Maverick

Elite Ops #2

by Lora Leigh

Micah Sloane knows almost everything there is to know about Risa Clay, including the vicious betrayal she endured years ago and the distrust she's harbored ever since. The only way for the Elite Ops agent to uncover an assassin―and banish the ghosts of his own dark past―is to use Risa as bait. But nothing has prepared him for her disarming blend of innocence and sensuality, or for his overwhelming need to protect her…

Risa has spent six years rebuilding her life. And now, to save it, she must pose as Micah's lover and draw a killer into the open. It's a risky plan―especially with a man as powerfully seductive as Micah. But, as their charade becomes reality, Risa realizes the greatest danger may lie in losing her heart forever…

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Military Fiction, Erotica, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Contemporary

354 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Lora Leigh is a New York Times bestselling author of erotic romance novels. Leigh started publishing with electronic publisher Ellora's Cave in 2003. Leigh's longest-running series is The Breeds. She won the 2009 RT Award for erotica. Leigh was born in Ohio and raised in Martin County, Kentucky, US.


https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Emotionally gutted Stars

*Spoilers*

“There’s no shame between us, baby. Only pleasure. Only the pleasure you want.”





“Let’s hope he tries to kill me soon then,” she said in irritation. “Or I might kill you while we are waiting.”


Holy Crap!!! My emotions are all over the place with this book. whew *Deep Breath* Maverick is the Second book in the Elite Ops Series. In this book we have Micah Sloane , he is after the assassin Orion , who killed his mother and father. Orion is after Risa Clay one of the women saved in the last book by Nathan Malone. Micah is going to pose as her lover and get him when he tries to make the hit on Risa. The problem with that is Risa has been trying to put her life together and heal after being raped, drugged up on Whores dust, and then held for 2 years in a psychiatric ward and drugged some more. All of this because of her father, a evil bastard who was not only behind his daughters rape, he held her down while she was raped! Using her as bait not only feels wrong to Micah, but he feels a strong pull to her . Now he is trying to catch a killer, keep Risa alive , and not hurt her anymore emotionally, all while he is falling in love with her. He knows he will have to walk away dead men don't have dreams, family, or lovers!


“You’re not weak, Risa. And I have never pitied you. Not even once. I have always been in awe of your courage and your tenacity to survive.”


Micah Sloane:



Micah was hot as hell!! He was so sweet , protective, and very playful , but also cocky, and arrogant. The way he talked was OMG Sexy! I couldn't help but fall in love with him. I loved that he was so understanding, but not treating her like a baby. He was strong for her and helped her grow and heal. And Sexy did I mention sexy ...... Totally sexy! Damn he was hott! When he would tell her he loved her in hebrew omg melted!


“I’m very tired,” he informed her. “A little minx kept me up well past my bedtime last night, then skipped out on me and forced me to follow after her. I stared into her window like a lovesick Romeo pining for her attention.”


“I want to push you against that wall behind you and pound into you while you’re screaming my name. I want to feel your tight pussy convulsing around my cock and hear you screaming my name. And when we’re done there, I’ll slide you to the floor and take you again. You’re within minutes of being fucked, baby. I’d move if I were you.”


“Ani ohev otach.” I love you. “Me’achshav ve’ad hanetzach.” From now to eternity

Risa Clay:





God did Risa live through hell........ I loved Risa thought she was perfect. She was so strong for someone that was tortured the way she was. She was brave and fought to heal and live even while fear consumed her. She struggles with trying to feel like a woman and her feelings for Micah all while a killer is after her and having to face the demons from her past. Risa was very real to me I connected with her and my heart bled for her.

“When I saw you, Micah, I knew I had to. I didn’t want to change my mind. I didn’t want to run from you. I just wanted you.”


“Leave me my pride, Micah. Get the hell out of my life now if you’re going to go. Don’t sit here and make me beg you to stay.”


“Please, Micah. If you’re leaving me in the morning, then leave now. Don’t wait until I’m asleep in your arms, or feeling the hope that you’ll stay. I couldn’t handle it.”



“I could stay here, covering you like a blanket meant to protect, forever,” he whispered at her ear. “You are a light that will always guide me, a whisper I’ll always strain to hear.”

Hawt Dayum the chemistry between these two was smoken hott!!!! They are one of those couples that just draws you in and you connect to them like they are real! Such Intense passion. I loved them, I hurt for them, and cheered for them when they got their HEA!!! I thought Jordan was kinda a dick in this book. This story line was very emotional. It made me want to cry, smile, laugh, yell and hit something all in the span of a few pages, but damn it was a great book. I am on to the next book. Below I leave my favorite moment for the book:


“Why are you in jeans?” she asked breathlessly. “You were naked when you got in the bed.” A smile tugged at his lips. “I pulled them on when I heard Jordan and Tehya enter the apartment. Couldn’t let them see my bare ass, darling. Tehya’s frisky. She would have patted it.” Risa wanted to smile at his teasing. “I’d break her hand,” she promised. “I knew I could trust you to help me hold on to my dignity.”


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[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! This was a very enjoyable, hot, easy to understand, passionate second installment of Lora Leigh's 'Elite Ops' series (which is really a continuation of her 'Tempting SEALs' series). I mention the 'Tempting SEALs' series because in order to enjoy this book fully, you MUST read that series first, or you will be hopelessly lost with all the characters and what happened in the past. The heroine in this book, Risa Clay, was first mentioned way back in the beginning of the 'Tempting SEALs' series (not sure which book, possibly "Dangerous Games"), where she was kidnapped, raped, and experimented on with a date rape drug. She was eventually rescued by the SEALs but then she was institutionalized for a couple of years by her wacko, s.o.b. of a father (who was in on the kidnapping and experimentations), given drugs to suppress her memories, but eventually rescued again. Now six years have passed, and brave Risa's ready to take control of her life again and stop hiding (although who could blame her). She decides it's time to start living again, come out behind her baggy clothes and mousy appearance, and in order to overcome her rape and her sexual fears, she wants to take the bold step and be intimate with a man. Her friends want to introduce her to a guy they know and like, and Risa's decided that he will be the one. But Risa's unaware that this man has his own agenda for wanting to meet her.

Micah Sloane is a member of the Elite Ops, a black ops group so secret they're practically off the map. A former Israeli Mossad agent with his own haunted past, Micah is introduced to Risa by his SEAL friends and their wives with the intention of him becoming her bodyguard. It seems that the man who raped Risa all those years ago is concerned that her memories of that time are returning, and that she may be able to identify him and bring him down. So he hires the known and feared assassin named 'Orion' to bring her down. Word gets out that Orion has been hired to take out Risa, and that's when the Elite Ops team steps in. Micah has his own past with the assassin named Orion, and he's out for revenge. But before he can take Orion out, he has to find out who hired him to kill Risa, or she may never be safe again.

Well, Risa and Micah are attracted to each other, Micah brings her to his hotel and makes his move, but all doesn't go as planned. Not being experienced and suffering from extreme low self-esteem, Risa misunderstands, and leaves humiliated and ashamed. But Micah doesn't give up easily, and after Risa learns that her life is in danger, she agrees to let Micah protect her until the team can flush out the assassin. Over the course of days (or weeks?) Risa and Micah get to know each other a little better, Micah's able to woo and seduce Risa, and they find a passion that neither expected or believed was possible. But Micah's life is not his own--he's basically a dead man walking, reborn as a member of the Elite Ops, and is allowed no weaknesses or romantic entanglements. When Orion is captured and his employer is identified, the mission will be over and Micah will have to leave. But will he be able to leave when his heart and soul belong to Risa?

This was one hot, straight-forward, easy to read book, with a pretty simple plot to follow. There wasn't a whole lot of characters to keep straight (besides the members of Micah's team and all their nicknames--"Heat Seeker", "Black Jack", "Live Wire", "Hell Raiser"--all future books, I imagine). Risa and Micah were characters you could like and admire, although I was getting tired of Risa's constant put-downs about her own appearance. So she wasn't a raving beauty--so what? But from the way she thought of herself, I was expecting a circus side-show performer. The way the author described her made her sound pretty attractive to me, and Micah certainly seemed to find her beautiful, so I didn't know why she had such a hang-up about her looks. I realize that her crazy father and his equally crazy associates did a number on her self esteem, but she really needed to get over it and trust her mirror. So that bugged me a little. And other than some typos and mistakes in editing (which is happening a lot in books these days), and by the way, Israel is next to the Mediterranean Sea, not the ocean, I really had no complaints with the book. The pace was pretty fast (not a whole lot of slow spots), I loved the H/H, there was lots of sexual tension leading up to the 'big moment', and the ensuing love scenes were pretty smokin' hot and romantic. I especially loved the whispered endearments in Hebrew from Micah to Risa. (Something about love words in another language always gets to me... "Ani ohev otach" *sigh*). Toss in a little suspense when the bad guys get theirs, and a big romantic reunion at the end (which had me tearing up a bit), and you have a very fine edition to the 'Elite Ops' series. Not quite as good as the previous book,
Wild Card, but darn close. 4 1/2 stars.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - Romantic Suspense

WOW! After what seemed like a long wait for the second book in Leigh’s Elite Ops and the bar set high with Wild Card, Maverick did not disappoint and in fact to me is one of the best in the entire SEALs/Ops series so far. I recommend reading the previous Tempting SEALs and Elite Ops books (in order) before reading Maverick because there is an ongoing story arc and all the main characters carry over. The Elite Ops is a unit of deep undercover untouchable operatives/agents (think uber black ops) who have signed their previous lives away and taken new identities for secret missions and/or personal vengeance. Micah, code name Maverick, is a former Mossad agent assigned to protect Risa from a notorious assassin while using her to uncover the identities of the assassin and his employer. Risa is about as tragic a heroine as you can get. Her own father orchestrated her kidnapping and rape and kept her institutionalized for two years to use her as a guinea pig for a hardcore rape drug; and as if that wasn’t enough (cue the violins), she also suffered years of brutal verbal abuse. Micah is a hard, stoic, sexy alpha, but he’s also sweet, giving, tender, and patient. He sees Risa as a survivor with astounding courage, deep strength, inner and outer beauty, and passion that draws him to her and melts his cold facade. Risa has spent eight years trying to recover from her traumatic past, and in helping to heal her and awaken her sexuality, Micah is also healed. Micah is definitely my favorite hero of the series so far. He’s so tough, yet tender, and when he says Hebrew phrases in bed…yowza! The plot is intriguing, the action is fast paced, and the relationship between Micah and Risa is beautiful, passionate, sweet, and erotic. Maverick is an emotional, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and touching story that had me in tears several times. It definitely deserves a 5 star rating. Leigh’s Tempting SEALs/Elite Ops series, with its hunky alpha males, is the best in military romantic suspense, and I can’t wait for Heat Seeker to come out in September!

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving these books, they are crack for my soul. I just can't seem to stop reading them. This one was a bit more emotional than the previous one though...It even managed to make me cry.

Loved Micah...I figured he would be a cold bastard, and he ended up being the complete opposite. What an awesome man !! Risa was a sweet and strong heroine, my heart broke for her, but she had so much strenght...I was in awwww. I'm not gonna do a long review about the book, because there are plenty of those already, just stating my personal opinion. For those who want to read it, beware that there is a rape scene in this book as well as mental abuse.


4,5 stars from me, since it was just what I needed ;)

[Alex ☣ Deranged KittyCat ☣ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was that!



If you have read Wild Card, there's no need to read Maverick. You can change Noah's name for Micah's and Bella's for Risa's.

