Embracing His Syn
by A.E. Via
Genres: M/M Contemporary Erotic Romance
Synopsis
Sergeant Corbin 'Syn' Sydney transferred from the Philadelphia Police Department as soon as he'd heard there was going to be an opening on Lieutenant Cashel Godfrey and Lieutenant Leonidis Day's Atlanta Narcotics Task Force. Syn’s primary goal in his life has been to be a great cop. There has been no time for relationships, romance, or especially love.
Syn was dedicated to his new force, focused and ready to back up God and Day as their third in command, but what he wasn't ready for was the feelings he got from seeing the love they had for each other.
Syn's all prepared to accept his lonely fate until he walks into a small pub and meets long-haired, tattooed, bartender, Furious Barkley. Before he can even understand why, Syn's feeling things he barely recognizes: passion, yearning, cravings; and if the dark, lustful gazes are anything to go by, Furious might be feeling the same things for him.
Just one thing needs to happen before Furi and Syn can give each other what’s been missing from their lives for so long... Syn needs to allow happiness into his world and Furi needs to learn to open his heart and trust again.
God, Day, Ronowski, and Johnson are still as entertaining as ever. You'll swoon over God's massive take-charge attitude... You'll laugh hysterically at Day's never-ending wit... You'll fall in love with Furious' mysterious, sexy demeanor... and... You'll embrace Syn.
Embracing His Syn contains characters from the previously published novel 'Nothing Special' but is a stand-alone novel.
Disclaimer: This book DOES NOT contain scenes of polygamous sexual pairings.
Excerpt
“Uh oh. Stranger danger.”
Syn looked behind him but no one was there.
“I mean you. You just gonna stand there and stare, man?” Furious raised his head and turned slowly, pinning Syn with a hot glance.
“Name’s –”
“Yeah. I know your name, you told me already.” Furious cut him off. “Your cologne will give you away every time.”
Syn stepped a little closer. “Does it smell that bad?”
“Nope. Smells that good,” he said on an exhale of smoke.
Syn unintentionally let a small smile creep up on him. Now that he had approached Furi, he was at a complete loss as to what to say or do. He had absolutely no idea why he was approaching this man … any man. Furious’ eyes were as dark as night, his eyelashes dark and long, just brushing his cheek when he looked down. Syn looked his fill, while Furious watched him curiously.
“I like your ink,” Syn blurted out, cringing a bit when it came out a little louder than he planned. “The stars are pretty cool.”
Furious took a deep inhale of his cigarette, blew the smoke out through his nose and flicked the butt into the street. He rose up off the back of the bench standing to his full height, perhaps six-one. “You know what people assume about a person when they have star tattoos, don’t you?” Furious held his eye contact.
“I’ve heard some things. Not one to believe everything I hear though.”
“Is that right?”
Syn scrunched his eyebrows not knowing where Furious was going with this – hell, where he was going with this.
“You waiting on the bus?”
“You got it, genius. How’d you ever guess that?”
“You’re a real smart ass … and the name’s Syn. I thought I’d keep you company while you wait … maybe even offer you a ride.” Syn’s face was tight as he spoke. Why the hell did everyone have to be so fucking sarcastic all the time?
“Oh really.” Furious tucked his ear buds inside his jacket and ran his hand through his hair. “Why the hell would you offer me a ride?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You obviously need one. I’m just trying to be friendly.” Syn stepped closer and he heard a slight catch in Furious' breath.
“I’m good, man. I got a ride.”
Syn turned when he heard the diesel engine of the MARTA bus pulling over to stop.
“I could drop you off, it’s no big deal.” Syn shrugged as if it really didn’t matter. Oh, but it did. Why the hell am I trying so hard?
“I’m good. Besides, I don’t ride with strangers.”
The bus's air brakes were loud as it came to a stop and the automatic doors opened.
“Say it,” Syn snapped suddenly.
Furious turned to look at him from the stairs of the bus. “Say what?”
“My name, damnit.”
“Why?” Furious almost whispered.
“Because, I want to hear it from your mouth.” Syn’s voice had gone gravelly. He was being honest. He did want to hear it. Now. Later. And ten octaves higher ricocheting off his bedroom walls. Hell.
“No,” Furious replied, turned, and got on the bus.
For some reason, Syn watched as his new, enigmatic friend paid his fare and settled himself in the back on the far side of the bus. Furious never looked in his direction, but Syn kept hoping he would as the driver pulled the large vehicle back into traffic.
Syn looked behind him but no one was there.
“I mean you. You just gonna stand there and stare, man?” Furious raised his head and turned slowly, pinning Syn with a hot glance.
“Name’s –”
“Yeah. I know your name, you told me already.” Furious cut him off. “Your cologne will give you away every time.”
Syn stepped a little closer. “Does it smell that bad?”
“Nope. Smells that good,” he said on an exhale of smoke.
Syn unintentionally let a small smile creep up on him. Now that he had approached Furi, he was at a complete loss as to what to say or do. He had absolutely no idea why he was approaching this man … any man. Furious’ eyes were as dark as night, his eyelashes dark and long, just brushing his cheek when he looked down. Syn looked his fill, while Furious watched him curiously.
“I like your ink,” Syn blurted out, cringing a bit when it came out a little louder than he planned. “The stars are pretty cool.”
