Micah Sloan and Risa Clay are bound together by their experiences with the same crazed killer, though Risa doesn't know it. This was't as bad as teh first book in the series, the intensity and the silly premises worked better here. The mystery is not interesting, though the grandmother was well drawn - what would you do if your son oversaw the rape of your granddaughter? so her angst was worth exploring. I didn't mind Micah, though didn't find him particularly Israeli or Jewish. I found the descriptions of Risa contradictory, from ugly to plain to pretty - well I guess love makes us all prettier, but he was so in love with her physically that the plain/ugly bit didn't hold up so much. It's not a keeper or a reread for me, but it was an easy enough way to spend a few hours. ( )

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. ( )

Not as good as the others but still a good read ( )

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. ( )