Jet: 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.

Jet is the second book in the Marked Men series. Rule is the first book. I recommend reading it in order. I thought this book was good but Rule was better. Jet and Ayden are Rule and Shaw's friends. Ayden had a rough childhood. She left her small town in Kentucky three years ago. She was fleeing from skeletons in her past. She wanted to reinvent herself and start a new life. Also, she wanted to build a solid future and foundation that no one could tear apart. When Ayden arrived at college, she saw that her roommate Shaw was so put together and prim and proper. Ayden decided that was kind of how she wanted to be.One night, Ayden went to a club with Shaw to meet up with Rule and his friends. Rule's friend Jet was singing with his band that night. Jet wasn't completely the typical rock star. Yes, he drank, partied, and was a manwhore for a time. However, he liked being a big fish in a little pond. He could have been famous if he wanted. He preferred playing smaller gigs, writing songs, and running his recording studio. Another part of Jet didn't want to strike it big because he was afraid to leave his Mom alone with terrible father. Jet's father treated her like crap but she wouldn't leave him and made excuses for him. Anyway, Ayden was entranced by Jet the moment she saw him. She needed a ride home so he gave her one. She told him he could come back to her place but he turned her down because he didn't think that she was the type to have a one night stand. Ayden was mortified. Jet put her up on a pedestal like she was a pinnacle of virtue and read her wrong. She put on this girl act because the new reformed Ayd tried to be a good girl. Flash forward a year. Jet just got off tour and the girl he was living with threw all his stuff out so he needed a place to stay. Cora and Ayd needed a roommate so he moved in with them. Jet and Ayden tried to act normal and resist the feelings that threatened to boil to the surface. Ayden was afraid if she caved that she would revert back to old self.It turns out Ayden had a bad childhood. Her mom had her older brother Asa and her really young. Basically, they had to fend for themselves. They were left to their own devices. Asa had a habit of getting into trouble. He would get into dangerous situations. Unfortunately, Asa relied on Ayden to clean up his messes. She always did by any means necessary. Basically, Asa would whore her out to get out of bad situations. Ayd would save his sorry a** time and time again. People assumed that she was trash so she started acting like it. I had mixed feelings about Asa. He was no brother of the year. However, there was a point where he did try to do the right thing for a change.Again, Ayden was afraid that she would revert back to her old ways and become reckless. She wanted to maintain some semblance of control over her life and with Jet she felt like she could lose control and ruin everything she built. The new Ayden had a plan for the future. She wanted stability and security. A guy in a band didn't fit into her future goals.She tried dating Adam a nice nerdy guy who wore argyle sweater vests because she thought that's who the new Ayden should date. She strung him along for four months and felt bad so she broke things off. I kind of felt bad for Adam. However, the guy just didn't know when to give up. Ayden told him many times that they just weren't right for each other yet he kept holding out hope.Ayden said, "I couldn't ignore the fact that I was pretty much living a lie. There was Ayden Cross, nobody, from Woodward, Kentucky, and Ayden Cross, chemistry major, from Denver Colorado. They were two parts of the whole and at times I thought one was going to smother the other and there would be nothing left but ash and bad memories." ~Jay Crownover, Jet (Marked Men).Finally, Jet and Ayden decided to give things a try. They weren't boyfriend/girlfriend. Their relationship was a roller coaster ride from there. I like Jet but some of his piercings were too much for me. Also,I hate when people where a ton of rings on their fingers. I like that Ayden was an intelligent woman even thought she made poor decisions in the past. It was annoying and frustrating that Ayden didn't feel like she could tell her friends about her past. Seriously, it was not like her friends were saints or that they had perfect home lives. Jet was far from perfect. She was afraid they wouldn't like her anymore. Besides, it was impossible for Ayden to run away from her past forever.Cora, "Ayd, I don't know who you think comes from some kind of Leave it to Beaver background. Rule barely talks to his folks, Shaw's mom is the Wicked Witch of the West, and Nash hates his mom's husband so much he moved out when he was just a little boy. Rowdy doesn't even know who his folks are, my mom took off before I could walk and left me with a dad that conveniently forgot I was a girl every chance he got, and we all know how bad Jet's dad treats his mom. None of us is shooting sunshine out of our asses. Girl, so I don't know why you think you should suffer alones." ~Jay Crownover, Jet (Marked Men).I like that Shaw and Rule were in a good bit of the book. They popped up here and there. More is learned about other characters from the first book. Jet and Ayden have an awesome group of friends. I really liked the bromance between Rowdy and Jet. They really were a great group of friends who tried to talk sense into each other. Now I'm curious about Rowdy's story and his past.Rowdy, "We're a goddamn team and no one better forget it."Cora, "It's not like most guys are going to pass muster with the Terrible Trio anyway. They're a hundred times worse than a dad with a shotgun."Shaw, "Aaw. The big bad tattoo artists just love their little pixie." ~Jay Crownover, Jet (Marked Men).I was pleased with the epilogue at the end of Jets story. I'm excited for Rome and Cora's story next. I wish it was coming out sooner though. When I was reading the book I thought that Cora and Rome might get together.

