„Cover up“ was heartwarmingly emotional and deliciously sexy <3
These two made my heart flutter and swoon swoon swoon
Lucas and Nate, a struggling Tattoo artist and a (almost) divorced navy guy, that was an interesting combination and I enjoyed every page of their story.

„But then I walked in here tonight, and...“ He gestured at Lucas. „And you.“

Def. not my last book from L.A. Witt

I am definitely enjoying this Skin Deep, Inc series from L.A. Witt. It's solid for me, though I will admit at times the story could pace a bit faster. Overall though I really liked Nate and Lucas as a pair. They had scorching hot chemistry and the smexy times were oh so good. I thought that the conflict was a slow build for the pair, but I really liked how it was handled. These two guys had both experienced heartache in the past, and their coming together even if it started as a fling came to mean so much more. I liked that Lucas spoke his feelings and confronted Nate on what he was doing, and more importantly how it was hurting them. The emotions were real throughout, and I really liked how Nate's pal Jon called him out and questioned him too. Not sure if there will be more of this series, but I'd read it if there were. 4 Stars

I was so happy L.A. Witt continued the Skin Deep, Inc. series with Lucas' and Nate's story. Here's to wishing there will be a fourth title!

Hot! Hot! Hot! Nate and Lucas, that’s really all that needs to be said.

Nate=Military, fit, sexy and newly single/heartbroken.
Lucas=Tattoos, younger, hot, and experienced.

Nate and Lucas together makes for one hot adventure in life, lust, and love.

Nate has a lot of issues he has to overcome and he has a lot of friends to support him through this and that is how he meets Lucas. Lucas also has a lot of obstacles that he has currently in his life and ones that he has overcome, but he is wise for his young age. It may start out as unattached fun, but it quickly turns into something more even though it may take a while before they realize or want to acknowledge it, but it’s meant to be.

Great book by L. A. Witt

I'm thinking Cover Up is my favorite of this series so far. I've really enjoyed the other book a lot, but this time around I really liked the characters more than in the other books. I also greatly loved how the Nate goes into Skin Deep to get a consult on covering up his tattoo, only to find a way to cover up something fare more painful. And I get it, I really do. This didn't stop me from being frustrated with Nate's lack of movement. He's a guy who was hurt tremendously, yet isn't doing anything to heal. He's really just covering up the hurt by having fun and falling for Lucas when he never intended to. It was sad, but still frustrating that Nate was so blind to his actions. I think because of this, his inner dialogue became repetitive and that started to get on my nerves a bit.

But then there was Lucas. I really loved him the most. The guy has it together, has his goals, knows what he needs to do and is out there doing it. He works his ass off and that's so attractive. He has a vulnerability that is endearing and made me want nothing but the best things for him. He's just a really amazing character. The fact that he has some self confidence issues with his tattooing only makes him that much more attractive. He's not so self deprecating that he comes off like he's looking for sympathy. No, he genuinely wants to do his job well. And that is again, so freaking attractive.

Lucan and Nate's relationship development moved along so well. I really enjoyed the way the got to know each other, how they slowly fell for each other and how that "hook up sex" became so much more. And speaking of their sex lives, they had it going on. These two are supremely hot in the sack. This isn't really something I am surprised about because Witt really can write her some sex scenes and I loved it.

In the end, I loved this story, not because of one particular thing, but because as a whole it told a story that I think feels really authentic. I can't imagine going through or dealing with what Nate does, nor what Lucas had gone through with his two previous failed marriages. I know marriage is hard work and that I've been really lucky to find a person who gets me and we communicate if we have any issues. Neither Lucas nor Nate had that... not really. So when they find each other and finally make it work, it made the journey of the story worth it for me. This ending with a solid HFN makes it even better because that feels even more authentic.

Recommended.

An ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nope, nope, nope - this didn't work for me practically from page 1. The dialogue was corny and the character byplay was too juvenile and obvious. Nate is supposed to be around 40 but he didn't act like it - hence my "juvenile" comment above.

I didn't find much about this story to be realistic and frankly it felt like the book was mostly about the sex. I didn't see what brought these two men together; there was a lot of telling, not showing about their relationship. I skipped most of the sex scenes because there were too many of them and they lasted waaaaay too long.

I have not read any of the other books in this series but I have read some reviews about this book and many people say this book is the best of the series. Wow, I really hope that's not true because if it is, there is no way I am going to read the other books.