Similarities between the two books:

1. Man in love/attracted to woman before op
Bella was Noah's wife, while Micah had been attracted to Risa long before he had been introduced to her.

2. Woman is targeted
Both Bella and Risa were targets because of deranged people close to them.

3. Man wants to be key agent
Both Noah and Micah didn't allow any other agent around their love interests.

4. Damsel in distress
Both women get kidnapped and have to be saved by their macho men.

5. 'I have to leave her I won't leave her
Both men intend to leave the women as soon as the operation is finished, but they both end up staying anyway (too much lust love to walk away from).

6. Bad birth-control method
Yes, both women get knocked up by the end of the book.

And I think there are even more similarities if I think harder. *sigh*

[jenjn79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it didn't quite make it into the "loved it" zone for me. There was just something about it that didn't entirely capture me. Which doesn't make it a bad book...it was quite good...but it just didn't make it to that next level.

In my opinion, this book should NOT be read as a stand-alone. There's just too much connected to past events. You might be able to read it and have it make enough sense, but to really get the full story, you should read the entire series in order (both series, actually).

Maverick is the third book in Lora Leigh's Elite Ops series (which is connected to the Tempting SEALs series). In past books Leigh introduced Risa Clay, the daughter of a politician who was kidnapped, drugged, and raped at her father's authority. Then she was locked away in an asylum and sedated. It wasn't until her father's dastardly deeds were revealed that she was rescued. Now she has spent the past six years trying to pull her life back together, to get past the nightmares and fears that still haunt her.

Unfortunately, some memories of her kidnapping and rape have been slowly coming to her, and the man who helped her father will do anything to keep his identity secret. He hires the ruthless hitman Orion to take Risa out. The Elite Ops group learns of his plan and sends the team to guard Risa. Part of the plan is for Micah Sloane, once a Mossad agent, to act as Risa's live-in lover. The "acting" part doesn't last long. And soon Micah must face the life he's committed himself to, the revenge he seeks against Orion, and his surprising love for Risa.

The beginning of this book really yanks at you emotionally. Risa is the poster woman for Tragic Heroines. With all she's been through, it's amazing that she can function at all. She was kidnapped, raped, drugged with Whore's Dust, betrayed by her father, verbally/emotionally abused, locked in an asylum, had drugs tested on her for over a year, and now she has a hitman after her. Talk about tragic! That's putting it mildly.

All that, combined with the effects of the Whore's Dust still in her system, has twisted her sexual desires...made them stronger, and something that scared her. There were some scenes with her, as she tried to deal with everything, that almost had me in tears. You just can't help but feel for her. The romance that develops between her and Micah is great. While he's definitely and alpha and rather commanding, he's very sweet to her at times.

So yeah, the first part of the book really worked for me. But somewhere along the line, I got kinda disconnected from the story. It's hard to explain. The more I read, the more my interest waned...never to the point that I was bored or not wanting to finish. Just that I didn't have that drive to keep reading to see what happened.

I think part of that is because like 90% of this book takes place in Risa's apartment. And after a while, I just kept wishing that SOMETHING would happen to break things up. There were a few events, but by and large, there wasn't much action or suspense to this one. A lot of the story was based on the emotional drama and the sex. Which for me, got a little old about half-way through. I just thought there could have been a little more variety to the story to keep things fresh.

And for a romantic suspense, the ending was a bit bland. I was waiting for, expecting, a big finale...and for me, it just fell flat. I thought there could have been more punch, more excitement.

My other big complaint was that the book could have used a more thorough editing. I didn't notice it as much during the 2nd half of the book, but the first half...there were wrong character names used a couple times, some facts that didn't line up, and a couple sentences that seemed incomplete. It's one thing to come across a typo, but when you read a scene that says "Morganna said" and you have to stop and think, 'hey, wait! Morganna? I thought she was in the other apartment?', it's very distracting and annoying. Because then you have to go reread the page before to figure out what the heck is going on only to realize it's a mistake. So a little more editing, at least on the first half of the book, would have helped.

But anyway, pretty good book that didn't quite make it to great for me. There's some super hot sex, some great characters, and a pretty good storyline. Tweak a few things and it might have been great. I did enjoy the fact that lots of past characters from the series were in this one, and there's some nice set-up for future books. So for those of you who enjoy Leigh and this series, I think you'll like this one, maybe love it. For me, it didn't quite there to the love part, but that's okay. You can't love every book and this one was still good.

WARNING, this book contains: explicit sex, explicit language, references to rape

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok yes...I'm a sucker for Lora Leigh's Alpha males and I also have a weakness for foreign Alphas so her latest, "Maverick" was like a double-dipped ice cream cone for me. "Maverick" continues her seriously sexy SEAL/Elite Ops series with the story of Micah, code-name...uh, hello? Have you not been paying attention? Maverick.

Micah doesn't really exist. That's just the name he took after his supposed death while trying to capture the man who killed his mother and (in his opinion) caused the death of his father. Since that day, he's lived and breathed for revenge against the killer and this is the closest he's gotten. That's good. The bad is...the killer's target this time is a woman Micah has been secretly admiring for several years. She's a survivor of the worst kind of betrayal and torture. Now, Micah's mission is to pose as her lover while protecting her and catching the killer when he tries to strike. Why is this bad? Well, Micah knows he won't be able to keep his hands off her, and pretty soon he's losing his heart to boot. But dead men don't have a future.

It's taken Risa eight long years to recover from the horrible trauma of being raped and then used as a drug guinea pig. She's finally psyched herself up to try having sex with a man and her friends have a perfect candidate. As soon as she sets eyes on Micah, she's caught...and a little frightened of the level of passion he arouses in her. But when she learns the whole 'date' is a set-up and a killer is after her, she feels betrayed and afraid once more. Yet somehow Micah makes her feel safe and wanted...at least until this Op is over and then he'll leave...taking her heart with him.

