Excited to see what the writing duo of Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn would come up with, I was really looking forward to reading Permanent Ink, the first book in their Art & Soul series. Both of these authors can really write a great story and I was definitely not disappointed.

Between the creative characters, the clever dialogue, and the crazy hot sex, this story is just plain sweet and so much fun to read.

The shifting points of view between the main characters is very well done. Gradually becoming more intimate as the story progresses. We get to know Jericho and Poe both through their actions and reminiscences, as well as how they interact with the other characters in the book.

The story builds nicely from the initial attraction between Jericho and Poe to sex so hot I thought my Kindle was going to catch on fire.

They fit together perfectly and clearly satisfy each other’s need for some wonderfully dirty daddy kink (one of my favorites).

The age gap between the main characters, seventeen years, isn’t even their biggest obstacle, rather Poe is Jericho’s best friend’s son…awkward...and the authors dive right into it with some fantastic dialogue as the two older men come to grips with the new dynamic and work it out.

There’s a nice, uplifting message in Permanent Ink, about finding new paths in life and how we learn from past mistakes to make our futures better.

Jericho pays it forward and shows faith in Poe, and his best friend Blue, just as he was helped when he needed it in his younger years.

One intriguing scenario which arises in Permanent Ink is what’s going on with Blue. I’m seriously hoping the next book in this series is going to be about him and Jericho’s ex, Callum. Blue needs to get his butt kicked a bit and Callum seems like just the guy to do it. Honestly, these two ladies can’t write a follow up fast enough for me.

You know those books which you liked, but you don't really have any clear-cut opinions on them? This is one of those for me. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but it's not one that's got me really hyped, or has me really angry. It's just. Good. I don't know how else to put it.

One great thing I did note was that there's no relationship based angst going on (the bane of my existence when it comes to new adult lit). I had three predictions for what the inevitable angst would be based on: "I'm your employer", "I'm 17 years older than you", or "I'm your dad's best friend". While these topics did come up, the true source of the angst was, in fact, none of these - which I am grateful for, because they're all overdone - and not only that, they didn't just sit and let misunderstandings fester. They talked them through like adults, and solved their problems that way. That happens in so few new adult books, and it was great to see.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of these characters (especially Blue *cough cough* book 2 maybe?), even though the daddy kink is... uh... definitely not my thing.

Poe is a twenty-three-year-old artist whose art can be seen on walls—both the walls in his basement apartment bedroom and outdoor walls of buildings. The problem is that the latter is illegal and he and his BFF, Blue, have been arrested a number of times. The next time is likely to end in jail time, but his burning passion for tagging buildings can’t seem to be squelched. His father has certainly tried and when he bemoans this fact to his best friend, Jericho, who owns a highly regarded tattoo shop, Jericho suggests he might have a solution.

Long ago, Jericho was plucked from the possibility of jail and offered an apprenticeship by a tattoo artist who saw something in him he didn’t see in himself. It’s time to pay it back. And it doesn’t hurt that Poe is nice to look at. Really nice. Poe decides to take him up on his offer but his enthusiasm for the job takes a long time to build. In fact, it isn’t until he realizes how personal the art is to the person having their skin inked and how much care and concern the artist can put into the job that he finally embraces the work. In the meantime, he’s been so tied up with the job that he’s neglected his bestie and Blue is feeling left out and put out and is not a happy boy.

When Poe and Jericho finally act on their attraction, it’s with a bit of daddy kink thrown in. Poe loves being called boy and Jericho loves the daddy side of dominating him. In these segments the sex scenes were hot and explosive, though the kink was not as explicit as I had hoped. Nevertheless, it was hot and the two had a great dynamic in bed… well, not necessarily in bed, let’s say in the shop, on the table, on the chair, etc. They grow to care for each other and as their attraction deepens, so does Poe’s commitment to Jericho and to the work they do. And the estrangement with Blue increases. Not only does Jericho not have time for tagging buildings, he doesn’t want to get caught and suffer the consequences so he tries to talk Blue out of it. But when Blue finally has the rappelling equipment for their dream job, he’s not interested in listening to what Poe has to say about bad ideas.

The drama continues, the consequences are out there for both Poe and Blue, Jericho manages to overcome his worries about revealing his relationship with Poe to Landon, Poe’s father, and the drama, the sex, and the repercussions all come to a head. I enjoyed this dynamic, the plot, the characters, and the glimpse into the art of tattooing and of tagging. The daddy kink, as I said, wasn’t so kinky as I’d have liked either, but more importantly, I’m left with the feeling that Poe and Jericho may not last together. They didn’t quite gel as a couple to me. Yes, they had hot sex, but deep and abiding love? I know it was given voice between them, but I didn’t get the feels, and that was mostly Jericho. He’s the character I never quite embraced. I felt his responsibility and his empathy for his clients and his sexual attraction to Poe, especially when Poe amped up the flirting and chemistry between them. But I didn’t feel his heart. I’m not sure I am expressing myself clearly here. The long-term love just didn’t ring true.

So… I can’t go too far up the star scale for this one. 3.5 to 3.75 and I may round it up because I’ve liked these authors and 3 feels too low for the entertainment value of this story.

If you love age gap, dominance, verbalized daddy kink, art, bad-boy-makes-good MM romance, give this a try.

I really liked this one! Despite not having any tattoos myself, I find them fascinating and I enjoy books that focus on them. Poe ends up getting an apprenticeship at Jericho’s tattoo shop, because Jericho got a second chance as a young kid and he wants to help someone else. Poe isn’t that grateful or interested in the beginning, but he already likes to draw and paint with graffiti, so it isn’t long before he realizes what a meaningful art form tattooing can be. Of course, around this same time, Poe and Jericho realize they are both attracted to each other. Not only do they have a big age gap – but Jericho is Poe’s dad’s best friend. Complicated? Yes, indeed.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a romance if these two didn’t get together and they do! Their chemistry is fantastic and while Poe likes to use the word “daddy” when it comes to sex, he’s not looking for another father figure in his life. I liked that the authors explored this dynamic. Because Jericho is older than Poe, he finds himself wanting to steer Poe in a certain direction and he has to realize that he’s Poe’s boyfriend. He can’t tell him what to do.

I also really liked the relationship between Poe and his best friend Blue (yes, it’s his real name). Not that it was entirely healthy, but it was portrayed well. Poe is finally finding stability in his life, but Blue’s not and it leads to a lot of issues between them that affect more than just them.

Finally, I should note that yes, Poe’s name comes from Edgar Allan Poe and I think it’s fantastic. In fact, Poe uses Raven as his graffiti name and tends to paint a lot of skulls and ravens.

Apparently this is the first in the Art and Soul series, so I’m curious to see what comes next!

When I requested this book and knew that someone has Daddy kink, it tickled my curiosity.
I'm not really into daddy kink, it's kinda cringed my a little, unless it's in porn. Yeah, you heard me right.
Turned out this one was enjoyable and I liked both Poe and Jericho. I liked their dynamic and Jericho being a 'responsible adult' in this story, got my appreciation, even, well..he's a bit 'not really my kind of hero'.
I wonder who's in the next book would be. There's so many possibility. I vote for Blue and Callum :)
Recommended!

With a wonderful cast of supporting characters, Poe and Jericho realize that age is just a number, and sometimes to find love we need to risk what we love most.

I really enjoyed this story and these characters. I love a mouthy character, especially when his love interest knows how to react to him and that is Poe and Jericho, so their back and forth from the start worked for me. As far as the romance goes, it’s a slow build at first, but once Poe and Jericho get together, they jump right into exploring the daddy kink. I liked the way it worked for them, it’s only during sex and is pretty mild, but I wanted it explored just a little more (I also admit I was disappointed when a celebratory sex scene was teased and then not shown). While we see that they are compatible in the work and bedroom settings, I wanted more of Jericho and Poe’s relationship development outside of those places so I could feel their romantic connection a bit more. Other than that I liked the tension in the buildup and the challenge Poe posed for Jericho.

