“One of the steamiest romances you’ll read all year. Maverick is a rugged alpha male to die for!” NYT Bestselling Author Jay Crownover
Maverick is a standalone romance from the NYT bestselling author of The Pact and Wild Card.
Forget playing it safe.
John “Maverick” Nelson is the first member of the search-and-rescue team to ascend into danger, no matter the risk. Ice, avalanche, … Card.
Forget playing it safe.
John “Maverick” Nelson is the first member of the search-and-rescue team to ascend into danger, no matter the risk. Ice, avalanche, treacherous mountain paths? Bring it on.
But when it comes to women, he remains as untouchable as the North Ridge mountains. Every woman in British Columbia knows that the cocky, rugged sex god would rather fall down a crevasse than be tied to a woman.
And then he meets his new employee– Riley Clarke.
His desire for her could scale the next peak, but he has to put the team ahead of his feelings. Of course, the adrenaline-soaked situations they’re in lead to scorching hot sex in no time.
They need to keep their hands off each other, keep it professional. But when the worst winter in years sweeps in, Riley and Maverick will have to battle the elements along with their attraction. And if either of them slip up, both of them will be in for a deep freeze.
Read: 11/27/2020
Maverick was the second book in the Black Hornet MC series by Savannah Rylan. Although the series was a spinoff from Rylan’s Dead Souls MC series, the series could be read as a stand-alone; however, the series itself should be read in order.
Maverick was the Treasurer of the MC. He was the numbers guy as well as the typical love ‘em and leave ‘em profile. He was also a loyal and protective alpha for those he considered family.
Gabriela was being groomed to take over the family business. Her entire life had focused around this one goal. She was a daddy’s girl and she would do anything for her father’s approval. Little did she know how far she would have to go.
I enjoyed the beginning and it picked up where book one, Jace, left off. I liked both characters, the suspenseful plot and the manner in which Rylan unraveled their stories. Rylan immediately set the stage for Maverick and Gabby’s introduction and we knew up front there would be an ultimate conflict that would be difficult to work through. And although enjoyable, it was a little rushed for me. I wanted a little more development and details. Additionally, the editing errors were numerous and distracting.
With that said, it was a solid storyline and a great bridge for continuing the series. As expected in the series, it ended with another teaser. Duke is up next and I can’t wait to see where Rylan takes us.
I thought it was a great book kept my interest all the way to the last word.
Maverick and Riley have an amazing story. He is very alpha and she is scared.
Amazing sexy read
***5 ‘You’re Mine’ Stars***
The author said that Maverick would be a fun, smexy, low on angst read and it was all that and more. From the first page I was hooked, my heart instantly invested in the story, and with each turn of the page that feeling became more and more intense. I enjoyed spending time with Mav and Riley and loved watching as they danced around each other until they decided to dance together and was quite disappointed when there were no more words to read.
Considering that I have not yet read all of Karina Halle’s books and that there are thankfully more coming in the future, this statement may be a tad bit premature (so give me a little wiggle room in the future *grins & winks) but…Mav and Riley are my FAVORITE of her couples. Right from the start I adored both of them. Maverick, aka John, is known as the town manwhore, something he isn’t all too bothered by, but there is so much more going on beneath that smexy as sin alpha male exterior. He is all kinds of alpha, but he sees more than people know and has a compassionate, tender and honorable heart that shines through. From the first meeting with Riley, I adored her. She is open, honest and has a way of babbling that is more endearing and amusing than irritating. I loved how comfortable she was in her own skin and with her sexuality. She hasn’t had an easy life, but she’s worked hard to come to terms with her demons and grab hold of her future.
From the moment Mav and Riley collided the air around them crackled with electricity and smexyness and the more time they spent together it became so obvious that they just fit. Their flirting was fun and sexy and their smexy times should’ve come with a warning sign stating that panties should be discarded and have either your man or B.O.B (or both) nearby. But what got me the most was how similar they viewed life and the world and there was no question they were perfect for each other. While the angsty was low, there were a few issues that threw curveballs at them, but I liked the way they worked through it all and where they were at in the end.
Maverick definitely has a different tone in comparison to Wild Card, but it has no less heart. I loved hanging out with the Nelson family and those they call their own, and though grandpa is still my favorite he may have a little competition in Chewie. And now we wait (some what) patiently for Hot Shot and what it will take for Fox and Delilah to have the blinders finally ripped off.
~ Copy provided via Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
arc review for honest review. Maverick rides with the black hornets mc their still on the lookout about the cartel . Gabriel is the daughter of Rd corruption but is part of the Rojas Diablo cartel . This is a awesome 10 star story
I loved this book and this series. I look forward to the next book. I definitely recommend this book, this series and this author.
Karina Halle returns us to North Ridge, British Columbia for the second installment Maverick, in the North Ridge series. Maverick can be read as a standalone.
John ‘Maverick’ Nelson is part of North Ridge’s search and rescue team (SAR) in a small town in the middle of the province of British Columbia. This is the guy we dream about while on vacation. Rugged, physically fit, tattooed and ready for a hook up! He is the quintessential bachelor and with his line of work, he feels there is no reason to change that any time soon. He is also serious about his job and sometimes moody.
Riley Clark is the newest search and rescue employee at North Ridge. She is unique in her own way. She is a female in a male dominated profession. But she is also tall, curvy, slim and blonde with tattoos. Funny and straight forward, Riley loves to goof around. She gives it as good as she gets it!
Maverick and Riley have amazing chemistry. They hit it off right away. Lots of banter back and forth between them. But fraternizing with your coworkers is not permitted. That doesn’t stop the flirting. The heat and the buildup between them – a small spark could ignite it into an inferno.
They are not without issues. Maverick has always been a bit of a commitment phobe. He feels that nothing will be as exciting as chasing the next rescue. And Riley had a traumatizing event at her previous job. She is returning to SAR after a two year break.
The story is not as detailed as Wild Card. It is a quick, hot, down-and-dirty read. The key elements are all there. Hot guy, hot girl, danger, excitement, hot hot sex, more hot hot sex…..There are also some very emotional scenes, especially the prologue. I was on the edge of my seat!
If you read Wild Card, which is the first book in the series, you will be swept away with details and descriptions of the small town and some of the back stories. It is not necessary but it will add so much more depth and emotion to Maverick’s story. I can’t wait to read the next book “Hot Shot” which will feature Fox & Delilah!
“Love is Chaos”
4 stars
NO SPOILERS!
Maverick was a sexy, entertaining, and addicting contemporary romance in the North Ridge series, and my favorite novel by Karina Halle so far! She completely exceeded my expectations with this book and I couldn’t have loved Maverick and Riley’s story more. It was by far a TOP FAVORITE read of 2017 and I am so excited for Hot Shot to release early next year!
Maverick and Riley were amazing and my favorite characters and couple that Karina Halle has written so far. I was immediately drawn to them and their story and couldn’t get enough. I loved their personalities and red hot chemistry together, and I really enjoyed how their relationship progressed throughout. I loved that the story was written from both Maverick and Riley’s POV, and I thoroughly enjoyed their banter and interactions with each other. There were plenty of intimate and romantic moments between them that will be sure to heat you up on a cold winter’s night. There were a few things towards the end that I didn’t care for all that much, but I understood why they had to happen. Other than that, Karina Halle did a phenomenal job with every aspect of this book, and I was more than pleased with the conclusion to Maverick and Riley’s story.
Most of the secondary characters were wonderful as well. I loved getting to see several familiar faces from Wild Card, although I would have loved to have seen more of them. I am dying to read Fox and Delilah’s story.
Maverick was another sexy and addicting standalone in the North Ridge series and one of my TOP FAVORITE reads of the year. I absolutely loved Maverick and Riley’s story and I couldn’t have been happier with the conclusion. Karina Halle is an extremely talented writer and one of my top favorite authors. I have fallen in love with her writing style and books, and I am so freaking excited to read Hot Shot, the final installment in the North Ridge series!
I really enjoyed this one. I loved Riley. She’s a straight shooter, tells it like it is and she’s confident about her sexuality. The girl likes to get down and she had laser like focus on Mav. It was funny watching Mav trying to turn her down, but he held strong…but not for long. Yeah this one was super sexy and fun. I liked this one more than the first book. Now I’m off to read Fox. He’s the one I’m most excited about.
“You have me,” he says. “All of me.” He pauses. “Do I have all of you?”
I love the rough and rugged Nelson brothers! Maverick was such a great contemporary romance. It grabbed my interest immediately and I enjoyed Mav and Riley’s story a lot. Riley was such a fun and straight-forward character, and I really loved her go-getter attitude. She knew what she wanted and went for it, which was very refreshing. The interaction between Riley and Mav was very entertaining and the sexual tension was hot. This book was more on the light-hearted side, but it also had a few emotional scenes which fit the story well. The sex scenes were so good, and as someone who sometimes skips them because of it being repetitive, I really enjoyed them in this book.
Karina does such a great job in creating interesting characters. It was also great to see what Shane, Rachel and the rest of the gang were up to. What I also enjoyed was the occupation of Mav and Riley. It isn’t easy to be a member of a search and rescue team and I have so much respect for them. I was glad that there were a couple of search and rescue missions in the book, which added another layer to the story. Normally I am not a big fan of ‘forbidden’ romances, but it was done really well in this book. If you are looking for a fun and steamy contemporary romance, then Maverick is definitely a book you should get your hands on!
Oh, Maverick. Just like a lot of people, I’ve been waiting for his story since we first met him and let’s just say, he didn’t disappoint.
Maverick is a quick read that can be easily devoured in one sitting. Be prepared for the steamy hot scenes to know you out. I was actually reading this book when traveling and sitting on the plane. Here I was just reading along, feeling like it’s been pretty safe and then BAM, I get hit with THAT ONE SCENE. You’ll know it when you get to it. Let me tell you, reading that while sitting next to a stranger on a plane is slightly uncomfortable. Haha.
I have really enjoyed how descriptive Karina has been in this series with nature and the mountains. Even more so with Maverick since there is so much dealing with the dangers of snow, avalanches, ect., that Maverick and Riley deal with daily. I don’t like the cold and I’m not that adventurous but her descriptions made me want to jump out there with the rescue team.
I just adore Riley. She certainly doesn’t hold back and I love the fact that she went after Maverick and didn’t give up. Her flirting is like the feisty pittbull that Chewie isn’t. 🙂 She’s confident in herself and she stands up for herself. But in her vulnerable moments, the real Riley shows through. It’s raw and beautiful and no one would be able to resist that. She made me fall in love with her and want to be her friend.
And then there’s Maverick. I said he was going to fall hard. The playboys always do, don’t they? From the moment he meets Riley, he has this sense of protectiveness over her that he honestly can’t explain. She’s coming on hard to him and he’s trying his hardest to resist her. It was so fun watching him crumble. When his feelings start to grow, we get to see his vulnerable side. What he is wishing for but what his fears are. All I wanted for him from the start is to figure everything out and just be happy with Riley. Go for it. Live large and live hard. Oh, and let’s not forget his dirty alpha mouth. I was not expecting him to be that alpha and I certainly didn’t expect his dirty mouth. Whew, freaking hot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are look a light(ish) read with a protective emergency responder who can get all alpha and dirty in the bedroom and a feisty and confident woman who settles the playboy, then this is the book for you!
4 star story, but 5 star cover…. WHOOOOOOOO. *fans self*
This is the second book in the North Ridge series and Maverick and Riley had me bewitched from start to finish. Maverick is a little faster paced than the first book Wild Card and totally draws you in to the chaos and mayhem that surrounds this couple. Their story is flirty, sexy, funny and at times devastating however amongst all this a love storm is brewing and when it finally hits it might just take this pair down. Love might just be chaos but let’s face it, we would all put our hands up to be lost in that sort of turmoil if it brought us the heart gripping connection that Maverick and Riley discover. This is a book that you will not be able to put down from start to finish.
Who loves themselves a hot mountain man?? Hint: it’s me!!! If you do too, then you need to pick up New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Karina Halle’s newest novel Maverick. This is book two in the North Ridge series and focuses on another Nelson brother.
John “Maverick” Nelson is a member of the search and rescue team in the town of North Ridge, British Columbia. As an adrenaline junkie he is the first to head into danger and take risks that others shy away from, except for when it comes to relationships. Hot monkey sex, yes. Committed relationship, no way.
Riley Clarke is the newest member to the team and the only woman. Originally from Aspen, she worked her butt off to get where she is. It doesn’t matter how hot her boss is, she refuses to let one night of mind blowing sex ruin what she’s accomplished. But when the winter weather turns harsher than normal, they find themselves caught in adrenaline pumping situations that require them to produce some heat in order to survive.
This is a fun, light, sexy read and a little different than what we’ve come to expect from Karina. Maverick has that alpha male, take charge attitude going for him. The sexy scenes between him and Riley are super-hot! But I really enjoyed reading about their jobs with search and rescue. That is such a wonderful and dedicated career choice. It requires living life on the edge and taking huge risks to help someone. I am not much of a risk taker, so I am glad I got to experience it through Riley and Maverick.
Karina has a talent when it comes to writing. She always pulls me into the story and I feel as if I am a part of it. In darker reads, it can be a little scary, but still intriguing. In a lighter read like this one, it makes it fun and more enjoyable. I highly suggest that you pick this one up and experience an adrenaline rush for yourself. FIVE stars for taking risks!