Micah is quite the scorcher. I'd sure as heck do him! His 'issues' were ones I could 'see' someone like him having and they were at least reasonable for this story. His devotion to duty and ability to see beyond the surface just added to his sexiness for me. Risa was a bit more complex and harder for me to understand. Her fractured psyche really was what one would expect from someone who had undergone the experiences she had. But her back and forth sometimes irked me...not bad enough to make me dislike her, but enough to make me want to give her a good talking to!

The setting was spot on, the action kept the plot moving, and I admit the foreign love words (with translations) were pretty hot too. I enjoyed the growing closeness and connection between the hero and heroine and the quick pace of the relationship was believable by virtue of the close quarters and heightened tensions of the situation. "Maverick" is another winner for me and I'll be pining for Lora Leigh's next book in this series until September 2009 when "Heat Seeker" is scheduled to release. Of course, I'll also buy "Real Men Last All Night" in June 2009 which has a short story related to this series to tide me over.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

You are a light that will always guide me, a whisper I'll always strain to hear

First Impressions
Maverick was quite an interesting book and I really was pulled into the story so quickly. Their dynamic really worked for me and I loved seeing these two grow together despite all the secrets and mission that is involved, their dynamic of masculine alpha male and softer FMC really fit for them. I do think modernistic readers might have issues with this book because the alpha vibes are off the charts lol and you just need to be okay with a good alpha male to really get this book. It is a great suspense, with the heroine in danger, having suffered some severe trauma and yay for a slender medium attractiveness heroine. We just don't see those as much anymore and I really resonated with it.

Yes, he would be gone, but she knew now what it meant to love. She might not know
what it meant to be loved, but loving was almost as good.

First Line
She was a mother. She was a daughter. She was a sister and a wife. Delicate and so very beautiful.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Micah Sloane
The Heroine: Risa Clay

Israel is a place of many people and yet many beauties. The desert can bake a man in the day, freeze him when the moon rises high. It’s a place of brutal beauty and enduring strength. It nourishes a man, even as it challenges him

Summary
Micah Sloane is of the Jewish faith and originally of the Massad fighter crew in Israel, but is now part of the Elite Ops and he knows that despite all that he knows of Risa and wants her, he can never have a future with her. Their lives in the Elite Ops are limited to what they can have in their lives. But he is determined to find the ghost that is hunting Risa, no matter what it takes. Risa was betrayed by her father and raped and treated in the most humiliating of ways, which has hampered any chance of a normal life. But now she is going out to meet friends and wanting to have a one night stand, to feel like a normal woman for once even though she knows she isn't beautiful and worthy of it. But then she meets Micah, who is possessive and strong and protective and she is drawn to him like a moth to flame, but there are so many secrets and there is a enemy that will stop at nothing to kill her.


She was tired of being miserable. And there was always the chance that for the first time in six years, she could find a place inside her that wasn’t tormented by the past. She just had to make that place, she told herself. That was all. She could do this. After all, she had survived hell, hadn’t she? If she had survived hell, then she could survive one night in a lover’s arms.


What I Loved
I really adored this couple together. Its fun to have a suspense where the heroine is a softer FMC and I loved that she had some abuse and trauma that she was working through. And to top it off, it has a plain jane heroine, I am all for it. I really connected with this heroine, because of how I resonated with her physically. Even though I know I am attractive, I have never felt truly beautiful, just like Risa. I loved that she was trying to better herself and try new experiences no matter how much she feared it or still felt the trauma of the abuse she suffered. She had such inner strength that I was immediately drawn to. Then we have this hero. Who is trying to protect her without her knowing that they are protecting her or her friends are keeping secrets too. This also has a forbidden love theme in it as Micah can never have a HEA with anyone, he can't marry or have children as he is bound by the contract he signed for the Elite Ops but seeing them work towards their HEA was amazing.


Micah had a weakness. A small, beautiful, passionate weakness that he feared could become the destruction of his soul.


What I Struggled With
There were a few plot holes here and there, but also the ending felt a bit anti climatic at times and it didn't truly satisfy. And the writing here is older contemporary so I am not used to that style as much anymore lol so the writing style put me off for a bit because I am just not used to it. I do wish the ending had been more satisfying between them and felt rushed. Like it was never answered how he would be able to marry her, just that he would in like once sentence. I would have preferred something more finale in the ending.


“I could stay here, covering you like a blanket meant to protect, forever,” he whispered at her ear. “You are a light that will always guide me, a whisper I’ll always strain to hear.”


Overall View
Maverick is a powerful romance that really resonated with this reader for the character develpment. Your heart will fight along side Micah and Risa as they battle towards their HEA that is forbidden to them. Its wildly intense, emotionally dramatic and cuts a deep chord of emotion and heart all the way through.

“When you leave, will you remember me, Micah?” Risa asked then, her voice in the darkness stroking over his senses. “Even death could not steal your memory from me,” he promised her.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Abused, Softer FMC, Alpha Male, Military
Themes: Black Ops, Heart/Emotional Touching, Danger/Suspense, Friendship Focused
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Protector


How insane had he been to believe he could ever live without Risa when in truth, he hadn’t known what living was until he learned what loving her meant?


Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Maya Banks
Pamela Clare
Rebecca Zanetti

Song This Book Inspires
Over and Over Again by Nathan Sykes

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

[Kathrynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah! What a wonderful character...How bout that sexy bookcover! This is a continuation in the Elite Ops saga; however, the series actually begins with the first Tempting SEALs book. Characters and backstories from the latter carry over into the Elite Ops. For instance, Risa's backstory is somewhere in the Tempting SEALs series.... I feel, to get the most from this series, a person should start with the Tempting SEALs books.

