More than Meets the Ink (The Bowen Boys Book 1)

From the moment Tate meets James, I couldn't help but think "go for it"! James is totally hot, and totally what the doctor ordered despite every effort Tate makes to deny it. James puts himself out there from their first encounter and tries every way he can to do everything he can to make Tate's life better. She's dealt with more than she should have to, and it seems more problems pop up for her everyday, even in the form of a stalker. But alas, sometimes we can't accept the truth that is right in front of us until it is out of our reach. Will Tate be able to hang on to James or have to live the rest of her life knowing she was being an idiot? No matter how frustrating I found her choices, I couldn't help but hope for right up to the end!

I would highly recommend this book to any reader that enjoys both romances and erotic contempary books. It was not by any means the most erotic or brazen book I have read, but it was SEXY!!! Characters were well introduced and developed. The story was real and the sex scences and romance shot off the page. I always chose books from customer reviews, so if you are doing the same I say READ IT!!!

Words cannot even explain how much I loved this book. I literally could not put it down for a second. I read morning, day and night! It has been so long since I have found a book that I cannot go a second without reading. Elle is an amazing author and I cannot wait to read more of her books. Back to James and Tate...holly hotness. Sex, sex and more sex but boy is it hot hot hot!!!!

Great story, hot sex, great characters. This has it ALL...I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Definately one of my favorite reads. If you want romance, sex, a good story, and a GREAT ending..READ THIS BOOK..I dont' do spoilers, so just take my word...GREAT GREAT GREAT..AND LOTS OF HOT STEAMY NON RONCHY SEX..WELL, SOME RONCHY, BUT ALL GOOD GOOD SEX AND A GREAT READ..

I read to escape the monotony of every day life... this book absolutely helped me do that. The characters were sexy, the plot carried me well all the way to the end. It wasn't predictable and it kept me guessing... oh.. and the sex was AMAZING. Great book! I bought other Elle Aycart books just because of this one.

This book it the perfect mixture of romance, honestly it had everything. There was enough love/romance mixed in with dominent/sexy. I honestly thought James deserved better but Tate kept him on his toes. I've been looking for a book to truly occupy my time after reading 50 Shaded and Beautiful Disaster and I mist say I was most suprised after this one. Was not expecting that! I would read it again for sure.

I read enough of contemporary romances to know a good one from the start and THIS is a GREAT one!

James is the right amount of possessive and lovable at the same time. He is a bad boy in the outside but the greatest, sweetest man on the inside. I'm totally in love!

The sex is amazing and steamy, it'll make you sweat.

The greatest part is it has great plot, pack with action, laughter and drama.

Loved the ending the best last sentence ever! Hahahaha

A special thanks to Elle Aycart for providing this book.
For more of this review and others vist:
[...]

SYNOPSIS:
This little love story of James and Tate is totally intense from beginning to end. In short, it's a story about heartbreak, trust and loss. Their journey is one of learning how to love without boundaries and judgment.

When Tate decides it's time to leave Boston and go down to Eternal Sun Resort in Florida to check on her mom, she most definitely didn't have men on her mind. In the middle of mourning the unexpected death of her father and brother, she's been thrown full force into the family restaurant business, watching over her mom and making sure her older sister is dealing. Of course the last thing she ever expected was for her longtime boyfriend to breakup with her right after the accident. So when Tate meets SEX-ON-A-STICK, James Bowen, covered in bad-boy tattoos and his perfect jeans, her world is turned on its axis.

James Bowen may look like a bad-boy from afar, but when Tate crosses his line of vision he's determined to show her that he's different. James can't ignore the chemistry that he and Tate share and he's willing to push aside his uneasiness to have a `FUN FLING' with Tate for the weekend. When one night of HOT & STEAMY sex leaves both Tate and James breathless, Tate's instinct for (FIGHT OR FLIGHT) or in this case (FLING OR FLIGHT) kicks in she splits town for Boston.

But James won't let Tate get away that easily. Once he's back in Boston he makes it his goal to submerge himself into Tate's life, leaving no room for her to deny that the connection they have is so much more than physical. James challenges Tate to drop the bigotry act, let her walls down and get over her own accept him into her life for good.

This story is jammed packed with HOT SEX, tearful moments, and stalkers. WOW!!

