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youactlikeicare's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jrv45's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
mdee's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was a good read with little angst and likeable main character. I found it to be a tad boring at times, but other than that it was ok.
This was a good read with little angst and likeable main character. I found it to be a tad boring at times, but other than that it was ok.
caseroo7's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Back Piece was my first book by L.A. Witt, but I was immediately drawn into the story. I enjoyed it a lot and I liked the characters. This is the first book in Witt's Skin Deep, Inc. series and I am definitely looking forward to reading more. While I did like it, there were a few things that kept this one from being a five star read for me though.
Colin is a tattoo artist with a past he prefers to keep a secret. He keeps things casual and doesn't do commitment so that no one gets close enough to learn the truth about him. But when he meets Daniel at the gym, the shy sailor draws him in like no one has in a long time. Daniel is a virgin and after escaping his conservative family, he is looking to finally start being himself. When he spots Colin with all his tattoos, he knows he wants Colin to be the one to help him out. It starts as Colin helping Daniel to learn about sex and get the ink he has always wanted, but soon it turns to more and both begin to wonder if they could possibly have a future together.
I liked both Daniel and Colin. I thought that they worked really well together and that they were good for one another. Both had vulnerabilities and the other really helped them. It was good to see that they were so real and that they each had things that they knew they needed to work on. I love seeing characters progress from the start of a book to the end, and I really felt like both Daniel and Colin did that here. They were sexy together and had great chemistry, and their connection felt real and true.
I will say though that things were a bit repetitive in this book. It often felt like their insecurities were rehashed over and over, so while I liked to see that they were human, I grew tired of the same thing being done several times. I wanted them to get it and move on after a few times. I also felt like the end of this book was very abrupt and that not everything was as resolved as I would have liked. It seems like they had just basically solved the big conflict when all of a sudden the story just ran out of pages. I would have loved to have seen a bit down the line for them, especially in how things played out with Daniel's family. I do think that this book is worth the read though and I will continue the series. I just wish that it hadn't been so repetitive and would have ended on a stronger note for me.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
Back Piece was my first book by L.A. Witt, but I was immediately drawn into the story. I enjoyed it a lot and I liked the characters. This is the first book in Witt's Skin Deep, Inc. series and I am definitely looking forward to reading more. While I did like it, there were a few things that kept this one from being a five star read for me though.
Colin is a tattoo artist with a past he prefers to keep a secret. He keeps things casual and doesn't do commitment so that no one gets close enough to learn the truth about him. But when he meets Daniel at the gym, the shy sailor draws him in like no one has in a long time. Daniel is a virgin and after escaping his conservative family, he is looking to finally start being himself. When he spots Colin with all his tattoos, he knows he wants Colin to be the one to help him out. It starts as Colin helping Daniel to learn about sex and get the ink he has always wanted, but soon it turns to more and both begin to wonder if they could possibly have a future together.
I liked both Daniel and Colin. I thought that they worked really well together and that they were good for one another. Both had vulnerabilities and the other really helped them. It was good to see that they were so real and that they each had things that they knew they needed to work on. I love seeing characters progress from the start of a book to the end, and I really felt like both Daniel and Colin did that here. They were sexy together and had great chemistry, and their connection felt real and true.
I will say though that things were a bit repetitive in this book. It often felt like their insecurities were rehashed over and over, so while I liked to see that they were human, I grew tired of the same thing being done several times. I wanted them to get it and move on after a few times. I also felt like the end of this book was very abrupt and that not everything was as resolved as I would have liked. It seems like they had just basically solved the big conflict when all of a sudden the story just ran out of pages. I would have loved to have seen a bit down the line for them, especially in how things played out with Daniel's family. I do think that this book is worth the read though and I will continue the series. I just wish that it hadn't been so repetitive and would have ended on a stronger note for me.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
lifeand100books's review against another edition
3.0
TW: Eating disorder, abusive relationship, gaslighting, homophobia, religious zealots
Colin's mental health struggle was depicted really well IMO. I wasn't a huge fan of the book's conflict and how it's resolved. The ending was extremely abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
Colin's mental health struggle was depicted really well IMO. I wasn't a huge fan of the book's conflict and how it's resolved. The ending was extremely abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
cakemouse's review against another edition
4.0
One thing I appreciate about this novel was the realistic depiction of having, and battling/living with, a mental health issue. In this case, a guy has an eating disorder, on top of the character having an interesting previous career.
Loved both characters, the supporting characters.
Loved both characters, the supporting characters.
bronwynheeley's review against another edition
4.0
In audio
Was it just me or did Daniel sound like little Franco?
Was it just me or did Daniel sound like little Franco?
sbelasco40's review against another edition
4.0
Trope-y and formulaic but enjoyable. Kind of wish there was more nuance in the religious plotline, as it feels like every religious family in a gay book has to basically be the Westboro Baptist Church, and this is so rarely the case, but whatever. So satisfying! Also: tattoos, and fairly effective and clearly researched depiction of a man with an eating disorder. Also: HOT.
(Oh and how much did I enjoy the depiction of the new military generation that doesn’t give a shit about someone’s sexuality as long as they do their job? This may be a bit of an overstatement and also it’s not that new, but the military in the age of legalized gay marriage and post-DADT is pretty interesting.)
(Also: women in gay books CAN be more than moms and the bff who makes sure you keep eating when you’re having a stress flare. Just saying.)
