Blog Tour and Giveaway: Nash: Jay Crownover

by - Tuesday, April 29, 2014



Nash (Marked Men #4)
Jay Crownover
Publish Date: April 29, 2014
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Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down . . . and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?



I am such a fan of the Marked Men series and I have been anxiously awaiting Nash's book, especially since we were given such a big tease in Rome. Nash's world has been ripped apart. He has been lied to and now he is probably going to lose someone close to him. He's broken, lost, and trying to deal. On the surface he always seems easy going and fun, but underneath lies some deeper issues and vulnerability.  Nash has seen several of his friends find their "one" and fall, but he is not looking for love.

Saint Ford is an ER nurse that we met in in the last book Rome. She went to High School with Nash and the boys but stayed under the radar. She makes it pretty clear that she holds something against Nash, but the poor guy is clueless as to what. She has trust issues, feelings of insecurity, and keeps up walls to avoid getting hurt. 

Nash...Oh sweet, tatted, pierced, purple eyed Nash. I totally adore him. He has always been one of the nicer, more well behaved of the Marked Men. He is fun, flirty, and outgoing. He is a good friend and has a good heart. He has a bit of a reputation, but he is also vulnerable and has demons that have haunted him his whole life. And recent revelations shook him to his core. He has so much to deal with and it is overwhelming and stressful. I really just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. My heart just broke for him at times. 

Saint....I really liked her personality and she was an intelligent, independent, caring nurse. But at times I just wanted to shake her due to her insecurities. The poor girl really was affected by the past and had a helluva time letting go. Her self esteem was so twisted that it was hard to love herself or trust. And I kept wanting her to really open her eyes and  see Nash for who he really was. 

They both have family issues causing stress and pain. And emotional situations seem to bring out their sexual tension even when they could hardly interact appropriately. They both are damaged, vulnerable, and  have self esteem issues. The more she is around Nash, the more he confuses her.  Her insecurities, fears and mistrust keep a barrier between them that Nash finds himself wanting to knock down. 

Yeah, the guy who never wanted to fall finds himself falling. And the girl who was never going to put herself out there again finds herself drawn to the one guy that has the potential shatter her. But can she forget the past and give him a chance?

Sometimes they make each other lose control, but at other times provide some much needed balance and emotional support. But they are unstable at best. While Nash's world is one big mess of stress, upheaval, and pressure, will he be able to add a fiery, complicated redhead to the mix? And will she let him in? 

The books in this series can be read as stand-alones, but I think part of the fun of the series is how they all crossover, intermingle, and how their stories progress in future books. Each book in the series has a different feel or vibe to it since each of the characters's personalities and couples' interactions are so different. This one was not quite as angsty as Rule or Jet,  or as emotional and tense as Rome. It was somewhere in between with some emotional turmoil, some angst, and relationship drama. It was told in both points of view and that was very important since these characters internalized a lot and had misconceptions of each other at times. The characters in this series may be quirky, different, high strung, and flawed, but they form a strong pseudo family. They might not fit into society's perfect mold, but they accept each other. I love how they stand up for each other while also calling the others out when needed. Their interactions are fun and snarky, their support is unwavering, and their connections and ties are deep.

I loved getting more with Rule, Shaw, Ayden, Jet, Asa, Phil, and Rowdy. We also  met some new characters: Royal, Salem, and Zeb,  all of who I imagine will be back in future books. They already have interesting back stories and personalities. I enjoyed getting a tease into Rowdy's book in this one and I am also looking forward to more with Asa. I like him more and more each book. So bring on more with the Marked Men and the feisty women who fall for them! 

Thanks to Jay Crownover for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. 


When Nash was seen with the pretty red-headed nurse in Rome, it was obvious there was something between them, but as Nash had just had his world rocked by huge family news, the characters don’t take the time to find out just what is going on beyond the fact that they went to high school together. But now in Nash, their secrets are revealed and their past brought to light.

After years of internalizing the actions of the men around her as reflections of something wrong with her, there was a lot of work for Saint to be open to a relationship. It was frustrating at times to watch her hear Nash’s words, see his actions, and completely ignore everything in his message. Other than her self-esteem issues she is a strong woman: caring, thoughtful, and loyal. I will say, even if I wasn’t thrilled with that aspect of her character, it was well done in that it was consistent and the process of facing it or running away was written in such a way that it felt real and honest rather than forced for the sake of the story. 

Nash had so many things going on in his life that I couldn’t help sympathize with his frustrations trying to get Saint to open up to him and also understand his desire to keep her near because of the effect she had on him. Where I had a harder time liking Saint, I loved him immediately. The way he dealt with everything going on around him and inside his head just proved that the words and actions Saint observed in high school didn’t define the man he grew into. 

The other couples we’ve already fallen in love with are back for all the action to tease and support each other and Nash. There is just enough of the story focused on the others' lives that we get a glimpse at where Rule and Shaw, Jet and Ayden, and Rome and Cora are at in their own lives and relationships, but it doesn't take away from Nash and Saint figuring out where they stand. I would even go so far as to say the scenes with Nash's friends added the perfect something that would have been missing without. The teaser at the end that leads into Rowdy's story was the perfect way to build anticipation and questions without also taking away from the resolution of Nash. 

This was a great continuation of the Marked Men series. It kept a nice balance of emotions, at times feeling sweet and hopeful, and other times leaning more towards angst and upheaval. It was entertaining, and as Nash and Saint worked through their relationship I was able to move past my frustration with Saint until I wanted to do nothing more than cheer for them.

Thanks to Jay Crownover for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. 
Rule (Marked Men #1)
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Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn't want--and the only person she's never tried to please. She isn't afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won't listen. 

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother's girl. She lives by other people's rules; he makes his own. He doesn't have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she's the only one who can see the person he truly is. 

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other

Jet (Marked Men #2)Add to 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?

Rome (Marked Men #3)

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 . . .

More of upcoming books in this series on Goodreads

Jay Crownover Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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. Thanks for taking the time to check my stuff out...


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1 comments

  1. I'm a big fan of this series and can't wait to read this one. Great reviews!

    ReplyDelete