5 Smooches
Synopsis
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
“I feel like you and the past have been chasing me down ever since you walked in to that shop, Salem. What are you going to do if I decide to let you catch me?”
Rowdy is the fifth book in the Marked Men series by Jay Crownover and in many ways it takes me back to the first book, Rule. Rowdy and Salem have a deep history and that history both taints and enhances all that they come to have. Despite being a couple years older than him Salem and Rowdy were best friends as kids but that is where it stopped. Feeling trapped in her small consecutive town with her preacher father who was full of judgment for his non perfect daughter, Salem quickly got out as soon as she graduated leaving orphan Rowdy there alone with just her all to perfect sister, Poppy. Rowdy desired all that Poppy stood for and soon they too become close but in the end all that Rowdy left their town with was a broken heart and the clothes on his back.
“I’ve heard you say my name in a lot of ways, Salem. Gotta say hearing you say it in bed when I’m about to eat you is probably my favorite to date.”
When Nash calls and offers Salem a job at the new shop (per Phil’s request) she cannot say no to reconnecting to the one friend she was sad to lose when she left home. But seeing him her feelings for grown up Rowdy are very very grown up! Oh yeah! These two and their tangled past broke my heart at times. You could see that they wanted each other but damn why must they fight so hard. Salem is so into him but just can’t get past his past with her sister and for him Salem reminds him of all those who have left him. Can these two get past these hooks up and all their other issues to find peace with themselves and their pasts?
“You always made me really happy, Rowdy. I’m sort of infatuated with all the different ways you make me happy now that we’re all grown up.”
This book was oh so steamy and had me wiggling in my chair reading it! I knew that Rowdy would get me all riled up and I do love when I am right. But then again which of the Marked Men has not been sexy as hell! Once Rowdy lets loose there is no turning back and I LOVED this sexy man!
“”I always thought it was the firsts that matter, but now I know that it’s the lasts that stay with you.”
This book is a great New Adult novel with an erotic feel. The characters are young and fun and you get peeks into the lives of all the couples from previous books which is a nice little thrill for me and a bit of story into what Asa’s book will be like (come on April I am dying over here) Overall I was extremely pleased with this book and look forward to reading it again!
~miranda
