REVIEW: Rome by Jay Crownover

In Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover, Leaving the army and getting used to civilian life hasn’t been an easy transition for Rome Archer. He was the go-to guy in his job with the military, as well as for his family before he left home. Now he just doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere and it’s put him in a funk that doesn’t want to let go.

‘I got used to everyone needing me, to them relying on me, and now that I wasn’t needed anymore I simply just didn’t know what to do with myself.’

Drowning his sorrows in vodka isn’t getting Rome anywhere. And it takes a feisty little pint-sized woman to point this out and get him moving along the right track. Cora Lewis is a force to be reckoned with and takes over his life by storm. With Cora, Rome feels like he’s finally home and like he might be able to put his demons to rest. If he just can get her to understand how perfect they really are together, he could be content for the rest of his life.

“…You’re so full of color, so vibrant you never get lost in all the gray in my head. I don’t want to lose that.”
My heart caught. Those were words a woman would never forget a man saying to her, especially when they came from a man like this.

Cora Lewis learned young, thanks to her ex-fiance Jimmy, that handing your heart over to someone can completely break you. Now she’s on the lookout for Mr. Perfect and she won’t settle for less. The friends she calls her family mean everything to her so when Rome Archer comes home all brooding and full of attitude, she takes offense to it.

“I’m not flawless either, Captain No-Fun, but I kinda think together we might get close to something spectacular, if we want it bad enough.”

Never one to keep her feelings in check, Cora sets out to take him down a peg or two, only to feel her traitorous body (and heart) warm up to the giant soldier. It’s obvious he’s hurting and could use some help but Cora is scared to get too involved. Rome is so far removed from what she’s looking for in a man that she shouldn’t even think twice about him. Yet she can’t let it go. Is she too damaged to let herself fall in love again or can Rome help heal her as well?

“I think loving him could be the end of me if it doesn’t work out.”
“What if it does work out, though? What if he’s your imperfect Mr. Perfect?”

Rome is the fantastic third book in the Marked Men new adult romance series by Jay Crownover. I would suggest probably reading these books in order just to get the full effect of how the story builds as it goes along. Plus there will be spoilers galore if you go back to read the previous novels, but honestly, it would be worth it.

Cora and Rome’s story is filled with so much drama and passion it should be illegal! I fell for both of them pretty much right away, especially for Rome and his tortured soul. I loved Cora in the previous book, Jet, as she was always so willing to give great advice and took care of everyone around her. It was nice to get her full story and see her finally get to be happy (eventually) herself with sexy badass Rome.

Rome had been to hell and back more than once in his life, both in the army and with the loss of his brother. I thought his struggle was a rather realistic one that a lot of people may have dealt with in their lives and loved that it was Cora who helped him dig himself out of his dark place. I found it so interesting that they were such opposites on the outside: Rome was a huge intense guy with dark hair and no tattoos or piercings, and Cora was a petite spitfire who was full of life with vividly colored tattoos/piercings. But they connected perfectly on a profound level that was nothing short of amazing.

I thought Jay had an intelligent writing style that drew me in to the story. Everything moved along at a nice pace and I felt all of the characters were well thought out and that the plot kept me interested until the very end. One of my favorite things about this story is getting to watch Cora’s definition of the word “perfect” change drastically…for the better. Rome and Cora go through a LOT in their story, sorry I can’t got into details without giving everything away, but suffice it to say they earn their HEA! And based on the ending of this one, it looks like Nash will be up next in book four. Can’t wait!!

Book Info:

Published January 7th 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks | Series: Marked Men #3

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed “bad boy” friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won’t let herself get burned again. She’s waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He’s stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he’s returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome’s used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he’s just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .