The best part of a drunken one night stand is that it’s only one night, and you can blame your poor decision making on the alcohol. That’s how it was supposed to work, at least according to Cory Eastwood. She didn’t have time for commitment, not when her dream of opening her own tattoo shop was about to become a reality. But she wasn’t going to be forgetting the night she had with the mystery man from her best friend’s wedding any time soon for two reasons
1. It was hands down the best sex of her life 2. He keeps popping up
Garrett Adler had spent the last two years thinking about the woman he picked up at a wedding bar and kicking himself for never getting her name. So when his blind date turns out to be the same woman from that night, he’s determined to do things right this time around. Only, she wants nothing to do with him.
But when trouble finds its way to Cory’s tattoo shop, Garrett might be the only one who can help her get to the bottom of it. That is, if she’ll let him.
i hate to say this about a debut, but this book was all kinds of rough. honestly it read like a rough draft more than anything - edited pretty well so i’m not talking grammatically, but more so about the plot choices and the characters.
for starters, our fmc, cory (short for cordelia) was extremely unlikable and thus really hard to connect to. she was immature and a lot of her actions and choices made no sense. she came with a huge chip on her shoulder about being a female tattoo artist that felt pretty unrealistic and annoying. her whole character fell flat for me and she never really got any better as the book went on.
our mmc, garrett was actually pretty sweet but very two dimensional. his whole character was being a police officer that was infatuated with cory for 2 years. other than that, he wasn’t anything remarkable and that infatuation was very insta lust with not much to support it.
the pacing of the story was also pretty off - the first half consisted of cory denying wanting any sort of relationship with garrett to a complete one eighty at the halfway point where she just fully embraced being his girlfriend and met his family right away. it felt pretty jarring and didn’t really track with the first half of the story.
side note, the meeting of garrett’s family was the highlight of this whole book for me. they were endearing, wholesome and worked well juxtaposed against cory’s notably awful parents. great, but also a very short chapter’s worth of content.
also, i felt like there were too many useless details about tattooing and police work that took away from the romance and pulled me out of the story too often.
there were a handful of other things that i felt didn’t work, but for the sake of keeping this at least somewhat concise, i’m going to cut it here. sadly, i cannot recommend this one. maybe in the future i would try something else by this author because i know this is a debut and only a starting point. i’m curious to see the improvement and how any sequels go.
.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.
꒰ pre-read. ꒱ a tattoo shop owner fmc & police officer mmc with a one night stand start - sounds fun, i’m in!
(4.5/5) What I liked most about this was that the characters were mature, hard-working professionals!! Both characters are also emotionally mature, which is even more important than simply having their lives together. You can make mistakes, but I felt good vibes throughout the whole thing!
RATING NOTES: I'm only removing half a star because I really wish a few things had been longer because I was enjoyed Cory and Garret so much!? I think there was an opportunity for more, but honestly, reading contemporary romance as often as I do, I was just really happy to have characters that felt slightly different!! *If you're into smut - this is some of the good stuff!! If that's your thing, it's the very well-written kind! **Cop romances can go one of two ways... and this was the good kind!! I think we have seen so much in the news recently that's negative about anyone in a uniform, so this was a good point of view to experience something more positive.
The Ink Vendetta was equal parts sweet, spicy, and hilarious. I enjoyed every second of Amanda’s debut novel that certainly did not read like a debut, but the work of a seasoned romance author. The tension between the main characters was immaculate and the found family was absolutely heartwarming. If you’re looking for your new book boyfriend who’s a spicy gentleman, look no further than The Ink Vendetta.
What to expect: 🖋️ black cat x golden retriever 🖋️ found family 🖋️ he falls first 🖋️ one night stand 🖋️ second chance 🖋️ he falls first 🖋️ tattoo artist fmc 🖋️ police officer mmc (done very thoughtfully)
Cory is a tattoo artist with dreams of opening her own shop, while Garrett is the police officer she had a one-night stand with two years ago at her best friend's wedding. Despite never exchanging names, neither of them has been able to forget the other. When a blind date brings them back together, Garrett is determined not to let her slip away again, even as Cory tries to keep him at a distance. But when trouble arises at her newly opened shop, she'll need his help.
