Reviewed by Valerie

 

TITLE:   Nothing Special Box Set Books #1-5

SERIES: Nothing Special

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER:  Via Star Wings Books

LENGTH: 1,386 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2020

BLURB:

To be accepted into the most notorious narcotics task force on the East Coast is an incredible honor. A rogue collection of the most feared and unorthodox detectives, independent of standard departmental jurisdiction. Headed up by two of the baddest Lieutenants with the Atlanta Police Department – Cashel ‘God’ Godfrey and Leonidis Day.

“We were a unit tonight, moving as one. Even apart, we are deadly, but when combined – we are fuckin’ unstoppable.”
~~ God ~~

This set contains Books 1-5.   NO NEW CONTENT HAS BEEN ADDED.    

 

FULL BOX-SET REVIEW:

This is a case of “I really loved these books, but …”  Taken as a whole, the Nothing Special Box Set of Books One through Five is a testosterone-fueled extravaganza of alpha male personalities. Some titles in the series are more action-packed than others – I definitely would have enjoyed more dangerous, in the field task force activity – and some are missing strong plots. But every last leading man is smoking hot and sexy AF, and the chemistry is off the charts in each book. Yes, some of the storylines are implausible (every member of the East Coast’s most notorious and effective narcotics task force is gay??) and you’ll need to set your disbelief and nitpicking aside, but this series is all about entertainment value, and of that there is plenty. Action-adventure stories, be it in book or film, are often ridiculous and over-the-top – just take a look at Mission Impossible – but they’re still fun. And believe me, all of these drool-worthy leading men are far hotter than almost anyone you’ll see on the big screen.

The true beauty of this series is the close found family of “big ass, alpha, macho motherfuckin’ lovers” who are genuinely caring, affectionate, and loyal to all the team members. The camaraderie and banter are off the charts. There’s a fair amount of dry humor, too. The wonderful thing about the later books is that you get snippets of the previous couples’ interactions (and making out.)

The thing is, the plot in some of the books – especially Embracing His Syn – is beyond weak, and the editing is truly atrocious throughout. I mean, I can’t believe there actually was an editor. Grammatical errors are on almost every page and there are multiple inconsistencies with timelines, ages, and geography. A major character’s last name is even spelled two different ways. As the series progresses, the grammar improves but the discrepancies seem to worsen. These are major distractions that I would never overlook in another book but I find myself doing just that in this series because I love the characters so much. It’s definitely a character-driven series.

There is So. Much. Sex. Dare I say, there’s too much for me personally (I started skimming). I have no problem with graphic sex at all (bring it on, baby!), it’s just the number of sex scenes I grew tired of. The problem is that plot, the task force action, the actual policing – everything – takes a backseat to sex. I’ll mention, too, that the foursome scenes between two loving, established couples at the end of book one are controversial to some readers. I personally don’t like sharing but it didn’t put me off the book. There are no multiple pairings in any of the subsequent books.

 

Book One – Nothing Special     5 hearts

Cashel “God” Godfrey and Leo Day are detectives on Atlanta’s police force and have been partnered for five years. They are regarded as hotshots in the city’s war on drugs. The men have that exciting dynamic often found between characters who are partners in law enforcement, firefighting, or military special forces. This is a relationship where a strong magnetism and bond exist between the partners well before attraction kicks in. The pressure and risks they endure in their extremely dangerous work result in an unparalleled level of trust in, and reliance on, each other. In addition to the focus on the changing relationship and the hunting down of a drug kingpin, there’s an intriguing side plot which includes the revelation of God’s secret life.

It’s been about nine months since I’ve read a book this sexy. There’s nothing hotter than two alpha males going at it. Gah! Lots of growling, slamming bodies against the walls, grasping throats, throwing each other on the bed with dominance – it’s animalistic at times. And then other moments – in their words, making love – are sweet and filled with tenderness. The dirty talk alone made me weak in the knees. Look for a, shall I say, “special” relationship between God, Day and two other detectives on the force. Heads up if you don’t like sharing – this book might not be for you.

A facet of this book I enjoyed is how completely at ease God and Day are about the evolution from work partners who are friends to partners who fuck. There is no pages-and-pages-long dance of should we or shouldn’t we. It just organically happens after a series of challenging events, including a fight where God pushes Day across the room with such force he crashes into furniture. See, alpha males!

All in all, this is a fantastic start to the Nothing Special series. We shall see, but I think it’s going to be hard to beat God and Day’s chemistry.

Trigger/Content Warning: Child Sexual Abuse

 

Book Two – Embracing His Syn    4 hearts

Book Two picks up a couple of years after Nothing Special. New on the scene in Atlanta’s PD is Sergeant Corbin “Syn” Sidney, third in command in God and Day’s special narcotics task force. He meets bartender Furious “Furi” Barkley and aggressively pursues him at the bar across from his apartment. Furi eventually agrees to a date but Syn is a no-show because he had to investigate a murder outside a porn studio. Isn’t he shocked when Furi – a porn actor – is brought in for questioning?  Furi escaped a violently abusive soon-to-be ex-husband with no money, so he moonlights in porn while completing his mechanic’s certification and saving to purchase his own garage with a friend.

