Title: Embracing His Syn

Series: Nothing Special 02

Author: A.E. Via

Narrator: Aiden Snow

Genre: Contemporary, Action, Thriller

Length: 11 hrs, 14 mins

Publisher: A.E. Via (4th June 2019)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: Sergeant Corbin “Syn” Sydney had dedicated his life to becoming the best detective. So when he heard there was an opening on the notorious Atlanta Narcotics Task Force, he jumped at the chance. But, what he wasn’t ready for was realizing just how lonely he’d made himself, when he observed the loving and dedicated relationship between the two men he served under: Lieuten-ant Cashel “God” Godfrey and Lieutenant Leonidis Day.

Syn prepared himself to accept his lonely fate until he walked into a small pub and met the long-haired, tattooed bartender, Furious Barkley. Before Syn can even understand why, he’s over-come with feelings he barely recognizes: passion, yearning, craving. And if the dark, lustful gazes are anything to go by, Furious might be feeling the same things for him.

Just two thing needs to happen before Syn and Furi can give each other what’s been missing from their lives for so long…Syn needs to find the evidence that proves Furi’s innocence of murder, as well as protect him from a past that refuses to let go.

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Embracing His Syn is the second book in AE Via’s Nothing Special series. Although I’m not particularly familiar with Via’s work, I absolutely loved, loved, loved (it feel I need to emphasise how amazing that book was) Nothing Special and was keen to get into Embracing His Syn as soon as I could. Being that I had just left the world of Day and God and their team on the narcotics squad I honestly had no doubt that I would love this book and therefore had some high expectations, from both Via and the narrator, Aiden Snow.

I feel that this is going to be a very short review because I loved every moment of Embracing His Syn. However, I should say that I strongly recommend reading or listening to book 1 first because it sets the scene and many of the characters are back in the sequel, continuing from where they had left off in Nothing Special. I suppose you could get away with not having knowledge of book 1, but I feel that there is stuff going on under the surface that is easier to understand if you are already familiar (or assumes the reader is already familiar) with the Nothing Special world.

Quite simply, it was exactly what I expected it to be and so much more. The story overall itself is quite simple, but the characters are complex with so much depth that it is obvious that there is a lot of smaller moving cogs that carry the plot forward. The sex scenes are also very, very steamy and well written. If you’re like me who doesn’t like a lot of sex scenes or pointless sex scenes to pad out a book, there is nothing pointless about any sex scene in this story. Each sex scene deals with the concerns of the two MCs as they navigate their fledgling relationship.

The narration is also brilliantly performed. Much like the author, I’m not too familiar with the work of Aiden Snow from other audio books. However, he had done an amazing effort bringing to life the guys of the Nothing Special series, from the main characters to the equally complex secondary characters. His tone and deep voice is absolutely perfect for the characters that Via has concocted because it brings in the edge and danger that is associated with the plot of the book. But Snow also has a gentleness that not only makes the sex scenes so amazingly real even with the overwhelming strength of the characters, but his voice helped me feel the raw emotions of the characters. An amazing performance and one that I would love to relisten to in the future.

The story starts with Sergeant Corbin Sydney, aka Syn. He’s transferred to Atlanta PD’s most revered and successful teams, the narcotics squad, which is now headed by Lieutenants Day and God. The book picks up a couple years after Day and God’s story and the two are going as strong as ever, and they are both as awesome and as dangerous as ever. Syn is set through his paces, because Day and God only want the best on their team, but Syn is up for anything. He will never compromise his morals and beliefs for anyone. Shortly after being accepted on the team, there begins a string of murders which involve men being drugged, which is what brings Syn and his new team into the case.

Syn meets the man called Furious Barkley at his local pub, where Fury works while trying to finish school so that he and his best friend can open their mechanic workshop. It’s Fury’s dream, but he had left it on hold while he had been with his abusive ex-husband. After running away from the man, Fury gets a job with his ungrateful uncle at the pub and supplements his income doing solo porn videos so that he can finish school and get moving with his plans. However, things change when some of the male performers are killed which not only brings Fury into contact with Syn at the police station, but also brings him back on the radar of his ex-husband.

