This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Rowdy is the fifth book in the Marked Men series and what a fun story this turned out to be. I absolutely had a blast with this second chance romance and having a heroine do the grovel and redemption with the hero??? TOP TIER experience. We just don't see this aspect very often in books these days but I just had a fun time seeing how Jay Crownover developed this story. Even though it does start out slow at times, it turned out to be such a win of a read. No surprise with Jay Crownover at the helm. I just loved everything about this one and it really added so much more to Rowdy's character. I just wanted so much more with these two.

First Line
I don't have a lot of great memories from my childhood.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Rowdy
Bad Boy
Artist
Heart closed to Love
Playboy/Manwhore

The Heroine: Salem
Latino descent
Independent

Summary
Rowdy and Salem were best of friends when they were growing up, and right when Rowdy had started to fall for Salem, she abandoned him with no word and disappeared. Even though he thought he found a love with her sister, he was never able to forget her or the pain that she caused him as kids. Now they are adults, she is back in his life, and he is feeling bitter towards her. Salem knows that she hurt Rowdy. But she had to have freedom away from her controlling father and needed to forge her own path. But she never forgot the love she held for Rowdy, and has now come to Colorado to win over his heart. But her man is hardened and a bit of a playboy now, and she will have to be patient to win his full heart...

What I Loved
Rowdy was a blast of a good time. Jay Crownover writes some of the best gritty contemporary romances. Its always such a refreshing experience to pick up one of her books. I really found Rowdy to be so interesting to me. And having a groveling/pining heroine who has to work her butt off to win off her man....YES PLEASE! It can be so nice to have the heroine fight for the relationship. Both Rowdy and Salem are just endearing characters. They have such likeable personalities and you can feel their journey and struggle with each page. We really see both their perspectives and seeing how much pain is on both sides but both of them struggling in different ways. We also have a bit of a suspense side plot that I found very interesting. We also see hints for Asa's book. He is the character I have been so wanting the story for the most and I can't wait for the finale as I hear its EPIC.

What I Struggled With
The pacing was my struggle with this book. It starts out slow and ends slow. But the middle portion of the book was SUPERB! Also why is the KINDLE BOOK so expensive? Like these are new editions so shouldn't they have a reasonable price? Good thing I was able to read this through the Hoopla app but still. $13 is such ridiculous for a ebook cost especially in this economy.

Narration
This narration duo was superb. I only listened to about half of this book (and read the ebook in the second half) and they really brought the connection between the character so well focused.

Overall View
Rowdy is a fantastic read that embraced some powerful emotion, captivates your attention and digs deep into your heart!

Favorite Quote(s)

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types:
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Kids/Teens, Danger/Suspense, Heart/Touching, Pining Heroine.
Tropes:Unrequited Lovers, Slow Burn, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Rags to Riches
Character Types: Tortured Hero, Single Parent

Book Perspective
“I always thought it was the firsts that matter, but now I know that it’s the lasts that stay with you.”

“You are the last person I want to kiss. The last woman I want in my bed. I want you to be the last girl that touches any and all parts of me, Salem, and that means so much more than a first.”

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

Song This Book Inspires
Need You Now by Lady A

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can do either. Rowdy can easily be read as a standalone though

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. ( )

Full Review on my blog!

A super hot romance with lots of heart, sexiness and style. Rowdy and Salem’s love story has to be one of my favorites in the Marked Men series!

Rowdy is book five in Jay Crownover’s Marked Men series. All the Marked Men have woven their way into my heart and I have come to love their “merry band of misfits” wholeheartedly. This author definitely delivered when it came to the execution of this book. The storyline is both sad and sweet, dealing with coming to grips with the past and beautifully intertwining it with a tender romance. It’s about letting go and embracing life because if you are able to grab hold of that second chance, you may just find a once in a lifetime kind of love….a love that may have always been there to begin with.

Rowdy and Salem have a lot of history. She knew him as a kid and was there for him in ways nobody else was. He was in love with her sister. There was always a connection but when she left, Salem left a big hole in his heart. A heart that was then shredded by her sister in a different way. When a wise mutual friend brings them back together, the connection changes. They are attracted to each other as more than friends. They have a few issues to work through but as they do, their relationship starts to build a good foundation.

I really liked how open the communication was between Rowdy and Salem. I liked the all the twists and turns, they provided drama and angst without being too much. I felt like the story had the perfect amount of drama, sweet moments, and sexy times. I highly recommend this series, I’ve loved every book. If you have never read the Marked Men…you need to read Rule!

Check out my reviews of the rest of the series:
Rule | Jet | Rome | Nash |Rowdy | Asa

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loved ( )

4.5 stars! I loved Rowdy and Salem. Ms. Crownover did a great job of telling us their story, she made me really feel for both characters. It was great seeing all the other Men of Marked and their girls, too. I think the book had just the right amount of conflict, it didn't go overboard with too much angst. It was great to see Rowdy finally find his love. I highly recommend. ( )

This was my least favorite of the series so far. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but it doesn't have the same appeal as the other books. That being said, its still a decent read! ( )