Tattoo My Life: MMM Why Choose Romance

by West Greene

I thought I had my new purpose... until I met them.

Shane

The military was my entire life from the moment I graduated high school. It was my purpose. The reason I got out of bed each morning. It gave me a routine and structure, something I had to have in my life to even function.

But then an accident, completely unrelated to my job, happened, and I had to be discharged.

Zeppelin, my boss, found me on a bridge ready to end it all. He gave me a home above his tattoo shop, gave me a job as a tattoo designer, and finally, he put a tattoo machine in my hand. That became my new normal. My structure. My routine.

Until X steps into my life and blows everything to pieces. He's obsessed. Possessive. Sociopathic. And his adorable doctor boyfriend, Preston, just enables his behavior.

They both want me, but I'm fighting to keep my distance. I don't need their disruption.

But when X's tech guy turns up dead and Preston is targeted, keeping space between me and them is no longer an option.

I'll find whoever is targeting them, and when I do, they'll realize who the true monster is in this world.

And it's not the diagnosed sociopath that's been stalking me.

It's me.

**Please read the author's note at the beginning of the book before deciding to read. Thanks!

Genres: M M Romance, LGBT, M M M, Enemies To Lovers, Dark

Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2026

About the author

West Greene is a romance author that specializes in short, steamy books and erotic shorts.

All your instalove needs can be found in one of her books, whether you're looking for possessive men, men with no morals, spicy FF romance, a boy just needing his Daddy, a twink just needing love, or even the other woman to get her HEA.

West Greene refuses to be stuck in one trope or type of romance. She loves variety, and she's definitely going to share that variety with her readers.

Reviews

[Maggie May · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fun story idea but it’s just too silly and juvenile. The posturing between an ex military (black ops 🙄) and “cage fighter” is cringy as fuck. The “I’m so innocent and frightened” doctor isn’t a lot better. The “you will be murdered if anyone finds out what you know” shtick was just too much. I had second hand embarrassment reading this and started skimming pretty quickly.

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Tattoo My Life is the fourth book in the Nerdy Boy universe and it's about Shane, one of the employees at Zeppelin tattoo shop.

Shane is a solitary man, after growing up in foster care, he found stability in the military: he was part of the Special Ops, serving as a highly trained hitman. After a car accident, he lost his job and was on the verge of unaliving himself, when Zep found him. It was indeed Zep the man who gave him a second chance at life and, since then, he has watched over him.

X is an illegal fighter, a sociopath who survived his teenage years finding purpose in fighting. He's the obsessive type, he's in a relationship with Preston and now he's fixated on Shane too.

Preston is a sweet man, a doctor, a man who's been disowned by his own parents for being gay. He still feels hurt by that rejection and that's why X's obsessive attention towards him made him finally feel loved.

Preston and X want to add Shane to their relationship but their lives are about to be put in danger by another stalker who threatens Preston first and then X too.

What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
The throuple aspect seemed unbalanced because both men were constantly worried about Preston. He was at the center of all the attention.

The book has vibes way too dark to be part of the Nerdy Boy universe. In fact, in the previous books there was past trauma too (for both Logan and Zep), but the connections inside the throuples were tied by stronger romantic feelings than this one. In this book, both X and Shane are closed off, one because can't feel anything, the other because of the years working as a killing machine.
So the only bit of romance comes from Preston and it's not enough.
Maybe this book would have been more fit in other dark series.

Lastly, there were a lot of repetitions and some parts felt like the writing was rushed.

I adored the final chapters where all the characters were together: it was so good to see that some things never change, like Jaxon's exasperation at Logan and Zep's oversharing, Logan's pestering, Spencer and Eros' sweetness. It was also so very hilarious to see Zep through Shane's eyes.

The author said there will be a fifth book in this series, I can't wait to see who the next throuple will be.

I received a copy of this book from Booksprout and this is my honest review.

[NK3M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Atp i'm a masochist cuz I KNOW i don't like this series, the characters and the authors writing so WHY? Why do i keep coming back?
(for the plot)
I've discovered the perfect way to torture someone just get this book, tape their eyes and force them to read it and give them an extensive exam after 😋
Why did i not like this you ask? Do I really NEED a reason to be a hater 😌??
Everyone was annoying
No one talks like this in real life(you're mine...BITCH YALL JUST METTTTTT BACK UPPPP 🤺🤺🤺)
I cringed so hard reading their dialogue i actually got goosebumps.
Authors need to stop with the sociopath bullshit, he just needs therapy okay
This makes me wanna create a whole shelf that just says "UGH" 💕
Now why isn't this 1 star? Do you really need to ask.....the snu snu was snuing & also love in the air was mentioned & the sociopath was the bottom? HELLO??
Bye :)

[Charlotte.s.library · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5✨️. This is painful. I had so many high hopes for this book and yet... yet again I was disappointed. I feel like I could cry because of this.