Also, this story could have been much shorter if the characters didn't rehash every little thing they thought about over and over. Nate, for example, would constantly think about the fact that he hasn't been with another man for 10 years, he just couldn't get off that train and I am like, I get it!! Lucas is the first man you've been with for 10 years! OMG, I am able to retain this info so please stop telling me!!!!!! And Lucas - for some reason - couldn't get over the fact that he botched a woman's tattoo. Yes, that can be a real confidence downer, but holy cow! Stop using that as an excuse and move on, please!

There were more instances of them thinking about their feelings and jobs, etc, that didn't need to be thought about more than once.

Nope, don't recommend. This LA Witt was totally a miss for me, but I will read her again because I love so many of her other stories - Static; Risky Behavior; The Master Will Appear, just to name a few.

This book is off the charts hot. The chemistry is there right off the bat and doesn't taper off at all.

Nate is in the middle of a divorce that is not exactly amicable. For a man who usually keeps his emotions bottled up, he is dealing with it the best way he knows how...by self-medicating with numbing alcohol. And avoidance. Of course.
Lucas is struggling to regain his confidence after a particularly unfortunate tattoo that he did. Between the botched tattoo and his extremely long run of bad sexual encounters, he is sure he just doesn't have luck on his side. Until he meets Nate.

Aside from the great chemistry, there is also emotion. And self-discovery and self-revelations. Nate really grows emotionally toward the end of the story. At one point, toward the end, the author writes a burning metaphor like a freaking boss. I am still thinking about it.
Lucas is strong AF. He is understanding, patient, and kind. Then when he needs to, he does the right thing for himself. He is up front, clear and open about it. There is no big misunderstanding, which I really appreciated.

The resolution for Nate just worked. I liked how it wasn't perfect, that things weren't all happy and joy and BFFs because how realistic could that be in this particular circumstance. His pain was real and realistic. His resolutions were also that.

I loved both characters individually. They were both working through their own struggles and had life experiences that helped them become who they were today. And neither resented the other's experiences.

I do wish the epilogue spent more time on just Lucas and Nate, but I may feel that way because I did not read the other books in this series (this is the first one I have read). If you have read the other books you would probably appreciate the epilogue more than I did as the couples from the other books had prominent page time.

I definitely recommend this book, I quite enjoyed it and finished it in pretty much one sitting.

So evidently I’m not only on a L.A. Witt kick, I’m also on a military kick… Like I’ve mentioned before, L.A. Witt is on a role and I haven’t read all her available titles, but there are a few that I just couldn’t resist. The Skin Deep Inc series is one of them. On a side note, if I hadn’t already decided to go back and read Back Piece (the first book in the series – I have no idea how I missed that one) Cover Up would have made the decision a no-brainer.

Nate pretty much broke my heart in Pounding Skin – his break up with his husband of 10 years almost convinced Jon that true, long standing love didn’t exist. Thankfully, things worked out for Jon and and Matt, but I’m equally thankful that Nate got his chance at a true HEA.

Lucas may have been an apprentice at Skin Deep Inc, but he was really just using that title as a crutch. He was especially talented at covering up tattoos that people weren’t happy with for one reason or another. He could have become a full fledged artist, but he lost his confidence with one screw up. He was still trying to get over it when he met Nate.

I gotta admit, even though I wanted Nate and Lucas to be each other’s HEA, I thought things moved a little too fast. Yet, I felt the connection that these two had. Nate had no intention of getting close to anyone else and Lucas had been burned himself a couple of times. He had no intention of being anyone’s rebound. Love had other plans for these two, but that didn’t mean things were easy.

It was great being with Jon, Matt and the rest of the characters again. Colin and Daniel – who were the first couple introduced in Back Piece – also played a fairly important role in Cover Up. Which is just one of the many reasons why I need to go back and read their story from the beginning. You can read any of these stories as a stand alone, but I bet once you read one, you’re going to want to read them all. 😉

I liked the MC's, they were well rounded characters with interesting back stories and current dilemmas. I like the world the story it's set in, with all it's secondary characters and settings (otherwise I wouldn't be reading the 3rd book in the series).

However I found the plot rather lacking. There wasn't really much going on besides falling into bed every time they saw each other. A shame really because I felt there was plenty to ideas set up to explore but it never really happened. I also found the dialogue a bit awkward and cringey.

However I still enjoyed reading Lucas and Nate's story who had great chemistry and catching up with the previous books MCs. Overall an enjoyable read.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher / author for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review)

I’m a bit on the fence on this third entry to “Skin Deep Inc.” series. It’s the second chance story that involved Nate (who found his husband cheated on him on Pounding Skin) and Lucas, the new apprentice at the Skin Deep Inc. (who botched a client’s tattoo). The overall story is actually fine. It’s just the attraction between Nate and Lucas felt too instant and go too deep too soon for me.