Maverick had two wonderful characters, Micah and Risa, a gripping storyline, wonderful character development and excellent romance--very hot. Many characters from both series are in this one and "we" meet several new characters, too. Some future storylines were set up here, as well.

I think Micah is my favorite hero from both series...so far. He has a tragic story. But Risa's story had me tied up in knots: heartbreaking abuse--both mentally and physically and extremely low self-esteem. Micah was able to give her back a little of herself. She grew and fought her fears while Micah was ever patient. He loved her so much.

This Reader is looking forward to Jordan's story!

[Georgina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't even finish it.

A huge turn-around from my 4 star rating of Lora Leigh's first book of the series. (I purchased them both at the same time, based on the unbelievably high rating they've gotten at here at Goodreads - I guess I'm just in the minority).

I was really intrigued by the story in the first book, Wildcard but (as I mentioned in my review) had to skip a whole lot of gratuitous "lovin'" to get through it.

Maverick, however, just didn't even hold my interest plot-wise, and I didn't have the care factor to try and wade through the extremely explicit and frequent sex scenes to try and get through it.

I am all for great romance, love scenes and doing the deed, and I can even put up with authors breaking it down for us (ie insert A into B) but Leigh's scenes are just too much for me. I like a little mystery and a lot more sexual tension (which isn't really happening when they're doing it all the time). I much prefer how Cindy Gerard writes her love scenes, and in the sexual tension Nora Roberts creates in her books.

I was also disappointed at the continuation of the "Whore's Dust" element (a date rape drug). I just think it's crass.

I found the leading man, Michah to be arrogant beyond belief, and his treatment of Risa (sexually), who's trying to recover from a horrific past (she was raped repeatedly with her father watching on), just terrible - I was completely turned off by this.

I can't really comment further because, as I mentioned, I didn't finish it but thought I'd put the reasons why, out there.

[Buggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #2 in the elite-ops series is all about Micah Sloane AKA `Maverick' and he is awesome! Sexy, exotic, lethal and loving. Just the type of man we all dream about, what a welcome addition to this saga. Lora Leigh weaves yet another great tale of testosterone and steamy love here. Although on the darker side MAVERICK is still a beautiful love story about the strength to carry on in the face of adversity and the ability to heal with the right person.

Risa Clay has spent years trying to rebuild her life. Trying to get over not only the betrayal by her father but a brutal rape and her subsequent time spent in a psychiatric hospital where the very man that raped her pumped her full of experimental drugs to keep her quiet. After being rescued by the elite-ops Risa became a virtual recluse. Shy, scared and with little self confidence remaining she is however determined to move forward. To help herself come to terms with her past Risa decides to take a lover. Enter Micah Sloane.

Micah, a former Moussad agent known as David Abijah signed his life away to join the elite-ops and for all intensive purposes is now a dead man. He played a role in Risa's rescue years before and has never forgotten her, always admiring her strength and courage to carry on. When he learned of the covert assignment involving Risa he volunteered to be her lover.

Risa initially has no idea that her friends have set her up with an agent or that she is in fact the next intended victim of the legendary assassin known as Orion. Now in order to save her life she'll have to cooperate with the elite-ops and allow Micah to pose as her live in lover (what a bummer) to draw out the killer. What the rest of the team doesn't realize is that Micah has reasons of his own for wanting Orion dead and that he will stop at nothing to kill the man responsible for his parents murders even if it means using Risa as the bait in this dangerous game.

This is a great story with loads of suspense and of course the smoking hot love scenes we've all come to expect from Lora Leigh. Although perhaps slightly toned down and with more tenderness then other books as Micah attempts to heal the fragile, broken Risa. Their love progresses beautifully as the story unfolds and eventually both must fight their growing affection knowing that once the mission is completed Micah must leave.

There's also a huge cast of secondary characters who have been interwoven nicely into this exciting story many of whom you will recognize from Wild Card or the TEMPTING SEALS series. (It's nice to hear about what they're been up to.) Micah ultimately brings Risa back to life, teaching her to love and even laugh again but he didn't plan on loosing his heart in the process. Will he be able to sacrifice her as the bait to the killer? And will either of them be able to let go once this assignment is over?

I can highly recommend MAVERICK but to get the full effect and back story of these fascinating men I would suggest reading WILDCARD or any of the TEMPTING SEALS series first.

[TF · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars :-)

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maverick by Lora Leigh can best be summed up as a really dark and sexy NCIS episode. This premise may be worth reading and could have been really interesting. Sadly, this was just not the book for me. I had a lot of problems with everything involving this book: the dialogue, the characters, the story, the writing style – you name it and I probably had an issue with it. I’ll explain…

Let’s start off with the dialogue because I probably had the most issues with that. I couldn’t find any real personality in anything anyone said. Everything was just so matter of fact and dull that I was dying to get some inflections or something to differentiate one character from another. Besides the lack of variety, the dialogue itself was positively bizarre. I have never heard anyone speak like the characters do in Maverick. It almost felt like the dialogue was perhaps written for a historical romance and then was just cut and pasted into a contemporary romantic suspense story. The result of this just kind of grossed me out to be honest. Here are two examples of what I’m talking about:

“Come to me; feel your lover’s touch.”

“You’ll have to forgive me. I’m still immersed in my lover’s pleasure.”

It felt like I was reading a feature length version of that SNL skit with Will Farrell and Rachel Dratch when they’re in a hot tub and calling each other “lover” constantly. You know… this one:



So basically picture those two as the leads in a dark and sexy NCIS episode and there you have the basic gist of Maverick.

Moving on, let’s talk about the characters. This goes along with the dialogue being so bland but the characters were equally as bland. Right now, I can’t really distinguish any of the men or women from each other. No one really had a personality that was distinctly them. It was just a sea of carbon copy characters. For example, I can’t think of literally any interests our heroine, Risa, had. Seriously, I can’t come up with anything she likes (besides our male lead, Micah) because her interests were never delved into. I know that her character is reserved and stays at home by herself a lot but what does she even do with her time? Am I to believe that she just sits in her apartment and stares at the wall all day? She has desires and dreams about the future but that doesn’t mean she has a personality in the present.

