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Code of Honor #1

Cutting It Close

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When the only thing you’re good at is running or fighting, is a second chance at love even possible?

Captain Maddox Stone is ready to put the men who messed with his family on a fast train to hell. Eliminating the enemy is the only thing he’s good at anyway. He sure as hell isn’t good at connecting. Of course, on the heels of that thought, his past comes walking through the door. Will he finally have the guts to explain what really happened that night so long ago?

Nothing on earth could bring Lieutenant River Seeger back to the ranch until his grandfather calls for help. With no other recourse, he returns to the Triple R, but makes it clear it’s for a limited time. He’s left the past behind and with it, his youthful dreams. But, since he’s here, shouldn’t he at least get some answers?

Two soldiers faced with the past. One man struggles with a tragic secret while the other one demands answers. What’s even worse? When Maddox deploys on a mission and River takes on the kidnappers, time is running out for one of them. The only thing for certain is they’re definitely cutting it close for any chance at a happy ending.

Audiobook

First published August 21, 2019

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About the author

Reese Knightley

55 books589 followers
Reese Knightley spends her time creating stories from the characters rattling around in her head. Her love of reading mystery, action and adventure, and fantasy books led to her love of writing. Reese works as a full time writer. She loves to hear from her readers.

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5 stars
698 (40%)
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612 (35%)
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323 (18%)
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65 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
Profile Image for Kati *☆・゚.
1,304 reviews699 followers
June 12, 2023
3.5**** stars
audio 4.5 stars


Two military men and a second chance at love. Overall this whole thing was rather underwhelming regarding plot and the intensity of the romance but it made for a good companion while working and doing chores and the audio lifted it up a lot.

Speaking of the audio: this was my first time listening to Troy Duran and he did a great job. The only thing missing was that it was mentioned that Maddox speaks with a Texan drawl (which I looooove) but Troy narrated the whole thing without any hint of an accent.


There is one topic I want to address so you won’t get blindsided if this triggers or bothers you: Technically, there is cheating involved here, because when River returns home to the ranch and later hooks up with Maddox, he still has a boyfriend at home even if his parting words were: “I think we need to take a break.” and it’s heavily implied that they would discuss this further but they don’t. The boyfriend does show up at the ranch later und breaks it off himself anyway but that it neither here nor there at the time they have sex.

Giving the high possibility that readers would shun this book for the cheating I don’t get why the author added this in the first place. There was really absolutely NO NEED for a boyfriend being part of this story. This plot point contributed nothing to the actual story. I mean, I didn’t mind it much but it was totally pointless.


This is an eight-books series and it felt like ALL THE CHARACTERS were introduced in this one. Without a character list it was hard to keep track so after a while I just stopped attempting memorizing them altogether. Over the cause of the series they will all introduced to me more closely eventually, right?


Okay, my review seems to consist of niggles only but as I said I kinda enjoyed it regardless. At least enough to continue. *lol


*All books are available on audio, the first six free with my audible subscription

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Code of Honor Series

Book 1 - Cutting It Close - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Risking It All (holiday romance)
Book 3 - Bringing It Home - audio tbr ⭐︎
Book 4 - Taking It Slow ⭐︎
Book 5 - Whatever It Takes
Book 6 - Battle It Out ⭐︎
Book 7 - Despite It All
Book 8 - Call It Quits
Profile Image for Erin.
365 reviews15 followers
October 8, 2020
Oof. I was speeding along on a streak of enjoyable books and then this one kneecapped me. The writing turned me off almost immediately and I began to skim. I'm not quite sure why the book is rated so highly - the events unfold at a pace that sent me reeling and hardly left enough time to establish a scene, let alone get to know the characters.

The first half of the book seemed like a roll call for sequel fodder: the cast of characters was extensive, overwhelming, and unnecessary in the end. The flashback snippets were clumsy and overall unnecessary. Both main characters, River and Maddox, had little emotional depth. I'm glad they had three thirty-second conversations and got their baggage sorted. The side story with Maddox's best friend, Spencer, was shoe-horned in and underdeveloped. All of the characters except an old man and a teenager were military supermen and women with very little to them except for being badass. There wasn't much romance between Maddox and River - I mean, thank god they knew each other beforehand because that gave the author a shortcut to getting them together. If Knightley had tried to convince me that two strangers fell in love, I probably wouldn't buy it.

