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Review

3.5 stars

This is the second book the Marked Men series, and is the story of bad boy rocker with a huge heart, Jet.

Jet is best buddies with Rule and the boys who work at The Marked tattoo studio, but unlike them his life is music. He is the lead singer in a heavy metal band, and also works as a producer for small bands in the area. He is passionate about his music, and more than lives up to his rocker persona – he is tatted, pierced and a total manwhore.

Shaw’s good friend Ayden is running from her shady past, trying desperately to put her mistakes behind her and create a stable, secure future for herself, but from the moment she laid eyes on Jet, she wanted him. She made a move only to be shot because Jet didn’t want to hurt her and they moved on from that incident, becoming close friends and even roommates. So now, she is subjected to watching women come out of his room every morning and (not so) secretly obsessing over him while she dates a ‘good guy’, somebody mainstream and stable with concrete plans for the future, but sadly, who does nothing for her.

Jet and Ayden’s friends can all see the sexual tension simmering between them, and they both know they’re attracted to each other, but they feel like there is too much standing in their way. Ayden doesn’t want a sexy bad boy rocker and Jet knows that, and he knows that their different ideas about relationships will be hard for them going forward.

“I don’t know that either of us is really ready to handle the other. What I do know is I want you more than I want to keep breathing.”

But their attraction to each other grows and grows, and no matter how hard they fight it, it all becomes too much for them. They can’t deny their chemistry, and figure the best way forward is a ‘friends with benefits’ situation.

“I wanna have sex, Ayd. Lots and lots of sex…with you and only you. Does it have to be more than that right now?”
…
“I’m not saying it couldn’t eventually lead to more, but right now I feel pretty broken and I’m not really sure there are enough pieces lying around to put me back together.”

I enjoyed these two getting together. Despite everything that they’re holding back from each other, it’s an easy and natural progression, and I loved watching the way they changed towards each other without consciously doing so.

“This is going to change everything”…
“Sometimes, things need to change, because there just isn’t any way for them to stay the same.”

To nobody’s surprise, they fall and fall hard for each other. Ayden’s feelings for Jet terrify her because she wants something different for her future. Jet knows this, but all he wants is Ayden. And OMG, the man is totally swoony! I loved him!

I couldn’t see a place in my life or in my bed for anyone but her now, and that she made me feel that every love song I had ever written or sung made no sense until she came into the picture.
… I was going to hold on to her for as long as I could, until the fire got too hot and burned me alive from the inside out, and she would have no choice but to watch it smolder.

Adding to the drama, they are both dealing with major family issues. But while Jet is trying to work through his, Ayden is hiding hers away as a secret, and when her past threatens everything she is trying to build, she makes decisions which are going to impact on everything!

Oh my God, I need to take a moment to rant about Ayden and her stupid.

Jet and Ayden have a bumpy ride while they figure everything out – both personally and as a couple – and I really liked that there was a lot of detail about Jet and Ayden’s individual stories. Ayden’s family issues are sad, but the way she continuously ruminated over it all and how she handled the situation, I’m sad to say I didn’t really feel for her, but obviously we’re going to see more of her family drama with her older brother getting a book later in the series. What I really enjoyed was Jet’s journey. The drama with his family was intense, but I really liked the way it was handled, and I thought his growth as a character as he figured out what he wanted from his life and then worked to make that happen was fantastic!

I liked catching up with the rest of the characters, and really liked the scenes with the whole gang together, and even the one on one between the boys. They may look like a bunch of bad boys, but they all care deeply about each other, and I like that we got to see them unquestionably taking Jet’s back when he needed them.

But it’s all about the romance, and after Ayden sorts her shit, the love story is gorgeous, and a total swoonfest!

“Do you love me, Jet? Despite it all, do you love me?”
“Ayden, I’m here. Of course I love you. I loved you before, I love you after, and Ill love you for everything in-between.”

It all ends really well with a great epilogue which finishes the story off nicely, and provides a bit of a clue where things are going to go next.

3.5 stars – I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

The Marked Men series