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MY TOP 10 READS OF 2020
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REVIEW: Promises: The Next Generation by A.E. Via
The Bounty Hunters: Promises: The Next Generation – A.E. Via
Duke Webb has run the most successful bail recovery agency in Atlanta for over twenty years. That’s because he has a team of trained, competent hunters backing him up to keep his name feared on the streets. But Duke knows that nothing can go on forever. His hunters are in committed relationships and ready to settle down, and so is he. That’s what leads him to start his new training program.
“That’s the new vision for Dukes. Veterans operating and tracking behind the scenes with a new powerhouse apprehension team on the streets.”
Brian and Quick are the first to offer up two new recruits.
Kellam Knight has studied martial arts under his sensei, Quick, since he was eight years old. A tossed-out reject from high-society, Kell has a problem fighting on the right side of the law. If he sees an injustice, he has to correct it. He doesn’t have to run and cower from his enemies anymore, he’s a fighter who can protect himself and others. When Quick offers Kell the opportunity to join Duke’s training program, he’s all in. Except he’s not prepared for the straight, over-confident, extremely disciplined, sexy man Brian has recruited to be his partner.
Tyrell Jenkins’ world was flipped upside down when his father never returned home from his last deployment. He’d been Ty’s teacher, mentor, his guide to living a righteous life as a good man. His father didn’t raise him to be like every other young, stereotypical male in Atlanta. Instead, he’s been taught to be respectful, to speak the language of real men. When Brian King – his father’s most trusted comrade – finally comes to him with the truth, he doesn’t come alone. He comes with trained men hidden in the shadows… and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a brotherhood unlike any other.
This installment is a part of a series and contains previously mentioned characters, but CAN standalone. Each book centers around a new couple.
This book ends in a HEA. NO cliffhanger.
I dropped everything for this book. Tyrell Jenkins nearly made me drop it all together.
At first, I thought, maybe it’s just me. Maybe I was not getting it. Then when I read the other reviews, I knew I wasn’t alone. It was indeed Tyrell who ruined the whole thing. This review echos many of the observations pointed out by other reviewers on Goodreads.
First, the the whole thing read like a YA book. All along I thought Kell and Ty were in their early twenties. Turned out they were pushing thirties. This is okay. I think Ms. Via was going for that pure, virginal vibe that was one of the major themes of the story.
Unfortunately, the book also read like MF. I remember when I first started out with MM, I was wary that the stories were just gendered-switched MF stories. Well, the fifth installment of Promises did exactly that. I couldn’t believe Kell went from a fiery, hot-tempered martial arts master to what other reviewers say “50s housewife/hijabi woman” complete with his own version of a burka.
I thought it was such a waste of character. I liked Kell a lot. The author built him up as a modern day mo fo badass ninja and I actually liked his outfit. Heck, I would like to wear a hood+beanie+scarf combo that hides half the face myself. It’s what the cool characters wear in anime. Unfortunately, there was this whole schtick about wanting to hide the hair because it oh so fabulous that people won’t take him seriously. I understand this is a nod to the Muslim side of Ty’s family but it was further cementing Kell’s status as a woman-substitute.
Now to Tyrell. The man was raised by a Muslim father who instilled in him moral lessons that were quite frankly double standard. Ty is in search of a woman that would pass his stringent criteria to become his Queen. Criteria that backward, chauvinistic males like to impose on women. Like being a virgin in one’s wedding day, exposing oneself only to one’s husband and so on. He expects his woman to keep herself covered while he struts around in designer clothes.
Tyrell likes to slut-shame many of the women he comes across in his daily life. He is also very critical of the poor people in his neighborhood. He goes on and on how he is better than everyone else which was funny because he had no real job apart from delivering packages with suspicious contents. He justifies that he doesn’t know what’s inside so his conscience is clear. He also goes on and on about respect but disrespects his boss and co-workers when he became part of Duke’s bounty hunters.
I appreciate arrogant, uber-confident alphas but Tyrell had none of their charm. I wished Kell had a different love interest.
On the plus side, all the other bounty hunters were there. They were the reason I hung on. Yay for Brian’s many appearances! Too bad Sway didn’t make it on page.
I’m not giving up on this series. I love these bounty hunters too much. I’m hoping this is a fluke and the next one’s better.
P.S.
The Bounty Hunters: Promises books here.
A.E. Via books here.Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn bookSoundtrack: This Magic Stuff
Artist: Nina Hynes
Album: Creation -
REVIEW: Promises Part 4 by A.E. Via
The Bounty Hunters: Promises Part 4 – A.E. Via
Men found him attractive, interesting even.He was like a fascinating experiment gone wrong that men liked to investigate.He’d get a date – or two, if he was lucky – but it wasn’t long before Brian’s darkness showed, and the men were running from him.
