Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Geek Tattoo
AUTHOR: R. Cayden
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 203 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 9, 2020
BLURB:
The relationship is fake, so why does his kiss feel so real?
Stone is straight. That’s the first reason he can’t be my boyfriend. Straight tattoo artists with dark histories and sad eyes just aren’t meant for geeky guys like me. Even if he does have killer cheekbones…
But when our lives get thrown together one day at the park, he proposes something surprising. Stone needs a fake relationship to get him out of trouble, and I might be the perfect guy to help. The only problem is I don’t understand why a fake, straight boyfriend feels so good to cuddle up close to. And I can’t figure out why a man who scares me to death can also make me feel so safe.
Stone marks me forever with his ink, but am I strong enough to make him truly mine?
REVIEW:
Matty’s beloved cat, Mixie Meow, passed away, so naturally he’s holding a memorial service for her in the park. In attendance are Matty’s closest friends, including his ex-boyfriend Milo, gathered under Mixie’s favorite tree. This is the beginning of Geek Tattoo – an entertaining, fake boyfriend, opposites attract romance. Matty, with his bright blue hair, is an effeminate man who dresses in vibrant clothing and possesses a warm energy. He loves his work as a stop-motion animator. He’s enjoying the perfect day until a cacophonous crowd of heavily tattooed, leather clad people – and one loud, rumbling motorcycle – shows up and shatters his peaceful affair. Matty is nearly seething when one guy – a gorgeous guy – stares at him and then approaches to apologize.
Stone, a sexy, broody, inked up, tattoo apprentice is fed up with his life, particularly dealing with Jeremiah, a homophobic, obnoxious co-worker. For some reason, Stone blurts out at work that he has a boyfriend and is then roped into bringing him to a work event. When they run into each other again, Stone asks Matty to pose as his fake boyfriend. Matty’s price? Stone needs to pose as his fake boyfriend to make Milo jealous in an effort to win him back.
They find they’re attracted to each other and start to hang out. They bond over their professions as artists. Matty is kind and thoughtful, and Stone wants to be part of his world. Matty does not want to be part of Stone’s world, however. He’s afraid of Jeremiah who dredges up memories of being beat up and bullied as a kid. And he’s also a little fearful of Stone after hearing about Stone’s tumultuous past which contained some violence. Neither man feels he’s good enough for the other. Matty doesn’t think he’s strong enough because Stone reminds him of his painful history, and Stone simply feels he doesn’t deserve Matty.
R. Cayden has created acolorful cast ofsecondary characters including Matty’s close-knit group of friends and Stone’s co-workers. The plot is made original by both men utilizing the fake boyfriend scenario for their individual purposes. And kudos to the author for selecting a cover model who perfectly represents Matty. If you enjoy fake boyfriends and/or opposites attract tropes, you should enjoy this sweet book. I happily recommend it.
RATING: 
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