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    Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel
    Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel
    Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel

    Written by Jay Crownover

    Narrated by Alexandra Marcuse and Cody Hammersmith

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

    The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances.

    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 a 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 21, 2014
    ISBN9780062350749
    Rowdy: A Marked Men Novel
    Author

    Jay Crownover

    Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and Welcome to the Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters and make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

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    Reviews for Rowdy

    4/5

    128 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I did not expect this book to be as good as it turned out to be. This book was amazing. I definitely could relate to Salem's home life she immediately became one of my all time favorite female characters! She is strong and overcame so much! I love that it was a romance with just the right amount of spice. Great story line and I can not wait to read the next set of books.
    • 5/5
      Soo in love with Rowdy. Definitely recommend this series.
    • 4/5
      I prefer to read over audiobooks but I'd already read the first 4 books in this series and the last 2 only show up in audio form for now atleast. I didn't like this story quite as much as the first 4, little shower paced. Still good though.
    • 4/5
      I probably felt this way after I finished most of these Marked Men books (save Jet, I was really not a fan), but Rowdy was my favorite. While the storyline was similar to Nash’s, I still really enjoyed this book. Same basic formula: girl from the past enters the picture, but someone has trust issues based on the past, causing issues and a whole lotta sexual tension. There are some more specific problems the couple faces but its the same basic storyline. Truthfully though, it really doesn't bother me that much. I love the characters in the story (all of them)! So at this point, I’m really just reading the series because I enjoy the Marked Men world Crownover has created.

      I liked Rowdy a lot. As I write this, I realize that he is my favorite out of all the guys. His personality seemed more genuine and he really didn’t need to change something about himself in order to get the girl. I can picture his “look” and I like it. He has what has been described as an almost strange retro hair style and look throughout all the books. Until his story, I hadn’t taken the time to really focus on his look. When I Googled it I saw so many stars that rock a killer pompadour hair style (i.e. Justin Timberlake – my long time boyfriend, Bruno Mars and so many other swoon worthy celebs), I was totally on board with this!

      Salem, the main female, was funny and enjoyable too. Shaw, Ayden, and Cora were all main/secondary characters in the first three books. So like Nash’s Saint, Salem was introduced only briefly in the book prior to her own. I really liked that the author did this. I like the way she introduced new characters that come from different backgrounds than the main men (and women) of the Marked. Salem was the cause of most of the issues between her and Rowdy, but she was entertaining and a very diverse character.

      Like I said above, I really, really liked this book.

