Daddy Ink: Get Ink'd Book 1, Ali Lyda

I honestly wish I could have rounded this up for Javi because even though he was gruff and shut down quite a lot, there just wasn't enough here for me to love and recommend.

The story started off interesting enough with two men I really wanted to get to know.  Unfortunately it was pretty much a non-issue after that because neither man truly inspired me.  Javi had more potential for me because he was misunderstood, had an awesome package and a bit of damage on the inside that could have been worked into some amazing growth and vulnerability.  Except Gordo pretty much walked all over that and Javi let him for far too long.  With so much hot/cold back and forth and very little genuine warmth to build on, there wasn't a whole lot to go from and convince me they belonged together.

Gordo didn't charm me hardly at all.  I know he struggled, I'm a single parent and totally get how tough it is sometimes, but his attitude just wasn't understandable and virtually every problem in the relationship stemmed from his attitude and his treatment of Javi.  I lost interest in him so very quickly.

Javi's complications and vulnerabilities were touching in the beginning, but then they almost became excuses for his own behavior of running away and shutting down.  The Big-Mis was predictable and he proved himself cliche and impulsive in an exaggerated reproduction of his actions all throughout the story up to that point.  And then there was the accident.  It really served no point other than to put him in a physically vulnerable place and to keep him sitting still long enough for Gordo to catch up to him and do the whole explanation/insufficient groveling thing.

I just wished for a different resolution, a different journey to get to an admittedly sweet ending.  They became the family they were meant to be and while the premise promised amazing things and intriguing characters, it wasn't an easy road to get there and I didn't find myself wanting to travel it with them.

*$5.99 on Amazon

He’s raising a baby, not looking for love …

I don’t want a serious relationship, and certainly not with the single dad next door. But one look at Gordo? I’m smitten. Even though I might be a tough looking tattoo artist, I know that the ink does a lot to hide my own insecurities. It doesn’t matter how much Gordo seems to like me - I can’t bring myself to make a move.

Talking has never come easy to me - and I mean that literally. But Gordo doesn’t seem fazed by my speech problems or the mess in my head, and soon we’re forming a deep connection. But I learned a long time ago that nothing lasts forever … and when a blast from Gordo’s past shows up, it proves that everything was too good to be true.

At least, that’s what the old me would say. This time, I know that Gordo and his little baby are worth fighting for. I’m willing to walk through fire to get what I want. But can a tattoo artist with a checkered past really be any guy’s happily ever after?