This book surprised me for many different reasons. Jet and Ayden, both together and as individuals, surprised me for many different reasons. Their WHOLE STORY surprised me for many different reasons, and from start to finish I was hooked to this story, but for some reason - a reason I just can't put my finger on - I didn't love it like I did 'Rule', which truly confuses me since I really did enjoy this book.It's an instant attraction for our two main characters from the moment they first meet, and that attraction only ever continued to grow the more time they spend around each other, but when Ayden offers up a one night stand to Jet, he turns her down, and for the next year they remain friends. At the beginning of this book, both Jet and Ayden ARE involved with other people, but it's when Jet can't stand to see Ayden with another guy anymore that he loses control and finally does something that he's always dreamed of doing - kisses Ayden - that their realtionship takes that one step forward.I truly am surprised by how their story plays out. Mainly, I'm surprised by the Ayden we got here, because I feel like she's a totally different Ayden to the one I was introduced to in 'Rule'. I always thought this would be a little like Shaw and Rule's story, with the whole opposites attract thing since Jet is all rock 'n' roll, and Ayden is a country girl through and through, but they actually have more in common than they'd expected, like the fact that neither have had a good past. But where Jet is still having to deal with his "past" problems to this day, Ayden has been so far successful in running from them. That is, until the day that her older brother, Asa, turns up on her doorstop with trouble hot on his heels... trouble that sends Ayden's life spinning out of control.Their story was one hell of a rollercoaster ride, one that went up and down and had a lot of unexpected twists and turns, but boy was the journey worth it in the end. But like with 'Rule', I felt like there was a lot of lack of communication here - well, mainly it was Ayden who wasn't so open and honest and talkative about her past, and I just wished that if she'd had just trusted Jet and told him about her past, then none of the heartbreak that they went though would have had to happen. But at the same time, I really enjoyed their story as it was and wouldn't change anything about it, because they *needed* to go through that little heartache to realise that they needed each other - more so for Ayden to realise that she needed Jet - and I loved that. They just clicked, and their chemistry and attraction was off the charts from the start, and I really enjoyed their story; as deep a story as Jet could be at times, it's also a fun, light-hearted, and hilarious one too, and many times both the main and secondary characters in this book had me laughing my head off, most especially Cora, and I am now so excited to read her book next, because knowing that her "Mr. Perfect" is going to be Rome? Well, with what happened in that last chapter between those two, I cannot wait to see how it is their story plays out next.

I purchased Jet before actually reading that it was the second book in the series. So before reading Jet I had to purchase and read Rule. One-click and a few hours later Rule was finished, and I knew I had to start Jet immediately.Jet is Ayden and Jets story, while we do see them in Rule the focus is more on this duo within these pages. I loved getting to see Ayden's personality and spunky attitude come out more, and Jet is the perfect balance for her. While this duo initially didn't start at a good point in Rule, we get to see how this one decision affects them both in Jet. They are friends but there is the constant undercurrent of unrequited lust. When they finally agree to give it a shot I did not expect it to be so hot and alive and very very sexy.I enjoyed Jet so much more than Rule, although this could be down to the editing and formatting for the copy of Rule I had, I do think Jet had that something extra to keep me that much more engrossed. I devoured this book, like one read sitting with coffee and a few hours devoured. The characters have a way of drawing you into their story and making you feel like you are there.Jet, what can I say about him.....seriously smokin hot, tension between him and Ayden was literally spine tingling."What I do know is I want you more than I want to keep breathing"[Jet to Ayden]Ayden is feisty, spunky, and knows what she wants both in and out of bed, but her past comes back to haunt her in a deadly way, and while I have some admiration for her trying to tough it out herself, I was ridiculously happy when she finally let her friends in and told them what was going on.I really enjoyed catching up with old faces from Rule and seeing how the friendships have formed such a strong bond between them all. They are one big family that always has each others backs, and given the appearance of a few of the male members of the group I would love to have one of them have my back in times of need.I don't want to say much else about the story as there are a few surprises that I didn't expect, and some revelations too. Jet was an unputdownable read that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I really need to read Rome's story now.