As for Micah, he was so grating on the nerves that it ruined any attraction I may have been able to build for him. I don’t like this macho “alpha” male hero as much anymore. I read it now and I’m just appalled at his behavior. Being protective is great. However, not respecting her wishes when she directly expresses them bullshit. Example: She says that she doesn’t want him sleeping in the bed with her. He proceeds to sleep in the bed with her anyway, naked and holding onto her hips. Like dude… take a fucking hint already. He goes on to reason with her that it was what she really wanted anyway. THAT’S THE SAME RATIONALE THAT DATE RAPISTS USE! FOR PETE’S SAKE! Even though it’s happened to be true in these instances it’s not his right to take such liberties. I think he should have respected her NO. If he would have attempted to be a gentleman just once, I may have found a redeeming quality to him but no such luck. This is kind of the same with all of the rest of the SEALS. I was astounded at how incredibly insensitive they could be to Risa’s feelings. It can’t even be written off as accidental insensitivity, these guys were just a pack of assholes.

So ya… to say I had some issues with Maverick is putting it mildly. The only thing saving this from a “FUCK this book” status is that there was one scene involving Risa that was actually quite compelling to read and I truly felt for her and ended up shedding some tears right along with her. Also the villain, Orion, was pretty decent. He was a creep and a half and believable as an actual threat. For those two small things Maverick is getting 2 stars. It showed that Lora Leigh could actually write something compelling if she wanted to. I just don’t know how she could have failed on everything else. Maybe it’s just this book or this series that’s a pile of shit? Maybe I’ll try something else from her and see if this is a fluke.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Micah Sloane knows almost everything there is to know about Risa Clay, including the vicious betrayal she endured years ago and the distrust she’s harbored ever since. The only way for the Elite Ops agent to uncover an assassin—and banish the ghosts of his own dark past—is to use Risa as bait. But nothing has prepared him for her disarming blend of innocence and sensuality, or for his overwhelming need to protect her…
Risa has spent six years rebuilding her life. And now, to save it, she must pose as Micah’s lover and draw a killer into the open. It’s a risky plan—especially with a man as powerfully seductive as Micah. But, as their charade becomes reality, Risa realizes the greatest danger may lie in losing her heart forever…

MY THOUGHTS

Allright….i am now totally into this series, after being, in the beginning, somewhat uncertain if I would enjoy this sub-genre…OTT domineering alpha males that just want the women they love to give in to all their demands – but I guess I must like it…because right now I have just finished an enjoyable read of Lora Leigh’s 2nd book in her Elite Ops Series.

Micah Sloane, known as Maverick is the kind of hero that grabs you from the first moment and you are unable to stop yourself from caring about him. A former Israeli Mossad agent, he’s passionate about his heritage – giving the reader a brief look into the culture of Israel that is part of what happened to his mother, he’s loyal and totally focused and dedicated to his job and mission and of course he’s so totally sexy and gorgeous.

Risa Clay has seen more violence and betrayal than most people have faced. She’s been tortured, used as an experiment by her father and still she has the strength to fight back. The horror of what was done to her such as the rape part….i thought it a bit harsh and cold when a tape of her being raped was shown to her as a means for her to agree to Micah’s plan. How anyone can ever overcome that is unimaginable!!

Both Micah & Risa are so emotionally broken, so damaged that in the beginning I was unsure if they could ever be together and if the love for each other would be enough to find true happiness together – Talk about mutual distrust when they first meet!!! - Micah asks Risa to pose as his lover, after discovering that the assassin, who killed his mother, is targeting Risa now and hopefully their “union” will draw the killer into the open.

The tension and chemistry between the two is undeniable and even though Micah tries to fight his attraction for her and Risa struggles with the feelings she has for him and afraid that he will not stay when they have completed the mission.

A thrilling, intriguing and suspense filled ride with some…okay a lot…but this is what one expects from this author…….steamy and sizzling, intense and so very hot sex between the two.

I am really getting quite attached to these characters and am off to look for the next book…………

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** Some of the other reviews seem like they didn't read the book! ***** Orion never raped anyone, the "soft handed" doctor giving her the injections did. So, I find it odd to hate a book, when they recap it so wrongly stated. ( just my humble opinion)

I love the ELITE OPS book series by Lora Leigh!!! She is an awesome writer. I loved Wild Card, Heat Seeker, Renegade, Black Jack, etc. MAVERICK is one of my favorites.

Micah has watched Risa from afar for awhile and knows his attraction for her already. He's magnificent in his strength and commitment. This author scorches her pages with the erotic sex scenes. Wow! The stories are well written, have great characters and steamy sex. Micah and Risa, aaahhhhh!

He is great FOR her, TO her, and WITH her.
I've read this book twice now, and it engages me still. Can't get enough of Lora's stories. I like to meet up with old characters from other books, reunite and see how they are doing. We already know them and are confident they will be helpful to the new people. I also loved that the ending, didn't leave things up in the air. Their issues were wrapped up, yeah!
Enjoy the book.
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[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Elite Ops series by Lora Leigh. I did enjoy this and would have given it a 5 but I wasn't that fond of Risa for some reason. I know she went through some horrific stuff but something just didn't click about her to me.

[Zeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back sicko Jansen Clay, engineered a kidnapping of his only daughter, Risa, to test a drug he and his people were attempting to replicate. Brutally held captive, attacked and raped, Risa is still dealing with the effects of not only the attack but the drug itself- a drug that makes the date rape drug seem like over the counter medicine.

Now a ruthless assassin has been sicced on her because she's starting to remember what she's previously blocked out about her time in captivity- and the man who holds the assassin's leash.

