Cover Image: Cover Up

Cover Up

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¸.•´¸★*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.★¨*.¸¸.•`★¤"I found the best thing that every happened to me when I wasn't looking." ~Nate¤★¨*.¸¸.*ˑ˞★

This. This was the book I didn't know I was waiting for. When I met Nate in Jon's story, I liked how boisterous and teasing he was. And then to find out that the life he had been living was a lie and about to come crashing down on him. I actually cried out loud. Noooo, not NATE!!

And then there was Lucas. Too young to have had two divorces under his belt, battling three jobs to make ends meet and trying to get his confidence back after a botched job. Yeah, he needed someone who was there for him. Someone who wasn't going to change him, but enhance him and his way of thinking.

"It was only supposed to be about a cover up, but what they found was so much more."

If ever two men needed each other it was these two. The fact that Lucas was bisexual did not even require a second glance or thought. It barely made an impact on this story, thank heavens. Both men knew what they were getting into when they hooked up, but the fact that they fell without realising it caught them off guard. And this was especially because the grieving process had not been completed.

I won't lie, the sex scenes were HOT. And I loved the way both Nate and Lucas interacted with one another. The gentle quality, the ability to communicate even when words weren't necessary and Lucas's maturity. Oh. My. Word!!! He was just what Nate needed. Yes, the affair started off as a rebound, but time spent made them realise just what was needed to find closure.

Definitely my favorite of the three books and a hell yes on recommendation. Thank you Tito from St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read this wonderful story.

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Cover up is the third book in the skin deep series, but can be read as a standalone.
Nate is in the middle of a divorce after 10 years of marriage. He goes to Skin deep as he wants the tattoo he had done with his husband removed or covered up as it's too much of a reminder of the heartbreak he's been put through.
Here he meets Lucas, an apprentice whose speciality is cover ups, sparks ignite immediately between the two and they end up in bed that evening. The relationship continues at a fast pace, but both have suffered, Lucas is bisexual and has 2 divorces under his belt, so they both try fool each other this is purely for fun and sex.
Lucas begins to feel Nate is just using him on the rebound to forget about all he's been through, how the relationship works out is well told.
Rather repetitive in places and a quick easy read, but that said as enjoyable as most of L A Witt's books are.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book

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If you are looking for a M/M romance with no drama or hot chemistry this is for you. While not unpleasant, the story didn't do anything for me. Despite Nate finding his husband in bed with another, any drama (aka excitement) from that takes place prior to the book starting. I also never felt any heat between Nate and Lucas. They are attracted to each other but it seems more convenience than smoldering "can't get enough of you" though the author writes that they really want each other (especially Nate for Lucas) but I didn't feel it coming from the characters.

We get more about Nate, how he's feeling, what he's thinking, how he lives and works. We get next to nothing about Lucas other than he works a lot and was married twice to women. We never see his home. Nate asks minimal questions. I know if I (as the woman I am) was in a relationship with a guy and I found out he'd been married to two other guys prior I'd have some questions.

Witt's characters don't make crazy, poor choices here to move the story along and they tend to be thoughtful, nice people. Unfortunately, that led in this case to a less than interesting read for me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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So far this series is really working for me. This third book is about Nate (who is Jon from book two's work partner) and Lucas (who is an artist who specializes in cover ups at Skin Deep). Nate's in the middle of a divorce after his spouse cheats on him. He goes in to the tattoo shop to get a cover up on his tattoo and there he meets Lucas. The two men are immediately attracted to each other but neither wants a relationship. They decide to be friends with benefits but that goes awry when they end up falling in love. Unfortunately Nate is not done with grieving the loss of his marriage so the road gets a bit complicated for these two.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It deals with the issues Nate has without being OTT on dramatics. The relationship felt very realistic to me. We get to see both couples from the previous books and Colin and Daniel have some important scenes.

My only complaint is the same one I had for the first book. I think these are a bit too heavy on the sex scenes. I find myself skimming them by about 60%. Overall though, another solid book in this series. A series which has turned out to by my favorite by this author.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

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3.5 stars. I did not like the beginning the book. There was too much repetitiveness with the whole cheating husband, Nate thinking his sex drive was dead, Lucas' three jobs, college debt and his lost confidence on tattooing. Also, if he was a prodigy at cover-ups, why is he still an apprentice? But the last half of the book I really enjoyed. Watching these two go from friends with benefits to falling in love. I would have liked seeing Nate get is new tattoo. I also liked the meeting between Nate and his ex, there were no excuses. I loved the scene with Daniel when he came walking into the house & then proposed. I have the feeling that this is the last book as we are not introduced to anyone new and everyone seems happy.

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To be honest, this was nothing special. The story was a little bland, and very straightforward. I knew and guessed about the characters and their developments from the beginning so it was a little boring. The steam level was high, and the scenes were well-written. It was an easy read that I could imagine myself reading in summer holiday without wringing out all my emotions, but I don't know if I'd read this more than once. To be honest, I was more intrigued ny Daniel and Colin's story, so I might go back and read that instead.

