Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Black Hawk Tattoo
AUTHOR: Aundrea Singer
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 312 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 28, 2020
BLURB:
Toronto, Canada, 2006. A few months after the worst year of the Iraq war.
Gabriel Navarro splits his time between his job slinging ink at the Atlantis Ink tattoo parlor, and working on his master’s degree in fine art. Gabe is twenty-two, sure of his beliefs and his artistic integrity, and naïve enough to think he’ll never have to compromise. And then one night Jake MacLean walks into the shop and changes everything.
Jake Maclean is twenty-eight and a veteran American Army pilot. He’s been staying with his ex-pat sister in Toronto while he tries to get his life in order. The problem is, he can’t. After his disastrous final mission in Iraq, he’s overcome with anger and survivor’s guilt, trapped in a losing battle to atone for a failure he’s sure can never be forgiven. Left without hope, he decides to have his memory of the mission tattooed on his back, with the condemning words: God Will Judge Me. He doesn’t expect to fall for the tattoo artist.
Gabe falls just as quickly and deeply for Jake, though Jake’s reluctance to talk about what happened frustrates and worries him. Gabe knows Jake isn’t doing well, but accepting Jake’s claims that he’s “fine” is far easier than dealing with the frightening truth. But soon it’s horribly clear Jake can’t control his panic attacks or flashes of violence, and he’s getting worse. If Gabe can’t help him face his demons, Jake is headed for a crash — and there’s every chance he’ll take Gabriel down with him.
REVIEW:
I have had this book on my TBR list since it first came out in 2013. I bought is because I thought the premise sounded very interesting. However,fFor one reason or another I never got around to reading it until a few weeks ago when it popped up on our publishers list here at the blog, having been republished with JMS Books. Out of curiosity I found it in my files and started reading…and couldn’t put it down.
Jake is one of the most broken characters I’ve ever encountered, with good reason. No one who went through the trauma he endured could come out unscathed. He’s stuck in his misery and isn’t even trying to find a way out, until he walks into the right shop and finds Gabe.
Gabe is sweet and kind, an artist who is always looking for the best in everyone, even though he knows he won’t always find it. He falls hard and fast for Jake and even the warnings issued by his boss and friend, Rob, can slow it down. As a reader, you know the heartbreak is coming and it’s no surprise when it does. But it doesn’t lessen the blow at all.
One of the first connections Jake makes is with Hype, the teenage girl who has adopted everyone at the tattoo parlour that Gabe works at. Jake sees a lot of himself in the girl who’s trying to desperately to find a way to escape the terrible life she was born into. His instinctual need to protect her is one of the things the shows just how damaged he is.
I liked Rob, the tattoo shop owner. He does his best to be a good friend to Gabe and help Jake, all without coming off as over bearing.
The descriptions of what Jake has been through isn’t easy to read, but it is such excellent storytelling. I was as impressed as I was appalled and that’s not easy for any author to accomplish.
Jake’s sister is the perfect example of someone in conflict. She loves her brother so much, but she also realizes that he needs more help than she can offer. She also needs to do what she can to protect her young daughter from the potential pain that her brother can bring to their lives.
My only complaint about this story is that I would have liked the ending to have not skipped so much time before the epilogue. I think this author could have done an excellent job of taking us through at least part of Jake’s journey back to mental health.
This is a story that breaks you down before putting you back together and I’m really sorry it took me so long to get to this book. It’s very well done.
RATING: 
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