It’s National Tattoo Day! And who doesn’t love a romance novel with a tattooed hero? Perhaps it’s the good ol’ bad boy trope but I admit that I’m a sucker for a big, burly guy with biceps for days that has glorious tattoos?
Come to think of it, I’m also partial to a well-dressed man in a suit – a suit that hides a tattoo sleeve or large artistic tattoo on his back or chest.
And although we’re getting more and more heroines with tattoos in romance novels, they do still tend to be the bad girl, wild child types who aren’t your typical woman or heroine.
But I would class myself as fairly girly and I have tattoos. And I’m pretty damn normal, I would say!
Regardless of whether it’s a tatted up romance hero, or a heroine of any sort with small tattoos or large ones, I am partial to any romance novel that has a tattooed hero or heroine.
So I’ve pulled together 12 romance books with tattoed heroes or heroines for you to try whether you, like me, love a tattoo, or whether you want to try a tattooed romance for the first time.
I hope you find something that tickles your fancy.
The Revenge Pact by Ilsa Madden-Mills
River Tate is a god on campus.
The king of football.
A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you.
The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair.
Anastasia Bailey is a nobody.
The queen of nothing.
An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin.
The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her.
Dare to Rock by Carly Phillips
Avery Dare lives a quiet life in Miami as an online fashion/makeup video blogger. She has good friends, a close, large family and if her love life is lacking, she likes it that way. But when she receives an invitation to one of her ex’s concerts along with an invitation to meet him back stage, she decides to take the risk…
As the lead singer of Tangled Royal, Grey Kingston is the epitome of rock and roll. Fans adore him, women throw themselves at him, and he can afford everything he couldn’t growing up. Yet at the height of his career, he’s ready to walk away and return home to a simpler life… and the woman he left behind, if he can convince her to give him another chance.
The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James
Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry.
The tabloids give the marriage six months.
Theo would have given it a lifetime… until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry.
Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.
And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All’s Fair in Love — or War.
Wrong Bed, Right Guy by Katee Robert
Seducing Mr. Wrong never felt so right…
Prim and proper art gallery coordinator Elle Walser is no good at seducing men. Heck, she’s been throwing hints at her boss for months, but he’s completely clueless. Desperate to escape her mother’s matchmaking efforts, she comes up with a plan—buy some lingerie and climb into her boss’s bed. The plan goes brilliantly…until she accidentally seduces a sexy stranger instead.
Bad boy nightclub mogul Gabe Schultz just had the best almost-sex of his life. Too bad the smoking hot blonde thought he was his brother and bolted before he could finish what they started. Though her holier-than-thou attitude puts a serious damper his mood, Gabe’s never been one to give up on something he wants. And he wants Elle. But does a man who lives on the dark side really have a chance with a proper lady?
Repeat by Kylie Scott
When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she’s forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did – which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.
Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can’t seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?
Play with Me by Kristen Proby
Will Montgomery is a successful professional football player and seemingly has it all. He’s not used to being told no, and certainly doesn’t take no for an answer. So when he turns his charms on his sister’s sexy rocker-chick friend Meg, he’s not only turned down, but met with open hostility, piquing his curiosity and libido.
Megan McBride is not impressed with Will Montgomery. She doesn’t have time for a relationship, and if she’s learned anything in life, it’s that loving means losing, so she guards her heart ferociously. But she can’t deny the overwhelming attraction to the sexy, tattooed athlete, and when Will starts breaking down her defenses and grabs hold of her heart, will she be able to admit her feelings for him, or will her troubled past cause her to lose the first man she’s ever truly loved?
His Tattooed Virgin 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?
Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss
Suzy’s a control freak with her life mapped out—work hard, find the right man, and live happily ever after. Her plan comes to a screeching halt when her car breaks down and a tattooed bad boy rescues her from the side of the road.
The chance encounter leads to a night of passion and turns her world upside down. Can their one-night stand ever turn into the real thing?
Last Call by Staci Hart
Once Rose Fisher makes a decision, that’s it. End of story.
Like when her ex, Patrick, dumped her out of the blue, then showed up with a super hot, tatted up sex kitten on his arm. Then it was over for good. The end. Poof. Dead to her. Except he was everywhere — down the hall, at the bar with their friends, worming his way into her dreams.
Patrick Evans is no stranger to consequences. When your mother walks out, your dad drifts away. When you leave home, you’re on your own. And when you run away from the girl you love, you lose her. He finally has an opportunity to rebuild the bridge he burned, and it’s not one he’ll take for granted. But he’ll have to fight for her, even if it hurts. Even if it means he’ll walk away brokenhearted. Because deep down, he knows that she’s it for him.
The trick will be to get her to admit she feels it too.
Stranger in my Arms by Lisa Kleypas
“Lady Hawksworth, your husband is not dead…”
With those words, Lara’s life turned upside down. Hunter, Earl of Hawksworth, had been lost at sea. Or so she’d been told. Their unhappy marriage — with its cold caresses and passionless kisses — was over. But now a powerful, virile man stood before her, telling secrets only a husband could know, and vowing she would once again be his wife in every way. While Lara couldn’t deny that this man with the smoldering dark eyes resembled Hunter, he was attentive and loving in ways he never was before. Soon she desperately wanted to believe, with every beat of her heart, that this stranger was truly her husband. But had this rake reformed — or was Lara being seduced by a cunning stranger?
Regret and Redemption by Sabrina Wagner
Maggie: I’d never done the one-night stand thing before, but for once I broke my own rules. But when our tryst ended abruptly in disappointment, I tucked my tail between my legs, and returned to my carefully planned life.
Chase: I’d never been able to say no to gorgeous women. No strings and no commitments. I’d been satisfied, until an almost one-night stand had me wanting more.
So, when a chance encounter brought us back together, I knew I needed another taste. Maybe it was just the Thrill of the Chase or maybe it was more.
One thing was for sure… we had unfinished business.
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for 12 years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of… absolution.
Mara planned never to return to the world from which she’d run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows… that he is no killer.
It’s a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady—and her past—are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor… and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.
I hope some of these find their way to your tbr lists and even your kindle.
And if there are any tattoo romance novels I’ve missed or you think I should try, please share them below.
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