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3.5 I was excited to read about Nate and Lucas. The pair had some series heat but the more I read their story I found it lacking. There wasn't much of a plot other than Nate's divorce and it was a bit anticlimactic.
The ending was sweet and I enjoyed connecting with the other character from the series

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This is a passionate romance between two guys who weren't looking for love but found it out of the blue. Nate's reeling from his divorce when his world collides with Lucas' at the tattoo parlour where he goes for a cover up of the matching tattoo he and his ex-husband have.

Lucas is running two other jobs on top of his tattoo work to try and pay back his student debt and he's already got two divorces under his belt from being an impulsive teenager and has been suffering from really bad hook ups for months.

The two meet and sparks fly, the electricity arcs off the page and the chemistry between them is clearly laid out through the talented pen of LA Witt. There's few people in this genre that write military as well as she does and her sex scenes are unfailingly passionate and emotional while bringing all the scorching heat you'd expect in any new relationship.

There's ups and downs but no huge angst in this as both men continue to pretend they're just hooking-up as their feelings move first into friendship and then into a relationship neither planned or wanted. Nate hasn't dealt with the breakup from his 10-year-marriage, Lucas fears he's just the plaster being pasted over the hurts.

The resolution is well done, believable and also allows the reader a glimpse into the protagonists of books one and two as Colin and Daniel marry and Jon and Matt talk seriously about the same. As for Nate and Lucas, the reader is left with no doubt that - for both of them - this isn't the Cover Up - this is the lifelong love.

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read this in one sitting. I am fan of the series and I hope there will be more books though it doesn't look like there is another couple teed up.

Lucas is a wonderful hero who is struggling to regain his feet after two divorces and starting his tattooing career. I love the way his bisexuality is presented in the book.

Nate is in the process of getting a divorce. This love story pivots on the question of rebound or not rebound.

It is a lot about loss inherent in a divorce as well. I really liked this part of the book.

The circle of friends is a real treasure in this book as is the tattooing and Navy aspects.

There could have been more depth with the family of the two heroes but overall this is a really nice read from a great series.

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Who doesn't love a man in uniform? 😍
I know I do, and Nate is no different!
Nate is in the military and recently getting divorced after 10 years of marriage!
Then comes Lucas-the hottie tattoo artist.
They have chemistry from the first meeting when Nate came into the shop. And when they kissed for the first time...whoa! I read it twice!
Literally throughout the book, I was waiting for the bad thing to happen. They had such a good thing going through out the book. They had chemistry for the beginning, and you can tell they were falling for each other.
It's obvious that Nate was avoiding the Caleb situation. I was waiting for it to sink in. He finally realized, "Right then, Lucas met his, and that heart-stopping smile played at his lips. Oh God. I am in way over my head with you."
Like I said, I waited for Nate to break down and he did. My heart broke for him.

I absolutely love the story of Nate and Lucas. All the emotions were there, the chemistry and the need they had for each other. I'm so happy they found each other and were able to help each other heal after both had failed marriages.

The story line was great. I really
Enjoyed reading this book!

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4,5 stars,I loved this one

Nate and Lucas are nice,sweet and also a bit flawed characters.
Who both got burned in previous marriages.Right in the first chapters.
things go really fast,And they jump in bed together.
Again and again.and why the heck not.
Both are on the same page,it is just sex and friendship ok.
Ok right.
And there is where the fun begins for us readers,Because off those
pesky,feelings are getting there and are becoming stronger and stronger.
I liked the build up,there it is not a lot off angst or drama.
outside there own feelings and expectations.

But enough to make this a fun and great read.
It is well written,it flows good.
Most off all I was having fun reading it.

Cover Up is the #3 from the Skin Deep,and I hope not the last one.
I enjoyed reading about the other couples.

Overall 4,5 well deserved stars,why not 5.
I need a bit more drama and angst.
and the making up ,after the "fight".was a bit rushed.



Arc was provided by netgalley in exchange for an review

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Cover Up is a great standalone in this interconnected series. This story gives us Nate, Caleb, and Lucas's story. However, I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous books in this one as they are a very close group of men and friends. This story was just as great as the previous book in this series and just like the ones before it, it does not disappoint. I loved the chemistry between the characters and when it comes to this book it does not lack steam. The characters were great, the storyline was great, and the flow of the story was perfect. I finished it in one sitting and I really could have read more of these characters. If you've read the previous books in this series this one is a must read. If you haven't started the series yet and enjoy a good m/m read, then this is definitely a series worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

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Navy pilot Nate Chandler never thought that after ten years of marriage that he’d come face to face with his husband cheating and now to be going through a divorce. With the constant reminder of that betrayal tattooed on his arm Nate goes to his friends shop to talk to a new artist about covering it up.

Lucas makes Nates mind totally switch gears from the second they lay eyes on each other. Not one for relationships after two divorces already under his belt, they both agree to friends with benefits. However almost immediately they both know it’s so much more than that.

