Secrets and Ink

Title:  Secrets and Ink

Author:  Lou Harper

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Rating:  B+

Quad Shot of Love

Blurb:  When Karma writes you a ticket, pay up or else…

If life was like the movies, Jem Mitchell’s wouldn’t be such a mess. In LA’s glittering world of dreams, he works an unglamorous job at a gourmet grocery store. His past is so deep and dark, the details are lost even to him. All he knows is he was once cursed by a meter maid, and ever since, his love life has sucked.

When Detective Nick Davies becomes a regular at the store, Jem dares to hope he’s un-hexed at last. He should have known that sex with a remarkably normal guy, devoid of weird fetishes and fatal personality flaws, was too good to be true.

During a post-encounter cuddle, Nick recognizes the tattoo on Jem’s back—and remembers him as a young hustler he arrested nine years past.

As Jem’s memories come crashing back, he flees from Nick, but fate contrives to keep pushing them back together. And when Jem’s old partner in crime is found murdered, the stakes are raised for life, for love, and a dangerous drama with no guarantee of a Hollywood ending.

Warning: Stars a mild-mannered store clerk with a shady past, a hunky cop whose passion in the bedroom is as big as his passion for justice, and celebrity sightings you won’t see on TMZ.

Review:  This book is a lot of fun.  It has hot guys falling in love, wonderfully entertaining snark and banter, yummy smexing, and just enough angst to keep things interesting without making me bawl my head off or get annoyed with the hot guys.

Jem is a delight and I had so much fun with him.  He has a very stream-of-consciousness narrative and way of living his life.  He is always getting into trouble for saying what pops into his head and not thinking through his actions before he jumps in with both feet.  He kept Nick on his toes and was an irresistible lure, that regardless of the possible complications, Nick couldn’t stay away from.  He cracked me up and had me smiling throughout.  His strong conviction that he’s living under a curse, while at times silly, was very real to him.  There was enough drama surrounding him even I started to wonder.

Nick is a cop.  That’s a huge part of who he is and how he lives his life. He was also sweet, charming, has a big heart to go with his broad shoulders, and he’s a little shy.  I really enjoyed that little bit of reticence combined with his take charge alpha attitude.  He has a strong sense of right and wrong, and holds himself to a very high standard.  He can’t seem to let Jem go, no matter how crazy he makes him or how much trouble he gets into.

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of their relationship as well as the bit of mystery and intrigue. There is a tongue in cheek quality to much of this story that kept things light and amusing even while some serious things were talked about or happening.  I’ve already told Beans she has to read it.

Reviewed by Nina