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Sinful Skin #1
Draw Me In: A Novel
In Regina Cole’s steamy novel of hot ink and delicious angst, two tortured artists take a leap of faith—but the past threatens to tear them apart. After her parents pull the plug on her college fund to finance their nasty divorce, Hailey Jakes is desperate to pay her own way and finish her degree in graphic design. She can hardly believe her luck when the sexiest guy she’s ever seen hires her to be the receptionist at his tattoo shop. With sea-blue eyes, jet-black hair, and full sleeves of tattoos on his muscular arms, Neill Vanderhaven looks like the kind of guy who wouldn’t give her the time of day. In fact, he’s mesmerized by her—and it doesn’t hurt that she’s talented as hell. But Hailey and Neill have more in common than instant They’re both carrying serious baggage. Hailey’s parents split after years of blowout fights and sloppy affairs. Neill just got out of something serious with a woman who loved her bad habits more than she loved him. When they take the plunge on a new relationship, they’re both breaking their own rules. But then a terrible misunderstanding brings Neill’s worst fears to life, and their connection threatens to come crashing down. What they have is more than skin-deep, but now Hailey and Neill need to decide whether the kind of love that lasts forever is worth such exquisite pain.Praise for Draw Me In “A sweet but intense New Adult story . . . Regina Cole drew me in from page 1 with great writing and believable characters. Swoon-worthy Neill makes you want to run to your nearest tattoo definite book boyfriend material.”—Sidney Halston, USA Today bestselling author of Full Contact“A true love story . . . Draw Me In is filled with sweet, steamy and sometimes heartbreaking moments that will have you rooting for Hailey and Neill from beginning to end.”—Renita Pizzitola, author of Just a Little Crush“I loved every second of this book and I would definitely recommend it to contemporary romance readers!”—Between the Lines “If you like some drama, angst, and complications in your romance, this book will make you very happy!”—Crazy Four Books “Outstanding . . . filled with fun characters.”—Tangled Hearts and Boxer Briefs“I loved this book and I loved how Hailey grew into her own skin. . . . It was so amazing to see her transform.”—A Crazy Vermonter’s Book Reviews
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2014
12 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Regina Cole
18 books134 followersRegina Cole, lover of manly muscled arms, chest hair, and mini-marshmallows, has been reading romance since her early teens. While she loves reading love stories, writing them has filled a special place in her heart, and she’s enjoying every minute.
When she’s not frantically pounding away at the keyboard, she can be found fishing with her family, playing with her dogs, trying out strange new recipes, or snuggling with her hubby and tiny twin boys.
Regina also writes Regency time travel and historical romance as Gina Lamm.
When she’s not frantically pounding away at the keyboard, she can be found fishing with her family, playing with her dogs, trying out strange new recipes, or snuggling with her hubby and tiny twin boys.
Regina also writes Regency time travel and historical romance as Gina Lamm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
November 2, 2014
2 Stars
Hailey finds out in the middle of her semester that her parents are divorcing and will no longer be able to pay her tuition. In the midst of her financial problems her mother bails, and she can’t reach her by phone or email. Her dad, is the cause of their divorce so she doesn’t want to reach out to him. All alone, Hailey decides to look for a job.
Neill is part owner of the tattoo shop who happens to be looking for a receptionist. Hailey applies for the job, and Neill hires her. This is where things begin to fall a part for me. Hailey is a nineteen year old college student, with no life experience or tattoos. She is an art major, so Neill thinks she will be a good fit.
If you follow my reviews, you know I can take the unbelievable and move forward…I mean I am reading NA fiction. However, things just kept building and until I couldn’t take anymore.
First, we have a runner - again I am used to my females running, but this time it was Neill. Neill and Hailey share two kisses, and both times Neill runs off.
I think the point is to show that he is damaged and has trust issues. I think a better excuse would have been that he is her boss, and having relations with his employee is inappropriate.
I would like to say that the books continues on this way and the two of them explore things together, but that is not the case. The last 20% is really just a lot of different conflicts that all tie into Neill’s trust issues. Some may think the way things were brought was unique, but to me it felt far fetched and unrealistic. His assumptions were completely of out realm for Hailey’s character.
This is tough rating. Did I love? No. Did I hate? No. Would I recommend this one? Probably not. When deciding how to rate this book I didn’t feel like a 3 star was appropriate because a 3 star book for me is a book that was okay, just not great. I was very close to DNF this one, but I could tell a twist was coming and I was hoping it would be worth continuing. As always, this is just my humble opinion.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hailey finds out in the middle of her semester that her parents are divorcing and will no longer be able to pay her tuition. In the midst of her financial problems her mother bails, and she can’t reach her by phone or email. Her dad, is the cause of their divorce so she doesn’t want to reach out to him. All alone, Hailey decides to look for a job.
Neill is part owner of the tattoo shop who happens to be looking for a receptionist. Hailey applies for the job, and Neill hires her. This is where things begin to fall a part for me. Hailey is a nineteen year old college student, with no life experience or tattoos. She is an art major, so Neill thinks she will be a good fit.
If you follow my reviews, you know I can take the unbelievable and move forward…I mean I am reading NA fiction. However, things just kept building and until I couldn’t take anymore.
First, we have a runner - again I am used to my females running, but this time it was Neill. Neill and Hailey share two kisses, and both times Neill runs off.
I think the point is to show that he is damaged and has trust issues. I think a better excuse would have been that he is her boss, and having relations with his employee is inappropriate.
I would like to say that the books continues on this way and the two of them explore things together, but that is not the case. The last 20% is really just a lot of different conflicts that all tie into Neill’s trust issues. Some may think the way things were brought was unique, but to me it felt far fetched and unrealistic. His assumptions were completely of out realm for Hailey’s character.
This is tough rating. Did I love? No. Did I hate? No. Would I recommend this one? Probably not. When deciding how to rate this book I didn’t feel like a 3 star was appropriate because a 3 star book for me is a book that was okay, just not great. I was very close to DNF this one, but I could tell a twist was coming and I was hoping it would be worth continuing. As always, this is just my humble opinion.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2014
2.5 - "You're tougher than you think." Stars.
A book with some romance and a little drama, mainly set in and around a tattoo parlour, is pretty much my idea of reading heaven, so when I saw Draw Me In pop up on Netgalley, I had no hesitation in requesting it.
"You've had some heavy shit go down before. That can be hard, but you've got two choices - lay dead in the past, or run toward your life."
The premise, and the characters all showed promise in the beginning, but as the book developed everything of importance just felt like it was being skimmed over, there was never really any deeper development into alot of what I would class as major things, like Hailey's parents separation, the struggle she would have without their financial support to name a couple... there are more but it would mean giving off spoilers and I am not going to do that on this occasion. The total un-believability of the whole situation she was in was difficult to get past as well because her thoughts, actions and general personality do not make you think this is a girl who would just slip into working in a Tattoo Parlour, with ease and confidence, hell I don't even think she is the sort of girl who would even think to look for work in a Tattoo Parlour at all.
Neill was more pre-menstrual than Hailey was for most of the book, the whole 'I am your boss we should not do this' scenario played out more times than I felt was needed, added to all his hang-ups about his ex, it all got a bit repetitive and dragged out. Unfortunately, his whole inner monologue a lot of the time was more horny-confused-teen, than his supposed 24 years.
The whole Sinful Skin Tattoos scenario, and the rest of the staff were all a little too clean-cut and cheerful as well, even with their ink and piercings.
As I said there is potential here, the in-depth look at tattooing as a whole is well researched and really informative, I liked the parts where Neill was teaching Hailey the mastery of it all. Sadly, as a whole the story just didn't quite come together for me.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
A book with some romance and a little drama, mainly set in and around a tattoo parlour, is pretty much my idea of reading heaven, so when I saw Draw Me In pop up on Netgalley, I had no hesitation in requesting it.
"You've had some heavy shit go down before. That can be hard, but you've got two choices - lay dead in the past, or run toward your life."
The premise, and the characters all showed promise in the beginning, but as the book developed everything of importance just felt like it was being skimmed over, there was never really any deeper development into alot of what I would class as major things, like Hailey's parents separation, the struggle she would have without their financial support to name a couple... there are more but it would mean giving off spoilers and I am not going to do that on this occasion. The total un-believability of the whole situation she was in was difficult to get past as well because her thoughts, actions and general personality do not make you think this is a girl who would just slip into working in a Tattoo Parlour, with ease and confidence, hell I don't even think she is the sort of girl who would even think to look for work in a Tattoo Parlour at all.
Neill was more pre-menstrual than Hailey was for most of the book, the whole 'I am your boss we should not do this' scenario played out more times than I felt was needed, added to all his hang-ups about his ex, it all got a bit repetitive and dragged out. Unfortunately, his whole inner monologue a lot of the time was more horny-confused-teen, than his supposed 24 years.
The whole Sinful Skin Tattoos scenario, and the rest of the staff were all a little too clean-cut and cheerful as well, even with their ink and piercings.
As I said there is potential here, the in-depth look at tattooing as a whole is well researched and really informative, I liked the parts where Neill was teaching Hailey the mastery of it all. Sadly, as a whole the story just didn't quite come together for me.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
November 1, 2014
2.5 stars
Hailey is a art major in college who has to come up with a way to pay her own way through school so she gets a job as a receptionist at a tattoo shop. Neill is part owner of the tattoo shop and is instantly attracted to Hailey. They have a lot in common and good chemistry. After their meeting, the book kind of went downhill for me. Hailey cried way too much and was very frustrating. I also found Neill to be incredibly annoying. The way he treats Hailey at times isn't very nice and I need him to man-up a little bit. Hailey's family situation and back story fell flat for me as well. I do think the idea of this book was good, the story was interesting at times but I just couldn't connect with these characters and that sunk the book for me. I didn't really find this book steamy either, there were only 2 steamy scenes and I read one to my husband and he asked me if they were having sex or climbing a mountain. Although I didn't enjoy this particular book, I would like to check out books by this author in the future.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Hailey is a art major in college who has to come up with a way to pay her own way through school so she gets a job as a receptionist at a tattoo shop. Neill is part owner of the tattoo shop and is instantly attracted to Hailey. They have a lot in common and good chemistry. After their meeting, the book kind of went downhill for me. Hailey cried way too much and was very frustrating. I also found Neill to be incredibly annoying. The way he treats Hailey at times isn't very nice and I need him to man-up a little bit. Hailey's family situation and back story fell flat for me as well. I do think the idea of this book was good, the story was interesting at times but I just couldn't connect with these characters and that sunk the book for me. I didn't really find this book steamy either, there were only 2 steamy scenes and I read one to my husband and he asked me if they were having sex or climbing a mountain. Although I didn't enjoy this particular book, I would like to check out books by this author in the future.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
October 23, 2014
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC.
I enjoyed this new adult story. Fragile girl meets broken boy and they fall in love.
Then we get the complexities of the young naive college girl and the not so typical tattooed sexy as hell bad guy. Their chemistry is what draws you in. The freshness and sincerity of emotion make this book amazing. I laughed and cried.
Neil
Try this book, I believe you will really like it.
July 25, 2015
In Draw Me In, we're sucked into the world of Hailey Jakes, an art students whose parents have decided to use her college fund to pay for their nasty divorce, and Neill Vanderhaven, a tattoo artist whose last relationship destroyed his ability to trust women.
When Hailey gets the call from her father saying that she needs to drop out because her college fund has been depleted, she decides she's not going down without a fight. She takes to the streets, stopping in every restaurant and shop she comes across until she finds someone looking for help. The one place that's hiring is Sinful Skin, the tattoo shop that Neill owns. Hailey and Neill are immediately attracted to each other, but for the sake of their jobs, they need to keep it professional. Add to that the news of Hailey's parents' divorce and Neill's rocky history with women, and you get two people trying their hardest to avoid a relationship.