Elite Ops agent Micah Sloane gave up his life, literally, so that he could catch Orion, the man who murdered his parents and the man now after Risa. And the hardened agent is determined to use the fragile woman in whatever way he can to do so.

But he gets more than he bargains for when he proposes they pose as lovers to draw Orion out, because something in Risa draws him like no other. Micah now must make a decision- deny his heart and continue on the dangerous path he's chosen or possibly lose the one chance to save his soul.

Usual fare for Lora Leigh, although this one read more like her breed series rather than the romantic suspense it's billed as. (The drug in Risa's system works on them much as the mating heat does on the characters in Leigh's Breed books.) The sex and language is incinerating and these two characters do stand out as some of Leigh's best.

Chemistry is strong between them and though Risa's psyche is tenuous at best, she's reached a point in her life where she doesn't want to let it hold her back anymore. Micah? Whew man, I just loved him! (An ex Israeli- Mossad agent? Those guys are steely! What can be hotter than that?)

Since this is my favorite type of novel from this author (next to the Breeds, of course)- Maverick gets a 4 out of 5 from me!

[Kseniya Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Sin Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Just WOW!!!

After reading Pamela Clare's I-Team and Maya Banks' KGI series I didn't think that anything can come even close, because those have definitely set the bar quite high. But this book was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

Just after a few pages I knew I was going on Lora Leigh's books hunt again. She has an increadible way of putting passion on her pages. I could almost feel the heat coming off the book!

Two totally different people: Risa Clay and Micah Sloane come together against their shared enemy. Risa was raped and experimented on with drugs. And the person behind it - her own father. This is definitely not an easy past to recover from, especially that the traces of drugs used on her are still in her body and influence all her feelings and emotions. Her confidence in herself as a woman is completely shattered. It's been 6 long years and she is still struggling to find strength to face the outside world.

Micah Sloane is a Mossad and a special agent working for Elite Ops. He has "come back" from the dead. No longer David Abijah, Micah takes new name and goes for the enemy who killed his family. But now the enemy is after Risa and Micah must protect her from the past that's dangerously coming back.

I was completely captivated by how the relationship between Micah and Risa was developing. Despite all the fears, she found the strength to trust and let Micah in. And he was in.... He was into her for so long already, he can barely hold back his passion and desire for her.

Lora Leigh is an amazingly talanted writer. Her writing style is so easy to take in and yet it's so vivid. I definitely look forward to reading more of her books and especially the next one in Elite Ops series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of Leigh's SEAL/Elite Ops series. Of all of them, this one is very near the top. So far, the Elite Ops books have been far better than any of the SEAL books for me--mostly because I had a hard time overcoming a number of the unrealistic points in the books.

Although this is labeled the third in the Elite Ops series, it really is the 2nd. Nighthawk is a 9-page introduction to Nighthawk and Black Jack and a teaser/setup for Maverick. It was a nice setup, but isn't necessary for the series so far.

This book is highly emotional and delves into Risa's insecurities and fears. She is a strong character that has to overcome her past and learn to live for herself and her future. Micah is tormented by the loss of his parents and is out for revenge. Risa is the path to that revenge, but he also finds that she is his path to life. Two very good tormented characters that fit well together--strong, yet in need.

What bothered me about this book was the repetitiveness. Some of the scenes felt like deja vu. Risa's thoughts were repeated over and over and at some point I kept thinking--"Wasn't this already discussed a couple of times?" Leigh also seems to build the book around the sex and fill in the action scenes later. Sometimes it felt like a little too much sex and not enough movement in the plot. Some of the sex scenes did move the plot forward, but as I already stated, some seemed a little like deja vu.

Overall, a good book in the SEAL/Elite Ops series. All the previous heroes were mentioned and given good parts in the story. It is always nice to check-in with the previous characters and see how they have progressed.

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very intense story that I wasn't expecting from Lora Leigh.
Unlike her Breeds books, this was more intense & darker. The similarities were that something in their brain... this one being an experimental drug, made the need for sex more intense...

The darkness stems from a father experimenting on his dauughter & selling her to someone so they can rape her while he watches when she's a teenager, then locking her in an asylum in a constant drugged state for a couple years. She was rescued after her father was killed in a botched attempt to re-kidnap & experiment on one of her friends.

The book opens up with Micah'a mother being assassinated by Orion in his special way... Orion is the one who has been hired to assassinate Risa as well. Micah & his black ops ex-Navy SEAL team are there to protect her and catch them.

Some of these lines Micah gives Risa are SOOOO cheesy! Which adds humor not intended for this story... AND also, what friend is going to tell you "Well, you're no Miss America, but you aren't ugly!" when you've been verbally abused by your parents your whole life by telling you that you are ugly, when indeed, you're just plain? Not mine! AND if I was another friend, I think I would stomp the friend who told my other frind that! The bitch! AND it was written to prove the plain Jane point of Risa's looks... Seriously! LL's kids may not have very good self esteem if she thinks that's normal!

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have already read the first book in the series so I knew what to expect.

The beginning was really promising, much better than in the Wild Card. However, they went to bed a bit too early and too easy to my taste. The second book, just like the first one, was lacking in the plot development but the characters were more interesting and less annoying. And the suspense part was slightly bigger. But I didn't like that the romance part was so similar to the one in the first book. Reading about Risa being pregnant was like a deja vu.

Still, somehow this part was better than the first one or maybe I was just prepare for what I get.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

The newest installment of Lora Leigh's Elite Ops continues with Risa Clay, the young woman abducted by her own father and forced to endure some pretty awful experiences. Six years later, still dramatically traumatized, she decides she needs to start living again... Enter Micah Sloane. Who, I have to say, is mighty scrumptious! Micah and Risa have a fantastic chemistry going on.

I couldn't put the book down! Lora Leigh definitely does NOT disappoint, but, does she ever?? I think not! :)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD!! These books just keep getting better and better!! Talk about HOT, my goodness the pages are smoking!! This is the 2nd in the "Elite Ops" series by Lora Leigh. FYI I do think you would need to read the first series "Tempting Navy Seals" before reading this one.. JMHO!

In A Dangerous Game
Micah Sloane knows almost everything there is to know about Risa Clay, including the vicious betrayal she endured years ago and the distrust she’s harbored ever since. The only way for the Elite Ops agent to uncover an assassin—and banish the ghosts of his own dark past—is to use Risa as bait. But nothing has prepared him for her disarming blend of innocence and sensuality, or for his overwhelming need to protect her…

Desire Can Be a Deadly Distraction
Risa has spent six years rebuilding her life. And now, to save it, she must pose as Micah’s lover and draw a killer into the open. It’s a risky plan—especially with a man as powerfully seductive as Micah. But, as their charade becomes reality, Risa realizes the greatest danger may lie in losing her heart forever…

[Alb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it. I couldn't finish it. Risa has been deeply betrayed, humiliated, and abused by her father. So what does Micah and the rest of the elite ops group do? They lie to her. Tell her she's meeting a friend who has no knowledge of her past. And this guy is so great that he makes a move on a woman who is frail.
The Elite Op team has been spying on her for weeks (enough so that they know she has sex toys in the nightstand and gets intimate waxing). Everyone in the group knows all about her psychological evaluations and doctor's findings. How is that not a gross betrayal and encroachment on her privacy? If this woman is so strong and brave (which was repeated over and over again), why wouldn't they sit down with her and explain the situation. She's either strong enough to deal with it or not.
I put the book down after Micah forced Risa to sit on his lap and ask to go see her grandmother. Really? This woman has been humiliated and your are going to treat her like a child?

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

B- review at best.
The problem I have with Maverick is that they are portraying Risa (the heroine) as helpless. Yes I understand she went through a terrible ordeal...one I couldn't begin to imagine...but they treat her as if she's a child and in a way she lets them. I'm all for vulnerability - even like it to be present in a good storyline - but it seems in this book LL has made the heroine too wimpy and the hero too alpha, which in my opinion is not a good combo. I'm about 30 pages from being done so I doubt anything will change my opinion. I love Micah (Maverick) and the background he has and his almost insane dedication to his mission and I love the heritage she gave him. I am TOTALLY done with the word "soul" being in every love scene!! and I wish she had made Risa to be a strong woman who came through an unbelievable event, instead of the "I'm so ugly....ooh poor me....you lied to me" persona she gave her.

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maverick es el segundo libro de los seis que forman la serie Elite Ops de Lora Leigh y tiene como protagonistas a Risa y Michah.
Maverick me gusto ligeramnete mas que el libro anterior aunque sigue sin ser " El Libro ", pero fue una lectura entretenida y no se me hizo pesada como me paso con la historia de Nathan.
Parte de la razon de que me gustara mas este libro se debe a que los protagonistas desde mi punto de vista son muchisimo mejores que los protagonistas de Wild Card, ademas con Micah y Risa si llegue a conectar y me parecieron personajes muy bien definidos.
Nunca pense que diria esto pero tantas escenas de sexo me aburrieron bastante, pienso que si la autora se centrara mas en desarrollar mas el misterio que las escenas de cama, sus libros serian mejores, desgraciadamente sus historias no consiguen ser tan buenas como las de la serie de Maya Banks.
John me llama muchisimo la atencion, espero que su historia no me decepcione.

3 Estrellas!

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a near replica of Wild Card. (Read that review)

I did like Risa more than I did Bella. Risa had a reason to have a mental break down or two. Bella didn't.

Micah was okay. Just Okay. He still did the "I signed my life away and now I'm a dead man" routine. Which has really gotten on my nerves.

I still didn't feel like the main characters had a strong love connection.

Also, I was also really bothered that both Bella and Risa got pregnant at the end of their books. Really people. Really Both times the birth control failed because it was to weak. Sure...

Overall this was a cookie cutter book. And based off others reviews it looks like a cookie cutter series. Probably not going to continue this series.

[Dyndyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lora Leigh has done it again. Another beautifully written story of haunted & broken characters that just draws you in. Micah, dead man walking, was driven by revenge & bitterness. Risa's just amazing! She managed to shine through & came out stronger despite all the horrific things that happened to her. Circumstances forced them together as Risa's life is threatened again by the man Micah's been after for years. This story is heartbreaking yet heartwarming. You can't help but root for these two characters. They certainly deserve their HEA! The hot steamy chemistry between them was intense. *fans self*
This is a story of pain, grief, love & redemption. Captivating!

[Yayita · Rating 3 out of 5]

No recuerdo por qué lo dejé de leer la primera vez, puede ser mi libro favorito de Lora Leigh.
Amo a Risa, es fuerte y a pesar de todo siguió adelante solo para seguir sufriendo por cosas del pasado que regresan en su mejor momento. La relación con sus amigos es extraña, abuela es un hueso duro de roer, lástima las cosas que deberieron pasar afortunadamente se tienen entre ellas.
Me parece que está centrado en lo que pasa alrededor y en la relación de Risa y Micah
normalmente las historias se centran en el sexo y lo demás se resuelve mientras los protagonistas están juntos. Seguiré con los de ésta serie esperando no me decepcionen.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book by audio and I think that made it that much hotter. Risa and Micah burned my ears off. Micah aka Maverick was assigned to keep Risa safe from the baddies. He was hardcore alpha but had a sweet spot when it came to Risa. He wanted the assignment because he had a score to settle with Orion. Risa was a seriously tortured heroine, working on putting her life back together. This story had strong alpha men, special ops/military, suspense, a sweet tough as nails granny, and a whole lot of sexy loving. I will be reading the series soon.