Virgin Skin

Ink Slingers #2

by K.M. Neuhold

I know I have to keep my hands off of my best friend’s son, but it’s hard… really, really hard…

I didn’t know the guy I picked up in the bar last night was Hero’s son. To be fair, he didn’t even know he had a son until today. I guess we’re all just scrambling to put on our poker faces.

Keeping my hands off of Milo is hard enough thanks to his lickable dimple, flirty smiles, and virgin skin. But I swear this has to be a test. Why else would Hero insist that his son come to live with me? And why is it so hard for Milo to just keep his clothes on already?

If I can't keep my hands off of him I could lose my friends, our club, even the tattoo shop I love more than anything. Given the stakes, it should be easy.

Right, and a Prince Albert just pinches a little…

Virgin skin is a best friend’s (adult) son romance with a side of roommates-to-lovers, some forced proximity, a “stuck in the dryer” moment, and a whole lot of tension between two guys who just can’t keep their eyes and hands off of each other, no matter how much they try.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Contemporary, LGBT, Audiobook

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2024

About the author

K.M.Neuhold has long since been a romance junkie. When she’s not writing she’s reading or spending time snuggling with her husky or her husband. She fell in love with M/M romance last year and hasn’t been able to turn back. There’s nothing she loves more than love in all its forms.

Reviews

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eeeeep, that was surprisingly cute.
The plot isn't particularly exciting, except for a nice snowstorm... and anyone who has read a book by this author knows exactly what to expect. It's very well written, without a lot of frills, simple and entertaining.
What impressed me was the portrayal of Milo as the main character. He was sooooo cute.
It was really fun to watch him try to convince Piston that they are right and that it doesn't matter that his father is his best friend.
Oh, it was all predictable, but still really lovely.
I was perfectly entertained.

Living under the same roof as Piston? Sharing a shower and having breakfast together every morning? Having unlimited opportunities to convince him I’m a fully-fledged adult, perfectly capable of deciding for myself who I sleep with?
Well, if Dad insists… 🤭🤭🤭

He chuckles. “Don’t ask how, but I ended up down this rabbit hole of X-rated fanfic where Gomez and Thing are a couple.”
I furrow my brow, replaying his words in my head a few times and still barely making sense of them.
“How would that even work?” 🫣

I know, as soon as I get my ass out of bed to go find him, he’ll tell me that yesterday was fun, but we need to behave from now on. I grumble into the pillow. The thought of it is enough to make me stay right here, wrapped up in his sheets, in protest. If I never get out of this warm, Piston-scented cocoon, nothing bad will happen. It’s a solid plan if you ask me. 🫠

He’s cooked me breakfast more than a few times already, but something feels different about it this morning. It feels like he wanted to take care of me. It feels like he cares.
I’m embarrassed about how emotional something that silly makes me. Warmth swells in my chest and my throat tightens. 🫠🫠🫠

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a 'forbidden' romance and Dad's best friend is right up there so I was very happy with the plotline for this book.

I immediately loved Milo and wanted to be best friends - he is exactly like me with losing track of everything almost immediately and the way he hyperfocuses on a new interest until he knows everything about it 😂😂😂 It was genuinely like reading about myself and I found myself laughing way too much at our similarities.

Piston has all the growly possessive vibes, yet he's also the ultimate caretaker. I love how he thinks he's getting away with buying Milo stuff to keep him warm and safe by pretending it's old things he's had forever 😂 Adorable.

The way the relationship progressed was funny because it was obvious they were inevitable, and I didn't stop smiling the whole time I was reading. Although, I was hoping for a bit more drama when Hero found out but I had to remind myself that KM Neuhold is a low angst, fun writer and not everyone is the angst-thirsty chaos gremlin that I am!! Hero was obviously more mature than me and he made healthy choices on how to approach his son and his best friend being in a relationship 🙄😂 but it made sense for them and I just love how these guys are like a family.

I also think this motorcycle club is the most wholesome group of men ever and I'm so impatient to get all of their stories. I'm also hoping there will be more of Zeke and Luther?!

*****

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop. How can I when everything about Milo feels so damn right?

Hmmm, not sure about this one. It’s cute,
It’s sexy, but it’s also boring?
It’s very low angst, and whatever tension/angst we could’ve had from the ‘he’s my best friend’s son’ trope, was mostly in Piston’s head and fizzles into nothing by the end.

