A forbidden desire. A game of cat and mouse. A love that could ruin everything. Hold on tight for the wild ride that is the next installment in Kate Crew’s extra spicy Mavericks series!
Evie Emberson is trouble. Smart-mouthed, fearless, and relentless—especially when she’s looking for answers. She’s a hacker with a past that just won’t stay buried, so laying low isn’t exactly her strong suit. Especially when he’s around.
Aiden “Ace” Hayes is her brother’s best friend—brooding, loyal, and a walking contradiction. He spends half his time at the motorcycle garage and half deep in Valeport’s underground, and he lives by a code. Rule number one? Don’t touch Evie.
But she’s not a kid anymore. She’s fire and chaos and everything he shouldn’t want. He knows getting involved would blow up the only family he’s ever had—but walking away is getting harder every damn day.
What starts as snark and stolen glances spirals into something darker, hotter, and way past the point of no return. And the more they try to hide it, the more it threatens to consume them.
Now, with enemies circling and Evie’s secrets putting a target on her back, Aiden will do whatever it takes to protect her—even if it means betraying the brother who made him family.
❝ i'm not scared of loving you, evie. i'm scared of what happens when i fucking lose you. ❞
guys, i fear ace & ember and i were in the most toxic little situationship i've ever had with any type of book.
₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱ this book should've had me chewing drywall, humping furniture, and making a fresh stan account with a medically concerning posting schedule. we've got evie emberson, hacker gremlin, family-trauma magnet, and a full-time employee of terrible decision-making. she's got secrets, attitude, dead-parent baggage, and the kind of reckless commitment to getting answers that makes you want to wrap her in bubble wrap and zip-tie her to a chair for her own safety. queen was out here sprinting toward catastrophe like it owed her money.
then there's aiden "ace" hayes, brother's best friend, full-time bodyguard, motorcycle-garage brooder, and a man so allergic to acting on his feelings that yearning might literally be his primary source of income. he suffers from a devastating case of Hot Man With A Rule. and that rule, naturally, is "don't touch evie." which in romance novel language means he is going to think about touching evie, railing evie, and ruining evie every five seconds until he nearly bursts into flames.
the issue is that the book kept feeling like three different stories got absolutely shitfaced, started a bar fight in a parking lot, and none of them won. there's the romance. there's the mystery around evie's shady parents and her tragic backstory. there's the biker-family drama. there's the danger in valeport's underground. and then there's evie herself, sprinting headfirst into bad decisions like she's training for the olympics of self-destruction and gunning for the gold medal. instead of all these pieces locking together in a deliciously unhinged way, the plot sometimes felt confused, disjointed, and weirdly repetitive.
and i need to personally drag evie's blackmail scheme into the group chat because WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT. this girl is so catastrophically down bad for her brother's best friend that instead of trying basic human things like honesty, seduction, or literally any option available to a woman with free will, she goes straight to extortion. EXTORTION. straight to criminal-level emotional terrorism. not flirting. not emotional vulnerability. not even a good old-fashioned bad decision fueled by mutual horniness. i'm sorry, but trying to coerce a man into being with you is not sexy, clever, or deliciously unhinged in a fun way. it just made me sit there blinking at the page like "babes, are we in middle school? are we twelve?" and the worst part is that the book seems to want this to read as bold and chaotic, but for me it made evie feel immature, manipulative, and way harder to root for.
₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ ii. romance. ₊˚⊹ ꒱ now listen. brother's best friend plus bodyguard plus biker plus forbidden love is exactly the kind of trope stack that usually has me acting like a lab rat who just discovered the infinite dopamine button and started mashing it with both paws while screaming. this is my kind of nonsense. this should have had me foaming at the mouth.
and to be fair, there are moments where aiden and evie actually work. i can absolutely see why some people are straight-up feral for this dynamic. frothing at the mouth, making edits, renaming their firstborn after them, the whole nine yards. the setup is filthy in the best way. the tension can slap harder than a raccoon on redbull. aiden being all broody and repressed while evie causes problems recreationally like it's her full-time job and side hustle? yes. i see the vision. i really do. some of y'all are out here losing your entire minds, and i get it, besties.
