The Sweetest Tattoo

I picked this up from Liquid Silver after getting sucked in by the excerpt despite it being twice as much as a novella should cost, and I'm glad I did.

Kelsie Cole is a pink-haired, well-inked tattoo parlor owner who hasn't worn a single-digit clothing size since she was a pre-teen. She's off for a week vacationing at her twin brother's lakeside cabin in North Carolina and she's not too keen to see the car pulling into the driveway. She decides her brother's a dead man for telling his best friend and business partner that he could have the cabin this week. She's known buttoned-up, suit and tie wearing John McBride since they were nine years old, and he's gotten under her skin since day one.

John doesn't know why everything he says or does show more causes Kelsie to snap at him. She interprets his glances and questions as judgments on her weight, tattoos and piercings. He's fascinated with her, in reality, and just wants her to see him as a man so he can treat her like a woman. He's determined to use the week to change things between them.

The Sweetest Tattoo isn't very long at just shy of 30k words, but it packs a lot into the space. John and Kelsie have known each other for 20 years, which helps establish their connection. Dane uses dialogue and memories to share their bits of backstory to show how they became the people they are. It's an opposites attract story on its face, but then you also realize they have a lot of common experience, making them sort of two sides of the same coin. Both faced adversity when they were young, but they both chose different ways to deal with it.

It wasn't the best sex writing I've ever read, but it was certainly above average. While there was a lot of it, it was full of emotion and character development, so it never felt gratuitous. Major props for the hero volunteering to use a butt plug before he was to do the same to her so he'd be in the know. It was a surprisingly hot scene with a lot of feeling to it, but I was totally surprised to see that. Nice gamble, imo.

So I'd suggest this for anyone who likes a quick and naughty novella without any particularly kinky elements to it. show less

I probably read The Sweetest Tattoo about 5 or 6 years ago--it was one of my first ventures into e-reads. We're talking LONG before I had my beloved iPad or a Kindle reading app--I actually had it saved to a thumb drive and used to read it on my computer. Nevertheless, a hot, sweet, quick little read. I've since uploaded it to the docs area on my Kindle and I still take it down from my "bookshelf" anytime I want something quick and utterly satisfying.

The love scenes between John and Kelsie are HOT like fire and friends-to-lovers (or frenimies-to-lovers in this case) is one of my favorite story-lines. There aren't many books that I can say I enjoy every time I re-read them but The Sweetest Tattoo is definitely one of them.

Sweet little number, no over the top suspense or angst, I love everything Cameron Dane

This was another enjoyable story by Cameron Dane. The H/H have known each other for several years, but they have never given into their true feelings for each other. By hiding their true feelings, they've created a tension and defensiveness that must be broken down in order to truly be happy.I probably would give this story a 3.5 if GR would let me, so I'm giving it a 4. I did like it, and the sex scenes were great, but I like Dane's M/M romances better. ;)

*** 3 stars ***

John McBride is successful businessmen. He is ruthless in the boardroom. Does everything by the book. Smart, good-looking, always wearing a suit... He is my favorite type of romance novel hero - the one that seems uptight and cold, but on the inside...

Kelsie Cole is a rebel. You can see it just by looking at her. Pink hair. Lots of tattoos (twin dragons are my favorite). Hates fixed working hours and rules. But the thing that irritates her the most is her brothers best friend McBride.

Put them together in a secluded cabin and soon sparks will fly... :)

Kelsie and John are forced to stay for a week in a cabin since none of them is willing to leave.Kelsie is furious first and doesnt want John to stay there because she thinks that he thinks she is a freak,John makes a plan to make Kelsie see him as somthing more than her brothers best friend.A kiss is the perfect opportunity for that.
The story was good bad it tired me at some point and thats the reason I rated with 4 stars and not 5.

Nothing much to look forward to this swift read about John and Kelsie spending a week holed up at a cabin amid a burgeoning romance and sizzling sex. Hmmm..okay! There might be something appealing after all.Ha!