The Best Thing:
WOW can Elle write a love/sex scene. I absolutely love reading about Tate and James; their awesome chemistry and how they fell for one another. I really like how realistic the issues in this story are and I appreciate how Elle's characters reflected how most people deal with major issues if they don't have a support systems.

The Worst Thing:
I really didn't like Aiden as a character. I understand he was suppose to be the ex-fiancé that disappeared when Tate needed him most, however his reappearance confused me. I wish it was explained a little clearer as to why he did the things he did. (Which I won't get into because I don't want to spill the beans) I couldn't fully dislike him like I wanted to.

This book definitely gave me more than I expected. The initial draw to the story is a tatted up, gorgeous as all get out bad boy with attitude. James Bowen isn't the type to want to settle down with one woman.
What I really enjoyed in this book was that Tate, the female main character although suffering from her past, was willful, loyal, and hell bent to do things on her own and on her terms. She wasn't whiny, or so easily swayed. But she had that whisper of vulnerability that made her jaded and a little man shy. Of course, equally enjoyable was James Bowen, who was more than up for the challenge to break down the walls Tate had erected. He accepts Tate's jibes with understanding and humor. He is patient without being a pushover or an asshat.
Author Elle Aycart took what could have been a conventional romance novel and added another element. I'm pretty sure this is what made the book for me. Although James Bowen is definitely up there-- total hottie. She added a little criminal suspense that kept you on your toes. She worked it into James and Tate's relationship so well. Aycart's story development is fluid and full. There were never any parts in the story that seemed misplaced or disjointed. Her secondary characters added to the story and were not in competition with the main characters or the main plot line.
One other point that added a star for myself was the characters were not young, just out of college newbies, who in most books have their whole life mapped out and are ready to settle down. James was in his mid 30's, has been at his career for a while and aside from settling with one woman, has his act together. Tate is in her late 20's and works outrageously hard. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading about the younger ones but you rarely read a book where any of the main characters are past the age of 26-- even in the contemporary or adult genres. So it made for a nice change.
This was a great read that had a bit of it all--humor, romance, sexiness, a bit of angst and suspense. It was an all around fab read. If you haven't read this one yet, get on it. The Bowen men are definitely worth the read. Heavy Issues is book #2 in the series.

James Bowen, a security consultant, was expecting to find a woman where his dad lives in Florida. James watches two women trying to sneak into his dad's condo but never thought he'd find what's been missing from his life. Tate Cooper reluctantly goes along with her mother's plan in retrieving her cat Amy from her neighbor's condo. Tate never expected to be attracted to bad boy with tattoos yet James Bowen sets her blood on fire just by speaking. Tate is still grieving the loss of her father and her brother while trying to keep Rosita's up and running in their memory. Tate expects a fling with James but finds he wants more than she's willing to give at this point. Tate is getting threatening emails from someone she calls Prince Charming. She passes it off as harmless until James discovers the emails. Who is Prince Charming? Will Tate finally grieve? What does James really feel for Tate? Will Tate believe she's in love with James? Your answers await you in More Than Meets the Ink.

A special thanks to Elle Aycart for providing this book.
For more of this review and others vist:
[...]

SYNOPSIS:
This little love story of James and Tate is totally intense from beginning to end. In short, it's a story about heartbreak, trust and loss. Their journey is one of learning how to love without boundaries and judgment.

When Tate decides it's time to leave Boston and go down to Eternal Sun Resort in Florida to check on her mom, she most definitely didn't have men on her mind. In the middle of mourning the unexpected death of her father and brother, she's been thrown full force into the family restaurant business, watching over her mom and making sure her older sister is dealing. Of course the last thing she ever expected was for her longtime boyfriend to breakup with her right after the accident. So when Tate meets SEX-ON-A-STICK, James Bowen, covered in bad-boy tattoos and his perfect jeans, her world is turned on its axis.

James Bowen may look like a bad-boy from afar, but when Tate crosses his line of vision he's determined to show her that he's different. James can't ignore the chemistry that he and Tate share and he's willing to push aside his uneasiness to have a `FUN FLING' with Tate for the weekend. When one night of HOT & STEAMY sex leaves both Tate and James breathless, Tate's instinct for (FIGHT OR FLIGHT) or in this case (FLING OR FLIGHT) kicks in she splits town for Boston.