This book was hot hot hot in my opinion. Poe tugged at my heart. I wanted to curl him up in a big blanket. I was happy when he came across Jericho if a little unsure how I felt about the daddy angle. It turns out it didn't matter as much to me as I was afraid it would. In the end I was very happy with these two men.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Disappointing for true daddy kink fans.

The more I sat on this review and the more I thought about the story, the lower my rating went. I was honestly really crushed that Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn didn't go for it.

I absolutely love daddy kink. Yes, I know it isn't for everyone (more on that later), but it's what I like. I love daddy kink in M/M, M/F and more, and I even love age-play books. It's a kink that speaks to me, what can I say.



I also love Avon Gale, so I was expecting something truly kink-a-licious. However, that isn't what I got.

This book is daddy kink for people who don't like kink. Honestly, all the "daddy-s" in this book could just have easily been substituted for "sirs", which isn't what daddy kink is about. It is about a certain dynamic, a certain way of playing, punishing, and living that is different than a regular sub/dom relationship.

Basically, a few "daddy's" and an implied paddling does not daddy kink make.

Aside from the kink aspect, I didn't really get the appeal of the two MCs together. Poe was irritating, and aside from attraction, I didn't see why Jericho (that name will always and forever remind me of The Fever Series, by the way) liked him all that much. The romance was very meh.

In addition, I'm 100% burnt out on tattoo artist books. This seems to be a hot trend in M/M right now, and I've read five in the past month alone. I get it, needles and tattooed men, I get it. It is just losing every bit of appeal for me, at the moment.

Most of my rating has to do with how let down I am about the kink aspect, but there were good parts of the story. I liked the general feel of it, and I had no trouble reading and getting into the story, even if it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

I'm still looking for my perfect daddy kink story. Authors, be brave, be kinky, and take me there!

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I am a fan of both Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn so I was really excited to read this collaboration from both of them. BOY this one was good! I LOVED it.

First thing first... maybe I was in the right mood for this book because I enjoyed the daddy kink! It was a kink that I usually avoid, but somehow in here it worked well. Probably because both men owned it! Or probably, like my friend said, "It's your hormones talking" *laugh*. In fact I vehemently wished that there were more spanking, paddling, and gagging the boy involved... and I was rather bummed that it didn't happen *pout*.

I know, SHOCKING, coming from me

What I loved the most about Permanent Ink was the complex characters. We have Poe, a 23-year-old brat who loves his graffiti art and probably gives his dad, Landon, a lot grey hairs with his attitude. Then we have Jericho, a 40-year-old tattoo artist and owner of a tattoo shop who also a good friend of Landon. When Poe is arrested once again for vandalism, Jericho offers a job via Landon to help Poe to pay his dad for the lawyer's fee. It t is a way for Jericho to "pay it forward" because a long time ago, someone gave Jericho a second chance to get his life in line.

I loved that the slow burn -- Poe IS the son of Jericho's best friend, so it's complicated -- but boy the chemistry and tension sparkled between these two. It wasn't just the romance though, there was personal development too, which for me was VERY important.

Poe matured up as the story went along. He realized the importance of tattoo and different kind of art. He became respectful towards Jericho. In short, he GREW up. While Jericho learned a different way to appreciate art and life ("You remind me that life is like art. It isn’t static"); I guess being with Poe made Jericho wanted more of what he was content with.

Another thing that I loved was the description and appreciation of TATTOO ART. I don't have tattoos but I could feel how this was important for both authors. It became an extra character, I think, in this book

The only thing that I wish to be more present is the relationship outside the tattoo shop. I want to see how Jericho and Landon connect outside of the art. Because I believe that is also important for a long-lasting relationship, right? Oh and also, what's up with dangling the readers with paddle gift and NOT write in on page, authors?!

