I adored this read. I can't fault it in any way at all. For me a definite must read.

Several things didn't work for me right from the start.

(view spoiler)

I'm sorry this one didn't work for me. I want to love every book I read. I loved the first in this series and I'm looking forward to the next one.

No rating since I barely got to 25% before I started skimming.

I was immediately drawn into Pounding Skin. The author brought us real life characters and situations.
I enjoyed reading how these two became more than just a bootie call to each other.
Their chemistry was immediate and posed a challenge at times as they weren't sure how to handle their emotions.

I like the series and I'm looking forward to read the next in the series

Although part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. You won't regret it :)
I really enjoyed reading this, I couldn't put it down! Matt is newish to his feelings for a man, but boy did he take to it take a duck to water :) Jon, on the other hand, had tons of experience on his side butt thought he was in for a temporary arrangement. Both were totally clueless when they found themselves in a relationship. I loved the story, there is some drama/angst but it is woven in so seamlessly that I barely noticed (I am not a fan of angst, contrived misunderstandings, etc).
The side characters are fun and now I'm looking forward to the next story (Nate and Lucas). I would highly recommend this.

Pounding Skin is a hot, sexy addition to the Skin Deep series. Navy Fighter pilot Jon and tattoo artist Matt are great characters and the story is well written. It challenges Matt’s honesty to himself and his feelings and Jon’s ability for commitment and in the end, they will need to be honest with themselves before they will make it together.

I couldn't put this one down!!

I was going to read this no matter what the cover was like because I liked the first book in the series, Back Piece, and I also liked a teaser I read a while back about this one. So the cover wasn't going to affect my decision. The fact that it turned out to be this great was just a nice and much appreciated bonus. I didn't want to write a review where I didn't mention this great image so here you go.

Now, about the actual book. I already said that I enjoyed reading the first book but I liked this one even more and that sure says something.

I couldn't help make comparisons between the two books in order to see why I liked this one better and what I came up with was the fact that this one was more relationship-focused and at the same time we didn't have back-to-back sex scenes that run the danger of getting repetitive and not adding anything to the story.

I'm going to mention some other things that were different between the two books so if someone had a problem with them in the first one would know what to expect here. I want to say that they didn't bother me and some of them made me like the book even more. Here I'm just pointing out the differences between two books in the same series by the same author.

In this book there was a significant amount of less inner dialogues, less family-related drama (as in none) and less angst. There was also less tattooing and less sex scenes. There was more developement in the relationship and in the characters and more interaction with their social circles.

Of course there were sex scenes and the characters were hot together, but it was plot with some sex here and there and not the other way around. If I have to pick between plot or sex scenes I'll pick plot hands down but here I didn't have to pick! The plot was strong and it was definitely there and the sex scenes didn't drown it out, instead they spiced it up and added to it.

I like the trope of a casual arrangement slowly turning in a real relationship and in this book I wasn't disappointed. Jon and Matt had a realistic transition from the first to the second. They didn't rush, they didn't just accept what was happening, they didn't even see it coming. They resisted, they denied, they fought for what they wanted and finally they won.

Matt had a strong character, he was confident and sure of his wants (once he figured them out). He fought for those wants and wasn't prepared to settle for anything less. He was brave and honest and even though he had suppressed his attraction to men for many years, once he realised he was bisexual he embraced it and didn't try to hide it from anyone.

Jon was..... I'll go with "promiscuous" (instead of "manwhore" as Jon referred to himself). He didn't want to settle down, he didn't want commitment, he didn't want anything that said "this is getting serious", so he avoided all that at any cost. He was honest with Matt from the start and since they wanted the same things at that point they started a casual relationship.

What neither of them saw coming were the feelings that started to grow between them and while Matt embraced them, Jon resisted them with passion. He turned a blind eye to what he was feeling and stubbornly insisted that what they talked about in the beginning was still true.

We also got to see Colin and Daniel again here, being together and happily navigating a relationship. Colin was still able to manage his issues and Daniel was still there to support him. And there was another great bonus in this book. We got to see Colin finish Daniel's tattoo!

I was really happy about that. A lot of people mentioned in their reviews of the first book that they were disappointed by the fact that the book had ended with the tattoo still unfinished (myself included) and I don't know if the author already had in mind to include this scene in the next book or if she did it to please her readers, but it was great to see it no matter what prompted the inclusion of the scene here.

In this book we also meet the main characters for the next intalment of the series, Lucas and another secondary character that I won't say his name because I don't want to spoil anything. While I really want to read the second one's story and see what happens in his life after this book, I don't think I would have thought of Lucas for him. I liked Lucas just fine and would read his story, he just didn't seem right for the other one. Of course we saw very little of Lucas here and didn't really get to know him so what do I know?

One thing I'm sure of is that I'm not missing out on any of the books in this series! Recommened!



*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This starts out with a not cute meet of John getting a tattoo on a bit and ends up a lovely romance about one hero finding his full sexuality and another hero changing his mind about commitment.

I particularly like the exploration of how Matt's bisexuality has been suppressed by him and his willingness to think about this process carefully.

This is a well written, hot, character driven romance that I enjoyed every moment of and can't wait for the next book in the series!

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it!

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ FOUR-STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < <
Tattooed and bronzed torso on an equally bronzed cover does not leave much to stand out and catch the eye. Title font is bold. Synopsis does not pull at me as much as BACK PIECE did, but I did like the first book quite a bit, so I'm game to give this one a chance.
> > Looking Deeper < <
POV ~> Third-person.

A Naval pilot with a fear of needles and commitment meets a tattoo artist that's just coming to question his own sexuality in this second installment of the series.
It was an odd pairing and they formed an odd relationship/arrangement. They were compatible and seemed to hit it off well, but it was hard to feel an emotional bond to them as a couple when the couple lives in denial. One thing that became annoying after a while were how random looks, thoughts, touches, and/or memories causing one or the other to "shiver". Good gawd, that was overused and became less attractive every time. I was almost afraid they'd need to be checked for neurological issues as often as it came up!
That aside, the secondary cast mainly consisted of Matt's coworkers at Skin Deep, Inc. and Jon's RIO (co-pilot) Nate. A few extras were brought in on occasion as well, such as a best friend or family member. The dialogue was sound and their interactions were decent. It was just hard to believe that every time one went to the other's house, they could barely wait to get the front door closed before pawing and mauling one another. As the relationship continued on, there were times that I wanted to slap some sense into one or both of them, but mostly just one of them. The plot was good but was not really dynamic or exciting. However, the writing style allowed for it to flow smoothly and freely. There were a few conflicts (bonehead moments), that were too easily forgiven but overall, it was entertaining to see them work their issues out. There was not a lot of predictability; in fact, I'd noticed a few potential conflicts that never came to fruition ~ missed opportunities for a little added drama. The conclusion provides a loosely implied HEA for the lead characters.
Overall, I do not feel it was as strong as BACK PIECE (Colin & Daniel, book 1), perhaps because of the emotional disconnect for 80+ percent of the book, but it stood it's own ground fairly well. That said, I'd still recommend reading the books in order since Colin and Daniel's story continues to play out in the background of POUNDING SKIN.
I am interested in COVER UP and look forward to seeing if they have a stronger connection, and I hope to see more of Jon and Matt growing stronger as a couple and hope to see Daniel and Colin together again as well.
.
Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.1 ~ Stars: 4
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⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

Pounding skin is another book from L A Witt involving the local tattoo shop and navy aviators. As usual we have lots of extremely hot sex scenes, this time between Matt a tattooist and Jon a navy jet pilot. Matt never thought of himself as gay until Jon has to come to have a tattoo to fulfil a bet he lost with his colleagues.
An enjoyable story of a developing relationship, I felt this had more depth than some of her previous books and there were more characters which I can see setting the scene for other books in this series.
A good erotic story to while away a few hours, I look forward to the next in this series

This was so much better than the first book. You don't get all those annoying internal dialogues going over he does really like me, I don't deserve him, etc. Yes we do have to work though Jon being a manwhore who won't sleep with the same guy twice and it almost seems like he is trying to sleep with every gay guy from every squadron that he can get his hands on. We also have Matt coming to grips that he just might be bi. Even though they did jump into bed pretty quickly, Jon sees that there might be a benefit to making a new friend. We get to watch these two start moving towards something more then just fuck buddies. And that really scares Jon as he is never going to settle down. And when his co-pilot finds his husband has cheated on him and they are getting a divorce, he knows that is the right choice form him. Matt on the other hand knows that he is falling for Jon and wants to move the relationship further but that is not what Jon signed up for and they break up. This break up was more believable then Colin's breakup in the first book. I loved seeing the guys from the first book. Still loving the secondary characters. Loved them all. We also have a new face in this book who is going to be giving someone a run for his money in the next book and I can't wait to read it. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent read

Overall I enjoyed this one more than book one.

There's far less angst in this one, for most of the book the MCs are happily together just getting on with having some of that amazing sex LA Witt is so, so good at writing.

There's little in the way of outside forces creating tensions, it all comes from the relationship development itself and even that isn't particularly bad.

Jon needed his eyes open to see what he was potentially throwing away and Matt needed to wake up and realize he wanted more and that he wouldn't wait around. Thankfully some proverbial head knocking resulted in some top class groveling and an epic HFN nudging into an HEA.

Nice to see Colin and Daniel from book one not only still together but thriving and I'm loving the book three pairing.

I can't wait for book three!

Absolutely as hot as the photo on the cover! Overall I enjoyed this one more than book one, even though I've given them the same rating.

There's far less angst in this one, for most of the book the MCs are happily together just getting on with having some of that amazing sex LA Witt is so, so good at writing.

There's little in the way of outside forces creating tensions, it all comes from the relationship development itself and even that isn't particularly bad.

Jon needed his eyes opening to see what he was potentially throwing away and Matt needed to wake up and realise he wanted more and that he wouldn't wait around. Thankfully some proverbial head knocking resulted in some top class grovelling and an epic HFN nudging into a HEA.

Nice to see Colin and Daniel from book one not only still together but thriving and I'm loving the book three pairing.

4.5/5

An eARC of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

To be clear, this is not a sequel to Colin and Daniel's story (although they do appear). This is about a Navy Fighter pilot called Jon and Matt, the tattoo artist that works in Skin Deep Inc.

Matt gave his ex girlfriend and best friend her birthday present. But the thing is, it made him question the truth of him calling himself a heterosexual man. And that is not appeased when Jon comes into the shop to get a tattoo, as a matter of fact, Matt is now almost 100% sure that women are not the only ones he is sexually attracted to.

Long story short, if you read the first book it goes almost exactly like that, but of course, it has its own plot and details. For those who have not, here is the gist of the thing: Matt blows off Jon-the-manwhore because he "isn't gay", but regrets it and doesn't know how to get him to come back. Jon comes back, and they hook up, and many things happen (including Matt bailing again, coming back, and them going into a "no strings" relationship). Everyone knows how that ends, right?

As a matter of fact, everyone does have an opinion as to what will become of their relationship. And it really is kind of blurry the line between "strings" and "no strings" for these two. It's cute, emotional, funny and it makes you want them to suck it up and deal with reality. I mean, really? Have you submerged yourself so much in denial that you've blinded yourself?

So, here's the thing: an occurrence in the story has made Jon sink even lower. He was getting closer to the surface, but then this happening pulled him under again. Back to zero we go. It's so frustrating how Witt can so perfectly describe his thoughts. You can see Jon slamming the walls over his feelings just because they are getting too "relationship-y". You can pretty much see how this ends.....

Amazing plot, wonderous story. I'm clawing at time so it can move faster in order for me to read Witt's next book for this series. Sure, the structure is basically the same as her previous book, but that is the structure of 70% of romance books: see you, like you, get cold feet/ feel insecure, walks away, regrets it, goes back and beg, end up together again, happy ending/sad ending (depending on the type of book, a sad ending is better).

Not my type of story. Therefore, I truly could not evaluate it accordingly. It was also too short.