But James won't let Tate get away that easily. Once he's back in Boston he makes it his goal to submerge himself into Tate's life, leaving no room for her to deny that the connection they have is so much more than physical. James challenges Tate to drop the bigotry act, let her walls down and get over her own accept him into her life for good.

This story is jammed packed with HOT SEX, tearful moments, and stalkers. WOW!!

The Best Thing:
WOW can Elle write a love/sex scene. I absolutely love reading about Tate and James; their awesome chemistry and how they fell for one another. I really like how realistic the issues in this story are and I appreciate how Elle's characters reflected how most people deal with major issues if they don't have a support systems.

The Worst Thing:
I really didn't like Aiden as a character. I understand he was suppose to be the ex-fiancé that disappeared when Tate needed him most, however his reappearance confused me. I wish it was explained a little clearer as to why he did the things he did. (Which I won't get into because I don't want to spill the beans) I couldn't fully dislike him like I wanted to.

This book definitely gave me more than I expected. The initial draw to the story is a tatted up, gorgeous as all get out bad boy with attitude. James Bowen isn't the type to want to settle down with one woman.
What I really enjoyed in this book was that Tate, the female main character although suffering from her past, was willful, loyal, and hell bent to do things on her own and on her terms. She wasn't whiny, or so easily swayed. But she had that whisper of vulnerability that made her jaded and a little man shy. Of course, equally enjoyable was James Bowen, who was more than up for the challenge to break down the walls Tate had erected. He accepts Tate's jibes with understanding and humor. He is patient without being a pushover or an asshat.
Author Elle Aycart took what could have been a conventional romance novel and added another element. I'm pretty sure this is what made the book for me. Although James Bowen is definitely up there-- total hottie. She added a little criminal suspense that kept you on your toes. She worked it into James and Tate's relationship so well. Aycart's story development is fluid and full. There were never any parts in the story that seemed misplaced or disjointed. Her secondary characters added to the story and were not in competition with the main characters or the main plot line.
One other point that added a star for myself was the characters were not young, just out of college newbies, who in most books have their whole life mapped out and are ready to settle down. James was in his mid 30's, has been at his career for a while and aside from settling with one woman, has his act together. Tate is in her late 20's and works outrageously hard. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading about the younger ones but you rarely read a book where any of the main characters are past the age of 26-- even in the contemporary or adult genres. So it made for a nice change.
This was a great read that had a bit of it all--humor, romance, sexiness, a bit of angst and suspense. It was an all around fab read. If you haven't read this one yet, get on it. The Bowen men are definitely worth the read. Heavy Issues is book #2 in the series.

James Bowen, a security consultant, was expecting to find a woman where his dad lives in Florida. James watches two women trying to sneak into his dad's condo but never thought he'd find what's been missing from his life. Tate Cooper reluctantly goes along with her mother's plan in retrieving her cat Amy from her neighbor's condo. Tate never expected to be attracted to bad boy with tattoos yet James Bowen sets her blood on fire just by speaking. Tate is still grieving the loss of her father and her brother while trying to keep Rosita's up and running in their memory. Tate expects a fling with James but finds he wants more than she's willing to give at this point. Tate is getting threatening emails from someone she calls Prince Charming. She passes it off as harmless until James discovers the emails. Who is Prince Charming? Will Tate finally grieve? What does James really feel for Tate? Will Tate believe she's in love with James? Your answers await you in More Than Meets the Ink.

Book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Reading romances where the hero has all the hangups and is the jerk until almost the very end where he has that "Ah-Ha" moment can become boring if the story isn't told well. That was my concern when I began More Than Meets the Ink by Elle Aycart.

Happily, it wasn't one of those stories. In a complete reversal, it was the heroine who had all the hang ups, who was the jerk until the very end and it was great! After all not all women are born with the desire to fall in love and the ability to recognize a good man among all the losers out there.

More Than Meets the Ink isn't just a steamy romance though, there's a bit of humor in it as well. Readers get to meet Tate in the middle of a rather odd situation with her mother. Let's just say it's not the sexiest way Tate could have met James. It isn't all laughs and fun times though, Tate has emotional scars, as well as an independent streak 10 miles wide that runs parallel with a stubborn streak. She shows that while an independent woman is special and admirable, too much independence turns into stubbornness, and can cloud rational sense. In other words, a real woman with real issues.