Not only was this not a good romance, but it wasn't a good military book either. I just can't get over how fast everything happens. The characters are in each location for about three paragraphs before they're in a different country or continent. Skipping one or two paragraphs means missing characters taking an 18-hour trip in a helicopter, being dropped off for a covert mission in Africa, sneaking around, engaging with hostiles, getting shot, and disappearing. Just trying to keep up with everything that's happening leaves little time or room for the romance and honestly, just isn't that interesting as a military story. None of the missions or targets feel important because they're resolved in three paragraphs or less. Not to mention that introducing ten different characters that are part of a particular unit and declaring "they're a band of brothers" doesn't really fulfil that fuzzy feeling of comradery that are half (most) of the reason that military settings are appealing to me in the first place. You need to BUILD those relationships and trying to do that with so many people is impossible in such a cramped space.

I don't even read these books for the sex but the sex was lame too! A Gay Military Romance should have three things going for it: the Gay, the Military, and the Romance. Unfortunately, Cutting It Close was shooting 0 for 3. Or shooting blanks. Whatever you want to call it. This meant that there was little left to like, unfortunately. Edgy military nicknames do not a good novel make.
Profile Image for Carol.
3,790 reviews137 followers
October 19, 2023
I expected a setting in some foreign country with lots of military action like was in River and Maddox's previous series...but most of the book takes place on a ranch in Texas, that I have to say I liked much better. At least they aren't running for their lives or getting shot at every few minutes. The two guys are building on their new relationship and slowly learning about one another. There was a lot happening but the story never felt rushed. It flowed smoothly from one point to the next and kept me on the edge of my seat to find out what happened next. Of course, I had to read it in one sitting. The action was good but not over the top, and the romance between Maddox and River was beautiful and believable. The reader can see and feel the love between them even while they were work through their issues from the past. The emotions both experienced were relevant and completely understandable. Several sites say the books in this series can be read as standalones, but I would strongly recommend that anyone reading this series start with book #1...and thoroughly enjoy!
Profile Image for Gerbera_Reads.
1,699 reviews154 followers
August 23, 2019
This was rather good story. It is a second chance romance with mild angst and steam, a bit of humor and a host of characters that I would love to know more about. There is a bit of family drama and mentions of child verbal and physical abuse but it does not dominate the story.

As action stories go, I enjoyed this one despite the pace being a bit too fast for me. The relationship is not the main focus since it's been established years ago but due to unpredictable circumstances, both MCs lived separate lives for the past 8 years. This book shows the tight knit family that Infinity team created that seems to be the theme in this author's previous books which she writes really well, the sense of belonging that you get from your chosen family rather than by blood.

I liked the banter between all the characters but the whole angst angle didn't provide as much of an emotional punch as I would have liked. Action packed and HEA guaranteed made two hours well spent! I recommend it.
Profile Image for Chris.
2,070 reviews
November 23, 2019
A good read with angst, heartbreak and a second chance. There was a lot more opportunity to add depth to this story as some elements were touched on then faded into the background. In saying that, while predictable, it was enjoyable ❤️
Profile Image for the kevin (vaguely alive).
971 reviews178 followers
January 30, 2022
DNF at 73%

I skimmed a lot to get that far.

1. This book has approximately eight hundred characters.

I don't know who they are, I'm not convinced to care about them, they have no development, and I'm certain many of them exist solely for the sequels.

2. The main characters are cardboard drama queens

I felt absolutely no romantic connection or sexual tension between these two. Making it a second chance romance felt like a way to avoid building their relationship. They were emotionally flat, and acted like teenagers in their inability to communicate or function around each other.

I could barely tell their POVs apart, which wasn't helped by odd speech tag problems and possibly misplaced names.

3. The Big Secret is the worlds stupidest secret

Maddox has a Big Secret as to why he broke up with River eight years ago, and doesn't want to tell him what it is. Well, Intensely stupid.

4. The military part of this book is so bad

I'm told they're all black ops badass people but I don't feel it. It's a bunch of disconnected silly jargon, while they run around on all these abrupt missions. There's so much time spent on them doing these things instead of actual character development.