“My mind is a very whiplashy place sometimes.” “Whiplashy?” he echoes teasingly. I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those ‘that’s not a word’ people. I said it, that makes it a word.”

I liked Milo, with his chaotic puppy energy, and that’s pretty much all I really enjoyed here. Piston was very one-dimensional, just guilt over what they were doing but not wanting to stop, and the rest of the characters were vaguely intriguing, but also not really.
Overall, a simple sexy romance, but lacking that something extra to make it a memorable read.

“Was it worth the wait?” I ask, carding my fingers through his hair. […]
“You were worth the wait,” he says.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Best friend’s son
- Age gap (28 vs 46)
- Roommates
- MC w/ ADHD
- Tattoos
- Dick piercing
- Top/bottom
- Frotting
- Rimming

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I’ve never had a problem with control before, but fuck does Milo make me want to lose it.

I mostly enjoyed this quite a lot but I also feel a little ‘meh’ about it. I loooove the dad’s best friend trope so much so of course I enjoyed it, but it was lacking a little something something. I kept wishing for more angst and challenges. Hoping there would be some drama, but there never was. Don’t get me wrong, more often than not I am a sucker for no/low angst, but I’ve been in the mood for a bit of oomph lately.

It’s a sweet book with lots of good spice (maybe too much in a short amount of time?), and some humorous moments.

“So you want us to take you out onto the dance floor and grind on you until he loses his shit and drags you out of here in a jealous rage?” “If it wouldn’t be a hardship?” I flash them a dimpled grin, hoping it’ll charm them into helping me out.

Can definitely recommend. Just not a home run for me this time.

3.8 ⭐️

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Dad’s best friend
Age gap
Forced proximity
Roommates to lovers
Neurodivergent rep
ADHD rep
Tattooed MC
Dong piercing
Virgin MC
Biker MC
Tattooist MC
Motorcycle club
Bulk difference

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Alcohol consumption
Mentions of taking prescription medication
Mentions of child abandonment (past)
Mentions of growing up with alcoholic parent (past)
Explicit sexual content

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Milo dances with a couple guys in a club, trying to make Piston jealous. Nothing malicious.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 28 and 46
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 291
Happy ending: Yes


I can’t imagine a bigger violation of the bro code than hooking up with my friend’s newly discovered son.

“Can I ask you something?” Milo asks. I arch an eyebrow. “Sure.” I’m starting to learn that a question like that from Milo could be anything from ‘Why is the sky blue?’ to ‘Do you resent your mother?’.




You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Vanessa GLP · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad's best friend is one of my favorite tropes, so I was really excited for this one 🤩 I kept my expectations tempered though because the first book wasn't the greatest start to the series, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed it more than expected, and tbh it's probably my second favorite KM Neuhold book so far.

Milo and Piston were cute together, and I enjoyed their story the whole way through. I didn't find myself skimming this one because I was too bored so that's a win. I am over here laughing though because this one had the same name situation as the first book, and by name situation, I mean wait until almost the end of the book and have Milo call Piston his real name, Ewan 😂 I don't even understand. He barely even said it a few times, and he still called him Piston after! It felt completely out of place with the story. I ASK AGAIN, WHAT IS THE POINT??? Maybe I am the only one that has a weird hangup about this, but it comes off as so strange to me. If someone is going to start calling someone their name as an intimate thing, make it make sense and feel that way idk. Don't just randomly toss it out there for the sake of it, have it hold no special meaning, and then have them go back to using their nickname 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: age gap, forced proximity, father's best friend, found family
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: tattoos, D piercing
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: absentee parents

Milo is 28. He was raised by a single mother, with a little flighty and scatterbrained, and Milo does take after her. He has a lot of energy and a wide variety of interests and things tend to catch his attention, but not hold it. Went through college but changed his major so many times because of his changes in interest, he ended up leaving before graduating anything. He decided to uproot his life on his latest whim and go off to meet his biological father who he's never met before. His mom never told his dad about him. Before meeting his dad, he goes out to a bar to try to relax and maybe get laid and he meets an older guy, Piston, who is 46. They almost hook up, but Milo chickens out and instead they spend the evening watching a movie and talking. They do make plans to meet up again.

But they end up meeting the next day because Piston is best friends with Milo's dad Hero, and the both of them work together at the tattoo shop. Piston thinks he needs to back off, because hooking up with his best friends son doesn't seem right. But then Milo needs a place to stay, and Piston has a spare room so he gets volunteered. Milo also ends up taking a temporary job at the tattoo shop, so he and Piston are spending a lot of time together. The attraction and interest that they have for each other increases over time and they eventually give in and start getting off together. But they don't get to anal until the end of the book.