Then there's James, and by the way, I would never have associated the name "James" to a tattooed bad boy. "James" sounds like the name of a smart, quiet, shy, nerdy guy in accounting who has trouble with women. Not Elle Aycart's James. He's an Alpha male all the way and his name is just as misleading as his tattoos. He's a heart melting character. It doesn't take long for him to figure out that he wants Tate in his life permanently and he sets out to prove he's not the leaving kind. With him, it's the little things that he does for Tate that makes him all the more desirable.

The chemistry between James and Tate is scorching! The sexual tension in the book is like a blocked valve, the pressure builds and builds until -boom- it explodes and goes back to its original state, only to start building again for the next explosion. And boy are those "explosions" between James and Tate hot.

To balance out the sometimes intense relationship between James and Tate, James' brothers, especially Max, lighten up the mood and provided much appreciated humor, as do Tate's sister Elle and their mother Ann. I do hope that Elle gets her own book soon, she makes Tate seem like a kitten in comparison.

More Than Meets the Ink by Elle Aycart is an enjoyable book with likeable characters, steamy scenes and a dash of danger. Definitely a book for mature audiences, due to sexual content and language, it is worth taking a second look at in the book store. Especially if you have a thing for men with tattoos and soft hearts.

Holy Hotness & Steamy Sizzling S*x is what you will find here my friends. In More thank Meets the Ink you will meet James my favorite character in the book and then you will meet Tate my least favorite character, that is, until she redeems herself towards the end. Tate has been through a lot and unfortunately it has scared her and in return, quite frankly, made her a b**ch. It took a little while for me to understand her and even like her.

The first part of the book takes place in Florida where Tate's mother lives as well as James's father and that is where the two meet and come together and boy do they come together in every sense of the word lol. There is a lot of s*x in this book so fair warning there! Their relationship is based solely on this until things change much later.

Oh he!!. Just two words. Two tiny words and she was laid bare, completely undone.

James is an awesome guy though and sadly Tate judges him because he has tattoos, but once you get to know him, hence the title of the book, you will learn and uncover that it is so very true. He is just plain flat out awesome and a serious Alpha male. There is some mystery to the story because someone is sending terrible emails/cyber stalking if you will, to Tate and this she keeps from James until later and when he finds out, after there is a change in their relationship, he is NOT HAPPY.

"You haven't gotten the dynamics of our relationship down yet, have you? Let me explain it to you: we're involved, very involved. You're mine, and your problems are also mine. No one messes with what belongs to me. Don't fight me on that, because you'll lose, baby. And be aware next time you hide something like that from me, I'll turn you over my knee and spank your a** red. Do we understand each other?"

It did take me a while to get through the first 50% or so of the book but once I did it moved along faster and made it more enjoyable for me. I was proud of James when he had just had it with her behavior and said to her

I won't beg for anyone's love, and yours is no exception.

The story kept my interest, but at a slower pace and I wanted to solve the mystery and see if things changed in the end. So do I think you should read it? The answer is YES,especially if you enjoy all that I described above!:0) I was provided a copy by the publisher for an honest review.

There is some serious hot smut in this book! James Bowen is a new book boyfriend candidate. He was the perfect combo of smart, caring, sexy and with the right amount of male dominance. Tate, the heroine, was prejudice and judgmental. I had mixed emotions about her--yes, she was also witty, independent and had a lot to take on in life, but still...

When Tate first meets James, she quickly puts him in the category of "bad boy," bum, no direction in life, etc...all because of his tattoos. Which I think is funny, because he wasn't describe as being covered in tattoos (he only had 3 tattoos!). So it drove me insane. They both decided to have a vacation fling. But when they returned home (both happen to live in the same area), James kept pursuing her and she kept making excuses to push him away--mainly she's not into "his kind" (tattoos/bad boy). Personally, James should of dumped her, he went above and beyond to help her with her life/career, and barely got a thanks from her.

Overall, I really did enjoy the book, because I think James stole the story. There's a lot hot scenes, funny lines, some action and sweet gestures!

Favorite Quote: "When one is being thrown over a man's broad shoulder and can't see s*** but his yummy, hard butt, it was time to accept he's in charge."

