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.
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.
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.
