Heathens Ink Box Set

Heathens Ink #1-6

by K.M. Neuhold

Love, Pain, and Ink. The men of Heathens Ink Tattoo Studio have a lot to work through, but they always do it together.

Rescue Me- Screams, and blood, and tragedy haunt my dreams. I'm alive and I owe it all to the gorgeous former marine who refused to leave me for dead. But how can I start a new relationship when I'm not even sure who I am anymore?


Going Commando- When I was sixteen I was afflicted with a terrible curse...I fell in love with my straight best friend. I never thought I’d move past my feelings for Nash and find someone who could love me in return, until the day a gorgeous marine plopped himself down in my chair and asked me to ink him.

From Ashes- I didn't have anything to live for, until a kind stranger pulled me back from the brink. With physical and emotional scars I have nowhere to turn now but to that same stranger who saved my life without realizing it. But as my feelings for Adam grow, will I ever be anything other than a surrogate for the brother he couldn’t save? Am I even worthy of his love?


Shattered Pieces- No matter how hard I try to resist Beck, he just won’t give up on me. I would need steel willpower to withstand his gorgeous long legs in those high heels and his drawer full of lacy lingerie. But is this just a kinky hook up or does it have the possibility for more?

Inked in Vegas- It feels like I’ve been waiting to marry Thane my entire life. And with our big day only a week away, our friends insist on a bachelor party in Vegas.

An outrageous scavenger hunt, an unexpected trip to the altar, and a wild night with an ex-boyfriend. You know we don’t do anything half-assed.

Flash Me- I was kicked out at sixteen for being transgender, but it turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me. At twenty-one, I have a fantastic new family made up of my brother and a handful of wonderful friends, I own my own photography business, and I’m happier than I imagined possible. There’s just one thing missing… Okay, maybe two…


Bonus material:
❤ Madden and Thane's first date night after their babies are born
❤ When Owen became a Heathen
❤ Dear Cupid- Join Royal and his men for 10k words of Valentine’s day fun!
❤ Nox enters a tattoo competition
❤ Gage and Beck's little man is born!
❤ Out of Focus- A 5k short featuring Liam’s high school graduation. It’s a moment you won’t want to miss!
❤ Wyatt gets his first tattoo

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Polyamory

1432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2019

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

[Aki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also der erste Teil war der schwächste, nicht von der Geschichte, aber vom Schreibstil.

Ob es dann wirklich besser wurde oder ich mich einfach nur daran gewöhnt habe, ich weiß es nicht, aber vor allem die Bonus Geschichten am Ende fand ich sehr nett.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite series NOW in a box set!

5 stars!

This series is a must read!
-Hot guys loving other guys ✔
-Unique and Emotional love stories✔
-Tattoos✔
-A refuge for LGBTQ+ Kids✔

What more could you ask for... I'll tell you! Excellent comedic moments followed by emotional discoveries and dramatic twists, Manties, MMM, Love after loss, friends to lovers,... the list goes on and on.

This is my go to series and is a top reread!

[Elouise East · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. The stories are mostly well written and I like that the author has noted the order so I knew when to jump to another book before carrying on. It's why it took me so long to read it - I was jumping between this box set and the Inked series to make sure it was read in order.
The characters are fantastic. They all have their own personalities, flaws and all. And tattoos! I love that when they were described the tattoos were detailed enough you could 'see' them as you read. There are bonus chapters at the end which was great. I loved seeing a glimpse into different events in the characters lives that didn't need to be within the book itself.
Fantastic, highly recommend.

[Elaine White · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF'd at 14%

I'm sorry to say that I just didn't like this one. I didn't hate it, I just didn't care for it.
After reading Book 1 in its entirety, I took a week off, that turned into two, that turned into me losing interest in pushing myself to read more. I just didn't care enough about it, or the characters.

Book 1:
I had a really hard time accepting the medical thought process of the author. I mean, I've experienced quite a few things that they wrote about, and there is NO way that any of it is written realistically. And it's not difficult to find out about. Just a 5 minute Google search would give you the answers. For example:
* the whole desperate to pee thing makes no sense. If he's been in surgery, isn't allowed to get up, and has been unconscious 2 days, he'd be on a catheter.
* I found the whole backstory of Madden's drug addiction to be really illogical and unrealistic, in terms of how easily/quickly he quit for Adam.
* Look, I get he was ashamed after taking 3 pills and was in a spiral, but if regretted it, why not just force himself to throw the fuck up. He'd only just swallowed them.
* Wow. Amazing. One try and he's cured of a terrifying, deadly fear of public spaces. What a miracle therapist he must have. *eyeroll* Having gone through panic attacks, I can 1000% say this is not how it works. Not a one-try miracle cure.
* So...fractured ankle, PTSD, nerve damage, panic attacks, drug addiction, damaged ribcage...all miraculously cured in 4 months? Sign me up for his medical provider.