For more reviews, check out my book blog: An Asian and White Chick Walk into a Book Blog
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Elle Aycart rocks! She just plain rocks! The trifecta of contemporary romance - alpha male, feisty female, stellar sexual tension. Check, check and double check. Ms. Aycart follows the tried and true approach of sexy siblings and their slippery slope to fall in love. However, her heroines have some serious depth and her heroes aren't perfection waiting for more perfection. I think that is the element that takes a solid storyline and kicks it up a notch.

Tate is holding onto her life by her fingertips - she can't handle more than a vacation fling. The upheaval in her life leads her to lean on preconceived notions of people as a safety net - right or wrong, James gets snagged and he doesn't want to let go. Readers may hate Tate. Hell, my friends hate Tate. But I think anyone struggling to make her family legacy work, survive a lover's betrayal, go the whole course alone has earned a little gunshyness. Thankfully James Bowen sees something special and knows how to push the right way. Theirs is no breezy romance and they both have some baggage that could potentially pull this story into maudlin-ville but clever dialogue, perfectly timed comedy and sizzling sex keep the reader turning page after page of highly enjoyable reading. With a splash of intrigue, this dish is best served family style - grab a copy and pass it along to your bff's!

Excitedly awaiting further installments, More Than Meets the Ink, delivers a promising beginning to an enticing new series.

This review was originailly written for[...]

When we first meet Tate, the leading lady, we learn about the recent tragedy she has been through, and the monumental stresses she's under as a result. So I really feel for her in the beginning of this story. When she meets James while on vacation, she decides to have a quick vacation fling with him. However, he is very judgmental of James, and she assumes she knows the kind of person that he is, simply based on the fact that he happens to have a few tattoos. (Mind you, he has fewer tattoos than the straight-laced, conservative, professional guy I happen to be married to.)

After vacation is over, James realizes he has true feelings for Tate, and continues to pursue her once they are home from vacation. Even though they become involved, she seems to want to keep him at arms length emotionally because of her preconceptions about him, NONE of which he earns during his time with her. I don't think she is fair with him, but hey, she's been through a proverbial shitstorm over the past year, so she's kinda messed up.

I enjoyed following along with their relationship, and some of the intrigue surrounding Tate was interesting as well. For me, though, there was a little too much sex, not quite enough romance. Unless you count James constant professions of how pretty Tate's lady bits are. (That doesn't really do it for me). I honestly found myself skimming through some of the sex scenes, because they just got a little tedious after a while. Seriously, these kids have a lot of sex!

I also could have used a little more development in some of the events that took place in the book. All in all, though, I did enjoy the story, and would recommend it to others, as well. It's a fun, easy read, I finished it in a few hours. I'll be interested to check out Heavy Issues, and see what's happening with those Bowen boys!

This book really hit on all cylinders. I started out laughing out loud - hysterically. The attraction and tension between James and Tate is clear through the entire book. Very well done and great writing by Elle to keep that up. I've not read a book with a character quite like Tate - holding James back emotionally the way she did right from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing James falling for Tate while she wanted to keep the relationship temporary and only physical. He was much more emotional and forthcoming of his feeling than she was, but it in no way diminished his alpha qualities and tendancies. James in 100% alpha male and would do anything for Tate. There were twists, but they were not really predictable. I wish there had been a bit more humor in the second porton of the book - back in Boston. I was expecting it after I laughed so much while they were in Florida. All in all, it was a good read and I'll read more from Elle. This story had a little bit of everything...laughter, loss, lust, love, suspense, a lot of push and pull and steamy sex. If you're on the fence, pick it up. It's worth the time.

Loved every moment of this book! James is the perfect mix of bossy, macho male and patient, loving guy. The things he puts up with from Tate should propel him into sainthood -- well, if not for his wickedly sinful ways. *wink* He's pushy, but it comes from a place of caring that's so deeply a part of him that Tate couldn't argue -- and neither would I!

Tate is complicated. After the tragic accident that killed her father and brother, she's running on autopilot. Her mother and sister have both checked-out and refuse to help her keep the family restaurant running. As if that weren't enough, she has her very own stalker to contend with. She stereotypes James because of his tattoos. She accuses him of being the type of bad boy her sister is known to fall for. Some of the things she says -- especially at the end -- are tough to swallow. But really, it's her way of distancing herself from him. She's afraid -- understandably so -- of losing someone else. And that fear just manifests the more she comes to realize James has fallen for her. But not once did I think she didn't truly love him.

It was obvious to me that Elle Aycart is a fairly new writer. There were quite a few repetitive descriptions in the first chapters that were distracting. But, I forged ahead, and I'm so glad I did. More than Meets the Ink turned out to be a great read, and one that I'll likely read again!

Wow! Thank you, Elle Aycart! This story is scorching hot. It sizzles from the get-go. Tate never imagined her "sex only" Summer fling could possibly be anymore. She told herself and James, she wanted nothing more, and frankly, she's not ready for it. But ready or not, here James comes. From the moment they meet there is sexual tension.

But they are both cut off emotionally- or so they think. What they discover (each in their own time), is that their attraction is more than skin deep. Sure they're sexually charged, they simply can't get enough of each other in bed, but you quickly see that each has touched the other in a way they never expected. What's that they always say? Love finds you when your not looking for it? Well, it slaps these two in the face. Hard. It's potent. Exciting. And extremely hot to witness.

While there is a lot of sex in the story- lots, ok, it's almost non-stop (hey, I'm not complaining)- it's not the whole story. Tate and James are two people struggling to move on from their pasts, from their mistakes, and the things that were out of their control. Tate struggles the most and because of that she's not willing to really let James in and see what's right in front of her. It's heartbreaking and frustrating, and at times you want to just shake some sense into her, but everyone heals in their own way, and Tate has to face her fears before she can embrace what James has to offer.

I really enjoyed getting to know these two. The dynamic between them is palpable. They bring out the best in one another, challenge each other, and despite denying or being afraid of what may be happening between them, they support each other.

James is the stronger of the two, but Tate is a force to be reckoned with, and you can't help but like the girl. She's hardworking, loyal and has a heart of gold. James? Well, James is damned near perfect. I fell hard for this hardcore sex on legs. He's pretty close to every girl's dream. Obviously HOT, smart, charming, family oriented, successful- definitely MORE THAN MEETS THE INK.

This is a story you want to end your day with. Grab a blanket and settle into. Filled with fun, romance, and drama. With extreme highs and lows -and a heart stopping twist you won't see coming. If you're looking for a book that lets you fantasize and lose yourself in, this is it. Elle Aycart did an amazing job reeling me in, tugging my heartstrings, and delivering the goods. Bravo. I'm excited to jump in to Heavy Issues, and get to know Cole, the next Bowen brother. Somehow I think these boys can all give Christian Grey a run for his money.

More than Meets the Ink von Elle Aycart
2011 Elle Aycart publishes her first book: More than Meets the Ink. 2012 Heavy Issues is her second one, of a series as it seems about the Bowen brothers. I just finished the first one and am really curious about the second one even if I have other reads planned I might just continue.

I am reading a lot of romance, young adult novels and erotic stories; a lot are about bad boys and steaming sex, some about bad exes fewer about death. So in order for me to like the book it should not fit in a simple pattern but something should be different and keep me reading and eventually smiling.

The story:
One year ago Tate has lost her father and brother in a car accident. Since then she is the only one from her family (mother and sister) who took over the family's Italian Restaurant. Things are really not easy for her. Her boyfriend dumps her because she has ste her priorities wrongly (he is not her top number one priority). The suppliers are not keeping the quantity and quality of the supplies, a fire erupted in her kitchen, she is being stalked and she has more and more problems paying her bills. So when she takes some days off to be with her mother in Florida the neighbor's son James Bowes becomes her biggest temptation. But he is the perfect bad bay tattooed and therefore really bad news for her. But as she can't resist temptation she offers a just sex arrangement.
After his divorce James does not do relationships so only Sex is the ideal solution to calm his desires. Or at least at the beginning because he can't get enough of her and will do all it takes to accept that she also can't live without him anymore.

The characters are great, really! Deep and tender, fragile and amazing: James is not really a bad boy, even when he seems bully his explanation at the end why he pushed Tate makes sense and makes his so much more amazing. Tate is fragile and afraid, but still very proud. The two make so much sense together, they are genuine and credible.
One could be disturbed by Tate's remarks about James's type of guy, the bad boy type because of his tattoos. But as he is not disturbed by it, even makes fun of it, I couldn't have a problem with it either.

