relationship with his first—and true—love. 

They weren't supposed to be more than therapist and patient—Lando’s job was to put Dom’s broken body back together. But their intense attraction means that Lando isn't the only one doing the healing…if he can break down his barriers, Dom might just have a chance at mending Lando’s broken heart. 

Is it January yet? Because I raced through this steamy, emotional novella and now I'm done, I'm so ready for more of this new series. Leveled was an excellent introduction to the Saints of Denver, with a couple of little Easter Egg moments to tease what's to come—and it included cameos from some of those Marked Men characters I didn't (still don't) want to say goodbye to, giving a bit more closure to fans of the original series. Not that you must have read those to be able to enjoy the story of Dom and Lando. Knowing a little of their respective back stories made it easier to get invested in this story for sure (as well as a grip on the relationships that pop up between these characters and their friends/family), but nonetheless, I think you could get by without. Wonderful. 

And speaking of wonderful, there were a couple of moments, in particular, that packed a real punch for me—and one of them didn't even directly involve the main couple. Instead, it served as a reminder about the importance of forgiveness and love. And that's really what this book is about. Accepting what's happened, and trying not to let it affect what's to come. Dom’s trying to heal his injury, Lando needs to mend his broken heart, and they both need to embrace the future—whatever it holds. 

I loved Dom and Lando’s story, and was thrilled that Ms. Crownover gave them a second chance at life and love. Seeing them struggle to find balance with one another—to heal and move on—was fun, sexy and rewarding. This couple just worked together, and I only wish it could have been longer, since it's STILL not January yet…and I really, really wish it was… 

~ Review by Beth

He reached out and shut the medical file in front of him and leaned back in his chair. His eyebrows arched up, and he laced his fingers together and put his index fingers under his chin.

“What exactly are you after, Mr. Voss?” His voice was smooth and modulated. I was a disaster, a bundle of nerves and anxiety, and this dude was acting like we were talking about the weather, not my entire life and everything I had ever worked my ass off for. 

Defiantly I spread my legs apart and slumped back in the chair across from him, making it a point to affect a posture that was as casual as his was professional. I had on a faded DPD T-shirt and a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, and both were a little baggy since I’d lost some of my bulk being laid up in the hospital after the accident. If the guy across from me was a cherry-red Ferrari, then I was a rusted-out and battered John Deere tractor in comparison. 

“I want my life back, Mr. Frederick. I want to be able to move the way I used to. I want to pass the department physical so I can go back on patrol. I want to be able to walk without needing a crutch or a cane. I want to be the way I was before I got hurt.” I was asking for the impossible and I knew it. “And please call me Dom.”

He dipped his chin down a little, and the edge of his mouth tilted up in a slight grin. Damn the man was good-looking. I blew out a breath and lifted up my hands to run them over the top of my shorn hair. I was hanging on to my sanity by a thread and my unexpected reaction to the guy that I was hanging every hope I had left on wasn’t helping matters.

“All right, Dom. You can call me Lando. That’s what my friends call me.”

I felt one of my eyebrows shoot up. “Are we going to be friends?” 

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. 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.

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

WEBSITE

BLOG

GOODREADS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review - Better When He's Brave by Jay Crownover

Title: Better When He’s Brave

Series: Welcome to the Point #3

Author: Jay Crownover

Release Date: August 11, 2015

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without.

Titus King has always seen his world in black and white. There is a firm right and wrong in his mind, which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray.

The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and walking the straight and narrow seems far less important now. The difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town. This girl might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point but he can’t walk away because he needs her—in more ways than one.

Reeve knows all about the threat trying to destroy The Point. She knows how ruthless, how vicious, and how cruel this new danger can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. Reeve knows that she has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.

With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.

ADD TO GOODREADS

AMAZON US /UK

The third installment in Jay Crownover's exceptional Welcome to the Point series was the one I was waiting for. Titus King, the lone good guy in the series about bad people, doing bad things, in a bad town, has fascinated me from the start. His story was exactly what I hoped it would be. Thrilling, hard-fought, unputdownable.