This author had great success with Rule..for all it's faults when it was first released, it was still a hit and she was given a deserved publishing deal. I loved Rule and was impressed that it was a debut novel. I liked the authors writing style.I was eagerly awaiting Jet. I expect the author is nervous as to how readers will take to her second book. I will be honest and say I didn't love it as much as Rule, but I did like it.We met Jet and Ayden in Rule. There was an obvious attraction but Jet beleives Ayden to be a good girl so when she makes a pass at him, he turns her down. This book starts a year later. They have developed a friendship and for the last three months Jet has been sharing a house with Ayden and her friend Cora. Jet has a succession of one night stands which Ayden and Cora score out of 10! Ayden is dating Adam. He does nothing for her but she imagines he is the type of guy she should date although none of her friends agree especially Jet!Ayden had a rough childhood in Kentucky. This involved her brother who shows up later in this story. When a teacher there took her under his wing and persuaded her to study, she made the decision to get away from the 'Ayden in Kentucky' and when she moves to College in Denver, she meets Shaw (heroine from Rule) and realises she wants to be like her so she changes herself and 'Ayden in Denver' is created. It is this Ayden that Jet met and decided that she was too good for him. Jet has his own family troubles involving his parents. Jet is the lead singer in a heavy metal band. Even though they could probably get a Recording Contract, that's not what Jet wants from his love of music. He writes and produces for other bands and has his own Recording Studio.The pacing of the story was a bit off. The beginning needed more. I would have preferred if the book hadn't jumped forward a year from the prologue and that we got to read about Ayden and Jet's friendship and the sexual tension between them when he moved in with Ayden. The middle sort of went nowhere and fizzled out, yes they get together but it's not a definite relationship. For me, there wasn't enough dialogue between Ayden and Jet. Yes they had chemistry and there are some sex scenes, but they didn't communicate very well and were each keeping things from each other which leads to problems so when the inevitable 'break up' occurred, it was a bit flat and the dialogue only took up one page! I wanted more angst. Then towards the end of the book a lot happens but some of it could have done with happening in the middle of the book in my opinion.Throughout the book it was obvious Jet is in love with Ayden. The author writes of tattooed, pierced men but they are sensitive souls. We have Jet's male friends offering him heartfelt advice about his love life. At times, the men in the book come across more girlie than Ayden, Shaw and Cora! I also wasn't keen on the fact Ayden told Shaw all about her life back in Kentucky before she told Jet. When she does finally confess all to Jet near the end of the book we get a lot of telling at this part rather than showing. I would have liked to read of his reactions.Although I have mentioned a lot of negatives, I recommend this story. The author is refreshing in that she doesn't use a lot of foul language in her books. The sex scenes are not crude or erotic but still well written, the characters are well rounded and she writes the male POV well. This book certainly wasn't perfect but I do like the authors writing style and as I noted in the first book, it is obvious she has great potential and that was proven by her gaining a publishing deal. I have a soft spot for both Rule and Jet but I probably prefer Shaw to Ayden. We get to see more of Rule and Shaw in this book and how their relationship is progressing and we get to meet some new characters and my guess is some of them will be getting their own book and I look forward to reading them.The next book will feature Rome (Rule's Brother) and Cora. I am hoping the author will write Rome as more alpha male rather than a sensitive guy. Cora is a great character, I can't wait to read more about her and I am hoping these two are given some angst and that their story has more depth as they are both older characters than the ones that have featured so far.

