Bishop by A.E. Via Blog Tour

At only thirty-two, Bishop Stockley has lived a hard-knock life. His gang was his family, the streets his home. Until the crew he’d always called his brothers betrayed him. After doing five years in a federal prison, Bishop is back at his dad’s trailer and working for his landscaping company, thrust into a legit world where he’s no longer the alpha—a world where a criminal record is the least of his disadvantages, because Bishop can’t read or write. Illiteracy had never been an obstacle for him on the streets, he didn’t need to know how to read Moby Dick to survive, he needed to know how to read people… and that was a hustle he’d learned hard and fast. Now, he had to change his life.

Bishop’s only support system was a young, inexperienced dad who’d insisted he call him Mike all their life—since they looked more like brothers than father and son. And his hot-tempered, childhood, best friend from ’juvie, Trent. Bishop already had the deck stacked against him, but he wasn’t afraid of hard work to change his situation, and he did want to change. Especially after he encountered Edison Scala, a kind-spirited office manager who didn’t hesitate to come to his defense… a man that saw past Bishop’s grass-stained coveralls. A man who wasn’t intimidated by his stern features and his silence.

Edison hadn’t grown up the way most of his peers had. He’d been raised by a single father who’d owned an old-fashioned barber shop where Edison was taught how to not only shave with a straight razor, and shine shoes, but also how to treat others, to not judge, to be a gentleman, to be respectful and speak without profanity. But, the biggest lesson he’d learned, was to always be himself. His lack of friends and a social life wasn’t his fault. No matter how much weight he gained, no matter how many times his staff called him a square, Edison did not need to change.

Bishop knew Edison was off-limits. He’d made personal vows to himself when he was released from prison, ones that he never intended to break. But, when Edison asked him about providing landscaping services at his home, there was no way he could refuse. He hadn’t expected Edison to feed him, praise him, encourage him, and look at him the way he did—as if Bishop was somebody. Mike and Trent warned him not to mix business with pleasure and he didn’t intend to.

No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers Ends with a very, very HFN.
Warning: This book is a M/M contemporary romance, a hardened man’s struggle to find real love. There are no police chases or doors being kicked in, in this one. But, don’t worry. Bishop is still intense enough to keep you on the edge.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This quiet story about the unlikely connection between two very ordinary men is quite a departure from other things I’ve read by A.E. Via. Instead of cops, investigators, or security experts, Bishop is a landscape gardener and Edison is a paralegal. This story doesn’t have the humour or the explosive action I’ve come to expect from the author, but Bishop and Edison’s story is still full of good guys, bad guys, and over-the-top emotional drama.

Readers who love angst and intense emotions in their romance will love this story. An illiterate ex-con, Bishop is slowly rebuilding his life. His confidence is low and he struggles to believe in himself. He can’t quite believe that the handsome, smartly dressed Edison could ever really want him. Similarly, Edison has always struggled with his weight and with his peers finding him slightly strange. He can’t believe that the handsome, talented landscaper might genuinely fancy him. Somehow, these two fumble their way into an incredibly awkward courtship. These guys are sweet and loveable – but they’ve got serious issues.

Parts of this story are really beautiful, but it is let down slightly by the over-the-top bad guy who dominates the book by the end. I think further exploration of Bishop’s relationships and his struggles with literacy would have felt more real than the conflated bad guy conflict at the end. The book is at its best when it feels personal and raw.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I am a huge fan of this author, and I was excited to read this one. The blurb grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to dive in. For me, this book started slow and never really picked up speed. It wasn't the normal story we normally see from this author, which is fine, it just missed the mark for me personally. Bishop and Edison made a good couple, but I didn't feel the deep connection that I wanted to feel. I hated how Bishop didn't tell Edison about his "secret." It would have been something they could have talked about and then moved on from but nope, not how it happened. The drama with Skylar could have been left out, he was useless and just a jerk. I did like Mike and how he was trying to make up for not being a good father to Bishop. Overall, this was an okay book, it just wasn't for me but I am sure those who love the hurt-comfort trope will love it.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date!

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bishop (True Lover’s Stories #1) by A.E. Via to read and review for this tour.