Overall, this Military Romance lacked both the Military part and the Romance part, and was capped off with awkward and stilted writing.
Profile Image for Mariam,.
674 reviews560 followers
November 8, 2024
meh.

not bad, not terrible, but not that good either
Profile Image for Janja.
864 reviews14 followers
September 15, 2019
*****3,5***
New author for me and I enjoyed reading it,but my lower rating is simply because I had a feeling that I missed pre-story and personalities of Maddox and River were not developed in full and I just couldn't find the conections between them.

Profile Image for Alisa.
1,895 reviews201 followers
Read
October 6, 2019
Dnf'd @ 8%. Didn't care for the writing style & I'm cutting my losses early this year. No more trying to push through to see if it gets better.
Profile Image for Santy.
1,260 reviews77 followers
March 25, 2021
This was a well written book in the military/second chance novel troupe.

I enjoyed it though I wanted to shake Maddox for keeping such a secret from River as if he wouldn't understand. Come on!

Any way as I said, i liked the writing and the story was enjoyable.
Profile Image for ML.
1,612 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2022
Not what I was expecting

First, there were WAY too many characters introduced, if I cared enough, I would have made a chart. I mean like 20+ characters is a tish much.

Maddox’s reasoning of letting a 20 year old River go was also a very weak plot point. Especially because the guy in question died right after. Then you wait 8 years to reconnect. Uhm what?!?! Dumb.

They are apart more that they are together. That is pretty weak too. This is my first book by this author. I might skip around to see if a newer series is better. This storyline was just meh for me. The next book in this series should be Triton but isn’t. Weird.
Profile Image for Caipi.
1,248 reviews33 followers
September 29, 2022
Fast paced action, parts back home on the ranch in Texas and parts out on a mission. Since River's whole team was participating, there were a lot of characters to get to know, which was here and there confusing. But I think some of them are the main characters of the following books.
Now for the romance, I'm always so happy when a split couple gets a second chance! So of course I loved to see River and Maddox getting back together but honestly, why did Maddox during all the years never try to find River and tell him his reasons for breaking River's heart? I didn't get it.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Keith.
2,157 reviews6 followers
March 14, 2020
Not What I Expected from the Preview

Lots of angst, lots problems brought on by too much miscommunication and deception. Seasoned military warriors acting like teenagers is just not that appealing for me. If all you need is muscular men having sex, this might be an acceptable read but those who are looking for good plot, supported by character development should look elsewhere.
Profile Image for Kaity.
2,006 reviews24 followers
November 10, 2021
1.5 stars..........

well......... i should have DNF'ed it but i got the audio with it and didn't want to make it a waste of money.. but it to me it was a waste.

there was semi cheating that i wasn't a fan of. also this was a lot of telling and not showing. and it just was a choppy read, i didn't get the chemistry between the two MC's but oh well. now i know this isn't a series for me.
Profile Image for Marthea.
1,014 reviews16 followers
June 23, 2022
Eeeee... szkoda nawet gadać.
Ta książka jest po prostu zła i wypisywanie, co w niej jest złe, niedorzeczne, nielogiczne czy idiotyczne zajęłoby przynajmniej z godzinę czy dwie, a szkoda mi na to czasu 😉
Profile Image for Paula´s  Brief Review.
1,176 reviews16 followers
October 21, 2022
No es que las historias sean muy buenas, sobre todo la parte romántica suele flojear estrepitosamente, pero me entretiene la acción, así que me salto las partes malas y disfruto las otras.
Eso sí, si no has leído las series anteriores te vuelve loca con tanto secundario que no te presenta porque da por hecho que ya tienes que conocerlo . Por eso sigo con la serie porque Los tengo frescos sinó no entendería nada.
-----. X X X X ---
Una vez terminada todas la serie uno se pregunta,:
hay algún miembro de las fuerzas de élite americanas que no arrastre un trauma......?????
El número de gays en dichas fuerzas es superior a la media en el resto del pais...????
Todos ellos son romanticamente empalagosos y su ansia vital es llevar un "anillo en el dedo"...???
Como veis el realismo en las series de esta mujer brilla por su ausencia!
Profile Image for Melissa.
482 reviews25 followers
February 18, 2020
Parts of this I actually liked. But for me there was too little focus on relationships and romance and too much on missions. I just didn’t feel the connection.

