Night Smoke

Night Tales #4

by Nora Roberts

Knowing that she needs Ryan Piasecki's help to save her business, Natalie Fletcher tolerates the abrasive and arrogant arson investigator, but her annoyance with him soon turns to attraction.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Suspense

323 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There's nothing you can't have if you're passionate about it."

Natalie and Ryan were a bit of a wild card for me. Kind of like Cilla and Boyd were, but it'll be nice to see them in the next two books now that the family has only grown. That's why I've given this four stars, because seeing this family grow and love is so, so special. It's my favorite thing about the series I've read by Nora, that the characters continue on and we get to see little glimmers of their lives in other stories.

I did very much like the ending of this, it's definitely been my favorite ending of the four. So action packed and wonderful. The relationship itself seemed at a much younger level with the miscommunication than the other three, so it was nice to see it closed up so nicely.

[Pilar S.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me han maravillado las descripciones de los incendios; las sensaciones de los personajes al verse atrapados por el fuego, casi sintiéndolas; cómo casi podías oler el humor y la gasolina de cada escena... Roberts es una escritora maravillosa, no hay duda.
Por otra lado, Ry me ha enamorado. Igual que Natalie no me ha entusiasmado demasiado, pues me parecía más inocente de lo considerado normal para una trayectoria de vida como la suya, el investigador de incendios Ryan Piasecki me ha parecido abrumador como personaje. Sencillamente, su papel es espectacular, casi tanto como su evolución.
La trama que se esconde detrás, no obstante, cojea. Para mi gusto, le falta mucha más "chicha". Una lástima porque esta novela prometía.
Por lo demás, una novela fantástica.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Night Smoke" is the story of Natalie and Ryan.

We continue the night tales with the thrilling story of Natalie, a successful and determined businesswoman who gets plagued by fires, and Ryan, a ruthless and aggressive arson investigator assigned to the case. There is a LOT of smoke in this book, buildings burning, files incinerating while the main couple continue to attack each other's clothes and burn up the sheets.
A lot of passion and banter among the main couple, however the hero came off too strong until the very end, when regrets mellowed him a bit. The heroine was strong but I wished she pushed back a bit more. Some angst leading to a rushed ending.

Always enjoy meeting characters from previous books though!

It was OK!

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great early Nora romantic-suspense. I see shades of Eve and Roake in Natalie and Ryan. Both couples are strong, driven individuals whose lives collide. I love that we see couples from the previous books in this series and how they have grown their families.

Natalie Fletcher is the head of her family business, Fletcher Industries, and is diversifying into retail with a new company which sells exclusive, high end women's lingerie. This is her baby, conceived and nurtured by Natalie and the stores are soon to begin opening across the country. The warehouse in Urbana is destroyed by a fire and that setback just makes Natelie more determined to succeed. When she smacks up against the hot arson investigator, Ryan Piasecki, sparks fly.

[Yomi M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, definitely not one of my favorites.

[Edina Livnjak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dopao mi se ovaj serijal Nore Roberts. Nekad sam baš uživala u njenim knjigama pa sam poželjela da se za vikend odmorim uz njeno štivo.
Prethodne knjige iz serijala su mi odgovarale za opuštanje. Radnja zabavna, predvidljiva što je i očekivano za ovaj tip knjiga, ali nije smetalo sve dok je čitljivo, zatim tu je i uobičajeni sukob između dvije "jake" ličnosti uz razvijanje strasti i na kraju ljubavi. Međutim, u ovoj knjizi nisam mogla da se uživim jer mi je glavni junak Rajan djelovao kao grozna osoba. Njegov odnos prema Natali, ponašanje - nikako mi nije bilo privlačno. Kad se to ostavi na stranu, knjiga se može pročitati.

[Mojca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't stop repeating just how great this series is. You'd think that something written in the nineties wouldn't ring "right" nowadays, sounding a bit backwater at the least, but this series is just timeless.

This was yet another winner with a strong, stubborn, determined female lead, and a hunky, yummy arson investigator as leading man. Throw in an arson mystery, some explosive chemistry, a visit from much-loved characters, a little twist of insecurities, and a villain you won't see coming, but is still believable...and what more can someone want.

A definite keeper!