BUT DEAR GOD this romance also stressed me out for all the wrong reasons. evie had such unhinged gremlin side-character energy in rook & rebel, but here she sometimes felt like she got replaced by a whinier, more manipulative version of herself, and i wanted to sit her down, hand her a juice box, and ask why blackmail seemed like her sexiest available option. BLACKMAIL AS FOREPLAY, BABES.
also, i need to formally file a complaint about the middle of this book because it is literally the same dynamic wearing a trench coat, fake mustache, and sunglasses. they want each other. they fight it. they circle like two horny moons who forgot how gravity works. they bicker. they do something stupid. they refuse to have one single useful conversation. rinse, repeat, biker edition. i felt like i was trapped in a romantic roundabout where every exit sign had been stolen by raccoons and the only way out was more emotional constipation.
and yes, the spice is spicy, but the logistics were beating its ass. and as someone who actually rides, that bike scene took me clean out. there is a scene with a bike idling in an enclosed garage, and instead of swooning i was sitting there like, "congratulations on the orgasm, bestie, but unfortunately you’re both about to meet god." i could not get past it. my biker brain was too busy screaming about ventilation, fumes, and the complete absence of survival instincts.
to be honest, i can't even fully hate aiden because unfortunately this man rides a ducati panigale v4 and his backup bike is a honda cbr1000, which means kate crew knew exactly what she was doing when she built him in the lab. it's frankly a hate crime against my ability to review this book fairly, because now every time he annoyed me, my brain immediately betrayed me with, "yes, but unfortunately, he has immaculate taste in crotch rockets." how am i supposed to stay mad when the man is out here brooding on italian engineering that costs more than my entire bloodline?
i also kind of wish we'd gotten more sibling scenes because, honestly, some of the most interesting tension in the book lives right there. the brother-sister dynamic had more bite, more history, and more emotional potential than a lot of the repetitive romantic back-and-forth, and i would’ve happily traded a few laps around the horny miscommunication roundabout for more of that messy family energy.
₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ iii. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱ this is the most frustrating kind of book because i can SEE why it works for other people. the ingredients are chef's-kiss immaculate. hacker gremlin with baggage, tortured biker protector with loyalty issues, forbidden love, underground danger, family secrets, blackmail, motorcycles, and a man who looks like he's never smiled in natural daylight. this should've had me foaming at the mouth and chewing on the furniture like a rabid raccoon.
instead i spent half the read blinking at the page like a woman being personally gaslit by aesthetics. the romance and the mystery were in a vicious custody battle and neither one wanted weekends or holidays. sometimes the mystery was lowkey more interesting than the love story. sometimes the tension would finally start cooking, getting spicy, getting me invested, and then the plot would burst in wearing a fake mustache, a trench coat, and zero chill yelling "MY TURN, BITCHES" and yank me somewhere else like a chaotic ex who refuses to let me move on.
sometimes i was into it. sometimes i felt like i was reading a first draft that desperately needed one more ruthless editing pass, a whiteboard, an intervention, and maybe a priest to exorcise the subplot demons.
so no, i did not hate this. 2.3 stars is not "bury this book in a shallow grave and salt the earth." i definitely see the vision, but the actual execution felt like it's wandering into traffic, getting hit, and then dragging me with it. i had fun in chaotic little flashes. i liked pieces of aiden. i liked pieces of evie (when she wasn't actively committing emotional war crimes). i liked the idea of them together more than i liked the actual experience of watching them orbit each other for 400+ pages like two horny, emotionally constipated moons who never quite collided.
also, i know this is an arc, so i'm trying to keep my claws respectful. i get that early copies are not the finished product, and i'm genuinely hoping some of this gets smoothed out before publication. but right now, the awkward dialogue and random mistakes were doing parkour across the page. some conversations felt so clunky and unnatural that i got yeeted clean out of the story. this absolutely feels like a book that needs one more ruthless editing pass, because there’s potential here, but the current version is still stumbling over itself in places like a drunk biker trying to do a sexy strut in the middle of the road when it should be selling me the obsession, and that’s the real tragedy.
this book is basically a very attractive mess. and sometimes that's enough to get you through the night. unfortunately for me, this time it was not. thank you, you lovely baddies, for reaching the bottom of my rant review.
— 2.3 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°.ᐟ
.° ༘🎧ྀི⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ ❛ i was either going to give in soon, or burn alive trying not to. ❜
❛ he liked it. and that was dangerous. because i liked it too. ❜
❛ i love this caveman side of you. should i trip and fall to my knees? ❜
❛ you're a sweet, beautiful angel who is going to sink those nails into me and drag me right to hell like a psycho. ❜
── ⟡ ˙ 🪻༘ ₊ main tropes. ⟢ brother's best friend ⟢ dark rom com ⟢ hacker fmc ⟢ unhinged biker mmc ⟢ she blackmails him ⟢ suspense ⟢ forbidden love
₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-review: ⤿ i need a minute. possibly a support group. maybe a cigarette even though i don't smoke. i survived. barely. my clown nose is dented but still honking.
₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-read: ⤿ just got approved for this arc after absolutely body-slamming the first book into the pavement like it owed me money. i don't know if this is growth or stockholm syndrome, but here we are. listen. i am rooting for kate crew. i want to be gagged. i want to be silenced.
“I’d make her mine in ways she couldn’t even imagine, ruin her, and she’d savor every dark, twisted second of it—just like I would.”
I probably should have read Book 1 before jumping into this one, because I didn’t fully know the history or understand the character dynamics the way I should have.
The tension between Aiden and Evie was definitely there the passion, the sneaking off, the banter it was fun to read. Brother’s best friend? Forbidden love? Slow burn? Yep, totally my kind of vibe.
That said, I didn’t love Evie as a character. She came across as manipulative at times, especially when she blackmailed Aiden, which I really didn’t appreciate. She also seemed to try too hard to come across as strong and badass, but instead it sometimes made her seem self centered and arrogant. I also wish there had been more drama when her brother found out about them that was one of the moments I had been anticipating most, so it ended up feeling really flat.
I appreciated the Shadows POV, made it really interesting with a mystery.
~Pre-read~ Received an arc, forbidden romance, brothers best friend??? excuse me! sign me up...
”Evie only smiled. And in that moment— bloody, bruised and half conscious, i knew one thing for sure. I’d follow her anywhere. Forever.”
these two were a mess, and not necessarily the fun kind. Evie was A LOT to deal with, constantly pushing boundaries and making stupidly impulsive choices to get attention. Aiden was a bit of a doormat and didn’t have enough initiative for me. the fact that Evie felt the need to blackmail Aiden into acting on his feelings? they’re both losers at this point give me a damn break.
Aiden could not for the life of him gather the courage to talk to Rook about wanting to date Evie, instead making assumptions and deciding to sneak around instead. i found their conflict to be so annoying in the first place.. why are we needing permission? i think if being together was that important to them, then they would’ve been upfront about it, instead of whining 24/7. the actual plot was so stale and i found myself losing interest.
the audiobook was a 10/10 btw, and i’m still looking forward to reading Hero and Harper’s book next!
▶ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harper Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.
maybe this series isn't for me? i kinda came in thinking id fall in love with evie bc of how she was in book 1, but haha jokes on me, evie in this book changed her whole personality.. and was kinda lwk insufferable
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧• evie emberson ngl she was one of the side character that i liked in rook & rebel cuz she was so strong, determined and independent. right, but this book, her random ass antics made her seem really bratty and spoiled. it's like she just does what she wants without thinking.. and also tell me why of all things evie couldve chosen to do to pursue aiden, SHE DECIDED TO BLACKMAIL HIM??!!! like woman, are you okay??
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧• aiden hayes he was kinda just mid i guess? nothing really stood out about him but i liked seeing his internal conflicts about bringing their relationship to light since he kinda had a lot to lose.
now about the plot.. i feel like there were so many things happening at the same time yet nothing happened? idek if it makes sense. also the whole reveal about rook & evie's parents is so stupid and i felt like it came out of nowhere. cuz wdym the order waited ten years and did absolutely nothing and then out of nowhere decided they wanted evie now??
also that scene with the knife handle on the bike was crazy.. i have no words, iykyk
⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
pssshhh... this had SO MUCH potential and it did not deliver.. and now i'm just depressed
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴ 14/07/2026 — happy release day!! i have my fingers and toes crossed that it's going to be better than rook & rebel. literally just praying that the brother's best friend trope is going to pull through and deliver so hard
14/02/2026 — i got the arc so now i have to actually read rook & rebel lol
Thank you to Kate Crew, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 / 5 ⭐ I can for certain say I enjoyed Ace & Ember more than Rook & Rebel!
I personally loooove a brother's best friend romance, so I completely and utterly ate this book up. Evie and Aiden were such an addictive couple, and the world of The Mavericks was more expanded upon in this book! I really enjoyed it.
I loved their banter, their hot and cold dynamic with each other for a lot of the book, and their eventual resolution. Aiden was such a swoon worthy MMC and the fact that he was just always so standoffish despite his feelings for Evie growing to the point he just.. snapped? Hell yeah. I loved all of that.
I cant wait for book 3!!
♡ pre-read ♡
AIDEN AND EVIE AHHHHHHHH i devour a brother's best friend romance ugh
I was excited to jump back into the Mavericks world after reading book one before the series was picked up by a traditional publisher. It had been a while since I’d visited these characters, but it didn’t take long to settle back into the story.
