Asa: A Marked Men Novel

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.

I found this marked men novel to be my favorite. Asa is such a complex character. And the plot twist at the end, had me speechless.

Originally reviewed on Bewitching BibliophileIt's the end of an era, and I'm both a little heartbroken to see the boys go and happy they went out like this. I'm sure we'll get snippets from the and of course more from the southern charmer because there are just so many characters she's gotta follow up on and so many different avenues for us to go down. I loved this book and at the end Adele's To Make You Feel My Love seemed to sum it up perfectly.I absolutely loved the ending of this series, I can't wait to see the newest guys and gals in the Saints of Denver series. We got a good new view of the few characters coming up next and I can't wait to dive in to these stories.But back to the Marked Men, oh my gawd Asa has been southern charmer for a minute, and we've peaked into who he was since book 2 so now that we're here years later is just both amazing and terrifying. How was Asa we got to know going to be a lead?? Well I should've remembered Jay loves her men complicated and a little dirty and Asa doesn't disappoint, he's brash, ballsy, tormented and hellbent on fighting back from the darkness. Asa at his core is a man with an addiction, to fast cars, fast cash, faster women and isn't exactly particular about how he goes about getting it at times, but after the events of Jet, and being given a second chance by Rome, Asa is doing his best to stay clear, and working in a bar, doesn't make it easy.I loved seeing that it was a daily struggle, it didn't come easy, he didn't get over it for the love of a woman (well kinda but not really), he fought it, and because of it he was brutally honest about his needs, his failures, his wants and he shared those with Rome, and Royal when she cared to see beyond what he could do for her.As the story progressed we got some serious angst, and catching up with the different Marked Men and their lives as they progressed along side Asa, seeing them motivated Asa, and at times depressed him because he didn't believe that was out there for him. I loved that most of the angst in this book was an internal struggle to walk a new path, and how to walk that path with someone who is just beginning to understand how rough your path is. I liked Asa's acceptance of his errors that lead to Ayd having to do some seriously effed up things to keep him from losing one too many times. I liked seeing the dynamic between the siblings and how as times passed and wounds scabbed over, and somewhat healed that their was progress between them.OMG that moment close to the end??? When all seemed to be moving in a whole new direction?/My heart almost couldnt' take it. I liked that Jay showed an alternative that would have been a bit heartbreaking but at the same time, could have totally happened. That dilemma?? Yeah I feel bad that he's in that position and I loved that Asa was man enough to make some hard choices.This book was a bitter sweet read for me, because I knew the Marked Men were coming to a close and it meant saying goodbye to the men and women I have loved for years. Asa's an outsider tot he group but his perspective is one that aides the group when they need it. Knowing that we're getting new stories form this world, and knowing that there will be glimpses of my faves in those make me happy. Reading the conclusion was awesome, and it kinda made me tear up (I'm not going to lie, I may have shed a few thug tears). I'm so happy to see the progress, and I know I can always revisit by re-reading, but it's the end guys, and I'm kinda happy but kinda sad as well.I am looking forward to the Saints of Denver series and have already ordered BUILT, and I'm dying to see more from the Denver crew. ★★★★★I hope you enjoyed reading along with me, let me know what you think about the books down below, Happy Reading my loves.

He finally learned to love himself because he was so in love with Royal. The cop and the criminal (reformed). He grabbed onto all the good that came his way and felt deserving. The Marked men and their women became his family and he felt loved.

I have been counting down the publication of Asa since I finished reading Rowdy, and when Asa arrived on my iPad, I seriously considered pulling a sicky from work just to be able to read this one, but work won over, and I also had something to look forward to at the end of a long and busy day.Getting to the finale of a series is always hard for me. Part of me wants to devour the book, find out how it all ends, and live in blissful happily-ever-after-ness, but the other part of me doesn't want to read the book. I'm not ready to admit that the series is over, that this really is end, with no more books to look forward to, obviously my eagerness to discover what happens won over and I read Asa in just a few short hours. This review is going to be vague and short, I didn't really take any review notes like I usually would so it's more going to be my feelings and thoughts about Asa, rather than the exact details.Asa is an epic finale to this series, not only do we finally get to see what Asa is all about....which is some serious hot stuff...shower scene ;), but it also catches up with the rest of the Marked Men and Women and see what they are all up to now. Asa has so much to redeem himself for, and his feelings towards Royal only aid to confuse him, rather than focus him. He is torn up over his past, and we get a very detailed look into his sordid past, what he was capable of doing, and what he did. But we also see the Asa that we have grown to know and love, the Asa that cares about his sister, who values the friendship of Rome more than he shows.Asa really beats himself up over all the mistakes he has made growing up, and he keeps this firmly in mind to rebuke all of Royals advances, until enough is enough and this duo finally sort themselves out. Royal is someone who surprised me, the persona she portrays is nothing like the Royal we get to see in the pages of Asa, she has her own doubts and insecurities and these make her doubt her actions in the field, doubt her ability to be a good cop, and also Asa's feelings towards herThe catch up with the rest of the gang was better than I imagined, although I did guess a few things before they were admitted, each new surprise just made me giddy with excitement. I love how this series has come to an end with the whole group, and not just with Asa and Royal.