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, the romance was really good and fun.
Natalie runs her family's business and is dedicated, Ry is a firefighter turned arson investigator and they meet when her warehouse is set on fire and sparks fly between them. Both of them are opposites but well suited, somehow without knowing it they fall into a relationship, with Natalie smiling more and not being so much into working and both of them scared of telling each other what they feel.
I really liked how Ry grovelled and Natalie actually paid him back for his doubts.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Amazing! Wonderful! Lovely protagonists, loved the mingling of characters from previous books of this series..couldn't put it down!! ^_^

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie is Boyd's baby sister and the one in the family who has chosen to take the lead in Fletcher Industries. At the moment, she's captaining a new Fletcher Industries business for catalog lingerie with 10-day shipping (this so dates itself because of that...this story was way before internet orders and 2-day shipping). When one of her warehouses is attacked by an arsonist, Ry Piasecki, arson investigator comes into her life. He's abrasive and rude, but she can't resist the attraction between them. While he's investigating what becomes a string of arsons targeting Natalie's new business, they agree to a no-strings affair...and yet both of them find themselves with unwanted strings. Both of them are scared, but it's Ry who panics and nearly breaks Natalie's heart. But when the arson almost kills them both, Ry learns what fear really is and it's not worth throwing away love.

This was overall a pretty great read - plenty of suspense and romantic tension and angst. This of course was back in the day when it was okay for guys to be pushy about relationships (don't worry, no attack kisses or anything resembling assault). But no matter how much Natalie says she's not interested, Ry knows that she really is and is kinda relentless in his pursuit. It peeves me a bit, but I can get over it because they really are both on board. It's not nearly as stalkerish as some modern day romances have become though, so I didn't mind it so much. I was far more annoyed by how perfect Natalie seemed to be (other than being a workaholic and a bit impatient), but this is also kinda par for the course with this author. What I really liked here was Ry wasn't some dreamy, perfect hero. He was really rather rude and gruff and that's my favorite kind of hero. And he grovels pretty good there at the end too. I also appreciate that these two worked together and that the romantic tension happened right alongside the suspense part of the story. This is kinda one of those perfect beach reads - it's a lightweight suspense with a generally feel good romance that is classic for this author, so I did end up enjoying it.

[Luanne Fraer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the stories in the Night Tales series, but Night Smoke was my favorite! Nora Robert’s included all the other characters from the Night Tales stories. This is a love story about two completely opposite people who are both committed to their careers and afraid to be in love!

[Celticsiren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Round up to 3.5

Great characters. Again, too short, so felt a bit rushed

Book 16 of 2025

[Jessica B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite reads from Nora Roberts. I was expecting just an okay read but ended up enjoying this one quite a bit. Many of the other lead characters from the Night Tales series could be found throughout the book and that always makes a series more fun!

Ry is an arson investigator who is investigating a fire at one of the buildings Natalie Fletcher is using to start a new lingerie business. They are instantly drawn to each other but can't stand each other all at the same time.

The romance comes on strong and fast but it really works in the story. There was plenty of romance, danger and steamy scenes.

I loved the ending and I am looking forward to reading some more Nora soon!

[Adèle · Rating 3 out of 5]

same story as the previous ones from the series

[Karsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical good Nora. Good Characters, good story, blah blah blah. :)

[Cruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Nora Roberts
First published: 1994
Length: 320 pages (Large Print)
Setting: Contemporary. Urbana, USA (wherever that is, Maybe Atlanta?).
Sex: Infrequent, explicit.
Hero: Arson investigator
Heroine: CEO of family empire

The two Night Tales stories I’ve read (so far) fit as a sort of transition book between Nora Roberts shorter romances and her lengthy romantic-suspenses. In other words, it’s a shorter version of her very enjoyable longer books.

It’s a good mystery/suspense with an enjoyable romance.

And a HEA.

Without taking forever to get there.

There are similarities to the other books in the series, with characters from them appearing and playing important relationship roles - Althea is pregnant, Deborah and Gage have a daughter, Cilla and Boyd have 3 kids and he’s a Captain. And there are similarities to Roberts’ later books (obvious one being Blue Smoke).

And there’s some aggressive sex:

“Silk and heat and fragrant flesh. Everything she was filled him, taunted him, tormented him. Woman, all woman. Beauty and grace and passion. Temptation and torment and triumph. All of it, all of her, obsessed him.