On the flip-side, both men are likable characters. They have (weak) moments which make them regular human beings. And - not that I dislike a bit of smut in my reading - the series of vertical and horizontal tangos these guys doing on any surface and position are a bit too much. I get that that’s the idea of having an affair’s all about (duh!) ...lust, sexual attractions. But I guess I just hope there’s more than chapters of steamy scenes.

Having said that, Cover Up concludes the “Skin Deep Inc.” nicely in the way the tie-up (in the literal sense of the word) of the first couple in this series. That this side story aiding the culmination to Nate and Lucas’s affair is done nicely. Only, I feel the conclusion’s done in a mad dash to the finish line. Just when I need some sort of grand gesture or groveling, there’s nada! Yes, I’m glad Nate and Lucas get to start their happy beginning. But I’m not too fond of the way they go about it. Bummer.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In my head I get the guys from this series mixed up with the guys from Anchor Point – LA’s other current military series. In a way, that’s not great, because it’s telling that there isn’t something really strong to set these books apart and make them unique.

As I’ve said with some of the AP books – there is a lot to love about these books. LA knows the military and does a fantastic job of portraying the pros and cons of military life (well, the cons especially). I always learn more about being in the military after reading these books.

LA writes really, really, hot smexy times. As the covers promise, these guys have some seriously hot chemistry and there is lots of it explored in this book.
Unfortunately, this was a book that didn’t grab me. I didn’t feel like we spent enough time out of bed to really feel good about the relationship nor did I feel like we spent enough time fleshing out the MCs as much as we have in other works by this author.

It was good for what it is: a very hot, erotic romance featuring a man in the military and a tattoo artist – but beyond that – I wasn’t overwhelmed.

3.5 of 5 stars

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. I kept putting it down and picking it back up but it was very repetitive and I found myself not caring about the romance or the characters. Sadly, this was a DNF for me.

I think the Skin Deep series by LA Witt keeps better better and better with each book. I have to admit - I wasn't crazy about book 1. Book 2 was definitely better, but this one - book 3 - is the best of the three out so far. I believed Nate and Lucas as a couple, which is really important for me. Both of them came to the relationship with some serious baggage - especially Nate who only a few months ago separated from his husband of 10 years due to infidelity and is in the process of getting a divorce. That kind of thing will seriously mess a person up for awhile, so I'm glad that his relationship with Lucas doesn't go smoothly because of it. That would've been unrealistic and ruined my opinion of the book.

God love Lucas. He's a hot young playboy who has lost his tattooing confidence due to a fairly recent mistake on one of his clients. He's still an apprentice at Skin Deep, even though he has the hours and the skills to become a full-fledged member of the team. He falls head over heels for Nate, but he's also smart enough to know that there's no way Nate could return his feelings completely freely this quickly after his separation.

Cover Up was pretty emotional at times, particularly during a poignant scene toward the end. My heart broke for both Nate and Lucas and for different reasons. This was a book with a great combination of emotion and heat. As is typical for LA Witt, the sex was crazy hot and plentiful. My only wish was for more scenes in the tattoo shop. I wanted to see Lucas more actively work through his confidence issues with his tattooing.

I'm hoping there's more to come in this series - if there is, I'll be reading it!

DNF at 17%

This is my second DNF and low rating in a row, and I'm pretty sure - just like Lucas' sex life... I'm cursed. I tried. I really really did ... This wasn't a humor book but I found myself laughing and cringing instead of focusing on the romance.

I have a general rule of getting to a 100 pages in a book before I am allowed to put it down if it isn't for me or keep going if I love it. I couldn't with this one. This was the adult representation of a kid being forced to pick a random book because it's 'library time', and going on the computers wasn't allowed.


_________

-The Chemistry (If there was any...) -
So I don't know about you, ladies and gentlemen... but if ever, I were to be fresh out of a divorce - I would find it highly unrealistic to be so attracted to the first man you see that you just want to jump their bones. Especially if the marriage was over after a decade and it was due to cheating. I'd be mad and upset and angry... maybe that's just me. Who knows?

"It had been so long since he’d entertained any genuine lust for someone who wasn’t Caleb, it was overwhelming. Or maybe Lucas was just that attractive."
description

It had been the first five chapters and they were already fucking... The lack of substance between their relationship really irked me... Did they even know each others second name?
Also, the dialogue between both of them was an effort to make things hot and sexy, but personally - I found it to be cringey and way too mushy to be realistic.
“You know, this couch is the perfect size for some sixty-nine.”