So the Marked Men series has reached the end of the road and I am sorry to be saying goodbye to this glorious bunch of misfits.With the formidable Archer brothers Rule and Rome at the helm, they have introduced us to men that we have truly taken to our hearts. Rowdy, Jet and Nash have paved the way to this, their conclusion and as they have all gathered their happy ever afters along the way and found the women that complete them, the one man that was left on the side-lines so to speak was Asa.Asa is Ayden’s brother and on more than one occasion he has been the thorn in her side but she loves him without question and when he needed her, she stepped up and opened her life surrounded by the marked men to him.The group was reticent at first when Asa was around, his treatment of Ayden and their love for her meant that he had a lot of ground to make up and a bucket load of people to convince that he could be trusted but when Rome, saw past the façade and gave him a break and a job at his bar, it was the start of him being able to piece his life together. But the process wouldn’t be a smooth ride.For the first time, Asa had the chance to earn an honest crust and to try to right some of the wrongs of the past, especially with Ayden.I had always had a bit of a soft spot for Asa, I suppose it is the loving the bad guy vibe but I also had a feeling that under all that bravado and bulls*** was a really good guy who just needed the love of a good woman to make sure that when the good Asa came out to play – he came out to stay too.Asa was his own worst enemy but what he did have was plenty of remorse, nobody could possibly hate him anymore than he hated himself for the cruel and hurtful things that he had done in the past but his brush with death has awoken his desire to atone for his indiscretions.I have to say that at times, I thought he was hard on himself, he wore his past like a badge of shame around his neck, it really was the weight that held him back.Royal on the other hand was the polar opposite to Asa, the wrong side of the law was a place that held no desire for her – she upheld the law on a daily basis as a local police office and no matter how much she may want him, Asa should be off limits, but her body, mind and soul are not getting the message – because every single part of her wants him.Sick with unwarranted regret, Royal is drowning just like Asa in internal conflict, she blames herself for the fact that her partner was injured while they were on duty and that leads to her being off her game, reckless!Asa could easily take advantage of her when she drunkenly throws herself at him and had he been the man he was many months ago he would have but he likes Royal and refuses to take advantage – he wants her to be more than a drunken fumble and a forgotten one night stand.But can he continue his resolve when Royal’s advances continue towards him? Or will Royal see that this sexy southerner is more than willing to take her up on her offer but he is looking for an ongoing commitment.She was quick on the uptake I have to say and in a way the two of them provided the much needed emotional support that they not only needed but that they deserved.They both had things that were holding them back but ones that they needed to dispose of in order to move forward and to embrace a future. They both had to accept that you cannot change the things that you have already done, you can only use that experience to insure that you are a better human being in the future and while they both fought the demons of the past, they also accepted that no-one could forgive them until they forgave themselves.So the two of them together were a delightful combination, one sexy, naughty man with that drawl- oh my! And one kickass woman that not only fought the bad guys every day but fought for her own bad guy every single minute.She was prepared to fight for her Asa, even if it meant having to fight the man himself!The romance between the two of them was off the charts, they were sensual, loving and beyond sexy but most of all they were made for each other, they knew what made each other tick.As a final novel, I have to say that Jay Crownover pitched this book to absolute perfection because she not only gave a lonely, complicated man a future that I had been hanging out for but she brought the who gang back together, she rounded up all the Marked Men and dished up one last hurrah, she put together the final pieces of each of their puzzles and left us content in the knowledge that they were, each and every one of them, happy.I am sorry to see the end of this series, as it really has been one of my very favourites but I commend the author on a book that was truly a fitting way to say goodbye!

