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Out for Justice #1
Ricochet
WITSEC victim Noah Bradford knows secrets that could get him killed, and staying hidden seems like a good plan. What he didn’t plan on is losing his heart to a man who is sworn to protect him.
Battle scarred US Marshal Robert “Mac” Mackenzie has a job to do, and guaranteeing the safety of Noah Bradford is at the top of that list. Mac will do whatever it takes to keep Noah safe, even if it means walking away.
Mac and Noah, brought together during extreme circumstances, have been separated by evil. It's been six years, give or take, and Noah is coming for vengeance against the men who killed his mother. He's on a collision course with Mac, who has no idea of the man Noah has become. Sparks fly and the heat sizzles when these two powerful men are reunited, but will they survive the passion the past created?
Battle scarred US Marshal Robert “Mac” Mackenzie has a job to do, and guaranteeing the safety of Noah Bradford is at the top of that list. Mac will do whatever it takes to keep Noah safe, even if it means walking away.
Mac and Noah, brought together during extreme circumstances, have been separated by evil. It's been six years, give or take, and Noah is coming for vengeance against the men who killed his mother. He's on a collision course with Mac, who has no idea of the man Noah has become. Sparks fly and the heat sizzles when these two powerful men are reunited, but will they survive the passion the past created?
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2018
385 people are currently reading
898 people want to read
About the author
Reese Knightley
55 books588 followersReese 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
November 7, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I only just now found out that this is a debut novel by this author, so I am doubly impressed. The book was fast-paced with diverse characters both MC and secondary, the writing style was fresh and easy to read, the editing was good too. I love the stories where MCs reunite after some passage of time, so this one was just what the doctor ordered. I read it in one swoop, just could not put it down, and that does not happened all that often.
Both Noah and Mac are very likeable and approachable. During their first meeting they create a bond that puts them on the path of love but it will take time, some serious growing up and soul-searching for these two men to finally be happy. Noah is a remarkable young man. He turned his traumatic past and his rage into a lethal weapon that made a difference in the world. He became confident, strong and loyal to his new family. There are many secrets yet to be uncovered, there is still a need for revenge and Noah is ready.
Mac is a man of integrity and honor, and that made him walk away from Noah. He thought he had many reasons to keep distance but when night came and he felt truly alone he questioned them all, and wondered if the choice he made was right after all. But Fate works in mysterious ways and these two men are thrown into each other's orbit. They are both different yet the love between them is still the same - strong and passionate, and they will stop at nothing to reach for their happy ever after.
With traitors and cops on the take in every corner, bullets flying and people getting hurt Noah and Mac have to not only survive but finally cut the head of the snake. They love, they fight and they come out victorious on the other side. Some questions are answered, more secrets and lies are unveiled, friends and allies come together and create even bigger family, full of love and laughter. I love every character in this book - they were diverse, smart and not stereotyped, very good female role models too with plenty sass and attitude, male characters were fun and showing their feelings, the book was filled with humor and sarcasm, so I had a wonderful time! I highly recommend it!
Both Noah and Mac are very likeable and approachable. During their first meeting they create a bond that puts them on the path of love but it will take time, some serious growing up and soul-searching for these two men to finally be happy. Noah is a remarkable young man. He turned his traumatic past and his rage into a lethal weapon that made a difference in the world. He became confident, strong and loyal to his new family. There are many secrets yet to be uncovered, there is still a need for revenge and Noah is ready.
Mac is a man of integrity and honor, and that made him walk away from Noah. He thought he had many reasons to keep distance but when night came and he felt truly alone he questioned them all, and wondered if the choice he made was right after all. But Fate works in mysterious ways and these two men are thrown into each other's orbit. They are both different yet the love between them is still the same - strong and passionate, and they will stop at nothing to reach for their happy ever after.
With traitors and cops on the take in every corner, bullets flying and people getting hurt Noah and Mac have to not only survive but finally cut the head of the snake. They love, they fight and they come out victorious on the other side. Some questions are answered, more secrets and lies are unveiled, friends and allies come together and create even bigger family, full of love and laughter. I love every character in this book - they were diverse, smart and not stereotyped, very good female role models too with plenty sass and attitude, male characters were fun and showing their feelings, the book was filled with humor and sarcasm, so I had a wonderful time! I highly recommend it!
July 10, 2018
3.5*
This is an impressive debut and there are lots of very good things going on and I enjoyed it.
But, it's also a bit busy, there are lots of characters being introduced as it's the first book in a series, and there's some huge time jumps at the beginning which didn't work as well for me.
It also, again for me personally, lacked a bit of interaction between Noah and Mac in the earliest part of the narrative which would have given a strong foundation for why they were so apparently in love with each other.
I took a while to buy into this all-encompassing emotional connection they'd supposedly gained during Noah's time in WITSEC because we're were just told it, not shown it.
However, once the plot hit the present day, it really picked up into a very well done FBI/criminal procedural with an element of romantic suspense.
There's probably still a few too many loose ends left dangling even though it's only book one, but there's no cliffhanger and the villains of this particular piece are concluded with.
Mistakes are few and far between, it's pretty well edited except for a bit of overuse of the phrase "the man" instead of using their name. It drives me nuts but that's my own personal quirk and I'm sure others won't care at all!
Lots of potential pairings are left on the table for further books and it looks like there will be a main series storyline running through alongside each book's plot.
I'm looking forward to more.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This is an impressive debut and there are lots of very good things going on and I enjoyed it.
