Guest Review: His Tattooed Virgin by Heather Rainier

Judith’s review of His Tattooed Virgin (Divine Creek Ranch #12) by Heather Rainier. 

Jayne Sheridan intended to wait until her wedding night to give up “the goods.” One life-threatening illness and a decade later, she’s wondering if she’ll ever get married and if she shouldn’t just “go for it” now that she’s cancer-free. Her undeniable attraction to the town tattoo artist has her contemplating getting more than a tattoo.

Seth Carter has crammed a lot of living into his years and had his heart broken in a way that he believes is irrevocable. Jayne confuses and intrigues him but he doesn’t want her to look back with regrets, so he turns down her offer. He doesn’t count on the onslaught of jealousy when Jayne decides to take matters into her own hands. Jayne is his.

When the past treads on his doorstep, can Seth handle unexpected blessings and protect the ones he holds dearest to him?

I’ve never made any secret of the fact that this is one of my favorite series as I have read every single one of these books.  The sense of continuity with the characters, the bonding among family members and friends and the sense of belonging that these people share are qualities that make these books special for me.  I am especially happy to have read this latest story as it brings two very different people into full view, different in that one is a world reknown tatoo artist and the other a woman whose life has been ravaged by cancer, whose life experiences have been interrupted and whose acceptance by some people she thought she could count on less than noble.

Jane and Seth are both people who have experienced a lot of the bad stuff that life often dishes out.  Seth’s emotional life has been put on hold–injured to the point that he is really questioning whether he will ever not be alone.  He’s reluctant to give his heart–actually reluctant isn’t the word.  He doesn’t feel he can ever take that chance again.  Jane has been put on the shelf for nearly a decade after believing that she would be married with a family by now, but the insidious invader known as cancer changed her life, her view of the future, and robbed her of a relationship she thought was forever.  Now she is living in Divine, Texas, and determined to make every day count.  The first thing on her list is to finally cease being a 38 year old virgin and she had come to believe that Seth, a man she had come to trust, would be the one to be her “first.”  Throughout this story the reader had a persistent that Seth is a man of honor, one who takes his craft seriously, who understands the health issues involved, who cares about himself and the people he loves and treasures his friends.  So his refusal to be Jane’s “first” comes with explanations that make a lot of sense in his mind, explanations that come with deep respect for who she is and for the fact that he doesn’t want to lead her one in any way.  He doesn’t count on the fact that he has become more emotionally attached to Jane than he thought.

This story embraces a number of characters who have sustained significant loss to cancer–the disfigurement of surgery, the ravages of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the sense of wondering if each day or month of year will be one’s last.  It is about the joy that people learn to embrace when they live each day as a gift and learn the glory of being involved with others whose joie de vivre never wavers.  It is another fine piece of writing from an author whose style and expertise keeps on growing, who keeps on challenging readers to look beyond the social norms and recognize that love and caring–the authentic kind–come in all forms and social configurations.  It is also about the love that is possible when people come into our lives unexpectedly, who grab our hearts and won’t let go and who become incredibly important.  This was Seth and Jane’s experience and one that could have brought deep hurt and driven them apart.

Suffice it to say that this book is a delight to read, one that continues to be an enjoyment to those of us who have fallen in love with the people of Divine, Texas.  It is also a credit to the author for her sensitivity to those whose lives have been impacted by cancer.  She is to be commended for putting both the positive and negative aspects of this front and center in this winsome and very readable story.  It’s a terrific book, truly a stand alone novel, but if you haven’t experienced the people of Divine yet, I highly recommend that you begin at the beginning.  Whether or not you choose to do so, this will be a very fun, erotic, love-filled, heart warming read.

I happily give it a 5 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Siren Publishing. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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