Under His Skin

So Inked #1

by Sidney Bristol

A woman who doesn’t believe she deserves love…

Toe-curling kisses and enough sex to fill a weekend were all Pandora wanted from a fling with her teenage crush. She’s never forgotten how he played the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She’s ready to say thank you in several naughty ways, so long as she can walk away when it’s over with her heart intact.

A man moving on from tragedy…

Brian has no intention of allowing the feisty tattoo artist to leave him after one taste. He hasn’t had enough of her inked curves. The packaging might have changed, but Pandy is the woman he hasn’t been able to excise from his memory. He’s ready to put together a new life, one that includes her. But he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Someone else wants her, dead or alive.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks, Amazon, Erotic Romance

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2012

About the author

It can never be said that NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and fostering cats.

Sidney is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on iBooks today (3/1/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
A woman who doesn’t believe she deserves love…

Toe-curling kisses and enough sex to fill a weekend were all Pandora wanted from a fling with her teenage crush. She’s never forgotten how he played the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She’s ready to say thank you in several naughty ways, so long as she can walk away when it’s over with her heart intact.

A man moving on from tragedy…

Brian has no intention of allowing the feisty tattoo artist to leave him after one taste. He hasn’t had enough of her inked curves. The packaging might have changed, but Pandy is the woman he hasn’t been able to excise from his memory. He’s ready to put together a new life, one that includes her. But he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Someone else wants her, dead or alive.

[EroticaAfterDark (Lilith)]

SAVE $2

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit surprised by this book, but also wished it could be a lot more than what it was. It had a minor suspense element, which was easily figured out. I also enjoyed a revisit to the Rockabilly culture that I had been introduced to in the Undone series by Lila Dubois. Pandora took her fear of love a little too far in my tastes, but I did like how Brian was patient with her and wouldn't let her run away. I'm interested in continuing the series, but only if I can get it from the library or on a good sale.

[Alex ♈]

Couldn't get over what his band mates did to the heroine 10 years ago. They assaulted and humiliated her, one of them was about to rape her. The male protagonist kinda saved her, but I strongly assume no one reported it to the police. And he successfuly played with them for another 9 years till the day all except for him died in a plane crash.
Male protagonist didn't touch her 10 years ago,.but he also did nothing to stop his 'friends' from the similar situation in the future. Well, maybe he did, but the fact we continued to work with his 'friends' for years didn't sit well with me.
Were there other victims? Every assault, which wasn't reported, is a support of future assaults.

I got it for free on Amazon.
My first, my last, my only book by this author.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

*SPOILER ALERT!*

This was a pretty good story, but the main female character – Pandora – worked my last nerve. I understood that her life wasn’t bonbons and rainbows, but damn…get a clue, dumbass! There were times when she would over-think every damned thing, and other times when she didn’t use her brain at all. In my opinion, she was lucky that Brian was patient, loved her, and put up with her shit. She was tough, but then – she wasn’t. I know that I may come across as a hard ass, but many of the female characters in a lot of the books that I’ve read make me want to scream! But…I do have to admit that I loved Pandora when she shoved a tattoo needle in her psycho ex’s eye though. Bravo, girl!

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Under His Skin
Author: Sidney Bristol
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Series: So Inked # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"Under His Skin" by Sidney Bristol

What is this novel all about?

A woman who doesn’t believe she deserves love…

Toe-curling kisses and enough sex to fill a weekend were all Pandora wanted from a fling with her teenage crush. She’s never forgotten how he played the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She’s ready to say thank you in several naughty ways, so long as she can walk away when it’s over with her heart intact.

A man...more "A woman who doesn’t believe she deserves love…

Toe-curling kisses and enough sex to fill a weekend were all Pandora wanted from a fling with her teenage crush. She’s never forgotten how he played the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She’s ready to say thank you in several naughty ways, so long as she can walk away when it’s over with her heart intact.

A man moving on from tragedy…

Brian has no intention of allowing the feisty tattoo artist to leave him after one taste. He hasn’t had enough of her inked curves. The packaging might have changed, but Pandy is the woman he hasn’t been able to excise from his memory. He’s ready to put together a new life, one that includes her. But he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Someone else wants her, dead or alive."

What I got out of this read....