But, it's also a bit busy, there are lots of characters being introduced as it's the first book in a series, and there's some huge time jumps at the beginning which didn't work as well for me.
It also, again for me personally, lacked a bit of interaction between Noah and Mac in the earliest part of the narrative which would have given a strong foundation for why they were so apparently in love with each other.
I took a while to buy into this all-encompassing emotional connection they'd supposedly gained during Noah's time in WITSEC because we're were just told it, not shown it.
However, once the plot hit the present day, it really picked up into a very well done FBI/criminal procedural with an element of romantic suspense.
There's probably still a few too many loose ends left dangling even though it's only book one, but there's no cliffhanger and the villains of this particular piece are concluded with.
Mistakes are few and far between, it's pretty well edited except for a bit of overuse of the phrase "the man" instead of using their name. It drives me nuts but that's my own personal quirk and I'm sure others won't care at all!
Lots of potential pairings are left on the table for further books and it looks like there will be a main series storyline running through alongside each book's plot.
I'm looking forward to more.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
February 13, 2019
DNF @ 6%.
This book is already jumping from one scene to the next... and it feels like there are scenes missing in between. It's very disjointed and I'm not willing to read any further to see if it gets any better.
P.S. You can kill as many people in as many ways as you want in a book, but I don't want to read about dogs being killed.
This book is already jumping from one scene to the next... and it feels like there are scenes missing in between. It's very disjointed and I'm not willing to read any further to see if it gets any better.
P.S. You can kill as many people in as many ways as you want in a book, but I don't want to read about dogs being killed.
September 4, 2022
Whilst I much prefer time jumps to flashbacks, I need to have the details to cover the time jumps. This was lacking in places. I still overall enjoyed it and went on to read the author's entire back list whilst I was poorly.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
July 28, 2018
4 Pleasantly Surprised Stars
I really enjoyed this book by a debut author. I loved the characters and the action too. It was paced really well, imo. It was a great combination. There was a trigger warning for abuse in the beginning that I appreciated. The prologue was pretty hard to stomach, but th a thankfully the abuse wasn't on page for too long. There were some circumstances I wish were elaborated on and expanded. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and CAN'T wait for more. The author introduced quite a few unique characters, and I'm intrigued and excited for their stories!
I really enjoyed this book by a debut author. I loved the characters and the action too. It was paced really well, imo. It was a great combination. There was a trigger warning for abuse in the beginning that I appreciated. The prologue was pretty hard to stomach, but th a thankfully the abuse wasn't on page for too long. There were some circumstances I wish were elaborated on and expanded. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and CAN'T wait for more. The author introduced quite a few unique characters, and I'm intrigued and excited for their stories!
November 13, 2018
The idea of this book was compelling, but the execution was lacking.
- There was far too much tell and not enough show. For instance, readers are *told* one of our primary protagonists is a martial arts expert and an experienced operative, but I was never really *shown* those skills in action to convince me he was actually as skilled and dangerous as the author repeatedly pronounced.
- After a seven-year absence, I felt their reunion was far too swift. And all the lovey-dovey stuff bordered on nauseatingly sweet.
- The time-jumps were SO frustrating. Took me out of the story more than once. Felt like lazy writing.
- Overall, the writing was fairly good but felt sophomoric at times. I'm hoping with time the author comes into her own and demonstrates a smoother, more mature style.
- I have a personal beef about authors who cite gaming in their stories but were too lazy to actually research the lore and mechanics. As an example taken from this book... in World of Warcraft there are no player battleships for other players to sink. Ugh!
I'm done with the series.
- There was far too much tell and not enough show. For instance, readers are *told* one of our primary protagonists is a martial arts expert and an experienced operative, but I was never really *shown* those skills in action to convince me he was actually as skilled and dangerous as the author repeatedly pronounced.
- After a seven-year absence, I felt their reunion was far too swift. And all the lovey-dovey stuff bordered on nauseatingly sweet.
- The time-jumps were SO frustrating. Took me out of the story more than once. Felt like lazy writing.
- Overall, the writing was fairly good but felt sophomoric at times. I'm hoping with time the author comes into her own and demonstrates a smoother, more mature style.
- I have a personal beef about authors who cite gaming in their stories but were too lazy to actually research the lore and mechanics. As an example taken from this book... in World of Warcraft there are no player battleships for other players to sink. Ugh!
I'm done with the series.
August 9, 2019
I loved this ! Pace, emotion and a fabulous connection between Noah & Mac.
March 1, 2020
I'm not a fan of the writing style, but I enjoyed the story more or less.
The little time jumps were annoying. The relationship development was off for me.
Overall it's a nice enough debut novel, the action scenes were great.
The little time jumps were annoying. The relationship development was off for me.
Overall it's a nice enough debut novel, the action scenes were great.
April 11, 2024
I've given this a B- for narration and a D for content at AudioGals, so I suppose it's technically 3 stars, but I can't bring myself to round it up because the story is so poor.
I liked the sound of Ricochet, the first in new-to-me author Reese Knightley’s Out for Justice series of romantic suspense novels featuring a team of elite operatives known as Phoenix. I hadn’t, when I requested the title, realised it was the author’s début book – not that I have anything against first-time authors, in fact, I’ve found some terrific stories and authors to look out for by reading or listening to débuts – but sadly, this author and this book don’t fall into that category. The story itself feels like a bare-bones outline that needs a lot of fleshing out; there are elements of the storytelling that just don’t work, the characterisation is thin, there’s way too much telling and not enough showing, and the writing itself is distinctly average and could have used a good editor to weed out the annoying repetitions and overblown, clichéd phrases.
Seventeen-year-old Noah Bradford is inducted into the Witness Protection Program after he and his best friend Jenny are rescued from the compound belonging to Terrance Manning, the vicious criminal who murdered Noah’s mother. For reasons we don’t learn until much later, Manning was intent on grooming Noah to be his second-in-command and eventual successor, but rather than treating him as some sort of favourite, he instead tried to crush Noah – in both body and spirit – at every opportunity. During the raid on the compound by the FBI, police and US Marshals, Noah is found by Marshal Rob Mackenzie (Mac) and helped to safety. Neither Manning nor his chief henchman – Noah’s stepfather – are to be found; they’ve managed to get away.
Fast forward two years to Jenny’s funeral (we’re later told she was found and killed by one of Manning’s men, but it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it revelation) and we learn that Noah and Mac become close during those two years – or I should say, we’re told that’s the case, but we never actually see anything of this closeness or get a sense of the attraction that’s (supposedly) been growing between them during that time (by which Noah is nineteen going on twenty). Mac, who realises he’s falling hard for Noah, decides he should make a clean break and leaves, but I couldn’t quite fathom his reasons for this; he was worried about their nine-year age gap (that was mentioned a lot) and his last boyfriend was a total shit, but that’s all I can really remember. I can’t recall any mention of the fact that in witness protection, Noah was supposed to be someone else with no ties to his past, which I’d have thought would have been the biggest bar to a relationship between them.
Anyway. Fast forward another five-and-a-bit years, and we discover Noah has become one of the world’s biggest bad-asses in the history of bad-assery and now works for a sooper-sekrit but government sanctioned black ops organisation known as Phoenix, that specialises in cleaning up domestic and international messes that the various alphabet-soup agencies can’t touch. When Mac left – which Noah is still pissed about – another Marshal was assigned to Noah, and she’s one of the few people to know that Noah left WitSec to join Phoenix. When she’s killed by Manning’s men – clearly signalling that there’s a mole somewhere in the Marshals’ office – the search for her killer, the mole and Manning (eventually) brings Mac and Noah back into each other’s orbits – and Noah’s desire to get answers and to turn the tables on Mac by making him remember their connection and then abandoning him lasts for all of five seconds before they’re declaring their luuurve for each other, which has somehow survived despite their not having seen or heard from each other for six years. I know this is supposed to be romantic, but given there was absolutely NO connection built between them in the first place it was, quite frankly, ridiculous.
The complete lack of emotional connection between the two leads is going to be the biggest flaw in any story that purports to be romantic, but this book is also beset by a number of other problems in its execution. The time-jumps were frustrating and the quick summaries of what happened during that time felt like lazy writing, and the characterisation is flat and uninteresting, so I was bored by the sections dealing with cat-and-mouse game (at least that’s what I think it was supposed to be) as Mac hunted for Noah because I simply wasn’t invested in either of them as individuals. We’re told about Noah’s training, we’re told he’s a ruthless bastard, but aren’t shown any of those things. We’re told about his and Mac’s feelings for one another, but we don’t see them develop and they have as much chemistry as cold porridge. One of my biggest beefs, though, is something which stood out like the proverbial sore thumb; the author’s frequent and extremely repetitive use of “the man”. It’s as though she has an aversion to the use of “him” or “his” (or a name); I realise that juggling names and pronouns can be tricky when you’re writing a same-sex couple, but this happened SO OFTEN that it annoyed the crap outta me.
“Noah shivered, and the man reached over the crank up the heater.”
“Mac drew in a breath and met Noah’s gaze when the man laced their fingers together.”
“The weariness in Mac’s voice drew Noah’s fingers gently through the man’s silky hair… ” [Huh? A voice can move his fingers?]
I realise those examples alone are sort of okay, but over and over and over again for almost NINE hours? No. Did this book even have an editor?
*takes deep breath*.
Okay, so on to the narration. Tristan James makes a valiant attempt to inject some sort of life into the story, but even a performer as experienced as he is can’t make a silk purse… His pacing is fine, he assigns clearly different tones of voice to Mac and Noah, making Noah’s voice slightly higher pitched to show his relative youth when we first meet him and lowering it later on. There are quite a few secondary characters in the story, most of them members of Phoenix, and Mr. James differentiates clearly between them so it’s easy to tell there are conversations taking place between groups of characters – although I couldn’t swear that I’d be able to identify which character was which because their appearances are brief and none was especially memorable. His delivery is smooth, and there’s humour in his voice when called for (which is woefully infrequently) but I’m afraid accents aren’t his forte. One of the main secondary characters – Noah’s boss – is (I think) Italian and has some fairly long stretches of dialogue, and another (female) character uses a French accent on several occasions – and sadly neither was particularly accurate or well-sustained. Props to him though, for managing to utter some of the ridiculously syrupy dialogue and performing the sex scenes – which are boring and devoid of heat – while (presumably) keeping a straight face.
