Title: Permanent Ink (Art & Soul, #1)
Author(s): Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn
Release Date: August 7, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★/ 5 Stars
Genres:Contemporary Romance
BUY NOW:RIPTIDE PUBLISHING
At twenty-three, Poe Montgomery is going nowhere. He still lives in his father’s basement and spends most of his time tagging with his friends. When an arrest lands him in debt, Poe accepts the front desk job at Permanent Ink, the tattoo shop owned by his father’s best friend, Jericho McAslan. Jericho is nearly twice Poe’s age, but with his ink and prematurely graying hair, he quickly takes the starring role in Poe’s hottest fantasies.
Jericho is known for his ability to transform poorly designed tattoos into works of art, but he was once as aimless and misdirected as Poe. Wanting to pay it forward the way someone once did for him, Jericho makes Poe his apprentice and is determined to keep things strictly professional. Easier said than done when Poe makes his interest—and his daddy kink—abundantly clear.
Jericho can’t resist Poe or their intense chemistry for long. But between the age gap, tension with Poe’s father, and Poe’s best friend calling him a sellout, they’ll need to ensure they’re both on the same page before they can rewrite their rocky start into something permanent.
The Dream Team’s first book has been on my radar since it came out, believe me, but I don’t know what kept me from reading it a long time ago. It’s probably my heart, coming from the future to warn me: “DON’T DARE, THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU.” Heart, I appreciate the warning.
When I say that I don’t want to read any m/m romance unless it’s recommended or written by these two people, I am not joking. I seriously trust them so much. They also co-wrote my all-time favorite romance sports book i.e. Off the Ice (review here!) but this time they take on something else.
Let’s just preface this reviewing by saying: I love this book so much and I can’t wait for the next book in the series that’s sure to BREAK me in the best ways.
I was told of the character development a lot in Permanent Ink but I always am skeptical because I’m picky as hell! Not with this book.
Not only does Poe go through awesome character development where he finds a career path that allows him to both be independent but also incorporate art, but it’s also how Jericho reconnects his early love for art thanks to Poe’s fresh take. I was absolutely loving the slow-burn of the events, how the two didn’t have the fondest impression of one another but through mutual cooperation, grew into a mentor/apprentice relationship.
The family relationship in the book emphasizes on the whole “choosing your own family” aspect which is INCREDIBLE. Poe and his father Landon (who we alllll love) while the only blood relatives in the book, also go through their own development as Poe manages to get his father’s approval in his art and his determination to do good things with it. We also have Jericho and Landon’s friendship that’ll blow you away. Being Poe’s father, I was so anxious when Jericho was going to tell him of him dating Poe but like usual, Avon and Piper delivered an incredible scene that not only put my worries into a good place but also allowed the characters to grow even closer even if Landon’s reaction isn’t entirely positive.
We also have Poe and Blue’s friendship which intrigued me the most when it comes to friendships in the book. I easily identified with Blue and how obviously angry he was that his best friend was spending time not only “selling out” his art by training to be a tattoo artist but by seeing another person. While I totally see the anger in Blue, I don’t condemn his behavior at all. I do believe it works as an excellent point in the plot though so it’s 100% necessary.
Of course, my second favorite friendship is Jericho and Callum. I love when exes still exist in one another’s lives and are fond of one another despite not working as lovers. It reflects my own experience with my only ex! Their easy conversation and how Jericho does take Callum’s advice and opinion very highly made me so happy.
Which brings me to a great point: Jericho McAslan is everything.
He might look like the macho-est man but he is truly made of everything soft and warm. He doesn’t shy from taking advice from other people, he welcomes them actually. He worries about his friendship with Landon because uh he loves his friend so much! He also gets emotional and lets it show on his face. This man worked hard for what he has right now and isn’t afraid to show it. The perfect example of a healthy dude who’s well-adjusted and leads a good life.
Poe Montgomery is also everything. Proudly bisexual, ADHD, wants to do big things but loses interest or becomes self-conscious about them. He is one of my favorite characters so far because not only is he relatable but his self-growth doesn’t once change his essence. He still sasses Jericho but he does it in a way that doesn’t affect their easy friendship. He also knows exactly what he wants from Jericho and isn’t afraid of grabbing it with both hands. I especially loved a moment in which he told Jericho not to say their relations was a “mistake” which I appreciated soooo much.
I highlighted so much of this book, I live tweeted a lot of my joyous moments, and I also cried because I love it so much. It made a day go from shit to good. It made me happy. I recommend it to romance lovers. Also: I’m demisexual and the sex scenes in this one didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. The openness the characters have with one another is clear on page and it made my ace heart happy.
A little list of extra bits I loved:
