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Brantley Walker has dedicated his life to fighting for his country. Having given eighteen years to the US Navy, the last ten as a SEAL, the mission was the only thing he knew, the only thing that mattered. He never even considered what life would look like after the mission was over.

Until he’s forced to.

After spending months recovering from career-ending injuries, Brantley finds himself back in his hometown of Coyote Ridge, Texas. Now a permanent resident once again, with the full support of his family and friends, he sets forth to start over, forced to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, which, as it turns out, is far easier said than done.

Then the unthinkable happens.

When his cousin Travis’s daughter goes missing, Brantley puts himself right back in the action, partnering up with Reese Tavoularis to find the little girl and bring her back home where she belongs.

Along the way, Brantley and Reese end up immersed in another mission. Only this one results in a journey that takes them in a direction neither of them expected to go.


4,458 locations on Kindle.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2020

283 people are currently reading
1921 people want to read

About the author

Nicole Edwards

128 books6,070 followers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards spends her days stringing words together to make complete sentences. Sometimes not. Her best friend is coffee, and she has a love/hate relationship with sarcasm. She’s been accused of having a filthy imagination, which she admits is true.

Nicole lives in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. She proudly claims one husband, three grown children, and two bosses (better known as the dogs). When she isn’t writing, watching football or hockey, or keeping her bosses happy, you can probably find her with a book in hand.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
Profile Image for Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘.
1,314 reviews3,116 followers
June 17, 2020
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Not All That Bad*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

I had originally decided not to read this one after reading the blurb and some reviews. But then I came across someone who had written that one of the characters were straight and it's slow-burn and decided, why not just give it a go? The book itself wasn't all that bad. I had hoped that the main character would take longer before dipping into the lovers part, but overall, it was interesting and worth reading. I like the character, though I wanted the former military men to be more badass. Also the introduction to all the side characters were a bit too much. There was more focus on the cousin than for example the main characters family. Overall, I like it and will keep reading the series, though if I unsure if the story will keep me interested enough beyond book two... But I don't regret changing my mind about reading this one.

The Characters:
The list is long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.


“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m shitty date material,” Reese tossed out.
Brantley chuckled. “This a date?”
“No. I’m just tellin’ you why I’m still single.”
“I figured it was because you hadn’t found the right … person yet.”
To his surprise, Reese laughed at that.


Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Brantley ‘B’ Walker, I think.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes actually.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 3 stars.
Profile Image for *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time.
1,921 reviews3,721 followers
May 17, 2020
4.5 Stars!

Loved this one. Haven’t read a Nicole Edwards since I think Ethan so wasn’t sure what to expect.

Love that it’s GFY - been awhile since I’ve read a good one of those.

Thought the development was spot on. Liked the added “case” being solved.

Can’t wait for more.
Profile Image for Jewel.
1,948 reviews281 followers
May 15, 2021
It's been years since I've read this author. I had forgotten just how goddamn perfect everyone in the Walker sphere is. Sooo many gay and poly relationships in a small Texas town strains credulity, too. I want to believe; hell, I'd want to live there if it existed, but damn. The story was kind of interesting, I guess, but nothing particularly special. I'm hoping I'll like the next book a bit better with Brantley & Reese's relationship being more there (well, I hope it is) but we'll see. I'm just feeling a little culture shocked, I guess because too much perfection isn't really my jam these days.
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,545 reviews326 followers
July 15, 2020
This was the first book in a new series by one of my favorite authors the cover for this book is so lickable. Brantley Walker is a Walker cousin who has been medically discharged from the Navy after an op he and his seal team were on and it went bad. After being back in Coyote Ridge for four months he decided to hang with his cousins when he meets Reese Tavoularis who also is from the small town. These two strike up a friendship and after a few flirty comments turns into more. Brantley knows that it's something about the tall sexy man. Reese who is no stranger to bring around gay men he is the younger brother to Z from "Sniper 1 Security" and is gay. This was a good read I liked both of these characters. When Travis daughter is kidnapped Brantley and Reese agree to help find the little girl. Reese is just as taken with Brantley only he is straight but there is something about Brantley. This was a good read Brantley knows that he has to take it slow with Reese so he doesn't scare him off. In this book we also meet some knew characters Brantley has six other brothers and sisters we also meet his best friend Jessie James aka JJ who is a computer hacker. This was the first book in this series. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Renée.
1,182 reviews418 followers
May 24, 2020
3.5 stars

I enjoyed this and would've rounded up, had I not been disappointed that this is the beginning of the relationship with no HFN/HEA in sight. I didn't realize that going into the book.

I'll continue with the series though.
Profile Image for Jo * Smut-Dickted *.
2,038 reviews521 followers
August 23, 2020
3.5 Stars - I almost rounded down. Odd choice for some of the POV to have a non MC character - I didn't like it. It didn't resonate, I didn't know him and was not connected. It was, frankly, irritating. I'm sure he had his own book somewhere but honestly I didn't care much about him. There were a lot of secondary characters that probably are from other books. That's not my favorite thing in general because I hate to be forced to read in any order. This one felt a little too much connected honestly - maybe because I think I've read either none or maybe one or two. Also it felt slow in places - or maybe more it felt a bit repetitive. Some language I cannot see two guys saying to each other but the sex was hot and I did enjoy it was gradual.

The relationship between the two MC's lacked a bit of pizzaz and heat - but I saw potential. Slow burn does not equal lukewarm. What I liked was JJ and how she and Reese and Brantley worked together. Frankly I think I'm as invested to see what the barn ends up being and the new endeavor as I am about the relationship. I am interested in what they'll be doing and willing to give another chance.

Overall I will read the next - but I'm hoping for more intensity in the relationship and more talking.
Profile Image for AussieMum.
1,392 reviews55 followers
May 31, 2020
I really enjoyed this, it’s kind of one of those guilty pleasures to read. Everyone is perfectly imperfect, insanely rich and/or part of a extremely large family of characters, from other book series, who have access to anything and everyone as necessary to propel the plot. And this was done well, so rather than being overwhelming and corny, it was totally sexy and fun. This is OTT Alpha-led fiction that I can get on board with.

I liked Brantley and Reese. They were pretty honest and open with each other, they were good at their jobs and had none of those twitching dicks that get a lot of characters into trouble in other stories. Their slow burn to a tentative relationship was well-paced and sexy AF.
“All in,” Reese whispered. “That’s what I am, Brantley. With you … I want to be all in.”
There’s no real cliffhanger here, just a tiny break before the next phase of their work begins in the next book. The point they’re at in their relationship is satisfying for now and holds a whole lot of promise for their future. I’m glad there’s only a few weeks before I get to continue in with these guys. Any issues I had with this were minor and easily glossed over. I’m excited to see where this goes.
Profile Image for Christelle.
808 reviews
July 11, 2020
**3.5 stars**

Time for me to reconnect with Nicole Edwards, one of the authors who made me discover MM sexy romances.

I'm quite glad that I remember enough of all the Walkers characters (and a few others from other series) and that it didn't really matter if I didn't remember all of them : it's a spin-off but so far, it's disconnected enough that I didn't feel lost.

I quite enjoyed the MCs, the pace set for their attraction and the subplot. I was quite engaged so far and yes, I'm looking forward to see how Brantley and Reese will work on their relationship and how they will fare with their new business regarding these missing kids.

Good introduction for this series. I have good hope for the next part : fingers crossed !!!
Profile Image for ♡ cal ♡.
770 reviews352 followers
Read
March 6, 2021
DNF

I couldn’t bring myself to care for any of these people. I wish I have the patience all of you guys have.
Profile Image for Nadine Bookaholic.
3,732 reviews525 followers
May 14, 2020
WOW, what an introduction to the new series. SOOOOO much going on! I won't give any spoilers but it's plain to see that Travis' daughter Kate has gone missing from the synopsis so I'll tell you that when that happened even though I was prepared for it I was still a goner, I hate when anything happens to kids. So I was right there with the rest of the Walker family anxiously waiting for her return home.

You can see my full review here: bit.ly/NBReviewMAI

mission all in

Nadine's Obsessed with Books You can find me here:  https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
Profile Image for ♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️.
837 reviews69 followers
May 22, 2020
Overall book review: 4 Stars
Audio book: n/a
Book Cover: 4 hot stars
MC1: Brantley Walker
MC2: Reese Tavoularis


Man oh man did I love this book!!!!!

