Nothing Special IX: Fire and Smoke

Nothing Special #9

by A.E. Via

“A ruthless meth dealer is torching Atlanta’s streets, and God and Day are striking back with two of Hollywood’s legendary pyro experts.”

The war raging through Atlanta isn’t just about drugs—it’s about power, leverage, and survival. God and Day’s task force is the only barrier standing between a growing plague and the city’s safety.

Wes and Law, childhood friends turned blacklisted pyrotechnic rivals, are hiding out in Atlanta until the fire they started in Hollywood is extinguished.

It seemed like a safe choice—until they’re dragged into the task force’s frontline fight. Now they’re trading cinematic special effects for real explosions and blood in the streets.

God and Day’s team is fracturing under secrets and betrayal, as the merciless army of their fiercest kingpin yet slowly closes in.

They used to fight to conquer… now they’re just fighting to survive.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Gay, Second Chance, Crime

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

A.E. Via is an author in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to 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, she devotes herself to her family--a husband and four children.

Adrienne Via has tons of more stories to tell, but she really would like to hear yours. Via Star Wings Books is currently accepting submissions for established and aspiring LGBTQ authors. I've contracted and successfully published a couple authors - whose information can be found on my website - who can tell you that my passion is giving other writer's stories the love and care it deserves so it could be a gift to another. Visit my site to learn more!

Go to A.E. Via's official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she'll appear next.

Reviews

[Cadiva]

Frustrating at times but still a fun ride

These books are the best kind of crack because half of the narrative is completely insane, but the other is a bunch of "alpha" men going at it - and each other- in a blaze of passion and anger!

I don't think God's narcotics task force would last two minutes before every internal oversight agency would shut it down.

Fortunately for us readers, this Atlanta is fictional and they get away with almost murder every time.

Here they also throw on a bunch of pyrotechnics and smoke special effects that would never see the light of approval from a real precinct captain, but oh boy does it add to the drama.

There's a bunch of other stuff going down too that adds to the muddy plotline but ultimately they're just an entertaining way to spend some time.

There were also a few typos in this one which never reached the annoying stage fortunately, but definitely stood out at times.

[Jaclyn Reads]

Do we ever get this book?

[Natalie]

I went into this wanting to love it, I really did. I’ve loved the rest of the series, but unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. There were moments that had me laughing, but overall, something just felt off with this one.
It didn’t really feel like Wes and Law’s book, and they didn’t seem to be the main focus. Day and God having marriage problems threw me a bit, especially since, in a previous book, I thought their issues had been sorted out. Then there was a side character who seemed to get a lot of page time, and I honestly didn’t care about him.
The only one who seemed to have his head on straight in this book was Hart,which made me love him even more.
I listened to the audiobook and Sean and Aiden were amazing like always but, it took so long before we even heard Aiden I started questioning weather he was actually a narrator for it.
Overall, the whole book just felt a little all over the place… probably like this review. 😂

[Nicole]

ALC review - 2.75.

The title really says it all: "Nothing Special IX: Fire and Smoke" was, in my opinion, indeed nothing special. While it wasn't a terrible read, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

A highlight of the experience was the audiobook performance. Both Sean Crisden and Aiden Snow executed their roles well. However, because of the size of the cast and character dynamics, I couldn't help but feel that a duet narration would have landed much better than a dual performance.

Plot-wise, the story felt overly cluttered, playing out more like a fast-paced soap opera as it tried to balance and keep track of so many different couples and their sprawling relationship dramas. The opening was particularly jarring—I found myself completely confused about what was going on during the initial chapters. The narrative whipped from quiet, emotional reconnecting straight into high-stakes explosions and flying bullets without giving me a moment to settle in or orient myself.

Ultimately, this wasn't a bad book, and die-hard fans of the series may still enjoy dropping in on these characters, but for me, the uneven pacing and crowded storytelling made it a middle-of-the-road experience.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia/Tantor Media for the ALC!

[Sam]

if anybody's wondering I was looking on Amazon and I seen this book is supposed to come out September 30th

[Denise H.]