As a reader, for me, one of the signs of great writing collaboration is when the two authors can mesh their style seamlessly that I can forget that actually two minds are involved in creating the book. In that point, I thought Permanent Ink delivered. I didn't know which author wrote which character and I didn't really care.

This book has deliciously sexy romance with two characters I genuinely care about. I cannot wait for the next book in this series -- or for more collaboration between Gale and Vaughn!

RATING 4 OUT 5

I had high hopes for this but sadly it didn't work for me.

Poe is 23 going on 13. I'm not sure I've ever read such an immature and childish MC outside of YA books. He lives in his dad's basement where he spray paints on the walls and rides his skateboard on ramps he's made indoors. He has zero motivation to do anything with his life. When he gets arrested for graffiti his dad is at his last straw and mentions it to his best friend Jericho. Jericho offers to give Poe a job at his tattoo shop because he once had a mentor that helped him out of his troubled childhood. Poe takes the job and they become friends and then more.

I had lot's of niggles with this. First off, the fact that Poe's dad and Landon have businesses next door to each other and have been close friends for four years (including Christmas together) but Jericho and Poe have barely met each other and don't already know each other??? So odd to me.

Secondly, Poe was a mess and I didn't like him until the last 20% or so of the book. I can buy age gaps when the two MC's are on a similar life path and/or share a maturity level. That was not the case here. Jericho was a high functioning, responsible 40 year old. As I said at the beginning, Poe acted 13. I could not even begin to imagine what would attract someone to that level of immaturity. At one point Poe's dad (who was a good guy) asks Jericho what he saw in Poe. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for that answer myself. He gave some inspirational "He makes me see life differently" BS answer. I was not buying it for a minute. I'm not a big fan of daddy kink anyways but it really didn't work for me here because they were on such different developmental levels it was like they were really dad and boy. Bleh..... Also, as a mom of tween boys, I identified with Landon way more than Jericho or Poe. I was as befuddled as he was throughout the book.

Most importantly, I felt zero chemistry and zero emotional connection between the two MC's. They just came off as teacher and apprentice. I could have overlooked some of my other complaints if they had some connection I could feel but there was nothing. There was far more emotional connection between Poe and his best friend Blue. There was one scene in a building they're hanging out in, where the chemistry snaps and crackles between them. I would have loved to see a book about the two of them together. There's also more affection and emotion between Jericho and Landon and I would have LOVED a book where they became a couple.

The end of the book left Poe and Jericho with a half-assed "I loved you" at the end that I didn't buy for a single minute and I guess a hea (also which I didn't buy for a single minute). So.....not my jam at all.


**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinon**

4.5 stars

I was immediately sucked in and connected to this story. I stayed up so late reading over half the book in one go. I can't believe how emotional I'm feeling.

To think that I almost passed it up because I didn't want to read Daddy Kink. Thank goodness one reviewer was kind enough to point out that there really isn't much of it. This isn't erotica DK. Not at all. Although it does appear in the story, so those of you who like reading it will enjoy those parts, it isn't a main focus. It's only one aspect of the relationship that stays in the privacy of their bedroom and only serves to enhance their compatibility. For those of you, like me, who don't necessarily jump to read DK, it does not detract from this love story at all.

And..It is a love story.

It's beautiful and emotional and captivating.

The parent/child relationship, the childhood friendship, the adult friendship, the mentor relationship --- all of it tugs at your heartstrings.

Do you like reading about good people? Not perfect people, not innocent people, but down deep good people?

Permanent Ink has good people.

If the author is taking requests, I'm putting mine in early for Callum and Blue. *fingers crossed*

What can I say? I enjoyed this for the most part but... I felt a little disconnected from the characters at times, leaving me feeling like something was missing. And really, it was the connection between Poe and Jericho that I didn't find as convincing as I'd hoped. Individually, I found that I could relate to each of them for various reasons. Other than that, I can't really pinpoint exactly what I would have liked more of. I needed their relationship to feel more real to me.

