Ink & Intuition

by F.A. Seng

When Alex Mitchell moves to the bustling city to escape his small-town past, he craves independence, new experiences, and a chance to leave behind the weight of his conservative upbringing. Yet, standing at the edge of reinvention, he finds himself drawn to a world he never expected—a tattoo shop tucked away on a city street, with its mysterious allure and the quiet hum of needles working stories onto skin.
In Eternal Ink, he meets Cato Sinclair, a brooding artist with his own history etched in ink and shadows. Cato isn’t just any tattoo artist; he’s a master of blending life’s darkest scars with art’s brightest expressions. His confidence and openness are intoxicating to Alex, stirring up desires and emotions that have long been buried. Together, they design a tattoo that captures Alex’s journey—but it soon becomes clear that this ink will leave more than a mark on his skin.
As their connection intensifies, Alex is caught between two the expectations of family and faith, and the liberating, unapologetic world that Cato offers. Each session at Eternal Ink brings them closer, blurring the lines between friendship, passion, and something deeper. But when secrets emerge, both men must confront the parts of themselves they’ve hidden—and decide if they’re ready to carve out a future together, or if they’re doomed to remain haunted by the past.

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 11, 2025

Reviews

[Ashley🩶 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from F.A. Seng!! Ink and Intuition was a wonderful surprise, for me this was a beautiful story of self discovery, self acceptance, and healing. I loved how the two MMC’s grew throughout this book and their love story unfolded so organically. F.A. Seng put so much thought into this book and the story of these characters. I am so proud of how far he has come as an author and can’t wait to see what is next.

[Tay 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ink & Intuition is a heartfelt romance between reserved Alex and passionate tattoo artist Cato. As they navigate their differences and confront their pasts, their emotional connection grows. Alex and Cato’s journey focuses on love and self-discovery.

This book is full of vivid descriptions of tattoo artistry! Throughout the book we watch a simple design turn into something beautiful, much like Alex and Cato’s relationship. F.A. Seng continues to grow into his writing style. PS I loved the little ties into Love & Frost ❄️🫶🏼 Can’t wait for what comes next in this world!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story. Alex and Cato brought together by past situations that made their connection strong. I loved how they helped each other learn that they could be themselves while navigating through past issues. Accepting themselves and loving themselves was a big part of this story and FA Seng did it beautifully. I am so proud of how far he has coming in his writing since the very first story he wrote and I can't wait to continue on this journey of his writing.

[Stephanie Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first MM romance and I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC read. I was gifted this book and am leaving my honest review on my own will. The writing style flows great and is easy to understand. I love the realness of the story and what the characters, Cato and Alex, had to go through in dealing with their past struggles to develop into who they become. The story is real, gut-wrenching, funny and romantic. Highly recommend!

[CarlyBookss · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Ink & Intuition* by F.A. Seng is a quick, yet heartfelt MM romance that beautifully captures the chemistry between its well-matched characters. Their connection feels natural and genuine, making for a compelling, feel-good read. With a focus on personal growth and deep emotional moments, it’s an engaging story that leaves you satisfied.

[soupysaucepot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is my very first ARC and I am so happy with this book! I loved the look into past/current trauma and how deep we were able to get without it feeling too wordy or like it was too much. I resonated a lot with this story even as a demisexual female presenting person, which surprised me. It’s a quick easy read that leaves you feeling good!

<3

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

F.a seng has done it again I absolutely loved this book, the story was such a good read I definitely need more of Alex and Cato. The way they both had struggling with past trauma but they worked together and overcame them was so well written. Alex and Cato are soo perfect for each other and the way they grew together was amazing you could feel the emotions of the characters as the story was developing.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reader here! Always love books from this author and this one did not disappoint.

Please be mindful of triggers 🫶🏻

This had me bouncing between tears and kicking my feet and my heart melting

[Luna.n.Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. It gives off all the good feels. It touched on a few difficult life experiences, but the characters powered through with good communication and acceptance. You will definitely walk away from this one feeling good!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Alex and Cato's story. F.A. Seng wrote such a beautiful story about self discovery, acceptance, healing, and love. The way art, particularly tattoo and digital artistry, was used in the story and woven throughout was so lovely. Alex's journey in particular was very moving for me.

[Sarah☀️ Somerville]

DNF @ 58% - I wasn’t really enjoying this - too slow and repetitive and nothing going on to catch my interest. Then I realised (the hard way) that there were content warnings I’d missed, and it completely lost me.

[Jessica H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 61% (But I should have sooner.)

I waited a while to post this as to not impact the release. I actually DNF'd back on Feb. 27

Dialogue did nothing for me. There was no fun banter between the two MMCs. There was graphic on-page r*pe in a flashback.

Cato is a snob about tattoos. They all have to have meaning or he won't do them. Sometimes tattoos are just art people like, and that's okay! That still means something to someone. He's also meant to be a millionaire, but we only know that because of his house and all the money he drops on art. There is no nuance to his wealthy status.

Alex doesn’t want to go to church but constantly calls his hyper-religious mother. He was offered a promotion in another city for six months like the day after they had their first kiss. They barely talked about it. Then a couple of days later the boss called and was like 'Oh they said you can work remote.'

I was curious and read the epilogue. Alex never got the tattoo they spend chapters discussing and designing until then.

*I received this book as an ARC*

[Roberta Timmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an amazing read. I love the connection between the two MC. I love how they work together to create beautiful art. This is a beautiful story about finding yourself, acceptance, and healing.
Highly recommend this book.

[Melissa Tonche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story of 2 guys that share a troubled past and work together to overcome it. All the while forming a strong connection.

[Oreeee&#x1f339;]

I don’t do graphic r*pe scenes. And also it’s chapter five and I’m still bored. Nothing has hooked me so far🙄

[Ashley ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all… the dedication ❤️‍🩹🫠

I loved reading this book and watching Alex and Cato’s friendship grow into more while they individually, yet together, worked through their traumatic pasts. This was a great love story with fresh starts, found family, and following your passions.

“No matter how put together someone seems, there’s always something that throws them off. Even the strongest people have their weak spots.”

[Kim Finazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a good story but it was so slow. The story of Alex and Cato was so romantic. I cheered for them and was sad for them. There was a lot of short introduction to people that I thought would be in the story more. Just wasn’t that great in my opinion.