Broken Protocol

Smoke & Bullets #2

by A.R. Barley

Dante Green’s a police officer with a solid career—a career that for the past ten years has kept him far away from the one temptation he won’t let himself give in his younger foster brother. But when he bumps into the now-out-and-proud firefighter at Smoke & Bullets, he finds himself wrestling with fantasies and desires he thought were long behind him.

Luke Parsons fell in lust with Dante when he was thirteen years old, but he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a New York City firefighter, and he’s done chasing after things he can’t have. Until he and Dante witness a hate crime, and it becomes clear that Dante might not be as straight as Luke always thought.

With Luke to introduce him to the local gay scene, Dante dives into an unsanctioned investigation as the attraction between them grows.Unfortunately, Luke is completely and totally off-limits. Dating him would be a betrayal of their foster father’s trust. But Luke isn’t about to let anything get in the way of their happily-ever-after—even Dante’s fear of commitment.

This book is approximately 60,000 words

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Firefighters, Queer, LGBT, Bisexual

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2018

Reviews

[Ele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say here. I liked the writing much better than in the first book, but the story itself didn't hold my attention.

I love the foster brothers trope and I loved Dante's possessiveness and jealousy when it came to Luke. But I never understood why he thought his attraction to him as a "sin". Was it religious or was it because he considered him a brother?

Unlike the previous book, there wasn't much UST here IMO. Dante's change of heart came completely out of nowhere.

But the mystery was still a winner, the sexy times, albeit muted and sparse, were very emotional and intense, and the ending left a smile on my face.

[Makhda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Omg, I loved this one! I can't believe it. I don't really like the previous book because of the confusing writing style. I have a hard time determining whose POV's I'm in. So weird... But I don't get the same difficulty with this one. I already thought I don't want to read this but thank goodness I just go with it. Because I love the blurb. I have a thing with stepbrothers romance, long-time crush, and first love. Come on, you can't blame me. As much as I love dark stuff, I love sugary stuff too. Dante and Luke are so good with each other. So much feels. Love it! <3

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

I jumped on this book as soon as I read the title. I love men in uniform, and when you add the foster brother factor, Broken Protocol sounded like the perfect book.

I have to admit, after reading the first few chapters, I was becoming concerned. The story hadn’t sucked me in. In fact, I kept getting Dante and Luke mixed up and I was a little bored. I kept putting it down, walking away, and picking it back up, determined to finish because I’d committed. I’m very glad I pushed through because, soon, the action picked up. I stopped getting the men confused and I got completely caught up in the book.

Dante was difficult to get attached to, but as I continued to read, I began to understand what was going on in his heart and mind. I felt so sorry for him. He was on the streets at 12 until he was taken in by Charlie Parsons, his foster father. The feelings he developed for Luke haunted him and affected every decision he made since he left home and joined the force. Luke was a little easier to like, but as the story moved on, I started to see past his easygoing nature and realize he is just as tortured by his feelings for Dante as Dante is for him.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.

[Cee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

. • ✰ ✰ • . ✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • .✰
☆ ҉☆Family, a bond stronger than☆ ҉☆
☆ ҉☆blood and deeper than bone.☆ ҉ ☆
. • ✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • .✰ ✰ • . ✰ ✰ • .✰

I was waiting on this book. Had it on my list as soon as I finished book one On Duty. A.R. Barley used slow burn to keep the reader hanging on, and it was done with a good tale that had me fighting sleep in order to finish it.

In the city that does not sleep, a possible serial mugger was targeting men after they left the club.

After more than ten years of avoidance, Luke, a NY firefighter, welcomed his forever absent foster brother back into his life. Dante, a cop, wanted nothing to do with Luke. He had been using his job as an undercover cop to prevent the feelings that arose whenever the two got together.

Now there was no avoiding, as Luke was determined to solve a case that had been haunting him, now that two other man had been attacked. Plus, with Dante back in his life, there was no way he was letting the man go again. With feelings so close to the surface, Luke wanted it all. However, Dante only wanted to escape to prevent the backlash from Luke's father, his foster father and others who certainly would not approve of the two of them getting together. But getting to the bottom of the case was number one priority, especially when Luke kept putting himself out there to solve it.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author through Netgalley.

[Sali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it.
It was fun and beautiful. Not taboo at all.
Just, at 80%, the conflict was weird and the outcome out of place. Luke was acting like a child with an ego.

[Emalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken Protocol is the second book in the Smoke & Bullets series and the first book by A.R. Barley that I've read. Probably won't be the last though.