They thrashed over the slick satin spread, groping for more.

Here was fire, the bright, dangerous flash of it. It seared through him, burned, scarred, while her hands and mouth raced over him, igniting hundreds of new flames. He didn’t fight it back. For once he wanted to be consumed. With an oath, he tore at the silk and dined greedily on her flesh.

His hands were rough and hard. And wonderful. She’d never felt more alive, or more desperate. She craved him, knew that sh had, on some deep level, right from the beginning.” p.154-155

But it’s still enjoyable. A good read.

Night Tales:
Night Shift - Cilla O’Roarke and Boyd Fletcher
Night Shadow - Deborah O’Roarke and Gage Guthrie
Nightshade - Colt Nightshade and Althea Grayson
Night Smoke - Natalie Fletcher and Ryan Piasecki
Night Shield - Allison Fletcher and Jonah Blackhawk
Night Moves - Maggie Fitzgerald and Cliff Delaney

References:
Author's website: http://noraroberts.com

(ISBN 9780786282197)

-CR-

[jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

I loved this as much as I loved Nightshade. But I also believe that Nat and Ry's relationship was established better. They slowly got to really know each other and spent nights just being around each other. I appreciated that, seeing the relationship working without relying too much on the physical stuff. The writing style was amazing as usual. The book was fast-paced, a quick read to entertain you for a while.

I was honestly too hung-up on the romance part that I really didn't try to guess who was the traitor lmao. But I loved how the book ended with that action scene that was quite intense.

I can get my own diamonds, or anything else I want. What I wanted was you.

Natalie just girlboss-ed her way through this whole book. She slayed. An heiress and CEO looking to establish her own business from the ground up. SHE DID NO WRONG OKAY. She let him grovel and all I can say is dasurv. But gosh, I can't deny that Ryan is a fine man, I especially love how he is around children. So cute!! The fire station scene with the kids and the pole got me smiling until my face hurt. Cilla and Boyd's kids are so freaking cuteeee I think I just got baby fever reading about them. Anyways, I also love how much her friends and family care for Natalie, she has a whole protection squad.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, hitting the end of the anthology I borrowed from another library - I think I'll give myself a break from Night Tales for a bit after this.

Night Smoke is the tale of Ry and Natalie - an arson investigator and the business woman. Two very different people. I liked this one way more than the last two books as Ry didn't seem so heavy handed - they were more evenly matched and both were unsure they wanted a relationship at all. There wasn't as much pursuit and "you will love me" as there was mutual attraction. The mystery of arson was a little different and well handled too.

Ry seemed the most real guy of the four books of Night Tales I've read so far. He wore normal clothes, slept on the couch of his office, had an average apartment and played well with kids. Natalie was also different with her love of sports, inability to cook and her dogged determinedness. Even when she should've been scared, she wasn't. Good read that didn't follow the predictable pattern of the rest of them.

[Sharon Kallenberger Marzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night Smoke is one of Nora Roberts' older novels. It is part of a series, but it worked as a standalone for me.

I enjoy reading books published in the eighties and nineties. They remind me how much has changed with technology since my first desktop computer cost me over $10k, and the only storage was floppy disks. LOL

Natalie Fletcher is a successful businesswoman. Ryan Piasecki enters her life when one of her warehouses goes up in flames. Ryan is a fire investigator who goes up in flames when he meets Natalie. They are both ready for a roll in the hay, but neither wants a commitment. They are too involved in their careers.

I like this couple. They often misjudge one another, but they enjoy each other's company. Natalie is very successful from a wealthy family. Ryan is a middle-class firefighter turned investigator. It is fun to experience their time navigating their personal demons and the arson investigation.

If you are looking for a quick, easy read, with a low angst romance, Night Smoke is a book for you.

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of Natalie Fletcher and Ryan Piasecki. Two characters who have very little in common except the fire that happens at Natalie's company warehouse and a strong attraction to each other, though not when they first meet.
Natalie is about to open several stores featuring luxury ladies lingerie when a fire breaks out at her local warehouse. Ryan is the Arson Investigator with the city fire company. The story is split about fifty-fifty between their developing romance and the multiple fires that are targeting her company The differences in their backgrounds causes stress for Ryan. He wonders how this will affect their relationship because its become serious and the wealth disparity between them could become a problem.
Of course love conquers all and things work out but what the investigation of the fires reveals was the interesting part that kept me reading till the end.
A very enjoyable read. Thanks Ms. Roberts.

[Merceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a rich CEO of Fletcher Enterprises who was building a new line of lingerie and stores in multiple cities. There was an arson fire at her warehouse and she met Ryan Piasecki, Investigator of Fires in Urbana. He was a strong, unapologetic guy who didn't like people getting in his way. They were attracted to each other, and fell in lust over the next few weeks as the fires in her buildings and offices continued. They arrested one arsonist, but the guy who hired him was still out there, and worked at Fletcher Enterprises. They finally figured out who it was, and arrested him as well. Natalie suffered smoke inhalation and injuries during the last fire, and Ryan carried her down 40 floors to the street. They did get married, and had a baby within 9 months of Natalie being released from the hospital.

[Anushka Bagde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this first ending with the last sister in the night series because Cilla, Deborah, Thea, and Natalie are all sisters, regardless of blood. I loved seeing Natalie's business prowess and how her personality and Deborah's are similar. I get confused about where Urbana is because they always talk about living on the east coast, in this book and Deborah's book, and I know it's a neighborhood or area outside of Chicago. So, it was interesting to learn that Chicago and that area is considered east coast, or at least closer to the east cost and NYC and DC than Denver. Either way, I learned something new. I liked Ryan and his tough stances and personality, it all makes it so much sweeter when he is kind and sweet to Natalie. It was a nice climactic ending and conclusion and I loved their HEA. Overall, great story!

[Terri Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a five book series so I will do one review for all five. The books are great. The characters are easy to like although at times you wonder what they are thinking. The 3rd one has an odd twist that doesn't really fit in with the series but doesn't diminish from the storyline. I would recommend all these books although not so much to be listened to as the narrator isn't the best. I almost didn't listen to the series but I'm glad I did.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short but suspenseful book by one of my favourite authors was a great quick read. I enjoyed the story and the characters of Natalie and Ryan. The mystery behind the fires and their investigation made me want to read on until I had finished the last page. I will always read books by this author because I just love her snappy style of suspense and romance mixed into these books which drag you quickly into each story.

[OutofContextRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's impossible for me to separate my nostalgia out of these rereads, but I swear, my brain clicks in satisfaction at the way these tightly written romances function so well. There's no excess plot, the conflicts never overstay their welcome, there's limited angst about feeling attraction to each other, even though that's the main conflict! What a blessing. I will continue to reread this book every 5-8 years in perfect contentment.

[Susan J Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters with character

Again, I followed carefully the relationships among all the players as they grappled with personal and interpersonal issues. Ìt was good to meet up again with people from prior novels. Indeed they felt like old friends whom I hadn't seen for awhile and whose roles here were true to character as established in earlier Roberts novels. It's not quite midnight here yet, so I'll get started on the next in sequence. Thanks for the pleasurable reads!

[Milly 🐌 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Roberts is one of my favorites, so it’s hard not to fall in love with another book of hers. This one, although not high on my list, is still a fantastic read. The storyline in this one felt a little rushed, but I think she did a great job given the complexity of the plot she presented. The foreshadowing was also a little too forward, as I figured out who was behind the fire before I wanted to. It’s still a recommendation for those who love thriller and romance.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action from beginning to end . Loved to read how the other characters in the previous books are drawn into this book giving us further updates on what is happening in their lives . Sorry to say getting ready to read the last book in the series . Nora Roberts one of the best fiction writers

[Kshydog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the hidden chemistry between them. Natalie is driven workaholic who realizes her life never included what love really is. She was too perfect though, basketball star, sexy, accurate, perfect timing. Arson investigator, Ry, was impulsive, tell it like it is, willing to admit she was beyond his caliber. Brought in Boyd from earlier book as cop and relative helping.

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Night Smoke on Books On Track


RTC

Previous books:
✦ Nightshade (Night Tales, #3) ~ ★★★★ (20/12/2021)
✦ Night Shadow (Night Tales, #2) ~ ★★★ (30/06/2021)
✦ Night Shift (Night Tales #1) ~ ★★★ (12/04/2021)