Review: ✨A fabulous, amazingly compelling draw into a new series!✨
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
[...]My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️She moved in to the apartment above the used bookstore and coffee shop only a short while ago, but Tenley Page is fast becoming familiar with the comings and goings at the tattoo shop across the road. Keeping a low profile after leaving her old life behind, she doesn't venture far from her apartment, only grabbing a coffee or scouring the shelves of the bookstore below, spending the rest of her time keeping an eye on the gorgeous tall inked shop owner across the street, who seems to have taken up a permanent place in her mind.Every time Hayden Stryker pops across the road for a caffeine fix from the coffee shop, the tattoo artist makes sure to check in on his aunt who owns the adjacent used book store as well. His circle is pretty tight. He lives above his shop, Inked Armor, his coworkers are his friends and his family is across the street. That's why the beautiful girl his aunt just hired part time, stands out to him despite the fact she does all she can to disappear every time he shows up.Intrigued, Hayden tries to make a connection with Tenley, who after a few initial embarrassing moments, starts to show herself a little more though still very skittish. Hayden has to make sure he controls the urge to devour her like he wants to and approach her carefully, or he is sure she will run.....****Hook, Line and Sinker!!!Ok.....normally I wouldn't give such a high rating to a short novella that is open ended and serves as the introduction to a new series..... HOWEVER, this little piece of writing was so completely absorbing.... the characters appealing in a way, I NEED to get to know them better....I have to know their story, both their history and their future.The title is what made me pick up this book, honestly. I love cupcakes and I love ink.....it's that stupidly simple, but what I got in return  is not simple at all. It is the first of what I know is going to be many layers of an onion, slowly peeled away, to - perhaps - ultimately expose the core.The feeling I get from Tenley is that she came away from something pretty traumatic. There is no confirmation in this book, it is simply a personal impression based on the fact that she seems fearful and very private. Somewhat awkward and controlled at times....perhaps a touch of OCD. There are a few indicators here that may eventually lead us to her background story, but that's for each to interpret. She may be timid, but she is not a floormat.....she has some bite and I like her.Hayden seems like a nice guy with good friends and a good heart, although I wonder about him. There has to be some history there. He is very close with his aunt and I am sure there is more to that family dynamic.I immediately upon finishing this book, dove on Goodreads and collected all information I could on the series and the writer, Helena Hunting, who happens to be a 'neighbour', so to speak!! The amazing news is that these books are set to release in fairly short sequence, with CLIPPED WINGS, the first full novel releasing in March of this year, which means we won't have to wait forever, for each following book.✨A fabulous, amazingly compelling draw into a new series!✨**ARC provided by NetGalley and Pocket Books in return for an honest review.**