Synopsis:
Family.
I have tattooed that single word on more skin than I care to count. It elicits powerful thoughts and emotions for most people.
Loving. Caring.
Supportive. Togetherness.
Forever.
But not for me. The word family means so much more.
Vicious. Harmful.
Dangerous. Corrupt.
Deadly.
You can’t run forever from the ones who love you.
What I loved:
Again I find myself in a love/hate relationship with one of the male leads in this book. Holden is one badass MC’er and he loves his girl fiercely. He is a major asshole, as seen in that incredibly riveting prologue that completely sucked me in, but he has his reasons and they lie simply in his Helen aka Hels/Keller. Holden has loved Hels since she was a young girl and has stood by and waited patiently for her to grow up and become a part of the MC life they were both born into. He knows the one thing she wants he can’t give her without both their lives on the line.
Keller is the new Helen. Free from living in the MC life daily, but never free from the knowledge she will always have of the inner workings of the Hell’s Highwaymen MC. She is a tattoo artist, something she discovered as Hold’s girl but not something she should be doing, and constantly looking over her shoulder. She has stayed too long, and she realizes this after she falls in love with a client.
Enter Vin. Vin is the exact opposite of what Keller is attracted to normally. He is clean cut and not tattooed up. She finds herself connecting to him immediately and starts to let him him without revealing her secrets. Vin has secrets too. Vin and Keller may not be completely honest with each other but the feelings they have, are not lies. They are real.
What I didn’t love:
I don’t know how to answer this really. In actuality I loved it all and hated it all almost simultaneously. I didn’t love that Holden was in love with a child. It was a bit unsettling, but I understand its place in the story. So like I said, I don’t know how to really answer this.
It was raw and some parts were hard to read. Life isn’t always easy for everyone, and being a part of this life, proves that for Helen/Keller/Hels.
Overall:
This story is one of loss, fear, pain, and love so fierce it is almost deadly. It was intense. It left me wanting more. I will say that I figured some things out fairly quickly, but thats the cop’s daughter in me. It in no way took away from the story or the characters. Many times, I think of tattoos in stories as background noise. This story changed that for me. The title alone, Beautiful Ink, drew me in. I learned that tattooing is a form of art and in some situations it can be the one and only saving grace for a person.
As a fan of SOA, but not really a fan of MC books, I took a chance on this book. I am so glad I did. This was my Nicole-Reed-cherry-poppin-book. It held my interest after a very long rut that I was stuck in. This was just what I needed to get my groove back. Nicole Reed, well done!! I am looking forward to discovering more from you.