The premise of Draw Me In is fine; it's the execution that could use some work.
The first thing that threw me off was the sheer angst running through each of Hailey and Neill's interactions. Yes, Hailey's parents are going through a divorce. My parents are divorced too, but that doesn't mean that I feel like I'm somehow incapable of loving anyone. It just means that my parents weren't right for each other. I thought that Hailey was going to have some deep, dark secret in her past that made her afraid to get close to someone. I couldn't believe it was just because her parents were getting divorced. And Neill -- I'm sorry, but I just didn't understand what Gretchen had to do with anything. I don't think that she was developed enough as a character to play the huge role that she did in Neill's life. So she stole some money from him and took some drugs. You know, that's not cool and obviously it's good that he doesn't trust her anymore, but to not be able to trust anybody is taking it a little far. When Neill revealed what had gone down with Gretchen, I was actually a little disappointed. After all it had been built up to be, the truth was kind of a letdown. I've been reading a lot of angsty romances lately, and these characters had some of the worst reasons for trust issues that I've seen so far.
Of course, the angst between Hailey and Neill doesn't stop once they finally begin dating. No. Why would it?
Onto the hot mess that was her adviser, Dr. Fields. I mean, first off, why is a psych professor her art adviser? I don't know how it works at other schools, my adviser was a professor in my major. How can somebody advise on a major they don't know? Anyway, from the first mention of him, it's clear that Dr. Fields is going to be a problem.
Draw Me In started out well enough, but the writing was too choppy and the pacing was off. I think that the story is good, and with some extensive editing, it would have been much better. It read like the author felt rushed while writing it and forgot to go back and check things like continuity and pacing. Despite all that, I did enjoy the story for what it was, and it is a very quick read. It would be the perfect book to read at the beach or on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy.
When Hailey gets the call from her father saying that she needs to drop out because her college fund has been depleted, she decides she's not going down without a fight. She takes to the streets, stopping in every restaurant and shop she comes across until she finds someone looking for help. The one place that's hiring is Sinful Skin, the tattoo shop that Neill owns. Hailey and Neill are immediately attracted to each other, but for the sake of their jobs, they need to keep it professional. Add to that the news of Hailey's parents' divorce and Neill's rocky history with women, and you get two people trying their hardest to avoid a relationship.
The premise of Draw Me In is fine; it's the execution that could use some work.
The first thing that threw me off was the sheer angst running through each of Hailey and Neill's interactions. Yes, Hailey's parents are going through a divorce. My parents are divorced too, but that doesn't mean that I feel like I'm somehow incapable of loving anyone. It just means that my parents weren't right for each other. I thought that Hailey was going to have some deep, dark secret in her past that made her afraid to get close to someone. I couldn't believe it was just because her parents were getting divorced. And Neill -- I'm sorry, but I just didn't understand what Gretchen had to do with anything. I don't think that she was developed enough as a character to play the huge role that she did in Neill's life. So she stole some money from him and took some drugs. You know, that's not cool and obviously it's good that he doesn't trust her anymore, but to not be able to trust anybody is taking it a little far. When Neill revealed what had gone down with Gretchen, I was actually a little disappointed. After all it had been built up to be, the truth was kind of a letdown. I've been reading a lot of angsty romances lately, and these characters had some of the worst reasons for trust issues that I've seen so far.
Of course, the angst between Hailey and Neill doesn't stop once they finally begin dating. No. Why would it?
Onto the hot mess that was her adviser, Dr. Fields. I mean, first off, why is a psych professor her art adviser? I don't know how it works at other schools, my adviser was a professor in my major. How can somebody advise on a major they don't know? Anyway, from the first mention of him, it's clear that Dr. Fields is going to be a problem.
Draw Me In started out well enough, but the writing was too choppy and the pacing was off. I think that the story is good, and with some extensive editing, it would have been much better. It read like the author felt rushed while writing it and forgot to go back and check things like continuity and pacing. Despite all that, I did enjoy the story for what it was, and it is a very quick read. It would be the perfect book to read at the beach or on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy.
November 19, 2014
2.5 Stars
Review posted at Romance at Random
TMI, personal space, friend zone, too close for comfort – there are a million different ways to describe the boundaries we use in our relationships. We have rules for what we share with our boyfriend vs. what we share with a one-night stand. We confide in our parents differently than we would a friend. Regina Cole looks at these boundaries and how they can affect a relationship in her new book, Draw Me In.
My family wasn’t happy, hadn’t been for a long time. Pretending didn’t do me any good.
Hailey Jakes has been using college as an escape from her parents. When her mom decides to leave and takes Hailey’s college fund with her, Hailey may have no choice but to go quit school and go back home to the only parent she has left. Talk about losing the parental lottery. Less than a chapter in and I wanted to find Hailey’s parents and slap them both. What kind of mother leaves with her kid’s college fund? And what kind of father demands his daughter come home instead of trying to help her finish college? Terrible parents that’s who. Thankfully, Hailey wasn’t going to give up. She went to her college advisor, who she had a way too familiar relationship with if you as me, to ask for help and when that didn’t go as well as she liked she went out in search of a job.
I didn’t want to be his friend. I wanted to be so much more.
Neill has had a rough life. Between his dad and his last girlfriend, Gretchen, he has a hard time trusting anyone. Gretchen screwed him over big time and even though he’s in a much better place now Neill still has a hard time letting anyone in. When Hailey comes to his tattoo shop on the heels of his receptionist quitting it’s almost like it was meant to be. Right away Neill is attracted to her even though he knows he’s still too screwed up to get involved with her. Even if Hailey is gorgeous, loves art, is a great receptionist, makes his heart beat faster, and is obviously attracted to him. Nope, he’s not going to touch her . . . well at least that was his plan.
I’d been fighting this so long that I was tired of the battle. This – us – somehow felt right. Even though the reasons for it being wrong hadn’t changed, something inside me had. And I couldn’t ignore it.
Neill and Hailey’s relationship was equal parts sweet and frustrating as hell. Neill would push Hailey away and then do something that melted your heart, like bring her flowers. Hailey knew she wanted Neill, but when the chance finally came for them to have a relationship she was too preoccupied to really let Neill in to her life. In the background of their relationship was Hailey’s problems at school. The whole reason Hailey needed to find a job was so she could continue her education, but work and her relationship with Neill quickly trumped everything else and her grades majorly suffered. I was disappointed that not only did Hailey ignore college, she gave up her friends too. I get that young love can be all consuming but this felt unhealthy. Hailey either needed to draw a line between school and work, or know when to ask for help from Neill.
You can try to put up boundaries around your heart but when you find the right person they all fall down. Neill and Hailey tried hard to draw lines between work, school, and love without success. While there were bumps along the road in the end it worked out for them.
I didn’t want to let her go. Not now, not ever.
Review posted at Romance at Random
October 23, 2014
Wanted more from this story
I really came to this story with high expectations. Seriously, college art student taking religious classes ends up working alongside a sexy tatted up stud who just happens to be part owner of the tattoo shop. Normally any story with a tattoo artist tends to be steamy due to the bad boy persona. Neil, had the makings of a bad boy but his actions just didn't come through. Hailey made for a decent heroine, after all, she wanted Neil and she went for it. I don't think she over dramatized her situation with her parents considering her mom fell off the face of the earth and her cheating father was demanding her return home. She did annoy me with how lax she was with her studies though I can see how something like that could really happen. It was almost as if the tattoo shop was an escape from her reality, and of course it gave her more time around Neil.
My issues with the story started with the wishy washy behavior of the hero. I get he was hurt and he had a messed up past, but really, you would think he would have welcomed some sort of relationship. And why, when they did hook up did he expect her to totally commit and want a full on relationship. Further, why did Karl discourage him only to later give him a hard time for messing up. Way too confusing and honestly way too much drama with Hailey's crazy adviser. That was just a little too much for me. Thankfully, Hailey didn't spend weeks harboring ill feelings toward Neil which allowed us to get to the HEA. Unfortunately by that time, I was too disenchanted with the story to fully enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I really came to this story with high expectations. Seriously, college art student taking religious classes ends up working alongside a sexy tatted up stud who just happens to be part owner of the tattoo shop. Normally any story with a tattoo artist tends to be steamy due to the bad boy persona. Neil, had the makings of a bad boy but his actions just didn't come through. Hailey made for a decent heroine, after all, she wanted Neil and she went for it. I don't think she over dramatized her situation with her parents considering her mom fell off the face of the earth and her cheating father was demanding her return home. She did annoy me with how lax she was with her studies though I can see how something like that could really happen. It was almost as if the tattoo shop was an escape from her reality, and of course it gave her more time around Neil.
My issues with the story started with the wishy washy behavior of the hero. I get he was hurt and he had a messed up past, but really, you would think he would have welcomed some sort of relationship. And why, when they did hook up did he expect her to totally commit and want a full on relationship. Further, why did Karl discourage him only to later give him a hard time for messing up. Way too confusing and honestly way too much drama with Hailey's crazy adviser. That was just a little too much for me. Thankfully, Hailey didn't spend weeks harboring ill feelings toward Neil which allowed us to get to the HEA. Unfortunately by that time, I was too disenchanted with the story to fully enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 31, 2014
3 Drawn Stars
ARC provided via netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
This books premise is about a young tattoo owner who hires an art student to cover the front desk. Both of our main characters are broken and confusing. Hailey is at University and the book alludes that her parents are paying her way but when they divorce/separate she is forced with having to head home or finding her own way. She spends a whole day trying to get a job and bam lands the tattoo one. ( seriously, I am moving to that town... one day looking for a job and hired )
so now you are excited right!!! me too but I feel like I am just walking thru the motions with this book
The book reads very easy but certain motions are too quick.. Hailey has worked at the tattoo shop for 3 days and drawn one photo and all of a sudden Neill and the entire shop think she is going to be a great tattoo artist and Neill decides she is his apprentice.
Within the first 48% of this book our characters kiss twice and freak out every time and literally Neill runs away TWICE. But again crazy fast read! its 300 pages and it flows really well. I would say this book reads so fast you could knock it out in 2 hours without noticing. Since I read for an hour in the bath and hit the halfway point. It has a very YA feel thus far.
Hailey first starts with us thinking she is one of those people that do well in school and focus on it but from day 1 of being hired at the shop she basically forgets shes a student. Her advisor Dr. Fields is WAYYYY to involved in her life for just being a student advisor...its creepy!
Sometimes life is shit. But it's those times that you find out what you're made of
Okay everyone please meet me at 59% and tell me how BLUE your ovaries are right now!!!! Pretty sure I have blue balls...
She should ache as much as I did. It was only fair
but basically the story just loses me because the characters aren't consistent.
The angst between the two with Neill always saying WE CANT NOOOOOO leaves me ...
ARC provided via netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
This books premise is about a young tattoo owner who hires an art student to cover the front desk. Both of our main characters are broken and confusing. Hailey is at University and the book alludes that her parents are paying her way but when they divorce/separate she is forced with having to head home or finding her own way. She spends a whole day trying to get a job and bam lands the tattoo one. ( seriously, I am moving to that town... one day looking for a job and hired )
so now you are excited right!!! me too but I feel like I am just walking thru the motions with this book
The book reads very easy but certain motions are too quick.. Hailey has worked at the tattoo shop for 3 days and drawn one photo and all of a sudden Neill and the entire shop think she is going to be a great tattoo artist and Neill decides she is his apprentice.