There are way better m/m romantic suspense titles out there than this one. Do yourself a favour and go and listen to one of those instead.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
I liked the sound of Ricochet, the first in new-to-me author Reese Knightley’s Out for Justice series of romantic suspense novels featuring a team of elite operatives known as Phoenix. I hadn’t, when I requested the title, realised it was the author’s début book – not that I have anything against first-time authors, in fact, I’ve found some terrific stories and authors to look out for by reading or listening to débuts – but sadly, this author and this book don’t fall into that category. The story itself feels like a bare-bones outline that needs a lot of fleshing out; there are elements of the storytelling that just don’t work, the characterisation is thin, there’s way too much telling and not enough showing, and the writing itself is distinctly average and could have used a good editor to weed out the annoying repetitions and overblown, clichéd phrases.
Seventeen-year-old Noah Bradford is inducted into the Witness Protection Program after he and his best friend Jenny are rescued from the compound belonging to Terrance Manning, the vicious criminal who murdered Noah’s mother. For reasons we don’t learn until much later, Manning was intent on grooming Noah to be his second-in-command and eventual successor, but rather than treating him as some sort of favourite, he instead tried to crush Noah – in both body and spirit – at every opportunity. During the raid on the compound by the FBI, police and US Marshals, Noah is found by Marshal Rob Mackenzie (Mac) and helped to safety. Neither Manning nor his chief henchman – Noah’s stepfather – are to be found; they’ve managed to get away.
Fast forward two years to Jenny’s funeral (we’re later told she was found and killed by one of Manning’s men, but it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it revelation) and we learn that Noah and Mac become close during those two years – or I should say, we’re told that’s the case, but we never actually see anything of this closeness or get a sense of the attraction that’s (supposedly) been growing between them during that time (by which Noah is nineteen going on twenty). Mac, who realises he’s falling hard for Noah, decides he should make a clean break and leaves, but I couldn’t quite fathom his reasons for this; he was worried about their nine-year age gap (that was mentioned a lot) and his last boyfriend was a total shit, but that’s all I can really remember. I can’t recall any mention of the fact that in witness protection, Noah was supposed to be someone else with no ties to his past, which I’d have thought would have been the biggest bar to a relationship between them.
Anyway. Fast forward another five-and-a-bit years, and we discover Noah has become one of the world’s biggest bad-asses in the history of bad-assery and now works for a sooper-sekrit but government sanctioned black ops organisation known as Phoenix, that specialises in cleaning up domestic and international messes that the various alphabet-soup agencies can’t touch. When Mac left – which Noah is still pissed about – another Marshal was assigned to Noah, and she’s one of the few people to know that Noah left WitSec to join Phoenix. When she’s killed by Manning’s men – clearly signalling that there’s a mole somewhere in the Marshals’ office – the search for her killer, the mole and Manning (eventually) brings Mac and Noah back into each other’s orbits – and Noah’s desire to get answers and to turn the tables on Mac by making him remember their connection and then abandoning him lasts for all of five seconds before they’re declaring their luuurve for each other, which has somehow survived despite their not having seen or heard from each other for six years. I know this is supposed to be romantic, but given there was absolutely NO connection built between them in the first place it was, quite frankly, ridiculous.
The complete lack of emotional connection between the two leads is going to be the biggest flaw in any story that purports to be romantic, but this book is also beset by a number of other problems in its execution. The time-jumps were frustrating and the quick summaries of what happened during that time felt like lazy writing, and the characterisation is flat and uninteresting, so I was bored by the sections dealing with cat-and-mouse game (at least that’s what I think it was supposed to be) as Mac hunted for Noah because I simply wasn’t invested in either of them as individuals. We’re told about Noah’s training, we’re told he’s a ruthless bastard, but aren’t shown any of those things. We’re told about his and Mac’s feelings for one another, but we don’t see them develop and they have as much chemistry as cold porridge. One of my biggest beefs, though, is something which stood out like the proverbial sore thumb; the author’s frequent and extremely repetitive use of “the man”. It’s as though she has an aversion to the use of “him” or “his” (or a name); I realise that juggling names and pronouns can be tricky when you’re writing a same-sex couple, but this happened SO OFTEN that it annoyed the crap outta me.
“Noah shivered, and the man reached over the crank up the heater.”
“Mac drew in a breath and met Noah’s gaze when the man laced their fingers together.”
“The weariness in Mac’s voice drew Noah’s fingers gently through the man’s silky hair… ” [Huh? A voice can move his fingers?]
I realise those examples alone are sort of okay, but over and over and over again for almost NINE hours? No. Did this book even have an editor?
*takes deep breath*.
Okay, so on to the narration. Tristan James makes a valiant attempt to inject some sort of life into the story, but even a performer as experienced as he is can’t make a silk purse… His pacing is fine, he assigns clearly different tones of voice to Mac and Noah, making Noah’s voice slightly higher pitched to show his relative youth when we first meet him and lowering it later on. There are quite a few secondary characters in the story, most of them members of Phoenix, and Mr. James differentiates clearly between them so it’s easy to tell there are conversations taking place between groups of characters – although I couldn’t swear that I’d be able to identify which character was which because their appearances are brief and none was especially memorable. His delivery is smooth, and there’s humour in his voice when called for (which is woefully infrequently) but I’m afraid accents aren’t his forte. One of the main secondary characters – Noah’s boss – is (I think) Italian and has some fairly long stretches of dialogue, and another (female) character uses a French accent on several occasions – and sadly neither was particularly accurate or well-sustained. Props to him though, for managing to utter some of the ridiculously syrupy dialogue and performing the sex scenes – which are boring and devoid of heat – while (presumably) keeping a straight face.
There are way better m/m romantic suspense titles out there than this one. Do yourself a favour and go and listen to one of those instead.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
November 24, 2018
Promising
A respectable start for a debut novel set to become a series. I liked Mac’s character and Noah’s and there were many secondary characters introduced along the way that show signs of being intriguing. I did enjoy the beginning the most up to the transition where Mac and Noah parted ways, as it was awkward. I’d rather have had the action scene and Mac’s crisis of conscience shown in real time. The story then moves forward rather abruptly to present time and Noah has become a secret government operative. He’s out for revenge and wants to see Mac but hasn’t entirely forgiven him for leaving.
The author has a story arc starting, I think, with connections from this book carrying over to the next. Hopefully the narratives will become smoother in the future but the plot was interesting, if choppy in execution (no pun intended). The heat level is moderate, sex scenes aren’t exactly inspired and don’t occur until late in the story. Some better editing/proofing of the manuscript would be helpful but it was not bad overall. I was never tempted to quit reading and it maintained my interest. I’ll read the next one because I’m hopeful I’ll see the offerings improving with time and more experience.
Edit: I upped my rating because it seemed to read more smoothly this time. It could have just been something with me the first time. 3.5 stars
A respectable start for a debut novel set to become a series. I liked Mac’s character and Noah’s and there were many secondary characters introduced along the way that show signs of being intriguing. I did enjoy the beginning the most up to the transition where Mac and Noah parted ways, as it was awkward. I’d rather have had the action scene and Mac’s crisis of conscience shown in real time. The story then moves forward rather abruptly to present time and Noah has become a secret government operative. He’s out for revenge and wants to see Mac but hasn’t entirely forgiven him for leaving.
The author has a story arc starting, I think, with connections from this book carrying over to the next. Hopefully the narratives will become smoother in the future but the plot was interesting, if choppy in execution (no pun intended). The heat level is moderate, sex scenes aren’t exactly inspired and don’t occur until late in the story. Some better editing/proofing of the manuscript would be helpful but it was not bad overall. I was never tempted to quit reading and it maintained my interest. I’ll read the next one because I’m hopeful I’ll see the offerings improving with time and more experience.
Edit: I upped my rating because it seemed to read more smoothly this time. It could have just been something with me the first time. 3.5 stars
August 27, 2023
If Cut & Run got in bed with Zero at the Bone - this book would be the resulting baby.
I feel like I should have enjoyed this story way more than I actually did. I think it was because
a. the author overplays the MCs awesomeness. Like e.g. if speaking 4 languages at the age of 15 is a sign of a genius intelligence, then half of the teens in my country with a goal for higher education would be considered at Einsteins level.
b. many plot points seemed unlikely to me.
c. I have a strong personal dislike of all stories in which the MCs meet and feel attraction while one of them is an adult and the other a minor. It just feels icky.
d. the story drags along at times
e. too many characters
Despite that "Ricochet" wasn't really a bad book - it just met one of my total dislikes and it wasn't all that it could have been. Still - I can feel the potential of the author and will likely continue the series.
I feel like I should have enjoyed this story way more than I actually did. I think it was because
a. the author overplays the MCs awesomeness. Like e.g. if speaking 4 languages at the age of 15 is a sign of a genius intelligence, then half of the teens in my country with a goal for higher education would be considered at Einsteins level.
b. many plot points seemed unlikely to me.
c. I have a strong personal dislike of all stories in which the MCs meet and feel attraction while one of them is an adult and the other a minor. It just feels icky.
d. the story drags along at times
e. too many characters
Despite that "Ricochet" wasn't really a bad book - it just met one of my total dislikes and it wasn't all that it could have been. Still - I can feel the potential of the author and will likely continue the series.
July 9, 2018
New Author. First Book. Self Published. = Surprisingly good story with decent editing. (thanks KU, it makes taking a chance on these a lot easier). I am impressed. The story was a spook/fed crime drama with engaging characters and a mostly not impossible but not likely either plot that engaged me from the beginning. I don't think you could call this original but it didn't feel stale. A lot of it was predictable and it had a glaring problem with the whole "Ben" character and his longevity and improbable relationships that kept him in Mac's orbit but overall, it was a quality book worth sinking into.
It was long enough and wide enough in its scope that it managed to introduce a lot of side characters with their own personalities and stories to tell that I'm sure we will get a chance to meet and I'm looking forward to that. After having Noah and Mac introduce everyone though and the whole "chief" issue coming up, any future stories that don't significantly move us forward in their lives is probably going to feel incomplete. I don't think you can do this series now and cut us off from Noah and Mac in large parts without readers taking note and missing them.
It was long enough and wide enough in its scope that it managed to introduce a lot of side characters with their own personalities and stories to tell that I'm sure we will get a chance to meet and I'm looking forward to that. After having Noah and Mac introduce everyone though and the whole "chief" issue coming up, any future stories that don't significantly move us forward in their lives is probably going to feel incomplete. I don't think you can do this series now and cut us off from Noah and Mac in large parts without readers taking note and missing them.
August 7, 2021
This is quite a fast pace and action packed book. In the beginning when US Marshals Mac saved the teenage Noah from a drug kingpin, they formed a strong connection.
They had to endure 5 years of separation due to circumstances, which really helps to let Noah grow and become this deadly operative of some secretive government agency.
While I find the 20% of the story with them being separated a tad draggy because I was flipping pages wanting to see them reunited, once the book hit halfway and Mac found Noah again, I was riveted. They definitely picked up where they left off instantly and there are so much love between them. I like that there are no hesitation on their part at all. They have wasted too much time to deny each other again.
