Review: Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay Crownover

Title: Nash

Author: Jay Crownover

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pub. date: April 29th 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher

Synopsis: Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again? (synopsis from Goodreads)

I really liked this one. It wasn’t as good as Rome, but I really liked it. I loved Nash and Saint, and while the plot was a bit slower than in the other books, it didn’t really bother me all that much, because of the personal struggles of the both main characters.

   Saint is an amazing, relatable character.

   I’ve read several reviews where the reader was annoyed with her because of her insecurities. And, while I understand why, I really don’t agree. I don’t think it’s too much, because there are people, and a lot of people, that feel the way Saint does. Bad self-esteem is a very relevant subject, because there are so many people that feel that way. I don’t understand why it’s so bad to read about characters with bad self-esteem. Because of that, I could really relate to her, and I think a lot of people can, even if they’re scared of admitting that.

   I love Nash!

   He was also relatable, he also has insecurities, though not nearly as serious as Saint’s. But what I loved the most about them both was the way they grew through the book. I loved how they helped each other to realize that they were great just the way they were, that they deserved to be loved. But, at the same time, they didn’t rely completely on the other to help them through their issues.

   The themes of this book are so important.

   Bad self-esteem is very common, but I think people don’t realize this because it’s become such a taboo subject. The message that this book sends is one that is so very important. It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks about you, what they say, if they gossip, if they bully you. What matters is that you accept and love yourself.

   The plot was a bit slower.

   It wasn’t necessarily slow, just slower than the other books, but it didn’t really bother me, because there were enough emotional struggles, for both Nash and Saint, that it kept the book entertaining and kept me hooked to the last page. Usually, I’d say too much focus on the emotional struggles is boring, but it wasn’t in this book, because it helped the plot along. And, most importantly, their journeys were a big part of the book, and one of my favourite things about it.

   The writing was great!

   Crownover has this incredible ability to capture the emotion with words. It’s rare to find books with this type of writing, that just makes the reader feel every word written. When you start reading this book, or any book by Crownover, you’ll soon notice how easy it is to forget you’re reading. How much you actually feel what the characters feel. That’s why you can also always count on an emotional roller-coaster that will leave you reeling at the end.

   By now, it’s no secret that I love Jay Crownover. She always writes books that are filled to the brim with relatable characters, character development, suck-me-in writing, but, most importantly, touching stories of love and acceptance and friendship. But before you start reading, you should be prepared to cry, swoon, laugh, and cry some more.