I've read plenty of stories about strong, determined women who don't have time to date. What was refreshing about this book was that the Cory is a tattoo artist, which is something I've never seen before.
I really liked all the characters in the story. Cory and Garrett were great, and their chemistry was amazing.
The meet-cute was, well, cute, but for an interaction that sets the stage for the rest of the story, it felt a bit too short and leaned slightly into insta-love territory. That said, I appreciated that the third-act breakup wasn’t based on a silly misunderstanding—it was actually meaningful, and I could understand Cory's feelings.
Thank you so much for the ARC, Amanda! I hope everything goes well for you with the release.
3.5⭐️ A quick and funny, cute spicy read! It has a lot of potential to be such an amazing book if it didn’t feel rushed and had a bit of a longer plot with more dynamic characters. Overall, a nice read.
The Ink Vendetta reads like a first draft, but I think the author shows potential if she digs a little deeper in the future. While grammatically it was well-written, it could have used another pass on pacing and character development. The world around the characters is pretty well developed. But a lot falls flat because the main characters themselves aren’t.
Cory, the female main character, is resistant to a relationship because she’s committed to her career as a tattoo artist. But we don’t explore that resistance deeper, and it disappears seemingly without reason halfway through the book. Otherwise, Cory’s personal plot lines hinge on conflict from outdated taboos against tattoos and female tattoo artists. I’m not claiming that there’s no taboo or sexism in the world of tattoos today—but the level of conflict from it in this book reads like it was written twenty years ago, which makes it feel unrealistic.
While Garrett shows a cute golden retriever personality, we just don’t know enough about him. The few things we know are that he’s obsessed with Cory (but we don’t know why outside of attraction because we don’t get a lot of real conversation), he’s a cop, and he has a good family. Cory got two fleshed out side plots in addition to the romance, but we get almost nothing on Garret’s dreams or motivations in life outside of Cory. I would have loved to spend more time in his POV to develop his character.
Because both characters are pretty flat, their romantic arc and chemistry (outside of spicy scenes) falls flat. All of their conversations are super surface level, and their third act breakup doesn’t make sense.
The Ink Vendetta does do some things well, though. I loved Cory’s dog, Siren, and her relationship with her mentor, Glen. Garret’s family was great—one of the best scenes of the book takes place with them. And the spicy scenes were well-written and not overbearing on the story.
The next book in the series is supposed to follow Garret’s sister, which has me intrigued. The Ink Vendetta had a good base to it that just needed to be developed more, so I’m hoping future installments dig a little deeper.
ARC Review of The Ink Vendetta available February 4th, 2025.
Overview: Cory and Garrett share a one night stand without knowing each other’s names. 2 years go by and they are unknowingly reunited through a blind date. While Cory is left navigating if she has the time for a relationship (hello badass entrepreneur), Garrett is determined to try because he hasn’t stopped thinking about her.
What an incredible debut novel! Hats off to Amanda! I first off want to note how cool it is to read about a female tattoo artist who is chasing her dreams of opening up her own shop. I have never read a book that had a focus on tattoos or tattoos being a source of family contention, and I really enjoyed this theme.
Every character in this book is lovable (except Annette, of course). Cory is such a baddie; her mindset of not wanting anything more than a one night stand because “she had shit to do” was so refreshing from a female MC. Go chase those goals girl. Garrett was respectable, funny, his loyalty to everyone (Cory, his family, friends and his job) was so rejuvenating. I really enjoyed his character. Despite Cory’s reluctance and wanting to focus on her goals, the author writes in such a way that you are rooting for Cory and Garrett the entire time (and of course for Cory to achieve her goals, too). You can’t deny the chemistry between the two. The banter as well as the SPICE was perfection; not too little and not too much, just the right amount of 🌶️. The ending wrapped up so nicely that I actually laughed out loud with the ending quote from Garrett. Always go with asking about the weather 😉
Amanda Pinkerman did an excellent job with her debut book. Every character had a realness about them and it was such an easy yet captivating read. I devoured this book and cannot wait to read more from her. I cannot thank Amanda enough for the opportunity to read and review this book 🩷
🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽
I have more reviews & book recommendations on my bookstagram @what.dev.read ✨
2.5 ⭐️ I really loved the first half and had high hopes for the romance. The banter was adorable, and I loved how she was the grumpy and he was the sunshine.
