Book Review: Asa (Marked Men #6)

About the Book:
Title: Asa (Marked Men #6)
Author: Jay Crownover
Pub. Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 416
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

Review:

“He might have been a criminal in the past, but now I was the one that wanted to steal something from him and keep it for my own … he was going to put up a fight once he realized I was after his heart. After all, it was my job to capture the bad guy … only this one I wasn’t planning on letting go of.”

I put this book off as long as possible (even though I was dying to read it) because I didn't want this series to actually be over. I didn't want to say goodbye, even though there's the Saints of Denver series, which is a spin-off of the Marked Men. But alas, I finally gave in and read Asa's story, and I'll admit, it made me tear up a bit when I was finished reading. While Asa's story was my favorite out of the entirety of the series, it still was an amazing read and a fantastic way to end this series. However, the biggest thing I want to mention is Jay's writing. I have always thought Jay was an amazing writer, but you can see a remarkable progression to her writing throughout this entire series, and this book is the epitome of perfect writing. Jay truly blew me away with this novel, and I can't thank her enough for a better ending that Asa's story. The series felt complete after reading this novel, and I'm glad Asa's story was saved for last. 

“I never claimed to be an angel and even the devil could only play with fire for so long before he gave in to unholy temptation and danced in the flames.”

I was very intrigued by Asa's story, and was interested to see where Jay would take the plot in regards to his character. The thing I liked the most about his character was that he has fully accepted his past, and he still isn't fully "redeemed" when he and Royal got together. Asa has a lot of demons that he has to deal with, and by the end, he began to realize that those demons can remain in the past, and don't have to define his future. Royal, along with the other characters that have become his family, helped him realize this throughout the story, and it felt like a very natural progression. Even though this book is the end of Asa's story, it is only the beginning for his character and his character's future. And that future is looking might bright!

“Every time I can't seem to figure out where I'm going lately I always end up where you are.” 

Royal was the perfect balance to Asa's dark nature. She grew a lot over the course of the novel, and I think that the majority of that was due to both her job (and the circumstances surrounding her job during the story) along with her relationship with Asa. Asa helped her realize things about herself that she didn't know before, and it allowed her to grow into a stronger person. Throughout the story, Royal has such a caring, compassionate spirit and nature, and that helps Asa realize things about himself as well. As I said, together Royal and Asa balanced each other out, and helped each other in ways that neither could have imagined at the beginning of their relationship. They have a very steamy relationship, and I loved every second of it!

The epilogue was perfect, and while I never wanted it to end, I was incredibly happy with how this series ended! This is a must read for all fans of this series, and I can't wait to check out the Saints of Denver series. While it is sad to say goodbye, the Marked Men series is one I will return to repeatedly (heck, I already have haha), and will always have a special place in my heart!

“We were marked and had been marked in unforgettable and forever ways. We were all better men for it. Marked men. None of us would have it any other way.”

Happy reading :)

~Cassie