Oddly enough, Milo is a 28 year old virgin. His reason for being one is kind of weird / unrealistic. He says that he's a little socially awkward and he also just never made it a priority because he had too many other interests on the go. And I had a hard time understanding that, because what horny guy (Aces excluded) doesn't prioritize sex? It's actually a little awkward how often this book mentions Milo's virginity, made me a bit uncomfortable how much of a presence it had in this book. Came off a little fetishized.

One other thing that's slightly bugged me was the time that Piston surprised Milo with a inflatable ice rink. I don't know what a inflatable rink needs prep wise, but I'm Canadian and know lots of people who have built outdoor ice rinks and it takes time to prep them with ice. It seems like Milo would have caught on, would have seen it before, while water was freezing to make the ice.

This was a nice book though! Milo was endearing, I liked his puppy energy. Piston was a good man, and I loved the silent ways that he took care of Milo. He kept sharing his clothes, helmet, and coat with him and he kept wanting to keep him warm and take care of him. They had good steam. It was sweet how they kept sharing the same bed and snuggling, breathing each other in. I like when there's platonic affection as well as sexual attraction. The friend group was nice. It was funny how their friends saw through them and gave them some s***.


Some notable moments:

Such a funny scene! "“‘Monster’ as in super massive? Or are we talking weird cocks?” Tex asks, and the woman in his chair stifles a laugh. “Weird cocks,” his client, Lewis, and Milo all answer simultaneously. “I don’t even want to know,” Hero mutters. “I do.” Jag pulls out his phone too."

"I lick along the seam of his lips, and he parts them for me, eager for my kiss, desperate for anything I’ll give him. Fuck, he’s so perfect. No one else deserves him. I don’t fucking deserve him either, but I’ll try. I swear, I’ll try."

This is such a heartbreaking thing (in other books, not this one, because Piston did not let Milo go!). There's actually a bunch of books out there that I can't bring myself to read because in those other book they did walk away and it's so heartbreaking for couples to go through this. "I try to ask myself the question again and again. Can I end it with Milo? Can I tell him it’s over and actually keep my hands off him? Can I watch him get over me and start dating other people?"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Ahhhh I just love the way Neuhold writes romances. They're always comfort reads for me and I could srsly read them forever! Here we find the most delicious conflict between honouring the unspoken friendship rule of "not sexing up your buddy's son", and " I know it's new but I can already tell he's worth the fallout!"

Piston and Milo's love story was adorable and sweet. Give me a low angst, growly, sexy romance any day of the week, and I'd eat that up in a heartbeat!

I really loved how Piston took good care of Milo, making sure he felt safe and supported in both the bedroom and outside of it! And Milo was just an endearing darling, who had the most awesome skill set from having the wildest employment history I've ever seen lol!

And OFC as expected, Quincy and Cy were the gilled and fur babies i love to love! and where Q was a cutie charmer, Cy was fierce and fabulous, and obvs perfect additions to the wide array of pets that make any Neuhold romance even squishier!

Neuhold is an easy win for me because I always find the love stories adorable and sweet, with a dynamic found family that's loyal and full of heart, and a comfy narrative tone that gives me the warm and fuzzies every single time! Can't wait to find out what's up with Brick, because just the thought of this tough guy melting for love has me excited for his story!!

[BWT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milo and Ewan "Piston"

I usually enjoy K.M. Neuhold’s writing, and Virgin Skin wasn’t an exception in terms of style and humor. I liked Piston, but struggled with Milo who—despite being 28, read much, much younger.

The secrecy around Milo and Piston’s relationship—especially their decision to hide it from Hero—was the main issue that impacted my enjoyment. The repeated choice to keep their relationship secret felt forced and unconvincing, seemingly added just to manufacture tension. It drags on for over 80% of the book, only to be resolved with a brief, anticlimactic confession and immediate, easy acceptance. The buildup led nowhere, which made the entire conflict feel unnecessary and frustrating.

There were so many other, more natural ways Neuhold could have introduced tension. This particular plotline just didn’t land for me.

That said, frustration aside, I ultimately enjoyed.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struggled a bit with this one

3.5*

Must admit I struggled a bit with this one and had to put it down and come back a few days later.