Unfortunately, at the halfway point the pacing of the romance felt too abrupt, the love you declarations didn’t match with how much time they actually spent together and the shift in Cory’s emotional trauma seemed too easy. She went from keeping Garrett at a distance to being very open to the possibility of the relationship after only one event where she leaned on him. I think the abruptness in this shift changed the pining and tension of the story, and things felt a bit too convenient.
Also, the third act conflict was actually kind of hurtful regarding Cory’s actions and the resolution seemed too easy. The acceptance of her behaviours made Garrett seem somewhat of a pushover.
I’m sad I didn’t love this more, because I do love supporting debut authors so much.
On the night of her best friend’s wedding Cory has an unforgettable one-night stand that she cannot seem to forget even two years later. When Garrett runs into Cory he will be dammed if he lets her go again.
Cory is focused on her dream of opening her own tattoo shop she does not have time for happily ever after. Garrett continuing to cross her path is making it really hard for her not to want both.
The Vibes:
🖤You’re Mine 🖤Found Family 🖤Tattoo Artist Baddie FMC 🖤Cinnamon roll MMC 🖤Commitment issues 🖤Mommy issues 🖤 “Good girl” 🖤Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🖤Minor mystery element
ARC Review: This is my first ever ARC read so thank you so much Amanda Pinkerman for giving me a copy.
I really enjoyed this book and basically read it in one sitting. I felt that the story and the characters were super relatable, everyone could see a little bit of themself in this book.
Garrett is the ideal male main character not only is he respectful and loves his family the man knows how to get down to business. 🥵 Just to give you a little taste the man flicked open his belt while maintaining eye contact with one hand. I have no idea but that just did something for me y’all.
I saw a lot of myself in Cory especially as it related to her complicated relationship with her mother. I think it important to show representation that sometimes are found family is our true family. They also play a really big role in helping us heal from the damage our birth family has caused.
Through her found family she can heal and achieve her goals. Found family members include Glen who is a tattooed teddy bear, Kinsley bubble gum BFF, and Hayes BFF’s husband who gives strong older brother energy.
This is a wonderful book that you should add to your TBR! A second chance romance with banter that will have you kicking your feet. Congratulations Amanda Pinkerman on your debut novel! Comes out February 4th
I had the pleasure of beta-reading this book and let me tell you- this book is great.
I love the character growth that we see with our FMC Cory. I LOOOOOVEEEE the banter we get between Garrett and Cory. I love that Cory is an absolute badass with a heart of gold. I even love the conflict in this book because it’s so realistic but the way we get resolution is both cathartic and satisfying.
I can’t believe this is Amanda’s first book because she writes like a seasoned author. I think the little quips you come across read as genuine and unique to her writing style that make it inviting and like you are one of the in-crowd.
This is a fun, witty, and incredible sexy contemporary romance that you won’t regret picking up. I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO!!!
YES YES YES. This debut novel is worth all the hype I’m giving it. You’re going to LOVE Cory and Garett - and Siren too! I ate this shit up and read it basically in one sitting on release day. It was amazingly written and I WANT MORE!! I will just sit her patiently for another novel by Amanda! It’s the perfect amount of smut and lovey dove - black cat // golden retriever energy I needed!!!
Garrett and Cory had an one night stand without asking any of their personal details including names. After Two years Garrett had to go to a blind date. That turns out Cory is the one who is going to be his blind date. He doesn't want to make the same mistake again which not knowing her name and things. Literally he don't wanna lose Cory anymore. But Cory has some things to achieve so she is not ready to get into a relationship. She thinks it's a distraction. Garrett is willing to anything for her and he just can't stay away from her. Meanwhile Cory Keeps pushing Garrett away. She can't ler her emotions win. She thinks he is too kind,sweet,funny and extremely handsome. Will Cory can stand in her stubborn decision?? Or will she run to Garrett?