The sex scenes are numerous, hot and tingly; their words are the most erotic of these parts. I really enjoy that they don't watch their language, sometimes it is quiet vulgar but it works for the erotic part as well as the characters so why not?

I am not sure if I liked the suspense part. I could have gone without it, but it was well written and it makes a lot of sense.
The writing is very fluid and nice. The story is easy to follow without being shallow. The little events next to the main storyline such as James's golf game with his father, spices the story up a lot and as a reader I enjoy this.

I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did... and please feel free to comment
MBTM

Tate is in Florida visiting her mother while on vacation. While there she meets James, the son of a neighbor. He's the perfect picture of a "bad boy" if she ever saw one with devastatingly good looks and prominent tattoos, she knows his type. At least she thinks she does. He's exactly the type her sister goes for and those doomed romances never end well. So when James shows an obvious interest in Tate, she is initially hesitant. She doesn't have time for drama and she needs to guard her fragile heart. She's already nursing wounds. She just lost her father and brother in a tragic accident a year ago. Add to that, she is trying to keep the family restaurant afloat. However, her close proximity to James and instant chemistry is wearing her down. She's on vacation so she decides, for the time being, she'll give into her desire and have a sex-only, no-strings attached relationship. Here's Tate's initial thoughts on James:

"This man belonged on the front cover of a firefighters' calendar, for God's sake, not in the common area of the senior community skyrocketing everybody's blood pressure to the moon. He should come with a warning from the health department: Handle with extreme caution and use at your own peril. Looking will cause palpitations, dizziness, and hyperventilation. She knew, for she was having all of those and then some."

Let me tell you, I was hyperventilating right along with Tate!

James for his part will take anything she's willing to give but as he spends more time with Tate, he finds he's getting more, and more attached to her. Suddenly, this no-strings attached business is not going to cut it for James. So when Tate returns home, James, who lives close by, follows, not willing to let her go. He knows she's afraid of getting hurt, whether she'll admit it or not, but he's determined to gain her trust and help her get her life and restaurant back on track.

I absolutely and completely fell for James! He was such a sweetheart. He was so patient and loving with Tate, determined to protect her and help her get past her issues. I felt bad for Tate and all she went through, so her constant reluctance to admit her true feelings for James was bearable. Plus, she would only try to push him away with her words, for like two seconds, and then with her actions, pull him close. This is such a sweet romance with a lot of humorous scenes, as well. The beginning with these two always getting caught by the senior citizens was pretty hilarious.

This story has plenty of spice to it. I'd say on a spice scale of 1-10, it would rate about a 9 or 10!! Pretty dang HOT!! This is definitely an adult read!

As a bonus I guess we get a story on Cole, James' brother, next and soon: Heavy Issues.

Tate Cooper is visiting her mom in a retirement home in Florida when she meets gorgeous but completely unsuitable James Bowen, son of her mom's middle-aged nemesis neighbour.

"With the sun right behind him, she still couldn't see him clearly, so she shaded her eyes with her hand and faced the jerk. The jerk was gorgeous."

Tate considers James perfectly unsuitable for anything romantic related as he has several tattoos, and Tate knows very well that tattoos mean bad boy, which means irresponsible, dangerous, heartbreaker, bad-news-guy.

"Duh. What was she thinking asking such a stupid question? Of course no girlfriend. These guys never had girlfriends; they had babes, bootie calls, **** buddies."

"Disliking tattoos is like a Pavlovian reflex for me."

She came to this conclusion through the numerous and always badly ending experience of her sister Elle, who has something for irresistible macho bad biker boys, but who each and every single time got her heart broken. So witnessing her sister's romantic misfortunes Tate swears off tattoo-sporting guys, because she knows very well they are the kind with whom a sensible intelligent woman never mixes, unless she wants to scr*w up her life and sanity. I very much enjoyed reading Tate's monologue-analysis of bad boys, even if she sounded somehow snobbish Elle Aycart wrote these potentially insulting parts in such a way that with James I found it entertaining and at times even amusing. (I have to confess but in mere whispers that I also shared some of her prejudices.)

But after Tate admits to herself that the attraction between James and herself is too much to resist she finally gives in with the reassuring thought that whatever they will have will be nothing more than a fling, just sex, nothing else.

"she was after vacation fun and sex. No love, no commitment or long-term anything. James was...hormonal relief--f*****g material."