Exciting, riveting, and dangerous !

We get all of the tension and excitement we can handle here. It’s a complicated situation with several people interfering with business, and our guys, Wes and Law, have come to help God and Day and the team with their ops.
It seems there is more than one person causing chaos. There is several guesses as to why, who and how these rats are screwing up their plans.
While one of our new men Wes, must go back for an opportunity, the other, Law will stay with the elite team.
Neither likes being apart.
The bad guys, explosions and danger are happening too often. What is really behind these problems?
There is a hint that more will be revealed in the next book, which will be the last.
ENJOY !

======

[Jennifer Reilley]

Wow, AE brings us back to the Nothing Special world after the awaited wait in an awesome way.

We come back together with our whole crew and add in Wes and Law and the pyro specialty they bring to the task force. We see relationship up and downs, get some laughs from the crew and left with wondering what’s to come of the task force in NS10

[Monsters_In_My_Dreams]

when do we get this book?!? I'm too intrigued by that last ending. Come on.....

[Nic]

I absolutely love the Nothing Special series.

With that said, this one disappointed me. it felt so far from the rest of the series. The storyline felt disjointed and all over the place. Definitely not enough of Wes and Law to be considered a book for them. God and Day going through the same issues we've seen in previous books that were supposed to be resolved. Chapters for a character that didn't need his voice heard for all the crap he's pulled. I dunno this one was a letdown for me.

Sean and Aiden did a wonderful job as always with narration though. Absolutely love them both.

[Oceans]

Wild. I still refuse to feel anything but contempt for Vasquez. I lowkey hate that he got his happily ever after even after everything he's done. And that he took up so much of this book. But redemption and all that. I'm very excited for the final entry to finish off this series!

[Ana Silva]

I waited for the audio to enjoy this book and it didn’t disappoint. Aiden and Sean did an amazing job narrating this book and it was exactly what I needed.

I have loved this series so much that I’ve listened to the previous books at least three times. When I saw that there would be more in the series, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Law and Wes’s appearance in the last book had me so excited for their story. I needed to know what happened to them for them to have such a fall out and now we know.

When their careers were ruined because of an accident, Law decides that leaving Wes is the best thing for them both, especially if Wes wants to get his career back. Losing his best friend and career left his chest hollow but he felt it was the right thing to do.

When they’re both casted for the same commercial, the shock and surprise of seeing Wes again leaves him breathless. He had missed him desperately and just wanted to throw himself at him.

Wes couldn’t decide what to feel when he found himself face to face with the man he loves. Anger, relief, heat were just some of the emotions coursing through his body. He had not forgotten the way they were together and how everything just made sense when they were in each other’s arms.

As it was their thing, first came the fighting then the tumbling into bed together. It had been a long time since they’ve seen each other and Wes had to admit that he missed Law. He missed them the way they’ve always been.

Once they’re together again, Wes knows they can find a way to make a comeback and that opportunity comes in the least expected way. When Law jumps in to help a car enfolded in flames, he has no idea their lives were about to change.

As always, Law made decisions about their lives without consulting Wes and this time, his decision landed them in the hands of God and Day, two of Atlanta’s best. Saving God from a certain death got them to work for God’s department which was as real and dangerous as it could get.

As much as Wes wanted to be with Law, sometimes it felt like he had no say in his own life and eventually, he had to choose himself even if that meant leaving Law behind. He needed to get some semblance of control or he’d end hating Law.

I felt so bad for Law when Wes left but I also understood why he did it. He had to have some kind of autonomy and show Law that he couldn’t always get his way. Law finally understood that they were partners and partners talked things through not make decisions for the other without consulting first.

But Wes never stopped loving Law. He would never let him down when he needed him most and that would always be his undoing.

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰’𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆? 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍.”
,“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖—”
“𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌, 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.”

I loved Law and Wes. Loved what they brought to the team and how much they meant to the guys. I also loved that Vazquez got to redeem himself. I was honestly terrified that he would be unalived. I hated him for being a jerk but things aren’t always black and white and we got to see that here. I’m glad he found his own HEA.