My View✨️
This is my first book of 2025. I was so excited to start this year with an ARC and it's just perfect. I'm glad that I picked up Garrett and Cory's story. I'm in love with Garrett. Ahhh he is such a gentleman. He is so in love with her. The storyline is too perfect. The characters are too good in their own way. And author @amandapinkermanauthor did a great job❤️✨️ Thank you for sending me this ARC and let me love Garrett and Cory.
“Your dreams are just as beautiful as anyone else’s. Just because they don’t align with expectations set for you by someone else doesn’t mean they aren’t worth pursuing.”
Whew, that was when I teared up. Very unexpectedly. 🥲
The Ink Vendetta was an amazing book! It is a romance following tattoo artist Cordelia, aka Cory, and police officer, Garrett aka Gar-bear. If you love:
🖤 one night stand 🖤 black cat x golden retriever 🖤 he falls first 🖤 second chance
Then The Ink Vendetta is for you!
What starts off as a STEAMY one night stand (no names given, all bets are off) turns into a story of an independent, strong willed baddie, and the pursuit of her dreams while falling in love with Office Garrett.
Garret knows the ways of law, love and bedroom. When I tell you this man is spicy ( 🥵 ) but with the perfect blend of respect… I was in love. I also adore a man in uniform. 🫶🏼
Their banter is top tier, their connection was SO hot and even though I am not the *biggest* fan of a third act.. issue… I appreciated Cory being able to self aware enough to admit when she was wrong.
Also, special side note: Siren is so cute. 🐶
This book stands to be published in early February and I, for one, will be getting my trophy.
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I had a lot of fun reading this wonderful debut novel from Amanda Pinkerman! I really enjoyed that our FMC was a baddie who creates tattoos and is a business owner and our MMC is a cop and shown in a realistic way. The black cat x golden retriever vibe that was Cory and Garrett was a blast, and to watch their interactions felt authentic.
Amanda has a way of speaking about tattoos in a way that truly showcases how it is an art and beautiful. She translated this into BOTH characters, and for a tattoo having woman, I adored this.
Do yourself a favor, if you like a read that showcases something a little different in the way of characters than your run of the mill contemporary romance, pick this book up. You won’t be sorry.
What to expect ✨ Black cat x golden retriever ✨ Dual POV ✨ Second chance ✨ He falls first ✨ Strong FMC ✨ Supportive MMC
Thank you for the ARC Amanda and I can’t wait to see what you’re working on next ♥️. For all things bookish check out my insta @TiffanysBookCult
4⭐️ This was such a fantastic book! This is the perfect mix of romance and banter with a touch of mystery! Emotionally mature characters dealing with real issues. It definitely does not read like a debut! Finished it in 2 days! Loved this!
Wow wow wow. Please excuse me while I have the worst book hangover ever because just, UGH! Could not get enough!! Definitely going to need a shelf trophy of this one! And maybe a couple of copies to give out.
Now that is how you write a book boyfriend! Just what I needed after my last read!
Tropes: Second chance, Opposites attract
Triggers: Emotionally abusive parents
Liked: One word. Garrett. So nice to read such a well written sweetheart, who would follow his love to the ends of the Earth, whilst always throwing her over his shoulder and showing his dirty side. Not a man child. Not a manwhore. A 30 year old who isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. Love love loved him!
Disliked: I did want to smack Cory at times. The man is clearly smitten, give him a chance!
OW/OM: None mentioned. No manwhore! Both celibate during 2 year separation too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
That serendipitous moment when a targeted ad just gets it *so right*
I am literally bubbling with excitement over this book. My first 5 star read of the year, and a completely unexpected one at that. This came up on my feed and I thought, you know what this sounds like a bit of me. And a bit of me it is. From the dual POV, to the wholesome yet spicy vibes, it delivered on every level.