I have a thing for gay for you books because my first book into this new and wonderful world was gfy. I really can't wait for the next book!!!!!

Brantley Walker how I love his character charming and a bit pushy but never to much. He intrigues me and I thing we only discover a fraction of this charming man.

And then Reese Tavouloris Confused but interested this strange feelings and thoughts opens up a whole new world to him.... I really can't wait to see how these 2 work it all out and building layers on their friendship and love

I only see good and yummy things in the future from these two guys
Profile Image for Michael S..
161 reviews106 followers
May 25, 2020
I loved the premise but started inching towards the door after the halfway point, because I suspected that my favorite parts were already over.

Fans of Jocelynn Drake’s Unbreakable Bonds will probably enjoy this the most. My issues here are very similar to the ones I had with that series, but many people loved it when I did not, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from giving this a try.

The Good:

- Brantley in particular is very well done. Absolutely no problem conjuring a mental image to suit this fine, sweet, endearingly macho dude.

- Hot pairing that begins with solid sexual tension and doesn’t disappoint.

- Compelling conflict forces our boys together most conveniently.


The Less Good:

- Almost everyone is an unbelievably exceptional snowflake. Super hot, super rich, super skilled, and/or super influential. And super queer - it seems that almost half of the named characters (of which there are a good number) are in same-sex pairings, with three in a bisexual polyamorous marriage. That’s a whole lotta gay (bi/pan/demi/other?) for your average town, so it does strain credulity a tad when we’re already dealing with a varied cast that’s distinctive in so many other ways.

- Reese’s later (feeble) attempts to create distance didn’t ring true. I read them as gentle resistance inserted only to prevent the two of them from getting married and renting a U-Haul by the end of the penultimate chapter, hence preserving some relationship development for the next entry.

I had fun, but I’m undecided about continuing. Brantley is a strong character and easily my favorite thing about this series so far; I’m just not sure if my suspension of disbelief can handle the other story elements.
Profile Image for Myriam.
380 reviews68 followers
May 23, 2020
This was the best relationship development I have read in... I can't even remember the last I read a relationship that developed this organically and believably. I had sort of gotten used to the fact that if you want to read M/M you just have to deal with Instalove, Instalust, Instaeverything. Well, nope. I am off that train again and will DNF and rate accordingly again. Nicole Edwards proves it can be done and I am DONE accepting sub-par when I know more is possible.

The first 40% of the book are slow. But then when the plot and the romance pick up in the latter half you realise that without all the groundwork laid before nothing of what happens later would have the same impact. Reese and Brantley go from a believable friendship with some mutual attraction to something more in just the right pace and wow, the smut gets increasingly hotter and steamier the longer it goes on. Also the fact that this is GFY? The icing on the cake and the way it is handled here is *chef's kiss*.

Now, I do have some criticisms. Once more this a stealth spin-off of the author's other series. Apparently she has been writing about the Walkers for a while and a lot of the other characters show up in this story. Since I am not into M/F or M/M/F I have no desire to check them out and I could have done without that. Then again, the plot kind of hinges on their involvement so was I able to skip most of the case and enjoy the story I was promised in the summary.

I am absolutely All In on this series :)
Profile Image for Bex.
166 reviews7 followers
June 9, 2020
Writing and story alright, but more than a few niggles. Spelling mistakes. A gazillion side characters that come from multiple related series (definitely didn't read like the first in a series / a standalone). Brantley's weird preoccupation with the past incident between JJ / Dante (domestic violence is AWFUL but the way it was written makes it sound like (this single incident) went both ways. DV against men is real too, whether M/M or M/F).
Profile Image for Erin Lewis.
6,257 reviews219 followers
May 6, 2020
5 Star Review Mission: All In (Brantley Walker: Off The Books #1) by Nicole Edwards
Book one in an exciting new series from Nicole Edwards and I simply could not put it down. I am so loving the direction she is going with this book. From chapter one, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, I simply had to know what was going to happen.

Brantley Walker is at a crossroads with his life after a career ending injury has forced him to retire from being a Navy Seal and return to Coyote Ridge. Brantley is attracted to Reese Tavoularis but he knows that the man is straight, or is he?

When Brantley’s cousin Travis’s daughter disappears, Brantley and Reese volunteer to help locate her. With the help of Brantley’s best friend JJ, they will do what it takes to find Katie and bring her back to her family.

This book was smoking hot, add in the suspense which is extremely well written and I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book. You cannot help but become invested as Ms. Edwards wove so many twists and turns into the story.

There is also a great deal of emotion within Brantley’s story as he and Reese embark on a journey of self discovery (mainly for Reese), some steamy MM scenes and of course the appearance of numerous Walkers.

All in all a captivating read and I cannot wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Quaint.
128 reviews17 followers
September 24, 2020
Honestly, I had been putting this book off for a while until I decided against it. Here I am, glad that I finally gave this a shot. I did not expect much out of this book. OH! how seriously wrong I was at that.
this first book gave me all the feels, sensations, and taste. I can chronically lay it out for you.
1. Bitter... not very pleasant. a bit boring because it gave you the storyline. Also, Brantley was drawn to Reese but he was straight. * for a while*
2. Hesitant....Reese, your typical straight guy, was struggling to come to terms with his new passion and burning interest. lingering stares and not-so-subtle ogling.
3. Sweet... oh! Reese took a jump and was now in dangerous territory and he welcomed it. the banter and flirt intensified. Plus, Reese was so sweet like his name implied. * I have an incorrigible thing for straddling, and their sex delivered*

Not the best among others, but worth exploring.
Profile Image for Isa Tis.
612 reviews10 followers
June 6, 2020
Bof...

Un peu perdue avec tous les personnages sachant qu'il s'agit d'un spin-off; une l'intrigue que je n'ai pas vraiment trouvé passionnante ; les héros manquent pour moi de personnalité et de charisme.
Le GFY est un thème sympa (même si ce n'est pas très crédible, il faut être honnête), c'est plutôt bien mené, un vrai slow-burn où les personnages avancent pas à pas mais j'avais hâte de passer à autre chose.
La couverture est très sexy, mais cette romance n'est absolument pas hot, alors oui on a des scènes intimes mais cela reste léger (ce qui colle à l'histoire !).

Je ne sais pas si je lirai la suite, mon temps est tellement précieux que je ne peux pas me permettre de m'égarer dans des lectures moyennes, on verra !
Profile Image for BevS.
2,858 reviews2 followers
May 23, 2020
4.25 stars. Liked the two big Alpha male MC's, hope Reese doesn't go back on his word [and have to admit I've never heard of that weird first name Brantley before...is it a Texan thing?]. Was completely gobsmacked by the sheer number of relatives involved in the story...never having read any of Nicole Edwards' work previously, but of course throw in a missing/kidnapped child, and I'm pretty much putty in an author's hands. Book two Mission: Without a Trace is already on pre-order.
Profile Image for Rochelle.
1,644 reviews
May 17, 2020
Book 1 in a new series by Nicole Edwards and I was all in for it. M/M romance that was full of steam, suspense, action and so much more. The chemistry and attraction between Brantley and Reese was so good. Reese had a lot of self-discovery in this story because he was straight and not sure why he was attracted to a man but Nicole did a great job bringing them together. Loved this story and I was hooked from page one and didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next in this series.

I read an early review copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for kelsie ♡.
337 reviews18 followers
May 19, 2020
I enjoyed this one a lot, and honestly wish it was a little longer so we could’ve gotten more relationship development. I found all of the side characters a little hard to keep straight, but it wasn’t a big deal. I haven’t read a good GFY in a minute so that was a nice bonus. Looking forward the the next one!
Profile Image for AliciaJ.
1,333 reviews113 followers
April 24, 2022
This was my first Nicole Edwards book, and for the most part it was really good. I did feel like it dragged a bit in some parts, but I really did like Brantley and Reese and thought that they had good chemistry. I am interested in finding out what happens next with them so I'll be looking for the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Ash.
887 reviews7 followers
August 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this at first, the couple were really interesting. I was having a good time until the missing girl part of the book started. I didn’t like that the family went off on their own and didn’t involve the police at all. it was dumb and made no sense that they magically had all these connections and resources and ugh.

