I enjoyed this m/m romance that features a playboy fighter pilot (Jon) and a tattoo artist (Matt) who is realizing that he is bisexual. Jon has to get a tattoo because of a bet that he lost (and he has a needle phobia) and Matt is his tattoo artist. That's their meet cute which soon becomes a steamy no-commitment relationship - until Matt decides he wants more. I enjoyed the setting and the characters and how the story played out. Time to read more in the series!

I really enjoyed Pounding Skin, but I didn’t love it as much as I did Back Piece, the first book in this series. I loved Matt, a young tattoo artist, struggling with his career and his sexuality. I found him to be very authentic—plenty of people his age deal with the same issues, trying to establish themselves in their careers, struggling to make ends meet. He was very introspective and thoughtful about his newly discovered (accepted?) bisexuality. His reaction to Jon, a needle-phobic fighter pilot client, both confused and enlightened him. I loved that he questioned his past behavior and didn’t jump in without giving it a lot of thought. For me, he came across as a really nice, somewhat shy but friendly, young man exploring his sexuality. He was mature, and genuinely cared about the people in his life. Jon, an experienced, slightly older man was really what kept me from loving Pounding Skin. While I felt I really got to know Matt, Jon’s character wasn’t as well developed. This story felt more like Matt’s story, with Jon playing a large, important part, instead of their story. Jon, an unrepentant manwhore with a one and done philosophy, was adamantly opposed to relationships, but I never understood why he felt that way. I never got a satisfactory explanation. His epiphany about his relationship with Matt seemed to come out of nowhere—it didn’t take him long to do a complete about face. Other than his insistence of not being in a relationship, I liked Jon. I would have liked to know him better, but I liked most of what I saw from him. This series has an interesting cast of secondary characters, who fit well into the story. Their interactions are natural and flow seamlessly, not like they were thrown in as an awkward lead-in to the next book. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Lucas’ story, Cover Up.

This was an okay story but I don't feel like L.A. Witt did a good job of pulling in the reader. I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

After a bet gone wrong with some of his squadron buddies, Jon Russell ends up in a tattoo parlor getting inked. He has no interest in a tattoo — his fear of needles ensures that — but he also won’t chicken out in front of his friends. Jon is immediately attracted to his tattoo artist, Matt Huffman, and Jon is kind of getting signals Matt may be interested as well.

Matt has always sworn all his life that he is not gay; everyone has always assumed he is and between that and his jerk of a father’s disapproval, Matt has kept that door firmly closed. That is until a drunken three way with his ex and her boyfriend led to Matt experimenting with a guy in ways he never expected — and liking it a lot. Now Matt is forced to consider that just maybe, he is into guys as well. When he meets Jon and immediately is attracted to the sexy pilot, Matt decides maybe it is time to explore his interest in men and see if there is really something there.

Jon is not interested in relationships. He considers himself an unrepentant manwhore and likes it that way. But Matt isn’t interested in anything serious either; he just wants a chance to explore being with a man. And neither guy can deny the chemistry between them. So they decide to keep things casual and just about the sex. But it isn’t long before the guys begin spending more time together, hanging out after work and attending events together. When Matt realizes that his feelings have changed, and more than that, that their relationship has changed, he is eager to see where things might go between them. But Jon is determined that it all stays nothing but casual. Now the men have to figure out if they want the same things from their relationship, or if it is time to walk away.

Pounding Skin is the second book in L.A. Witt’s Skin Deep, Inc series. Like the first book, Back Piece, the story features a tattoo artist from the Skin Deep shop and a military man. Although the books have the shop in common and Daniel and Colin make some appearances here, this story pretty much would stand alone.

This is a hot and sexy story and the physical connection between the guys is what carries most of the book. Jon and Matt are hot for each other right from the start, and while Matt is still sorting out his attraction to men, it doesn’t take long for the guys to jump into bed together. While they don’t realize at first that their relationship is growing, as readers we can see the men getting closer. They support one another and clearly enjoy spending time together. Both are likable and this is a fun, steamy story.

I did wish for a bit more to happen here though. There is some mild early conflict as Matt comes to terms with being bisexual, but that resolves pretty early on, and towards the end of the story they deal with Matt wanting more from the relationship than Jon. But most of this book is the guys hanging out and having sex. We don’t really get to know either of them that well, though Matt has more backstory as we learn about his family and he deals with coming out. But we really learn very little about Jon other than the basics. Given that the first book in the series is also focused on a military man with a tattoo artist who start out wanting something casual and then it turns into more, I needed a little more from this story in either depth of plot or character development to really make it stand out.

