Review and Giveaway: Rome by Jay Crownover

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 . . .

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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

Rome (Marked Men, #3) by Jay Crownover
Romance Contemporary/NA
E book, 384 pages
January 7, 2014
William Morrow Paperbacks

Reviewed By Tori

Sometimes in our search for Mr. Perfect, we don’t always see Mr. Right Now standing in front of us. In Jay Crownover’s third installment of her Marked Men series, Rome, we meet Rome Archer and Cara Lewis. Two people who should be all wrong for one another discover just how right they can be together.

Rome Archer, a war veteran, finds himself at a loss when he returns home, discharged from the only life he’s known for ten years. Used to wearing many hats in his life-big brother, strong son, peacemaker, perfect soldier-he’s unable to define himself anymore and struggles to find a place and reason in his new life.

Cora Lewis, the tell it like it is receptionist and piercer at the Marked, has her life all mapped out. Though fun and seemingly carefree on the outside, on the inside she is determined that her next boyfriend will be a drama, baggage free man with whom she can have a relationship with.

When these two meet, the sparks fly and both are certain they do not need the other in their life. But fate doesn’t always give us what we think we want. Sometimes is gives us what it knows we need.

Rome is a romantic contemporary built on opposites attract. The opposite attraction trope is a favorite of mine. I enjoy watching the author convince me that two people who seem completely and utterly wrong for one another are actually perfect for each other. Crownover does a fabulous job of setting up the main characters, expanding on their personalities and their back stories, taking a considerable amount of time letting us get to know them and see the extreme differences between them. As the story progresses, Crownover gently starts to cut through the external artifice and we begin to see what she sees-that our protagonists are indeed perfect for one another.

The main conflict is a mixture of past and present, building a solid storyline. Rome is not only suffering from PTSD and mourning the loss of his military life, he’s also still grieving the loss of his brother and the guilt he carries from the last time they were together. Cora has her issues that leave her feeling lost and unsure. A military brat who was dragged from port to port, she has a strong need for family and control. A Crownover addresses their issues and creates an engaging read that fills you with strong emotions as you watch Cora and Rome fight through the pitfalls of life. Multiple storylines, some continued from previous books, build slowly and allow the players involved to deal with and heal past issues that have frozen them at certain points in their of lives. Emotions run the gauntlet as old wounds are reopened and allowed to heal. Things are said that hurt but set the pace for a new beginning.

Crownover does well in creating multi dimensional characters, expanding and evolving their lives and the world they live in. Not one of them is perfect though each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. She writes with such intimacy that we are instantly drawn back into their lives as if we never left. I like we aren’t promised a happily ever after. Her stories always leave off with the promise of more to come and that works because no one’s journey is ever truly over.

Strongly character driven; it’s the steady dialogue and interaction that keeps you entertained throughout the book. We see old and new faces; each one an important part of the storyline. Rule and Shaw are adjusting to being a couple while Jet and Aryden try to survive their time apart. We see more of Mr and Mrs. Archer and meet a new character whose cameo helps to lay some ghosts to rest.

This series continues to entertain me and I recommend it to everyone who wants a romantic contemporary new adult series with realistic characters, angsty romances, strong friendships, and interesting lives that will keep you waiting for each installment. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, it does help to read the first two books in the series- Rule & Jet-in order to fully understand and appreciate the underlying issues and character dynamics that permeate the on going storyline.

RATING: B-

GIVEAWAY

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