Also, the way the story was told didn't work for me. Lots of editing/grammar and plotting issues that I just couldn't overlook.
* Flashbacks are told with "at the time" hindsight that doesn't fit right. Either make it a flashback or don't.
* So, we got a flashback of how Adam and Madden met...then he tells Thane? Why both? Why not just one in Maddens pov? It would have been more natural. Choose 1 and stick to it. No need for both.
* Repetitive, esp about how important it is Madden recover his art.
* There's no real differentiation of speech patterns, so the lack of dialogue tags often leave me confused, esp when the pov jumps between two 1st povs
* Confusing that the childhood 1st kiss was Mark and so is physio, but it didn't even register with Madden.
* Grammar issues where sentences are missing necessary pauses, commas etc for clarity.
* silly things like clarifying Nicholas Cage as "the actor"
* Most of this sentence is entirely is unnecessary, due to what came before "That’ll be easier on your leg than getting on all fours or trying to get in position to take me." <- and this happens quite a few times.
* Gets kinds sex-focused and slutty in the middle, skimming over everything that's not sex.
* A lot of badly structured sentences, like they've been chopped in half without being reworded or missing pieces.
* Madden is one huge pity party.
* The plot is overly dramatic and unbelievable just to push the plot.
* Seriously? 2 seconds in the door after a suicide attempt and psyche hold and they're screwing? Nope.
* Why the f'k hell would you leave a note instead of being a frickin adult and saying to his face "I need to be alone, to do this myself, so we can be together later." ???? The note is so cowardly.

For me, this is actually a really unhealthy relationship. Forced proximity with a stranger. Friends let Madden walk off to live for WEEKS with a literal stranger they know nothing about. Madden instigates sex twice - first as therapy after a nightmare, and rejects Thane in the morning, then out of jealousy. Fucked up and manipulative. Stringing Thane along. Doesn't endear me to Madden at all. And all this "oh I'm a cripple", "oh I'm a recovering addict" so I must be useless. As someone living with permanent nerve damage, I find it insulting.

My entire experience of reading this book can be summed up in this one note = I've wanted to stop a few times, but I've come this far. Only...now that I'm done with Book 1, I have ZERO interest in reading more. I've been rec'd this series so many times, but it's just not working for me and I have many, many more books on my list that I'd rather be reading.

Sorry, but this is a huge NO for me. 1 - the medical stuff, that is so pivotal to the plot, is badly researched and explored, 2 - the relationship is massively unhealthy and manipulative, and 3 - it really needs some serious trigger warnings for: PTSD, mass shooting, Pulse-related shooting, LGBT hate crime, addiction, drug-use, and probably a whole lot more.
The story has masses of potential, but the execution left me lacking any emotional investment.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rescue Me
I didn't buy into Thane and Madden's romance. It took too long to grow on me but it's not the worse way to open up the series. This might be too triggering for some romance fans with the club shooting in the very beginning. But I think the author handles it as well as can be expected.

Going Commando
Nash, Royal, and Zade are a great throuple. MMM romance is quickly becoming my favorite subgenre and these three are all kinds of hot. I really liked that the characters made it a point that all three loved each other equally. Royal is the obvious choice to be the center of attention but Zade and Nash have great chemistry together. This is by far my favorite of the series.

From Ashes
Nox and Adam were very dramatic with their backstory but were sweet together. The conflict of Adam not being out to his best friend annoyed me but it didn't ruin the story. This one is emotional but worth the HEA at the end.

Shattered Pieces
Beck is the star of this one. I could not stand Gage and his angsty holdups. Unlike with Adam's story, Gage isn't charming and I have a hard time believing that Beck would fall for him.

Inked in Vegas
I loved the multiple POV chapters. Dani was the biggest surprise. I wasn't expecting to read a MF sex scene but it was a welcome change. I don't know if her story ever gets resolved but I hope she also found her HEA at some point in their universe.

Flash Me
Owen, Wyatt, and Liam make up the other throuple of the series. This is by far the best trans romance I've read. They all were hot and had some of the best sex scenes of the series. It's about 4 years after the Inked in Vegas novella so don't be weirded out by reading about Royal's little brother getting down and dirty.

I didn't read all the short stories but the ones I did were nice and a great way to end the reading experience.