Brian King was honorably discharged from the United States Navy five years ago. He’d left with the highest honors a man can receive in his country, but he’d paid the ultimate price to earn them. He was considered one of the best; an Intelligence Officer in a Joint Special Operations Delta team that’d been a twelve-man wrecking crew. They’d thought they were invincible… until they weren’t. Brian was the only member that survived the ambush. He survived ten months of pain, of torture, only to emerge on the other side a warrior. A POW survivor. He’d returned home with all his limbs, his right mind, and with his only brother Ford, at his side. But, one thing had been lost, maybe for good… his voice.
Now, being a bounty hunter is Brian’s only means to satisfy his need to calculate, track, and capture. His only outlet to the stress caused by his silence. He was good at what he did. But, all work and no play for a forty-four year old man was taking its toll. Brian wasn’t a faulty experiment. He missed companionship, he missed communicating. So, when he met Sway Hamilton – in the most unconventional means – he’d been surprised at his special way of understanding Brian’s every look… and touch.
Sway grew up in the rough part of ATL, trailing behind his twin brother Stanton and his best friend, Dana. He and his brother had a bond only twins could understand. So when Stanton’s life was taken during their sophomore year in college, Sway didn’t think he’d ever recover. He finally finished school, got his masters in nursing, worked hard, and focused on taking care of his mother. However, Sway knew there was more to life than heartache, and caring for others. There had to be. But he didn’t know what any of those things were until he met a dark hunter that blew his mind… and the intense man had never uttered a single word.
Brian and Sway can feel the powerful connection between them. It was there from the start—but both of them have battled with loss and anguish for so long, neither understand that love can ease all of it. Do they have the courage to battle through it together? Sway has to learn to trust in love, and Brian has to believe that Sway will always understand him even if he never speaks again.
Sway held him tight around his neck, “I don’t need you to talk Brian. I can hear you just fine,” Sway whispered softly, kissing his throat.
This novel is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone.No cliffhangers.
Trigger Warning: This story contains acts of bond recovery agent violence. Mention of war zones and descriptions of war prisoners. This story DOES NOT contain overly-described acts of torture.
I knew it!!!
This is the best book!!!
Ms V outdid herself and pulled off everything to perfection!
I know she loves all her boys but I could tell she had a special fondness for Brian and Sway. I loved the way she brought the two men together. I loved the way their instant hookup blossomed into a deeper, more beautiful connection. I loved the way they fit together perfectly. They’re two of her best characters.
Brian’s loneliness was palpable. My heart went out to him. He has mutism as a result of his PTSD. I was super impressed with the way this was handled in the story. There were no magic dicks, miracle cures or cheesy resolutions. It was a heart-wrenching struggle that exploded in a heart-stopping climax that ended in a very satisfying resolution. This part alone made the book 5-stars for me.
Sway was a joy! He’s not only a healer but a fighter. Squirt was hesitant to take things further at first but when he realized Brian was a keeper, he firmly stood by him through panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares. Loved his sass too!
The story was big on communication. The two had their doubts and insecurities. I loved that they took time to talk and listen. They were goals!
The story was also about brothers, dead and alive. The close relationship between Brian and Ford was one of the things that drew me to the King brothers. There’s Dana who has sworn to look after Sway after the latter’s twin died. He really loves to play the annoying, protective big brother. There’s also the brotherhood between the bounty hunters and memories of fellow soldiers long dead. This theme ran throughout the series. Here, they all came together so well.
The author’s books always had one liners that made me chuckle but this one had many genuine laugh out loud scenarios. The two ladies in Sway’s life, his mom and her nurse, were a riot! Brian’s fellow bounty hunter and Ford’s boyfriend, Dana, rhapsodizing about the trick of using boxed meals as gourmet dishes was freakin’ hilarious!
Most of all, in this trying times of panic and fear, Promises Part 4 succeeded in making me smile and giving me pleasant things to think about the next day at work. This book will always be special to me.
P.S.
(♡ˆ ω ˆ)っ♡♡♡♡ Sway seeing Brian in his dress uniform for the first time!!!!
The Bounty Hunters review here
A.E. Via books here.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Say Hello To Angels
Artist: Interpol
Album: Turn On The Bright Lights -
REVIEW: Promises Part 3 by A.E. Via
The Bounty Hunters: Promises Part 3 – A.E. Via
A bounty hunter’s partners to lovers’ story.
The hunt is on… and he’s the prey.Bradford (Ford) King was sure he had the rest of his life mapped out. Though he was no longer a SEAL Lieutenant, his brother was home safe and he had a job that still allowed him to satisfy his hunger for hunting bad guys. Life was simple, no distractions or complications – at age forty-six – that’s all Ford wanted. What he didn’t want was his work partner, sniper/watchman, Dana, giving him s**t all the time.
Dana Cadby had grown up labeled a roughneck from the wrong side of the tracks. He’d fought, scrounged, and survived despite a father that constantly told him he couldn’t. Dana pulled himself up by his own boot straps and made a name for himself in the marksman community. He’d been Duke’s bounty watchman for five years. It was his job to ensure their safety, watch their backs. At thirty-three, he was trusted, well respected by his peers, his bosses, his friends… so why couldn’t he earn the same respect from his partner?
Dana knew he was bisexual before he graduated high school. He also knew he was attracted to the huge, 6’3”, SEAL from the moment he and his brother came to join their team. It wasn’t easy for him to tamp down his immediate reaction to Ford’s thick muscles, full beard, and dark eyes. Still, Dana exhibited nothing but professionalism towards him, not wanting to make his ‘straight’ partner uncomfortable. So why did Ford constantly give him hell?
After Dana took back his ex-girlfriend, he’d noticed an intensification in Ford’s bad attitude. One that turned aggressive and downright antagonistic, and Dana was damned if he’d just lay down and take it. He was gonna make that man respect him if it was the last thing he did.
When Duke sends Dana and Ford out to track down their most dangerous bounty yet, they both embrace the fact that they make one hell of a team… but they fight tooth and nail against the powerful intimacy brewing between them.
Beware: If Ford and Dana connect completely, god help the fugitive who’s in the sights of the hunter and his watchman.
This story is a part of a series but can stand alone. It does not end on a cliffhanger and has a HEA.
They were a couple of idiots but at least their story was better than Quick and Cayson’s.
Idiot #1 is Ford. A stubborn fool who refused to acknowledge his feelings for his partner.
Idiot #2 is Dana. Who needs to grow a pair and dump his snobby user of a girlfriend.
The on-again-off-again girlfriend was annoying as fuck but I wasn’t annoyed with Ford and Dana. They were actually kind of amusing in the way dumb asses are amusing. Ford made a big deal about the age difference between them but he was as immature as the younger guy.
Yep, they deserve each other.
We get the usual ratio of 90% relationship woes/romance stuff, 10 % action/suspense. At this point, I already know what to expect so no sense complaining about the lack of bounty hunting procedural and other case-related scenes.
We also get the usual not-so-deep plot and character development but despite all this, the author is especially adept at making you care for her characters. Sure, I roll my eyes at the OTT-ness of it all but at the end of the day, I really, really want her alphas to get their HEAs. Even the idiots.
The next book is the one I’m most excited to read about. Based on the teasers, Brian’s book is going to be the best. I just know it!
P.S.
The best way to get to know these tough guys is to read The Bounty Hunters books in order.
Promises Part 1 review here
Promises Part 2 review here
A.E. Via books hereRating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: I Wanna Be Yours
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Album: AM -
REVIEW: Promises Part 2 by A.E. Via
The Bounty Hunters: Promises Part 2 by A.E. Via
Roman “Quick” Webb is one badass bounty hunter on the crime-filled streets of Atlanta. He’s fearless when it comes to carrying out his dangerous job alongside his longtime best friend and business partner, Duke. However, there is one thing that has begun to cause Quick concern and it’s the dreadful thought of living out the rest of his life alone. Seeing his best friend and his son fall in love and sharing the special connection that only true soulmates can, has made him all the more aware of what’s lacking in his life.
Love.
Dr. Cayson Chauncey has been wildly attracted to the big, tattooed hunter for almost a year, ever since he performed the surgery that saved Quick’s best friend’s life. Cayson must’ve mistaken Quick’s gratitude for something more, because the one time he tried to make his desires known, he was harshly rebuffed and left on the man’s doorstep feeling stupid for hitting on an obviously very straight man.
Cayson never dated a man who was willing to come out of hiding and be with him. Now at almost forty, Cayson is intent on no longer being anyone’s dirty secret. Having experienced countless disappointments, and having taken a stand not to fall for any more tricks, Cayson is more than a little skeptical when Quick comes around asking for a second chance to prove himself. The gorgeous man had already made it clear that he was not interested in Cayson… or so he’d thought.
Dr. Chauncey stirred up Quick’s suppressed, most carnal desires from a place deep down inside of him. He’d reacted so badly the first time that now his sexy surgeon wanted nothing to do with him. It was going to take a fair amount of patience and a whole lot of wooing involved as Quick sets out to convince Cayson that he’s worth another chance and that he is the brave lover who Cayson has been looking for.
With a scorned ex and a very dangerous job thrown into the mix, Cayson’s happiness and all of Quick’s promises may not be as easy to keep as they’d hoped.
Let’s make this quick.
Like many A.E. Via characters, I loved her bounty hunters, Duke, Bradford, Brian, Dana and of course, Quick. Dr. Chauncey was a sweet man who badly needed some love Quick was now willing to give.
However, I wasn’t very impressed with Quick’s neanderthal caveman attitude when it comes to dealing with Dr. Joe, Cayson’s psycho ex-friend-with-benefits. It was less protective alpha more juvenile, IMHO. Quick and Cayson’s courtship could have been enjoyable but it was overshadowed that bit.
A major highlight were the appearances from the notorious duo God and Day (Nothing Special). My favorite part here was the King brothers. I ended up slogging through this installment just to get to Brian’s book. I can’t wait to find out why he had PTSD so bad he couldn’t speak.
All in all, this didn’t really hold up. Skip if you can.
P.S.
Promises Part 1 review here
A.E. Via books hereRating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn bookSoundtrack: Doctor! Doctor!
Artist: Thompson Twins
Album: Into The Gap -
REVIEW TOUR: Promises Part 1 by A.E. Via (Giveaway)
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AUDIO REVIEW: Promises Part 1 by A.E. Via
The Bounty Hunters: Promises Part 1 – A.E. Via
Duke Morgan owns and operates one of the largest bail bond companies in Atlanta. Not only does he bond criminals out of jail, he and his notorious group of bounty hunters will also track them down and ensure they show up for court.
Roman ‘Quick’ Webb is Duke’s business partner and best friend. Both men are in their forties and have given up on the happily ever after with the ranch-style home, and white picket fence. They’d both tried it and failed miserably. But they have their friendship and they have the business.
When Quick’s son, Vaughan Webb returns – after seven years – from studying abroad with his law degree in hand, he’s back to claim what he’s always wanted…his fathers’ best friend… Duke Morgan. Vaughan has always claimed to be a classic gentleman with an old soul. He didn’t party and screw up in school like his buddies. He was focused and dedicated to becoming the man worthy of Duke’s love.
It’s a complex and messy situation as Duke and Quick figure out how to still be best friends when one of them is sleeping with his friend’s one and only son. But when Duke is hurt on the job, all the unimportant trivialities fall to the wayside and Vaughan and Quick put their heads together to save Duke.
Part I of the Promises story is about Duke and Vaughan. Part II will be about Quick and his realization that it’s not too late for any of them to find love.
You got to hand it to Vaughan. He really knew how to woo a man.
The lawyer fell in love with his father’s bestfriend, Duke when he was 16 and since then, he embarked on a single-minded pursuit of the bounty hunter. But before he can make his move, he had to grow up and make Duke see him as a man.
I love Vaughan’s determination and devotion! He literally gave a piece of himself to the one he loves just so they could be together. He’s my favorite character here.
Duke was this big bad bounty hunting boss. Is really a big, needy softie. Nothing against him. He’s alright, I suppose.
Quick is Duke’s bestfriend and Vaughan’s father. He has long since accepted his son’s crush and is very supportive of his son and his bestfriend’s romance. He has some potential romance of his own with a handsome doctor if only he admits the attraction to himself before it’s too late.
I loved the first parts. It was more dramatic especially when Duke was injured and he only had weeks or months to live unless he undergoes an operation. This is where Vaughan went above and beyond the usual love declarations and made a sacrifice without telling Duke. He swore the doctor and his father to secrecy knowing Duke would refuse if he knew.
There is little conflict between the characters, apart from initial reactions. I wouldn’t mind it if the story revolved around Duke’s job and his recovery. However, as with most of A.E. Via‘s works, it is very romance-centric. Which means a lot of cheesy lines and couple downtime that I usually skip to make the story go faster. The plot is thin and the latter part where Duke and his friends went after the man who injured him seemed like rushed attempt to wrap up a loose thread.
Aiden Snow, who narrated Via‘s Nothing Special series, also did the reading for The Bounty Hunters. He is one of the reasons I stuck with the author’s works. He voices alpha males to perfection. Nothing Special has a big cast and I had no problems distinguishing the voices of the characters. Same with The Bounty Hunters. The voices were very apt for each character and emoted well. I recommend getting The Bounty Hunters in audio because Snow is eargasm!
All in all, this is a book you go for if you want steamy, entertaining stories about alpha males getting in touch with their emotions. Suspension of disbelief may be necessary but the author certainly knew how to hook her readers because I’m eagerly awaiting Quick and Doc’s story.
P.S.
A.E. Via books here.
Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible for providing the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: For Your Love
Artist: Josh Record
Album: Pillars -
AUDIO BLITZ: Promises by A.E. Via (Giveaway)