I loved both Milo and Piston and I liked the premise of the storyline, I think what threw me off was that nothing we've seen from Hero has given any indication he wouldn't be reasonable if he found out about their relationship.

If it had been Jag, who flies off the handle at everything and everyone, then definitely.

So, for most of the narrative I was just not feeling the supposed tension of "I'm betraying by best friend because I'm hooking up with the son he didn't even know about and who's actually 28 not 18" okay last bit added by me but you see the point?!

I love KM so this was a rare miss for me on that element of the plot. Everything about the relationship and Milo and Piston themselves was great.

Definitely looking forward to Hero's book though!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★
"I didn’t know the guy I picked up in the bar last night was Hero’s son. To be fair, he didn’t even know he had a son until today."
Milo has come to Fall Crosse, Wisconsin to meet his father for the very first time. Hero, his father, doesn’t know that Milo even exists. Milo is stressed out and anxious about introducing himself tomorrow. His already overactive brain is a bit frantic, so he searches out a local bar for a few drinks to offer some distraction. He meets a gorgeous older guy, (Piston), that is super sexy, and the two have the kind of night together that they both hope to repeat.

Piston doesn’t usually pick up guys in bars. He's nearing 50, and he just isn’t as interested in casual hookups as he used to be. The guy who was hitting on him is definitely younger than his typical partners. But the attraction is strong between them, and they do have a great night together. Piston spends the next day thinking about Milo and looking forward to perhaps meeting up with him again.

He is shocked when Milo walks into his tattoo shop, Ink Slingers. Milo was looking for Hero, who is Piston’s closest friend and a fellow tattoo artist… and....Yelp... Milo’s father. Piston’s attraction to Milo hasn't lessened any, but he knows their fledgling connection has to end. There is no way Piston can continue to hook up with Milo now that he knows he is Hero’s son. Unfortunately, that isn’t stopping the insane chemistry between them, nor the emotional connection that they have. Milo sees no reason for them to stop seeing one another. Especially when Milo needs of a place to stay and Hero asks Piston to give him his spare room.

I didn't see why Milo and Piston didn't just talk to Hero and tell him what was going on. They are all adults...Milo was NOT a child..., he's 28 years old, and if Piston and Hero are such good friends there shouldn't have been any problem. It wasn't like there was any real connection between Milo and Hero...they didn't even know one another even exited for those 28 years. I don’t understand why Hero should have any say at all in who Milo dates, nor why Piston and Milo getting together would blow up Piston’s life.

Despite my initial issues with the set up, I liked how things turned out and the book does end well. I also enjoyed Hero and Milo’s new relationship and learning how Hero handles this "shocking news". The "issue" that wasn't nor shouldn't have been an "issue", lost it half a star in the rating.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Virgin Skin is the second book in K.M. Neuhold’s Ink Slingers series, a spin-off set in the same world as her popular Four Bears Construction and Big Bull Mechanics series. Even though this book takes place in a shared world and is the second in a series, it actually stands alone quite well and you could jump in here. But if you enjoy this story, check out the other books/series, as they all have similar styles and tones.

I’ll admit that parts of the set up were a little rough for me. Despite my initial issues with some of the set up, I did like how things all play out and the book ends really well. I also enjoyed Hero and Milo’s new relationship and seeing how Hero handles this shocking news. We also spend some time with the rest of the Ink Slingers’ guys and get to know them a little better.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: M/M Romance
Format: E-Book
Series: Ink Slingers # 2

Character Development: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Spice Level: 2/5
Overall Rating: 3/5

This book was my first book by K.M. Neuhold. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I love forbidden romance, like dad's bff. Instead, this felt more drawn out and frustrating than anything. When Piston finally got his crap together to want Milo the book was basically over. It was a bit too much pining for my taste. I also felt like the characters were lacking depth to make them relatable. At times, I even forgot there was an age gap. The chapters felt like individual scenes put together to form a book, instead of an overarching plot to make an entire story. Overall it wasn't bad, but maybe just wasn't my vibe.