- The Writing -
The writing to me felt very childish and it lacked the right devices for the story to come alive off the pages. It was a lot of grade -school writing like "this happened and then this, later this happened as well".

I find the writing is very essential to me for the story, the sparks, the love to actually bloom as I turn the pages. There was no imagery to the descriptions so I couldn't visualize any of the characters, the setting or the environment and tone that the place gave off.



I would like to sexy end this sexy short review with a very sexy quote from our very sexy main character. sexy.
“Even if I don’t have it in me to get it up again, that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you.”

The last book in the Skin Deep Inc. series deals with Nate, Jon's RIO, hero of Pounding Skin, and the new member in the tattooshop, Lucas.

At the end of Pounding Skin we got a small excerpt of the book and I can only say: I was thirsty to read this book. <3

Lucas and Nate are right from the start attracted to each other, the sexual tension is there, prominent and both guys can't keep their hands from each other. Literally. Groping, touching, sucking, liking, kissing... you name it. <3

The book is full of hot sex, and it seems no surface is save from them. :D
Between all the sex the problem with Nate's divorce is dealt with but it takes a long time until Nate is really over his shattered past.

I really loved how mature Lucas was displayed, although he is described as a beautiful man with the bluest eyes and kissable lips, showing a youngish face, so people mistake him being younger. Lucas isn't shy of what he wants and it's clear he dealt with a lot of things in the past, emotionally but in the sensual corner too ;). It was pretty refreshing and I really liked it. I was also pretty astonished at the events at the end and it gave the book its thrill.

Nate is older than Lucas but sometimes it feels more reversed, but it's not necessary something bad. Some parts in the book Nate is calm, the mature one, other parts he loses his confidence. It's clear he hasn't coped the broken relationship with his ex-husband and his insta-lust between him and Lucas is a welcome distraction. This was a good development in the book, L.A. Witt knows how to make her characters vulnerable. They become human in those scenes and we have a lot of internal and external struggle.

The reappearing characters are well known from Back Piece and Pounding Skin. It's sweet to see them, see the established couples and the way all those different guys have such a great friendship. :3 And the scenes with Colin and Daniel are so sweet. :3

Another aspect I really liked about the book were the explanations of military related terms, the way how things work and what Nate's tasks are. Also Lucas's experience as a tattooist is shown and he explaines his work field. This insight is pretty cool and it gives the book substance.

The book has its ups and downs, the reader's attention is constantly picked and it has thrilling parts. 5 out of 5 stars for this. :3 I asume there won't be any other books in the series but I would never say never. :) Would be nice to see the guys again, whereever it may it be. :)

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

Nate is divorcing and goes to Skin Deep to get his tattoo covered up. Lucas is an apprentice at the shop and when these two meet, sparks fly. This read is very emotional as Nate was deeply hurt when his husband cheated and is working to move forward. The question is will this just be a bit of fun between Lucas and Nate or can this be more? I liked the characters as well as the story. A good read.

The Skin Deep, Inc. series started out on a high note, but has been unable to sustain it over the last two books. In Cover Up (perfect title, btw), Nate meets tattoo artist Lucas when he goes for a consultation to cover up a tattoo he and his soon-to-be ex-husband got together. For the first time in a long time, he finds himself attracted to a man, and he and Lucas embark on a casual, no-strings sexual relationship. Except, Nate has never been a casual, no-strings kind of man. I liked Nate and Lucas a lot. They are both very appealing characters, however, Nate’s denial and steadfast refusal to talk about or deal with his emotions regarding the end of his ten-year relationship were frustrating (for me, and Lucas!), and obviously going to lead to trouble. Given the nature of their relationship, a multitude of sex scenes make perfect sense, but I honestly got tired of them after a while. I wanted the two men to spend more time talking and getting to know each other better, to build their relationship beyond sex. The few scenes where they did spend time outside the bedroom, were some of my favorites, but they were much too rare, for me. When the inevitable fallout from Nate’s refusal to deal with his life came to fruition, I totally felt the emotional pain he was going through, but I felt it was too rushed. The speed at which he suddenly recognized what he was burying instead of processing, and the manner in which it was resolved just didn’t work for me. I guess I wanted more from Nate, more of the hard work it takes to get over the end of a long term relationship. For me, Cover Up was a disappointment.

I just love this series. The books always leave me with a smile on my face. :)

Whenever I see another ARC pop up in my inbox, I just squeal for joy(yes literally) because it's always like a great unexpected gift you know? ^_^

Now to this book! The thing I loved most was the the seamless way the relationship between Nate and Lucas progressed from just physical fulfillment to emotional. It felt very real .