Fury has a lot of baggage because of his previous relationship. Syn has a protective streak a mile long and was instantly attracted to Fury. Syn, though, isn’t just a sexy cop, he has some hidden depths that seem completely opposite to his character at first, but in the end shows just how wonderful he is as a character. I think people will also appeal to Syn’s and Fury’s relationship plays out in bed and out of bed, because of how Via wrote this, it feels like a relationship that is on equal footing. The guys have to work together to not only deal with the imminent danger, but to also deal with the mental baggage so that they can make a proper go at their relationship.

Much like the first book, I recommend this one to people that love hot cops, a story with a touch of danger, a lot of love and a heck of a lot of sex.

Title: Nothing Special

Series: Nothing Special 01

Author: A.E. Via

Narrator: Aiden Snow

Genre: Contemporary, Action, Thriller

Length: 9 hrs, 47 mins

Publisher: A.E. Via (14th May 2019)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: Detective Cashel “Cash” Godfrey is big, tattooed, and angry so people typically keep their dis-tance. He’s fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six-foot-four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn’t expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis “Leo” Day.

Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out, and one bad-ass detective.

Together, Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks.

When Cash saves Leo’s life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he’ll never break through the im-penetrable wall that protects Cash’s heart.

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Nothing Special is the first book in AE Via’s series of the same name. Being that I’ve not read much of Via’s work in the past, I had no idea what to expect, but the blurb seemed interesting, especially if you’re in hot cops and gritty action.

And wow! This was amazing. I loved this book from start to finish.

There were so many hot sex scenes, but they didn’t feel superfluous, in fact I was impressed because I normally hate too many sex scenes in books, especially because many of them don’t feel that they belong in the story and have just been slapped in for a sexy break between high points.

The story starts with Leonidis Day, or just Day. His first day on the force as a detective he is paired up with Cashel Godfrey, or God as he is better known. Day gets trouble from a fellow officer on his first day for being gay, but Day is a fighter and doesn’t stand down. He is also immediately aware of just how sexy his hulking, tattooed partner is. Four years later Day and God have become an unbeatable force in the drug squad. They’re known for their cowboy antics but no one can argue with their results. They are not only partners, they are also best friends.

But things change as their feelings have evolved from day one to the present and they are faced with having to admit to a few things. God and Day aren’t scared and Day is not about to lose his best friend when he knows that they are meant to be so much more. A couple life threatening instances create tension that neither can deny. Through all this, the sexual tension, their jobs and illness, we also get to know so much more about God and Day, more about their family and how this ties into their motivations as characters.

The plot and premise is actually quite simple, but there are so many moving parts that are so well executed, I was hooked from the start and was sad to see the end.

The characters are wonderful. As well as Day and God, there are also a number of secondary characters who are just as vital to the story as the MCs. Each of them are very well developed, we are given their backstory, we see them grow. Nothing Special is one of those books where I am just so happy because the characters are so well fleshed out, the character arcs makes sense as the story goes along so there aren’t any wild card scenes that don’t make as much sense as the rest of the book. The chemistry between Day and God is electric. It’s so easy to understand why they are such good partners and why it is so natural that their relationship evolved into something a lot more. I think I just have to leave it at that I love each everyone of Via’s characters.

The narration was as amazing as the book itself. I don’t think that I am familiar with the work of Aiden Snow. However, he has a tone and timbre that matches the gritty, dangerous feel of the book and the cops that put themselves in the line of fire to do their duty. His voices for Day and God are great and it was just a joy to listen to. I especially loved how he was able to convey the snarkiness and the caffeine junky that is so central to Day’s character. Day and God are both very strong men, and this is heard in the narration. Overall, a wonderful performance that I cannot fault.

I recommend this one to people that love hot cops, a story with a touch of danger, a lot of love and a heck of a lot of sex.