Tropes:
• Dad's Best Friend
• Age Gap
• Virgin MC
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Forced Proximity
• ADHD Rep
• HEA

Cheating: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual POV (First Person POV)
KU: Yes
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

KMN's series are always the perfect little communities I find myselft often wanting to revisit.
Piston and Milo had so much chemistry, and I've officially added Ink Slingers to my reread rotation.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virgin Skin by K.M. Neuhold

💙 Tattooist Biker MC
💙 Long Lost Dad's Best Friend
💙 Roommates to Lovers
💙 Forced Proximity
💙 Age Gap (18 years, 28 & 46)
💙 Virgin MC
💙 ADHD Rep
💙 Found Family

After meeting Piston in book 1 of this series, I've been really looking forward to his story and it didn't disappoint.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Best Friends son trope, but Milo being 28 and Heros newly discovered son was a nice change to the narrative. It made Milo and Pistons age gap not seem so big and felt a lot less taboo overall.

I really loved Piston's character. He's such a good guy and you could tell he was so torn between being a good friend and going for what he truly wanted. Milo was very endearing for the most part but also came across as quite pushy with Piston at times. In the end I came to like him and how much he adored Piston.

Hero was such a sweet guy. I loved how he embraced Milo in his life and the way he handled finding out about Milo and Pistons relationship. However, after so much build up it did also feel slightly anticlimactic that everyone was fine with their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and am really looking forward to Bricks book next!

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Humour: 🤭🤭🤭
Intimacy: 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Angst: 🥺🥺

First person dual pov 👀

CW: mention of Harry Potter and trans issues, medication (Adderall), joking threat of violence, mentions of animals in distress.

[Colleen (colleenreads40) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐

Virgin Skin is the second book in K.M. Neuhold's Ink Slingers series. It can be read as a standalone. Here's what you can expect from Milo and Piston:

🏍️ MM contemporary romance
🏍️ First person dual point of view
🏍️ Guaranteed happily ever after
🏍️ Found family
🏍️ Motorcycle club/tattoo studio
🏍️ Best friend's (adult) son romance
🏍️ Roommates-to-lovers
🏍️ Forced proximity

Whenever K.M. Neuhold has a new release, I know I'm going to be in for a good time! Virgin Skin was no exception (and I absolutely adore the cover). This series is so much fun, as it's a spin-off from her Four Bears Construction and Big Bull Mechanics series. Although prior reading isn't required, I love that various characters from each of those series make cameos throughout. This one was interesting because it has a best friend's adult son element to it. Piston isn't expecting the guy he picked up in the bar last night to be the adult son that his best friend Hero didn't know he had. As you can imagine, there's a lot of pining throughout the story where Piston and Milo both try and do the right thing by Hero. I think if this was laboured on anymore than it was in the book as it is, it would've been too much but I think the author found a great balance. It also added a fun forbidden element to the story and really ramped up the tension.

I love Neuhold's take on the motorcycle club, as they don't really have any morally grey elements that you typically read in those types of situations. Instead, it's just a group of friends that love to ride together, hate bullies, and own a tattoo shop together (a dream, really). I can't wait to get the rest of the guys in the shop's stories, as they deserve their happily ever afters, too! As with most of K.M. Neuhold's romance, you can expect lots of laughs in this book, as well as some sweetness and a healthy dose of spice. And of course, there are animals! Milo adopting the kittens and Piston being unable to tell him no was absolutely adorable. And I thought Piston's axolotl was a sweet touch. The dynamics between Milo and Hero, as an adult son that eventually found his father, felt quite awkward but believable given the circumstances, and I love that they started building their own special relationship as the book went on. I had a great time reading this story, and can't wait to see what's next from the Ink Slingers.

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I had sex with Hero's son. I kept him in my bed and humped him like a goddamn wild animal as soon as we woke up. This isn't me. This isn't the kind of shit I do. But fuck, it feels good."

Oh Piston. You didn't stand a chance against Milo. That man was not going to let you go and I honestly loved Milo for it. Piston was the caretaker of the group. He rarely partook in anything that could cause him to lose control of his faculties, including drinking. One drink was his limit. If someone could be counted on to always do what would be considered the right thing in a given situation, that man was going to be Piston. Until it came to Hero's son, that is.

Milo was such a fun MC. I mean, you have to be pretty brave to drop everything and move to the same place as your biological father you've never met. He was also snarky and a bit spacey when his ADHD was getting the best of him. I recognized a lot of my daughter in Milo's behavior. I appreciated that Piston never held this against him, or tried to interfere by suggesting Milo take medication more frequently. He accepted Milo just as he was.

The major drama in this book comes from the fact that Piston thinks it would be a betrayal to Hero for him to hook up with his son, even though Piston and Milo met first. Milo, of course, thinks this is total BS. He's an adult. He doesn't need his long-lost father's permission to date anybody. Eventually Milo's teasing and the UST hits a breaking point where Piston can no longer hold back. I was right with Milo in thinking FINALLY! Just give in Piston, you know you want to!