That said, I still found this story enjoyable. Witt knows what she is talking about in the military department and both that and the life of a tattooist felt authentic and well incorporated into the story. The guys are sexy and steamy and I liked them together a lot. So while this one doesn’t go super deep in either plot or character, I still found it a lot of fun to read and am definitely looking forward to catching up with the next story in the series.

This book was stankin’ amazing! I wasn’t over the moon in love with book 1 so I was excitedly hesitant for book 2, Pounding Skin And can we just talk for a minute about how much I love the title…so clever…so good….!! Anyway, this book had so many elements that just work for me as a reader. I love the experiment, not interested in anything serious trope. The stories that I’ve read in the past with these story lines always seem to burn hotter and brighter. It never fails that I just adore these types of stories. You throw in LA Witt’s amazing characters, great storytelling and you get a series that is shaping up to be fantastic…!
Jon Russell loves his carefree, no strings types of relationships. He’s earned himself a reputation and he’s ok with it. Relationships aren’t for him and they will never be for him. Caught up at the losing end of a bet, Jon finds himself doing another thing he’d swear he’d never do. Getting a tattoo…his punishment for losing the bet may not be all that bad considering his super hot tattoo artist.
Tattooist Matt Huffman has buried parts of himself for so long he’s actually surprised by the force of the attraction he feels for one of his new clients, Jon Russell. Coming to terms with the “bisexual” label Jon and Matt find themselves reaping all the rewards of a friend with benefits relationship.
As Matt and Jon see more and more of each other what starts as uncomplicated, quickly become complicated which leaves both men feeling completely out of sorts. As other relationships start showing wear and tear around them Matt and Jon start succumbing to their commitment fears.
I really liked Matt and Jon. They were without a doubt amazingly hot together I actually loved how sweet they were. I loved them acting like they were in a relationship without even realizing they were already doing the motions. The way this story progressed and built up, I thought was perfect.
Enjoyed this one so much and it made me even that more excited for book 3…recommend.

Navy fighter pilot Jon Russell loses a bet with his squadron mates that forces him to get a tattoo--despite Jon's intense fear of needles. The artist that he seeks out, Matt Huffman, is nearly down-and-out with too many bills and too little cash, but he's compassionate and curious. Bi-curious, that is. It seems that some of Matt's recent experiences have highlighted how attracted he may subconsciously be to men. But, there's no escaping the fact that he's aroused by the terrified Navy pilot under his tattoo gun.

Jon's always ready for a hook-up, but nothing more. And, he's not sure why he's so inexplicably attached to Matt--especially so when Matt admits he wants some sexual experiences with an experienced man. Jon's all to happy to volunteer his sexpertise, and they build a friendship that includes smoking hot sex whenever they can manage. But, they also communicate in a friendly way, and begin to spend non-sex-related time together sharing meals and outings. Matt's nervous about coming out as bisexual, and Jon patiently stands by his side. Months go on and they are far more than friends, and really more than lovers, before Jon recognizes he's actually in a relationship. And, that's not cool with him. He'd sworn to never settle down with another man again, but is being with Matt all the time really "settling"?

I liked this one. Matt was such a tender heart, despite his bulk. Jon's compassionate, to a point. His freak out because of the '-ship' business was troubling, but I liked how he came to terms with his fears in the end, and salvaged his relationship. Matt was definitely worth it. I also enjoyed all the sexplorations and how eager Matt was to embrace his bisexuality once her mentally committed. It's clear he'd been traumatized in his youth by an overbearing, homophobic father, but his existing family is supportive, for the most part.

Also, the setting! Virginia Beach is a place I've spent lots of time over the years. In fact, on Monday--the day I was supposed to be logging this post--I was doing a drive-by of NAS Oceana, Jon's base station. I always love when I can connect with a locale and the descriptions of the settings in and around the coastal area there were spot-on. Looking forward to more books in this series!

Enjoying this series, as with all LA Witt books it's very well written, the sex is HOT and Jon and Matt are great together.

Sweet and standard LA. Can be read as a standalone. From I'm Not Gay to Lots Of Sex, of course, but enjoyable.

This series gets better with every book. One day is all it took for me to devour this. Loved the push and pull. Loved the confusion and emotional roller coaster rides.

I can't get enough of this series! This is only the second book in the series but I just want more and more! This book had some really fun characters. Jon is a slutty (his words!) fighter pilot and Matt is a tattoo artist that is trying to figure out why he is suddenly interested in men. Jon hits his new man-dar the minute he walks in on to get his drunken bet tattoo fulfilled.

