Review for Under His Skin by Sidney Bristol

A woman who doesn’t believe she deserves love…

Toe-curling kisses and enough sex to fill a weekend were all Pandora wanted from a fling with her teenage crush. She’s never forgotten how he played the knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She’s ready to say thank you in several naughty ways, so long as she can walk away when it’s over with her heart intact.

A man moving on from tragedy…

Brian has no intention of allowing the feisty tattoo artist to leave him after one taste. He hasn’t had enough of her inked curves. The packaging might have changed, but Pandy is the woman he hasn’t been able to excise from his memory. He’s ready to put together a new life, one that includes her. But he’s not the only one vying for her attention. Someone else wants her, dead or alive.

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Under His Skin by Sidney Bristol presents us with two physically and emotionally scarred individuals in order to help them find happiness and move on from their pain.  I loved both of these characters and applaud the author for bringing such a unique and memorable couple to the forefront.  They may not be what every reader pictures as the perfect couple, but for me I found much to like in their pairing.

Pandora has been treated badly by most men her whole life.  From a father who ignored her to a former fiancée who abused her and is still obsessed with her, she's hesitant to open her heart again.  The one bright spot amongst all the men she's known was rock star Brian Adler.  Their time together may have been brief but it affected both of them profoundly and for her he became the benchmark by which she's measured every man since.  Pandora's worked hard to gain confidence and meeting up again with Brian throws her into a tailspin that ends up in the bedroom.  Her brain wars with her heart every step she takes in her relationship with Brian which leads to confusion for poor Brian.  It's not until an earth-shattering event at the end of the story that Pandora realizes what she truly has and that she'll fight to keep the man who's given her the strength to rely on another.

Brian is the lone survivor from his rock band's plane crash and carries guilt around as well as scars and a limp.  He's felt adrift until he's reunited with the young woman who left a part of her with him all these years which helped him get through the worst of his recovery.  He jumps into this relationship quickly and wholeheartedly and their numerous sexual encounters are hot and heavy.  He's not afraid to put his heart on the line and all he wants is to do whatever makes Pandora happy.  He wants to be her protector but at no time does he smother her.  He gives her the strength to overcome her past and at the same time he moves past the guilt he's been carrying.

The villain in this story is made obvious very early on but leaves a lasting impression.  I almost found his actions a bit over-the-top though.  He's truly vile, and not only does he try to harm Pandora but also the business she works for.  I can't help but think though that a simple restraining order would've solved a lot of her problems and saved her a lot of pain.  The heart stopping conclusion of the story is his final deranged act and puts some intriguing secondary characters in jeopardy as well as opening Pandora's eyes as to what she has with Brian.  The villain may be crazy but he serves his purpose!  The ultimate ending isn't completely tied up but for Brian and Pandora their path is much clearer.

From the wonderful characters to the steamy sexual encounters, Under His Skin got under my skin and has me excited for the next book in this series.  With its strong and unique female protagonists I could almost feel my fist pumping for all the girl-power being exuded and have high hopes for where things go from here.  I'm already counting down the days until I can revisit these bad girls who are oh so good!

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.