I realized upon finishing this book that I have already read Triton’s story and didn’t even realize it. I was checking to see if Spencer’s story was out. I only read Triton’s story two weeks ago and I couldn’t tell you hardly anything about it now.

I just don’t think this author is for me.
Profile Image for Books on Stereo.
1,429 reviews169 followers
April 21, 2022
Cutting It Close features two overly generic male characters coupled with a weak suspense plot and an even weaker romance.
Profile Image for Cadiva.
4,005 reviews441 followers
February 21, 2024
Mixed feelings with this one

2.5*

Oh lawd where do I start with this book?!

How about it's a second chance romance but the reason for them being apart for eight years is one of the most stupid I've read.

I mean, the original threat yes, I get that, but considering the actuality of the threat hapening was gone within 24 hours, there was zero excuse for it not being sorted out sooner.

There's also two separate sets of supposedly black ops operatives at the top of their game, but they get caught out by the most obvious of situations and end up trapped in a collapsed cave after an explosion they were aware of.

We also get told about stuff in the past but we don't get to see any building of this relationship River and Maddox were suppose to be in, all full of young love etc.

So that meant there's no thought given to re-establishing the broken trust when they meet back up.

Everything's just hunky dory again after Maddox finally tells River why he let him go.

Then we get the "can see it coming a mile away" situation in Africa which I just rolled my eyes at.

Still, as with the author's other books, what makes up for all the niggles are the brilliant found family friendship groups that are created within the men and women of the different special forces units.

That's what's kept me reading so far, how long it'll last, I'm not sure.
Profile Image for E.H..
Author 9 books85 followers
Read
December 30, 2024
I am pretty sure that you cannot just send the military (including a super elite squad of tactical army guys) into a foreign country to retrieve a kidnapped person. That is, I think, possibly an act of war. Also I think if you are a parent who is still married to your spouse and you take your child to a foreign country, that's not really a kidnapping, because you're not violating any court orders (this can be illegal depending on state laws, but in general both parents have equal custody of their kids and can take them if they want). I'm also pretty sure that soldiers aren't allowed to just shoot US citizens in the US, even if they are "bad guys" (drug dealers--the morals of this book are extremely black and white). There are probably a few other war crimes committed; I stopped keeping track at some point.

Anyway, if you can't suspend your disbelief to get past those, this book doesn't really have much for you.
Profile Image for Ansu.
950 reviews19 followers
July 23, 2021
The beginning of this book was really very good until Maddox and River met up again.

I felt that Maddox took a back seat way way way in the back of this story!

I was expecting so much more from Maddox as he was supposed to be a Captain in the army and a supposed super badass - NOT!, he had no team back up unlike River.

I loved River's team and their dynamics. I will read more about them.

The reason why Maddox left River was superficial at best.

I just wanted more romance or the build up to their reconnection.

Action was good but the jungle one was an "REALLY - ARE YOU SERIOUS" moment for me!

Overall an okayish book.

Profile Image for Lisa.
1,501 reviews5 followers
July 9, 2024
This was an enjoyable book with a good blend of emotions, danger, passion, and love. Maddox and River loved each other as young men eight years ago. Then, Maddox broke up with River without giving a reason, breaking River's heart. Now, a family emergency has brought the two men back together again. Will they get their second chance at love when there are those who have brought danger to them? This book has a cast of friends, colleagues, and family. It also has unexpressed emotions, passion, and the love of a lifetime.
Profile Image for Terry-ann.
721 reviews
February 7, 2022
action packed

This is amazing, I enjoyed that from the start it was dropped into action after action. There are so many characters in here I can’t wait to know more about
Profile Image for Borderstar.
912 reviews17 followers
April 14, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up as it was quite fun and I didn't DNF it.

Fun little read - not too keen on the POV shifts. Everything was a bit OTT drama and unbelievable from a military procedure perspective. Plus it felt like the author was trying too hard to make everyone a BAMF. It was entertaining enough though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews

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