This year might become the year of slowburners for me and I love it. Dante's and Luke's relationship sure started out slow, even though they both had the hots for each other for years. I liked how their relationship was portrayed and they opened up with their secrets, but one thing I don't understand. Might be kinda spoilerish, but I don't understand how Luke never saw the scars that Dante has. They lived together under one roof for years, how come he only finds out about them years later?

Another thing related to Dante's past and scars is that while it was explained, it felt a bit incomplete, like there was a piece missing in the way Dante told about his past. Might just be me, but that's how I felt about that.

Then I also had one issue with Luke, the fact that he hid the whole thing why he was so behind catching the culprit. I didn't understand why he had to hide that thing.

Apart from those points I liked Dante and Luke individually and as a couple. Dante's grumpyness and Luke's more cheerful character worked together.

I pretty quickly knew who the culprit was, but it was still fun seeing how Dante and Luke tried to figure it out.

Even though till this point I mentioned almost only negative points, I really liked this book. I'm just better with writing about bad stuff than good stuff. I personally like reviews more that point out bad things, so I can decide if this is also a dealbreaker for me or not instead of wasting time and reading half a book to find out that it does have stuff in it that I don't like. You know what I mean?

Anyway, I really liked this book and will catch up with the first book. Also I hope that there will be a third book, though I don't really have any idea about whom that could be, maybe Dante's partner?

Rating: 4 stars

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love overcomes obstacles

This is the second book in this series, after reading book 3 and really enjoying it, I thought I'd take a look at another. I really felt for both Luke and Dante throughout the story both having hidden their real feelings for the other for so long, believing the other didn't feel the same way. Dante got a bit more of my empathy due to his belief he wasn't good enough. Once again there is a crime that needs solving, can Luke and Dante solve the crime and learn to believe in the other.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up close, Dante and Luke both had the love and nurturing of an amazing father.  What they also had was an incredible amount of affection and desire for one another.  As the elder foster brother, Dante did what all self-respecting older brothers do...he ran.  He ran from his inappropriate attraction to his younger brother and dove so deep into his police work that he couldn't find his way out.  When his mind and body had finally had enough he found a place to settle and still went about avoiding Luke.  Feeling abandoned and spurned, Luke dove into creating his own life.  One mugging brought them back into each other's lives and as they try to investigate the case on their own time, something much bigger, much deeper builds between them until Dante can't, won't run and Luke will do almost anything to keep him.

I'm not a fan of encouraging jealousy or throwing your life in someone's face just because you're hurt by their reaction.  In this case both of these acts were used to encourage Dante's response and it worked, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.  I felt that Luke was immature and spiteful.  Rather than showing his emotional cards he hid behind gratuitous flirting with the specific aim of rubbing Dante's face in it quite spectacularly on multiple occasions.  It showed that he was willing to use others toward that aim as well and didn't speak well for his base character.  Sure, he could have genuinely been interested in those men without Dante in the picture, but the way he went about it all was grating and disappointing.  For all the times he claimed he wasn't a kid anymore he sure showed the maturity of one.  Not being seen as a kid is more than just having the appearance of a grownup and some life experience under the belt.

That being said, while this happened two, almost three times in the story, we get enough of Luke on the job and in reminiscences that we see much more clearly who he really is.  If all we had to go on was the various club and bar scenes I would have been immensely frustrated and disappointed.  Instead, we see a brilliant mind, a lot of focus, determination, and selflessness, a huge amount of frustration and desire for Dante, confusion, tenderness, and understanding...a well-rounded person that could absolutely be the ideal partner for Dante.

Dante is a little easier to understand and like right from the start.  While he's dark and broody and intense, he also tries his best and comes from an incredibly difficult upbringing.  His past doesn't come to light until near the end when he finally feels that he's willing to risk everything he's tentatively built with Luke and it's agonizing.  I believed his turmoil all through the story and when I learned the basis for it all I was a little shocked and a lot heartsick.  Only with Luke has he ever been completely bare and, thankfully, Luke was the perfect person to lay it all out in front of.

Dante's back and forth up to this point is definitely a bit frustrating, but the roadblocks he sees are realistic and valid.  Their connection isn't one that most people understand and their relationship is absolutely a cause for concern in most situations.  These men belong together, however, and it takes a lot of courage for them to admit and embrace what they truly mean to one another.  By the time they get together I actually believe that they can overcome their societal obstacles because of the background we get and the groundwork laid as they get reacquainted.  With the added drama from the mugger, we get an intense situation that both pushes them closer as well as adds another layer to their difficult coming together.