Who would have thought that Brian would find someone of his pass(after ten years) during this Convention to give him a tattoo that would be a memorial to his lost band mates. Then Brian spends the weekend with Pandora (tattoo artist) and it seems for a while everything seemed to go alright for these two. However, Pandora and Brian both had some pasted troubles that were presenting itself having been scarred physically, emotionally and even some secrets. I don't want to leave out the chemistry of the steamy and hot sexy erotic scenes that were off the chart! Now, to get past all of these issues is their a villain out there who has other plans for Pandora and her business? I found this a interesting read seeing this heroine come to terms with her past and learn to trust and support Brian.

What I liked about this novel...

I like how this author brings out the suspense along with the romance and you will be lead to wonder will their be any happiness between Pandora and Brian. To get it all you will have to pick up this good read "Under His Skin" to see how this author will bring it all out to the readers. You will definitely find yourself rooting for these two main characters. Also the secondary characters ...Kellie, Autumn and Mary were all supporting and well developed which only helped give the reader a well written novel. I really liked how the author headed the chapter with an important tattoo definition that related to each chapter.

Overall Impression...

So, my overall impression of "Under His Skin" was a good drama, mystery, suspenseful romance novel that I would recommend to you as a good read that will leave you wanting the next novel by this author.

[Tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under His Skin (So Inked #1) By Sidney Bristol

This is the first time I’ve read a book by Sidney Bristol and I will say her writing is very good, the story and plot flows well and you really enjoy her characters in this story and actually want to learn more about everyone we meet.

We meet Pandora who is a tattoo artist and she has entered a tattoo contest, you can feel that Pandora is very nervous but really wants to win this contest to her it’s not just about winning it more about proving something to herself and others. Right at the beginning you end up wanting her to win. Brian is a rock star with some deep regrets; Brian has lost all his band members in an airplane crash and feels very alone, so he would like a tattoo of his band members as sort of a memorial.

When things don’t turn out the way that is expected Pandora and Brian end up spending the weekend together, Pandora is okay with this as it’s only the weekend. Brian has other plans though he wants more. Both Pandora and Brian have secrets, regrets but you are pulling for them both. I really liked Pandora and Brian as a couple and hope they could get past all their issues. But nothing is that easy as there is always someone who wants nothing more than to get Pandora back.

This novel has romance and suspense meanwhile you’re hoping that in the end Brian and Pandora can find their happiness together.

I really enjoyed Under His Skin, Sidney Bristol is a great writer, I felt for both Brian and Pandora and you have to give the author kudos’s when she can actually make you feel these thing. I want to read more about the other characters and hope the next book in this series is coming out soon.

I have rated Under His Skin a 4 star rating, and am I recommending to anyone who enjoys a fun, suspense, loveable romance to go pick up this novel. I definitely will be checking out Sidney Bristol’s other books.

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entering the conventions contest was difficult enough for Pandora. The pressure is intense as she is the only woman artist who has entered. Her ass of an ex doing what he does best is not helping her fried nerves. The fact that the man she is supposed to tattoo happens to be her knight in shining armor crush from her teens just adds more stress to her tension. She knows she is good. If she knew the reason Brian picked her to ink something very dear to him it would ease some of the unwanted pressure from her.

In an effort to pay homage to a big part of his life that he no longer has Brain has decided to get a commiserating tattoo of that part of his life. He researched all the artists available at the convention and picked the one he knew would be best able to put his thoughts and emotions to his flesh. He is shocked to see that she is actually a person from his past. A person he has thought of over the years. Seeing a chance to get to know her this time around he grabs the opportunity.

Pandora and Brian are not your typical romance hero and heroine. They are both scarred, physically and emotionally. Pandora has escaped a life that has left her so damaged that she sees herself as unworthy of the caring devotion that Brain is desperately trying to give her. By the time readers meet Brian he has recovered emotionally from a horrific accident that left him in a place where he has started a new life. While Pandora has started her new life she doesn’t want to ever find herself in a position that would allow her to repeat the mistakes of her past.

Favorite Quote: Brian to Pandora. “You’re a perfect pain in my ass right now. Come back to my place. We can argue, have angry sex, fight some more and wrap it up with make-up sex. I’ll even get donuts in the morning.”
How can you one want this man.? He even drives a Jeep and has a sweet dog named Gibson!

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pandora Hatley has forever remembered her crush and lived in her fantasies for years. Pandora is out to prove herself as a tattoo artist by entering a contest in a male dominated field. Pandora's ex fiance Robert doesn't know how to take no for an answer. Little did Pandora know her world is about to be turned upside down. Brian Adler isn't the same person he was before the plane crashed killed his three best friends leaving him the sole survivor. Brian is after a tattoo to commemorate his friends. Brian is stunned by the beautiful tattoo artist going to do his tattoo. Pandora and Brian get the surprise of their lives at meeting again after all of these years. Pandora is honored to do Brian's tattoo. Will Pandora allow her past to control her future? Can Brian convince Pandora she's enough? Your answers await you in Under His Skin.

