Review: Permanent Ink by Laura Simcox

Title: Permanent Ink by Laura Simcox
Something to Celebrate Series Book Two
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: Edge
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 318 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

Blair Whitaker has one goal: get the hell out of Celebration, NY. Her ticket out is helping the town take the grand prize in a parade contest, which will ensure she lands her dream job. It’s a win-win.

Standing in the way is Ben Lambert, a sexy, local tattoo artist whose smile makes her weak. To win the contest, she’ll have to sideline his plans for the tattoo festival the town council allowed on the same weekend. But trying to thwart Ben is more than she bargained for, and before she knows it, she’s starting to see Celebration–and Ben–as something more than a temporary distraction.

But Blair’s in too deep to change directions now. Celebration is behind the parade contest, the mayor revokes the tattoo festival permit, and Blair is on the cusp of getting everything she’d planned. But coming clean will turn Ben against her for good, and going forward means losing what she really wants and hurting the town she’s grown to love.

The Review:

Permanent Ink, the newest addition to Laura Simcox’s Something to Celebrate series, is an absolutely charming and very steamy romance. Set in the small fictional town of Celebration, NY, this engaging story has a wonderful cast of offbeat but likable characters and a marvelously unique storyline.

Blair Whitaker is only planning on staying in Celebration long enough to get her life back on track. When a plum job pretty much falls in her lap, she eagerly grabs the opportunity to use it to help her salvage her faltering career. The town mayor forces Blair to work with super sexy tattoo artist and local business owner Ben Lambert and although these two share nothing in common but a scorching hot attraction, they are surprised by how well they work together. When a scheduling conflict between Ben’s tattoo festival and the parade contest threatens her plans, Blair concocts a rather underhanded scheme to save the contest at the expense of the festival. Once her relationship with Ben deepens into something more serious than shared desire, she rethinks her plans for her future but is it too late for her to stop the events she has set into motion?

Blair is independent and stubborn and while this is usually a good thing, it is occasionally one of her biggest downfalls. She is also incredibly self-sufficient and she lets her pride sometimes get in her way of asking for help. Blair is surprised by how easily the town accepts her into their fold and she eagerly reconnects with her aunt and cousin. But when she runs into trouble, instead of turning to family and friends, Blair falls back into her old habit of relying on herself to fix her problems.

Ben is laidback and easygoing which makes it easy for Blair to underestimate him. He likes the slower pace of life in Celebration but he miscalculated the difficulty he would encounter growing his tattoo business. The tattoo festival means not just bringing in new clients but, more importantly, it is his chance to honor his close friend and mentor. While Ben harbors a few secrets, he is a straight shooter who is more than happy to work with Blair but in the end, he is deeply hurt by Blair’s betrayal.

The romance between Ben and Blair is understated but it is absolutely delightful watching their relationship evolve over the course of the novel. While most of the story centers around the parade and festival, the two indulge in a few love scenes that are sinfully sexy. Unfortunately, lack of communication, a few misunderstandings and Blair’s scheming threaten their fragile bond.

Permanent Ink is an angst-free romance that is fast-paced and engaging from beginning to end. This opposites attract love story is sure to be a hit with old and new fans of Laura Simcox’s Something to Celebrate series.