How is it possible for Spencer, Ezra and Logan to be the most matures one in this series? How is it even possible for them to have the most stable and healthiest relationship of them all? Seriously...

This book gets 2.5✨️ stars cuz of X and Preston tbh. 2 for X and point 5 for Preston. Tbh, I kinda disliked him in the end. They say X is selfish for being a sociopath, but naaah, the selfish one was Preston. Those .5 he got from me are purely because he loves X. That's all he gets from me.

Shane? Don't even get me started... I HATE him. He is horrible, selfish, inadequate, I am pissed.

X baby, you deserve better. Seriously, you deserve better than these two idiots who say they love you.

The beginning of the book was so good, I was giddy and super excited. I really thought "Give me three" was a one off, a mistake, and that this book will prove me wrong. Yeah... no. This book proved me right. "Nerdy boy" will forever be the best in the series... and one of my favs of all time.

I know the author likes to write relatively short books, and I am ok with that, but this one, wtf even was this one? As I said, it started so well, plot, interesting characters all the good stuff, and then... then it fell into the pits of hell and never recovered.

So, basically we start this book with X and Preston being boyfriends. X develops an obsession with Shane and wants him. Good. Amazing. I love his sociopathic ass. What do we get? Somehow Preston becomes obsessed too and he gets all the firsts, all the love, all the attention. What the actual fuck?

The dynamic between these 3 was fucked to hell and back. Once Shane entered the picture I started to dislike Preston with every fiber of my being. All the love, appreciation and respect I had for him went out the window. No one, and I mean this, NO ONE can convince me that their behavior ( Pres and Shane's ) towards X was ok. It was NOT. AND WHO THE FUCK DOES SHANE THINK HE IS? BECAUSE HE SERIOUSLY IS NOT WHO HE THINK HE IS. I hate when a 3rd is added to an already established couple and he takes over. I hate that. You know nothing about them. I don't care how observant you are, you communicate, you get to know them, you establish boundaries and respect them, and then you take control if someone asks you, YOU DO NOT DO THAT just because. For someone who preached so much about boundaries, Shane for sure did not respect X's. To be honest at the end of the book I didn't even think he liked X that much. Sure, he fell for Preston, but X? Neah. That "I kill whoever tried to hurt you" bullshit did not make up for the way he really treated X. Even when X was in the hospital he left to deal with the attacker and then when he came back his attention was on Preston first, not on the man who almost lost his life. Get fucked.

Also, why, oh, WHY did the author decide to make the attacker a victim first to then dismiss his abuse, his trauma, his past? That bit was so bad, tbh I felt bad for the guy. I legit felt bad for the attacker. Crazy stuff. Imagine ignoring and dismissing someone's SA trauma like it is nothing. Disgusting.

Going back to Preston and Shane, their relationship was ok. You could tell they fell for each other. Idk when, cuz it all happened in literally the blink of an eye, but whatever, they did. You could feel that. But you could also feel X being somehow left behind. If someone reads this book and thinks X was still an important part of that trouple, idk man, check yourself cuz something is wrong with you.

The way Shane always treated X like he was just there, like a plant, it was DISGUSTING. I never saw 1 moment in which Shane had one positive feeling for Xan. Not even one. Only dismissal, complaints, bad remarks. I feel sick. And on top of that, when Zeppelin made that "he has you by the balls" comment and Shane just dismissing it with "don't rile him up" like it was nothing. Ew. No. Just no. I wanted to do bad things to both of them.

In the end X was reduced to this unimportant, just there kid, who got to put Preston first because Preston was the center of his universe. He loved Preston in a way that Pres didn't deserve, if you ask me. The way he made himself the most important part of that relationship knowing full well that X wanted Shane was just awful. I get it, your parents didn't love you. Well... Xan's parents were worse and somehow he still found it in himself to make you the sun in his life. He didn't dispose of you once a new man was in the equation.

Anyway, I got myself a migraine cuz I am so fucking mad. No. Just no. X deserved better. He deserved love. He had it in the beginning of the book, he didn't have it anymore in the end. Whoever thinks otherwise, well, I don't trust you.

Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover how I feel. I am absolutely enraged and heartbroken because of how bad this ended up being. Even worse than "Give Me Three" and I didn't think that was possible.

[Queenhack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this book for sometime now, and safe to say it didn't disappoint just a big too short for my liking.

Preston, as X and Shane will agree with me deserves all the love and protection in the world. He is so kindhearted and it's not his fault that his taste in men is fucked up and he is honestly better without his useless parents.

