Review: Maverick by Karina Halle (North Ridge #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.

Bestselling author Karina Halle takes us back to Canada as she gives fans and readers the second novel in her North Ridge series. This time around, we've got the middle Nelson brother, thirty-year-old search and rescue team member John, better known by his moniker of "Maverick". Some may see him as cocky, but Maverick is a man who knows how good he is--and that's necessarily limited to his high-stress occupation. He's willing to take risks in order to get the job done. He isn't one, however, to throw caution to the wind when it comes to committed relationships, which is why he would prefer to keep things casual. He hasn't met anyone that's ever made him want to change his ways...until he meets Riley Clarke, the American who becomes the lone female member of SAR. The connection between them is palpable, but it's one that neither of them can engage in. After all, Maverick is Riley's boss and in order to ensure that the team dynamics do not become affected by any unnecessary shenanigans on their parts, they'll need to keep things professional. But how long will Maverick and Riley be able to resist the intense heat that's threatening to melt their carefully iced over resolve to stay away from each other?

I do love how the brothers Nelson may all share the same blood line but each one has a distinct personality that allows them to stand out. Maverick may come off as a man who's a risk-taker, but after getting to know him in this second North Ridge novel, I saw him as more of someone who took measured risks, going into them with the knowledge of the pros and cons. Maybe his being the middle child has me empathizing with him a tad more, but the man was definitely worth getting to know. I liked how he and Riley together always seemed to be on equal footing. She gave as good as she took, and she was certainly someone who should never be underestimated. There isn't a whole lot of melodrama in their story, thank goodness, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a heck of a lot of tension between the two, which of course, made for an even more fantastic read romance-wise. Halle also does an excellent job describing the setting, making envisioning both the harsher and milder elements easy. Aside from Maverick and Riley falling in love, we also get to check in with the youngest Nelson, Shane, and Rachel, plus get a peek at what's going on with the eldest Nelson, Fox, and Delilah. Maverick is a satisfying read, and it gets 4.5 stars. ♥

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Read my reviews for the North Ridge series:

Wild Card (book one) - 4.5 stars - My Review

Maverick (book two) - 4.5 stars - My Review (posted above)

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Date Read: 20 October 2017

Learn more about Karina Halle. 

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