Can’t wait for the last book even though it’s gonna be so bittersweet to see the series end 😭 I loved this series so much that it’s my go to comfort listen. There’ll be many more relistens my future for sure.

[Emily Hernandez]

I had no clue how A.E. Via would corral a couple of pyrotechnic wizards into God and Day's task force, but in a single car fire scene she convinced me there was no better fit for Law and Wes. I'm always thrilled to experience the adrenaline-pumping action of the Nothing Special series -- and there was plenty of that to go around -- but this book really impressed me with the character development outside of the spectacle. From the newbies, Law and Wes, having to learn how to turn their constant cycle of fighting and f-ing into an actual relationship to God and Day's surprisingly emotional relationship reckoning, I was blown away by how much this book made me feel. I've been invested in some of these characters for years by now, and as much fun as it's been to have fun with them, I didn't even know I was missing the maturity this story brought to the table. Through Law and Wes's eyes, I got to experience the task force as if it were brand-new, and I honestly understood how freaked out the two of them were by the seriousness of participating in their missions. It was pretty freaking cool to see how Wes and Law combined their smoke and fire into some dazzling displays, but it was tempered by the very real danger they were up against. As the task force doggedly pursued their takedown of a drug lord, each man had to reckon with what their constant vigil was doing to their relationships. I got emotional multiple times throughout the book, and no one surprised me more than Vasquez. I promise you that no matter how much you've sworn to yourself that Vasquez is an irredeemable character, you won't feel that way at the end of this book. I can't believe that A.E. Via took a character who was so easy for me to write off previously and turned him into the one person I couldn't stop thinking about, and his character arc stole the spotlight for me. I don't think I can say anything else without this review turning into spoiler central, but I have to make one plea for Vasquez and Joshi to get a book of their own some day in the future. As far as this story's leads were concerned, it was all fireworks and love confessions and running off in a blaze of smoke and glory together. I'm really looking forward to the final reckoning A.E. Via promised in the epilogue!

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Tee Reader]

Wes following the love of his life’s lead has come natural to him since they were young, but what happens when you grow and he doesn’t, what happens when your peace no longer mixes with his chaos, what happens when loving him comes at the cost of burning and your the only one with scars?

Law loves Wes more than life it’s self but their career is everything to them, he’s trying to fix it. Doing everything in his power to make the dreams of the man he loves come true but somehow he’s always falling short, he can do nothing more than to beg Wes not to give up on him, but what happens when it all goes up in smoke and your the only one left choking?

God & Day
It’s been 15 years of power, partnership and passion. Running the most elite task force in Atlanta is coming in at a cost that is too high of a price and Day is not willing to pay. How will Day make God hear him when he says enough is enough, he wants his husband back.
God is slowly drowning in the city’s scum, by the time he reaches the surface his husband is nowhere to be found, how long has it been since they shared a meal? Embraced one another? Set the sheets alight with their burning need? The answer: Too long. It’s time to readjust and prove to his husband that he is everything he needs in this lifetime.
If that costs him everything they have worked for, for the last 15 years so be it. Nothing is worth losing someone so special.

Ramon
Bitter, angry, resentful, immoral. He didn’t start off this way, he once had hopes and dreams, a vision of who he would be, of what he would have…. But you know what they always say; When you make plans God laughs and dammit if God isn’t having a riot of a time looking down on him.
Life isn’t supposed to be this difficult, is it? At what point did he stop living and start just barely surviving.
But what are you supposed to do when your once strong and stoic father becomes a mere shadow of himself, ravaged by a disease that knows no mercy… you step up, you be the son always taught you to be and you take care of the man that raised you…. Even if it costs you your soul, even if it costs you your career, even if it costs you your life. It takes one choice, one act of kindness, one man to show Ramon that he can repent and life is worth living.

[Sabrina]

This book was lit. I loved the story for these two. It was a page turner. Without giving too much away. They are not you're typical members of God and Days team. Which I kind of liked. I was having a hard time trying to figure out how these two would work along side with G&Ds team.