Within the first 48% of this book our characters kiss twice and freak out every time and literally Neill runs away TWICE. But again crazy fast read! its 300 pages and it flows really well. I would say this book reads so fast you could knock it out in 2 hours without noticing. Since I read for an hour in the bath and hit the halfway point. It has a very YA feel thus far.
Hailey first starts with us thinking she is one of those people that do well in school and focus on it but from day 1 of being hired at the shop she basically forgets shes a student. Her advisor Dr. Fields is WAYYYY to involved in her life for just being a student advisor...its creepy!
Sometimes life is shit. But it's those times that you find out what you're made of
Okay everyone please meet me at 59% and tell me how BLUE your ovaries are right now!!!! Pretty sure I have blue balls...
She should ache as much as I did. It was only fair
but basically the story just loses me because the characters aren't consistent.
The angst between the two with Neill always saying WE CANT NOOOOOO leaves me ...
November 12, 2014
This is my first Regina Cole book and I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the story. I read it in about a day. I just couldn’t put it down. There was something so honest about to people from completely different backgrounds trying to find who they are supposed to be.
Neill has been through the wringer. Not only was his father an abusive drug addict but the first girl he ever gave his heart to ended up being one as well. She made his life a living hell and now that she is gone and his life is back on track he can’t let anything get in his way. Neill promised himself he wouldn’t trust someone that much again. When Hailey walks in looking for a job he knows that she is going to test his boundaries and the walls he has put up. But Neill is determined to fight their attraction every step of the way.
Hailey has always had parents who fought. A dad who liked to have sex with his secretaries and a mother drowning in her depression. She is happiest when she is away at college. When her parent’s relationship comes to an end her dad tells her she needs to come home. College is over for her. Hailey can’t stand the thought so she looks for a job so that she can pay for school on her own. She wasn’t ready for Neill. He gave her a job when no one else would and showing her a job that could make her happier than she ever thought possible. Now she just has to keep her growing attraction for him separate because she doesn’t want a relationship like her parents. And dating your boss is hard enough.
I loved both of these characters. Neill was obviously more broken that Hailey but he was a great character. He learns about what really matters and how to trust people again. He is really sweet, talented, and incredibly swoon-worthy. Neill had his problems and he worked through them the best he knew how. With the help of Hailey he got his life to where it needed to be. Hailey was an incredible heroine. She didn’t let her parent’s dysfunctional relationship stop her from getting her College degree. She knew what she wanted and she kept fighting to keep it. She was there in the best way for Neill and she seemed to handle everything that ended up happening to her amazingly.
The relationships in this book where pretty great. Neill and Hailey had amazing chemistry and their relationship didn’t seem forced or weird. They interacted well with each other and the other characters. I loved all of the people from the tattoo shop too. They brought comedic relief and some much needed guidance to both characters.
Overall this book was well written and the flow was perfect. The ending was a little abrupt but I thought the epilogue fixed a little of that. The pacing of the story line kept me interested and the little hints that something wasn’t quite right kept you guessing and turning the page. I loved every second of this book and I would definitely recommend it to contemporary romance readers!
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Neill has been through the wringer. Not only was his father an abusive drug addict but the first girl he ever gave his heart to ended up being one as well. She made his life a living hell and now that she is gone and his life is back on track he can’t let anything get in his way. Neill promised himself he wouldn’t trust someone that much again. When Hailey walks in looking for a job he knows that she is going to test his boundaries and the walls he has put up. But Neill is determined to fight their attraction every step of the way.
Hailey has always had parents who fought. A dad who liked to have sex with his secretaries and a mother drowning in her depression. She is happiest when she is away at college. When her parent’s relationship comes to an end her dad tells her she needs to come home. College is over for her. Hailey can’t stand the thought so she looks for a job so that she can pay for school on her own. She wasn’t ready for Neill. He gave her a job when no one else would and showing her a job that could make her happier than she ever thought possible. Now she just has to keep her growing attraction for him separate because she doesn’t want a relationship like her parents. And dating your boss is hard enough.
I loved both of these characters. Neill was obviously more broken that Hailey but he was a great character. He learns about what really matters and how to trust people again. He is really sweet, talented, and incredibly swoon-worthy. Neill had his problems and he worked through them the best he knew how. With the help of Hailey he got his life to where it needed to be. Hailey was an incredible heroine. She didn’t let her parent’s dysfunctional relationship stop her from getting her College degree. She knew what she wanted and she kept fighting to keep it. She was there in the best way for Neill and she seemed to handle everything that ended up happening to her amazingly.
The relationships in this book where pretty great. Neill and Hailey had amazing chemistry and their relationship didn’t seem forced or weird. They interacted well with each other and the other characters. I loved all of the people from the tattoo shop too. They brought comedic relief and some much needed guidance to both characters.
Overall this book was well written and the flow was perfect. The ending was a little abrupt but I thought the epilogue fixed a little of that. The pacing of the story line kept me interested and the little hints that something wasn’t quite right kept you guessing and turning the page. I loved every second of this book and I would definitely recommend it to contemporary romance readers!
if you enjoy my reviews come and check out my blog!
October 21, 2014
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced readers copy from Flirt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This is a book where girl has a problem, boy comes to the rescue (so to speak), there is instant chemistry but both have pasts that stop them from acting on it. Throw in all kinds of angst and misunderstandings and you have a typical new adult romance.
Draw Me In is a quick and easy book to read and avid readers can have it finished in less than a day. The employees at Neill's tattoo shop are fun to read about and I enjoyed getting to know them. I felt that the best parts of the book took place within the walls of the shop. The chemistry between Hailey and Neill was immediate and I found myself in their corner. Readers who like their books on the steamy side will find it within these pages but I would say that it is on the mild to moderate side of the steamy scale.
There were a few minor issues with the story for me. I felt that the build up to Neill and Hailey's relationship lacked a little bit of emotion for me and I wished for a little bit more depth and feeling. Their reasons for avoiding relationships were a tiny bit on the weak side for my liking as well. Having said that, it is a story, and everyone as their own reasons for doing and feeling the way they do so I didn't let it bother me too much. What did bother me a little was where the story involved Hailey's student advisor. I really would have liked more detail when it came to that aspect. The story just seemed a little rushed at times.
Over all Draw Me In provides a few good hours of entertainment for fans of this genre and I would recommend it for those fans. If you are not a fan of new adult, it is probably not the book for you.
I received an advanced readers copy from Flirt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This is a book where girl has a problem, boy comes to the rescue (so to speak), there is instant chemistry but both have pasts that stop them from acting on it. Throw in all kinds of angst and misunderstandings and you have a typical new adult romance.
Draw Me In is a quick and easy book to read and avid readers can have it finished in less than a day. The employees at Neill's tattoo shop are fun to read about and I enjoyed getting to know them. I felt that the best parts of the book took place within the walls of the shop. The chemistry between Hailey and Neill was immediate and I found myself in their corner. Readers who like their books on the steamy side will find it within these pages but I would say that it is on the mild to moderate side of the steamy scale.
There were a few minor issues with the story for me. I felt that the build up to Neill and Hailey's relationship lacked a little bit of emotion for me and I wished for a little bit more depth and feeling. Their reasons for avoiding relationships were a tiny bit on the weak side for my liking as well. Having said that, it is a story, and everyone as their own reasons for doing and feeling the way they do so I didn't let it bother me too much. What did bother me a little was where the story involved Hailey's student advisor. I really would have liked more detail when it came to that aspect. The story just seemed a little rushed at times.
Over all Draw Me In provides a few good hours of entertainment for fans of this genre and I would recommend it for those fans. If you are not a fan of new adult, it is probably not the book for you.
October 24, 2014
Draw Me In was an enjoyable New Adult romance. Sweet and emotional, it was a lovely read.
Hailey was a good heroine. Clever enough to know who truly wanted what was best for her and determined to make her own way. I thought she was a very likable character.
Neill was also great, for the most part. He was very sweet and adorable in general. Frustratingly oblivious sometimes, but a good guy really.
The romance was lovely Hailey and Neill were into each other from the beginning and it was only a matter of each of them getting over their respective insecurities. I thought they were a great couple.
I had 2 minor issues with this book that brought it down a bit. 1) The aforementioned obliviousness that Neill was prone to. He tended to project his fears from his ex onto Hailey and it got a bit frustrating when he almost ruined everything because he couldn't get past it. And 2) to be honest, it was a bit predictable. It was only a couple of chapters before I knew who that antagonist would be and guessed what would happen. Neither were deal-breakers, though, so I still enjoyed the book.
The plot went quickly. I was kept interested all the way through. The story was enjoyable and I really liked the ending.
Draw Me In was a great New Adult romance that I really liked. Romance lovers, this is a book worth checking out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Hailey was a good heroine. Clever enough to know who truly wanted what was best for her and determined to make her own way. I thought she was a very likable character.
Neill was also great, for the most part. He was very sweet and adorable in general. Frustratingly oblivious sometimes, but a good guy really.
The romance was lovely Hailey and Neill were into each other from the beginning and it was only a matter of each of them getting over their respective insecurities. I thought they were a great couple.
I had 2 minor issues with this book that brought it down a bit. 1) The aforementioned obliviousness that Neill was prone to. He tended to project his fears from his ex onto Hailey and it got a bit frustrating when he almost ruined everything because he couldn't get past it. And 2) to be honest, it was a bit predictable. It was only a couple of chapters before I knew who that antagonist would be and guessed what would happen. Neither were deal-breakers, though, so I still enjoyed the book.
The plot went quickly. I was kept interested all the way through. The story was enjoyable and I really liked the ending.
Draw Me In was a great New Adult romance that I really liked. Romance lovers, this is a book worth checking out.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
November 30, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The cover I thought was gorgeous. I recieved this ARC from netgalley. I love the mushy gushy romance. I loved the alternating POV. I did get confused a couple times which it was my fault because I didnt comprehend which character is was at the time.
I loved the whole tattoo aspect. They made the guy out to be vulnerable and sexy. It was very intriguing. The girl they made out to be vulnerable and sexy as well. These characters just captivated me from the beginning.
The cover of these 2 people is just gorgeous to me. I love people on covers, so this was just so pretty for me. I have heard some people dont like people on their covers. But this one is just pretty to me.
This is a mushy romance story. SO if you read the synopsis. Its very intriguing. This is my first book I have read by Regina Cole and it was such a great story. I love New Adult. I dont really know if she writes alot of new adult but I would thoroughly enjoy reading more stories by this author.
It was a well written story. I loved finding out about the tattoo aspect. The characters were so good together. I just loved this story all together. I cant wait to read more by this author.
#newadult #tattoos #suchagreatstory #lovelovelove
I loved the whole tattoo aspect. They made the guy out to be vulnerable and sexy. It was very intriguing. The girl they made out to be vulnerable and sexy as well. These characters just captivated me from the beginning.
The cover of these 2 people is just gorgeous to me. I love people on covers, so this was just so pretty for me. I have heard some people dont like people on their covers. But this one is just pretty to me.
This is a mushy romance story. SO if you read the synopsis. Its very intriguing. This is my first book I have read by Regina Cole and it was such a great story. I love New Adult. I dont really know if she writes alot of new adult but I would thoroughly enjoy reading more stories by this author.
It was a well written story. I loved finding out about the tattoo aspect. The characters were so good together. I just loved this story all together. I cant wait to read more by this author.
#newadult #tattoos #suchagreatstory #lovelovelove
November 11, 2014
I have to say, I was excited to get started on DRAW ME IN, I mean, how can you go wrong with a sexy, motorcycle riding Tattoo Artist and an Art Major, Sweet Girl from the local college. Sounds good, right? Well it was....was really good. Then something happened....the characters went a little wonky for me. The heroine who on one page is in love, and then all of a sudden she is telling the hero she needs space. I was loving the story and the flow was great and then...just kinda hit a wall.
