Nothing Good handles identity, rivalry, and unexpected romance within the gritty backdrop of Miami's criminal underworld. The protagonist, Rainy, once the city’s most feared hitman, faces an unprecedented challenge with the arrival of Adler—a stoic ex-military assassin whose demeanour starkly contrasts Rainy's flamboyant nature.
As their professional rivalry escalates into a complex relationship marked by attraction and shared trauma, the story delves into themes of vulnerability and emotional connection. Rainy's initial assignment to eliminate Adler becomes increasingly complicated as he grapples with his feelings for his adversary.

I had very minor issues with this book, most of them come from personal preference, such as how certain words/phrases were written. I did find that the author tended to repeat things a little. For example, when Rainy was on a ‘stake-out’ on the roof it was reiterated that he was bored when we had already been told this about a paragraph up. However, this is minor and did little to curb my enjoyment of this book. There were also a couple of grammatical errors, but I assume these will be fixed by publication.
The relationship between Rainy and Adler was refreshing, fun, and lovely to read. The quick-witted back-and-forth between the two was so entertaining and I loved seeing it develop as the book continued. The pacing of this book was perfect for the length it is, the development of these characters felt natural despite the setting/nature of the book, and I never felt confused as the reader as to how Rainy and Adler made certain decisions. It was not terribly detailed, but you do not expect a book of this length/genre to be so. I think it is extremely good for a debut and I enjoyed this greatly.

Thank you to NetGalley, R J Piper, and the publisher for allowing me access to this book! I will be reading the next instalment!

Pairing - MM
Genre- Dark Comedy, Romance
HEA/HFN - Yes

Have you ever watched the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith and thought to yourself, "I want this to be a book, but GAY"?
Well, your wishes have been answered by R.J. Piper. In her debut novel, she has done just that.
"Nothing Good" is about two professional assassins, who have been hired to take each other out. Well, they do take each other out, just not the way their employers intended. (Sorry, couldn't resist)
This book is from the POV of Rainy, our charming freelance assassin, who in his own words is "supposed to be the irrelevant , flirty, young assassin" but instead has to deal with coworkers who try to turn him into a "middle-aged mom" and a dashing, impeccably dressed army-vet turned assassin, Adler, with a mysterious personality, who makes him confused with some kind of feelings that Rainy can't figure out.
The book is funny, witty, sexy and heartwarming (and heart-wrenching at times).
The best part about this book though, is the dedication and the chapter titles. With just that, the author has set the expectations on how ironic and funny this book is, and then delivers it.
There is a sequel coming in soon, and I for one cannot wait to uncover more of the character's shenanigans.

Loved this book! This felt unique to me in the MM romance genre and I am now on a quest for more like it. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was one of my favorite films growing up and I loved all things spy and assassin related. This is the first time I have ever read a spy/assassin novel where the main characters are male and in a romance. This was such a refreshing read in a genre that is full of hockey players and cowboys.
The chemistry between the two leads felt incredibly real and I loved how the spice in this novel was presented. It just felt real and genuine. I also love Piper's writing style! The balance of drama and dark comedy was also handled incredibly well and balanced. This needs to be a full series.

Rainy and Adler’s dynamic in “Nothing Good” is pure fire. They’re both deadly, complex, and irresistibly drawn to each other in the most chaotic ways possible. The tension is palpable—one moment, they’re at each other’s throats, and the next, they’re caught in a dangerous dance that blurs the line between hate and desire. R.J. Piper balances sharp wit with intense action, making you laugh out loud and gasp in the same breath. The mix of dark humor, brutal honesty, and raw emotion makes this story impossible to put down.

I am in awe that this is the author's debut! This book was so good. It's a story about queer hitmen who are enemies and tasked with killing each other. But, that's not what happens at all. This was so hot, full of tension and action, and at times, beautiful and sweet. The book is written in third person POV, which normally I am not a fan of, but it really worked for this book. There is so much pain, it's bloody and violent, there's so much going on with so much action, but it's also steamy and hot with plenty of spice. I highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed this book quite a lot!

I though Rainy and Adler were very interesting characters with detailed and well though out backstories. Their relationship is equally as heartwarming as it is ridiculous and the pacing is pretty good. The spice is handled really well too, it's well placed and well written throughout.

The balance between comedy and drama is perfect. I love the way the reader can go through a whole spectrum of emotions on just one page!

“Why’d you blow me in a cellar if you were just planning on killing me?” Jesse shrugged. “I had a little extra time. Besides, it seems only polite, don’t you think?” Rainy felt a stupid grin spread across his face. It really was a shame that one of them was going to be dead at the end of this.

Are you kidding me? Why was this book so gooooood? The tension! The action! The spice! The angst! It's bloody, it's quirky, it's queer and funny and occasionally unbelievably sweet and that beautiful beautiful writing, how is it possible that it's an author's debut?!

The story is about two assassins who are tasked to kill each other, but somehow they end up... fucking each other's brain out. And the phrase "will they or won't they" here takes on a wholly new meaning. And the ending! No, have no fear, it doesn't end with a cliffy, still I need to know, what's next, like, yesterday.

The only and very slight issue I've found with this story is that it is told solely from Rainy's POV, and I really would have liked a tiny glimpse in Adler's head or heart, that's it. Now, may I get the next installment, pretty please?

So many things about this book were excellent that I'm overlooking the blips that bugged me and going with five stars. The story grabbed me from page one; it kept the tension/excitement going throughout; it included several truly spectacular descriptions that 1000% fit the context (for example, a Miami club with "blue and green light fixtures that gave the whole place the air of an aquarium, complete with shark-nosed men in gray suits and glittering, scaly-sequined slips of girls"—wow, just wow). The brutality and... well, EVIL of the protagonists' lives wasn't papered over (much), yet their humanity was (almost) always at the forefront. I will eagerly read more by this author.

There were some minor errors that should have been picked up in the copyediting/proofing stages, but that's true of pretty much every book I read these days. The acknowledgments indicate the author did all the editing herself, and kudos to her (though I will always think authors are better off getting outside input, preferably of the professional variety).

Bring on book two!

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.