INK, an all new opposites attract, Contemporary Romance
by Elizabeth Hunter is AVAILABLE NOW!
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Synopsis
It’s everything but business as usual.
Emmie Elliot hadn’t expected to come back to Metlin, California. She definitely didn’t expect to stay. She returned to her childhood home with a mission: Sell the building that housed her grandmother’s book store and move on with her life
But life doesn’t always go according to plan.
To reopen her grandmother’s book shop, Emmie will need a hook. She’ll need a strategy. She’ll need an… Ox?
Miles Oxford doesn’t have much interest in quiet bookstore owners. He’s a tattoo artist without a space to work, and the last thing he wants is to get involved with anyone after his last disaster of a relationship. Work and pleasure don’t mix for Ox, but since he doesn’t have any interest in the cute girl with the bold business proposal, he should be safe from any awkward complications, right?
She sells ink. He tattoos it. Unusual? Yes. But a book shop/tattoo studio might be the ticket for both Emmie and Ox to find success on their own terms. As long as they keep their attention focused on business.
Just on business.
Review
“All the best romances have to bubble under the surface for a while.”
4.5 stars!
I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Hunter’s PNR writing, and was excited when I learned she would be writing a contemporary romance. And then when I saw that blurb, I knew I had to have it. And I’m happy to say that it more than met my expectations! This book is lots of fun, with a chemistry-filled, slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance, lots of funny moments, lots of heart, and a beautiful love story. I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down, and I absolutely loved it!
Emmie Elliot has returned to her home town of Metlin, California following the death of her grandmother. She is tying up loose ends and is looking over her grandmother’s beloved bookstore, which she intended to sell, when she decides to uproot her life in San Francisco, stay and make a go of it for herself. She’s a mad booklover, and the store has been in her family for years, she can’t just let it go. But the store is too big, and she’ll need a partner of sorts to help with the costs. And then she Miles ‘Ox’ Oxford.
Ox is a talented tattoo artist whose relationship has just blown up (all over the street in fact), becoming even more of a disaster because he was dating his boss. So now he is unemployed and looking for work. And then the nerdy book girl over the road offers him an unusual opportunity – to open up a tattoo studio in her bookstore. They are both dedicated and driven to succeed, they both deal in ink, and it’s an unusual twist that could just work in their small town, so their store, Ink, is born.
But with so much on the line for both of them, and Ox’s bad experiences leaving its mark, they put a rule in place where they keep things strictly business between them. Which is all fine… until their friendship begins to simmer with the attraction that they both so clearly feel for each other, and the lines of their arrangement become all kinds of blurry.
“Thanks, Emmie … Thanks for dreaming big enough for both of us.”
Her heart pounded heart. “And thanks for having my back.”
Ox lifted his head and locked eyes with hers. “Always.”
OMG, I love, love, love this relationship! The chemistry is fantastic, and Emmie and Ox together are something really special. Their friendship is easy and natural with great banter and sweet moments. And the fact that the two of them are wildly attracted to each other underneath it all brings a fantastic dynamic. The slow build-up had me tingling with anticipation, loving every moment while waiting for something to happen, and it’s paced perfectly as we watch things between them shift and change and oh-so-naturally become something so much more.
“You’re right.” He leaned closer. His lips were so close she could feel his breath against her lips. “I don’t work for you. You don’t work for me. We’re partners and we’re grown-ups and Emmie, for fuck’s sake, you have to kiss me because I can’t do it and I’m dying here.”
Squee!
But can they balance their business relationship with their deepening personal one? And do they both have their attention focussed in the right place to really make a go of things? Their feelings for each other are strong, but it takes more than just that to make a relationship work, and their journey is realistic and beautifully written.
“I need this to work,” he murmured. He was not talking about the shop.
“I know,” she said.
The love story is the heart of this book, and it’s fun and flirty with lots of emotion. Emmie and Ox are wonderful characters and seeing them become friends, get to know each other and then fall for each other was just gorgeous.
“This is what it feels like to fall in love. The realization was quiet and sure. This was what it felt like to fall in love. It wasn’t the lightning strike he’d been expecting. It wasn’t the big dramatic moment. It was this.”
*dreamy sigh*
But there’s so much more to this book! The friendships and family relationships are wonderful, with great side characters and lots of scope there for future books. And the creation and running of their store was a fantastic backdrop to it all. Does every book lover dream about what it would be like to run their own bookstore, or is that just me? Regardless, I thought it was fun and interesting, and something that all book lovers will be able to relate to and enjoy.
“She’s watching us,” Emmie muttered.
“What?”
“She’s. Watching. Us.”
“Don’t care. Let her watch.” Ox drew her up and kissed her temple. “I’ll take care of this.”
Emmie might have imagined the collective sigh that emanated from the romance section of the bookstore, but she didn’t think so.
This is such a great read. Smart and fun, with characters that you can’t help but love and a gorgeously slow-building, chemistry-filled romance. And with so many more stories just begging to be told, I can’t wait for more from this series.
4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Love Stories on 7th and Main
Ink (#1)
Review
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Hooked (#2)
Review
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Grit (#3)
Review
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Sweet (#4) – Prequel novella published as book #4
Review
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Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Ink, Elizabeth Hunter is giving away a signed paperback AND a $25 Amazon gift card!
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.
About Elizabeth Hunter
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and paranormal mystery author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening.
She’s the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, and the Cambio Springs Mysteries.
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