Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Hellion
Author: Rhys Ford
Series: 415 Ink #3
Heroes: Ruan & Ivo
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 201 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: From the moment SFPD Detective Ruan Nicholls meets Ivo Rogers, he knows the tattoo artist is going to bring chaos to his neat, orderly life. A hellion down to the bone, Ivo is someone Ruan not only doesn’t understand, he’s not even sure he needs to. Everything about Ivo is vibrant, brash, cocky, and arrogant, and Ruan wants no part of him.
Or at least that’s the lie he tells himself when he damps down his desire for the social wild child life tosses into his path.
For Ivo Rogers, life revolves around two things—his family and 415 Ink, the tattoo shop he co-owns with his four brothers. His family might be stitched together by their battle scars from growing up in foster care, but their brotherhood is tight—and strong enough to hold Ivo together during the times when he falls apart.
Now Ivo faces a new challenge when he falls for a cop with an old-school mentality on how a man looks and acts. Ruan is the promise of a life Ivo thought he’d never have, but their clashing perspectives threaten any chance of a relationship. Being the family’s hellion makes it easy to be misunderstood, yet Ivo has faith Ruan will not only embrace who he is but love him as well.
Review:
When I saw Hellion coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my greedy little hands on it because I love this series so much and I was not disappointed! What I love about the series, though, is the relationship the brothers have. It’s unique and even though there are so many different personalities between the five of them, they are all loyal and I love that about them. So it was no surprise to see the brothers turn a little overbearing when Ivo, the baby, finds someone he likes and I loved that about this one. I loved that Ivo, who’s had a hard life, didn’t have to fight tooth and nail for a relationship. Yes, Ivo and Ruan have a few hiccups but for being so young, Ivo is soo wise for his age and that’s why he fits so well with Ruan.
The attraction between them is definitely smoking but I also really liked that they were a bit… domestic. It was a nice change and really nice to see someone like Ivo, who’s so eccentric, willing to bring his cop boyfriend food and willing to feed his cat and do his laundry. Their whole relationship made me gooey inside especially when Ruan wasn’t really sure how he felt or how to handle things. As a character, I liked that Ivo was so out there. He didn’t stick to social norms but he also wasn’t a hot head. For me, Ruan is more of an enigma than Ivo is because, while we know he’s a cop and a bit about his family, we don’t much know more beyond that.
Which leads me to the only issue I had with this one. Ruan’s way of thinking was a little old fashioned when it comes to how a gay person should act. So it wasn’t a surprise when he wasn’t as ‘understanding’ of how Ivo liked to dress (i.e. his heels) than he originally let on. I liked that he was willing to try and overcome his issues and I liked that he realized it wasn’t a good trait he had but what I didn’t like was that this issue was kind of swept under the rug towards the end. I wanted to see a little more angst with that because it was such a big deal for Ruan to the point they took a little break (if you could call it that) and, IMO, wanted more spotlight on it when Ruan was really questioning the relationship based on what Ivo wears.
Overall, though, this was another phenomenal read by Rhys Ford. I absolutely loved this book and it was a great addition to the 415 Ink series. I really loved Ivo and Ruan as characters but also the relationship they developed. I adored the fact that nobody had to die for them to reach their happiness but also loved that we got to see all the brothers again. I’m looking forward to Luke’s book next but really wish we were getting Bear’s!
Overall Impression: I loved it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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