With X, as much of a sociopath he claims to be he is kind of cute and funny. And adorable even if he will not agree. He really deserved better in his childhood. His foster parents were fucked up and needed to be taken out for what they did to children. Plus I don't even think he was selfish for taking the first chance out, it was that other guy that was selfish and fucking self centred cause how can you not see that X was not any different from you and to come up with a revenge plot, God, just go away!

Shane, as a character also deserved better, everything in life was so against him and I was glad he found Zeppelin. And when he got so protective over X and Preston, it stirred something in me. For someone who claimed he wasn't interested, he sure as hell cared a little but too much but who am I to question it.

I really liked the dynamic between these three, they seemed to balance out each other a lot. Preston was literally the center of their universe, like the one single star in the night sky. I liked that all their focus was in Preston, must feel good to be cherished like that. And with they dynamic with others. I just knew from the strat that X was going to join Zeppelin and Logan in their love-hate relationship, he was just that kind of asshole. And I knew Preston was going to fit right in the chaos.

All in all I really liked this one!.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane, X and Preston drew me in and wouldn’t let me go until all was right with their world, able to settle into their new relationship with the threat no longer there. Each man brought something to the throuple that together filled a need and made them a family, caring for and protecting each other while letting their walls down in their own little world. I could picture X and Shane as a protective bubble around Preston, shielding him and doing what they could to make his world safe, and in return he was the catalyst for these two damaged men to find love without reservation, giving them a sense of belonging and being wanted after years of being alone. I loved the way these two violent men could soften around Preston, letting go of the masks they wore to face the world, all because of this kind, open, loving man with so much to give to those he loved.
The story has suspense, a mystery, and echoes from the past that bled into the present. I was surprised by who the stalker was, the connection to why he was there, but not surprised by the outcome. Threatening possessive men is not an intelligent move.
The book held my interest, the characters had me engaged in the handling of the threat and in the development of their relationship, and I liked the way the dynamic between X and Shane unfolded.
(Make sure you check out the bonus scene mentioned at the end of the book. So good.).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane, now a tattoo artist but previously a Special Ops operative, Preston a doctor and X an underground fighter are three of the least likely people you might ever imagine being friends let alone lovers! However there is something in the air, there are throuples popping up all over the place and they are simply the latest.

Each character has a backstory, of course, some are more tragic than others, some are simply harsh but they have all found a way, no matter how unlikely it might seem, to work to where they are today. They may not have banished all their demons but they are working on that and in the meantime they are finding one another.

This is one of those love stories that always has me hooked, I love some bad boy/good boy mixing, I love throuples (they fascinate me) and more than that I love to read love stories which in theory probably shouldn't work but somehow do. There is a dark undertone to this story, there is very real danger but there is also support and commitment bordering on obsession and West Greene balances it so that we never need to feel overwhelmed by any aspect of the story. I highly recommend reading this one, this series, but please check the trigger warnings first. It might be a love story but that doesn't mean it is all happiness and light.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chaotic, intense, and strangely emotional storyline! Shane’s struggle to rebuild himself after losing the structure of his military life really hit hard, and I loved seeing how tattooing became both an outlet and a lifeline for him.

The dynamic between Shane, X, and Preston completely pulled me in. X is unhinged, possessive, and morally questionable, yet somehow still entertaining and oddly lovable at times. Preston balanced them both perfectly with his kindness and patience, and honestly, the way they all became fiercely protective of each other made the relationship work for me.

There’s a good mix of danger, suspense, dark humour, and emotional moments throughout the story, and once the mystery element kicked in, I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are messy and damaged, but that’s what made them feel so compelling together.

Definitely check the content warnings before reading, but if you enjoy dark MM romance with obsessive characters, found family vibes, and a protective “touch them and die” energy, this one delivers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does it work??
For the life of me, I can’t remember the book where I read about Preston and X. But they have decided they want to add a 3rd to their relationship and that person is Shane. Shane works as a tattoo artist and after X looks into his background finds out he has a lot to hide.
Shane has been through a lot he’s quiet. He gets the work done. But when a guy comes in for a walk in free hand tattoo, he knows he’s trouble. And he tells him after the tattoo to walk away and not look back but we are talking about X. X isn’t walking away.
Preston knows what X is like when he is determined but the problem is that Preston wants Shane as well so what will happen to these three??
I enjoyed reading about Preston and X again, but I don’t know overall if Shane was the right person for a third. I enjoyed the storyline but hand on heart I didn’t feel the connection between Shane and Preston or even X and Shane. But I have given this 4 Stars because I did enjoy the storyline. I just don’t know if Shane was the right mix.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another throuple in this world that is gritty and rough and kicks out men who are flawed and just in need of love. Shane, X and Preston are the latest three that are given their chance at HEA and it does not go as smoothly as you would think it should. There were several dark moments in the story, so in the past mentioned in passing, some shown clearly on page in present day. You get to see both of the previous trios in this series and there's a big family celebration at the end that makes the nail-biting scenes worth it. The bonus epilogue is just swoon worthy and makes you gush for how sweet these men really are at their cores. The scene at the end of chapter 30 when the migraine hits, made me weepy for how sweet it was. It was probably not the scene that the author expected one to tear up at, but that's the one that did me in. Can't wait that there is another book in this series forthcoming. Love this world and all the characters in it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 of Nerdy Boy Universe. Can be read as a standalone.

