As a huge, huge fan of L.A. Witt, I’m never surprised that I am most always more than happy with what she writes. I have to say that this one was no exception....and it was a "bonus", (didn't count against my borrows for the month), on Hoopla. I liked this story but hated Daniels parents with a passion...but I was SUPPOSED to...so mission accomplished, Ms. Witt. It kept me interested, I read it in a day...and the two main characters, Colin and Daniel were absolutely perfect. But... the internal and emotional dialogue with both characters was simply exhausting. Daniel could have saved himself so much torment and uncertainty if he had just manned up and spoken to his parents. He was 26 years old...what were they going to do ground him? Our Colin had a troubled past, but he’d overcome a lot to get to where he is today. He owns his own business, Skin Deep. a tattoo place, he's physically healthy and relatively happy for the most part. When he and Daniel spot each other for the first time at the gym it’s an instant attraction, when they meet later the attraction ignites and it proves to be impossible for either man to ignore. Daniel is stationed in Virginis and of course that means Navy. He’s found acceptance in the Navy, and he loves finally being able to live his life "out and proud"...but it only was when he was away from his terrible, creepy, nasty, homophobic family. Get the idea that I didn't like them? Colin seems like the perfect person to be with...and to fall in love with. The attraction is insane and intense and the feelings that follow leave both men with questions. The only thing they know is they want more of it. Things of course come to a head when Daniel’s family visits him and he goes right back in the closet and slams and bolts the door. What surprised me was that he expected Colin to share that closet with him. All of Colin’s personal issues that have been simmering at the surface explode and leave both men at odds. Angsty to the max, and incredibly repetitive, but this book had a saving grace and that was that L.A. Witt had written two incredible, easy to love, main characters. Daniel and Colin are so solid and so well developed. The passion, openness and acceptance was nothing short of beautiful. I loved the story and I thank Hoopla for the "extra one". ( )

Back Piece by L.A. Witt
Book #1: Skin Deep Inc. Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2½/5 stars
My Review:

Colin Spencer has fought tooth and nail to get his life back on track and though some days are far harder than others, he’s mostly on the right path these days. Routine helps and hitches in the routine are likely to cause waves of the devastating variety. The hot new guy to show up at the gym could very likely be a hitch . . . . .

Daniel Moore left home as soon as he was legally old enough to do so. He’s spent his entire life in the closet out of fear his ultra-religious and completely homophobic family will not just reject him, but abandon him completely. Ironically, Daniel has found the greatest acceptance in the Navy where his shipmates couldn’t care less about his sexual orientation and genuinely like him for himself and his abilities. Oh, and they love to embarrass Daniel by pointing out eligible men during outings which is exactly how Daniel came to notice Colin Spencer at the gym. Colin is the hottest man Daniel has ever seen and if had more experience, Daniel would know exactly how to approach him.

The opportunity to approach Colin presents itself when Daniel sees his tattoos. Wanting one (or more!) of his own, Daniel broaches the subject of custom work and thus, the relationship begins. It’s clear from the beginning both Colin and Daniel are attracted to one another, but Colin has a past that is both deliciously scandalous and dangerous to his ongoing mental and physical well-being. Being in a relationship is tricky and requires a great deal of disclosure on Colin’s part which is why he has avoided such entanglements for some time. Daniel is altogether different and though Colin initially rejects the idea of being more than friends with benefits, it doesn’t take long to see the folly in that plan.

Daniel is as besotted with Colin as Colin is with Daniel and the early days of their relationship is all about discovery. With each new revelation from Colin, Daniel falls deeper in love and Colin understands that his past and his secrets, however scandalous and awful, are accepted by Daniel. In fact, Daniel is likely the most accepting person Colin has ever met and that makes him love Daniel all the more. Just as each begins to feel there is nothing they can’t overcome, Daniel’s family comes to town and everything they have built is blown apart!

The Bottom Line: I really, really wanted to like this book far more than I did. There are some significant issues with this read that are reflected in my overall star rating. First and foremost, among the problems is the development of the characters. Colin is significantly more developed than Daniel which makes him far more interesting. Daniel is a sweet kid, but all we really get out of him is his lack of experience and the fact he’s from an extremely homophobic family. Next up, the repetition. Nearly every conversation between Daniel and Colin are basically the same and generally all include some version of the phrase “my incredibly/extremely homophobic family.” I’m a smart girl and the book isn’t that long, I can remember Daniel’s background. Finally, there is the sex. I rarely ever complain about sex in a book, because, quite frankly, I enjoy the naughty bits, but this book has a metric ton of sex and that’s far too much. While the sex is good and varied, it does occur a lot and takes away from other elements of the story, such as character development. With all that being said, I did like Colin and his story and the description of the tatoos. Unfortunately, Colin and his tattoos alone just can’t carry the read and pull it above a two-and-a-half-star rating. ( )