The Marked Men series has officially come to an end and I'm in mourning. I've loved this series from book 1 when I picked up Rule at the beginning of last year and these boys and their ladies have a special place in my heart. Even Asa, the Southern charmer with a dark past.So, as you probably know Asa obviously focuses on Asa and one of the most kick ass ladies in this series, Royal. Royal and Asa already have a past since Royal had to arrest Asa in the previous book even though what happened wasn't his fault and Royal was extremely reluctant to bring him in. Due to his past, Asa is determined to keep Royal at arms length because he doesn't get involved with cops and also because he feels like he doesn't deserve a happy future.Oh Asa, Asa, Asa. I wanted to give this boy a smack around the ears and tell him to get his s*** together more than once throughout the book. Asa is on a self destructive path because he feels like he doesn't deserve a happy ending after the way he acted in the past. He's clinging onto his guilt over what he did and it's preventing him from moving forward. Asa is a charmer. He's sexy, a straight talker and extremely protective of his sister and people he cares about. He can't seem to understand that he's changed and he's no longer the boy he used to be.Royal is a bad ass. She's in a bit of a downer after her partner got shot in front of her and she blames herself. She's stuck in a pool of guilt and can't seem to shake it. No matter how many people tell her it wasn't her fault, she just can't seem to move past it. She's fierce, tough and incredibly sexy, but Royal also has a lot of her own s*** to figure out.Royal has been drowning her sorrows over her partners injury and her suspension in the bar where Asa works and has been constantly propositioning Asa and trying to get him to take her home. But Asa's having none of it and is trying his hardest to keep some distance between them. But with the chemistry sizzling between them, it's not long before Asa has Royal pressed up against her car in the parking lot. Asa revolves around two characters trying to absolve themselves of the guilt they carry and finally getting to a place where they can both be happy. But Royal and Asa both have a long way to go before either of them reach that place. Asa is constantly trying to scare Royal away and prove that he's not what she deserves, and he can't see that he's put in a lot of work to get himself in a decent place.There were a lot of pregnancies, births, weddings and engagements in Asa, which all left me with a stupid grin on my face and sometimes a few happy tears. My old favourites were constantly present in this book and I loved seeing how close knit their group is. They all care so much about each other. Rome has been a huge help in getting Asa to where he is today, and I loved seeing their bonding moments together.The Marked Men series has been such an amazing series to read. It will always be one of my favourites and I still can't quite believe it's over. No more from my favourite characters. It's been a hell of a journey and these characters will always have a place in my heart and I can see myself re-reading this series every year. Asa was a perfect end to a fantastic series and I just want to thank Jay Crownover for writing such amazing stories and extremely loveable characters.

This is the 6th book in Jay Crownover’s Marked Men series. I was anticipating this in a big way and had it on pre-order so I could start it as soon as I could on release day! I’ve read the first five books in the series and although I hadn’t enjoyed the 4th and 5th book quite as much as the first three I was looking forward to starting this.This is Asa’s story. Asa is a character we already know from earlier in the series. Asa is trouble, or rather was trouble but more recently in the series he’s been trying to turn his life around, and that means keeping as far away from the police as possible. That includes Royal Hastings. Royal is the other main character in this novel, and another character that we’ve already been introduced to.This story did not disappoint IN THE SLIGHTEST. God, from the first chapter Asa just has this aura of sexiness about him, the way he thinks, speaks and does. I was immediately attracted to his character and I couldn’t wait to read more about Asa instead of seeing him through the eyes of the other characters. Royal is feisty and and if anyone is a match for Asa it’s her. I was sort of seeing Julianne Hough in my head, as a red head of course, throughout the story. With her tough girl persona she doesn’t take any s*** from anyone but she’s in a difficult place in her life and is focusing all of her attention on Asa to get her through it.I had my own preconception of Asa’s character but he is the definition of a changed man. I felt sorry for him during the story because you can sense the guilt he is weighed down by in his thoughts and actions. He looks for a way out of trouble instead of for a way to get into trouble and I loved how desperate he was to protect Royal from getting hurt, even when it hurt him in the process.Jay has this great ability to tell a story from both sides of the perspective and I love reading from her Marked Men’s perspective. Both Royal and Asa are kind of outsiders to the Marked family but both are readily accepted into the tribe.If you’ve read Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street series and fancy something a bit edgier then give this series a try.

How do you continue to function with these smoking hot bys running through your mind.Loved Asa, have for a while, since he showed p back in his sister's life. He was remorseful, full of regret but couldn't shake feeling he was unworthy of anyone taking a chance on him, be it the boys or even a young lady, so when it becomes apparent Royal has a soft spot for him, we find that he has similar feelings for her.Have enjoyed getting to know Royal, fast becoming friends with Saint and Nash, who are her neighbours.Royal, a cop, was one of the most disorganised person, in her personal life you'd ever get to know BUT she went after what she wanted and began to break down the barriers.I loved watching their relationship blossom, they were fantastic together and truthful, and how sad when Asa met her Mother, I was not expecting that, I was however thinking that she was someone from his past who he had conned.He really did love Royal to walk away, rather than cause friction that takes guts, even if it means his own heart breaking.I loved how everyone rallied around both of them, with how they both didn't think they were worth the effort, but both realising they were going to fight for what they want.This was emotional, in a whole lot of levels, they have all come along, all these once broken men, finding the one girl who does not want to give up on them.Their love was apparent, and I'm glad they both took a chance on loving each other.You certainly know how to drag the reader right into the thick of the action, the love, the angst, and I relished every moment.