Aside from the little plot issue, I have to say, the story was great, everything you want in a New Adult Romance, a little angsty, a little drama...and a whole lot of sexual tension.
New Adult fans will want to give this one a shot!
Aside from the little plot issue, I have to say, the story was great, everything you want in a New Adult Romance, a little angsty, a little drama...and a whole lot of sexual tension.
New Adult fans will want to give this one a shot!
September 24, 2014
**** I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.***
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the storyline, and even though I kind of expected it, I liked the twist at the end. And, my most favorite part about the whole book is the fact that I didn't get some typical N/A ending where there is a wedding or the popping out of a bunch of kids. Oh, and the main characters BFF isn't set up with the boyfriends best friend, or some other typical setup for a sequel. Plus, hot bikers and tattoos are always my cup of tea.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the storyline, and even though I kind of expected it, I liked the twist at the end. And, my most favorite part about the whole book is the fact that I didn't get some typical N/A ending where there is a wedding or the popping out of a bunch of kids. Oh, and the main characters BFF isn't set up with the boyfriends best friend, or some other typical setup for a sequel. Plus, hot bikers and tattoos are always my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2014
An interesting read. The premise of the book is great but it left me wanting so much more from the story. The heroine Hailey was a bit too whiny and cried way too much for me. She cared way too much what others thought. And the hero Neill needed to make a decision and go for it. For a tatted up, Harley riding dude, he was just a bit to wishy washy to believe. Overall not a bad read but left me a bit frustrated because the story had so much potential to be great.
October 30, 2014
Recieved from NetGalley for a honest review. What can I say but Draw Me In was good. The story did drag at times making it hard for to follow. But in the end the total story came together. To sum it up a good story with potential.
September 9, 2019
(3-3.5 stars)
I liked the premise of the story- Hailey’s forced to find a way to stay in college after her parents split up and ends up falling for her new boss, Neill. I loved the fact that the author gave Hailey a love of art and that it wasn’t just another girl off the street working at a tattoo shop that knows nothing about the art world. These two have both been broken in different ways and close themselves off to each other in certain ways. Sometimes it felt a bit childish TBH. It was little things like that and also the fact that we didn’t get to see a ton of their private time and by that I mean they develop feelings for each other based on conversations, etc. that the reader doesn’t get to see. I liked the little sub plot that was happening and even though this one wasn’t a home run, I did enjoy it enough to check out what else the author has to offer..
I liked the premise of the story- Hailey’s forced to find a way to stay in college after her parents split up and ends up falling for her new boss, Neill. I loved the fact that the author gave Hailey a love of art and that it wasn’t just another girl off the street working at a tattoo shop that knows nothing about the art world. These two have both been broken in different ways and close themselves off to each other in certain ways. Sometimes it felt a bit childish TBH. It was little things like that and also the fact that we didn’t get to see a ton of their private time and by that I mean they develop feelings for each other based on conversations, etc. that the reader doesn’t get to see. I liked the little sub plot that was happening and even though this one wasn’t a home run, I did enjoy it enough to check out what else the author has to offer..
May 5, 2015
“It’s just funny how life doesn’t work out how you expect it too.”
I stumbled across Draw Me In by Regina Cole on a “recommended for you” list on Amazon, and fell in love with the synopsis alone. It’s a romance set mostly in a tattoo parlor, so basically my idea of a perfect book. I’m from Austin, people, it’s tattoo heaven there. This also meant both of the main characters were artists of some sort, which are my favorite kinds of characters to read. They’re always quirky and fun, with a surprisingly deep side. Add in the element of working in a tattoo parlor, and you’ve got yourself a winning setup.
I always read at least a few reviews on Goodreads before diving into a book, and the reviews for this book made me a little hesitant. The synopsis was appealing, and the setup for the story seemed perfect, but something I’ve learned after reading wayyyy to many books (actually, I don’t think there’s such thing, but I digress) is that if there aren’t two strong leading characters, even the most promising of plot lines can fall completely flat. No one on Goodreads seemed thrilled with Hailey or Neill. I chanced it anyway, and I’m so glad I did.
“You’re tougher than you think.”
Hailey’s life is going downhill very quickly. At the beginning of the semester she finds out her parents are getting a divorce, and that there are no funds for her college education anymore. She immediately begins looking for a job, and that’s how she stumbles upon Sinful Skin Tattoos, Neill’s tattoo parlour. Despite having little experience, she gets the job, as Neill takes an immediate liking to her. The main issue I was seeing that people had was that they couldn’t seem to believe two things: that Hailey’s situation is “highly unbelievable”, and that she is not the type to work in a tattoo parlour. Let me tell you something right now, the situation Hailey is in is very real, and she handled it exactly how I handled it when facing the same situation. You go out there, and you find any job you can. She may not seem like the type to work in a tattoo parlous, but when your college education is at risk, you’re willing to work anywhere and learn anything. So the thing people disliked most about Hailey was what drew me to her. She’s got determination and spunk, and doesn’t let her situation overwhelm her. In the end, she even finds a profession that she absolutely loves and is good at. So really, it’s a winning situation for Hailey.
“You’ve had some heavy shit go down before. That can be hard, but you’ve got two choices- lay dead in the past, or run towards your life.”
Neill has had much more shit go down in his past than Hailey. He was an at-risk teen until Karl, co-owner of Sinful Tattoos, swept him off the streets and took him under his wing as a tattoo apprentice. In a way, Neill does the same thing for Hailey, brining the good deed full circle. Then his (ex) girlfriend got hooked on drugs and left Neill a complete mess. He’s still a bit broken and untrustworthy when Hailey meets him, however with her help, he begins to heal. People’s biggest issue with Neill seemed to be that a sinfully hot tatted, tattoo parlour owner should have a bad-boy persona. I agree that is the usual direction that type of character takes, but Hailey didn’t need a bad boy, she needed a kind man, which is what Neill is. He had the dark and mysterious element that made him sexy, but he also had the kind and loving side that Hailey desperately needed.
This – us – somehow felt right. Even though the reasons for it being wrong hadn’t changed, something inside me had. And I couldn’t ignore it.
The biggest obstacles for their relationship were the boss-employee relationship, and Neill’s bad experience with his ex-girlfriend. However, their chemistry and support for each other overshadows all of this. Things tend to be a little more relaxed in a tattoo parlour, as the general atmosphere of that group of people seems to be that of a family. This means that it’s a little bit more accepted when employees form relationships. Also, Hailey helps Neill get past his trust issues, despite a small hiccup along the way. Their chemistry, though, and the sweet things Neill does for Hailey overshadows all the other shit that gets in the way. I definitely liked them as a couple.
I’d give this book 4/5 stars. It was cute, fun, with sizzling chemistry and likeable characters. To top it all off, it’s set in a tattoo parlour, so honestly how could you say no?
I stumbled across Draw Me In by Regina Cole on a “recommended for you” list on Amazon, and fell in love with the synopsis alone. It’s a romance set mostly in a tattoo parlor, so basically my idea of a perfect book. I’m from Austin, people, it’s tattoo heaven there. This also meant both of the main characters were artists of some sort, which are my favorite kinds of characters to read. They’re always quirky and fun, with a surprisingly deep side. Add in the element of working in a tattoo parlor, and you’ve got yourself a winning setup.
I always read at least a few reviews on Goodreads before diving into a book, and the reviews for this book made me a little hesitant. The synopsis was appealing, and the setup for the story seemed perfect, but something I’ve learned after reading wayyyy to many books (actually, I don’t think there’s such thing, but I digress) is that if there aren’t two strong leading characters, even the most promising of plot lines can fall completely flat. No one on Goodreads seemed thrilled with Hailey or Neill. I chanced it anyway, and I’m so glad I did.
“You’re tougher than you think.”
Hailey’s life is going downhill very quickly. At the beginning of the semester she finds out her parents are getting a divorce, and that there are no funds for her college education anymore. She immediately begins looking for a job, and that’s how she stumbles upon Sinful Skin Tattoos, Neill’s tattoo parlour. Despite having little experience, she gets the job, as Neill takes an immediate liking to her. The main issue I was seeing that people had was that they couldn’t seem to believe two things: that Hailey’s situation is “highly unbelievable”, and that she is not the type to work in a tattoo parlour. Let me tell you something right now, the situation Hailey is in is very real, and she handled it exactly how I handled it when facing the same situation. You go out there, and you find any job you can. She may not seem like the type to work in a tattoo parlous, but when your college education is at risk, you’re willing to work anywhere and learn anything. So the thing people disliked most about Hailey was what drew me to her. She’s got determination and spunk, and doesn’t let her situation overwhelm her. In the end, she even finds a profession that she absolutely loves and is good at. So really, it’s a winning situation for Hailey.
“You’ve had some heavy shit go down before. That can be hard, but you’ve got two choices- lay dead in the past, or run towards your life.”
Neill has had much more shit go down in his past than Hailey. He was an at-risk teen until Karl, co-owner of Sinful Tattoos, swept him off the streets and took him under his wing as a tattoo apprentice. In a way, Neill does the same thing for Hailey, brining the good deed full circle. Then his (ex) girlfriend got hooked on drugs and left Neill a complete mess. He’s still a bit broken and untrustworthy when Hailey meets him, however with her help, he begins to heal. People’s biggest issue with Neill seemed to be that a sinfully hot tatted, tattoo parlour owner should have a bad-boy persona. I agree that is the usual direction that type of character takes, but Hailey didn’t need a bad boy, she needed a kind man, which is what Neill is. He had the dark and mysterious element that made him sexy, but he also had the kind and loving side that Hailey desperately needed.
This – us – somehow felt right. Even though the reasons for it being wrong hadn’t changed, something inside me had. And I couldn’t ignore it.
The biggest obstacles for their relationship were the boss-employee relationship, and Neill’s bad experience with his ex-girlfriend. However, their chemistry and support for each other overshadows all of this. Things tend to be a little more relaxed in a tattoo parlour, as the general atmosphere of that group of people seems to be that of a family. This means that it’s a little bit more accepted when employees form relationships. Also, Hailey helps Neill get past his trust issues, despite a small hiccup along the way. Their chemistry, though, and the sweet things Neill does for Hailey overshadows all the other shit that gets in the way. I definitely liked them as a couple.
I’d give this book 4/5 stars. It was cute, fun, with sizzling chemistry and likeable characters. To top it all off, it’s set in a tattoo parlour, so honestly how could you say no?
January 22, 2015
Hailey gets a call from her father while away at college, telling her that her parents are getting divorced, her mother has run away and that her college fund has been spent. Hailey is devastated by the news and dreads coming home like her father instructed her to. Instead she goes on a job hunt, which leads her to the help wanted sign outside Neill’s tattoo shop. Neill was just informed that his reception is moving and needs to be replaced, stat. In walks Hailey, who just so happens to be the answer to his work situation, maybe even the answer to his complicated life.
I read through this book all the way to the end, not because I was really into the story, but because I feel compelled to finish every book I start. I know that sounds harsh, but I was just not really into it. It was not the worst NA I have read recently, just not the best, especially since I have read a few tattoo shop NA’s recently that were really well done and emotional. Personally, I felt the plot was fairly obvious and the characters were a little ridiculous.