I don't have any issues with the age gap, which is pretty substantial. I have no issues with the daddy kink. I just didn't see them working in the long term. Don't get me wrong. They have their moments when I thought they were finally making that connection that would solidify them being together. The why of it. The attraction of it, besides how hot they each though the other looked, or how hot the sex was.

The things I really enjoyed about Permanent Ink were the conversations/fights Poe had with his BFF. Those were so raw and real. The emotions were running so high that I felt like I was in the room. I enjoyed Jericho and Landon's friendship. I loved a lot of little things that bring the story together. I loved that I fell for the side characters as much as I did because they are the foundation of any series.

I'm looking forward to more in this series... I hope the next book comes soon. The ending left me wanting with it's quickness and brevity. Left me hanging on a cliff, waiting to see what happens. But it's a good cliff and that makes me more excited than anything.

This book...seriously. I think this book single-handedly kicked my reading slumps ass. I loved Permanent Ink. So to start things off, I’m just going to say that daddy kink is not my thing. I won’t usually even pick up a book that hints at it. But when one of your favorite authors pimps a book, you sit up and take notice...and sort of push your ‘won’t reads’ to the side in an attempt to give a book a go. And this one had a huge payoff.

Poe is pretty much going nowhere fast. His ambitions are misguided, illegal, and not likely to make him enough money to get out of his father’s basement anytime soon. And he’s fine with that. Jericho, on the other hand, was able to pull himself out of a similar situation when he was younger after someone stepped in to offer him a helping hand. He’s spent years building a successful business, and he can’t help but want to do the same for Poe. So, yeah. Chemistry from the get-go. Poe and Jericho singed the pages, and every encounter left me wanting more. I always love it when there’s a character chasing and a character resisting, and it was so much fun watching Jericho try to resist Poe. But in the end, his attraction just proved to be too much and he couldn’t help but give in. And the way Poe took orders in the bedroom, but then when push came to shove put his foot down and fought for what he wanted outside of it was so damn hot! But their choices didn’t come without fallout, and I like that we get to see that on both sides, from Poe’s friends having a hard time dealing with his ‘desertion,’ to Jericho feeling awkward around Poe’s father, a very good friend of his, there’s a lot they’re giving up to be together. And not everyone is happy for them. I also like the push and pull we see inside of Jericho while he struggles with whether or not this is a good decision for both him and Poe, and what will happen for both of them if things don’t work out.

As soon as I pulled my screen up to write this review, my heart started fluttering. I loved this book so much. I rated it a four when I finished it, but I haven’t been able to get this book out of my head, so I’m upping it to a solid five. I thought Permanent Ink was a wonderful story, and it hit on all considerations of getting involved not only with someone significantly younger than you, but also a best friend’s kid. And can all that be put aside when both parties are bringing out the best in each other? I just loved how introspective it was. I know there will be more books in this series. I don’t know whose they are, and quite frankly, I don’t care whose they are. (Though that’s not to say I don’t have a wishlist!) I just know I’ll be devouring them all. Art & Soul for the win!

3.5*-
If you're into "real" daddy kink. Don't get your hopes up. This was more like silly role-play to get the blood pumping (for them anyways, not me).

I loved Jericho's character. Silver fox? tatted up? yes please!! He was mature and gruff, and I'm assuming this was Avon's character because he loved him some hockey (though that wasn't too much of a focus in the story). That being said, I think I found Jericho's friendship with Landon more interesting than his relationship with Landon's son, Poe.

Poe was kind of a whiny, irresponsible "kid". (Kind of reminded me of Bieber)
True to his nature, and age of course, but I didn't feel the connection or chemistry between these two. Landon asked why he chose Poe, and I guess I didn't understand his reasoning.