Mac was surprised to find out that Noah is now such a badass agent and together they work together to take down the elusive baddie that evaded captured all those years ago. As I said this book is action packed, actually more action than smut, but I enjoy it anyway. I'm looking forward to read about the rest of Noah's teammate.
They had to endure 5 years of separation due to circumstances, which really helps to let Noah grow and become this deadly operative of some secretive government agency.
While I find the 20% of the story with them being separated a tad draggy because I was flipping pages wanting to see them reunited, once the book hit halfway and Mac found Noah again, I was riveted. They definitely picked up where they left off instantly and there are so much love between them. I like that there are no hesitation on their part at all. They have wasted too much time to deny each other again.
Mac was surprised to find out that Noah is now such a badass agent and together they work together to take down the elusive baddie that evaded captured all those years ago. As I said this book is action packed, actually more action than smut, but I enjoy it anyway. I'm looking forward to read about the rest of Noah's teammate.
Read
January 26, 2019DNF @ 21%
September 4, 2023
The story spans over many years. We first meet Noah when he was 17, trapped in a horrible and dangerous situation. He’s held captive by the man responsible for his mother’s death some years earlier. One night the place was raided by law-enforcement, and he was rescued by a marshal; Robert "Mac" Mackensie, who is attracted to the young boy...but realizes that he "is only a boy"...and puts him into witness protection. Now we fast forward seven years and Noah hasn’t only left WITSEC but also been recruited into a black op's organization; Phoenix. He has become one of the best "hunters" in the world and is assigned to the most dangerous and impossible of missions. He is also constantly looking for the men responsible for killing his mother. There is a lot of time jumping in this book. It does make sense for bringing the story bringing it forward...but kind of makes your head hurt. I felt like I missed a few things in the between the time moves. Important events that the listener was only told about instead of being shown...especially where the characters feelings were developed. These were strong feelings that enabled a seven-year separation between our heroes to keep those feelings alive. I just couldn’t feel it. It did allow Noah and Mac’s relationship to feel more on equal terms when they finally met again. Mac didn't even know where or what Noah was for most of the story. I think if they had met sooner as both being adults, it would have made for a feeling that it was a more equal a relationship on both their parts. The age difference that was present in the past would have no longer seemed such a big issue to Mac. I was invested in Noah and his fate early into the story and fascinated by the character of Mac. I have to admit to being thoroughly entertained by their story. The ending was so warm and so different from the rest of the book, and I LOVED IT. The narrative by Tristan James was nothing short of brilliant. This book is definitely worth listening to just for him alone.
July 25, 2019
3.5 stars
For a self-published, debut novel it was really good.
At the beginning there are a lot of characters being introduced and it was a little confusing, but then I followed the story easily enough.
The connection between the mcs in the first part is told us rather than shown, and the reunion was a bit over the top, especially in sappyness and lovey-dovey behavior.
Strangely, I loved more the mystery/action part than the love story.
I'll read the next book.
For a self-published, debut novel it was really good.
At the beginning there are a lot of characters being introduced and it was a little confusing, but then I followed the story easily enough.
The connection between the mcs in the first part is told us rather than shown, and the reunion was a bit over the top, especially in sappyness and lovey-dovey behavior.
Strangely, I loved more the mystery/action part than the love story.
I'll read the next book.
April 6, 2021
✮4 Stars✮
💗
January 18, 2020
Audiobook reviewRomantic suspense and mysteries are some of my favourite genres, and each time I find a new book has been released it makes me happy. This time I got a bonus of trying a new author, not only new to me, but also this author’s debut novel.
Ricochet spans over many years. We first meet Noah when he was 17, trapped in a horrible and dangerous situation. He’s held captive by the man responsible for his mother’s death some years earlier. One night the place he was staying was raided by law-enforcement and he was rescued by a marshal; Mac who also put him into witness protection. Fast forward some years and Noah hasn’t only left WITSEC but also been recruited into a black ops organisation; Phoenix. He’s sent all over the world for the most dangerous and impossible of missions. At the same time he’s also been looking for the men responsible for killing his mother.
There is a lot, or well some, time jumping in this book. They do make sense for the story bringing it forward. Allowing for Noah to grow up and become the man he is present day. At the same time I also felt like I missed a few things in the between. Important events that the listener was told about instead of shown, where feelings developed. Strong feelings that enabled a seven year separation between our heroes to keep said feelings alive. I just couldn’t feel it.
Speaking of the timeline, I’m glad this story spanned so many years. It made Noah and Mac’s relationship feel more on equal terms. I don’t know that I particularly saw them as a couple. Well, I could definitely see Noah’s fascination with all things Mac back when he was 17. Mac saved him and protected him, took care of him. It was hero-worship and a crush for sure. I could also see how said feelings would stay and grow with time. At the same time I couldn’t quite believe in Mac’s interest in Noah beyond the protective part. Their age difference for one, but also because we weren’t there for the two years they spent together and formed the strong bonds that haunted them both.
The story itself was a bit, okay very, fantastical, not at the top of the unbelievable list, but it’s on there. However, that didn’t matter in the least. I was invested in Noah and his fate early on and fascinated by Mac. I always wanted to know more and was thoroughly entertained by their story. And the hunt for the bad guys was thrilling to say the least. The hints about the other members of Phoenix definitely have me wanting to know more.