The ink vendetta is written in such an easy to read, easy to understand manner, the language and writing style was light, yet it was utterly compelling. I could have easily read it in one sitting, but you know - responsibilities called! The underlying tropes - fiercely independent FMC, golden retriever MMC, second chance, found family. The spice, well...*chefs kiss*. I loved that the spice flowed well, but wasn't a detriment or distraction to the plot.
I found the characters so relatable, from their trauma to the relationships between them, all of which developed at a steady and suitable pace, I absolutely loved that despite trauma, the characters are obviously self aware - super refreshing to be reading about emotionally mature characters for a change!
The plot was great, from the very start, the chemistry our MC's have is very evident. This grows wonderfully throughout the book. Though the twist was not completely unexpected, (perhaps that's my own trauma talking 🤭) i still massively enjoyed how that came to light and the inner battle Cory worked through.The ending was wonderful, I wasn't expecting it and thought that was really well done.
This book was such a delight to read. And I am excited that the authors profile eludes to a sequel ☺️ I can't wait to see how Cory and Garetts adventures continue.
I've already recommended this book to whoever will listen, but if you're not one of them, take this as my recommendation 💓
Dual POV, 1st person Spice: 2 🌶️ Tropes: tattoo artist FMC, police officer MMC, second chance, black cat X golden retriever, he falls first, one night stand
This is such a wonderful debut from Amanda! I loved Cory, our feisty black cat FMC, and Garrett, our golden retriever MMC, from their first meeting at their best friend’s wedding. We get just a little taste (wink) of them together during a one night stand where no names are exchanged. Jumping forward, we follow Cory as she is making her dreams come true by open her own tattoo shop. Due to an unfortunate circumstance, their paths begin crossing again and the sparks from their first meeting ignite into something beautiful, fun, and heartwarming. I loved how protective Garrett is over Cory. He also uplifts her so beautifully during some of her hardest moments (looking at you, Annette. I know you’re fictional, but it’s on sight). They fit so well together and I enjoyed all the time we got with them, but I wish we had even more. It is slightly instalovey after they spend time together again, which can be very hit or miss. It was a hit here because the story reads quickly and flows well. After the tease for another character at the end, I have a feeling we have a lot more time coming in the future at least as side characters. Which we had some fun ones, especially Cory’s bestie Kinsley. I loved their friendship. But Garrett’s family definitely has some stories to tell, I’m sure.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Amanda and I’ll be front row waiting for everything she does, because I definitely don’t want to miss a thing (you’ll understand the reference when you read it hehe).
Cory and Garrett 😍 that is all…and an honorable mention for Siren
I can’t believe this is Amanda Pinkermans debut novel! It is spicy, cute, heartwarming and a little bit sad. She hooked me in from the start and I loved that we had some spice almost immediately.
I really enjoyed the dynamics in the friendship group (Kinsley and Hayes are hilarious), and how raw Cory’s relationship with her parents is, for the record I absolutely called that twist at the end but it still had me shook!
Garrett is a total cinnamon bun who ALWAYS has Cory’s best interests at heart, and I loved that he was an ink free canvas in comparison, you don’t often see that in romance books.
I loved this story and I really hope we get another instalment!
Thank you Amanda Pinkerman for letting me ARC read for you 🫶🏼
The Ink Vendetta is out NOW 🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️🔥 Police Officer MMC ❤️🔥 Tattooist FMC ❤️🔥 Black Cat x Golden Retriever ❤️🔥 Second Chance
Arc Review The ink vendetta By Amanda Pinkerman Available February 4 4.75 ⭐
First off i would like to thank Amanda for the opportunity to read & review this book. Thank you for this gifted E-Arc.
Cory & Garrett Omg! Im obsessed with these two. Cory is such a baddie and i absolutely admire her so much for standing her ground and being exactly who she wants no matter the consequences. I absolutely adore her for going after what she wants and making her dreams come true regardless the obstacles in her way. I absolutely am obsessed with Garrett. His ability to go after Cory when she is trying to hold back, his ability to do what ever it takes to prove he wants her regardless what she has been told and proves to her she is worthy of love and deserve what ever she wants. His ability to be such a gentleman with Cory but also pulls her out of her shell is beautiful. The connection these two have is undeniable. The way the just understand the other is amazing.