I enjoyed reading about the technical aspect of what Wes and Law do. How it helped get to the end goal.

Their story was a roller coaster. It wasn't black and white. It wasn't instant love even though they've been in love for ages. There was hurt. Hurt you felt coming off the page. There was love and devotion that you could feel seeping through the pages. Majority of the book you were just wanting these two to get their HEA. They did. They got it. with work. I like that it wasn't instant or quick or even easy. They had to work for it.

I also like that God and Day had some spot light in here. That she touched base with the ones who started it all. So see that they are indeed a couple, with ups and downs. Especially wrangling this group of men couldn't be easy. Not so much that God was taken down a notch, more that he found his way back to Day. That he set his sights back to Day. I can somewhat see where the potential for the last book can go. I think it will wrap it up nicely.

Vasquez.... well crap. This I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this. First off, boy did I want what was coming to him, to come to him. And it did. But mannnnn that story, the feels decided to side swipe me out of no where. So do I feel for him, his story. A wee bit. Do I think he deserves his HEA, I do. But do I think he needs to own up to the crap he's put others through, also, yeah. SO ya mixed feels about him.

All in all. 10/10 stars. Adrienne never disappoints. This whole series lives rent free on repeat in my heart and head. I can't wait for the final, but will be very sad that it will end.

Highly recommend reading the previous books (A. because they are epic, and B it will help with the plot and characters). s

[Jenn Donald]

4.5 Stars

I really love this series – I mean it is one of my all-time favorites, I loved being back in this work and Law and Wes are a really great addition! I also enjoyed the fact that they are outside out law enforcement, it adds a bit of a new dimension but they sure do fit it with this crew!

Law and Wes come from a world of pyrotechnics – smoke and fire for sure – and had made a name for themselves in Hollywood, but after an effect gone wrong they end up blacklisted from the industry for now and are both back in Atlanta trying to start over. Call it right place, right time or not but after witnessing and stepping into help during a dangerous situation with God and his team, they get recruited to help the task force. Add in the complicated but passionate relationship they’ve had and it’s a lot of action from start to finish.

I loved the depth of the relationship between Wes and Law, it’s clear how strong their feelings are but it’s definitely not an easy path for these two. Yes, they definitely love each other but they fire each other up too and that may not always be good for them. You can feel that these two are going to figure it out though, they’ve been apart, they’ve been hurt but their love is going to win, they are just meant to be. We also get a good look at God and Day and their relationship – yes it gets tested here – but once again their love wins too. I loved seeing the rawness and the tough moments though.

There is a lot happening in this book, it grabbed my attention from the start and kept me reading until I finished and just action packed throughout the whole journey. I didn’t want it to end, but it does come together in fantastic glory. I truly loved seeing everyone together, all still playing their roles, it makes me so very happy. I do have to mention Vasquez – he’s the continued thorn in my side with this series and I’m just going to say I don’t want him to get away with it. He’s not someone I’m rooting for! But I am excited to get more of this series, even if it is almost the end – I truly love this whole group!

[cuitied]

|| 5.0 stars || sorry. i just love them too much and i was literally anticipating this book for fricking months now so if i felt any emotion towards it but utter love and admiration i wouldbe been super upset

i have to say wes and lWsons atory did not interest me..like at all. it was pretty standard and a good extra but when i heard the narration switch to them it was just longgg like i wanted vasquez, day or god. im so grateful for the amount of content we got from other povs though it was brilliant to see! and i hope we can keep up with them even more going forwards in the series (if it’s not over yet💔)
wish we got more of gen and curtis but it’s #okay, mayb in the future rhey can have a book dedicated to them and their future? please?