      To read more reviews like this one, check out my site, www.ObsessiveBookNerd.com
    • 5/5
      *sigh* I just loved Rowdy! Wild hair, lots of ink, what's not to love. Salem, the sassy new manager for the new Marked location is amazing and what a pair they make! Loved this story and I definitely recommend it!
    • 2/5
      Best book, as far as grammar spelling and punctuation go. far better than the previous books
    • 3/5
      This was honestly not one of my favorites. However, I did read the whole thing, which is saying something, and enjoyed it. One of my problems with this (and lots of new adult books, even though I love them) is weird names. I don't understand the need to give characters names that make me want to roll my eyes. Aside from that, I generally liked both Rowdy and Salem as characters, and I always like books where characters get back together as adults after knowing each other as children. The book lacks some depth, but it's definitely not bad.
    • 4/5
      The past couple of books in the Marked Men series weren't really my fave, but Rowdy has turned the series around for me. I loved Rowdy as a character, as well as Salem. I enjoyed the deep connection they shared since childhood and how it's matured now that they've reconnected.
    • 4/5
      It took me a day to finish this installment of Marked Men and I wanted to more than just like it. I still prefer Rule, the first in this series. The best cover still belongs to Nash. I'm certainly not a fan of this cover and Rowdy was firmly in middle ground, love/hate territory. There was a part in the middle of the story that seemed to lag, but this author has a way of getting you back on track fairly effortlessly.One of the things about the new adult genre is the formulaic Boy Is Damaged. Girl is Damaged. Boy and Girl Meet. Boy and Girl are Equally Damaged Together. Hot Chemistry. Lets Make Our Damage Work Together. Drama. Make Up. HEA. The End.Its difficult for me to avoid slotting this into the same formula but I think there was less run of the mill damage and more childhood and past regrets to get over. Our main character, Rowdy, seemed to be hung up on childhood next door neighbors, Salem and Poppy. One is the girl that up and left him and their town behind, and the other was a security blanket but didn't want his love in the long run. When the oldest sister, Salem waltzes back into his life 10 years later, he doesn't know if he can trust her or keep those regrets and hurts buried. Of course, he shouldn't keep those things buried. He doesn't want someone else disappearing from his life. I can understand why he is shy of relationships. But I still wonder how a person takes years and years to drag the hurt of losing someone in their life and not see it for the baggage that it is. Again, I understand it, I just don't agree with that being a mature or normal and healthy thing to do. Rowdy's character is likeable, kind of quiet, and apparently tatted up HotHotHot. Once he pulls his head out of his nethers (and Salem does the same) it turns into an insta-lust sex fest. I'm insecure...lets have sex. I'm frustrated...lets have sex. I'm hurt...lets have sex. It became an unhealthy coping tool for the both of them. I skimmed the sex scenes because there were quite a few of them. I admired Rowdy's dedication to Salem once they got their scheisse together and quit utilizing every available flat surface to deal. For being a man who didn't "do relationships", I thought it was good character growth and development. As for Salem...her family is slapass crazy. What father, preacher man or heathen for that matter, doesn't stand up for his daughters when they are being hurt? Maybe I grew up in a sheltered environment but no matter the temperature between my dad and I, hot, cold, or somewhere in between, he wouldn't have been one to say I deserved what I got. For me, it was more soap opera and less real to life. But this is why I read fiction....to be entertained and escape for a few or 500 hours. Especially when Salem's mom stood up for her girls. I won't spoil it but it was certainly confrontation soap-opera-omg-Stefano-came-back-to-life-again type of entertaining. (Yes, I watched Days of Our Lives back when I had toddlers. But I'm cured now, thank you. Speaking of Salem...)Salem was an interesting character. She was more than Hispanic blood, strong will, tats, and pinup gorgeous looks. She came across so strong, not taking no for an answer, and then she just...was there. I don't know. I would have loved to have seen her throughout the entire book as no nonsense and strong as Cora (from Rome) through the whole book. I loved that her character had Hispanic roots. I thought that gave more credibility to have some ethnic flair thrown into the group. This is the USA. Melting pot. This white girl would love to see more of that in the contemporary/new adult genre. It was also fun seeing peeks into the lives of the gang and other characters from earlier books. Marriages, babies, new houses, new faces, and a big move. As a writer, Jay Crownover does a fabulous job. I never have to deal with "writing speed bumps" with her books(e.g. out of place big words, bad editing). I say this is a strong 3.5/5 stars. Not completely realistic but definitely an entertaining getaway.Thank you to Library Thing's Early Reviewers giveaway for this book in lieu of an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I've had this series on my to-read list for quite some time now and have never got around to reading them. Since this is the fifth book in the series, I had my doubts on whether I should start with this one or not for fear that I had missed too much of the story line or that there wouldn't be enough character introduction. There was a bit of struggle for me in the beginning to get acquainted with the characters but I quickly caught on. The setting of the book was my absolute favorite part. Jay Crownover does a wonderful job of really putting you in the tattoo shop and making you feel like you're in Denver right along with Salem and Rowdy. It was also interesting to read about two characters who had a past with one another, they had known each other from childhood and are now getting to know the adult versions of one another. This was a truly unique way of telling a love story, which I appreciated. Overall, I fell in love with Salem and, over time, Rowdy. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the Marked Men series!