The drama was always in the background because it was the initial force that brought them back into one another's lives but also because it was the investigation that was, in part, driving the plot forward.  Maybe because the case needed to be handled in Dante and Finn's off time it changed the way he investigated it, but it felt like it was always there but never really thought through.  One evening of going over files to make the connections between incidents to link them, one night of clubbing for the sake of interviewing (which is a whole other thing because we really just end up getting tiny snippets of interviews from Luke's various hookups and more than a little internal commentary on their tattoos and sexual encounters...), and one interview with Ryan from the couple that started Dante's involvement in the beginning.  Including a few mentions of something that should be clicking but isn't and details that he should be focusing on and yet doesn't, the case that seems so important is also not given enough focus to actually matter.  Only when Luke gets huffy and goes out on his own do things become clear and also quite dangerous.  I can't say the end confrontation wasn't intense, fitting for the story, and worth the emotional confessions, but everything leading up to it seemed to lack the attention it deserved.

Despite my complaints of immaturity and lack of attention given to the investigation driving the relationship closer and the story forward, I liked the book.  Dante was dark and troubled and needed the lightness that Luke brought to the table.  Luke was young-feeling and intelligent and needed the grounding and devotion Dante offered.  They're both committed to their jobs and one another.  Dante's short, direct confession was perfect for him and for the couple.  The overall story was interesting and drew me in so that I actually want more from the Smoke and Bullets series that will come.

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
Family...brothers. Two words that should keep these two men apart. They basically grew up together, becoming foster brothers when Luke was nine and Dante was fourteen, but somewhere along the way an attraction developed. As a result, Dante has stayed away. For ten years, he's done every job that would keep him away from his foster brother, away from temptation.

But now Dante is back and the two of them end up working together on a case...even though Luke is a firefighter and not a detective like Dante. Luke was raised in a family of cops...he has excellent instincts, which is how he realized that there is a serial mugger attacking gay couples as they leave clubs. And it's becoming harder and harder for both men to continue to hide their attraction.

This was a good book...and don't worry, it's not written like a taboo book. While Dante sees it as an issue, his main problem is that his foster father taught him to protect Luke at all costs. Dante sees himself as not good enough for Luke, so he feels like he's failing in his job to take care of Luke. For Luke, he's tired of being taken care of. He's fighting so that Dante sees him as the man he's become, tough and capable as a man, not the teenager that Dante once knew.

The thing that's great about this romance is that despite their separation of the last ten years, these guys have a close relationship like best friends that know everything would. So there's no need for a relationship build-up between them. They already know the in's and out's of each other's characters and know that they truly like the other person. (That's one of those things that makes friends to lovers stories so strong...and this book had that same element.)

I'll admit, I've never been drawn to the stepbrother trope that's been popular the last couple of years. While this book isn't exactly that, it's close enough to count. But this one definitely worked for me. I liked it...a lot. I thought the story lines for the guys were well-done and honest. I loved the background for each of them. I just truly liked everything about this one. Even the suspense line playing in the background held some surprises and twists that I didn't see coming. Well done to the author. I can't wait for more from the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Protocol is the second book in the Smoke & Bullets series by A. R. Barley but you don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this one. Characters from book one, On Duty, make brief appearances but you won't be lost if you haven't read it first.

NYC Detective Dante Green and NYC Firefighter Luke Parsons were foster brothers 10 years ago. Luke had a crush on Dante when he was young but didn't know that Dante shared his feelings; he's always thought that Dante is straight. Dante has kept himself far away from Luke over the past 10 years to avoid temptation; he's sure that his foster father wouldn't be happy if he learned that he's been lusting after Luke.

I really liked this story a lot. It's not told in a taboo relationship way (I usually hate those kinds of stories). There is no blood relationship between Dante and Luke and they were teens when Dante came to live with Luke's family.

Dante hates that he can't seem to control his feelings when he runs into Luke at the Smoke & Bullets bar. When he and Luke start working together, off the books, to try and find out who is targeting gay men, he finally has to admit defeat when he realizes that Luke also has feelings for him.

This was a very compelling story and I couldn't put it down. My feelings were fully engaged while reading this and the mystery surrounding the gay basher and the secret that Luke has been keeping from Dante had me on the edge of my seat in places.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Shift's End, which the publish says will be out later in 2018.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Great story framework. Good individual character development. Not much current day relationship development and emotional interaction. It was portrayed in flashbacks for both MCs. The sex was just lukewarm and not steamy. The story line and writing style was non communication/non disclosure with big reveals. Dante's sexuality, Dante's childhood and sexual abuse, Luke's parentage, Luke's mugging, and Dante and Luke's relationship. This information was dropped suddenly and the characters and story line just continued on without much reaction. There was a lot of missed opportunities for relationship development with the MCs and their family, friends, and coworkers.

Dante's ten year separation from Charlie's family was extreme. The severity of the muggings was hyped up. Lovely ending.

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read in this series. Dante and Luke grew up together as foster brothers, which makes the strong attraction and desire they feel for each other confusing and wrong, right? In working out whether they can have any kind of relationship, there's internal dialogue and debate, and again, happily, the angst level stays low. There's also someone out there preying on young gay men or couples. Luke was one of the first victims and after meeting a later couple of victims, decides to get Dante involved, without sharing everything. Again, the pace, the plot, and the characters were interesting and kept the story moving. After I finish this series, I can tell I'll be looking for more by this author.

[Wellington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dante and Liam are foster brother's and have had a thing for each other since high school. Dante stayed away from his foster family because he thought it was a betrayal. When they both get involved in investigating a possible hate crime, they must confront their feelings for each other.

The interaction between and inner world of both characters is compelling and believable. The writing is conversational and the pacing is decent in terms of the story unreeling at a steady pace with good twists.

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author’s books are a complete waste of time and a complete waste of money!! Pure sloppy lazy incompetent garbage!!


This author is such a horrible, ignorant, incompetent, sloppy, careless author and “writer”!! She’ll be doing everybody a favour if she’s not writing anymore because she is a horrible addition to the MM genre, in fact with her insanely horrible (and amateur) writing, she’s an insult to the MM genre and to authors everywhere!!

[Sandy N · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started with a slow pace but became more and more interesting as I was reading it. Good characters, Hot scenes. I was just a bit disturbed by them being foster brothers. But overall Good book. This was my first book from A. R. Barley and I will definitely checked out the other books.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review that is all my own.

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!! Broken Protocol is the second book in the Smoke & Bullets series by A.R. Barley. Luke and Dante were engaging, and their interaction was dynamite. I enjoyed the story and the characters immensely and look forward to reading more by this author

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, entertaining read. Recommend this book and the series.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is that I want a book for Finn.

[Louan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much to say other than I really liked it.

[Vonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Actually a 4.5-rating**

Well, maybe it was something special about walking into a great new m/m Author that made the first book a bonafide 5-star no matter what, but this one - even though I liked the premise - it really just felt awkward and off to me.

Foster brothers who spent some time growing up together are now willing to advance into a relationship - one a police detective, Dante [older, white, miss-matched eyes] and the other, Luke [26, younger, bi-racial] we met in the first book as a bisexual firefighter who was the co-worker of Troy.

Maybe it was the storytelling switched over to more of the police procedural as we began to investigate random hate crimes happening outside of some popular gay nightclubs.

I think I wanted it to focus, again, on the Firehouse a lot more and then weave slowly with the Detective work.

Instead we began with Dante and his new gay partner, Finn...and how Dante has been playing straight for years while still wanting Luke. Luke, being younger, simply kept his affections hidden but couldn't help letting them out when Dante re-entered his life again.

I think it was that they never really felt like awesome Bros; we never had flashbacks to their childhood together, just told from one of their POV's of what went on.

I think if we had seen some interaction and certain scenes and not told,/b> half of their background we could've felt a bit more comfortable.

Instead, when they meet each other again at the local Cop & Fireman bar, Smoke & Bullets, it almost feels like weird strangers.

As foster brothers growing up in the same house, Dante still managed to keep Luke at arm's length, so there was an awkward closeness that was basically one-sided.

Dante made everything dealing with Luke as if it was an avoidance rather than something he wanted to openly deal with, but he got obsessively jealous way-too often because Luke, being Bi, was flirty with a lot of people...but oddly, mostly flirty toward men.

Still despite all the weird awkward moments and foster Bros feeling like perfect strangers, it managed to be a good story told and a nice romance between two blue-collar men.

Oh, Luke does want to stop being a firefighter and work as an Arson Investigator so he's gone back to schooling, because he needs some Math and Science courses.

I wish we could've seen more of that interaction, as well; he seems to really and truly enjoy "investigations" so it would've been nice to see him in some actual physical classes at college.

[UnusualChild{beppy} · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Synopsis: Dante is a police officer who does a lot of undercover work. He does it on purpose, so he can stay away from his foster brother, Luke. Because Dante has feelings for Luke that aren't brotherly at all. But his latest assignment is over, and Dante is back on his regular duties, which means that he runs in to Luke at the local cop/firefighter hangout.
Luke has had a crush on Dante ever since he can remember, but thinks that Dante is straight. Then Luke and Dante stop a hate crime in progress. Hearing the details that the victim provides, Luke is thrown back to his own mugging that he has never mentioned to anyone. Convinced that there is a connection to the uptick in recent mugging/bashing crimes, Luke asks Dante to take a closer look.
Dante starts an off the books investigation at Luke's urging, and in doing so, becomes closer to Luke and the attraction that he is trying so hard to fight.

What I liked: how natural Dante and Luke were together, even though they hadn't seen each other in several years, and hadn't really even talked. I liked that Luke's father was realistic about both his boys. Dante quickly realizes that he wants Luke in his life forever, even if others will think it wrong. Luke is determined to solve the case, and to have Dante, and won't let either go without a fight.

What I didn't like: the mystery felt a little flat to me, with very few clues about what exactly could have been going on. It also took me a little while to get in to the story, although once I got sucked in, it was full speed ahead.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked On Duty, the first book in A.R. Barley's Smoke & Bullets series so I was anxious to read Broken Protocol. I wasn't disappointed, because in some ways I liked this one even better. So... don't let the family connection in Broken Protocol scare you off.

I loved Dante and Luke, even though on the surface they were very different. They were both attracted to each other, but they weren't aware of how the other felt. Even if Dante would have known about the mutual attraction, it wouldn't have made a difference because of the loyalty he felt toward his foster father. Luke was his to protect, not to lust over. Now that Luke's a grown man, things should be different, but Dante still has a hard time getting past that invisible barrier. Luke doesn't have the same issues...

There were a couple twists and turns and some danger thrown into the mix, but the attraction - and denial of attraction - between Dante and Luke were front and center. Dante may have been the 'big brother' but Luke definitely knew what was best for both of them.

I'm not sure what A.R. Barley has in store for readers next with the Smoke & Bullets series, but I can't wait. 

I received Broken Protocol in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Harlequin Books]

"Broken Protocol is a classic crowd pleaser of a romance. As the second standalone in Barley’s Smoke & Bullets series, its characters and plot are more intense than the first. Featuring two foster brothers who grew up together, Broken Protocol hits all of the right notes of fierce fraternal feelings mixed with a romantic slow burn and a dash of taboo. The characters’ backstories are complex, unfolding perfectly on the page, and the romance interweaves with the central mystery in a gripping read. Broken Protocol stands well on its own within a series that continues to satisfy" (4 stars @ RT Book Reviews).

Miniseries: Smoke & Bullets

[Blackmermaid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one did not pull me in like On Duty (the previous one in this series). I was so excited to read Luke and Dante's story after learning a little bit about them, but unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me. It wasn't the fact that they were foster brothers (honestly, that didn't bother me in the least!). I can't really pinpointed what didn't work for me. I will probably read the next one, but I hope it will be as good as On Duty.

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone, This was a pretty good read I just loved both Dante and Luke they were foster brothers and grew up together but they felt more than just brotherly love for each other so when he was able Dante left he has been gone for ten years but now he's back will these two still hide from their feeling for each other or will they finally give in?This was a really good read and help my interest all the way through

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Cindy

Dante Green is a good man who’s doing his best to make the world a better place. His life didn’t start out so great but an unexpected foster family made all the difference. That’s why he can’t let his feelings for his foster-brother get out of hand.

Luke is tired of hiding how he feels and can’t help how he pokes at his “brother” Dante,
trying to get some sort of reaction out of him. Being ignored is getting old, and it hurts a lot too.

I loved both of these men. They are decent human beings who are constantly putting other’s first and it makes them both endearing. Watching them circle around each other is a lot of fun and makes their eventual coming together all the more explosive.

Oh and the sex is hot as hell. I enjoyed every single minute of it.

This is a new to me author and I haven’t read the first book in this series but this story has me very interested in seeing what it has to offer. Troy and Alex are good friends to Luke and I’m interested to find out how they got together.

We see a bit of Dante’s partner Finn and that’s about all for side characters and that’s okay because this story really is driven by the main players.

My only issue with this story is Dante’s about-face when it comes to Luke. I felt like it needed a little more catalyst for him to overcome his self-indoctrination that he spent half his life on. The abrupt u-turn left me feeling a little cold.

Other than that, this story is a great read and I have no qualms recommending it to everyone who likes heroes who need a little saving themselves.

This book was provided for free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[T.A. McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy from NetGalley

I really enjoyed this story. It wasn't really the taboo story I was expecting but that wasn't a problem. I liked reading about the two 'brothers' coming back together after being apart so long and finding out what kept them apart.

I felt it was well written and the story dragged me in and I couldn't stop reading until it was finished. Great story!