I enjoyed seeing all the guys at Ink Slingers again. I love how they all give each other shit, but as soon as someone needs them, they all show up to help. I want to know more about Brick, the piercer, so bad. He made some comments in this book that have me a bit worried for him. Jag is also a favorite. An unhinged twink with a black belt? Sign me the heck up!!

[Raven || The Reader Identity · Rating 5 out of 5]

тιтℓє: Virgin Skin
αυтнσя(ѕ): K.M. Neuhold
яєℓєαѕє ∂αтє: November 1, 2024
яαтιηg: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

му тнσυgнтѕ:
Piston is the martyr of Ink Slingers.
He meets a younger guy one night and they have a fun night and then the next day the guy shows up and says he’s his best friend’s, Hero, son.
Cue the internalized guilt and panic of wanting your best friend’s adult son.
Milo is 28 and seems to be a walking ADHD ad.
I ADORED him.
Also cue his unfiltered, joyful flirtation that drove Piston nuts.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙤’𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙗 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.

There’s a LOT of push/pull.
There’s some spicy scenes but THE spicy scene happens near 90% and it’s one complete scene.
That just seemed off for a KM novel! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jag…wasn’t my favorite this time around.
Piston was quite enjoyable but I didn’t like how he handled everything.
I’ll be honest, Milo saved the entire story for me.
He radiated joy and happiness and excitement and I relayed so much to him.

Overall, a great addition to the series and I’m thinking we may get Brick’s story next?
Yay!

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.

[Peppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full RTC (maybe)

I already loved the first book and i was sure I would love this one too. And I was right, I indeed enjoyed it a lot but it could have been a bit shorter for my taste.

[Brat · Rating 5 out of 5]

motorcycle club tattoo shop series #2

virgin mc
dad's best friend
age gap
found family
cute pets

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, fun, steamy story with so many of my favorite tropes!

- First times
- Age gap
- Best friend's son
- ADHD rep
- Low angst
- Forced proximity (with being roommates!)

I always love romances from KM Neuhold, I know we're going to have steamy times, low angst, wonderful HEAs, some shenanigans, and a great group of dude bro guys who are wholesome, funny, and a blast to read about. She always writes that found family feels so well in her series.

I think that I would have felt a bit more of the forbidden aspect or bought into Piston feeling so conflicted and refusing, if Milo had been 6-8 years younger? I feel that, despite him being his friend's son, by the time you're 28, it's not thaaaaatttt risqué?

I adored Milo, so sweet! And I did love him and Piston together, they were so perfect for each other clearly!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly this book just really irritated me.
I don’t mind a best friend’s dad or dad’s bestie, but this didn’t feel like either of those. I didn’t at all feel the “taboo” aspect of the relationship sadly.

I also don’t get why it’s suddenly not okay to further this relationship they started as random hookups, as his best friend literally had NO idea he had a son until now. You started something before he knew? I feel like bringing that up wouldn’t be an issue?
Idk.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fear I may end up being in the minority with this rating but here goes nothing:

What I liked:
- age gap!!!!!!! Also inexperienced/experienced in one of my favorite tropes so that slapped
- I loved how Milo easily fit in with everyone. The Ink Slingers really are such a warm and welcoming found family, I love their banter and how they do tease each other but you can tell how much they love each other
- The physical chemistry was 100% there, Milo and pistons meet cute was great! The instant attraction just made the tension so much sweeter

What didn’t work for me:
- I feel like I didn’t know Piston and Milo well enough :( idk I just couldn’t really get a good feel of their likes/dislikes besides the surface level of Piston obviously having some connection to art since he’s a tattoo artist but I never really felt like he was passionate about it
- The reason they weren’t getting together ended up being such a non issue it felt like it was just unnecessary and something else could have been the “conflict”
- I almost wish we didn’t find out who Milo’s dad was so early on, and Hero could have gotten to know Milo as Piston’s bf and then one day Milo is like “yeah my dads name is Kaiden, so weird I haven’t run into him yet” and the whole shop is just shook 🤷‍♀️

I will definitely be continuing with this series! Patiently waiting for Jag/Rowan and now very interested in Brick 👀

I think this one just ended up not getting me as excited as the first one did.