This new to me author really brought me a story that resonates with me on a personal level. The characters and story are compelling, honest, gritty, raw, real, down to earth, and stunning in their depth and complexity. I look forward to the next book in this series.

[CK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl with a history of abuse meets boy with physical disability due to injury. Both have mental illness because of their trauma.

This is a raw, intelligently written romance that doesn’t hold back. Sidney Bristol creates a colourful, diverse cast of characters, all with their own baggage.

The way these two characters interact… Sidney Bristol either knows chronic pain & disability personally, or she’s close to someone who does. People who aren’t familiar with Disability, especially chronic pain or something with a sudden onset, don’t know how to handle it. To write about it this well speaks of a connection to it.

I love it. This connection makes me feel validated, seen, & heard. Reading visibly & invisibly disabled people with healthy relationships is so rare, this is the first time I’ve come across it.

This kind of romance, these kinds of characters, they’re Important. Add the extra layers of amazing tattoo work, a kick-ass band, life-endangering exes, & witty workmates, & the result is something very special, indeed.

More, please!

[Kendra · Rating 2 out of 5]

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/Slj1u8

Review:

This is my first book by Sidney Bristol. I decided to read UNDER HIS SKIN for a couple of reasons; first and foremost being that I have read some very good books from Ellora’s Cave lately. When I had the chance to feature this book on the blog, I jumped on the chance. I also wanted to read this book because it explored some unfamiliar territory for me. I don’t know a lot about tattoos having none myself, but I was intrigued by the idea of having a series/book centered within the tattoo world. I also liked that both of these characters had a lot of crap to rise up from before they found each other. Those factors considered, I decided to read and review this book.

Pandora has had a less than desirable past at best. She was deserted by her father at a young age and raised by her mother for several years until cancer claimed her life. She ends up the unwanted child of her father and never quite fits in with him or his new wife and new life. She bails at 18 and ends up eventually hooking up with her emotionally unbalanced and abusive ex, Robert. She tries to make a break from Robert only to be forced back into the relationship until one fateful night when she is rescued by her new “family”. She finds peace within her So Inked family and settles into a better life than she had before.

Brian has been there, done that. As a former rock star, there is not much he hasn’t been exposed to at one time or another. Life was good on the road to success until a plane crash takes the lives of the band members; all except Brian. Trying to cope from survivor’s guilt and some ass-kicking physical therapy, Brian decides to pay homage to his former band members by permanently inking them on his body. He finds Pandora after searching through several artists that can do the job.

Pandora instantly recognizes Brian when he comes to her for his tattoo and is mortified, but tries to play it cool and behave professionally. Several questions later, Brian has figured out who Pandora is. Ironically, as big as the crush was that Pandora had on Brian, he too did not go unaffected by the young girl from a few years back. Little does she know just how much of an impression she made on him. But a bad situation and feelings of guilt may make it impossible for them to move past the artist/client relationship. Several issues arise that interfere with a possible future for the two. Highest on the list being Pandora’s belief that Brian can do so much better than her. Of course Brian has baggage from the crash, and Pandora also has a crazy asshat of an ex who is lurking in the shadows.

What I liked most about this book was that each chapter began with a definition of tattoo terms such as stencil and flash. I mean I didn’t have a clue what any of this lingo meant, but the descriptions allowed me to continue reading without interference from my lack of knowledge in this area. It was beyond apparent that Ms. Bristol knows her tattoos, the processes, and just about everything else someone would need to know. I appreciated that she included so much information about tattooing without presenting it in a confusing way. I came away feeling somewhat educated. I also enjoyed that Pandora and Brian remained consistent in character throughout the story. I felt like they knew who they were, they knew their faults, and they made no bones about it except to try and make a go of a difficult situation.

Unfortunately, I had a few things that I didn’t like. There were a few sections of the book that mimicked things that had been stated prior. For example, two or three times we read about how jealous Pandora is that someone else had tattooed Brian before she did. I felt like I was re-reading parts that had already been covered. I also disliked that the whole story ended so abruptly. I was reading and then it was over. I had no clue that the story was about to cut out on me. I feel like there was so much left unfinished. Robert, Carly, Ike’s mother ~ just to name a few things that I felt left me hanging. The only thing I can think of is that the following books may cover some of these topics because this is the first in series. But that may be a bit of an unfortunate circumstance if that is the way things are handled because the couple featured in the next book would lose some of their time. I am not saying what will or will not happen in the next book because I have absolutely no clue. I just don’t like finishing a book and being left with a million questions. I also really disliked Robert. As a psycho, he works. But I felt like he could have been mentioned as part of Pandora’s past and reason for many of her insecurities without actually being a part of her current life. His actions toward the end of the book were unexpected and I felt like Carly was thrown under the bus as a secondary character. I just didn’t like how things played out.