I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book completely so I figure this time I will break it up a bit with my likes and dislikes and let others decide for themselves.

Likes
1. I absolutely adored Nate. Even though he was still struggling from the divorce I never felt like it really affected his his relationship. Even when he realized his relationship was more he never really questioned it. He took things as they came with Lucas and didn’t make him pay for the choices of his ex.
2. The length of the book was sooooo long. This was not a short story by any means. You definitely get to watch these two fall in love with one another and see all the happy moments involved. So much so that at 30% I thought I was already at the end of the book lol
3. I loved how Lucas met another wanna be tattoo artist who came off as a complete tool bag thinking he was better then everyone because quite frankly you will meet a lot of those types in the tattoo industry!
Dislikes
1. Lucas I struggled to connect with. At first, he comes off at his cocky no relationships manwhore but at the same time he was insecure and constantly questionings almost whining about everything around him. His relationship with Nate was the only thing he didn’t really question yet that’s the one thing I would have expected it with considering he had 2 divorces under his belt. The two traits just seemed to clash to much for me
2. This is may be something others might not catch but considering I’ve been in the industry for 15 years it stood out to me a lot. There were a lot of inconsistencies in the tattoo shop portion of this story, mainly with Lucas’ “apprenticeship”. Most people don’t apprentice for years (long enough to go through a marriage and divorce) and they definitely are not a “master of cover ups” while in said apprenticeship. I’ve known guys who struggled from day one and took a while to get to the point of even being able to tattoo pig skin. I’ve also known guys who were legacy artist and could pretty much tattoo from the first day they held a machine. So, I’ve seen a wide scope of artist types and I’ve never seen a situation like the one Lucas is in where he’s apprenticing for years yet he masters something guys who’ve tattooed for 20+ cant even do. It would have been more believable for Lucas to have been an artist who was struggling after he messed up a tattoo and was trying to find his groove again. He could have easily been still being taught by the other guys (cuz you can always learn new tips and technics) and if the author wanted to show Lucas being the type to take on grunt work well that’s easily explained by being the new artist in a shop. A lot of times if you are a newbie you’ll be the last in rotation of walk ins and you’ll have to pull your weight a little more with shop clean up if the other guys just don’t divide it up themselves. Again, this may just be my own personal complaint but like I said seeing as I’ve been in the tattoo industry for 15 years on a daily basis it just really bugged the crap out of me. I would have preferred the author to just removed some of these parts of the story.


So I’ll let y’all decide. Was it a bad story… absolutely not. But was it a story that had me glued to it loving every minute…no.

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This is my second M/M book. I absolutely loved it Nate and Lucas were just perfect. Fab characters xx

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I really love the Skin Deep Ink series and its characters, so I was looking forward to reading Nate and Lucas' story, and I wasn't disappointed.

Both Nate and Lucas have been married and been burned by that, so neither of them is looking for a relationship. But when Nate comes to Skin Deep Ink to get a cover up for the tattoo that reminds him of his cheating ex-husband, the chemistry between him and Lucas is palpable, and they end up in bed together. Again and again. Even though they keep telling themselves it's just sex, lying to themselves becomes more and more difficult..

There isn't much I didn't like about this book. Nate and Lucas are great characters, and they're sweet together. I love how there are more and more gentle moments between them, and I also liked how Nate ends up working through his issues. Unlike with the other books, where both characters had something more or less big to work through, here it is mostly Nate. Yes, Lucas has his insecurity regarding his job, but.. that was something that didn't quite convince me, somehow. That didn't lessen my enjoyment, though.

There is plenty of sex, and while personally I could have done with fifty percent or less, it was well written and hot. L.A. Witt's writing is solid and fun to read - the only places I tripped up was when she used "the guys" rather than "they" in a few places, but since I read an ARC this could end up corrected in the final version.

My one issue with it is something I actually feel conflicted about - and it's something I felt in all three novels. The conflict that *has* to happen before the end is build up well, but in all three books is resolved too quickly to feel entirely satisfying. Especially in this book it just feels a little too fast. On the other hand, I love reading about grown ups who actually try dealing with things and do something about it, so... As I said, I'm torn. It's why this is a four star rather than a five star book - it's still a very good book and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for great m/m to read, but it isn't *perfect*. But I absolutely loved hanging out with these characters, and I also loved how bisexuals were portrayed here as well. This definitely won't be the last book by L.A. Witt I've read.

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I've never skimmed an L.A. Witt book before, but I couldn't get through this one. It's literally like every book in this series already and like her Anchor Point series. There's no buildup or anticipation. It's just two guys who see each other, like each other, and bam, they're together. I really like L.A. Witt, but her last four books have felt like the same exact books over and over again. Frankly, all the sex just gets boring after awhile, and it's tiresome how the main characters are always anti-relationship but magically fall in love. I'd like to see her try some different tropes other than jaded guys banging it out. A slower burn would be much better than the instalove that keeps happening to the characters in her books. This one just didn't work for me, and I hope she switches some things up in her future books.

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