Detective King has a streak of honor in him that keeps him fighting for The Point, even knowing it's a losing battle. With a new threat in the horizon, and a war for control of the city just around the corner, the last thing he needs is the beautiful, deadly Reeve Black to reappear in his life.

Reeve is determined to help the cop that she's been infatuated with from the moment she met him. She has the information Titus needs to hunt down and cut off the threat, and she's willing to work with him to make amends for past mistakes.

But he's a good man trying to protect his city and the ones he loves, and she's a bad girl that isn't sure she can find the right path to redemption. How can they exist together when they appear to be on opposite sides of right and wrong?

Wow, Ms. Crownover is one hell of a storyteller. I was utterly mesmerized by this fantastic book from the start--the explosive prologue that set the tone for the rest of this balls-to-the-wall, edge-of-your-seat suspense.

Better When He's Brave is a redemption tale that blurs the lines, in much the same way Titus himself starts to blur them in the pursuit of justice and safety for his people. I loved the hell out of the strong, beastly, sexy cop and I couldn't have stopped reading his tale if you'd paid me. You'd have been wasting your money if you tried.

There is much contradiction in this book and in these characters, and Ms. Crownover balances it perfectly. There are many potentially unlikeable characters that appear in this series and yet, almost all make you want to wish and cheer and hope for them. I found myself wanting to forgive the unforgivable and trying to find the right in all the wrong.

Even when they made poor choices, lied, manipulated, endangered, I still wanted them to get their chance at the ultimate love. I wanted Titus and Reeve to find their more not just between the sheets, where they absolutely burned up, but in the big, bad world.

That want, that hope, also applies to the characters to come. I'm anticipating the fourth book already, intrigued by the seemingly irredeemable Nassir and how Ms. Crownover plans to make him into an anti-hero we can all get behind. I can only hope it's as action-packed and heart-racing as this thrilling installment. I'm waiting... 

~ Review by Beth 

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and Welcome to the Point series. 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.

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

WEBSITE

GOODREADS

Blog Tour - Asa by Jay Crownover

Title: Asa

Series: Marked Men #6

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: April 21, 2015

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.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Nooooooooooo! *sobs* This cannot be the end of the Marked Men! I refuse to accept that, Jay! Re-fucking-fuse! This series is, without a doubt, one of my top ten favorites ever! I've fallen in love with these heroes and heroines throughout their six book journey. And now we've come full circle with Asa, the bad boy trying to right the wrongs in his life.
 

Asa and Royal. The bad boy conman and the straight and narrow cop. Jay Crownover excels at matching true opposites in her books. Unexpected pairs, unexpected love and that's what makes her stories so unique and page turning. Of course, this one was no exception.
Full of Jay's signature style, Asa is no longer the anti-hero. He's sexy, swoony, sensitive and just trying to live his life and right some of his past wrongs. He doesn't think he deserves anyone's love, let alone and amazing woman like Royal. Thank goodness she's so stubborn and pushes her way in.

The final book in the Marked Men series closes off these storylines perfectly. I'm sad to bid them all goodbye, so I won't; instead I'll say, see you soon my friends.

~ Review by Erin

*sniff sniff* *sob* *reaches for tissue box* SAY IT AIN'T SO! I am so not ready for Asa to be the end of the Marked Men series -- a series I have LOVED, a series I have re-read, a series I have talked about and recommended, a series I have swooned over. Yes, The Saints of Denver are coming, and I am beyond excited for that, but still.... Sigh.

Having said that, and having managed to compose myself a little bit, I can safely, easily and happily say that Asa was the absolute perfect ending to this series. The reformed bad boy, Southern charmer bartender and his fierce, fiery, just a little bit bruised but not broken lady cop were....uh, they were PERFECT. 

Asa Cross knows all about law-breaking. He's made a career of being a criminal, and he knows that coming to Denver, hitting rock bottom and starting again doesn't change the fact that he has a record as long his arm. And it doesn't change the fact that he'll always be bad. 

