Reviewed by True
TITLE: Ink and Intimacy
SERIES: New Gothenburg Ink #2
AUTHOR: Ki Brightly and M.D. Gregory
PUBLISHER: Brightly Books
LENGTH: 308 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2026
BLURB:
Redemption Isn’t Easy
Ren Booth hates feelings. He has always been more physical than emotional, and as a result his heart isn’t just hidden, it’s buried. Ren loves two men. How can he undo a lifetime of creating a hard outer shell? He uses hockey to burn off aggression, but he has to learn how to create a healthy relationship. Building a life together with his men is a lot harder than knocking around guys on the ice.
The Desperate Linebacker
While Ren is succeeding at sports, KC Beaumont can’t help but feel like he is failing. Football has defined him for years. Who will he be if it all goes away? He can’t pull himself out of this mental hole alone, but he has two boyfriends who are there to support him. Hopefully, it will be enough.
Lost in the Past
When Oliver Hayes’s father rolls into town fresh from prison, it brings up Oli’s old abandonment issues. He knows he shouldn’t spiral because he has a family who claimed him as their own, but it is impossible. In addition to this mess, Oli still can’t find a way to tell Ren and KC when things are upsetting him. Everything he keeps hidden is a ticking time bomb.
Holding Each Other Together
Ren, KC, and Oli love each other, but can they open their hearts and talk? Will they be able to fend off each other’s demons? Or will their problems pull them apart forever? Only time will tell.
REVIEW:
Please read Ink and Insults first before you start this one. That’s where Ren, KC, and Oliver’s story starts. This story is a continuation of their relationship and lives, with all the ups and downs.
Ren is a tattoo artist and has his own tattoo shop. He isn’t used to being emotional, having grown up in harsh environments. Sex is easy, but giving emotional support to his boyfriends, is something difficult and unknown ground for him.
Oli is an emotional guy, he and KC are in college. Oli wants to be a tattoo artist like Ren. He can practice at Ren’s shop. Officially he lives with his mom, but is always at Ren’s.
Oli was abandoned by his dad, and out of nowhere the man gives him and his mom trouble.
KC is a football player, and he has a great, supportive family. He’s a football player and struggles with his physics. He has a difficult relationship with food, and that’s an understatement.
“Everything was good for me. I had the control, not my brain.” How true is that!
I loved watching them navigate through their relationship and their lives, the expectations and the reality, the communication and miscommunication, the learning curve, the wins and losses, the emotional growth, the sexual moments. (spicy af!). Every aspect was naturally entwined.
The friends and family are precious (except one!).
The whole story was captivatingly written and very enjoyable.
RATING: 
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