Furious took a deep inhale of his cigarette, blew the smoke out through his nose and flicked the butt into the street. He rose up off the back of the bench standing to his full height, perhaps six-one. “You know what people assume about a person when they have star tattoos, don’t you?” Furious held his eye contact.
“I’ve heard some things. Not one to believe everything I hear though.”
“Is that right?”
Syn scrunched his eyebrows not knowing where Furious was going with this – hell, where he was going with this.
“You waiting on the bus?”
“You got it, genius. How’d you ever guess that?”
“You’re a real smart ass … and the name’s Syn. I thought I’d keep you company while you wait … maybe even offer you a ride.” Syn’s face was tight as he spoke. Why the hell did everyone have to be so fucking sarcastic all the time?
“Oh really.” Furious tucked his ear buds inside his jacket and ran his hand through his hair. “Why the hell would you offer me a ride?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You obviously need one. I’m just trying to be friendly.” Syn stepped closer and he heard a slight catch in Furious' breath.
“I’m good, man. I got a ride.”
Syn turned when he heard the diesel engine of the MARTA bus pulling over to stop.
“I could drop you off, it’s no big deal.” Syn shrugged as if it really didn’t matter. Oh, but it did. Why the hell am I trying so hard?
“I’m good. Besides, I don’t ride with strangers.”
The bus's air brakes were loud as it came to a stop and the automatic doors opened.
“Say it,” Syn snapped suddenly.
Furious turned to look at him from the stairs of the bus. “Say what?”
“My name, damnit.”
“Why?” Furious almost whispered.
“Because, I want to hear it from your mouth.” Syn’s voice had gone gravelly. He was being honest. He did want to hear it. Now. Later. And ten octaves higher ricocheting off his bedroom walls. Hell.
“No,” Furious replied, turned, and got on the bus.
For some reason, Syn watched as his new, enigmatic friend paid his fare and settled himself in the back on the far side of the bus. Furious never looked in his direction, but Syn kept hoping he would as the driver pulled the large vehicle back into traffic.
My Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved Nothing Special, the first book in this loosely connected series, and was looking forward to reading Embracing His Syn with the expectation that it would be written very similarly to the previous story.
To say that I was surprised by the differences would be an understatement, but for someone who isn't fond of surprises, A.E. Via managed to pull a winner out of her hat.
I loved that the main characters both had strong and confident personalities, but at the same time were very relatable because of their vulnerabilities, personal insecurities and flaws. The emotional aspects of their relationship is realistically developed overall, and I really enjoyed watching it unfold.
I also appreciated that it was set several years after the ending of Nothing Special, and that readers are given a glimpse into how God and Day have settled into their relationship. While fun for fans of the earlier characters, these scenes are written in a way that complements and enhances the primary storyline and it is not necessary to have read Nothing Special in order to enjoy Embracing His Syn.
The action and drama that is the Atlanta Narcotics Task Force is as exciting and over the top as ever and the detective's antics were as highly entertaining as I expected them to be.
I would recommend this book to fans of the series as another great read, and think that Syn and Fury's characters will capture the attention of new readers as well. I would even go so far encourage readers who were not fans of the previous story to give the series a second chance!
To say that I was surprised by the differences would be an understatement, but for someone who isn't fond of surprises, A.E. Via managed to pull a winner out of her hat.
I loved that the main characters both had strong and confident personalities, but at the same time were very relatable because of their vulnerabilities, personal insecurities and flaws. The emotional aspects of their relationship is realistically developed overall, and I really enjoyed watching it unfold.
I also appreciated that it was set several years after the ending of Nothing Special, and that readers are given a glimpse into how God and Day have settled into their relationship. While fun for fans of the earlier characters, these scenes are written in a way that complements and enhances the primary storyline and it is not necessary to have read Nothing Special in order to enjoy Embracing His Syn.
The action and drama that is the Atlanta Narcotics Task Force is as exciting and over the top as ever and the detective's antics were as highly entertaining as I expected them to be.
I would recommend this book to fans of the series as another great read, and think that Syn and Fury's characters will capture the attention of new readers as well. I would even go so far encourage readers who were not fans of the previous story to give the series a second chance!
A.E. Via graduated in May of 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Virginia Wesleyan College.
She's a new author to the beautiful gay erotic genre. Her writing embodies everything from spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she's not clicking away at her laptop, A.E. runs a very successful paralegal-for-hire business and in her spare time, she devotes herself to her family - a husband and four children - her two pets, a Maltese dog and her white Siamese cat, Lynn, named after the late great gay romance author ELynn Harris.
For all things A.E. Via, visit her official Website, stop by her Gift Shop, or check out what she's reading on her Blog!
I have read and LOVE all of A.e books!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Thank you for stopping by. :D
DeleteLove the series and eagerly await the rest of the teams stories.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the coment Ashalka.
DeleteI loved Nothing Special. I'm really looking forward to reading Embracing his Syn
ReplyDeleteYou'll love it VL... it was SO good.
DeleteP.S. I'm looking forward to hosting Crimson Ties next month! :D
Thy both sound like good reads cvsimpkins@msn.com
ReplyDeleteI recommend starting with Nothing Special, but Embracing His Syn can be read first if you just can't wait. :D
Deletereally want to read this series!
ReplyDelete