Neither man expected to find what they did in each others arms and this romance was off the charts. I loved it so hard! I want more! The writing is clean and descriptive. The characters and complex with so much personality in each one. I thoroughly enjoyed their quirkiness. I look forward to even more from this author and definitely more in this series.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

5 Stars

After losing a bet over a football game to the guys in his squadron, which he rightfully deserved for rooting for the Falcons, Jon, a fighter pilot, who is deathly afraid of needles, is dragged by his friends/co-workers to Skin Deep Inc., for his first tattoo, one which his squadron members, as a stipulation of the bet, will gladly get to choose for him. Entering the tattoo shop he meets tattoo artist, Matt, who he’s instantly attracted too, but Matt is most likely straight, right?

Matt has always assumed and professed himself to be straight, but after a three way with his best-friend and her boyfriend let’s him explore his interest in a man for the first time, Matt is shocked by his reaction and just how much being with a man turned him on and now he isn’t so sure he’s all that straight. The instant chemistry and attraction he feels for Jon has him questioning his sexuality even further, but once the men fall into bed, Matt is very sure he is anything but straight.

Wow!! This book was mega hot!! Matt and Jon had an explosive chemistry from their first meeting and throughout the progression of their story it just got hotter and hotter. I loved watching Matt explore his newfound bisexuality and become more comfortable and confident in who he was and what he wanted with Jon.

Jon, who is a self professed man-whore and doesn’t often do more than one-night with a guy, can’t get enough of the sexy tattoo artist and the two quickly fall into a non-relationship. Jon is scared of commitment and relationships and thinks they only cause pain and hurt, but he can’t deny the pull he feels towards Matt and before he knows it they fall into a comfortable routine and are spending time together almost daily.

This was an amazing and enjoyable erotic read, probably one of my all time favorites from L.A. Witt. I loved both Matt and Jon. They were both very likable characters and the progression of their relationship felt natural and organic. The chemistry as well as the sex was off the charts hot and very plentiful. I absolutely loved watching them explore their feelings for one another and fall in love.

I also loved getting to catch up with Daniel and Colin from Back Piece and I’m looking forward to moving on to Lucas and Nate’s story next. Very recommendable, but have a fan handy, because this book is smoking hot!!

*copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I loved the first book in the series and I was happy to see it continue, this time with Matt's story.

Witt’s Skin Deep, Inc. romances are erotic standalones that are perfect for those who enjoy watching sexy tattooed alpha males fall head over heels while fighting it every step of the way. From friends with benefits to a full press romance, L.A. Witt builds a sensitive and richly layered story that addresses love, loss, commitment, sexuality, and trust.

Pounding Skin by L.A. Witt is one of my favorite books that I have read by this author so far. This is the second book in the Skin Deep series. I loved the off the charts chemistry. I liked the progression of this story as well, I felt it really had a great pace to it and overall story arc that made sense. I also really adored the characters never wanted this story to end.
Jon is a good-natured fighter piolet. He tends to have a new man every night. He doesn’t want to settle down. He thinks settling down will only lead to pain and hurt so he fleas before anyone has the chance to hurt him.
Matt is just finding out his sexuality. He has some growing to do in this book but I loved watching him find himself.
Over all great chemistry and a super clever read. I truly loved these characters and want more from the Skin Deep Series in the future.

Five Shooting Stars

Jon Russell and Matt Huffman are the pair of men who are falling in love in #2 of the Skin Deep series. Jon is a fighter pilot and Matt is a tattoo artist. Jon never, ever wants to have a relationship and Matt is just becoming aware that he may be bixsexual. Jon is well established in his career and Matt can’t even buy new tattooing equipment. There are quite a few differences going on between the two main characters, but this always makes for a interesting story. They meet when Jon loses a bet over a football game and the price of losing is a tattoo of whatever his squad members pick, and it being placed on his body wherever his buddies pick. First off…this made me think Jon’s an idiot, and he can’t even use being drunk as an excuse for this kind of dumb bet. Sparks start to shimmer when the two meet at the tattoo parlor, but Matt just isn’t sure he is into men. I had a little problem with how vehement Matt is against the thought of being bisexual. He is so defensive and adamant against the thought of being gay or bi that he almost moves over into the homophobic category. It does play out that he has a reason for feeling this way, but that info comes along later…it just rubbed me the wrong way that he was so insulted every time someone assumed he was gay. He reacts badly when Jon asks him out the for the first time.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“A drink? Like–”

Matt jumped enough he nearly knocked over one of the ink cups even though it was held down with a glob of Vaseline. “Are you–no! God. No. I can’t…I’m not gay!”

Jon blinked. “Oh. Um. Shit. I’m sorry.”