Every seasoned narrator has their own style, their own way of narrating a book. They have their pacing, voices and strengths. Tristan James performance was true to form. For me one of his biggest strengths, or well, he has many of them; his voice and passion to name a couple. But I wanted to highlight his range of accents. He gets me every time with them. This time we also got some German thrown into the mix. This book is definitely worth listening to for him alone. The entertaining story is a nice bonus though 🙂
Ricochet is the first book in the Out for Justice series, and it will be interesting to get to know the rest of the team and follow their adventures. Me things there will be a lot of action and danger in my future.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
April 10, 2021
2.5 stars
Ehhh it was okay. Had so much potential but just missed the mark. Also Tristan James isn’t my favorite narrator so overall wasn’t the best time haha
Ehhh it was okay. Had so much potential but just missed the mark. Also Tristan James isn’t my favorite narrator so overall wasn’t the best time haha
January 3, 2020
Overall review: 4 Stars
Audio book: YES
Narrator: Tristan James: 4 Stars
Book Cover: 3.5 Stars
MC 1: Noah Bradford - WITSEC later some kind of special force unit
MC 2: "Mac" Mackenzie -US Marshal
I started this book 15 November 2018 and somehow totally forgot about it and then I saw it on Audible and what do you know? The Narrator Tristan James is one of my fav narrators and decided I have to have it!
I really enjoyed this book.
Mac saved Noah when he was still young but there were something that pulled these two together and even though Mac fled to save Noah he never stopped thinking about him. Noah decided to take things in his own hands not ever wanted to be so vulnerable ever again and so he ended up being in a special force unit and not someone to mess with.
I loved seeing how everything came together it was so worth it!
Audio book: YES
Narrator: Tristan James: 4 Stars
Book Cover: 3.5 Stars
MC 1: Noah Bradford - WITSEC later some kind of special force unit
MC 2: "Mac" Mackenzie -US Marshal
I started this book 15 November 2018 and somehow totally forgot about it and then I saw it on Audible and what do you know? The Narrator Tristan James is one of my fav narrators and decided I have to have it!
I really enjoyed this book.
Mac saved Noah when he was still young but there were something that pulled these two together and even though Mac fled to save Noah he never stopped thinking about him. Noah decided to take things in his own hands not ever wanted to be so vulnerable ever again and so he ended up being in a special force unit and not someone to mess with.
I loved seeing how everything came together it was so worth it!
April 2, 2022
Not bad for a debut.
Mary Calmes rec'd Reese Knightley's newest release in her most recent newsletter, I of course need to read in order so here I am.
It's been awhile since I thought about a book when I didn't have time to read, and this book I was thinking about.
It definitely had some flaws and could have been tightened up a little, but again, for a debut, I was into it. I've been on the lookout for a series I could binge and this might be it.
Good stuff and I think I might jump right into book 2.
Mary Calmes rec'd Reese Knightley's newest release in her most recent newsletter, I of course need to read in order so here I am.
It's been awhile since I thought about a book when I didn't have time to read, and this book I was thinking about.
It definitely had some flaws and could have been tightened up a little, but again, for a debut, I was into it. I've been on the lookout for a series I could binge and this might be it.
Good stuff and I think I might jump right into book 2.
Read
May 1, 2023Despite the action, it's not...gripping. Not 2 chapters in and I give up.
April 5, 2022
Noah! Noah! Noah!
I enjoyed this quite a bit. There are still loose threads that I’m sure will be handled as the series goes on. I have ideas about some of it. I guess I’ll see if I’m correct as I keep reading.
Thank you, Jennifer! I would still have this on my to-read pile if you hadn’t said anything.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. There are still loose threads that I’m sure will be handled as the series goes on. I have ideas about some of it. I guess I’ll see if I’m correct as I keep reading.
Thank you, Jennifer! I would still have this on my to-read pile if you hadn’t said anything.
October 7, 2018
Second chance story without flashback!
Great story, love the pace, love the characters developpment, love the setup, love the guys.. I want more!
Great story, love the pace, love the characters developpment, love the setup, love the guys.. I want more!
April 17, 2023
Loved this debut novel from RK, couldn’t put it down!
February 24, 2024
Yelp, apparently I have a type. A type of story that reads like an action movie that's dating a slice of life genre piece. With a bit of mystery!
December 25, 2023
Really liked it. It is one of the instances where a big age gap doesn't bother me because Reese managed to even out the power imbalance. Plus the narrative flow was smooth
July 10, 2018
This one was tricky for me….I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet. I'm about to be ranty....
Fair Warning!
Noah, had a very messed up start in life. After his mother was killed and his step-father, the leader of some drug running, compound living, very abusive situation, camp… I was surprised Noah had survived it. Everything happens so fast in the beginning and there are a lot of people to try and keep straight. It was abuse and gunfire straight away. It kind of made me sick to my stomach if I’m honest.
However, US Marshall Something Mackenzie, I honestly don’t remember his name and I just finished it; they just called him Mac, was on the SWAT team that rescued Noah and his friend Jenny, who’d also been held captive by this life on the compound. She was just as abused as Noah… I believe they were seventeen, but when Mac first looked at him, he guessed 14, which was kind of weird because he had this instant attraction to Noah….. why would you if you thought he was 14? I mean, 17, I get it, but I found that a little weird.
