BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Built (Saints of Denver #1)

The wait is almost over! BUILT - the first book in Jay Crownover's Saints of Denver series - is out tomorrow, and today you can be treated to an excerpt and a giveaway!

Built (Saints of Denver #1), by Jay Crownover
Publish Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes an electrifying new spin-off series, Saints of Denver, featuring all the characters fans have been dying to read about.

Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She’s French silk, he’s all denim and flannel.

Zeb’s wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn't matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest—either that or she doesn't return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior.

But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can’t risk what’s at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming. But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored. 

The differences between the two of them don’t stop Zeb from dropping every hint he can think of that he would like to get to know her on a more personal level, but Sayer seems oblivious to his interest or is just too nice to tell him to take a hike. To Sayer, a guy like Zeb could never be interested in someone as reserved and boring as she is. She’s never been with anyone that was hot enough to melt the icy exterior she’s had wrapped around her Zeb a since her awful childhood. But what if Zeb is the one who might finally thaw her out…?

I have a new book boyfriend. A real Mr. Fix It. And his name is Zebulon Fuller. Oh, he's not my normal type. He's a little rough around the edges - literally and figuratively. He's got a full beard. He's an ex-con. And he has a temper. But, this man-beast captured my heart from the very first time I read about him in Jay Crownover's Marked Men series. And, once I saw how he treated his family and his woman, that sealed the deal. 

Zeb is one confident man. Usually. He owns his own construction company and is used to being the boss. He knows who he is, and if anyone can't accept him at face value, well screw 'em. And then, Sayer enters his world, and although Zeb is interested in her, he thinks she's too good for him, and that made me sad. Appearances can be deceiving - Zeb of all people should know this. Despite his beard and tats and ex-con status, this man has a heart of gold. And, Sayer is exactly the opposite. She's totally cool and put together on the outside. But, inside, this girl is a hot mess.

Good thing Zeb knows how to fix up messes. 

Because of an unexpected turn in Zeb's life, he now has a legit reason to spend a lot of time with Sayer. Zeb really knows how to use his time wisely. He's not too pushy. He doesn't ask for more than she's willing to give. He has the patience of a saint - much more than I would have in his shoes. Because Sayer is one tough nut to crack. She doesn't make things easy for him at all. But, she gives him just enough to keep him interested.

It was really easy to be irritated with Sayer's attitude. Zeb is just so... ZEB. How could anyone not love him immediately?! I get why Sayer has the hangups she does - you will too. But, come on, woman! This guy is amazing in so many different ways. The fact that she didn't go for it with him from the very beginning irked me. 

Since Built is part of a spin-off from the Marked Men series, we do get to see many of the men themselves in brief cameo appearances. We mostly get to see Rowdy, since Sayer is his sister. Although I love the original characters, the focus is most definitely not on them, which is how it should be. The Saints of Denver doesn't focus around a tattoo parlor, but rather, casts a wider net that is allowing us to see more of the world in which Jay has created these wonderful characters. I think that will be my favorite part of this new series. 

Events that will lead us into the next book are set up as we meet new characters and reacquaint ourselves with old ones. This was the perfect way to draw us in and keep us begging for more. 

“One battle at a time, Zeb. That’s all we can tackle, okay?”

He was quiet for a long moment, but I could hear him breathing and then finally he grunted a little bit and replied, “Well, then the battle I need to tackle right now is those god-awful walls. Thank you for talking me off the ledge. It’s impossible not to hope for the best when I talk to you.”

Maybe it was the overwhelming quiet of my house or it was the wistfulness in his voice. Or maybe it was really the fact that no matter how hard I tried to keep a clear divide between the two of us, I was always going to be too eager to cross over it when an opportunity presented itself. Like a goddamn fool.

Calling myself every kind of name there was in the book, I blurted out, “I’m not doing anything tonight, and Poppy went out with Rowdy, so if you need an extra set of hands to help with the paint I can swing by the house.” I wanted to groan. I was the least handy person in the whole world and I don’t think I had ever even held a paintbrush, but the idea of getting to spend some one-on-one time with him was just so tempting that I ignored all of that and secretly hoped he would ignore it, too.

He chuckled a little. “Are you serious?”

I shrugged even though he couldn’t see it. “Sure. Why not?”

“Well, I’m not going to turn down free labor, especially when that free labor looks like you. Do you even own anything that you won’t be pissed to get paint on, Say? What I do tends to get dirty.” His voiced dropped a little bit and there was a husky timbre to the words that made me shiver.

There was a double entendre there that was impossible to miss and it made all of my skin heat up from the inside out. Not to mention no one had ever shortened my name before. I wasn’t exactly the cutesy nickname type. My father wouldn’t have approved and as such I was always just “Sayer.” Zeb’s shortening my name felt intimate. It felt far more familiar than I should be allowing myself to get with him. Still I didn’t say anything other than “I’m sure I can find something.”

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

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