LOVER OF BOOKS

Pounding Skin wasn't at all what I expected it to be. It was better!

I admit it, I read the premise: hot Navy fighter pilot (afraid of needles) getting a bet gone wrong tattoo and falling for the artist who inked him and went - hot fluff story. I was so very right and oh so wrong. The story - hot as jet fuel on fire! But it was so far from fluff.

LA Witt has written a story that is a study in coming out, accepting yourself, accepting you deserve more in life and how to be true to yourself.

The tattoo artist - Matt - has spent his entire life saying 'I'm not gay'. Except he's bi. And it takes a birthday threesome and then meeting fighter pilot Jon to realize maybe, just maybe, he's been denying himself a lot of joy because of baggage that was dumped on him by a father prone to toxic masculinity and the cruelty of kids labeling him as gay before he'd even realized what sex was.

But Jon has his own issues - he's a self-proclaimed manwhore and proud of it. Jon has always slept around, he was there for a good time, not a long time. His best friend and RIO has been happily married to his husband for 10 years and Jon has never understood the need to settle down and have your wings 'clipped' by stability.

But then he loses a bet and has to get a tattoo as payment. And so he walks into Pounding Skin Inc. and into Matt's life. Matt decides he wants to explore his attraction to men, Jon is profoundly attracted and figures what the hell, he'll teach Matt a few things, they can be f*#k buddies and no strings would be attached. Except one time becomes many and days become months and Jon can't imagine sleeping with anyone but Matt while Matt is realizing that Jon is pretty amazing too and he's never been happier.

But then Nate, who's Jon's RIO and best friend, catches his husband in bed with another man and as Jon watches his friend fall apart all of his own insecurities comes crashing in. He and Matt have a talk about the status of their 'non-relationship' and Matt breaks it off because he says he wants more - and he knows he deserves more. It takes losing Matt and Nate reaming Jon a new one for Jon to realize what a mistake he's made. If heartbroken Nate could still believe in love and finding someone how could Jon walk away from his perfect person just because he was scared of what might be's?

The book has a lot of humor and hot sex, Halloweeen shenanigans, and New Year's revelations. L.A Witt has written rich and believable characters that tug at your heart strings, make you root for them and make you sniffle along with them.

I recommend this book.