Aside from their relationship and the weak daddy kink, I did enjoy the story. The drama between Poe and Blue mainly and how it affected Poe and Jericho's relationship. Also, the drama with telling Landon the truth about them, and trying to work their way through it all. I did enjoy watching Poe mature as well, as a character I feel he did grow by the time the story was up.

I have a sneaking suspicion that a certain set of friends are up next. I'm hoping that'll be a better over all story!

2.5 Stars
Just not my thing. I guess I just don't get the daddy kink. I had no problem with the relationship, the age difference, or the dominance. I liked the story, but the solutions seemed simplistic, and quick. I just wanted more from it.

I have very mixed feelings about this book and I'll try my best to explain them.

Firstly Poe seemed more like a teenager than a twenty-three year old and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get on board with the sexy forty year old Jericho lusting after such a selfish sullen brat.
But as the story progresses we get a fuller picture of Poe and although I still felt he was too childish for his age I came to accept him.

Now I didn't realise when I requested this that it was a daddy kink. It may seem odd because I like the daddy kink when it comes to a young innocent woman and an older more experienced man but I don't like it in a m/m book.
Strange I know but that's how I feel.

My problems started at 14% when Poe announced that he's bi and he likes rough older men who make him call them daddy and a fiftysomething fem domme he subs for.
The fem domme thing just isn't for me but it is only mentioned not dwelled on.

I loved Jericho, Landon and Callum and I'm hoping both Landon and Callum get their own books.

So Poe goes to work for Jericho and Jericho finds himself attracted to him but fights it as long as he can. This might have worked if Poe hadn't been equally attracted to Jericho but he is and he pushes forward.

Jericho's best friend is Landon (Poe's dad) and this makes for an interesting situation.
I liked most of the characters and would like to continue on with this series, my only problems were Poe and the daddy kink.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Riptide Publishing.

I don't round down, but this is more of a 3.5 star read for me.

When Poe gets arrested for vandalism, we are introduced to a sullen twenty-three-year-old who doesn't understand that he's an adult that should be responsible for his own actions. He's content to live in his father’s (Landon) basement and mooch off his generosity and unwavering support. Enter Jericho, Landon's best friend whose tattoo shop is right next to Landon's garage. One night while Jericho is working on his sleeve, Landon laments Poe's latest mishap. This leads to Jericho offering Poe a job as a way to pay forward the good deed his own mentor did for him when he was a rebellious teen.

Great setup, but unfortunately the execution was hit or miss for me. Told in alternating first person POV, we do get into the heads of our main characters, but I felt that Jericho was more fleshed-out —his thoughts were more pronounced, he had more rapport with the secondary characters, and this left Poe as the nuisance emo child of the group. Nearly all the interaction we see between Jericho and Poe happens within the tattoo shop, only to find out through their thoughts that they are having a whole relationship off-page that would have done wonders in making them believable. As it was, the growth Poe shows in maturity comes off as big leaps instead of organic and natural. Without it, I never felt them go from mentor-with-benefits to happily ever after and the telling left me doubtful.

There was also a big quirk for me in the sexual component of this book. Through Poe’s thoughts, we learn that he wants to be used and through Jericho’s thoughts, we know that this is a common ground. However, they never discussed it and that bothered me. I wanted all the kink, more than we got, and I needed it to be part of the relationship building, which was lacking.

The Blue factor was...eh. A good setup for a future book, but otherwise he was such a non-character for me in contrast to Callum’s over the top characterization. That will be interesting if the authors can find a character balance and give us more show than tell. Overall, I would continue the series, but mostly because Callum had a presence and I’m curious about Landon and his new mechanic.

This review will appear as scheduled on the blog during the upcoming release tour.

new to me authors
Silver Fox and tattoos.... *sigh*
I haven't read many books from this trope before, but I'm glad I read this one. The author nailed it! From the attitude of the early twenties "kid" to the awkward/funny relationship between the Dad and Bestfriend/Boyfriend, I was hooked.
Love, love, loved!