'I'll find whoever is targeting them, and when I do, they'll realize who the true monster is in this world.
And it's not the diagnosed sociopath that's been stalking me.
It's me.'

Check your triggers.

The characters were very appealing and complex and compelling and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. All in all a great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tattoo My Life" is another good book by West Greene. It is a part of the Nerdy Boy universe but darker than the previous books. It had everything that I enjoy in a book by this author. Well written characters, a great dynamic between all of the characters, and a great story. The relationship between Shane, X, and Preston is a bit complicated and the way to their HEA has some drama and suspense. I enjoyed this story and look forward to more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane was in the military until a car accident ended his career. On the verge of taking the only path out, when Zeppelin intervenes and gives him a new direction. He is living a solitary life until he catches the attention of of X. X is in a relationship with Preston and becomes obsessed with making part of their unit. X is a little out there and Shane does not suffer fools and keen on letting people in but when there is a threat is he there to protect them both. It is not long before they all cross the line.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[C. Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this series. Shane might be the quiet one but he is as deadly as they come especially when someone messes with one of his men. I love how all the guys became this giant found family. 🖤🔥🥊🔥🖤

My favorite quotes:

• Shane: And Preston and X? They one-hundred percent belonged to me. They’d created this protective monster, and now, they—and the rest of the world—had to deal with it.

• X: I was done playing games. I was knocking all the pieces off the fucking board and declaring myself the goddamn winner.

[Hollyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5


Tropes:
🏷️MMM Romance
🏷️Romantic Suspense
🏷️Grumpy/Sociopath/Sunshine


My Review:
X is obsessed with Shane. And he lightly stalks him! He goes to get a tattoo and then Shane also sees X’s boyfriend Preston. X and Preston were in love, but they could not deny there was something about Shane that got with them. They were pretty good, and there was something missing from the story/suspense aspect of this book, but it was still entertaining!

[Syd Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was a prefect addition to this addictive series! I am happy AF that Shane got his own book. I loved Preston, X, and Shane together. These three were hot AF! I loved the drama, action, dangers, steam, love, tension, banter and really sweet HEA that this book had to offer. I am so glad that West continued with this series and I can't wait for the fifth book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Throuple, Definite Darkness
Shane is happy with his quiet life, such as it is. But, sociopath X has set his sights on Shane, and only X’s boyfriend Preston is keeping things calm. And then comes more trouble… This story has some darkness, some unhinged character traits, and plenty of violence, but it also has understanding and sweet moments. I enjoyed seeing Shane get his happiness as well as seeing the other happy throuples. A solid read.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. The characters were complex and interesting and 2 of them were completely off the chain. The dynamic between these three was amazing and so complicated but it worked really well. I also really enjoyed getting to see a few familiar characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharon Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didnt love this as much as I wanted to.

Tbh this was the first West Greene read that I haven’t absolutely loved.

Im in a bit of a book rut so I dont know if its me or the book really. Im going to wait a few weeks and re-read.

The characters were just fine and the spice was nice but I wanted more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a loose connection with the first books in this series, not as much as the first two throuples had between them though. While the characters were interesting, I didn't like the balance in this insta-everything throuple - Preston just felt too weak somehow, while the other two were cold and closed off.
Thanks for the advance copy via Booksprout, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.

[Kenneth Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written with an understanding how some MM relationships work. Unconventional story for some but for most convention has no place in relationships. This book reflects and celebrates that outlook.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good addition to the series. I mostly enjoyed reading it but definitely mind the CW.

I’d recommend if you like these tropes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dalaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

.25

[Ade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazinngggg

[Kellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I enjoy this author so I don’t really have anything negative to say about the story or the writing style. There were a few typos and things that should’ve been caught by an editor, but nobody’s perfect. This is book 4 in the series so I think I’m gonna go back and read book one, but I really enjoyed the story and how these three guys came to be together.

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me mantuvo entretenida y se lee súper rápido peor la historia esta sin detalles solo como contada por arribita. Los personajes son buenos y pudieron dar muchísimo peor pues no…