but yeah it was great snd i enjoyed almost every second, i think the plotline with vasquez was the most intriguing for sure. i really did not wanna like the guy, esp given he tried to frame and sabotage god and day's force out of yes sheer desperation but spite for their team…all these haters man
so yeah he was just slimy and weird but by the middle of the book it turned out to be much more of a moral dilemma than expected. when he was stabbed it was the last straw for me, this guy has it fucking rough. honestly, his ending reslly satisfied me. it was a perfect compromise but he was also rightfully punished for his wrongdoings. i did not want him to die and glad thats not how his story ended. would love to get to know and eventually love him in his own story? or get to see his future going forwards, fs. day and gods plotline was lush as always, going to break in somebody’s home and vandalise though? cmon guys. tad bit excessive. but it’s so…them. so i get it. it was really adorable to see god havw to fight for his man again and see leo being more vulnerable ;,,) as sad as their relationship situation was…

so yes i loved loved loved as expected

[Nicole]

One year ago, after their pyrotechnics went horribly wrong on a Hollywood set, Law left the city, and Wes, the love of his life behind. Now back in Atlanta, he is trying to find rebuild his reputation when he runs into Wes, and realizes that he can’t continue on without him. As they are trying to rebuild their relationship, they find themselves in the middle of a police shootout, where their pyrotechnics and expert knowledge not only help them aprehend the suspects, but also save the life of the team’s leaders.

After bringing them into the station, Lieutenant Godfrey makes Law and Wes an offer they can’t refuse. If they agree to use their skills to help them take down one of the city’s most notorious meth dealers, God will reach out to contacts to help Law and Wes make their way back to Hollywood. As they find themselves running into real-life scenes they could only imagine on a movie set, Law and Wes need to decide whether their love will be enough to keep them both alive.

I received an early copy of this audiobook from @netGalley and I really enjoyed it. Although Wes and Law are childhood friends, their relationship has always been volatile, which resulted in the loss of their reputations in the first place. While they can easily move from rivals to enemies to lovers, they both realize that in the end, they work better together than apart. Law tends to be the more reckless of the two, but at heart all he wants to do is keep Wes safe, even when he doesn’t need protection. I loved how he allowed himself to be vulnerable, but that Wes also recognized he needed to figure out if he not only could stand on his own without Law, but whether or not he even wanted to. I’m always thrilled to go back to God and Day’s team, and the drama they bring to the table definitely delivered.

[Katrine Moshave]

A.E.Via did it again. Made an amazing book with lots of action, love, drama and also something unfinished which I can’t place.

I’ve always loved the characters in these books, and still do, but I feel like the new guys Law and Wes wasn’t completely shown in some ways? I enjoyed their bander - but the we need to be apart to learn who we are, to get back together and be the same made no sense completly.

In this book I also got an emotional roll coaster from God and Day. I understand work is important - and so is marriage - and as many times before, they’re very bad at communicating. Day was a toddler and a bully for a moment there, and Gods alpha tendencies suddenly struck through the roof…

What did I enjoy most? A character I feel like we all hated for a while there - Ramone Vasquez. Oh and trust me, I really did hate him, however the more we get to know, and to see when it comes to Via’s good descriptions- we see a man at his breaking point. He tries to own up, but he never will - at least not to any of our well known characters. I’m so happy he found someone in this book, but what I actually wanted to see, even if it made things bad at first but better afterwards, were a thanks, not a we forgive you, or you’re the best. But some kind of words he could live by. The fact that police men, even when not a fan of a person could show sadness and have thoughts towards “one of their own”. But no, if not for Joshi, Vasquez would be all alone in the world. Even when he did that to himself, he did do better… I just wished for them to somehow know he was the one helping in the end, even when he took some bad decisions- and I feel for him.

I hope we meet him again, we know he won’t be a part of the narcotic team, and who knows, they probably don’t exist anymore 🤷🏼‍♀️ but I hope he get a new chance on his new job, and in a new life.

[Sammy!]

I’d been anxiously waiting for this audiobook, and I finally got to listen to it. After following the Nothing Special series and all these strong, chaotic men, getting Wes and Law’s story was definitely worth the wait.

Wes and Law are such a frustrating but lovable pair. They clearly love each other deeply, but their individual ambitions, stubbornness, and ridiculous rivalry constantly get in the way. There were definitely moments when I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to get it together, but that’s also what made their relationship so entertaining. They’re both incredibly passionate, whether it’s about their work or each other, and you can feel how much they genuinely care beneath all the arguing.
I also loved how their story tied into God and Day’s task force and the ongoing investigation into the drug lord. The whole situation with Wes and Law rescuing God and Day from the burning vehicle was such a great way to bring everyone together.