[Claudia Lezár · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLEASE READ FIRST MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings (thanks to amazon I had to change it again and 'upgrade' it a little bit.):

5* - very very good and rare (it would be a Blow-
Away-book like 'Liberty' from Seth King,
'Save the at he kids' series from EM Leya or
'Jesse's Smile' or ‚Joey’ from Angelique Jurd),
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often reread and is a
WOW-book with interesting plot and surprises
(like most of Andrew Grey books) it's like an A

3,5* - a really good book, which will be reread a few
times a year (most romances where you can
enjoy for relaxing and during waiting times in
hospitals). I can recommend them definitively!
It's like an B+

3* - it could be more then a one-time-reader,
maybe 2-3 times a year. It’s like a B

2* - it was ok to read, but it's more a one-time-
reader (i wouldn't recommend it heartily, but
it was ok). It's like a C-, D

1* - sorry, but that isn't really a book for me (too
many mistakes, not nice plot, illogical, so an
absolut NO-GO). It's like failure in the whole
line, dismissed, repeat the class

[Stacey Farrer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better trigger warnings needed

Spoilers ahead.

I don't know if the books separately would've had adequate trigger warnings but oh boy, the set did not.
Madden's book being released the year after Pulse nightclub shooting was really raw and panic inducing to read, being a queer person who was an adult at the time that happened I have a visceral memory of it.

And the 3rd book, Gage's story, was horrific to read. I read the trigger warnings but nothing prepared me for not only the framing of an off page (kinda? He does appear so not exactly off page) character's death by suicide, the level of guilt Gage carried because of it and how it absolutely drained the life out of him for a decade.

Johnny also appearing at points to give obvious signs to Gage, and then conversing in Gage's dream was something I was unprepared for.

The trigger warnings in the box set did not in any way disclose the recurring discussion and oppressive feelings associated with suicide and losing someone to suicide, and missing them so terribly that you feel like a shadow of a person.

If the trigger warnings had been adequate, I'd honestly have made the decision to avoid Gage's book entirely because I sobbed through about 10 chapters and the HEA good feelings didn't make a dent in how literally bereft, empty and emotionally wrung out this book left me.

Yes I could've stopped reading at any point and indeed I did for a few days but it ended up haunting me so I made sure Gage got his HEA. But even the last scene where Gage took flowers to the gazebo for Johnny absolutely emotionally destroyed me, I was gutted.

This wasn't on the same level as other books I've read that have emotionally wrung me out as those were expected, and at the time weren't in any way tied in with my own apparent trauma that I didn't realise was so extensive until I went blind into Gage's book and gave myself a migraine crying so hard.


Within the box set, the trigger warnings for Gage's book need to be updated.

My emotional response to Gage's book being as it was, it genuinely tainted the other books in the series for me. I barely remember anyone else's names but thinking of how Gage blamed himself and talked about that last time he spoke with Johnny still makes a sob catch in my throat and tears fall absolutely against my will.


I'm sure this is a specifically me issue around my own losses, but I still would've liked better content warnings so I could make an informed choice prior to reading.

[L.D.]

Heathens Ink became my obsession once I started Rescue Me – I instantly became enthralled with all the characters and their romances. It was wonderful to revisit them all within these box set that contains all six books PLUS short stories and bonus materials. This box set does not contain the spinoff books within the Inked series.

Heathens Ink is a contemporary romance series revolving around the men who work at tattoo shop called (not surprisingly) Heathens Ink. Each of these men have their own baggage and demons, but through the support of their friends and family, and the love they find with their significant others, they are able to find the happy ever afters they sorely deserve. A lot of heavy topics are discussed in these books, so make sure to check the trigger warnings. Other topics contained within these series are poly relationships, transgender issues, and found family. Plus, I really liked the small crossovers with the Downward Spiral men from the Replay series. I highly recommend this series.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This boxed set was a wonderful and insightful read. Especially “Flash Me”! I’ve always a supporter of everyone being exactly who they believe that they should be. I learned the basics of a FTM journey. I probably spent as much time doing online research as I did actually reading this story. Obviously, there’s so much more to the experience of transgender individuals than what I researched but I have an even deeper love and respect for those who walk that particular journey!
All the stories proved from beginning to end was that love is indeed love!
Very definitely highly recommended! Happy reading

[BahamaMama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hesitant at first but worth it

I have never read trans romance OR poly romance before. Additionally, I try to avoid themes of suicidality, drug use, and ex-cons. But damn, did KM Neuhold change my mind about all of that. Everything was handled so well! I got this box set two days ago and have not stopped reading since. I was brought in by her four bears series, thinking it was about M/M shifters, and I just cannot stop reading her content now. 10/10 would read again, despite some heavy and controversial themes. Totally worth it.

[Colleen Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ

Fantastic. Definitely warrants a five 🌟 review.

