Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

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.

4.5-4.75 Stars

I loved Rule like it was my mission in life. I loved him like it was inevitable… 

So the first thing I noticed right away is the cover. It’s gorgeous and I could not say no to a guy who looked like that. I mean, have you seen him? He’s gorgeous! And those tattoos? Total fuckingSWOON!! YUMMY. After I finished this book, I had to Google more tattooed hotties. I engulfed this book. I just couldn’t stop reading. Today was my day off and I was determined to be lost in a book. The story had drama, a little bit of angst, and a whole lot of sexual tension between the H/h which led to some wonderful times in between the sheets. This was just what the doctor ordered.

“Gotta tell you, Rule, I’m a fan of kissing with all that metal in your face. I never thought that was something I would be into, but you sure make it work.” 

Rule is moody, complicated and brash, but underneath his tough tattooed exterior lies a man who’s sweet, artistic, charming, brilliant and loyal. He’s also PIERCED in all the right places**wink & smirks** Just picturing his piercings makes me squirm and blush. Oh. My. God. Is it hot in here? FUCK! He’s hot. 

Anyway, I digress. He’s always been the odd brother out in his family, but when his beloved twin dies, he was an outcast more than ever. He’s always played by his own set of rules. He’s a very successful tattoo artist and is a big hit with the ladies. The way his parents treat him, especially his mother, makes him feel unworthy of being loved. He has never had a serious relationship and goes from one fling to another. 

“So Nash and I went out and there were redheads and there were brunettes and there was even a super-hot chick that looked kinda like Pink, but you think any of them did it for me? No, Shaw, not one because they weren’t fucking you; ever since you walked out on Sunday all I’ve been thinking of is you.” 

Shaw Landon has loved Rule Archer since she first laid eyes on him. Ever since his twin brother, Remy, took her home, everyone in Archer family welcomed her with open arms. Her own family has never made her feel as welcome as the Archers did. She never did belong her parents' world of the privileged and rich. They even tried to push her towards a man like Gabe, a man of good breeding, but completely psycho. 

Shaw has always been a fixer. Every Sunday, she picks up Rule from his apartment to drive him to visit his parents. She constantly finds him sprawled naked with his flavor of the week next to him, but she does it; no matter how much it hurts knowing that Rule never really sees her. As for Rule, he hates Sundays, but he always reluctantly goes. Little did he know that she would do anything for him. She always puts up with his bullshit without a hint of complaint. In Rule’s eyes, a girl like Shaw was in his eyes, unattainable. 

It wasn’t until the night of Shaw’s birthday that everything changed…

“What are you trying to say Rule?”

“I don’t know, all I know is other girls aren’t you and that isn’t cutting it for me. I think we need to figure out what’s going on between us.” 

This story between Rule and Shaw was one I couldn’t put down. Rule could be such an asshat sometimes, but I loved that he was trying. He wanted to be the type of man Shaw deserved. All Shaw ever wanted was Rule, flaws and all. The angst was kept at a minimum, but the drama was all there. 

There were a couple reasons why I couldn’t give this a full five stars. One: This book needed some serious editing. This version I have is supposed to be the tweaked out version, but they need to go over it again because the slight mistakes they missed made sentences long and drawn out. It even made it confusing at times. Two: The separation between Rule and Shaw towards the end seemed a little drawn out. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait for the next book that stars Ayden and Jet. But for now, I know I’ll be thinking about Rule, his tattoos and his piercings (**Blushes**) for a long time to come ;)