And finally getting to experience all of this through the audiobook made it even better. Aiden Snow and Sean Crisden were absolutely perfect together. Their voices worked so well for Wes and Law, and they brought so much personality and emotion to the characters. I could listen to them bicker all day. 😂
I love this series and all the unapologetically intense men in it. It has been such a wild ride following their lives, relationships, and all the chaos they somehow manage to get themselves into. Wes and Law definitely tested my patience, but I loved them anyway.
Love is love, and when two stubborn idiots genuinely love each other, eventually they have to figure out how to stop fighting themselves long enough to be together.

[Gale MR]

Hot - hotter - the hottest!
This is beyond a simple reading experience, it's living, breathing, surviving and reaching the other side of one very special story.
Because Nothing special is actually a legend in MM romance, books that are extraordinary special. Each one of them ads a new layer, a captivating plot line to a slowly built, but thoroughly detailed, absolutely breath taking, impossible to resist fictional world. For me personally, this is one of the best MM romance series, because of a myriad of reasons but the main ones are :
1. Main plot line that ties together closely all of the books, creating a feeling of wholesomeness and a final goal all the stories are focused on
2. Secondary plot lines - every book presents a new couple but we don't lose the rest. Everything we have already "seen" through a previous lense, now just gets even richer with more elements and twists added in.
3. The characters - once I met them, they left the fictional world to live in my mind's eye. Because yes, they are that well written and fleshed out, absolutely unforgettable, each one with their own personality flavour and little quirks.
Now back to book 9. Not 9, 99 won't be enough - that's how much I love this series.
The special 9 is Wes and Law's story - two brilliant pyro techs as explosive in temper as their talent and relationship is.
And in the background? The Atlanta's one and only team of absolute chaos - extraordinaire or simply said God and Day's squad of police vigilantes.
Don't forget to grab the safety rope before you jump - there are again a few surprises in store...

[Book Hoarder]

When pyrotechnic rivals Wes and Law turn from their arguing to see an Atlanta Task force Suburban melting from a fire that is anything but ordinary, they grab a high tech fire extinguisher from the back of their truck and put out the fire, saving the lives of Atlanta PD Narcotics Task Force Heads Lieutenants Cashel Godfrey and Leonidis Day. God makes them an offer they are not allowed to refuse as he sees in them a secret weapon to combat their most ruthless drug dealer yet. But Wes and Law have been blackballed from Hollywood because they are just as like to cause a disaster as they are a spectacle. And now Internal Affairs is having their Task Force audited and is ready to shut them down, giving them only one week to apprehend and arrest their Enemy #1. Rux and Green have just busted up a multimillionaire’s living room, oops, because Vasquez is up to his old tricks trying to shove a wedge between God and Day. Can Wes and Law get back to the love they have shared for years?
All the drama, action and explosions you normally expect from this group. This ending is not exactly an HEA and sort of a cliffhanger. We couldn’t be happier than to know there is going to be an NS:X in the works. Five stars all the way.

[Erin]

Let's call it 4 1/2 stars.

This book had everything! God and Day being God and Day, the expansion of a story line from a short story which brings us a new couple, checking in on all of the other couples we've cheered for over the years and...Vasquez. *Angry eyes*

With everything above, there were several story lines within the main plot. Which was, of course, to get the bad guys. But we also get Wes and Law, childhood friends who became Hollywood pyrotechnics specialists and a couple; God and Day who, dare I say, stumble a bit in their relationship; Vasquez who still wants revenge and a task force that thinks it is indestructible.

I loved bringing in Wes and Law to God's team. Zero police experience. Just two guys who like creating fire, smoke, fireworks and explosions for Hollywood movies. But God sees how they could really be an asset. Their "training" is not much more than "don't die", but what they bring to the table is something new and valuable.

I gasped out loud when trouble was brewing with God and Day. Don't mess with my boys!