This book is not going to make it as a favorite read for me. And although I really enjoyed the educational aspects of tattooing that was added to the book, it wasn’t enough for me to be able to really like the book and overlook the flaws that interfered with my enjoyment. The story is a good attempt and can likely be enjoyable for many people as a quick read to pass the time. Of that I have no doubt. And in fact I have seen several positive comments about this story. But for readers like me who hate to be left with questions at the end and who want to see more of an HEA (especially when reading a novella), you might want to think twice about this particular story.

(eBook copy provided by author/tour company in exchange for an honest review.)

[Stephanie Bolen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twitch, ugh, twitch

These people needed therapy more than they needed romance. And the author needed to research bipolar before throwing that word around. Someone severely bipolar is on meds that make them sleep, stabilize their mood, and antidepressants. They have an effect on their sex drive, how they function, and even how they talk and walk. Most describe it as living in cotton or going around with a bowl on your head. So points for actually describing an abusive relationship, but that's it for positives. Pandora, Dorrie didn't occur as a nickname, and Brian have hot sex but they do NOT fall in love. Love is actually talking about things and Pandora never talks. She hero worships a decent guy, he's not awesome. She needs therapy and he needs to let her heal herself.

[Marc F Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but...

I liked the main characters in the story. I liked the idea of an all women owned & run tattoo shop. The story stayed on a pretty superficial level for me, which was a bit of a distraction. There were several ‘moments’ in the story—big events or big realizations, but the writing is such that these big moments seemed to be given same weight as minor events or characters. The story ended too abruptly for my taste, without as satisfying an ending as I hoped. I am not tempted to read the other books in the series

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully

WOW...what a ride. The characters are so relatable and real. Brian unable to move on from the guilt of his band mates death has placed his life on hold and unable to move forward. That is until Pandora, a blast from his past, gives him a new reason to live. Except Pandora doesn’t believe she is worthy of his love. Add a crazy ex, great friends and characters and WOW.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really do love the push and pull of both main characters struggling with heavy stuff from their past.

Characters felt so real in that they were outwardly strong but internally struggling with so much. While not all of us are tattoo artists or popular musicians - we can all relate to that feeling of putting on a brave face and acting like there is nothing going on in our lives.

This books shows the pure strength in vulnerability. It was refreshing.

[Jackie Vanderpool · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but some points the writing had me confused trying to follow the story. It seem like some parts in explaining some things were skipped so you had to figure out what was going on in between what was left out of the writing. But other than that the story line was good. This book took me a while to finish because I started a while ago and just started back reading it a few days ago.

[Sherry Vitaniemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needs more

This is one of those stories that give stars are not enough. It has heart and feelings. That make you see why the story is so powerful. To Brian and Pandy. No amount of pain and hurt. Can replace what they deserve . And that is having someone except them. For who they are.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early on the transition from scene to scene was a little weird and hard to follow. Overall I liked the story and the suspense toward the end. The middle dragged a bit but I enjoy the hardship that the hero went through and his growth. The FMC was a bit annoying with not wanting to say I love you or say they were in a relationship.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

she has lived a life filled with a distant father and then an abusive relationship; he is a former rock star recovering from a plane accident that killed his band mates

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like the story line and felt is was worth the read.

[JB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I won this book as a freebie and I would have paid money for them. The story is good, sexy times are good, some good surprises carry you through to a wonderful ending. Enjoy!

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was boring.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Donna Van Name · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inked book 1

Loved this book can’t wait to read the next ones in the series. Couldn’t put it down love intrigue suspense. It has it all

[Angel Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read.

[Ally Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been better if Pandora wasn’t fighting herself and making everything complicated EVERY CHAPTER. Omg Pandy, staaaaaaahp.

[Beth Ostrosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really good!

A very good story! The characters were so likable and I truly fell in love with them! Plot was good and well thought out. Try it!

[MrsJoseph *grouchy* · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

MEH

[Laura Cozicar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but quirky read.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undo me

This is yet again why I read Sidney Bristol books they bring you in and won't let go. This is yet another example of great reading