Title: Rome (Marked Men #3)
Author: Jay Crownover
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.
Synopsis
Cora Lewis is a whole lot of fun, and she knows how to keep her tattooed bad boy friends in line. But all that flash and sass hide the fact that she’s never gotten over the way her first love broke her heart. Now she has a plan to make sure that never happens again: She’s only going to fall in love with someone perfect.
Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He’s stubborn and rigid, he’s bossy and has come back from his final tour of duty fundamentally broken. Rome’s used to filling a role: big brother, doting son, super soldier; and now none of these fit anymore. Now he’s just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes the only color on his bleak horizon.
Perfect isn’t in the cards for these two, but imperfect might just last forever . . .
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Indie Bound
Review
**Arc provided for an honest review**
Rome is the third book in the Marked Men Series, and Jay Crownover’s storytelling keeps getting better and better. Rome is Rule and Remy’s older brother, their protector, as well as a warrior, serving over a decade in the Army. When he comes home from his last tour, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. The darkness is consuming him; his memories of the war and all of the death that he has been witness to is wreaking havoc on his psyche. Rome’s role in his family has changed; his role in the real world has to be adjusted, and he is not handling any of it well, which is alienating him from his family and friends.
Enter a pixie headed “half-pint” – Cora
Cora is no stranger to tough men or the need to protect. Growing up with just her military dad, she learned quickly that the blunt and honest truth was the only way to go. She runs the tattoo shop, Marked, and keeps her tattooed men in line – as much she can. Cora isn’t afraid to meddle and never backs down when she truly believes in something. You mess with her boys, and she’ll let you know in no uncertain terms that you better stand down.
What happens when you put “Captain No-Fun” (Rome) with “Half-Pint” (Cora)? At first, a dumped beer and a whole lot of attitude. After, the most imperfectly perfect couple out there who add just the right amount of color in each other’s lives that allows them to get out of their heads and start truly living life, not the appearance of one.
“The gray wasn’t going to suck me under, not when I had so much color in me because of Cora.”
“…what I feel for Rome is a damn box of Crayola crayons.”
This is my favorite book in the series so far. Rome and Cora’s story brings such a wide array of emotions; more so than the other two in my opinion. This book makes you laugh, want to scream, feel heartbroken, and disappointed multiple times. As Cora and Rome are fractured and then put back together so are readers. The character development in this story is phenomenal. Readers see Rome struggle to find his place in his new life; we see him get lost in his own mind, and we witness his unwillingness to ask for help or allow anyone to see him as damaged. But then, we see him adjust to his “new” roles as boyfriend, brother, and bar owner. Rome’s dilemmas are presented in a realistic way that can only be done with great characterization. Like Rome, readers are allowed into Cora’s mind. She’s so afraid of getting hurt that she creates an unrealistic view on relationships. She was destroyed by her ex-boyfriend’s betrayal, so giving her heart to someone else again is something she is unwilling to do until it’s perfect. She soon learns that perfection is not a reality, and sometimes what you get instead is so much better.
What I love most about this series is that the main and supporting characters from the previous books are still a key part of the new ones. Readers see Rule and Shaw’s relationship grow along side Rome and Cora’s. Jet and Ayden’s newlywed status is explored and Nash, Rowdy, and even Asa are still here to stir up trouble and take care of the Archer/Marked gang. One story leads into the next, and the characters all grow and adjust together as a unit. Jay Crownover develops such compelling characters that you can’t help but be sucked in to their lives and feel for them when situations arise. The plotlines are never too unrealistic and the steamy scenes add to the storyline without consuming it.
Well done, Jay Crownover….Bring on Nash’s story!
5 poison apples!
About the Author
I’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.
I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.
Connect with Jay:Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads
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