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Latakia Kindle Edition
by
JF Smith
(Author)
Format: Kindle Edition
| JF Smith (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
| Amazon Price | New from | Used from |
Matthew likes his life in Richmond. He has his friends and his softball and his volunteer work. And he has a very good-looking boyfriend, Brian, who he’s been happily dating for over a year now. So what if his friends tend to question just how good his boyfriend is, and so what if Brian tends to have inexplicable mood swings. And so what if Brian seems to invite Matt’s suspicions on occasion. If he just shows a little faith and trust, he’ll appreciate what he has with Brian the way he should. Right?
But suddenly, Matt finds himself in a desperate life-or-death situation on a trip overseas, and he realizes just how much he misses home, and Brian. He’s luckily rescued by a team of US Spec-Ops Forces, only to find out they’re a bunch of bigoted jerks. Worse, a quirk of his situation forces him to spend time with them that he’d rather not. And that’s when he finds out that first impressions can be misleading. When called upon, he steps up when every fiber of his being tells him not to, and discovers something deep inside himself that he didn’t realize was even there. And his life will never be the same. He finds that he can, after all, make some very overdue changes in his own life.
What Matt doesn’t realize is that the bond of brotherhood runs both ways. And he winds up changing the lives of several of the men on that Spec-Ops team as much as they changed his.
All it takes is faith and trust.
But suddenly, Matt finds himself in a desperate life-or-death situation on a trip overseas, and he realizes just how much he misses home, and Brian. He’s luckily rescued by a team of US Spec-Ops Forces, only to find out they’re a bunch of bigoted jerks. Worse, a quirk of his situation forces him to spend time with them that he’d rather not. And that’s when he finds out that first impressions can be misleading. When called upon, he steps up when every fiber of his being tells him not to, and discovers something deep inside himself that he didn’t realize was even there. And his life will never be the same. He finds that he can, after all, make some very overdue changes in his own life.
What Matt doesn’t realize is that the bond of brotherhood runs both ways. And he winds up changing the lives of several of the men on that Spec-Ops team as much as they changed his.
All it takes is faith and trust.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication date4 December 2011
- File size2101 KB
Product details
- ASIN : B006I2RN9U
- Language : English
- File size : 2101 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 315 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: 344,660 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 6,085 in Gay Romance eBooks
- 7,210 in Gay Fiction eBooks
- 8,043 in Gay Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
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Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
252 global ratings
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Top reviews
Top reviews from Australia
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Reviewed in Australia on 7 April 2021
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Where to begin? There are so many things about this book that I love. I like how it's not solely focused on the romantic aspect of the story but also guns-blazing action. That part where Mope shot at the people in the van with deadly accuracy while standing in the middle of the road was one of the best scenes. It was also sweet and totally romantic that made me sigh and go "aww" so many times. I think the moment that really made me cry was when Mope said to Matt "sorry I really can't dance but dear God, you make me want to". And after reading so many m/m romance, its refreshing to have implied sex rather than reading about it. This book is perfect in every way.
Helpful
Reviewed in Australia on 7 April 2016
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I came across this a while ago and for many reasons I held off reading it. It had good reviews but it had a weird name I didn't understand and I kind of thought it might be sci-fi and I'm not into that, the reviews also said it didn't have much sex which I would need if it was indeed a sci-fi book. So when I was clearing out my TBR pile I reread the blurb and gave it a go because there had to be a reason I never deleted it.
It was nothing like I thought. It was amazing. It wasn't sci-fi and Latakia is a place in Syria. There is a lot of sex in this book but it's just not described in detail and some is off page- I didn't care.
This book is a romance but it's also so much more. It's about finding parts of yourself you never thought you had. About learning to be brave and be yourself too. About taking life by the balls. It's about learning what real trust is and above all it's about friendship and loyalty. It does have its flaws but I don't care. The only thing that I really hated was that in the beginning even though we know that Matt and Brian's relationship isn't a good one there are a lot of instances where it is continually shoved in your face and Matt just looks like an idiot for putting up with him. I kind of wish it had been more subtle.
It was nothing like I thought. It was amazing. It wasn't sci-fi and Latakia is a place in Syria. There is a lot of sex in this book but it's just not described in detail and some is off page- I didn't care.
This book is a romance but it's also so much more. It's about finding parts of yourself you never thought you had. About learning to be brave and be yourself too. About taking life by the balls. It's about learning what real trust is and above all it's about friendship and loyalty. It does have its flaws but I don't care. The only thing that I really hated was that in the beginning even though we know that Matt and Brian's relationship isn't a good one there are a lot of instances where it is continually shoved in your face and Matt just looks like an idiot for putting up with him. I kind of wish it had been more subtle.
Reviewed in Australia on 2 July 2021
Verified Purchase
A good story overall. The homophobia is part of the story. The misogyny seems forced, unneccessay and really, really jarring.
Reviewed in Australia on 8 February 2019
5 🌟🌟
Re-Read and still a favourite
Seriously I love this book.
The first part before Matt meets the seals is slow and I do struggle through it, but once the seals are introduced I’m hooked, every time.
Is it factually accurate – No – I bet not even close, but that does nothing to diminish my pure enjoyment throughout this book.
I love Matt and his relationship with the guys, especially Petey. Petey is one of my favourite characters, he’s a loud obnoxious character that shouldn’t work, but he does. The banter between him and Matt was great, as well as his absolute acceptance of Matt. I really liked him explaining to Matt near the end the meaning of their relationship to him.
Mope/Travis was great too and I enjoyed that we got to see a chapter from his point of view, to know that he really didn’t know what he was doing wrong and it was playing on his mind.
I’ve just finished this but I can’t wait to read it again.
Re-Read and still a favourite
Seriously I love this book.
The first part before Matt meets the seals is slow and I do struggle through it, but once the seals are introduced I’m hooked, every time.
Is it factually accurate – No – I bet not even close, but that does nothing to diminish my pure enjoyment throughout this book.
I love Matt and his relationship with the guys, especially Petey. Petey is one of my favourite characters, he’s a loud obnoxious character that shouldn’t work, but he does. The banter between him and Matt was great, as well as his absolute acceptance of Matt. I really liked him explaining to Matt near the end the meaning of their relationship to him.
Mope/Travis was great too and I enjoyed that we got to see a chapter from his point of view, to know that he really didn’t know what he was doing wrong and it was playing on his mind.
I’ve just finished this but I can’t wait to read it again.
Top reviews from other countries
Lulu
5.0 out of 5 stars
So good!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2017Verified Purchase
'Trust and faith in one another makes us more than what we could be without it.'
This book has been on my 'To Read' shelf for a while as its always had such good reviews. I don't know why I waited so long to read it as I loved it! This is a new author for me but I definitely want to read more now.
If you're looking for a sweet love story with endless descriptive sex scenes this is not the book for you. Its real, gritty, honest and beautifully written.
'It had nothing to do with being gay or straight. Trust and faith were what mattered and those were very elemental things. And honor, too –following through on the commitment no matter what the personal cost was.'
Matt lives is Richmond, he has a long term boyfriend Brian and his two best friends Jim and Bret. He is offered an opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Latakia in Syria working with Doctors Without Borders on their immunisations and jumps at the chance. However, whilst out there he is abducted and kidnapped and rescued by a team of IS Navy SEALS.
"You are the mission, Matt. Don’t forget that.”
I don't really want to spoil any more of the story but that is the absolute basics. The Navy SEAL team adopt him as an honorary member and he becomes close friends with them.
Ok so Matt's boyfriend Brian is an absolute asshole! And in my opinion is given way too much book time! He's arrogant, manipulative and I'd go as far to say emotionally abusive. It take Matt quite a while to come to this conclusion though and get rid.
“Last bullet. Last breath. You heard the pledge, Matt.”
The SEAL team are awesome! The characters are so well developed. Let me talk about Petey. Petey is one of the SEAL's that rescued Matt. He's offensive, brash, loud and quick tempered but really takes to Matt and decides he's his new adoptive brother. I really struggled with Petey initially because the bigoted terms he kept throwing at Matt were really draining me after a while and were so unnecessary. But then on the other hand he was so protective and loyal to Matt I couldn't help but love him.
Travis is also on the SEAL team and I just loved him. So sweet and caring and is the first person Matt sees after being abducted. He's living in the shadow of his dead brother in this fathers eyes and really struggling to get through to his father. Matt takes it upon himself to visit Travis' Dad and point out just how special he is.