As soon as I finished reading Rule, I knew I had to own the rest of the Marked Men books that were available. So I bought them, but I hadn't really intended on getting around to reading Jet this early, but I was in the mood for a bit of New Adult so I just decided to go ahead and read it. I have to say, as much as I enjoyed Jet, I didn't love it as much as Rule.Jet follows Ayden (who is Shaw's BFF) and Jet (who is one of Rule's friends). Ayden swears that she's done walking on the wild side and is trying to stick to her new, good girl image. She tries her hardest to resist Jet, but even just being in the same room as him makes her heart race. Jet can't resist Ayden. She's more than he thought she was, but Jet is reluctant to start anything with her when they both want different things.I adored Ayden. She's flirty, feisty and is struggling to keep her past a secret. She doesn't want anyone to know about the horrible things she's done, so she avoids talking about her life before college. Ayden is a very confident and determined character.I really loved Jet as well. Jet has a lot of s*** going on in his personal life, but he's managed to build a stable life for himself, but he can't give up on his family. That's the main thing I loved about Jet, but I did feel like he was fighting a losing battle. Jet is a sweet, sexy, hilarious and protective character, and I just really loved him.I did really love Jet and Ayden together, but what I didn't love was all the freaking drama! More than once I wanted to give Ayden a shake to knock some sense into her and also knock Ayden and Jet's heads together. They had a hell of a lot of chemistry, but both of them let their problems get in the way of their relationship and I started to get sick of it.I did really enjoy finding out about Ayden's past. Ayden's had a tough life and her mother and her brother rely on her to fix everything. Ayden's brother put her through a lot of s***, but I couldn't help but love Asa by the end because of what he was willing to do to protect her.I also really loved getting to see the rest of the gang as well. I adore Rule, Shaw, Nash and Rowdy so I really loved getting to see them all again. I love how they're all so close.Overall, Jet definitely wasn't as good as Rule, but I did still enjoy this book. I'm still really looking forward to continuing on with this series and finding out more about Rome, Nash, Rowdy & Asa.

Jet is the second in Jay Crownover’s Marked Men series. The review of the first in the series, Rule, is available to read here. We are introduced to the characters Jet and Ayden in the first book as they are secondary character to Rule and Shaw. I’m really starting to enjoy this in books because you already have a little bit of background on the characters before starting to read further into their stories.Jet is a rocker. He has the potential to be huge but his family ties hold him back from experiencing the full potential of his talent. He is living with Ayden and has been thinking of a relationship with her ever since the first time he turned her down. Did he make a mistake? Ayden is a Southern girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and fought to keep her older brother out of trouble. Her bid for freedom was college, the life she is trying to live now, but her past is starting to creep up on her and she is willing to push everyone away if it will protect them from her mistakes.So as I’ve said I already knew who Jet was. He had a certain appeal already because he’s in a band, he seems like a bit of bad boy, he’s tatted up and pierced like his buddy Rule and he is a total ladies’ man. We get to see just how big a slut he is in the opening scenes of the book as Jet lives with Cora and Ayden and they give each of his conquests a mark out of ten. He has a bit of a troubled past, problems with an abusive, good for nothing but demeaning comments father who treats him and his mother terribly. He is still trying hard to stand up for his mum and trying to provide a better life for her, but in doing so he is putting his own dreams on hold, convincing himself that what he has is enough.Ayden has been through a lot. It’s not clear at the start just how much shit she’s had to put up with thanks, or no thanks really, to her brother but it’s hinted at from the beginning. When she starts to see a stranger in the street on more than one occasion, and receives calls from a Southern phone number she starts to suspect that her past has finally caught up with her. When you learn more about what she’s gone through you can understand her actions and have a bit of respect for her. Jay has given her this strong, outgoing and feisty personality that totally matches up to Jet’s and it really comes out when once again she has to protect her brother.The story is written from both Jet and Ayden’s points of view in alternate chapters. I really liked this about Rule and was glad to see that it was continued into the next in the series. I think having both side of the story was so important here because although they have had the same circle of friends for a while their lives weren’t as entwined as Rule and Shaw’s.Another good thing about this being a series where the characters are all from the same close knit group is that you get to catch up with the other characters. Rule and Shaw have moved on as a couple and it’s nice to see what they are doing now. The next in the series is Rome.Erin x