    • 2/5
      All you New Adult haters, this is the type of book that gives NA a bad rep.I didn’t start this book intending to dislike it so much. I don’t do that with any books, it just happens sometimes. I was actually really excited to read it because I had heard so many good things about this series. Rowdy is the first Jay Crownover book I’ve ever read, which means it’s also the first I’ve read in the Marked Men series.I can’t imagine that the other 4 books were any different.Different guy. Different girl. Differentish circumstances. Differentish sexy times. Different drama. Different problems. Differentish pasts. Yet, it reads all the same.Did I hit the nail on the head there for Rule, Jet, Nash, and Rome’s books? (And while I’m thinking about it, what in the actual fuck is up with the names in these books!?).This book was predictable and cliché and just really boring most of the time.Let me start with our heroine.Brash. Give no fucks attitude. Can hold her own. Piercings. Pinup girl. Tattoos. Ex-stripper, which is a fact that she is hella proud of.So basically, Salem is still that teenager that you see in Hot-Topic begging their mom to buy them the new emo-punk-screamo album (aka Me is high school), but she is also the girl who does things just to spite her parents and shit like that. It’s like she did things just to see the reaction from other people. She did things just so people would she how strong she was and that she indeed was a boss ass bitch. I do have to say, that Salem’s parents are assholes. Her dad can go fuck himself. I see the reasoning as to why she left. However, if she cared as much as she said she did about her sister and Rowdy, she would not have left. Simple as that.Now, the hero.Brash. Whiny. Great artist. Tattoos. Piercings. Dramatic.And that about sums Rowdy up. He was an idiot. He followed a girl he wasn’t dating, to a college he didn’t wanna go to, to play a sport he did not really like, just because he thought that maybe they were meant to be together.Nope. Nope. Nope.And Poppy's dumbass. Ugh. I hate what happened to her, but it could have been avoided.Okay, and I was going to make a point about this next thing by typing this whole paragraph without punctuation, but once I did it, it looked weird and it bothered me too much and I couldn’t leave it like that. So, with that being said, there is a serious lack of commas in this book. GOOD LORD. It irritated me so much that I started skimming long paragraphs.I wish I hadn’t found this book so laughable and ridiculous, cause I think I would’ve enjoyed the series otherwise.The 2 stars are for Jimbo and Asa. And the relationship this little group had.
    • 5/5
      I am in love with Rowdy and Salem's story. They are just so dog gone sweet! Yes, they're sexy. Yes, they're gorgeous. Yes, they've got stuff going on. But seriously, their history, their journey, their bond, their love... ugh, it was just so sweet! And I loved it!Rowdy is fantastic. With his cowboy boots and his pompadour hair and his good nature, what's not to love about him? Nothing. His upbringing is sad and heartbreaking, but his journey is well fought and entirely necessary to get to the happy place he needs. He was intriguing in the previous books, but watching his journey is this book made me love him even more. Salem is tough and beautiful, sexy and sensitive. She's the perfect match for Rowdy. Their history really touched me. The story about the tattoo on her back - one of my favorite scenes. Her childhood was equally difficult, but the blending of their lives was so sweet and incredibly touching, and then incredibly sad, and then incredibly sweet all over again. Then you put Rowdy and Salem together, and Pow! I loved them! You can't help but root for them! They wade and maneuver through all the muck and mire from their pasts and their families, relish and rekindle the connection they've always had, and come out on top as the beautiful, destined couple they were always meant to be. Their story is giving Rome, my other favorite of this series, a run for its money. But wait, there's more! In addition to Rowdy and Salem's love story, in addition to Rowdy and Salem's family issues, we get more of our Marked family. We get a little bit of everyone without it taking over Rowdy's story. While this can be read as a standalone, a true fan of the series will get the most of the special moments interspersed throughout the book. I loved getting everything I wanted in this book. It had it all, and I loved it.
    • 4/5
      Rowdy St. James is used to being left by the ones he loves. His mother was murdered when he was still a child, his father was nonexistent in his life, and his best friend Salem, left town when she turned 18. So when Salem shows back up 10 years later, he is understandably unsure of how to relate to the girl he once knew. The only thing he knows for sure, he isn’t ready to connect with his former friend only to be hurt once again. Salem Cruz ran away at the age of 18 to escape from her tyrannical father. Independent for the first time, she never forgot her friend Rowdy or their intense connection. She hears through the grapevine that he is now working in a tattoo parlor in Denver so when she is offered a job in the very same shop, she takes it thinking she and her friend will have a good reunion. Little does she know that their relationship is about to go to the next level. Jay Crownover is simply wonderful. I love her writing style and the characters are always written superbly. She takes tattooed bad boys who have been on the wrong side of the law more than once and makes them someone you wanna take home to Mama. Rowdy and Salem have a lot of history to work through. Rowdy has led such a lonely life with everyone leaving him, it's truly heartbreaking. You can honestly feel his loneliness and understand how hesitant he is to connect with Salem again. Salem herself has been dealing with severe mental issues developed by a lifetime of abuse from her father. Definitely emotional, but finally when they connect its like fireworks! A tumultuous, emotional yet sexy novel, Crownover can write damaged characters unlike any other. Fantastically entertaining, I was drawn into Rowdy’s story and fell in love with Salem. The secondary characters from previous novels are featured and I loved catching up with my favorite Marked Men. Look for more Marked Men fun next year when Asa gets his own story!