I had the urge to smack Hailey quite a few times throughout this book predominantly due to her immaturity. She is 19, and every inch of her screams 19. She relied on her advisor too much for his advise on her personal life, so much so that it made me feel skeevy the amount of details and control he had on her non-school related life. Yet she never saw it as a problem. Daddy issues? I was waiting for their relationship to implode from the minute the advisor was introduced in the first chapter. And yet, she was oblivious. And the fact she can’t keep up on her classes or waking up on time was ridiculous. As a person who worked full time and went to college full time, I can’t get over her irresponsibility towards balancing her life, making sure she sets her alarm, budgets time for homework, attends the classes she so desperately wants to stay in. And $9 dollars an hour will not pay for living expenses, rent and college, unless this is the cheapest school ever. Hailey continually made bad choices and I got pretty fed up with her.
And let’s talk about the relationship between Neill and Hailey. He runs from her any time they start to connect, and then he wants to just be platonic, and then BAM!, he goes out drinking with her and makes out all night in front of coworkers. What? I got whiplash from his completely unprovoked 180. And then Hailey gives Neill the brush off (which yes was not intentional, but she was kind of a jerk and he is such a delicate flower emotionally), Neill has a freak out that she must be just like his user ex-girlfriend. I get that he has baggage, but Hailey told him she loved him and he never reciprocated the term of affection and now she wants some distance he flies off the handle. These two are so bad for each other and lack real communication. Hello, Hailey has a crazy stalker and she tells nobody and stays by herself at the library all night. Smart thinking. And would it really have killed her to let needy Neill come over and help her after she pursued him so hard when he kept pushing her away? Neill seemed like a really nice put together guy until Hailey showed up, so maybe immaturity is contagious.
I know this review was negative, but it was not a terrible book, it just had a few things I couldn’t help but super focus on. I can say the last 30 pages of the book actually peaked my interest because everything was going on and I wasn’t sure if the train would wreck (figuratively, sorry there are no trains in the story guys). I don’t know anything about the author or if she has written any other books and I am not sure I would read anything else. I am sure that other people will really enjoy this book; it was just not for me.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I read through this book all the way to the end, not because I was really into the story, but because I feel compelled to finish every book I start. I know that sounds harsh, but I was just not really into it. It was not the worst NA I have read recently, just not the best, especially since I have read a few tattoo shop NA’s recently that were really well done and emotional. Personally, I felt the plot was fairly obvious and the characters were a little ridiculous.
I had the urge to smack Hailey quite a few times throughout this book predominantly due to her immaturity. She is 19, and every inch of her screams 19. She relied on her advisor too much for his advise on her personal life, so much so that it made me feel skeevy the amount of details and control he had on her non-school related life. Yet she never saw it as a problem. Daddy issues? I was waiting for their relationship to implode from the minute the advisor was introduced in the first chapter. And yet, she was oblivious. And the fact she can’t keep up on her classes or waking up on time was ridiculous. As a person who worked full time and went to college full time, I can’t get over her irresponsibility towards balancing her life, making sure she sets her alarm, budgets time for homework, attends the classes she so desperately wants to stay in. And $9 dollars an hour will not pay for living expenses, rent and college, unless this is the cheapest school ever. Hailey continually made bad choices and I got pretty fed up with her.
And let’s talk about the relationship between Neill and Hailey. He runs from her any time they start to connect, and then he wants to just be platonic, and then BAM!, he goes out drinking with her and makes out all night in front of coworkers. What? I got whiplash from his completely unprovoked 180. And then Hailey gives Neill the brush off (which yes was not intentional, but she was kind of a jerk and he is such a delicate flower emotionally), Neill has a freak out that she must be just like his user ex-girlfriend. I get that he has baggage, but Hailey told him she loved him and he never reciprocated the term of affection and now she wants some distance he flies off the handle. These two are so bad for each other and lack real communication. Hello, Hailey has a crazy stalker and she tells nobody and stays by herself at the library all night. Smart thinking. And would it really have killed her to let needy Neill come over and help her after she pursued him so hard when he kept pushing her away? Neill seemed like a really nice put together guy until Hailey showed up, so maybe immaturity is contagious.
I know this review was negative, but it was not a terrible book, it just had a few things I couldn’t help but super focus on. I can say the last 30 pages of the book actually peaked my interest because everything was going on and I wasn’t sure if the train would wreck (figuratively, sorry there are no trains in the story guys). I don’t know anything about the author or if she has written any other books and I am not sure I would read anything else. I am sure that other people will really enjoy this book; it was just not for me.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2014
I was given this book for an honest review from Netgalley.
I gave this book two stars.
This book was disappointing to me because I had such high expectations for it. I love tattooed alpha men and college romance. This synopsis seemed to have everything I wanted. But it did not deliver.
I did enjoy the concept of it. I enjoyed the ideas that were mixed into it. I don't want to give anything but there was some suspense mixed in and some past issues mixed in. It had good bones to the story. The execution just wasn't there. OK ... let's start with the characters ..
Hailey. I had issues with her from the beginning. I have this novel concept that it is ok to pay your own way in college; that a character should not be an entitled little brat that feels like college is owed to her. Maybe it was my upbringing. Either way, this concept is missed in book and almost immediately turns me off of a character. So she has to get a job to pay for college. She gets the job as a receptionist at the tattoo shop. And I guess it is really hard ... Like she talks about quitting before the first day is over ... REALLY!?!? Signs you might not make it in life: seriously considering quitting on your first day at a job. Then there is her relationship with her advisor ... which is really, really odd. Also, I'm unsure how she got a psychology professor for her advisor as an art major .... ??? I was little caught up on the details. Through most of the book Hailey is having a bunch of emotional breakdowns due to situations she causes herself. There really is just A LOT of crying. I wanted to slap her and tell her to "GET IT TOGETHER WOMAN!" She created a lot of these situations herself.
Then there is Neill. I really just wanted him to be this alpha male who was hardened by his relationship with his ex and he all dominant and sexy. He is none of those things ... Not. A. Damn. One. He too is crying a lot and whining a lot. And really soft towards Hailey ... insta-love or not ...an my god was there insta-love. Look ... I don't mind insta-love if it is done correctly. But I didn't believe it. There was all this description of their positions and SO MANY THOUGHTS, but not a whole lot of their conversation between them so we didn't get to see their relationship grow. Therefore, I didn't believe it.
The storyline had a good plot. There was a lot of places where the intrigue could have caused some feel-inducing drama ... It did not. It was like something was brought up and then it was forgotten. All of these big issues were like afterthought. "Oh crap ... I forgot about this. I need to throw it in here. Oh, I need to resolve this." It just wasn't woven in well. Hailey and Neill had some arguments that were pointless ... all they needed to do was talk to each other. ALso, they were weird arguments. I mean Hailey was a complete bitch about being busy with school in a horribly awkward way. And then Neill relates it back to his ex and how she never needed him. Therefore, Hailey and his ex are the same person because Hailey won't let him help her with her homework!!!!! WHAT!?!?!
Overall, the characters were all drama queens. Sooooo many tears for dramatic effect. I was waiting for them to peek out from behind their eyes to see if everyone was watching. I gave it two stars because it had good ideas. Just poor execution. Sorry!
Check out other reviews at my blog I Bookin' Love To Read: www.bookinlovetoread.blogspot.com. Or on facebook: www.facebook.com.bookinlovetoread
I gave this book two stars.
This book was disappointing to me because I had such high expectations for it. I love tattooed alpha men and college romance. This synopsis seemed to have everything I wanted. But it did not deliver.
I did enjoy the concept of it. I enjoyed the ideas that were mixed into it. I don't want to give anything but there was some suspense mixed in and some past issues mixed in. It had good bones to the story. The execution just wasn't there. OK ... let's start with the characters ..
Hailey. I had issues with her from the beginning. I have this novel concept that it is ok to pay your own way in college; that a character should not be an entitled little brat that feels like college is owed to her. Maybe it was my upbringing. Either way, this concept is missed in book and almost immediately turns me off of a character. So she has to get a job to pay for college. She gets the job as a receptionist at the tattoo shop. And I guess it is really hard ... Like she talks about quitting before the first day is over ... REALLY!?!? Signs you might not make it in life: seriously considering quitting on your first day at a job. Then there is her relationship with her advisor ... which is really, really odd. Also, I'm unsure how she got a psychology professor for her advisor as an art major .... ??? I was little caught up on the details. Through most of the book Hailey is having a bunch of emotional breakdowns due to situations she causes herself. There really is just A LOT of crying. I wanted to slap her and tell her to "GET IT TOGETHER WOMAN!" She created a lot of these situations herself.
Then there is Neill. I really just wanted him to be this alpha male who was hardened by his relationship with his ex and he all dominant and sexy. He is none of those things ... Not. A. Damn. One. He too is crying a lot and whining a lot. And really soft towards Hailey ... insta-love or not ...an my god was there insta-love. Look ... I don't mind insta-love if it is done correctly. But I didn't believe it. There was all this description of their positions and SO MANY THOUGHTS, but not a whole lot of their conversation between them so we didn't get to see their relationship grow. Therefore, I didn't believe it.
The storyline had a good plot. There was a lot of places where the intrigue could have caused some feel-inducing drama ... It did not. It was like something was brought up and then it was forgotten. All of these big issues were like afterthought. "Oh crap ... I forgot about this. I need to throw it in here. Oh, I need to resolve this." It just wasn't woven in well. Hailey and Neill had some arguments that were pointless ... all they needed to do was talk to each other. ALso, they were weird arguments. I mean Hailey was a complete bitch about being busy with school in a horribly awkward way. And then Neill relates it back to his ex and how she never needed him. Therefore, Hailey and his ex are the same person because Hailey won't let him help her with her homework!!!!! WHAT!?!?!
Overall, the characters were all drama queens. Sooooo many tears for dramatic effect. I was waiting for them to peek out from behind their eyes to see if everyone was watching. I gave it two stars because it had good ideas. Just poor execution. Sorry!
Check out other reviews at my blog I Bookin' Love To Read: www.bookinlovetoread.blogspot.com. Or on facebook: www.facebook.com.bookinlovetoread
October 25, 2014
2 stars
This book... well, it was chaos. Not wonderful chaos, either, like one of my favorite quotes, There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music -Keats
No. This was a simple, dramatic, callow read of a confused college girl and tattoo artist.
I know what you're thinking. Tattoo artist? Yum! Yeah, me to. Plus, college girl left to her own devices, abandoned by her parents, having to make her own way? Yay! Roller-coaster, exciting read, alert!
Now that I'm done, however...
![]()
No.
The main character, Hailey, at first glance was very exciting and I was salivating at the prospect of this story. She seemed perfect, strong, artistic and broken, which makes for a better story, as bad as that sounds. Then I started reading. She was weak, way too innocent for supposedly not being a virgin- which fucking shot the shit out of me- and she cried all the time. Hailey was callow, naïve, disloyal, a really bad friend, emotional and a complete wreck- and not in the way we like as readers, not including her penchant for imitating a human punching bag. She was turbulent, she'd be extremely happy one minute, woe-is-me the second and uncaring the second. With Neill, she was farting fucking sunshine, rainbows and unicorns out her ass. She'd be all over him, wanting to do lunch together, stay at his house and never even go to the university over the course of days, missing classes (during exam-season, nonetheless) and be completely bewildered when she had missing assignments, plus not studying and missing lessons. A complete wreck. She is working to keep herself through school- and not even bothering to go! Then she's back to woe-is-me, blaming her parents for it and skipping work to study. Lucky she . Wow, lucky for her. Got her out of her jam.
She, who I may mention has a huge group of friends whom she keeps lying to and blowing off for no reason, is completely alone in the world! No one to talk to!
Onto Neill, despite his childish drama, and penchant for way overreacting and talking like he's a war veteran and older than Hailey for like 60 years, was fine, but I contained a reluctant, wary tolerance for him, rather than nodding in agreement with the Romeo and Juliet romance lines they were both spewing.