(Oh and how much did I enjoy the depiction of the new military generation that doesn’t give a shit about someone’s sexuality as long as they do their job? This may be a bit of an overstatement and also it’s not that new, but the military in the age of legalized gay marriage and post-DADT is pretty interesting.)
(Also: women in gay books CAN be more than moms and the bff who makes sure you keep eating when you’re having a stress flare. Just saying.)
haletostilinski1's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I truly enjoyed this book, so I hated to have to take off half a star when I really do feel like this deserves 4 full stars.
But it felt like there was something missing from this story that I, personally, rarely get from L.A. Witt stories. Not only did the sex rarely simmer and make me feel something (I was like, what, no this feels perfunctory and Witt's sex scenes never feel that way, AND it was sex scenes with a virgin, someone who has never experienced it before and was very eager, and yet I didn't FEEL anything with a lot of the scenes) but it didn't feel like a lot happened.
I know for a fact Witt can take two "ordinary" people in the "ordinary" world and make a hell of an interesting story - but there just wasn't a lot happening with this story outside the romance. And believe you, me, generally all I want is the romance, or actually, I want to get to the romance in romance novels and want to get past the friend scenes or family scenes a lot of the time...but really, those type of scenes help set up characters outside of the two MC's, and Witt has done it before, but kinda fell short in this one. I liked the other secondary characters, but they didn't feel very present throughout the book, kinda in the periphery. And while part of me loved that, a part of me was frustrated because then we got a scene around 75% of Shane spouting, what to me, felt like bullshit about Daniel (who hadn't even met yet), I didn't quite understand his motivation. Yeah, he cares for his brother a lot and wants to protect him, but...it didn't feel like that to me. Idk, it pissed me off.
Anyway, I just feel like the secondary characters could have been a little more present, and then they would have felt a little more rounded and like full characters.
But overall, aside from these little annoyances, I did enjoy this. I did really like Colin and Daniel together, and Colin was so sweet to Daniel - they were sweet to each other. And I loved the complexity of both their characters, how they weren't able to get over sucky emotions and thoughts that ate away them easily - because as much as we tell ourselves we're gonna do better or be better or love ourselves, it's a lot harder than it seems. And those thoughts always creep in, no matter how much you don't let them consume you. Colin is always going to have those demons eating away at him, but he doesn't let them take over him like he had before (even though he came close several times in this book. It just showed how human he is)
I also did find a few of the sex scenes hot (like at the end and this scene of them in a motel...DAmN. You just gotta read it).
And the ending was both a happy ending and happy-for-now. They're in a good place, but it is also pretty clear, hey, we're getting a second book, and it will probably focus on these two (and if not, then that ending will become a "that's it?" more than a "okay, just gotta wait for more" ending.)
I do think this is worth a read, because it IS enjoyable for the most part. I just think...don't expect anything amazing and "not able to put it down" worthy about this book. Enjoyable and engaging, but not up to Witt's usual standard, I think.
I truly enjoyed this book, so I hated to have to take off half a star when I really do feel like this deserves 4 full stars.
But it felt like there was something missing from this story that I, personally, rarely get from L.A. Witt stories. Not only did the sex rarely simmer and make me feel something (I was like, what, no this feels perfunctory and Witt's sex scenes never feel that way, AND it was sex scenes with a virgin, someone who has never experienced it before and was very eager, and yet I didn't FEEL anything with a lot of the scenes) but it didn't feel like a lot happened.
I know for a fact Witt can take two "ordinary" people in the "ordinary" world and make a hell of an interesting story - but there just wasn't a lot happening with this story outside the romance. And believe you, me, generally all I want is the romance, or actually, I want to get to the romance in romance novels and want to get past the friend scenes or family scenes a lot of the time...but really, those type of scenes help set up characters outside of the two MC's, and Witt has done it before, but kinda fell short in this one. I liked the other secondary characters, but they didn't feel very present throughout the book, kinda in the periphery. And while part of me loved that, a part of me was frustrated because then we got a scene around 75% of Shane spouting, what to me, felt like bullshit about Daniel (who hadn't even met yet), I didn't quite understand his motivation. Yeah, he cares for his brother a lot and wants to protect him, but...it didn't feel like that to me. Idk, it pissed me off.
Anyway, I just feel like the secondary characters could have been a little more present, and then they would have felt a little more rounded and like full characters.
But overall, aside from these little annoyances, I did enjoy this. I did really like Colin and Daniel together, and Colin was so sweet to Daniel - they were sweet to each other. And I loved the complexity of both their characters, how they weren't able to get over sucky emotions and thoughts that ate away them easily - because as much as we tell ourselves we're gonna do better or be better or love ourselves, it's a lot harder than it seems. And those thoughts always creep in, no matter how much you don't let them consume you. Colin is always going to have those demons eating away at him, but he doesn't let them take over him like he had before (even though he came close several times in this book. It just showed how human he is
Spoiler
and also he has an eating disorder, and he battles it throughout the bookI also did find a few of the sex scenes hot (like at the end and this scene of them in a motel...DAmN. You just gotta read it).
And the ending was both a happy ending and happy-for-now. They're in a good place, but it is also pretty clear, hey, we're getting a second book, and it will probably focus on these two (and if not, then that ending will become a "that's it?" more than a "okay, just gotta wait for more" ending.)
I do think this is worth a read, because it IS enjoyable for the most part. I just think...don't expect anything amazing and "not able to put it down" worthy about this book. Enjoyable and engaging, but not up to Witt's usual standard, I think.