Why I read it: Some of my Goodreads friends enjoyed this one so I bought it.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Tattooing might have once been Liam’s passion, but he left it all behind along with ugly memories when he went to college. When his uncle’s health fails, Liam must come home at last to say his goodbyes. His days are spent at the hospice, leaving his nights to rake over the past. To fill those empty hours, he takes a job at Great Sin Ink. The close knit friendship of the workers there both intrigues and shakes Liam, who has spent the last four years keeping everyone at arm’s length. Neither Deb, the no-nonsense piercer, nor Goose, a manic tattoo artist, will let Liam get away with his isolationist ways for long.
If it were just those two, Liam might have stood a chance — but there’s also Ace, the owner of Great Sin. He hires Liam despite a thin resume, and that is a kindness Liam can’t forget. The two start up a tentative friendship, learning about each other as the summer days melt into each other. Slowly, Liam reveals a tender heart underneath the wall of quotes he uses to keep everyone out. Unfortunately, life doesn’t stand still, and both Liam and Ace have hard struggles before them that might break them up before they can even get together.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I ended up liking this one okay but I admit I was ambivalent about it for a while at the beginning there. That may have been because I wasn’t sure of my reading mood. Once I committed to reading the whole book instead of wavering, things smoothed out. It’s a slow burn romance but once the romance appears it goes at warp speed. There’s an ensemble cast which I liked. The secondary characters, for the most part, felt like they had lives outside of Liam and Ace. I would have loved more about Frankie and Goose actually.
