A Different Kind of Chemistry: Nerds and Tattoos Book 1, Ashlynn Mills

A bit more telling than showing than I like and the flow of the writing felt a bit stilted and sometimes repetitive.  I felt like I was reading something a bit more New Adult rather than Contemporary because both men felt so much younger than they are.  It was mostly because of how they expressed themselves, the immaturity and petulance, the quick-to-forgive when the hurts were pretty huge, and the simplistic way everything played out.

Maverick has a complicated and difficult dating history and while I understand the harsh way he treats Casey comes from his fear, he really does say and do some horrible things.  Casey's reaction to them is understandable and justified, but what isn't understandable to me is how quickly things are reconciled.  There's a severe lack of groveling for my tastes and when they get down to the big emotional reveal, it's simplified, truncated, and emotionless.

We read that Casey can see Maverick's pain in his eyes and demeanor, but it feels more like something Casey is reading into and that we believe because we've heard Maverick's side in his POV and yet objectively it doesn't connect.  And I'm not sure what the tattoo client addition was after his big conversation with Casey.  Perhaps to show his change?  To me it doesn't really matter, it just felt awkward, forced, and unnecessary.

Casey's acknowledgment of how long they've known one another and the assurance that issues like Maverick's history isn't owed to him is wise and I appreciated that.  There was a big build up and quite a lot of dickish reactions from Maverick so the truncated romantic evolution through the majority of the book felt immature, rushed, and simplistic, but Maverick's confession of both knowing where his fear came from and his clarity with which he sees the future he wants with Casey was wonderful.  It was both hopeful and realistic.

The progress that follows is slow because there's so much detail, especially regarding a lot of steam to make up for all their lost time, but it's sweet and shows us sides of both men that I wasn't sure I expected.  And with an epilogue that was full of as much feeling as theirs, it was worth the wait.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Casey's social life is much like his love life, non existant. He is constantly playing it safe and it is no longer working for him. After another date gone wrong, he finds himself stepping in a world completely foreign to him when walking into a small bar trying to drink his rejection away. Never did he think he would find something in that bar that would change his world forever, but his mind never stops thinking about that sexy tattooed stranger with the mesmerizing eyes. He tries to forget his heated moment with the stranger he will never see again, but Maverick keeps appearing in more places than just his dreams.

Maverick has rules for a reason and has been doing so well sticking with them until a nerdy science geek has him questioning everything. Maverick won't be the reason for destroying another person and everytime he looks at Casey, he is reminded more and more of his haunting past. This can only end in disaster because people like Maverick were never meant to fall in love with people like Casey, but like a moth to a flame, the adorable red head has him always coming back for more.

When two worlds collide , will they be able to let go of their past insecurities and fall into the unknown, or will Maverick continue to let his past hold him back from the one thing he wants the most.