Review of Shattered Pieces (Heathens Ink Novel #4) by K.M. Neuhold

by K.M. Neuhold

4.5 stars

“I was sure my heart had withered away years ago, but then you smiled at me, and I felt it beat again.” ~Gage
Years ago, I fell in love with my best friend’s little brother. Then, he took his own life, leaving me shattered and unable to piece my heart back together. I’ve been a zombie for nine long years. Until a crazy, gorgeous man walked into Heathens Ink and injected color back into my world of gray. No matter how hard I try to resist Beck, he just won’t give up on me. I would need steel willpower to withstand his gorgeous long legs in those high heels and his drawer full of lacy lingerie. But is this just a kinky hook up or does it have the possibility for more?

“We’re both broken, but our jagged edges fit together well” ~ Beck
When you’re half of a whole you never contemplate what life would be like without your matching piece. Since my twin sister, Brianna, died last year, nothing I do seems to quiet my soul. I know there has to be some way for me to feel happy and whole again. And, when I look into the pained eyes of the tattoo artist at Heathens Ink, I feel like I have a purpose. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I have to find a way to put him back together.

We have been anxious waiting for book #4 in the Heathens Ink Series, and Shattered Pieces does not rest of the fantastic-ness of the previous books.  It delivers another stunning story of mending broken souls.  Shattered Pieces is not a light fluffy story, if you know anything of Gage’s story he is a shattered shell of a man, grieving 10 years after the loss of a loved one, there are times that we grieved, raged and hurt with Gage.  It is not easy, but so rewarding.

What did we love? (so so so many things!)

-                      Dealing with Loss:  We really appreciate that K.M. Neuhold tacked Gage dealing with Jay, his first love.  Sometimes other books with this trope just rush over grief when a new love interest appears, but Shattered Pieces really deal with the grief, even years later of loving someone who is gone.  It is heartbreaking to see Gage struggle, but adds so much to his story.

-                      Dual POV:  We love a dual POV!  And this one is done so well, there wasn’t a time that we had to flip back to figure out who was speaking.  The character both have such unique voices, it was a please to be inside their heads.

-                      Beck:  Yes, we loved a character.  Beck is bright sunshine, full of life and was a ray of hope in this book.  And his mannies, so hot!

-                      Between the Sheets:  K.M. Neuhold can create some serious steam between the sheets, and Shattered Pieces is amazing.  There is a chemistry between Beck and Gage that started in the last book, and you feel the connection between these men. 

What didn’t we love?

-          Friends:  this didn’t take away from the book, but we needed more of the other Heathens Ink boys.  We love all the other characters and we miss them – give us more!

Shattered Pieces is a wonderful book, but not an easy read.  Being #4 in the series, you do need to read the whole series to get the most enjoyment form Beck and Gage.  Many books skirt with the true feelings of grief and loss, but Shattered Pieces is true to Gage and honors his feelings.  And like finishing the last book, we need more of the Heathens Ink boys!

Review of Facing West (Forever Wilde #1) by Lucy Lennox

by Lucy Lennox

4 stars

Nico:
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown fifteen years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I’m shocked out of the steady life I’ve built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco.

The thing is: I don’t do babies. And I don’t do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don’t do family. My plan is to go back to Hobie just long enough to sign adoption papers, giving my niece the kind of stable, loving family I could never provide.

But the moment I meet my niece in the arms of Weston Wilde, my sister’s best friend and the town’s handsome doctor, my plans begin to change. Because suddenly, I see a different future. One with the very thing I thought I never deserved: a family. If only I can convince West that I’m not the same good-for-nothing kid ready to bolt when things get tough.

Weston:
There’s one thing I know for sure about Nico Salerno: he was a good-for-nothing as a kid and judging by the purple-haired, tattoo’d punk who shows up at his sister’s funeral, he hasn’t changed. There’s no way I’m letting him take custody of my best friend’s baby.

But the more time I spend around him, the more I realize that his rough exterior is just a shell and that beneath all the tattoos is a scared, insecure man searching for a place to belong. And pretty soon I know exactly where he belongs: in my bed and by my side.

The problem is, he abandoned his family once before, how do I know that if we become a family he won’t do it again?

This is a new series by one of our fav authors, Lucy Lennox.  It has all that good Lucy Lennox magic; big families, interesting character and schmoopy love.  A great read!

Nico, Nico, Nico, sigh.  If you are a fan of Lucy Lennox’s Made Marian series you will know Nico.  Troubled, solitary, lovely Nico, and it is about time he gets a happy ending.  We start with a new family here, the Wilde family, with the backbone being Gramps and Doc, a wonderful couple who are in love well into the later years of their life.  Now I personally love the Grannies from the Marian series, but they get a little much.  Doc and Gramps are sweet, and although show that seniors can have an active sex life it is subtle. 

Let’s talk about the good Dr…. Weston Wilde, swoon worthy.  He has stayed close to his roots, taking over the family practice in his small town and is content.  He has friends, a life, a career he loves, but small town living doesn’t have many love options.  He is a pretty average, stand up character, and well likeable, always doing the right thing.  Now Nico on the other had is troubled; by his past, by his memory of the past, and what he wants for his future.  Nico wants to live his life in San Francisco and run his tattoo shop.  But after his estranged sister passes and leaves Nico the custody of her teeny tiny baby, Nico has to go home and face what he left years ago.  

There is a enemies-to-lovers chemistry between Weston and Nico that jumps off the page.  Neither of them really likes each other, add in their past and the struggles over Nico’s sister’s baby these two are oil and water.  Weston is straight laced, and Nico is purple haired tattooed, total opposites but when they finally stop trying to deny their lust, they are combustible together.  So hot, hot, hot.    

However, Facing West isn’t without angst.  Nico thinks he doesn’t belong is small town life, he doesn’t want kids and he doesn’t want a man like West.  But does he???  Oh poor Nico, wants a family and love and a fairytale life, but doesn’t want to admit it to each other.  There are a few times we actually wanted to shake Nico and Weston.  They get on the same page, they have a disagreement, and round and round, and round. 

We really enjoyed Facing West, and excited for a new series.  Seriously how could you go wrong with love, babies and big families!

Review of Rescue Me (Heathens Ink #1) by K.M. Neuhold

 by K.M. Neuhold

4 stars

“Your life can change in an instant”~ Madden
I never thought a night out could change everything. All I wanted was to dance, drink, maybe take a cute guy home for a night of fun. I met the guy, but the night ended as a nightmare. Screams, and blood, and tragedy haunt my dreams. I'm alive and I owe it all to the gorgeous marine who refused to leave me for dead. But how can I start a new relationship when I'm not even sure who I am anymore?

“I'll always save you” ~Thane
After a long work week all I wanted was to let my hair down and to meet a nice guy. When I laid eyes on the gorgeous, tattooed man at the bar, I had to have him. I never would have thought the night could end in such horror. I saved his life, and I swear I'll save him as many times as I have to. Even if it means saving him from himself.

So so so so so so SO good!  This is our first KM Neuhold book and we can’t quite figure out why! Rescue Me takes the horror of being at the wrong place and the wrong time and shows the reader what it takes to move past a traumatic evet and hopefully fall in love.

Thane is a hot firefighter, gay, but deep in the closet.  He likes his life simple, work and play and keep them that way.  He is an ex-military man that struggles with his sexuality and how the people in his life will react to who he really is.  But, he wants to forget all that and hook-up, just some fun.  Out at a gay club he meets Madden, a smart sexy tattooed man and the sparks are instant.  But when a traumatic event that night at the club, Madden is unsure of how to put himself back together, let alone start a relationship with his rescuer.

Rescue Me  is a book with some heavy themes; anti-LGBTQ shooting, suicide, teen runaways, coming out of the closet, and at some points it feels too heavy, but KM Neuhold pushed through and you are aching for a happy ending for these men.  We are always fascinated by how people meet and fall in love, and this book is exactly that.  Madden and Thane meet, and although there are all these barriers in their way they struggle to make it work for each other. 

But this book isn’t just about struggle; it is hot as all get-out!  Come on a Fireman and a Tattoo artist, hot all on their own, but together the chemistry is electric. There is a need, pull, want between Thane and Madden that is undeniable, and the push pull of their relationship flames the fires that kept us turning the pages. 

Rescue Me is the first in the Heathens Ink Series (spoiler: we already devoured the 2^nd installment of the series), and is set amongst a rag-tag group of friends who are all tattoo artists.  KM Neuhold defines each character with individual personalities and has set up their first book as a great teaser for the rest of the series. 

Rescue me was a surprise hit for us.  Really there are so many hurt/conform books out there, but this one really made us believe and hope for these men to heal to be together.  Pick up this series and we are sure you won’t be disappointed!

Review of Covet thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt

 

by LA Witt

4 stars

 

Tattoo artist Seth Wheeler thinks he’s struck gold when Darren Romero rents the apartment across the hall. The new guy is gorgeous, witty, and single, plus he’s just the right blend of bold and flirtatious. Perfect.

Except then Darren reveals that he moved to Tucker Springs to take a job as the youth pastor at the New Light Church. Seth is not only an atheist, but was thrown out by his ultra-religious family when he came out. He tends to avoid believers, not out of judgment but out of self-preservation.

But Darren doesn’t give up easily, and he steadily chips away at Seth’s defenses. Darren is everything Seth wants in a man . . . except for that one massive detail he just can’t overlook. Is Darren’s religion the real problem, or is it just a convenient smokescreen to keep him from facing deeper fears? It’s either see the light, or risk pushing Darren away forever.

Start off by saying we love L.A. Witt!  This is a sweet, hot, angsty book between two unlikely men. We were a bit wary of the subject, because really who wants to be talking about God and romance, but we really enjoyed the balance of the two main characters beliefs.   And although this is book 4 in the series, it is the first on we read, so if you want to just pick up one title you can.

We first meet Seth, a tattoo artist who was thrown out of his family home in the name of religion when he came out to his parents.  Years later he still struggles with his faith, being shunned by his family and letting people in who could hurt him.  When his across the hall neighbor moves out, Darren moves in, and it is instant chemistry.  Darren is a new-to-town youth minister who is looking for a new start in a new town.

The chemistry between Darren and Seth is off the page, from the first time they meet, you can feel the pull of attraction between them.  And when they finally give into the lust, it is so hot.  LA Witt never disappoints with the bedroom material, and these boys couldn’t keep their hands off each other.  The sex in the book added so much to the believability that a minster and an Atheist could fall in love.

Now let’s talk the religion portion of this book, we actually enjoyed Seth and Darren’s discussions on their beliefs, and how coming together we could value each other’s view point.  How Seth’s past has put him so scared of getting close to religion again, and Darren’s vocation as a minister always put a strike against him, no matter who he is.  Their back and forth and finally seeing where each other are coming from is refreshing.  But, there is angst.  Seth specifically wrestles with who he believes himself to be as an Atheist and how can he forget what his old church and family did in the name of Jesus.  He struggles. 

In the end this is a really nice story of acceptance, and overcoming fears, and LA Witt delivers.  It is hot, sexy and a really great read.