5/5 recommend this book. This is Amanda first book and she absolutely knocked it out the park. Her ability to write such depth to her characters while still bring out such joy and emotions is absolutely beautiful. Her ability to show case such beautiful bosses babes is amazing and so admirable. I can't wait for what ever is next.
Honestly, •Not enough Boston •The writing reads like a first draft. I got it, but yeah. •Cory was a bitch, sorry about her mom but yeah, she’s just a bitch. •Every tattoo-related cliche you could think of made an appearance in this book. I’m offended on behalf of anyone who has tattoos. •There isn’t one single reason I could find that would compel Garrett to want Cory, to wait for her, to put up with her from the get go. She was awful to him. No wonder she decided to give him the time of day- she got so lucky and doesn’t deserve that gem of a man (ok sex, the single reason would be sex) •This was like an alternate universe Gilmore Girls wannabe… the “rebel” daughter, who drives a jeep wrangler, has a terrible relationship with her rich parents, sits in their drawing room to have a staring contest in similar Lorelai fashion- it was kind of weird tbh. •That drama at the end, oof that was a doozie- and not in a good way. Once again I stand by my claim that Cory doesn’t deserve Garrett, and if the first 80% of the book wasn’t proof enough, her immature (just see a therapist already, Cor) and immediate reaction to her boyfriend PROTECTING her was bananas. Legit cuckoooooo.
I would say a 4.5. This book was fairly short (reason for the 4.5 and not 5.0). I’m a quick reader so I got it done in one day, however, I wanted more! It was relatable in so many aspects and I LOVED seeing a confident woman who didn’t let anything phase her. You follow her as she takes pain and constant abuse and learns to trust and let someone in and I think a ton of people can empathize with that. I also loved the golden retriever boyfriend outside of the bedroom and the dominance inside the bedroom. It was smutty without the book being nothing but smut. Don’t get me wrong, I love my smut books but I also like story lines to go with them. From chapter one it had you drawn in. Once again, my main complaint is it wasn’t long enough and I just wanted more. It did however leave a ton of room to learn more about other characters which I love because it opens up the ability to read more books based on the characters and I love nothing more than books that emerge you in to a world where you get to learn more about all of the characters involved. I’d say all in all this was a pretty good book, I would recommend it to others for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved how stubborn and strong willed Cory was. She was an independent woman who worked hard for what she got! Garrett was a great MMC, I loved their banter and the spice was great.
Some thoughts I had throughout the book:
It was so obvious to me that Cory’s mom was behind the vandalism and calls to shut down the tattoo shop. And it didn’t make much sense to me how defensive Cory got when Garrett said it was her mom that did it. I get it, she was in denial, but it was obviously just to cause a third act breakup which was pretty unnecessary to me. Comparing Garrett to her mom was uncalled for imo.
Chapter 20 was boring filler that could have been better used having Cory tattooing or do something more interesting than drive around town.
When Kinsley comes over after Garrett and Cory fight, Cory says Kinsley didn’t sleep over because Hayes wouldn’t know how to sleep without her there (even though Kinsley slept over six chapters ago?) Not a big deal but just something I noticed and caught me off guard.
💉The Ink Vendetta 🖤by Amanda Pinkerman 💉available February 4th!
This book was absolutely brilliant and I can’t believe it was a DEBUT!!! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!! 🫶🏻
Cory Eastwood is a super fun baddie FMC who is a tattoo artist with dreams of opening her very own shop!
Garrett Adler, is our hunky leading man who is also a police officer. What do these two characters have in common? Oh yeah, an unforgettable one night stand that happened two years ago! 🥵
So you can imagine his absolute shock when he walks into a blind date to see that very same woman standing infront of him. 🤭
Filled with captivating characters, an entertaining plot and of course a spicy romance, this made for such a fantastic read!!! Amanda crafted this story so beautifully and I loved every moment. 🥹
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this ARC for my honest review!! 🫶🏻