Rule by Jay Crownover Blog Tour: spotlight, review and giveaway

By Laurie T - July 05, 2013

This Friday we are bringing our readers two HOT guys for your summer reading enjoyment: Rule and Jet, of the Marked Men New Adult contemporary series by Jay Crownover. This tour is hosted by Literati Author Services.

Rule (A Marked Men Novel #1) by Jay Crownover

New Adult contemporary romance

Publication Date: May 7th, 2013

Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins

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 (A Marked Men Novel #2) by Jay Crownover

New Adult contemporary romance

Publication Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins

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?

About the Author:

Jay Crownover

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Jay Crownover is the best-selling author of Rule. Like the characters in her Marked Men series, 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 that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

College student Shaw has had a thing for Rule Archer ever since she met him when she was thirteen. Everyone thought she was in love with his twin brother, Remy, but they were wrong. Rule, the inked bad boy who becomes a tattoo artist and playboy, hasn't had a girlfriend. Shaw was his twin's girlfriend and now his brother is gone. His other brother, Rome, has enlisted and is off fighting a war. Sometimes everyone needs a good reality shake. When Rule sees Shaw at the bar where she works in her skimpy uniform, he actually sees her for the first time--without the baggage of her rich family, her conservative manner of dress, her perfect hair. He sees a beautiful woman. And Shaw has always seen a hot guy with beautiful skin and a gentle soul under his gruff, womanizing demeanor. Rule is their story.

This contemporary New Adult romance told by both characters, Rule and Shaw, in first person, gives a full picture of their lives and situations. Shaw loves Rule and over time he develops feelings for her. There's a lot of drama, especially internal drama and angst which borders on melodrama at times. Rule doesn't think highly of females and regards Shaw as being of a higher caliber--unattainable. His family has practically adopted her since her own hasn't really shown her the love and attention she's needed. The Archers even call her "little girl" even though she's nineteen (she celebrates her turning twenty).

I've found in some of the contemporary romances today, especially when told in first person, that the reader can spend too much time in the main character's head. A bulk of the story is 'told' to us this way and I didn't necessarily feel that Rule truly loved Shaw. He said he did but I wasn't convinced he cared for her as much as she cared for him. The dialogue sounded unrealistic in spots and the antagonist's story line seemed forced and contrived. My favorite character was Shaw and I liked her roommate Ayden as well. Rule's brother Rome was the voice of common sense. Shaw's parents came across as cookie-cutter-ish typical rich parents with the cold mother and divorced father with a new younger wife.

The story had its moments when it was poignant and cute, but I felt there was something missing here which impacted my enjoyment of the book. I didn't find Rule as swoon worthy as other guys available in today's New Adult market.

Rating: 3