"At first, I thought the best thing about you was those pretty unbelievable green eyes. But it’s that heart of yours. That huge heart.”
As I said there's certainly no long descriptive sex scenes in this book and even the ones there are are eluded to rather than discussed at length but there is romance and it is super sweet and very realistic.
'He loved Matt. Matty. Matt was everything to him. His safe mooring in a stormy sea. His flak jacket. His extraction point. Matt was… his.'
Please read this book!
This book has been on my 'To Read' shelf for a while as its always had such good reviews. I don't know why I waited so long to read it as I loved it! This is a new author for me but I definitely want to read more now.
If you're looking for a sweet love story with endless descriptive sex scenes this is not the book for you. Its real, gritty, honest and beautifully written.
'It had nothing to do with being gay or straight. Trust and faith were what mattered and those were very elemental things. And honor, too –following through on the commitment no matter what the personal cost was.'
Matt lives is Richmond, he has a long term boyfriend Brian and his two best friends Jim and Bret. He is offered an opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Latakia in Syria working with Doctors Without Borders on their immunisations and jumps at the chance. However, whilst out there he is abducted and kidnapped and rescued by a team of IS Navy SEALS.
"You are the mission, Matt. Don’t forget that.”
I don't really want to spoil any more of the story but that is the absolute basics. The Navy SEAL team adopt him as an honorary member and he becomes close friends with them.
Ok so Matt's boyfriend Brian is an absolute asshole! And in my opinion is given way too much book time! He's arrogant, manipulative and I'd go as far to say emotionally abusive. It take Matt quite a while to come to this conclusion though and get rid.
“Last bullet. Last breath. You heard the pledge, Matt.”
The SEAL team are awesome! The characters are so well developed. Let me talk about Petey. Petey is one of the SEAL's that rescued Matt. He's offensive, brash, loud and quick tempered but really takes to Matt and decides he's his new adoptive brother. I really struggled with Petey initially because the bigoted terms he kept throwing at Matt were really draining me after a while and were so unnecessary. But then on the other hand he was so protective and loyal to Matt I couldn't help but love him.
Travis is also on the SEAL team and I just loved him. So sweet and caring and is the first person Matt sees after being abducted. He's living in the shadow of his dead brother in this fathers eyes and really struggling to get through to his father. Matt takes it upon himself to visit Travis' Dad and point out just how special he is.
"At first, I thought the best thing about you was those pretty unbelievable green eyes. But it’s that heart of yours. That huge heart.”
As I said there's certainly no long descriptive sex scenes in this book and even the ones there are are eluded to rather than discussed at length but there is romance and it is super sweet and very realistic.
'He loved Matt. Matty. Matt was everything to him. His safe mooring in a stormy sea. His flak jacket. His extraction point. Matt was… his.'
Please read this book!
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BevS
4.0 out of 5 stars
Liked it a lot, but with reservations....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2012Verified Purchase
Bought this book ages ago, and accidently deleted it (hey, I'm getting older and sadly the braincells are disappearing faster than I can make new ones!). Am glad I realised (yay me!!) later and purchased it again. I did enjoy this story eventually - have to say though that the slow start put me off quite a bit, and that creep of a loser boyfriend Brian really p****d me off! How could Matt not have realised that anyone who says 'you're lucky to have me' is a complete moron, not worth the space they take up and the air they breathe! Still, we've all been there and done that, it sometimes takes a long time to find your soul-mate.
I did sneak a look at Mr Smith's other book on Amazon 'Falling off the face of the Earth', and looking at some of the other reviews, I have to agree with one of the reviewers in particular who said that although there are no sex scenes in that particular book (not really any in this one either, but no probs), the language used in the conversations between different characters was crude, insulting and really nasty. I have to say that that was one aspect of THIS book that I didn't like at all - OK, Petey was a raging homophobic idiot at the start, and I could've cheerfully kicked him in the n**s myself, but to do a complete 360 turnaround, and decide Matt was the 'brother' he'd never had but now, BTW, loved like a brother, didn't ring true to me I'm afraid. One stretch of the imagination too far, IMHO. So, to sum up, yes I loved the fact that Travis was eventually able to admit to himself that he loved Matt as much as he loved being a SEAL (even though it took a near tragedy for him to do it), and he came out of the closet in front of his SEAL team, whose reaction was a little underwhelming to say the least. I was practically shouting at him to say those 3 little words a lot earlier in the book, but he came to his senses in the end. Great that Matt finally grew a pair, kicked the useless idiot to the touchline, and was able to let others see what a strong, good, kind person he was, someone who deserved to be loved for what he was and not what someone thought he should be. I really liked Matt's 2 friends Bret and Jim, steadfast and true, and absolutely adored the scene at the gay pub where Brian finally got what was coming to him - don't you just love it when the villain of the piece gets their just desserts!!
I did sneak a look at Mr Smith's other book on Amazon 'Falling off the face of the Earth', and looking at some of the other reviews, I have to agree with one of the reviewers in particular who said that although there are no sex scenes in that particular book (not really any in this one either, but no probs), the language used in the conversations between different characters was crude, insulting and really nasty. I have to say that that was one aspect of THIS book that I didn't like at all - OK, Petey was a raging homophobic idiot at the start, and I could've cheerfully kicked him in the n**s myself, but to do a complete 360 turnaround, and decide Matt was the 'brother' he'd never had but now, BTW, loved like a brother, didn't ring true to me I'm afraid. One stretch of the imagination too far, IMHO. So, to sum up, yes I loved the fact that Travis was eventually able to admit to himself that he loved Matt as much as he loved being a SEAL (even though it took a near tragedy for him to do it), and he came out of the closet in front of his SEAL team, whose reaction was a little underwhelming to say the least. I was practically shouting at him to say those 3 little words a lot earlier in the book, but he came to his senses in the end. Great that Matt finally grew a pair, kicked the useless idiot to the touchline, and was able to let others see what a strong, good, kind person he was, someone who deserved to be loved for what he was and not what someone thought he should be. I really liked Matt's 2 friends Bret and Jim, steadfast and true, and absolutely adored the scene at the gay pub where Brian finally got what was coming to him - don't you just love it when the villain of the piece gets their just desserts!!
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Janet (Cornwall)
5.0 out of 5 stars
move over Brokeback Mountain
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2012Verified Purchase
This is one of the best full length m/m novels I have read (and I have read many m/m, but very few offer this length and opportunity to really get involved with the story and characters). It is so worth reading and well worth more than it is priced. I have to agree with other reviewers that Matt's first relationship is a bit hard to take but the the author does make it clear at the beginning what poor self esteem Matt has. Once the action starts and the Navy gets involved it is gripping, heart-warming, heart-stoppping, and tear-jerking but not in overly exaggerated way - it is a truly gripping story that had me reading passed 3am and only put down because I couldn't stay up any longer! I have to agree with others, you got to love Petey despite his obnoxious attitude. Thoroughly recommended, wish I could give it 6 stars.
7 people found this helpful
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Phase58
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2014Verified Purchase
I bought this book on the back of The Fence and then the Trees as that was fantastic, I was not disappointed with Latakia. I had no idea what it was about when I purchased it, but on first reading I disliked Brian and thought Matt should man up. This was a great read, great plot, it made me laugh - Petey and Matt's interactions especially - I could't put it down. I felt as if I was in that room with Matt, shivering on the cold floor, and the SEALs were fabulous, truly brave men who took everything in their stride. I think JF Smith must be bit of a patriot from his narrative. This is something that could happen, foreigners get abducted, some are never seen again but this had a happy ending, even though the last chapter made me cry, it was a brilliant book and one I will read again in a year or so's time. This was a good m/m book, not one of your namby pamby £3.50 and over in half an hour, oh no, this had grit. read this book - you won't regret it.
Tillybud
5.0 out of 5 stars
A favourite.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2016Verified Purchase
One of my favourite MM books, I have no idea why I didn't post a review the first time I read this. Admittedly you have to work through the first part of the book with the truly awful Brian, but once you get past that and on to the action, this is a genuinely entertaining story that is worthy of re-reading. I do not have enough knowledge of the military to pick holes in that aspect of the story, so I could just accept it and enjoy what turned out to be a surprising and thrilling book. This was the first JF Smith book I read and needless to say it wasn't the last.






