Book Review: Merrick by Kate Hawthorne
Book Blurb
Ink and Ember is open for business.
As an oldest son who never knows when to stop talking and can only judge his worth by how he performs, Merrick has grown up to be a talented tattoo artist and skilled painter. He’s also in the habit of spending his weekends hooking up with strangers, advertising himself on hookup apps for free use.
On one of those nights, he meets a handsome dominant, Wilder. Their fling at the club turns into a late night in bed, an early morning in the kitchen, and a promise for more. Wilder wants more than Merrick is ready to offer, but Wilder is patient and Merrick is beyond willing. It takes no time at all for the two men to embark on a relationship of self-discovery, learning not just each other but also themselves.
As they settle in together, Merrick’s old self-judgment and doubt begin to creep in, threatening to undo all the progress he and Wilder have made. Is Wilder’s belief in Merrick enough to get them through, or will they end up back where they started?
Quiet and alone.
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Merrick is a low-angst, high-heat romance from Kate Hawthorne. A spinoff of the successful Risk Aware series, the Ink and Ember books are short, spicy, and straight to the point (which in, this case, is bed).
Book Review
Merrick by Kate Hawthorne, is book two in the Ink and Ember series and is Merrick and Wilder’s story. I have not read this first story in this series, but I did not feel that impacted my ability to follow or enjoy this story. Kate Hawthorne is a great writer of kink stories and this a great kink-based romance. Tattoo artist Merrick is a free use top, who uses that as a way to silence his thoughts and give himself peace from the impacts of growing up in a cold and distant childhood. One evening at Rapture he meets, Wilder, a dominant bottom, and the story follows them on their journey from strangers to lovers.
I thought the connection between Wilder and Merrick was beautifully written, not an instant-lust/love but definitely a powerful bond that was believable. The story played around with perceptions, but it wasn’t the sole focus of the story. There was an acknowledgement that whilst others expected Wilder ad Merrick based on their appearance to fulfil different roles, they were fully happy in the D/S dynamic, and it worked beautifully for them. Merrick was such a natural submissive, and it was touching that Wilder created that space for him to be himself and how well he responded to Merrick's needs. This is one of my best recent reads of D/S relationship and I did get a bit emotional as Wilder helped Merrick to make peace with the parts of himself he didn’t like. This is a low-angst story that’s easy to read and heartfelt. The world building is good and if you are familiar with Kate Hawthorne’s work then you will recognise other characters, but it is not necessary to follow the storyline. I would recommend this book, and I look forward to the next one in the series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.7