And if Ms Via makes me like Ramon Vasquez....

The ending was so perfect. Even if she never wrote these characters again, I would be satisfied about their endings. But we are not seeing the last of them. Thank goodness.

[Roxyyy J]

I suppose the moral of this one is that everyone deserves a second chance, but I dont believe in that. In addition to the f**k ups that Vazquez caused in this one, he bullied/harassed Free and almost got Greene and an innocent 16 year old in book 7 killed. Maybe the author wants us to forget that or think that since they didnt die, that its ok. There is so much real life police corruption, so I dont believe that Vazquez deserved a redemption arc. We all have stories and responsibilities. Joshi saying that Vazquez isnt a bad guy is crazy to me, because at what point do we call a spade a spade?

Wes and Law were ok but I thought their story could have been a novella like Mason's. And as much as one of my fave narrators is Sean Crisden, this series is made for Aiden Snow so his little involvement made this seem like a different series altogether.

The writing itself wasnt bad (yay for no misogyny) but the plot had me too frustrated and not in a good way. Lastly, we dealt with God being a workaholic and not prioritizing Day in book 5 after 7 years together, and I didnt think the author should have done this again at their 15 year mark, as if God is never going to change and Day is always going to be a doormat forgiving him.

[Monica]

I remember when God and Day spent 1/3 of their time having foursomes.

Now Day's in a support group for neglected husbands.

Marriage really changes people.

As for Wes and Law? They were underdeveloped, toxic, whiny, and immature. Their section of the story wasn't interesting or engaging at all.

And if you want to enjoy this story, you will definitely have to ignore all the crime -- the task force always played fast and loose with the law, but here they're in straight up GANG MODE.

Also, I really want to know who initiated the proliferation of the phrase "pulled off with a wet pop" to describe "sexy" blowjob abandonment. Granted, maybe I'm just doing it wrong and watching the wrong porn, but I've never encountered this phenomenon outside of the smut scenes written by middle-aged housewives I'm fairly certain haven't sucked a dick that passionately since the Clinton Administration (if ever). It's a gross and unnecessary exaggeration that always takes me out of the moment of the sex scene, is what I'm saying. There are so many other ways to describe being good at BJs. Find them, please, y'all.

Or at least follow it up with a hawk tuah or something about macaroni in a pot. Then it'd at least be funny (instead of just cringe).

[Lindsay Hardin]

The whole Nothing Special gang is back! The crew will face their toughest case yet. A drug lord has been terrorizing Atlanta and the team just can’t nail him. It will take extra special consultants to help APD’s best task force bring down this kind of evil. Enter disgraced Hollywood special effects operators. Law and Wes are a dynamic duo unto themselves. Each possesses special skills that can bring the heat to the drug war in the ATL. The two are made an offer they’re unable to refuse. They join forces with the task force to bring down one of Atlanta’s fiercest drug lords. Law and Wes not only are a special effects team but they carry strong personal relationship that has brought them significant heartache. They must work together as a duo and as part of a much larger team to bring justice. There is so much action throughout the entire book that you’ll stay on the edge of your seat. You catch up with favorite characters from the previous books in the series and new betrayals are revealed. Join God, Day and the rest of the task force as they bring in two power players to bring Justice to their city.

[emi.bookslover]

Questo nono volume della serie Nothing Special mi ha semplicemente catturata fin dal primo istante che combina azione serrata, tensione emotiva e personaggi indimenticabili in un mix che ti tiene incollato alle pagine fino all’ultima riga. La trama ti getta immediatamente nel vivo Atlanta è messa a ferro e fuoco da un mercante di metanfetamine senza scrupoli, e il team d’élite di God e Day lotta per fermarlo. In questa cornice ad alto rischio entrano Wes e Law, due esperti di pirotecnica cinematografica la cui chimica, passione e rivalità personale diventano una forza speciale quando vengono integrati nella task force. Quello che amo di più di questo libro è la combinazione di adrenalina e profondità emotiva. Non si tratta solo di inseguimenti e sparatorie: ogni personaggio ha la sua voce, le sue sfumature, le sue fragilità, e la chimica tra Wes e Law è assolutamente magnetica. Ci sono momenti di romanticismo intenso che si intrecciano perfettamente con la suspense e il pericolo, senza mai risultare forzati. Inoltre, la narrazione scorre fluida, con colpi di scena ben piazzati e situazioni che ti fanno girare pagina dopo pagina senza nemmeno accorgertene.