I received an arc from GRR and this is my honest review

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio update
Tim Paige & Liam Dicosimo are paired together for this audio release and do a beautiful job in making these men more real. Each has a distinct narration style that just draws you as a listener in and combined, making it that much better of an audio experience.

A best friends son romance with a twist. Milo moves to Fall Crosse to meet his dad , and his mom never said that he existed. To get the courage, he decides to hit the local gay bar Wooleys to calm his nerves where he meets Piston. The two have an undeniable attraction yet spend the night just talking with the promise of seeing each other again. Little does either men know Milo is the son of Hero (Pistons best friend and co-worker). Piston may claim that nada can happen, but we all know how that goes with this type of chemistry. What could be an angstier read is not at all. It is handled with grace, humor, and understanding once all parties cool off and see the situation for what it is. Another great addition to the Fall Crosse universe.

[Megan (feral hearts club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from KM Neuhold! This was probably one of my favorites from her. It has the found family, low-angst vibes you can expect from her books, but the main characters and their chemistry felt way more natural in this book than some of her others. Milo is the messy ADHD puppy type character that I love, and Piston is the perfect balance of sweet and possessive, growly and cuddly. Excited to see what happens with the other Ink Slingers in the series!

[bubblegumpopper · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only regret in reading this is that I didn't first reread the first instalment in Ink Slingers because I would have liked a little refresher on the characters. Neuhold is so good at creating interconnected worlds and environments filled with found families of wonderful characters. Fortunately, it only took me a couple of chapters before I felt refreshed enough and some of the quirks of the other characters started to come back from the depths of my memories (side note: oh man! I cannot wait until Jag's story!!)

Milo appears in town on a quest to track down the father he's never met and meets Piston, the sexual chemistry between them immediately sizzling. But imagine both of their surprise when Milo walks into Ink Slingers the next day to announce that Hero, one of Piston's lifelong friends, is his father. Piston tries to resist the attraction between them, but it's a lost cause. Milo was such a fun character to read with his ADHD making him easily distractible and excitable about the most random topics and Piston provided a complementary calmness to Milo's frenetic energy. I also really liked Hero's handling of the two of them together and that it wasn't milked for extra drama; it made a lot of sense to me since Hero was only just getting to know Milo and didn't have years of thinking of him as his son to fuel discomfort with the coupling.

Remind me to reread the first two before the 3rd one comes out! ;)

***

I was provided with an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked the first half much better than the second.
i feel like the first had more chemistry, the forbidden trope was thriving, and i liked the characters a lot.

minor spoilers ahead

unfortunately, our forbidden relationship really shouldn’t have been forbidden. milo is literally 28 who the fuck should tell him who he can or can’t date??? that’s something that bothered me a lot. he should’ve been much younger for it to work. and then it would’ve been a real issue.
because it ended up being almost not a problem at all, and i mean, as it should, but that’s literally the whole problem of the book???

all in all, i did enjoy this, however the age thing really bothered me.

i want to read brick’s book so bad

i read an arc and this is my honest opinion

[Amos24601 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely delightful read. Piston and Milo were so fun. This group of bikers has been wonderful to read.

Reading from Milo’s POV was a chaotic time, but I understood his thought process. He really did tend to get distracted and forget his train of thought often. But it made him so relatable. Piston was so torn between his attraction to Milo and his loyalty to Hero. I felt the push/pull of his mental struggle. But the chemistry between Milo and Piston was so hot there was no denying it.

I have loved both books from this series so far and cannot wait for the next. I am dying to know what’s going on with Brick and can’t wait to see how Jag, the feral twink, gets tamed.

[Vinnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 kept things rolling along nicely with the absolutely adorable couple, Piston and Milo! Milo was such a sneaky little flirt and it brought out the best playful and possessive aspects of Piston. I loved that even though this was instalust, this was still kind of a slow burn romance. Even though the slowness came about because of Piston trying to be a good friend to Hero, it was still appreciated.

Maybe a little stagnant around the middle of the book, it does have a strong opening and ending. The cutest flirting and the heaps of yearning definitely make this a story I'd like to read again. I'd give this one a 3.5 out of 5 stars and round it up because it's such a light, comfy read!

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo and Piston ❤️

3.5 Stars ⭐️

✅ Age Gap
✅ Dads best friend
✅ Sweet ❤️
✅ Spicy 🔥

Super cute addition to this series, I thought both characters were great. It was a great blend of sweet and saucy. I can't wait for which ink slinger is next to find love. I would recommend.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *