What would you give up to have a second-chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love?Wild Card is a STANDALONE SECOND-CHANCE ROMANCE from the NYT bestselling author of The Pact and Before I Ever Met You. Rough, raw & rugged.As the man in charge at Ravenswood Ranch, Shane Nelson has never been afraid to get his hands dirty. His sculpted physique isn’t the product of a gym, but of years of hard labor … a gym, but of years of hard labor under a relentless sun. His straightforward, alpha tendencies come from a man who knows what he wants and goes after it.
And what he wants is Rachel Waters.
He’s never stopped wanting her.
They were childhood best friends, then teenage lovers who evolved into soulmates. But on one fateful night, Shane made a grave mistake, breaking both their hearts in the process.
Now, after six years, Rachel is back in the small, wild mountain town of North Ridge, BC.
Ready to face her past.
Ready to face Shane.
Ready to face his dark secret.
But is a second-chance at a one true love in the cards? Or will their wild hearts be broken once again?
WILD CARD IS A COMPLETE STANDALONE NOVEL and the first book about the Nelson Brothers of North Ridge
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” love you wild.”
This story is beautifully written. The words flow from chapter to chapter. Details and descriptions. I felt as if I were in North Ridge, British Columbia. What an amazing start of a new series! Karina Halle really went all out!
Love and family. Sadness, lies and secrets.
Shane Nelson runs Ravenswood Ranch alongside his dad and granddaddy. He is hot, hardworking and sexy. He meets Rachel Waters when they are 9 years old. They become best friends that evolve into lovers. But then things changed.
“Six years ago I blasted my own heart to smithereens because I thought I had no other option, and even though I tried to put it past me, tried to move on, the truth lingers.”
Rachel Waters finds herself back in North Ridge and is feeling the pain and hurt that caused her to leave six years ago. She feels bitter and angry that she must come back to the place that has caused her so much heart ache.
Loss of love is the most terrifying feeling in the world. It’s the feeling of your heart emptying, slowly being drained. Because that’s the thing about love. It’s free to give. It’s never free to receive.
Emotional, tender and heartbreaking at times. There were several scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I was terrified, wondering what direction we would be led to.
A beautiful getaway as you immerse yourself in Shane & Rachel’s story.
“Fear. Hope. Love. Loss.”
“What did it mean to you?”
“The world……”
But fear not because Shane has two older brothers – Fox & Maverick. They are a handful and I’m pretty sure Maverick’s story will be next!
4.5 stars
I liked it a lot will get the others when I am able
Another cowboy romance? Not quite what you might think with “Wild Card” by Karina Halle. The author held her surprise very well hidden with Shane and Rachel’s story. The pair grow up together in rural British Columbia and are sure they are meant for each other. But what is the dark, deep secret that keeps them apart for six long years? This one kept me up all night to find out why.
So I read book 2 Maverick first but then found out about Wild Card- Shane and Rachel have a second chance with each other if they fight hard for it. Loved it
***5 ‘Wishbone’ Stars***
I want more.
It’s really that simple. This book had it all for me. A second chance at love story that was filled with sweet and smexy moments that melted my heart and panties, as well as just enough angst that it kept things interesting. And it was filled with well written secondary characters that I want to spend more time with and get to know better.
Shane and Rachel. These two. It was hard not to like them. Shane is that good ‘ole boy. He’s that guy that will stop and offer help if you’re stranded on the side of the road. He loves his family and his job and simply wants to be happy. Rachel is still searching for her happiness, but isn’t afraid to test the waters to achieve it. She’s been through h#ll, but she’s come out of it with a pretty good head on her shoulders and a heart that is bruised, but not broken.
Their journey to their HEA was absolutely heart melting and well as heartbreaking. If two people were ever meant to be together, it would be Rachel and Shane. We get to experience their beginning through flashbacks and it was just apparent that there was something special between them. The honesty between them, even in the more angsty moments, was refreshing and I just really liked how they worked things out between them and where they were at in the end.
I simply enjoyed Wild Card. It was an engaging read that I simply got lost in and didn’t want it to end. The first person dual POV’s were done very well as were the flashbacks. The secondary characters were all well written, Dick is hands down my favorite with Del a very close second, I’m totally looking forward to getting to know Mav and Fox, Shane’s brothers, a lot better. There are some triggers in this book, but they are important to the storyline and not presented in a gratuitous manner. So, if you’re a second chance romance lover you definitely need to give this one a go!
~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Love
Second chances booth in love & with her mother. Her mom has been diagnosed with long cancer and Rachel has come home to North Ridge to help her. But she also has to deal with Shane the love off her life. Can second chances come for both.
I really enjoyed this book. This author has a wonderful way of telling stories. I definitely recommend this book, this author and this series.
A tough story about how difficult it is to enjoy love when it comes to visit.
NO SPOILERS!
Wild Card was amazing and I absolutely loved Shane and Rachel’s story! Karina Halle is so freaking talented and I loved her writing style. Everything she writes is pure gold and Wild Card was no different. I haven’t read many second chance romance novels, but I loved this one. It had everything I could have hoped for and more, and even though it was tragic and heartbreaking at times, I loved reading every single page. There was one aspect of the story that I didn’t care for and certainly wasn’t expecting, but I think you’ll know what part I’m talking about when you read it. Other than that, I loved this book so much and can’t wait to read the rest of the North Ridge trilogy.
Shane and Rachel were amazing, plain and simple, and I immediately fell in love with them and their story. I loved their personalities and chemistry together, and I loved the progression of their story and relationship from beginning to end. I loved most of their interactions and banter with each other, and I loved reading Wild Card from both Shane and Rachel’s POV. There were plenty of up and down moments between them, but all of it was definitely worth it in the end. The conclusion to Shane and Rachel’s story was absolutely wonderful, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect. It made me very happy and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
Wild Card was another phenomenal romance by the extremely talented Karina Halle, and I truly loved reading every minute of it. The community and characters Ms. Halle created in North Ridge, British Columbia, Canada completely stole my heart, and I can’t wait to read more about everyone, especially Shane’s older brothers, Maverick and Fox, in the next two books to come!
Picked this one up when it was free. Not too bad. I thought it was a quick read, only took me a couple of hours to finish. I’m actually more interested in the other 2 brothers so I’m moving right on.
“I wasn’t drowning in the memories-I was dying in them. And every single thing I felt for her? It came rushing back, a flash flood of desire and pain that nearly blindsided me.”
I can always depend on Karina Halle to come up with a great romance story. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dark, suspenseful, funny or contemporary romance. Wild Card was a very beautiful second-chance contemporary romance. I have read a lot of those and was looking forward to see how the author would differentiate this story from all the rest. I think the main way she did it was with the personalities and actions of the characters. They didn’t make the obvious decisions in certain situations.
“Love isn’t a chain, Rachel. It’s not a shackle. Love is what sets you free, love doesn’t confine. What I feel for you…it’s wild and it’s raw an it’s as real as that sun above us.”
I either hate or love flashbacks in books. And I was really happy that they were included in this book, because it enforced my believe in their love. Without the flashbacks the story would be missing a lot and it would be harder for me to connect to the characters. Thankfully, they weren’t too long and actually added to the story. It was obvious that the love between Shane and Rachel was still alive, maybe a bit broken but not unfixable. However, it wasn’t easy for them to overcome their obstacles and I could really feel the pain of both characters. What I also enjoyed reading was the interaction of the main characters with the secondary characters, such as Shane’s brothers Maverick and Fox. Especially Shane and Fox have a very complicated relationship, and I am looking forward to learning more about that in the next books.
“Rachel, I love you. I loved you then, I love you now, and I loved you in all the light and darkness in-between. I love you with a wildness I can’t tame.”
I really loved Shane and Rachel’s personalities and they made such a great couple. Wild Card in my opinion was a great first book in the North Ridge series, and I can’t wait for Fox and Maverick’s stories. This book helped me get out of my month long book slump. There was no unnecessary drama thrown into the story to add angst, so I really appreciate that. All the decisions made by the characters made sense for them, and that is how it suppose to be. Wild Card was another solid contemporary romance by one of my favorite authors Karina Halle!
~ 3.5 Stars~
“He make me want to grow wild, to run rampant, to unapologetically thrive.”
First of all, Karina Halle is one of my go to authors. I will read anything that she ever writes. While it is no secret that I love her darker romances, I’ve always enjoyed everything that she puts out and Wild Card is no exception. When I read the blurb I knew I needed to get my hands on it.
Shane Nelson had to turn away the girl he’s loved since he was a little boy. Six years ago he broke his own heart when he broke hers. When she comes back to town to tend to her mother, Shane is instantly hit with how much he still loves her and will do anything to keep her. But she still has a lot of anger towards him so he has his work cut out for him.
Wild Card is a very sweet second chance story. In fact, Shane might be the sweetest hero that I can remember from any of Karina’s past work. He has that sexy cowboy swagger and he is loyal and brave. He’s just the total package. His love for Rachel never died and he isn’t afraid to let her know it now that she came back because he can’t let her go again.
I will admit that I was looking for a bit of angst and we do get some but it is very close to the end of the book. So the first half of the book did read a bit slow to me. However, I loved how descriptive Karina was with describing the nature surrounding the ranch and mountains. It really draws you into imagining what it looks like and showcases the beauty of it all.
I also like that each character in Wild Card has their own place and their own story. I’m absolutely in love with Shane’s grandfather and hope that we get more of him in the upcoming books. The ending sets us up perfectly for Maverick’s story and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. The playboy is going to fall hard!
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a super sweet cowboy with a bit if a dirty mouth and the biggest heart ever, then this is the book for you!
Wild Card by Karina Halle is a fantastic western romance. Ms. Halle has delivered a well-written book. The characters are fantastic and lovable. Shane pretty much drove Rachel out of town when he broke up with her. Rachel stayed away until she was called home because her mother is sick. Their story is loaded with drama, humor, secrets and sizzle. I enjoyed reading Wild Card and look forward to reading more from Karina Halle in the future. Wild Card is book 1 in the North Ridge Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Just okay. Definitely not as good as The Pact or EIT with Dex
Love lost and then found page turner!
This is a second chance romance between childhood sweethearts. Shane and Rachel’s story is one of heartbreak and wrong decisions made when you are too young to be dealing with such serious issues. I found the first half of the story a little slow but once I hit that 50% mark the story had me captivated and totally along for the complete ride. A love story that shows you sometimes the evil people in the world might be able to temporarily take from you but in the end true love will win out. Some of their story is tragic and heart wrenching but overall it is an inspirational love story that gives you hope that dreams and wishes can come true if you hang onto them long enough. Wild Card will have you quickly one clicking Maverick to ensure a longer stay in North Ridge.
I enjoyed this book and its characters enough to purchase the others in the series!
A very interest book about love and connect of two people
Young love rekindled as adults. These two are passionate about each other from the beginning and their rekindled romance heats up quickly. Ends with a happily ever after. It does have themes of abuse and family tragedy.
Good characters, good plot, good second chance.