And that's where More Than Meets the Ink went from hot to scorching! The chemistry and make out scenes between James and Tate made my Kindle burst up in flames! Elle Aycart did an amazing job portraying James, who despite his impressive muscled physique and several tattoos is deep down an honest and generous good guy, but still retained some of the sexiness of bad boys in their bedroom antics.

"Let me come over, and I'll prove it to you. You'll come so many times you'll be limp by the time I'm done with you."

James bedroom talk was blunt, sometimes even a bit shocking in its vulgarity, but I have to tell you it worked amazingly well! I thought I wasn't someone who enjoyed this kind of crude dirty talk, but James makes it really sexy! Reading their make out scenes I continuously went from getting goosebumps then fanning myself, Elle Aycart masterfully mixed sexual tension and release giving the reader the perfect concoction of sizzling scenes.

Despite being a strong and independent woman, inside Tate is very vulnerable. She lost half of her family recently and she still hasn't gotten over her loss. She is in a fragile place of her life, with the family business being in bad shape, having debts up to her ear, having to deal with her broken up and grieving family as well as an irritating stalker. She is not ready emotionally to open up to someone, least of all to a bad boy she considers James to be. But what made my heart melt was that James knew quite early what he wanted (=Tate in his life) and wouldn't give up. He gave as much space and time to Tate as he could, but always waiting at the end for her to finally get on board. His possessiveness and the intensity of his feelings towards Tate made him a wonderful and completely irresistible hero:

"He grabbed her by her shoulders, looking ready to strangle her. "You haven't gotten the dynamics of our relationship down yet, have you? Let me explain it to you: we're involved, very involved. You're mine, and your problems are also mine. No one messes with what belongs to me. Don't fight me on that, because you'll lose, baby."

Besides the amazingly hot and well orchestrated love scenes, I mostly cherished the constant humour in More Than Meets the Ink. Be it Tate or James' dad, every character had some lines which made me burst out in laughter:

"I'm going to take a wild guess here and say the hard-*n you've been sporting all afternoon is not on account of Mr. Nicholson continually bending over to pick up the golf balls, right?"

I enjoyed getting to know the supporting cast, Elle Aycart introduced a lot of interesting and likable secondary characters I would like to see again soon in a sequel.

I understand the reason for including the suspense part in the story, but I still think it could have done without it, it was my least favourite part, and wouldn't have minded if it were cut.

Verdict: More Than Meets the Ink is a fantastic erotic romance! Besides showing us the burning scenes Elle Aycart also explores the more subtle but equally powerful emotional changes and development in her characters. I never would have guessed if I haven't been told that Elle Aycart is not a native English speaker. Her narrative flew freely and naturally, her writing was both gripping and savoury. All in all More Than Meets the Ink is a scorching hot read I recommend to everyone who loves their contemporary romance sizzling!

Plot: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Cover: 7/10 (suits the story perfectly but I find it a bit too purple)

I really enjoyed this story. James was such a great guy and fell so hard for Tate. I love stories where the guy is the one doing the chasing and isn't afraid to show what he feels. Yes, she was difficult and sometimes mean to him, but I understood why. After all, she'd lost her dad and brother and in effect had lost her mom and sister also since they couldn't deal with what had happened. She was barely holding her head above water and had no one to lean on, so it's understandable that she'd be so afraid to open up to James. She had to build walls between them to protect herself. I found myself tearing up several times and really feeling her pain. I also appreciated that the author set the story a year after the loss of Tate's family. That's a realistic time frame for her to finally start healing and begin to move on. All in all, a lovely romance and I will be looking forward to more from Elle Aycart.

This story was okay - but this is the WORST heroine I've read in a long time. Prejudiced. Whiny. Reactive. Immature. And she got worse as the book went on. I've read so many good things about Ms. Aycart. I'll read one more. If it's more of the same - she's off my list.

I really enjoyed this book. I love how the lesson " Never judge a book by its cover " plays into this story. James is a Hot Sexy man who is Wondefully in LOVE with Tate. They run into some hurdles and some denial along the way.. So I say sit back with this book and enjoy the ride along with a few surprises...A must read!

Love me some possessive bad boys! He wants her and is going to love her whether she is ready or not. She is a little slow on catching up with the feelings but there is some sexy fun getting her there.