Now, because it was a surprise raid, they didn’t catch Noah’s step-dad or the people who helped keep him captive, they all got away… so Noah stayed in Mac’s custody until they could get him into witness protection…. Then we somehow jump to 2 months later, then 2 years later then the next chapter five years later, where now Noah isn’t this twinky little abused kid, he’s now a BA, super secret elite team member fighting war crime, named Ghost?? Seriously?? I found that incredibly unbelievable and way off character from the kid I’d been reading about for the first third of the book….
All the while… Noah and Mac had no communication for six years but were still in love with each other. Mac dreaming of Noah and Noah saying he let his love for Mac go, but, he’s all he thinks about, ever….Then, we get more people that we have to keep straight, different characters just popping in and out, I couldn’t keep them all straight….and then Mac’s ex Ben and his boyfriend were around popping in and out and it all just seemed to unbelievable and far-fetched with them, I was glad to see the karmic kick-back that they got. I wish Ben would’ve gotten a bullet in his head too.
Meanwhile, while Noah and Mac just forgot years of being apart and get together, they go on the hunt for all the bad guys together and with the help of both teams, and a surprise visitor…. They get them all and it’s all over. For a long book, it really went by quickly.
I believe there will be other books in the series, probably with the super secret elite team that Noah is on, but I honestly don’t think I can be bothered to keep up with them….even if Frost seems kind of broody hot….we’ll see I guess….
Alls well that ends well, and I can’t hate a happy ending…so…
3 stars from me.
Fair Warning!
Noah, had a very messed up start in life. After his mother was killed and his step-father, the leader of some drug running, compound living, very abusive situation, camp… I was surprised Noah had survived it. Everything happens so fast in the beginning and there are a lot of people to try and keep straight. It was abuse and gunfire straight away. It kind of made me sick to my stomach if I’m honest.
However, US Marshall Something Mackenzie, I honestly don’t remember his name and I just finished it; they just called him Mac, was on the SWAT team that rescued Noah and his friend Jenny, who’d also been held captive by this life on the compound. She was just as abused as Noah… I believe they were seventeen, but when Mac first looked at him, he guessed 14, which was kind of weird because he had this instant attraction to Noah….. why would you if you thought he was 14? I mean, 17, I get it, but I found that a little weird.
Now, because it was a surprise raid, they didn’t catch Noah’s step-dad or the people who helped keep him captive, they all got away… so Noah stayed in Mac’s custody until they could get him into witness protection…. Then we somehow jump to 2 months later, then 2 years later then the next chapter five years later, where now Noah isn’t this twinky little abused kid, he’s now a BA, super secret elite team member fighting war crime, named Ghost?? Seriously?? I found that incredibly unbelievable and way off character from the kid I’d been reading about for the first third of the book….
All the while… Noah and Mac had no communication for six years but were still in love with each other. Mac dreaming of Noah and Noah saying he let his love for Mac go, but, he’s all he thinks about, ever….Then, we get more people that we have to keep straight, different characters just popping in and out, I couldn’t keep them all straight….and then Mac’s ex Ben and his boyfriend were around popping in and out and it all just seemed to unbelievable and far-fetched with them, I was glad to see the karmic kick-back that they got. I wish Ben would’ve gotten a bullet in his head too.
Meanwhile, while Noah and Mac just forgot years of being apart and get together, they go on the hunt for all the bad guys together and with the help of both teams, and a surprise visitor…. They get them all and it’s all over. For a long book, it really went by quickly.
I believe there will be other books in the series, probably with the super secret elite team that Noah is on, but I honestly don’t think I can be bothered to keep up with them….even if Frost seems kind of broody hot….we’ll see I guess….
Alls well that ends well, and I can’t hate a happy ending…so…
3 stars from me.
March 9, 2021
The premise of this story was interesting, but it never really fulfilled it. Although I must to say that I kept listening until the end because I really wanted to know what would happen, therefore the 2-stars rating.
The main problem I had with it is that it feels more like the outline of a series than a finished book. There are constant jumps in time, jumps when important things happen and we only know about them because we are told and therefore we must take them in faith. Plot and character development are lost in those jumps and, in consequence, the characters' motivations felt inconsistent and their actions, flat.
And I have a BIG problem with Mac, who is supposedly an experienced ranger and yet, falls for an underaged victim at the very moment he lands his eyes on him. Unprofessional much?
But, TBH, the whole romance was... wrong. We don't get to see any of their supposed big emotional bonding, they are apart for seven years and when they are reunited they go right to making-up. No explanations, no discussion, no nothing :/
I'm sorry, but I'm done with this series. I might check a latter work of this author, though, as this was her first work.
The main problem I had with it is that it feels more like the outline of a series than a finished book. There are constant jumps in time, jumps when important things happen and we only know about them because we are told and therefore we must take them in faith. Plot and character development are lost in those jumps and, in consequence, the characters' motivations felt inconsistent and their actions, flat.
And I have a BIG problem with Mac, who is supposedly an experienced ranger and yet, falls for an underaged victim at the very moment he lands his eyes on him. Unprofessional much?
But, TBH, the whole romance was... wrong. We don't get to see any of their supposed big emotional bonding, they are apart for seven years and when they are reunited they go right to making-up. No explanations, no discussion, no nothing :/
I'm sorry, but I'm done with this series. I might check a latter work of this author, though, as this was her first work.
February 2, 2022
Interesting and packing with action!
There is romance but the MCs spent time alone before reconnecting
There is romance but the MCs spent time alone before reconnecting
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