Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

Title: Rowdy
Series: Marked Men #5
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: October 21st 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

Review

Goodness, what to say about Rowdy's story.  Rowdy has a lot going on and I liked it.  The rest of the Marked Men's story's continue, much to my enjoyment.  Similar to Nash, Rowdy was not a main focus character for me yet I still really enjoyed learning more about him.

Rowdy is a tough guy but also a sweetheart and I loved that trait.  I really really liked the dates he took Salem on and how it was a perfect blend of cute romance with steamy romance. While their romance is fiery it also grows throughout making it feel more real.

Between Salem's sister's drama and Rowdy's family surprises, I was flying through this book.  The plot never lets up. While some of the sister drama was a bit of a turn off, in the end I felt like it really came together.   I am definitely glad to have learned and understood more about Rowdy's character. This was another great addition to the series!

Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay Crownover

Title: Jet
Series: Marked Men #2
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: May 28th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

Review

It took me a tad longer to get into Jet and Ayden's story than it did Rule and Shaw's.  Once the plot picked up through, I was hooked again into the Marked Men world.  While I did enjoy their story, there were times when I wanted both of them to get over themselves.   Both Jet and Ayd had issues to overcome and circumstances that continued to make it challenging for them.

This book stands alone really focusing on Jet and Ayden yet all the secondary characters from book one are present.  I love the addition and tie in from the other characters.  Not only does it strengthen my attachment towards Jet and Ayd but it also had me feeling attached to all the others as well. When the plot slowed or I was getting slightly annoyed with the Jet and Ayd it was a reprieve to get to hear more about the rest of the group.

I definitely recommend Jet and the Marked Men series if you are looking for a steamy, new adult read with a fantastic case and great plot.

Torched by Andrea Colt

Title: Torched
Author: Andrea Colt
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 8th 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

Sparks fly in this romantic young-adult mystery.

Cheerleader Rose Whitfield's senior year goes up in smoke when she's framed for arson. Sure that the culprit is her neighbor Paxton, with whom she's been feuding since middle school, she sets out to clear her name and take Paxton down hard--not necessarily in that order.

Review

I really really enjoyed Torched. The romance, mystery, and dynamic range of characters made this book a fast and fun read.  So here are 5 reasons to pick this book up!

1. The Mystery - Rose is wrongfully accused and it sends her social and love life down the drain.  She has to solve the mystery to clear her name and save her senior year.  I loved the criminal mystery aspects of the story, it took unexpected turns and was unpredictable!

2. Witty Banter - Rose is a master at sarcasm and funny comments.  Her pranks and conversations with Paxton are fantastic.

3. Character Development - Not all the characters are likable characters but they do learn from some of their mistakes and grow through the course of the book.  I appreciate the non-perfect characters, it brought honesty to the story and make the characters more relate-able/believable.

4. Romance - The romance is spot on.  Even though the romance is a bit predictable, I thought it was super cute and slow building with loads of tension!

5. Fun - Torched is fun and quick read.  I was smiling throughout the whole book wanting to know who framed Rose and how her love life was going to pan out.  I highly recommend Torched, this book does fly under the radar but it is well worth the read!