The other thing I loved was the sexy smexy times! The chemistry between these two was off the chain hotness! Add in the fact that they are both versatile in bed and my mind was blown again and again throughout the story. *fans self furiously *

This was fairly low angst with the only drama centering around Nate's ex-husband. Though I thought the story could've done without it, I felt Lucas's points were valid and the way he handled the situation was very mature. I'm also glad that Nate didn't fall on his pride as a buffer but worked on himself. It also spoke to the strength of his character in my opinion.

Writing-wise, everything was peachy as usual. We also got some updates on the two previous couples from the first two books which I really loved.

I couldn't tell if this was the final book in the series (though I really hope not) , but if there are any more books in the pipeline, you can bet I'll be first in line!

Favorite of the series!

One thing I've loved the most about this series is the ease in which L.A. Witt writes the evolution of the relationships, and that shines brightest for me in this book.

Both Lucas and Nate have dealt with divorces in their lives, most recently for Nate, so they were able to understand each other when it came to hesitations about any type of serious commitment. Easy...they both wanted easy. And with the electric connection these two share right from the start, they had plenty of activities to keep their minds off of anything beyond their attraction and libido.

But you know how it goes...those pesky feelings find a way of creeping in, especially when it's so easy to be around each other. Beyond the bedroom there was a comfort that settled something for both men.

However, I understood Lucas's insecurities about being nothing more than a rebound and I sympathized with Nate's turmoil with reconciling his bitter feelings about his divorce and the quickly growing feelings for Lucas.

Even though Nate primarily went with an avoidance technique, when everything finally caught up to him, my heart broke.

But even with all that, the angst was fairly low in the book...while the heat was notched up to scorching! There were moments of slow and sensual intermixed with frenzied and passionate and all of it just kept building and deepening the connection between the two men.

The epilogue was sweet and gave a look into where each of the couples in this series are heading...for some it's wedding bells for others it's building a home. But no matter what, it's clear they are all in love and have a happy future ahead of them.

Nate Chandler gave ten years to the man who ended up breaking his heart when he cheated on Nate—in their own bed. Never one for random hookups in the first place, Nate was left furious and unsteady when the forever he was counting on disappeared in an instant. Moving on would be so much easier if he could erase Caleb—and that matching tattoo—from his life. And isn’t it lucky that the “cover-up wizard” at the local tattoo shop also happens to be just as gorgeous as the art he creates?

Working two part-time jobs in addition to keeping up his apprenticeship at Skin Deep, Inc. doesn’t leave Lucas Brandt much time for anything else. Especially not romance, given his history of bad decisions and more recent pattern of disastrous sexual encounters. Even so, he can’t deny the undeniable heat that the recently separated and still hurting RIO stokes in him from their very first meeting. And, really, if being with Nate feels this good without any strings attached, there’s no way Lucas is going to fight it.

Having met Nate and Lucas in the previous story, Pounding Skin, it was fairly easy to jump right into Cover Up without any backtracking. Lucas, in particular, piqued my interest before, so I was very excited to see how his story might play out. For most of the narrative, I stayed connected to what was going on with Lucas and Nate, and was either eager for them to sort things out or worried that the overall surface was too smooth by turns. It wasn’t until the relationship was still predominantly rooted in the bedroom when both men’s feelings had clearly evolved further that I began to hope for more.

Although I liked each of the main characters, I definitely have a particular fondness for Lucas. Open about his sexuality, his major worries are about paying off his student loans and getting his confidence back after a mistake on a tattoo leaves him rattled. As for his relationship with Nate, he knows exactly what the situation is, but is just happy to feel good when he can, and makes a conscious choice to let himself keep falling. When he finally realizes that things can’t continue as they had been, I couldn’t help hurting for him.

As I have an admitted weakness for returning characters that I like, Cover Up had plenty to keep me happy. In addition to seeing Matt and Jon again, the entire Skin Deep, Inc. crew make repeated appearances, and Colin and Daniel (from Back Piece) have a couple of extremely significant scenes that I loved. Daniel had been away on a six-month deployment, and the reunion was certainly a good one.

Overall, I think Cover Up is a nice addition to the Skin Deep, Inc. novels. Nate and Lucas were a good match for one another in quite a few ways, though I’d have liked to have seen more of them out in the world, either alone or together. While the sex scenes did get a bit repetitive, I still wanted them to work everything out a great deal, and I believe that solution they arrived at is right for them—for now. Although each story can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading them all from the beginning, especially since some of the other characters feature so prominently here. I’m not sure if there will be another in this series, but I’d be happy to see everyone again, regardless.