[Miruru Shouting]

First 11% is from the novella, Sparks Will Fly, which this book is an expansion of.

Prologue picks up a few hours after the ending of the novella, where we're shown how Wes and Law save God's team and how they end up becoming consultants.

There are multiple couples featured in this book, so it's multi-POV. Wish we had one or two from Gen and Curtis. Their scene in the second-to-last chapter was so sweet. Please please please give us a book for them now that they're older 🙏🙏🙏

Law and Wes are as volatile as the special effects they work with. They still have amazing chemistry, but their stubbornness and temper also makes them not a good fit in their current state. We see them grow slightly through the missions but also get overwhelmed working with God's decked out team of experts.

Loved getting POVs from God and Day again but hated that it was the work-life balance problem that comes with working as a detective. I'm glad things resolved but wow, things were touch-and-go there.

I'm surprised AE Via was able to redeem Vasquez (in my eyes) in this book. Though it doesn't seem like he'll get his own book with how things turned out, I hope he gets his definitive HEA because Kiran is good for him. I no longer hate him as with previous books.

[Laina Gruver]

4.25 stars

Wes and Law are special effects professionals who worked in Hollywood until their antics caused them to be ‘blocklisted’. They returned home to Atlanta to lick their wounds and ended up witnessing a car having been ambushed and used their skills to save the occupants. They end up being coerced into helping God and Day’s task force take down Atlanta’s largest drug cartel. In return for their assistance, God promised them that he would do everything he could to help them get reinstated in Hollywood.

While this is mainly Wes and Law’s story, we also get snippets of God and Day as well as officer Vasquez (who I had forgotten about). I’m not sure how I feel about what happened to Ramon Vasquez. I did enjoy Wes and Law’s banter and that, while Law seemed excited to work with the task force, Wes was terrified and stayed that way.

*****
POV… third person

Standalone or series… book 9 in series. While you can read as a standalone, you get much more out of it reading the series in order

Hangover… slight

Recommend… yes

Reread…yes

[Titania]

West and Law were riding high. They have been a duo since they were twelve. The took Hollywood by storm with the pyro skills until an accident blacklisted them. Now they are back in Atlanta trying to regain their prior glory. Meeting Gid was not in the plans...
Fire ans Smoke is the latest in A.E. Via's Nothing Special series. I love returning to Atlanta and enjoyed getting to know Wes and Law. They are struggling to accept their change in circumstance even as they attempt to navigate their somewhat toxic relationship. Their roles have been defined for years. Can they move passed the toxicity and focus on the love? I loved finding out even as they make new friends among the task force. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience Wes and Law bring to the team even as we see cracks in a surprising way. I loved seeing how Ms. Via tied up lose ends and showed the work involved in maintaining and growing within a relationship. I cannot wait to see where Ms. Via will take us next.

[Beatrice Zibell]

Finally the long awaited next book in the amazing Nothing Special series!!!! What can I say? A.E. Via does not disappoint! Be ready to stay glued in your seat, keep turning the pages and ignore the world around you as you dive into the world of Altanta PD's best, baddass task force again!
After being blocklisted from Hollywood Wes and Law are back in their hometown Atlanta picking up the pieces of their carers. By chance they witness an attack on God and Day's car and help put the fire out. Landing on God's radar he doesn't hesitate to pull them into his task force to help with his current case.
The book was an emotional Merry go round. I didn't know which character to cheer on the most. It took me by surprise in the end. Don't get me wrong you still get all the action and the badass men.
Everyone waiting to find out how it goes with officer Vasquez will finally get their answer! It surely wasn't what I expected when I started the book ;D
Happy reading!!!!