My overall reaction to the story?
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ARC generously provided via NetGalley
This book... well, it was chaos. Not wonderful chaos, either, like one of my favorite quotes, There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music -Keats
No. This was a simple, dramatic, callow read of a confused college girl and tattoo artist.
I know what you're thinking. Tattoo artist? Yum! Yeah, me to. Plus, college girl left to her own devices, abandoned by her parents, having to make her own way? Yay! Roller-coaster, exciting read, alert!
Now that I'm done, however...
No.
The main character, Hailey, at first glance was very exciting and I was salivating at the prospect of this story. She seemed perfect, strong, artistic and broken, which makes for a better story, as bad as that sounds. Then I started reading. She was weak, way too innocent for supposedly not being a virgin- which fucking shot the shit out of me- and she cried all the time. Hailey was callow, naïve, disloyal, a really bad friend, emotional and a complete wreck- and not in the way we like as readers, not including her penchant for imitating a human punching bag. She was turbulent, she'd be extremely happy one minute, woe-is-me the second and uncaring the second. With Neill, she was farting fucking sunshine, rainbows and unicorns out her ass. She'd be all over him, wanting to do lunch together, stay at his house and never even go to the university over the course of days, missing classes (during exam-season, nonetheless) and be completely bewildered when she had missing assignments, plus not studying and missing lessons. A complete wreck. She is working to keep herself through school- and not even bothering to go! Then she's back to woe-is-me, blaming her parents for it and skipping work to study. Lucky she . Wow, lucky for her. Got her out of her jam.
She, who I may mention has a huge group of friends whom she keeps lying to and blowing off for no reason, is completely alone in the world! No one to talk to!
Onto Neill, despite his childish drama, and penchant for way overreacting and talking like he's a war veteran and older than Hailey for like 60 years, was fine, but I contained a reluctant, wary tolerance for him, rather than nodding in agreement with the Romeo and Juliet romance lines they were both spewing.
My overall reaction to the story?
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ARC generously provided via NetGalley
September 24, 2014
*** I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***
After her parents pull the plug on her college fund to finance their nasty divorce, Hailey Jakes is desperate to pay her own way and finish her degree in graphic design. She can hardly believe her luck when the sexiest guy she’s ever seen hires her to be the receptionist at his tattoo shop. With sea-blue eyes, jet-black hair, and full sleeves of tattoos on his muscular arms, Neill Vanderhaven looks like the kind of guy who wouldn’t give her the time of day. In fact, he’s mesmerized by her—and it doesn’t hurt that she’s talented as hell.
But Hailey and Neill have more in common than instant chemistry: They’re both carrying serious baggage. Hailey’s parents split after years of blowout fights and sloppy affairs. Neill just got out of something serious with a woman who loved her bad habits more than she loved him. When they take the plunge on a new relationship, they’re both breaking their own rules.
But then a terrible misunderstanding brings Neil’s worst fears to life, and their connection threatens to come crashing down. What they have is more than skin-deep, but now Hailey and Neill need to decide whether the kind of love that lasts forever is worth such exquisite pain.
Regina Coles novel Draw me in started out strong and held my attention immediately, however the strong start tapered off around the 60% mark leaving me with a lot of what I felt was filler and then a very rushed and unfortunately underwhelming ending.
Reading the synopsis I was immediately excited to meet Neill - hot, tattooed and dealing within past demons (what can I say, I like my men hot, tattooed and damaged) unfortunately whilst I enjoyed his character I found him a bit too 'soft' to be lusting after. Hailey was an ok character but was just lacking something for me and as much as I wanted to I just couldn't connect with her.
Hailey and Niell's romance was sweet.I did enjoy their chemistry and watching their relationship develop and face obstacles however, again I felt the obstacles were very quickly thrown in their paths and equally as quickly overcome. Whilst I am not a huge fan of long drawn out problems in books, I do feel that the problems characters face need to feel realistic and rushing through them doesn't leave you feeling that realism.
The book had quite a few secondary characters but they really didn't have much substance and therefore failed to leave any real impact.
I have to say that I really expected Gretchen to actually have more involvement in the story, she is referenced so many times throughout the story but apart from a random phone call doesn't actually 'physically' appear in the story. I really would have loved to see more involvement/drama from her.
Whilst I enjoyed the idea of the creepy professor storyline the execution just wasn't right, there wasn't enough build up/suspense and then the ending was far too rushed.
I really believe Draw me in had all the premise to be an amazing book but with all the loose ends, lack of character development and rushed ending it didn't live up to its potential.
Whilst I did not love this book, I certainly did like it and enjoyed the read.
After her parents pull the plug on her college fund to finance their nasty divorce, Hailey Jakes is desperate to pay her own way and finish her degree in graphic design. She can hardly believe her luck when the sexiest guy she’s ever seen hires her to be the receptionist at his tattoo shop. With sea-blue eyes, jet-black hair, and full sleeves of tattoos on his muscular arms, Neill Vanderhaven looks like the kind of guy who wouldn’t give her the time of day. In fact, he’s mesmerized by her—and it doesn’t hurt that she’s talented as hell.
But Hailey and Neill have more in common than instant chemistry: They’re both carrying serious baggage. Hailey’s parents split after years of blowout fights and sloppy affairs. Neill just got out of something serious with a woman who loved her bad habits more than she loved him. When they take the plunge on a new relationship, they’re both breaking their own rules.
But then a terrible misunderstanding brings Neil’s worst fears to life, and their connection threatens to come crashing down. What they have is more than skin-deep, but now Hailey and Neill need to decide whether the kind of love that lasts forever is worth such exquisite pain.
Regina Coles novel Draw me in started out strong and held my attention immediately, however the strong start tapered off around the 60% mark leaving me with a lot of what I felt was filler and then a very rushed and unfortunately underwhelming ending.
Reading the synopsis I was immediately excited to meet Neill - hot, tattooed and dealing within past demons (what can I say, I like my men hot, tattooed and damaged) unfortunately whilst I enjoyed his character I found him a bit too 'soft' to be lusting after. Hailey was an ok character but was just lacking something for me and as much as I wanted to I just couldn't connect with her.
Hailey and Niell's romance was sweet.I did enjoy their chemistry and watching their relationship develop and face obstacles however, again I felt the obstacles were very quickly thrown in their paths and equally as quickly overcome. Whilst I am not a huge fan of long drawn out problems in books, I do feel that the problems characters face need to feel realistic and rushing through them doesn't leave you feeling that realism.
The book had quite a few secondary characters but they really didn't have much substance and therefore failed to leave any real impact.
I have to say that I really expected Gretchen to actually have more involvement in the story, she is referenced so many times throughout the story but apart from a random phone call doesn't actually 'physically' appear in the story. I really would have loved to see more involvement/drama from her.
Whilst I enjoyed the idea of the creepy professor storyline the execution just wasn't right, there wasn't enough build up/suspense and then the ending was far too rushed.
I really believe Draw me in had all the premise to be an amazing book but with all the loose ends, lack of character development and rushed ending it didn't live up to its potential.
Whilst I did not love this book, I certainly did like it and enjoyed the read.
October 21, 2014
**3-4 wavering stars**
Draw Me In, did just that. Drew in to the story, and held me there. This is a great book with all the great little things readers like me want. Hot tattooed men, mild angst, and some suspense thrown in there too. All this makes for a great story.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and enjoyable book. The problem for me was it should have been a GREAT book. It had everything needed to be a great story, but it just fell a little short of the mark. It was good.... just not great.
When I finish a book, I want to feel like I know the characters. Know them well enough that I am a part of their lives. For me, that is the difference between showing and telling. The author was great at telling us what was going on in the book and the lives of our characters, but I wanted to be shown.
Synopsis: Draw me is in alternating POV's between our two main characters Hailey and Neill. Hailey is a college student whose life is in shambles. She is the product of two incredibly selfish parents. Her parents decide to get a divorce and because of this Hailey has to pull out of college. Her college tuition is going to be used to finance the divorce. I told you, parents of the year they are not.
Hailey has just enough spunk that she decides she will find a way to make it on her own. She applies for a job at a tattoo parlor, a tattoo parlor where her boss is beautiful and she really wants to apply to be his um.... you get the picture.
Neill is new at this boss thing, he is young and determined to prove himself. He has just come out of a horrible relationship... one that has messed with his head. He doesn't think he can ever let anyone in ever again. Until he meets Hailey. Then, try as he might, he can' t keep her out.
What I liked about this book:
It was interesting, it kept my attention. The plot was good, typical NA with a twist thrown in. There was no insta love, the characters developed a relationship, got to know each other, or so we are told.
What I did not like:
When reading this I felt like it was a movie and there was a lot going on behind the scenes that was vital and I missed. Like I was just catching the highlight reel. We were told about their relationship, moments they spent together in the weeks and months they got to know each other, the reader however was not privy to these moments. It was just a passing comment. I wanted to be part of those moments. Part of witty banter, of private talk, of the two characters getting to know each other. I wanted to be a part of the budding friendships between Hailey and the guys who work at the parlor. It is how I, as a reader, feel connected and emotionally involved in a story. It is how I get to know the characters I am reading about. There just wasn't enough story, not enough opportunity to connect. I just wanted more.
Over all, this is a good book. It was worth my time reading it. I would read more by this author. I just hope for a more in depth story next time.
Draw Me In, did just that. Drew in to the story, and held me there. This is a great book with all the great little things readers like me want. Hot tattooed men, mild angst, and some suspense thrown in there too. All this makes for a great story.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and enjoyable book. The problem for me was it should have been a GREAT book. It had everything needed to be a great story, but it just fell a little short of the mark. It was good.... just not great.
When I finish a book, I want to feel like I know the characters. Know them well enough that I am a part of their lives. For me, that is the difference between showing and telling. The author was great at telling us what was going on in the book and the lives of our characters, but I wanted to be shown.
Synopsis: Draw me is in alternating POV's between our two main characters Hailey and Neill. Hailey is a college student whose life is in shambles. She is the product of two incredibly selfish parents. Her parents decide to get a divorce and because of this Hailey has to pull out of college. Her college tuition is going to be used to finance the divorce. I told you, parents of the year they are not.
Hailey has just enough spunk that she decides she will find a way to make it on her own. She applies for a job at a tattoo parlor, a tattoo parlor where her boss is beautiful and she really wants to apply to be his um.... you get the picture.
Neill is new at this boss thing, he is young and determined to prove himself. He has just come out of a horrible relationship... one that has messed with his head. He doesn't think he can ever let anyone in ever again. Until he meets Hailey. Then, try as he might, he can' t keep her out.
What I liked about this book:
It was interesting, it kept my attention. The plot was good, typical NA with a twist thrown in. There was no insta love, the characters developed a relationship, got to know each other, or so we are told.
What I did not like:
When reading this I felt like it was a movie and there was a lot going on behind the scenes that was vital and I missed. Like I was just catching the highlight reel. We were told about their relationship, moments they spent together in the weeks and months they got to know each other, the reader however was not privy to these moments. It was just a passing comment. I wanted to be part of those moments. Part of witty banter, of private talk, of the two characters getting to know each other. I wanted to be a part of the budding friendships between Hailey and the guys who work at the parlor. It is how I, as a reader, feel connected and emotionally involved in a story. It is how I get to know the characters I am reading about. There just wasn't enough story, not enough opportunity to connect. I just wanted more.
Over all, this is a good book. It was worth my time reading it. I would read more by this author. I just hope for a more in depth story next time.