There are two simultaneous plotlines: the series of murders of male porn actors, and Furi being stalked by his ex. The first is very weak, holds little mystery, and is short-lived. The second holds significantly more danger and suspense. Overall, there isn’t much task force action which is kind of the point of the series.

Even with the shortcomings, this book is saved by the wonderfully sexy Syn and Furi. They are a playful couple despite the danger they face. Syn rules on the street but Furi takes charge in bed with a bit of a Dom/sub dynamic. It’s Syn’s first time with a man and the sex is hard and rough, yet sensual at times. The steam was rising off the pages. I absolutely loved Day’s nickname for Furi – Porn Puppy.

Furi huffed in annoyance, “Syn, I took six months of self-defense courses at the YMCA this year. I can fight for myself.” Syn looked at Furi like he’d lost his damn mind. “At the Y? Well hell, that’s great Furious. If you ever get jumped by the Village People, feel free to pull out those moves.

 

Book Three – Here Comes Trouble    4.75 hearts

Yes, indeed, long-time partners and best friends Chris Green and Mark Ruxsburg are trouble. They are known as The Enforcers and they play by few rules on the job. And, they are highly entertaining.

Chemistry is something A.E. Via knows how to create, and this friend-to-lovers story is bursting with it – romantic, sexual, and as the best of friends. Next to God and Day, this is my favorite couple – and my second favorite book – partly because FTL is my favorite trope and partly because they’re so much fun.

The back end of the book is focused on Ruxs and Green’s special relationship with Curtis, the teenager God and Day took care of after catching him robbing a convenience store in book one. It’s an endearing storyline. Ruxs’ embittered relationship with his mother forms another secondary plot and it’s heartbreaking.

The task force plot is once again weak and the final take down of the bad guys occurs off page. What a disappointment since those types of scenes are what The Enforcers are all about.

 

Book Four – Don’t Judge     4 hearts

This book has all the crime fighting action and danger that the last two books were missing. The plot is much stronger, filled with shootouts, high speed chases, stakeouts, bounty hunting, and all-around mayhem. I wish this level of the war on drugs had been consistent throughout the series. Unfortunately, it also has the most forgettable leading men.

Austin Michaels was hired onto the task force as a sniper at the end of Here Comes Trouble, in which he had a completely different persona. He was meek, pesky, and like an overly eager puppy. A bit of a milquetoast, really. He’s tough and so much more appealing after his apparent personality transplant in this book, even though he’s depressed with a bad attitude and rage issues. He’s frustrated and irritable being around all the lovey-dovey gay couples on the force while he faces a future with no partner.

God calls in a favor from badass bounty hunter Judge Josephson to catch and return a witness to Atlanta, and he needs Michaels with him to keep the arrest legit. Judge thinks no way will Michael’s be interested in his old, grouchy self. Little does he know his age (twelve years older), maturity, and experience turn Michaels on, as do his thick beard and stray gray hairs.

Judge’s father and his girlfriend – Judge’s de facto step-mom – are likable characters, and Judge’s affectionate relationship with them is at odds with the personality he displays otherwise.

 

Book Five – Nothing Special V     4 hearts

In a departure, the chapters in book five alternate not only between Steele and Tech, but include God and Day as well. I love having the addition of the God and Day storyline. Green and Ruxs have significant face time, and even Furi is around. There’s a lot of focus on the team, with the noticeable and strange absence of Michaels and Judge.

Inconsistencies and implausibilities abound in this volume. Green and Ruxs arrive to a raid in a … garbage truck? Which plows through six Escalades by itself. Then they stand on the roof of the truck and take out twenty-six baddies by themselves? God and Day’s team has changed from twenty-three members to nine. Day’s brother’s name has changed and his mother is dead when she was very much alive two books ago. And the timeline has jumped around a few times. Sigh.

A city councilman needs a favor from God and Day’s chief: his nephew, Edwin Steele, needs a job after quitting his position with the Oakland police department after homophobia led to his partner dying when backup was purposely delayed. God doesn’t like to be told what to do, but Steele is a retired, highly decorated, special forces Marine and will be a significant asset to the team. In fact, he partners up with Green and Ruxs to make The Enforcers’ no-holds-barred activity even crazier.

Steele’s love interest is Shawn “Tech” Murphy, a technology/hacker genius in charge of the team’s comms. Steele and Tech are okay, but probably my least favorite couple. Realistic or not – I’m guessing not – the hacking is interesting and fun to read about.

 

Bonus – A Genesis and Curtis Short Story

This is a continuation of the love story begun in Here Comes Trouble between God’s brother Genesis and Curtis. The young men no longer have the sparkle of early love that they did in book three; it’s a bit of a disappointment.

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If you read the series, which I recommend, you must do it in order and it really should be read as a whole. The great thing about the box set is being able to read the stories back-to-back without having to wait. Patience is not my strong suit! At the time of this writing, there are three more books in the series not included in this box set.

If big alpha leading men, occasionally preposterous action scenes, and so much sex it would exhaust porn stars are not your thing, or you think poor editing will pull you out of the story too much, pass this series by. Otherwise, dig in and enjoy this entertaining box set for the characters and their brotherhood!

 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon