Back Piece

Skin Deep Inc., Book 1

By: L.A. Witt

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo

Colin Spencer is a tattoo artist with a past he'd prefer to keep a secret. Actually, he has a few secrets that he'd rather people didn't know about, which is why Colin doesn't do commitment. But when a shy sailor approaches him at the gym, Colin finds this guy pushing all his buttons.

Growing up in a conservative family, then escaping with the Navy, Daniel Moore is an unsure virgin who feels like he can't share his true self with anyone. Seeing Colin - and his tattoos - at the gym are the sign Daniel needs to finally get those tattoos he's always wanted, and maybe try his hand at flirting.

As Colin and Daniel spend more time together, their awkward hesitations turn into a deep passion neither expected. But with both men harboring secrets, will their relationship be able to survive their insecurities and become something beautiful?

Contains mature themes.

©2017 L. A. Witt (P)2019 Tantor

Just Okay

It’s hard to review this book because I just could not relate to the characters. The characters were not memorable to me and I didn’t “feel” the love. The story was not bad, it was just not entertaining. I read and listen to a lot of MM romance and yes this story is not the worst but it is very forgettable.

Dull

The whole thing felt very dull and predictable.
Lots of internal monologue and overthinking from both sides.

This is one of my favorite narrators and not even that helped.
Not that enjoyable.

Conflicted about this

The writing is often very, very beautiful. It’s lush. Evocative of good and bad and more. This book is disturbing on purpose, but also possibly accidentally as well (see Warning).

The POV of someone who lives with a mental illness creatively and with professional help is arguably something many people should read in something this captivating. I’d like to see this kind of representation more often.

However.

Warning:
If you’re reading / listening to this after the book _ Let There Be Light _ and you liked the character Royal (“Blue”), this story portrays him as thoughtless and selfish at best, lacking empathy for both his twin and his “best friend,” and downright, intentionally cruel at his worst. It’s hard to reconcile with his first portrayal.

I liked Royal in the first book.
It was a gut punch to have him so shallow, self-centered, harmful and hypocritical in this book. What was kindness in the first book is turned into something ugly.

Both he and his twin show next to no compassion for someone they claim to care for. They’re selfish, that selfishness is reinforced by others while someone else is suffering without support.

While there is a happy ending, it’s hard to believe. I am choosing to think that a whole lot of apologies were made to the boyfriend / best friend even though they’re not in the book.

Many of these themes spoke to my own experience, but in the end, those beautiful words and familiar world of color can’t keep me from wishing I hadn’t encountered this book.

Somewhere in all those masterful portrayals, a sketchbook full of a suffering young man’s talent and life seems to have been forgotten or disregarded.

Eleven hours of audiobook would seem to be enough to allow both MCs compassion, friendship and love. It didn’t, in my own experience, despite all those beautiful words. We were invited into both MCs hearts, then carried along to a place where only one of them is three dimensional in the end.

Maybe the book was meant to be devastating that way, to shove one person’s pain and loss out of the spotlight.

Life can be this blindly cruel to those who don’t deserve it.

People are punished for keeping their word, their promises.

If an unresolved undertone of angst is your thing, wow, you’ve hit the jackpot. This one is stunning.

Tattoo sweetness

This was such a sweet sweet listen. Tattoo artist/ military. MM. Contemporary. Hurt/Hurt. Mental health rep. Spice 3.5. Highly Recommend

Good story. Good narration.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and I appreciated the messages in the story. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste. The conflict was mostly resolved, but I felt like I needed something more. There are more books in the series so we may connect with the main characters again later. Narration was nicely done.