August 31, 2015
To read this review and others like it check out my site at www.homelovebooks.com
I like new adult books that take place on a college campus and I love romance books that take place in a tattoo shop, so needless to say this was the perfect combination of the two of them. I love tattoo shops and the people who work at them, they always seem to make sure good book characters. I was also pretty interested in Hailey’s story because while she is an adult away at college, her life back at home is clearly falling apart and without a doubt it is wrecking havoc on her life at college, and I know people who have been through similar stuff, so it was intriguing.
So Hailey was interesting to me, in some regards I thought she was strong, and then in other regards she kinds of shrinks into herself, second guessing her own feelings and reactions. I mean when she finds out her parents are getting divorced and he dad wants her to move back home and they aren’t going to be paying for her college anymore, she stands up to him and decided to find a way to make it work for herself to stay in college, including getting herself a part time job (enter the tattoo shop). So at first I thought to myself, she’s an independent girl, she has a bit of a strong personality, I liked her. But she also has this super weird kinda creepy academic advisor who makes her question herself so much. It actually drove me a little crazy how much she second guessed herself in her head. She also got so wrapped up in her infatuation with Neill that she is constantly forgetting to show up to class or do assignments, for someone who was so determined to go to college it was just a little odd for me.
And as for Neill, ah sweet Neill. I think Neill has the best of intentions, but oh how he has been screwed over by his ex. I mean she really did a number on his head. He’s like super untrusting and paranoid, there is this early scene where Hailey takes a tylenol and he actually empties the bottle and makes sure they are tylenol. I actually liked him for most of the book, his behavior was pretty understandable given his past. Towards the end I felt like he was getting irrational like Hailey needed to study and told him so and he took it like she didn’t want him, it was bit too needy for me in that moment. But other then that, I liked him.
I thought the pacing in the first three quarters of the book was kind of great, I loved how the characters got to know each other, and the vibe from the shop, the secondary characters were really funny and interesting. It was just really easy to get lost in the book, like I blinked and a lot of time had passed and I was pretty far in the book, I got sucked in. Towards the end though the pacing picked up big time and things started happening super fast, I wish it had been just a tad bit slower I think it would have really increased the suspense/drama as well as the payoff. In the end this was an enjoyable book for me for sure.
I like new adult books that take place on a college campus and I love romance books that take place in a tattoo shop, so needless to say this was the perfect combination of the two of them. I love tattoo shops and the people who work at them, they always seem to make sure good book characters. I was also pretty interested in Hailey’s story because while she is an adult away at college, her life back at home is clearly falling apart and without a doubt it is wrecking havoc on her life at college, and I know people who have been through similar stuff, so it was intriguing.
So Hailey was interesting to me, in some regards I thought she was strong, and then in other regards she kinds of shrinks into herself, second guessing her own feelings and reactions. I mean when she finds out her parents are getting divorced and he dad wants her to move back home and they aren’t going to be paying for her college anymore, she stands up to him and decided to find a way to make it work for herself to stay in college, including getting herself a part time job (enter the tattoo shop). So at first I thought to myself, she’s an independent girl, she has a bit of a strong personality, I liked her. But she also has this super weird kinda creepy academic advisor who makes her question herself so much. It actually drove me a little crazy how much she second guessed herself in her head. She also got so wrapped up in her infatuation with Neill that she is constantly forgetting to show up to class or do assignments, for someone who was so determined to go to college it was just a little odd for me.
And as for Neill, ah sweet Neill. I think Neill has the best of intentions, but oh how he has been screwed over by his ex. I mean she really did a number on his head. He’s like super untrusting and paranoid, there is this early scene where Hailey takes a tylenol and he actually empties the bottle and makes sure they are tylenol. I actually liked him for most of the book, his behavior was pretty understandable given his past. Towards the end I felt like he was getting irrational like Hailey needed to study and told him so and he took it like she didn’t want him, it was bit too needy for me in that moment. But other then that, I liked him.
I thought the pacing in the first three quarters of the book was kind of great, I loved how the characters got to know each other, and the vibe from the shop, the secondary characters were really funny and interesting. It was just really easy to get lost in the book, like I blinked and a lot of time had passed and I was pretty far in the book, I got sucked in. Towards the end though the pacing picked up big time and things started happening super fast, I wish it had been just a tad bit slower I think it would have really increased the suspense/drama as well as the payoff. In the end this was an enjoyable book for me for sure.
November 1, 2014
*** Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***
Hailey Jakes is a college student at Leesville. With her parents splitting and an impending divorce, the funds they had set aside to supplement her scholarships was now being re-appropriated to cover the costs of the divorce. She needs a job, immediately, if she wants any hopes of being able to stay in school past this semester.
Neill Vanderhaven is a tattoo artist and the new co-owner of Sinful Skin. His first official duty, while his business partner is in NOLA as a guest artist for a few weeks, is to find a replacement for their receptionist -slash- assistant that just notified him that she's pregnant and hubby and her are moving 600 miles away. She needs to be gone in about a week. He needs to hire someone immediately so Tasha can train them before she leaves.
"Everything had been way too dark lately without the sunshine of her smile."
Getting a job at a tattoo shop seemed like a great solution. It paid decent and she loved the art aspect of it. But not everyone was happy with her employment choice. As the skepticism and negatively escalates, Hailey can't help but feel beaten down by the dark cloud looming over her. And Neill is determined to do all he can to resolve the problem.
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Hot Factor: 3.5
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Format: First person POV, alternating from Hailey to Neill's perspective. In this story, you're introduced to 24-year old Neill and 19-year old Hailey. They've both been through some seriously bad stuff in the past several years. This reflects on their self-confidence and ideas of self-worth. Some insecurities are generally acceptable, but belittling one's self continually becomes tedious and tiresome. They both need to get over it and get on with it. The secondary characters run from the stereotypical gamut of college students, predictable divorcing parents, fun co-workers, and well-portrayed clients. Dialogue and character interaction is good and the flow of Ms Cole's writing is great. The plot moves along steadily and is filled with fun characters at the shop, school and out. I had some minor suspicions about the adviser, but those paled in comparison to where the plot led. There was an outstanding main conflict and good resolve. The ending was solidly concluded.
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Overall Rating: 4.0
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Reviewed for:
Tangled Hearts and Boxer Briefs
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Twitter: @TangledHearts1
December 1, 2014
~I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.~
Draw Me by Regina Cole is a beautiful love story about two individuals who are somewhat broken but are drawn to each other despite their pasts. Hailey is a young college student who finds out from her father that he and her mother are divorcing, and she has taken off with no clues of her whereabouts. Hailey isn’t too stressed about that; she could see this coming a long time ago. However, she didn’t expect them to have used her college trust fund. Now, her father is demanding that she come home because they have no money left for her education. Hailey is obstinate and refuses to go home. She decides to make it on her own by applying for financial aid and getting a job. She answers an ad for a receptionist position in a tattoo studio. Little does she know, her life will never be the same. Neill is the hot, sexy part owner of the studio. He has an instant attraction to Hailey, but he got burned badly in the past by an ex-girlfriend, and he isn’t ready to trust his heart to anyone else anytime soon…until Hailey. Will they be able to let go of their pasts and trust each other with their hearts?
I was drawn in by both characters. I admired Hailey’s spunk and tenacity; she never let her parents or anything else stand in the way of her education. When most people would have given up, she didn’t. I liked that she wasn’t too shy about letting Neill how she felt about him. And, she has an extremely forgiving heart! Neill was the sexy tortured artist. Of course, I loved him, but he did make me angry at times. I could understand why he had trouble trusting Hailey because of his past, but she didn’t give him any reason not to trust her, so when he would run hot and cold with her, I got irritated. He did finally get my seal of approval. Each one of them were imperfect because of their pasts, but they were perfect together.
In addition to the great characters, I liked their dual POV’s. I always enjoy seeing what is going on in their minds. One of my favorite things I liked was the detail of the work done in the tattoo shop. I never realized what a creative and challenging job it is. I always enjoy learning something that I didn’t know. I also think Regina Cole couldn’t have come up with a better title, Draw Me In. It fit the artistic angle of the story and the romance between the Hailey and Neill.
If you like hot, tattooed men with a tender heart and a spunky heroine, you really should give this book a try. There is a bit of an added suspense to it as well that I didn’t expect either. There is no cliffhanger either. Great, quick read!
***Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
Draw Me by Regina Cole is a beautiful love story about two individuals who are somewhat broken but are drawn to each other despite their pasts. Hailey is a young college student who finds out from her father that he and her mother are divorcing, and she has taken off with no clues of her whereabouts. Hailey isn’t too stressed about that; she could see this coming a long time ago. However, she didn’t expect them to have used her college trust fund. Now, her father is demanding that she come home because they have no money left for her education. Hailey is obstinate and refuses to go home. She decides to make it on her own by applying for financial aid and getting a job. She answers an ad for a receptionist position in a tattoo studio. Little does she know, her life will never be the same. Neill is the hot, sexy part owner of the studio. He has an instant attraction to Hailey, but he got burned badly in the past by an ex-girlfriend, and he isn’t ready to trust his heart to anyone else anytime soon…until Hailey. Will they be able to let go of their pasts and trust each other with their hearts?
I was drawn in by both characters. I admired Hailey’s spunk and tenacity; she never let her parents or anything else stand in the way of her education. When most people would have given up, she didn’t. I liked that she wasn’t too shy about letting Neill how she felt about him. And, she has an extremely forgiving heart! Neill was the sexy tortured artist. Of course, I loved him, but he did make me angry at times. I could understand why he had trouble trusting Hailey because of his past, but she didn’t give him any reason not to trust her, so when he would run hot and cold with her, I got irritated. He did finally get my seal of approval. Each one of them were imperfect because of their pasts, but they were perfect together.
In addition to the great characters, I liked their dual POV’s. I always enjoy seeing what is going on in their minds. One of my favorite things I liked was the detail of the work done in the tattoo shop. I never realized what a creative and challenging job it is. I always enjoy learning something that I didn’t know. I also think Regina Cole couldn’t have come up with a better title, Draw Me In. It fit the artistic angle of the story and the romance between the Hailey and Neill.
If you like hot, tattooed men with a tender heart and a spunky heroine, you really should give this book a try. There is a bit of an added suspense to it as well that I didn’t expect either. There is no cliffhanger either. Great, quick read!
***Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
November 13, 2015
I'm always looking for new sexy, hot reads to fill my spare time. When I saw this one on Overdrive and read the synopsis, it sounded like a great option. I quickly downloaded it and delved into the pages of Regina Cole's latest read. I wasn't familiar with her as an author so I had no expectations and I didn't read any reviews of this book before I started. Draw Me In, is the first book in her Sinful Skin series.
Synopsis
Hailey Jakes is just trying to finish her degree in graphic design. When her parents decide to use her college fund to pay for their bitter divorce she's forced to seek out employment to pay for school. When she sees a sign for a receptionist at a local tattoo shop she isn't sure if it's the right fit for her. But Hailey is desperate. When she meets owner, Neill Vanderhaven, she can't believe her luck. He's not only insanely hot, but he's willing to give her a shot at the job. As Hailey finds her place in her new job, sparks fly between her and Neill. Desperate to keep things professional between them, they resist their feelings for one another. But they can only resist each other for so long. As Neill and Hailey get closer they must decide if they can break their rules for one another. When Neill makes a terrible mistake by misunderstanding the situation everything between him and Hailey will be threatened.
