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A review by itssarahc
Gruff Touch by R. Cayden
4.0
This is the second of Cayden's Geek Ink series that I've read, and just like with the first - I did not find myself disappointed. Instead, I found myself smiling and obsessively reading this story, falling in love with the characters, and rooting for the main couple to find their HEA. Which honestly surprised me a little, because there was a part early in the book that I thought would squick me out later. It did not. Like the two main characters, I was able to move past it easily, because the relationship between Caesar and Drew was that good.
Which is due in part because Cayden writes amazing characters.
First, we have Caesar. This isn't the first time we've met him, as he owns the tattoo shop that this series centers around. But this was his time to shine. We get to see more than just the grumpy, slightly monosyllabic boss man. He's still a grump, but we learn the reasons behind it. We learn about his less than ideal family life and we watch as he realizes that he's lonely. We learn the things that he likes and how he's actually just as big of a geek as the other tattoo artists. We also learn how much the other artists in the store mean to him, and how he shows it in a way that they might not even fully realize.
On the other side we have Drew. Drew is mourning the loss of his mother and trying to figure out his life after spending the last six years dedicated to her. He is a sunshine character to Caesar's grump (which honestly, one of my favorite dynamics) but unlike some of the sunshine characters I've read, he's not a pushover by any capacity. He has the ability to immediately call Caesar out on his shit. Despite being a generally timid person, he can be incredibly bold when he needs to be. He goes for what he wants and doesn't give up easily. He's a bit self-deprecating - especially about his love of rebuilding old arcade games which he's always been told was rather useless.
The two men come together because Drew is looking for information about his father, a trail that leads him to Caesar. Because Caesar and Mack (Drew's father) used to work together. They also used to do other things together, see above the squick factor that I thought would be an impediment in my enjoyment of the book. They begin to bond as they learn they have common interests and from there, the relationship just blooms.
This book has so much hurt/comfort in it, and I'm such a sucker for that. I like when the love interests can talk about the things that hurt them and find solace in one another. I do wish that they would've been a bit more communicative about some other things too, as it would've solved some of their problems - but if that happened I guess the book would be a bit less interesting.
We get to see some great side characters again in this book - and anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for some good side characters. I like to know that the characters have lives outside of their romantic interests, because it makes them feel more real to me.
All in all, this was a very solid showing by Cayden and a book I will be revisiting. (I will also be buying the first two Geek Ink books, because I just - I need more of this world and these characters. I just love them so much.)
** ARC PROVIDED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS AND THIS IS MY HONEST FEEDBACK **
Which is due in part because Cayden writes amazing characters.
First, we have Caesar. This isn't the first time we've met him, as he owns the tattoo shop that this series centers around. But this was his time to shine. We get to see more than just the grumpy, slightly monosyllabic boss man. He's still a grump, but we learn the reasons behind it. We learn about his less than ideal family life and we watch as he realizes that he's lonely. We learn the things that he likes and how he's actually just as big of a geek as the other tattoo artists. We also learn how much the other artists in the store mean to him, and how he shows it in a way that they might not even fully realize.
On the other side we have Drew. Drew is mourning the loss of his mother and trying to figure out his life after spending the last six years dedicated to her. He is a sunshine character to Caesar's grump (which honestly, one of my favorite dynamics) but unlike some of the sunshine characters I've read, he's not a pushover by any capacity. He has the ability to immediately call Caesar out on his shit. Despite being a generally timid person, he can be incredibly bold when he needs to be. He goes for what he wants and doesn't give up easily. He's a bit self-deprecating - especially about his love of rebuilding old arcade games which he's always been told was rather useless.
The two men come together because Drew is looking for information about his father, a trail that leads him to Caesar. Because Caesar and Mack (Drew's father) used to work together. They also used to do other things together, see above the squick factor that I thought would be an impediment in my enjoyment of the book. They begin to bond as they learn they have common interests and from there, the relationship just blooms.
This book has so much hurt/comfort in it, and I'm such a sucker for that. I like when the love interests can talk about the things that hurt them and find solace in one another. I do wish that they would've been a bit more communicative about some other things too, as it would've solved some of their problems - but if that happened I guess the book would be a bit less interesting.
We get to see some great side characters again in this book - and anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for some good side characters. I like to know that the characters have lives outside of their romantic interests, because it makes them feel more real to me.
All in all, this was a very solid showing by Cayden and a book I will be revisiting. (I will also be buying the first two Geek Ink books, because I just - I need more of this world and these characters. I just love them so much.)
** ARC PROVIDED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS AND THIS IS MY HONEST FEEDBACK **