Even before her father’s death, Kelly Everhart always knew Logan Teller was someone she could rely on. Now he’s taken over the Black Rabbit tattoo shop and brought her along with him. And while Kelly still finds her former crush and current mentor hot as hell, they’re firmly in the friendzone. Or so she thinks . . .
Logan’s been biding his time, but he’s no longer leaving anything to chance―not since Kelly started getting serious with her boring boyfriend. And as Logan manipulates the situation and sabotages the couple every chance he gets, Kelly starts to notice all the ways her Jason doesn’t quite measure up to the man who’s always been such a huge part of her life.
When her relationship with Logan suddenly goes from playful and platonic to strictly sinful, Kelly can’t stop herself from falling head over heels. But just as things are heating up between them, she starts receiving anonymous messages with information only a few―including Logan―could possibly know about her. Can she trust him after all?
I am still not okay after reading Of Ink and Alchemy.
Like…it’s the morning after. I slept. I ate. I tried to be a functioning adult. And I am still thinking about Logan Teller.
This book had everything.
Spice. Obsession. Yearning. Torment. Found family. Suspense. A morally gray man waving red flags like he’s at a parade, but somehow doing it with green-flag intentions. And I want more, respectfully.
“She’s the only woman who’s ever made me feel alive—this real. I’m done worshipping her from a distance. I want to hold her, protect her, and claim her in my bed. Brutally show her she’s mine, every fucking day.”
Logan has been waiting for Kelly for years. Quietly. Patiently. Devotedly. Absolutely down bad in ways that should concern me, and yet? I loved it. He meddles. He manipulates. He makes questionable choices “for her own good.” He adopts a dog for her in secret. He asks her tattoo her face on his arm. He literally rearranges his life around her. He may be dark, but he would do anything to protect her and the business.
It’s honestly unfair that he manages to be hot, unhinged, adorable, protective, and steady all at once.
Sir. Please continue.
“And when I finally hold you down and break you in, I’m going to show you the difference between playmates and soulmates.”
Kelly’s not a damsel. She is not fragile. She is not here for nonsense. She is fierce, talented, grieving, driven, and determined to honor her dad’s legacy in the tattoo world. She holds her own. She speaks her mind. She doesn’t let Logan bulldoze her, even when she’s falling for him.
Their banter is elite. Their tension is criminal. Their emotional connection is devastating in the best way.
“You’re more than a masterpiece, more than a muse, or all of the ways you torment me. You and I are more powerful than art, sweetheart—we’re alchemy.”
Watching them navigate grief, especially through her dad’s letters, had my eyes watering more than once. It added so much depth to their relationship and made their bond feel earned, not rushed.
And can we talk about how obsessed Logan is through acts of service? Because that is my weakness. This man does not just say “I love you.” He shows it in a hundred quiet, intense, borderline-crazy ways. It may be unconventional to say the least, but it always comes from a place of care, of hope, of wanting to show her how fated they are. He sees it. Her dad saw it. He’s just waiting for her to catch up.
“I’m a man who knows what he wants. For years I’ve stood in the background, biding my time while you chased flings. It wasn’t patience, it was discipline. The way I wanted you never grew stronger—it grew darker. There’s no one else for me. You’re it.”
Yes, Logan is possessive. Yes, he’s manipulative at times. Yes, he’s morally gray. And somehow, Sloane writes these borderline unhinged MMCs in a way that has me instantly deciding they’ve done nothing wrong. Do I need therapy? Possibly. Am I choosing to smile and keep reading anyway? Absolutely.
Let’s talk about the suspense for a second because this is not just a romance. There is real tension running through this story the whole time. The threatening messages, that constant feeling that someone is watching, the way danger slowly starts creeping in…I was stressed. The suspense element is woven into the love story so naturally that you’re never pulled out of it—you just feel everything more. The stakes get higher. The emotions get bigger. Every time Kelly was in danger, my stomach dropped. Every time Logan went into full protective mode, I was fully locked in like, okay sir, I see you. It makes their connection feel more urgent, more intense, and way more meaningful. And when everything finally pays off? It hits so much harder because of it.
“I choose you for the parts you bury in the shadows.”
And the spice? Bloody. Hell.
It is dark, intense, emotional, and completely purposeful. Every scene feels carefully placed, layered with meaning, and driven by the connection between Kelly and Logan rather than existing just for shock value. Nothing feels thrown in for the sake of being “spicy.” It all serves the story, the characters, and their emotional journey. It enhances everything instead of overshadowing it, making each moment hit harder because you’re already so invested in them. I was on edge. I was breathless. I was fully consumed. This is the kind of spice that lingers long after you close the book, not just because it’s hot, but because it’s loaded with feeling.
“She’s not only my chaos, she’s my calm—and my obsession for her is as gentle as it is destructive.”
Kelly and Logan just make sense. From the very beginning, they feel inevitable, like the universe quietly bookmarked them for each other and was just waiting for the right moment to say, “Okay, now.” Watching everything finally fall into place between them is explosive, emotional, and so deeply satisfying that I was sitting there like, yes, THIS is why I read romance. And what makes it even better is how real they feel. They’re layered. They’re flawed. They mess up. They hurt. They grow. Nothing about them feels flat or manufactured.
“Her beauty is cruel. The kind that could ruin a man—and I’m on my knees begging to be destroyed.”
If you love tattoo shop romances, slow-burn friends to lovers, protective morally gray MMCs, emotional depth with real stakes, found family vibes, and romance with suspense, read this one immediately.
I devoured it. I’m obsessed. Logan may have just knocked one of my favorite book boyfriends down a spot. And I will be thinking about this story for a long time.
Five stars. All the hearts. No notes.
Except: please hurry with book two.