Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover
Remy is an amazing tattoo artist and drunken womanizer.
Shaw is a pre-med student with daddy’s money and class in spades. Although the
title of this book is Rule, Shaw really should get equal billing. The POV is
split between these two throughout. Shaw has parents that value money and
public perception more than their own daughter. So when Remy, the popular
football player in high school saw her struggling he swooped in to provide
shelter. Bringing her home to a family that loved and wanted her around. Well
everyone but his twin Rule. When Rule laid eyes on Shaw he didn’t seem that
impressed. But when Shaw saw him….
--“ I loved Remy, loved him like a brother,
like the best friend and consummate protector he had been, but I loved Rule
like it was my mission in life.”- Shaw
Out of high school and forming their own paths things were going well until
tragedy struck. On a slippery road on his way to pick up Rule, Remy left this
world. Taking a secret and leaving a family destroyed by the loss. In her grief
Remy and Rule’s mother becomes bitter and angry blaming Rule for his twin brother’s
death.
--“ the light to my dark. The easy to my
hard, the joy to my angst, the perfect to my oh-so-totally fucked up, and without
him I was only half the person I would ever be.” –Rule
Rule deals with
his grief with alcohol and women. Shaw on the other hand sees a family that
gave her the only real sense of love she has ever known falling apart and uses
Sunday dinner as a way to keep them somewhat together. Showing up every Sunday
to cart Rule to the family home, Shaw has a front row seat to a bed filled with
different women and a hung over and angry Rule. And every Sunday her heart
breaks a little more.
--“Families are like anything else; they
take work, patience, and people willing to make it work.” –Shaw
This Sunday was special the oldest brother was home from
the war after being injured. And this home coming explodes leaving Shaw to take
sides and she surprises everyone, even Rule, by taking his. What happens next
is a self awareness the likes of which Shaw has never felt. Done with trying to
please everyone she decides to become who she wants to be ditching the uptight
clothes and letting herself free and on a drunken birthday night she finds Rule
and lets it all out. Giving him what he assumed she had already given his twin
years ago. What Rules thought was a bad idea is now an addiction all its own.
Shaw.
--“Because it’s always been you even when I didn’t
want it to be, even when it broke my heart over and over again. It’s just
always been you.” –Shaw
There is so much more to this story. Great character and
most of all a more realistic New Adult book. I didn’t have the perpetual eye
roll I tend to have while reading this new category of books. Which believe me
happens a lot!
--“Things weren’t always perfect. We were
still two very different people on two very different paths but we always
manage to take time to work it out.”-Rule
Great story, good character progression and lots of room
for more books in this series!
--“Look at me being all optimistic and shit.
Remy would be proud.” –Rule
4 Stars
T~
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