Royal Hasting knows all about the law. She's an unlikely cop but a good one, despite the tragic events that have her spiraling out of control and her partner in harm's way. When she sets her sights on Asa, a man prettier than her and dangerous to her career -- and her heart -- she and Asa both know it's not the wisest choice…

Asa, oh Asa. I didn't know what to make of him when he first made his presence known in this series, but I knew I wanted to see more of him. I loved the way Jay Crownover made him one of the crew, loved the way his relationship with his sister, Ayden and his friend/boss, Rome brought him into the inner circle and made this book possible. It was an exceptional redemption story, with a hero that might be a bad boy but was never bad. At least, not in my eyes. 

Nor in the eyes of the regal Royal. She saw something in Asa, and she fought for it. Even when she was guilt-ridden, broken and questioning herself, she was still fantastic. So human, and yet, so perfect. Ms. Crownover knows how to write kick-ass women, and each of the Marked Men women have been strong, smart and unique; Royal is just another example of this. I love the men in this series (who wouldn't?), but these women? These women are the kind of girls I'd like to surround myself with in real life. 

The simplicity of this story -- a bad boy reformed, a good girl skirting the edge of darkness -- is counteracted by the wonderful writing, the humor, the heartache, the sexiness and the captivating way it flowed. Always something happening, but never too much. Always something to look forward to, but never distracting from the right now. Forgive me my overuse of the word perfect, but I can't think of a better word for this book and the way it ends this series. All the best things about the Marked Men can be seen in Asa; appearances from the other couples being my favorite thing of all. 

I am so sorry to see this story end, but I'm hopeful Ms. Crownover's upcoming The Saints of Denver series will let me back into this world and give me a little glimpse of these characters I've loved since page one of Rule. 

~ Review by Beth

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.

WEBSITE

BLOG

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

GOODREADS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour - Better When He's Bold by Jay Crownover

    

Title: Better When He's Bold

Series: Welcome to the Point #2

Author: Jay Crownover

Release Date: February 3, 2015

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover, comes the second book in a combustible new series, Welcome to the Point, that is sexier, darker, and better than ever.

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who is bad. . . . Welcome to the Point.

In a dark and broken kingdom, a ruler has be fearless to control the streets and the ruthless people who run them. Race Hartman is just bold enough, just smart enough, and just lost enough to wear the crown. Places like The Point will always have bad things and bad people, but the man in control of all that badness can minimize the devastation. Race has a plan, but can he prevent total annihilation without destroying himself?

Brysen Carter has always seen the real Race—a guy too pretty, too smooth, and way too dangerous. Basking in his golden glow is very tempting, but Brysen knows she’ll eventually get burned. She has enough problems without the risky danger and mayhem that comes with a guy like Race. Too bad Brysen faces a threat close to home that might be more dangerous than anything The Point has ever produced.. And the only person interested in keeping her safe is the one man she can’t allow herself to have.

Sometimes being bold is the only way to stay alive. But can she let Race save her life . . . if it means losing herself to him?

ADD TO GOODREADS

AMAZON US / UK

When is a bad boy not a bad boy? That's the question I kept asking myself while reading Better When He's Bold, because Race is a contradiction. A good bad guy, or a bad good guy? Both, perhaps.

Race Hartman sits upon a rotting kingdom. The Point will always be The Point but Race plans to limit the fallout, stop the rot from spreading.

Brysen Carter admires the golden king from afar - keeping her best friend's brother at arms length, like she does everyone else, is the only way to survive.

But when Bry is threatened, Race is the one that stands to protect her. It's a bold move for a man with a target on his own back. But it may just pay-off. Because saving her could mean saving himself.

Oh, Race. I wasn't exactly his biggest fan in Better When He's Bad, the excellent predecessor to this book. Whatever his motivation, he made some hefty mistakes, and I loved Bax enough to be pissed on his behalf. But Jay Crownover may have changed my mind about the pretty (bad) boy.
 