this novel (despite being listed as first in the series) actually seems to be part of much wider series. this would normally be fine but it felt like every single character from the other series was mentioned, there was just so much name dropping. a tonne made appearances; there were just so. many. characters. there were even some small chapters from one of these random other characters POV! I haven’t read any of the other books so I just didn’t care. I didn’t like how the book ended with a taskforce or whatever being introduced so I won’t be picking up more of this series.
Profile Image for Read-A-Book Everyday Reviews!!!.
512 reviews3 followers
May 7, 2020
Aleksanr Voinov’s book Special Forces was one of the best and first mm romance books I read. It holds a special place in my heart and I have FINALLY found another of its caliber. Brantley and Reese have stolen my heart and ran away with it!

Brantley was a SEAL and lived for his country. He always assumed it would be his duty until he died for his country but things didn’t go as planned for him, as they rarely do. When he gets injured on a special op, he has the choice of either doing desk work or going back to civilian life. He moves back to Coyote Ridge, where his family and friends are but he is lonely. He feels out of place back in the civilian world. He finds his best friend JJ from childhood and they end up spending a lot of time together, along with a very interesting man named Curtis, whom I cannot wait to find out more about.
When Brantley meets the hottest man in town, Reese, he finds it unfortunate that the man is straight.
Reese and him keep bumping into each other all around town, and Reese even has eyes for JJ. When a family member’s five year old daughter goes missing, he and Reese both get the call from Travis and decide to go find her together. Along the way, Brantley wins over Reese’s heart. He has become his best friend and he is so nice to look at. Reese can’t understand why he keeps noticing Brantley’s alpha physique. The things he said and does burn Reese’s skin in a good way.
Can he resist the man that he cant stop thinking about or will he just give in because they both knows he wants to, even though he has never even looked at another man before.

Brantley and Reese are both tall, dark, and badass. Reese is actually a very straight man, he even tells Brantley several times and Brantley knows, agrees, and won’t push him. It is so hot to watch the chemistry unfold between these two. Probably the hottest damn book I’ve ever read. I was on fire with these two. I cannot WAIT for book two to see them delve more deeply into their tentative relationship and go on more missions!
Mission: All In was a 5 star book and baby, I am ALL IN for the rest of their series!
Profile Image for Jackie Wright.
6,584 reviews135 followers
May 9, 2020
What a fantastic start to the new Off the Books Series, If Mission : All In (Brantley Walker) is anything to go by Ms Edwards will have another hit series on her hands. This book captivated from the first line to the last word, it’s exciting, it’s great writing and it’s has wonderful characters old and new.
Brantley Walker is back in Coyote Ridge trying to work out what to do with his life, an injury forced his early retirement from the Navy Seals team and he is at a crossroads with his career and his personal life. Brantley finds himself attracted to the smouldering Reese Tavoularis but as far as anyone knows Reese is straight.....
This book has so many twists and turns and I’m sure like me you will be on the edge of your seat as you get reacquainted with the Walker family, Brantley may be a cousin we have not met before but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t carry all those Walker traits like stepping up when Travis’s daughter goes missing and with his friend JJ and Reese as they embark on mission to track her down. This book is only the beginning of Brantley and Reeses’s story and I can’t wait to see where we are taken in the next instalment of Off the Books. Highly recommend this gem of a read.
Profile Image for Sherry Hassanali.
388 reviews13 followers
December 14, 2021
I like the mcs well enough but the POVs from couple of side characters prevented me from making a solid connection with Brantley and Rees.

Another thing is that Brantley has a frequent fwb with his friend Cyrus and it's mentioned multiple times. I don't like it when my mcs have sex with anyone but each other even if it is before anything happens between them. It always makes me put up a wall between myself and the characters.

Anyways, ima go on to the next book but hopefully I'll enjoy it much more than this one because I can definitely see the potential. Maybe I'll skip the POVs from side characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lora.
1,330 reviews10 followers
May 14, 2020
Damn....just Damn....I really like Reese and Brantley. Yummo. Can't wait to hear more of thier story.
Profile Image for Staci.
445 reviews
May 21, 2020
4.5 stars Damn I love the Walker family! These two were sizzling once they decided to try and see where things would go. Can't wait for the next book.
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