“Did you think I was?”

Come to find out, Matt has been in a three way with his ex-girlfriend, Lisa, and ended up having sex with her new boyfriend. So protesting that he is straight really won’t cut it anymore. He knew he enjoyed the sex with the guy more than with the girl, but is having trouble admitting it to himself. He does resolve the bisexual issue…or, I should say, Jon helps him to resolve the issue, because Matt does love the sex with Jon. The sex is hot and burned up the pages of the book. I’m not sure if this book is categorized as erotica or romance, but it falls heavily on the erotica side. There is a lot of sex in this book, it is very well written and steamy as hell…but, there is a lot of it…almost to the point of too much. And…just slap me now…I can’t believe I just said something had too much sex…but I wanted a little bit more story in there.

This is a completely relationship driven book, and there isn’t much plot at all. There was a little talk of Matt being in a bad place in his life, needing new work equipment, car not running well, financial difficulty with school loans, but these topics just fell to the wayside. There was a mention of his ex-girlfriends job hours being flexible, but then no mention of what her job was. I think the book would have read better with these little hanging threads resolved. We meet Matt’s family and learn a little of his background, and I would have liked to have learned some of Jon’s history, but there was nothing about it. Without the depth of knowledge from learning both the men’s backgrounds the story came across as being a little shallow..

The main conflict was Matt resolving his sexuality issues, and what each man wanted out of the love affair. Matt realizes he wants more from Jon, and Jon is firm and resolved in his determination to never be in a relationship. Jon is a self-described ‘shameless slut’ so it doesn’t bode well for anything long lasting between the men.

He didn’t want relationships or romance or a white picket fences. Not with Matt. Not with anyone. He just wanted more of the mind-blowing sex they’d had.

The ending was rather abrupt and I felt like the story got shorted in the resolution area. I would have liked to have seen more dialogue between the two men as they tried to resolve the divisive issue between them. Matt changed his mind, from no relationship to being in love in an instant, and I thought Matt forgave Jon awfully fast. I wasn’t crazy about Jon…so maybe I just wanted him to suffer a little more.

This author and I have a hit and miss history, and I really do think it’s that old saying….it’s not you, it’s me. This book gives the reader exactly what is promised, and if I want more plot or a more complicated storyline, I know to go elsewhere. This is the story of two men hooking up and getting more than expected. I did not read the first book in the series, and I had no problems with this book being read as a stand alone.

I just realized that I’ve been on quite a L.A. Witt run lately. It wasn’t intentional, she’s just had a LOT of books on my review list. Plus, she’s one of my go-to authors (if she writes it, I read it.) Which is rather ironic because I somehow missed the first book in the Skin Deep, Inc. series, Back Piece, but I’m sure I’ll be rectifying that shortly.

Matt and Jon were an interesting mix. Jon had a reputation of being out and totally casual when it came to his sexuality, but he was a total tattoo virgin with no desire to change that status. Then he lost the bet. Matt was totally straight, or at least he thought he was. After a threesome birthday surprise for an ex turned friend, he wasn’t so sure. Then Jon walked into Skin Deep, Inc. and he really had his doubts.

These two guys were clueless and I mean that in a most endearing way. Jon had no intention of settling down, ever. He was perfectly content to jump from partner to partner with no strings attached rarely even a repeat ‘date’. Matt wasn’t exactly looking for a long term relationship either, but his attraction to Jon had him more than a little curious. Jon was more than happy to help him with his curiosity and have some fun while he was at it.

Matt wasn’t exactly in denial about his sexuality, he just never considered being gay, bi or anything but straight an option – mostly because of the environment he grew up in. Jon didn’t have to look far for examples of why even the most solid relationships never worked out, so he wasn’t willing to take a chance. These two falling for each other was inevitable… and more than a little entertaining.

As I mentioned, I haven’t read Back Piece, but after reading Pounding Skin, I really want to go back and read it. The supporting characters were great in Pounding Skin and Colin and Daniel made me want to get to know them better. The next book in the series is Cover Up and I can’t wait to see Nate find his true HEA. ❤

Picking up shortly after Back Piece, the first story in the Skin Deep, Inc. series, Pounding Skin introduces readers to jet pilot Jon Russell and inker Matt Huffman, whom we briefly met before. Although the pairing of a member of the military and a civilian employee of the tattoo shop is the same, the characters are so different that there’s very little repetition. While familiar within those parameters, this sequel feels brand new in plenty of other ways, making the entire series better overall.

Even more than the first story in this series, Pounding Skin is a tale in which “opposites attract.” Jon throws his candor, which was downright abrasive on occasion, before him as if it were a shield he can hunker down behind, while still feeling blameless for anyone else’s hurt feelings. Matt, on the other hand, seems so genuine—even when he’s clueless—that I worried for him for the duration of the novel. Of the two, I couldn’t help the fondness I felt for Matt from the start, nor the protective irritation that was repeatedly inspired by Jon’s behavior. Nearly all of the emotional ballast is on Matt’s side, but it ended up working out well that way.

Although I enjoyed Pounding Skin as a whole a great deal, there were some instances that I found distracting (but not particularly troubling). The sudden reversal of Matt’s old, alcohol-induced amnesia about an important moment with his college roommate; certain phrasing that’s repeated nearly verbatim; the suggestion that women are more easily “charmed” than men when it comes to sex, etc., did pull me out of the narrative on occasion. These moments are few, however, and are nicely balanced out by the more positive aspects of the story.

Pounding Skin is a well-crafted second in the Skin Deep, Inc. series, and one I feel certain I’ll revisit soon. While I was never able to fully sympathize with Jon, I felt that Matt was a truly wonderful character. More than a romance, however, Pounding Skin examines the ways we are shaped by our experiences, sculpted by many other hands in addition to our own. I was also very glad to see more of Colin and Daniel from Back Piece, and every bit of the affection I have for them both was not only remembered, but magnified. The tattoo shop seemed like a real family this time around, and I loved what it so obviously means to all those who work there. If the first two stories are anything to go by, the third should be just as engaging, and I’m extremely eager to find out what these guys might do next.

This was an interesting read for me personally. I completely LOVED Matt’s character, and it was nice to get to follow along with a character who, while he did understand his sexuality, was trying to come to terms with it as well.

Jon’s character was one that it took awhile for him to grow on me. Throughout the book we are shown that Jon is just a player (for lack of better terms) and that he doesn’t sleep with the same guy twice, yet he was willing to be with Matt more than once. I do have to say though that the turning point for me when it came to Jon’s character is when he did realize that he wanted more with Matt.

The relationship between Jon and Matt was slowly developed, but it didn’t feel too slow for me. I loved how we did get to follow along as they were both working out if they wanted to be together, and if it could work for them.

While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. Yes, the previous couple does make an appearance in this book, it isn’t done in a way that overwhelmed the book at all. It also wasn’t just thrown in there to give us series followers an update. It felt completely natural the way they were in the story.

The one thing that I do love about this series is how it deals with real life issues. It’s not just something that is a “typical” romance, we get to follow along as the couples deal with the issues and work through them.

Overall – I fell in love with this series once again and I can’t wait to read more in the future!

Pounding Skin is another steamy, entertaining story in the Skin Deep Inc. series. Matt is a talented tattooist at Skin Deep Inc. He's lately been contemplating his previously perceived heterosexuality. He had a threesome with his ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend and found to his delight that having sex with another man lit him up in a way he hadn't expected. He had been saying he wasn't gay his whole life, since he was 7 in fact, but now he's wondering just how true that mantra is. And then Jon happens to him...when he walks into Skin Deep to get a tattoo, one forced upon him by his squadron mates, Matt is instantly attracted, and the feeling is mutual. Jon is an unrepentant manwhore, in fact the tattoo his mates are making him get is the logo of a squadron with whom Jon has slept with more than one of them, but Matt knows that if any man can teach him how to be with a man and to gain confidence in his sexual skills, then Jon would be that man. As they fall into a casual, no strings affair, it's smoking hot, but Matt starts wondering just how casual this affair actually is. Especially since Jon's been sending signals that he may be thinking of Matt as more than just a f-buddy with whom he has mind-blowing sex.

I love how tentative Matt was in the beginning, as he pushed Jon away the first time he asked him out, but once he had a talk with his ex, he was all in, no more second guessing himself. Matt was really easy to connect with, Jon not so much. It's not that I didn't like Jon, I just didn't connect to him like I did with Matt. His prejudice against committed relationships made no sense at all, for one thing. There wasn't some deep, dark secret in his life that made him think relationships were horrible things, he just for some reason didn't want one. And of course that ended up hurting Matt, so that pissed me off. Thank God there wasn't a lot of angst, though, and that the two reunited quickly once Jon realized he had his head up his ass (thanks to Nate, Jon's best friend and RIO).

I wish there had been an epilogue, but I have a feeling that Nate's story might provide one of sorts, as Daniel and Colin (Back Piece) get more mention in Pounding Skin, and their relationship is expanded upon here. So, hopefully in Cover Up, I'll get more of how Matt and Jon's relationship is progressing.