Race is smart. Wily, even. I liked his conflict; his attempts at finding the right balance between who he was at his heart and who he had to be to survive. I loved his unwavering affection for those he cared about and was willing to protect. His flaws didn't detract from the man he knew he wanted to be, they just made him more relatable and real.

I alternated between frustrated with Brysen and awed by her pluck. She's strong, a deserving queen and a good character - one who is easy to get attached to, one you want to root for and one that occasionally surprises with her good and bad decision making. Again, her flaws make her human. And a story like this needs that.

I very much enjoyed this story, although it felt incomplete - something I assume/hope is rectified in the third book - because although it was a typical bad boy/good girl/damsel in distress story, it was well-written, chock full of interesting characters, including Bax and his Dovie, and fast paced.

It was a mystery, one that intrigued, never bored. It was well set up and thought out, and definitely makes me want to take another trip to The Point. This time, with Titus - another contradiction, no doubt, and one I'll be happy to try and puzzle out.

Better When He's Bold is the second book in the Welcome to the Point series and can be read standalone - although reading book one would definitely be smart.

~ Review by Beth

I nodded stiffly and bent over to get my laptop out from under the seat where I stashed it. When I turned back around, I felt heat rush into my face because bent over like that, I had clearly given Race the opportunity to check my ass out at its best. The green in his eyes had turned to something much darker, and I gulped nervously.

“What’s wrong with the computer?”

I held it protectively against my chest while his eyes rolled over me. It was unnerving to be the sole focus of a guy like Race. I felt like he was trying to get a look inside me, like he was systematically trying to figure out all the bits and pieces that made me tick.

“I don’t know. I turned it on and the screen was just blue. I know it’s bad, but everything I need for school is in there, so I have to do something.”

He lifted a sandy brow and reached for the laptop. “You don’t back anything up on an external drive or on an outside database, like Google Drive?”

I groaned and shoved my palms into my eye sockets. “Really, Race? If I was smart enough to do that, do you think I would be praying that you can fix it? Nothing is ever that easy in my life.”

He just watched me, his mouth turning down in a little frown. I much preferred that look on his exquisite face to the one he wore when he was flashing that sexy dimple at me. It was easier to resist.

“When do you need it back by?”

“I have a paper on there that is due tomorrow, but the teacher is pretty cool and will let me slide until Monday if I explain the situation. What I really need are my Math Theory notes. I have an evil TA who’s got it in for me because I turned him down when he asked me out. I’m barely passing the class, and without the notes, I’m beyond screwed.”

His eyes sank even further into midnight and his frown got even tighter. His broad chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

His eyebrows dipped low over those dark eyes, and his voice was even rougher than normal when he asked me, “What is going on with you, Brysen? Why does every single thing you’ve said to me tonight make me want to hurt things and various people?”

I gulped a little and shivered as we just watched each other silently.

“Life isn’t always fun and games, Race. You have to know that better than most people.”

He shook his blond head and took a step back from me. I really, really wanted to reach out and snatch him back. He was so bad for my self-control.

“No, it’s not, but you’re a good girl and too pretty for words. Things shouldn’t be that hard for you.”

Well, they were, and I was just going to have to live with it.

“Do you think you can save it?”

He took another step back and grinned. I swear everything that made me female melted and turned liquid when that dimple indented his cheek.

“I’m pretty skilled at whatever I put my mind to, Brysen.”

The sexy undercurrent made me want to whimper.

“When do you think I can have it back?”

“Give me your number. I have a bunch of shit to take care of tomorrow, but after that’s all handled, I’ll look at it. Give me until the weekend.”

That was only three days. Aside from Math Theory, I should be able to make do until then. I rattled off my number and scowled when he didn’t pull out his phone to enter it in.

“You’re going to remember that?” I hated that I sounded like I was pouting about it.

“I won’t forget it, Bry. Everything about you is very memorable.”

Ugh … that kiss. It was going to haunt me forever. I shifted uneasily and pushed off the car.

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. 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.

       

WEBSITE
BLOG
FACEBOOK
TWITTER GOODREADS

a Rafflecopter giveaway