My Thoughts
Sigh.....I had high hopes for this book. I really wanted to like it. But I just couldn't. I found myself getting very frustrated while reading. There were just so many problems. When I read the synopsis of this book it sounded like it would be a great read. But sadly it was missing so much. What? Oh...well...everything. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I thought what connection I found between them was weak. None of the characters spoke to me nor did their situation. I spent most of my time reading this book wanting to not be reading it. But I didn't stop. I finish every book I start....eventually. This book had potential but it needed to have more plot development, more character development and overall polishing to bring it all together. I really do hate giving bad book reviews because writing is hard. But sometimes I can't prevent it from happening. Sadly, this book failed to move me in any way in particular. It did have a beautiful cover though and it had potential to be a great story. Tattoo artists are always hot and enticing to readers of romance and new adult. I'd be interested in seeing how Regina Cole expands her repertoire in the future.
Synopsis
Hailey Jakes is just trying to finish her degree in graphic design. When her parents decide to use her college fund to pay for their bitter divorce she's forced to seek out employment to pay for school. When she sees a sign for a receptionist at a local tattoo shop she isn't sure if it's the right fit for her. But Hailey is desperate. When she meets owner, Neill Vanderhaven, she can't believe her luck. He's not only insanely hot, but he's willing to give her a shot at the job. As Hailey finds her place in her new job, sparks fly between her and Neill. Desperate to keep things professional between them, they resist their feelings for one another. But they can only resist each other for so long. As Neill and Hailey get closer they must decide if they can break their rules for one another. When Neill makes a terrible mistake by misunderstanding the situation everything between him and Hailey will be threatened.
My Thoughts
Sigh.....I had high hopes for this book. I really wanted to like it. But I just couldn't. I found myself getting very frustrated while reading. There were just so many problems. When I read the synopsis of this book it sounded like it would be a great read. But sadly it was missing so much. What? Oh...well...everything. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I thought what connection I found between them was weak. None of the characters spoke to me nor did their situation. I spent most of my time reading this book wanting to not be reading it. But I didn't stop. I finish every book I start....eventually. This book had potential but it needed to have more plot development, more character development and overall polishing to bring it all together. I really do hate giving bad book reviews because writing is hard. But sometimes I can't prevent it from happening. Sadly, this book failed to move me in any way in particular. It did have a beautiful cover though and it had potential to be a great story. Tattoo artists are always hot and enticing to readers of romance and new adult. I'd be interested in seeing how Regina Cole expands her repertoire in the future.
August 17, 2014
Draw Me In
Regina Cole
This ARC was given by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 3 stars.....
Hailey Jakes is in her sophomore year majoring in graphic art design. Her parents have never had the perfect marriage, but she does not know what yo do when her dad calls her to tell her that her mother left and took her college money. Hailey can't get ahold of her mom and feels betrayed that she won't contact her only child. She realizes she will have to work her way through college and get some student loans in order to graduate. Her adviser not only lends college advise, but also tutors her and listens to her problems. Yes, very creepy. Mr Fields comes into play towards the end and is another example of the storyline going from one plot to another. She finds a job as a receptionist at a local tattoo shop. Her new boss is beautiful and she can't help control her desire when around Neill.
Neill grew up in a broken house and was used and abused by his drug using father. He left his dad and home at sixteen, and was thankful for Karl. Karl is the tattoo shop owner and took Neill in to help get him on his feet. He also gave him a tattoo apprentice that allowed Neill to support himself financially. Eight years later, and Neill has bought partnership into the shop. He also finds himself in need of a receptionist as soon as possible. His heart is recovering from a relationship with his ex. She used him for his money to help hide her drug addiction. After realizing Gretchen never loved him and only used him for money, Neill has a hard time trusting women. His heart wants to trust Hailey, but he feels the need to protect his heart and ends up denying his feelings for her.
Honestly, I had a difficult time finishing this book. I wanted to like the characters and there was an interesting plot at the beginning of the book. However, the plot seemed to go from one place to another and I felt confused as the reader. I really liked Neill until he acted like a two year old and broke everything off from Hailey. I understand he was used and abused in his past relationship, but he really acted immature and threw a temper tantrum when Hailey asked for a little space to focus on school. Honestly, this book was all over the place and I was ready to read the final page at an early point of the book.
Regina Cole
This ARC was given by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 3 stars.....
Hailey Jakes is in her sophomore year majoring in graphic art design. Her parents have never had the perfect marriage, but she does not know what yo do when her dad calls her to tell her that her mother left and took her college money. Hailey can't get ahold of her mom and feels betrayed that she won't contact her only child. She realizes she will have to work her way through college and get some student loans in order to graduate. Her adviser not only lends college advise, but also tutors her and listens to her problems. Yes, very creepy. Mr Fields comes into play towards the end and is another example of the storyline going from one plot to another. She finds a job as a receptionist at a local tattoo shop. Her new boss is beautiful and she can't help control her desire when around Neill.
Neill grew up in a broken house and was used and abused by his drug using father. He left his dad and home at sixteen, and was thankful for Karl. Karl is the tattoo shop owner and took Neill in to help get him on his feet. He also gave him a tattoo apprentice that allowed Neill to support himself financially. Eight years later, and Neill has bought partnership into the shop. He also finds himself in need of a receptionist as soon as possible. His heart is recovering from a relationship with his ex. She used him for his money to help hide her drug addiction. After realizing Gretchen never loved him and only used him for money, Neill has a hard time trusting women. His heart wants to trust Hailey, but he feels the need to protect his heart and ends up denying his feelings for her.
Honestly, I had a difficult time finishing this book. I wanted to like the characters and there was an interesting plot at the beginning of the book. However, the plot seemed to go from one place to another and I felt confused as the reader. I really liked Neill until he acted like a two year old and broke everything off from Hailey. I understand he was used and abused in his past relationship, but he really acted immature and threw a temper tantrum when Hailey asked for a little space to focus on school. Honestly, this book was all over the place and I was ready to read the final page at an early point of the book.
November 10, 2014
I'm a sucker for a tattoo artist these days. They seem to be fairly popular in the 'bad boy' end of the spectrum, and there's *nothing* wrong with that. Neill absolutely fits the bill as a sexy leading man. He's young, standing on his own two feet having recently become part-owner of the shop he works in and he doesn't want to get brought down by relationship drama the way he did with his ex.
For her part, Hailey is a young college student with an artistic flair. Her parents' marriage has turned ugly recently, and Hailey's trying to cope with the fallout. When she gets a job working reception at Neill's shop, the two find themselves drawn to each other despite their individual better judgement.
Everything that happened in the tattoo parlour was really great. There were moments I laughed at, moments that were pretty romantic, moments that were emotional. Watcing Hailey try to find her footing in the shop was quite entertaining as she wasn't perfect at the job but she was definitely determined.
All of Hailey's drama outside of the shop? I just could not buy into at all. Her advisor, her parents, even her roommate, it all fell really flat for me. Some of it seemed really overblown and some of it just didn't hit the right notes. I wanted her to react more to her mother being missing, I couldn't wrap my head around the advisor at all (possibly because this was not a part of my post-secondary education).
I think if the angst and action had stayed centered around the shop, I would have enjoyed the book more. Knowing that Hailey was struggling to make ends meet, and then struggling to solidify her position at the shop could have sustained the book, I think. The connection between Neill and Hailey worked for me, so at least there was that!
Bottom line:
A lot of promise, and a very sexy tattoo artist make Draw Me In worth a read if you go for the latter. While it doesn't have the depth that I've found in some of my favourite New Adult books this year, I do think Draw Me In is entertaining enough to warrant a read!
3.5 stars
For fans of tattoo artists, angst, crazy plot turns
Receive via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Visit To Each Their Own Reviews for this and other reviews!
For her part, Hailey is a young college student with an artistic flair. Her parents' marriage has turned ugly recently, and Hailey's trying to cope with the fallout. When she gets a job working reception at Neill's shop, the two find themselves drawn to each other despite their individual better judgement.
Everything that happened in the tattoo parlour was really great. There were moments I laughed at, moments that were pretty romantic, moments that were emotional. Watcing Hailey try to find her footing in the shop was quite entertaining as she wasn't perfect at the job but she was definitely determined.
All of Hailey's drama outside of the shop? I just could not buy into at all. Her advisor, her parents, even her roommate, it all fell really flat for me. Some of it seemed really overblown and some of it just didn't hit the right notes. I wanted her to react more to her mother being missing, I couldn't wrap my head around the advisor at all (possibly because this was not a part of my post-secondary education).
I think if the angst and action had stayed centered around the shop, I would have enjoyed the book more. Knowing that Hailey was struggling to make ends meet, and then struggling to solidify her position at the shop could have sustained the book, I think. The connection between Neill and Hailey worked for me, so at least there was that!
Bottom line:
A lot of promise, and a very sexy tattoo artist make Draw Me In worth a read if you go for the latter. While it doesn't have the depth that I've found in some of my favourite New Adult books this year, I do think Draw Me In is entertaining enough to warrant a read!
3.5 stars
For fans of tattoo artists, angst, crazy plot turns
Receive via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Visit To Each Their Own Reviews for this and other reviews!
September 27, 2014
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
Overall I'm going to give this story a solid 3.5 stars!
This book is a nice fast read with a decent plot. Hailey Jakes is a college student who finds herself desperate for a job after a phone call from her father changes all her plans about school. She finds herself at Sinful Skin as the new receptionist. But this place soon becomes more than a job for Hailey as she comes to regard it as a haven away from everything else in her life. Within the walls of the tattoo shop she not only gets much needed reassurance about her future she gets a heaping dose of man candy in the form of her new boss, Neill Vanderhaven.
Neill is hot, tattooed, and a motorcycle riding twenty four year old guy who is less bad boy more sweet and sensitive boy.
The drawback to this is he is a little too sensitive at times.
Neill has his own dark memories from his childbirth and his previous relationship, both of which have left him a little on the insecure side.
That comes to the head when Hailey, going through her own drama, seems oblivious to the brush off she's giving more and more frequently. Both of these things left me frustrated with them, wondering when they were going to get their 'ish' together and freaking talk about what they were going through/feeling, like a couple should.
Despite that I honestly enjoyed the story from start to finish. I liked that though their pasts may have been different, their connection through art drew them further together. I appreciated the undertones of how Hailey recognizes that being a tattooist would give her art a new level of life, how it could give her life new hope.
It had a different element which I won't give away to keep it all spoiler free. I kind of picked up on it right away (my spidey senses) but it was still intriguing to watch it develop over the course of the story.
Plus, the other backstory characters from the tattoo shop were probably my favorite element of the story.
Overall I'm going to give this story a solid 3.5 stars!
This book is a nice fast read with a decent plot. Hailey Jakes is a college student who finds herself desperate for a job after a phone call from her father changes all her plans about school. She finds herself at Sinful Skin as the new receptionist. But this place soon becomes more than a job for Hailey as she comes to regard it as a haven away from everything else in her life. Within the walls of the tattoo shop she not only gets much needed reassurance about her future she gets a heaping dose of man candy in the form of her new boss, Neill Vanderhaven.
Neill is hot, tattooed, and a motorcycle riding twenty four year old guy who is less bad boy more sweet and sensitive boy.
The drawback to this is he is a little too sensitive at times.
Neill has his own dark memories from his childbirth and his previous relationship, both of which have left him a little on the insecure side.
That comes to the head when Hailey, going through her own drama, seems oblivious to the brush off she's giving more and more frequently. Both of these things left me frustrated with them, wondering when they were going to get their 'ish' together and freaking talk about what they were going through/feeling, like a couple should.
Despite that I honestly enjoyed the story from start to finish. I liked that though their pasts may have been different, their connection through art drew them further together. I appreciated the undertones of how Hailey recognizes that being a tattooist would give her art a new level of life, how it could give her life new hope.
It had a different element which I won't give away to keep it all spoiler free. I kind of picked up on it right away (my spidey senses) but it was still intriguing to watch it develop over the course of the story.
Plus, the other backstory characters from the tattoo shop were probably my favorite element of the story.
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