Inked with a Kiss

Davids’s satisfying second Thorn & Thistle romance (after New Ink on Life) sees love blossom in a tattoo artist’s chair. A grounded single mother and tattoo artist, Jamie Winston has what she views as a hopeless crush on her client, bubbly social worker Sierra Clarke, who is 12 years her junior. Sierra reciprocates, but values her independence and can’t get a read on how Jamie feels. When the pair collaborate on a fund-raising event to support artistic foster kids, they bond over their troubled childhoods: Sierra’s mother died when she was young and her grandmother rejected her; Jamie’s parents are alcoholics who she looks after to this day. Despite their off-the-charts chemistry, the women, both used to filling caregiver roles, balk at the idea of accepting the other’s support and mutually agree to a “part-time relationship” out of a fear of vulnerability. Though the psychology behind their emotional hang-ups is convincing, their doubts and insecurities become repetitive and their struggles to articulate their emotions are frustrating. Refreshingly, no such issues exist in the playful sex scenes, which go out of their way to establish the characters’ boundaries, likes, and dislikes. Equal parts steamy and sincere, this lesbian romance makes up for its flaws with complex, compassionate heroines. (Apr.)