Every single book in this series was brilliant. Cannot say what the best book of character was, but I think Gage.

Hated that I was getting to the end of the series, I just wanted it to go on.

I only discovered this author about a month ago and so far have read four series and a standalone and not been disappointed with any of the stories. In fact, I've put other book aside until I've read every book this author has written and then will be waiting for me.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic series!

4 1/2 stars!

Heathens Ink was a fantastic series of surprises, excitement, a bit of suspense, but most of all about love, friends, family, and acceptance. It had some truly emotional stories that broke my heart, hilarious one's that had me cracking up laughing, and many in between. It's certainly a series that you won't want to miss!

I highly recommend this book, series, and exceptional author.

[Marcelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words can't describe!

This entire series has brought me more joy and knowledge of the LGBTQ community than I can ever express. I had previously read MM romance, but never delved into the intricacies of the struggles and hopes for people who live their lives out of the "norm" scope of society. I thank K.M. Neuhold for opening my eyes and allowing me to grow and see through the eyes of love. Beautifully written. Side note: you will need both tissues and undies😋🤭

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories, but out of order.

I love love loved these guys, but I was so disappointed because the short stories are grouped by couple/throuple and NOT chronologically. The shorts are chalk full of spoilers, so make sure you look up a reading order if this is your first read through the series. I ended up getting frustrated and just skipping the shorts all together.

[wordsandblankspaces · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I didn't love all these stories but they weren't terrible or anything. The characters were all likeable. Flash Me seemed like the plot was really stretched too far. In From Ashes, there were a ton of typos. Maybe it was rushed to be put out on a certain date and just has never been re-edited. Still like this author a lot and will continue to read their books.

[Smut Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me far too long to pick up this set and read it - having been a fan of KM Neuhold for some time. It did not disappoint and the whole series has some wonderful characters and quite a diverse range of relationships. I devoured the entire box set within a week and loved every page. So glad I purchased them as I'm sure I'll be reading them again and again. Highly recommended!

[Sarah Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I need to go through the entire backlist for this author, and it started by picking up Meet Me There. But I have to say I love all of the characters in this series. They may all have their issues, but they find their perfect match or matches in each book. Royal is the loud pain in one of the groups and the glue that keeps this team coming back for more.

[Emma Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having loved the Heathens Ink series, I had to get the box set just so I could read all the bonus content. Royal and Liam have special places in my heart and just being able to read more about all the gang was worth it all.

[Myeshia Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more!!!!!!

I love the new Heathen's Ink box set. I loved them all individually, but the bonus material adds so much more to each story. I don't even care that I now own two copies of the same series. It is so worth it.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heathens Ink

I have loved every minute of this series and all the amazing characters. Every story had me hooked and this box set was a lot of sleepless nights lol. Even though I've read them all separately when released, having them all together was amazing.

[Krystle Breaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic,Amazing

This was one of the first collection I read when I started to m/m stories and I have never looked back. Fantastic from the very first story to the very last. Amazing writing. A Must read xxx

[Katy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I really loved reading this series. I got a little confussed with the extra bits at first as they jumped but once i continued reading them.i realised why they were included. I really wished this series continue but cannot wait to read spinoff

[Ikpemesi O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I really love this series and the wonderful family that the author created. As I was reading I fell in love with these sweet, sassy, and Human characters. I’m off to read the spin off and I’m so happy I found this series ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Jacque Loftus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Good

I enjoyed this series overall. There were times that seemed rushed or lacking detail, but it wasn't enough to keep me from reading all the books. I'm so happy to have found it.

[Jennifer Veer-Boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible

What can I say besides, incredible. I loved each book. Each had a unique storyline, sexy characters, lots of drama, and very emotional. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I melted.

Great reads.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite but not bad. Employees at Heathen's Ink tattoo shop find love. Angst, drama, and life get in the way. Books are Rescue Me, Going Commando, From Ashes, Shattered Pieces, Inked in Vegas, and Flash Me.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed emotions

It's a tough subject in most of the storylines. I had to stop and research a few things mentioned. The characters got in my head though and would not leave alone until I finished reading about them.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me. I really enjoyed this entire series. I loved the realness of the characters and the lives they've lived. I enjoyed how they fought for their loves. I will be back for more of this author.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! So So Good!!!

Well written stories and well developed characters!! This author handles some very deep phobias and biases! Homophobia, transgender, menage and more!! And does it so good with deep feelings!

[Ethel Nesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To success via short and long range plans!

The stories in this anthology will stir your emotions, put a smile on your face and remind you of the power of planning. Enjoy these passionate men as they live, love and help the ones they love!!!