My biggest issue was that the blurb sold this as a high-stakes, forbidden romance where everything could fall apart if Ace and Evie gave in to their feelings. I kept waiting for that tension to really hit, but it never quite got there. The relationship was treated like this massive secret that would blow up the family dynamic, yet when it finally came out, everyone’s reaction was basically, “Yeah…we kind of figured.” It made the payoff feel underwhelming after all the buildup.
I also thought the suspense elements stayed fairly light. There were moments where it seemed like the story was gearing up for bigger consequences, but everything wrapped up a little easier than I expected. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—it just wasn’t the darker, more intense ride the description had me anticipating.
That said, I still had a good time with it. Ace is a classic broody, protective hero, and Evie is smart, stubborn, and more than capable of holding her own. Their chemistry was believable, the banter kept things moving, and there was plenty of steam without it feeling overdone.
The audiobook was a definite highlight. Max Meyers, Aiden Snow, and Andi Louise are all veteran romance narrators, and it shows. They each brought distinct personalities to their characters, and the multicast format made the dialogue feel natural and immersive. Even during some of the slower moments, the performances kept me engaged.
Overall, this ended up feeling more like a lighter romantic suspense than the high-stakes forbidden romance I expected. While I wish the central conflict had delivered a bigger emotional punch, I still enjoyed returning to the Mavericks world and would absolutely continue with the series to see where it goes next.
The strengths of this book were definitely the overarching mystery and the found family dynamic! The ongoing puzzle surrounding Rook and Evie’s parents was consistently well-paced and kept the plot moving forward. I loved the found family elements, which really held the entire story together when other plot lines were confusing.
While I enjoyed the main parts of the story, the pacing felt a bit disjointed at times:
The story shifts rapidly between tropes. Just as one starts it then ends and shifted to another, making the narrative feel less cohesive.
The buildup to Rook finding out the truth about Aiden and Evie felt massive, but it was anticlimactic - I’m trying not to give away spoilers.
A few plot points left me hanging like we never quite learn the significance of the nickname 'Ace' and why he flinches at it and 'The Order' never really made a proper appearance it was confusing if it was or wasn’t the order. I don’t think I learnt much more about Aiden, apart from how much he liked Evie - by the end of the book.
I liked it, but it felt messy and disjointed as an overall story.
I had such high hopes for this one because of how much I loved Rook & Rebel… but whew 😅 this was a rough ride.
It legit took me almost two weeks to get through it. For like… 80% of the book there’s basically no real plot moving things forward. It’s mostly Aiden and Evie pining (while somehow not realizing how the other feels even though literally everyone else does 🙃) and Evie doing some random side research into her parents’ past.
And honestly? Evie was the hardest part for me.
I LOVED her in book one. She was giving badass boss energy 👏🔥 But this version of Evie? Not it. She felt self-centered, reckless, and honestly kind of bratty. She knows she’s off-limits because of her brother’s rules with their found family, but the second she suspects Aiden might have feelings, she keeps baiting him, pushing him, punishing him… with zero thought about how it could blow up his entire life. It very much felt like “I want what I want and forget the consequences.” If she truly cared the way she claimed, her actions didn’t match that at all.
Now Aiden? He felt real. He’s genuinely struggling with loving his best friend’s sister and knowing crossing that line could cost him everything. The tension from his side made sense. Even when he tries to cross that line (in disguise 👀), he still holds back until almost the very end.
But then when they finally get together, Evie gets upset because Aiden doesn’t want to shout it from the rooftops immediately. He wants to handle things carefully with Rook first (which… fair??), and she won’t even let him explain before storming off. Again.
The lack of communication was the real villain of this story 😩 If they had just TALKED, we could’ve avoided 80% of the slow, plotless trudge.
🚨 SPOILERS BELOW 🚨
That last 20%? Absolute chaos.
Evie gets abducted. Aiden and Rook go to rescue her… and the big scary operation has, what, four guys in the building?? For a crime ring supposedly desperate to get their hands on her? Make it make sense 😭
Then we have Order members so hyper-focused on Aiden that Rook and Evie basically just… slip away?? And when they come back to save Aiden, suddenly none of the Order has a gun?? And that mysterious fifth Order member? Vanished. Poof. Gone. 🫠
It all felt rushed and not fully thought through, like we sprinted to the finish line to hit a deadline.
I know this was an ARC, so I’m really hoping the editing issues (repeated phrases, missing words, incorrect pronouns, unfinished thoughts) are cleaned up before release because that definitely added to the frustration.
As disappointed as I was, I’ll probably still read the next one — I’m assuming Harper and Hero are up next 👀 — and I’m hoping we get better closure and a clearer explanation of this whole “Order” situation… even though the book should no longer be focused on Evie.
Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC copy to review!
*Fair warning: this is gonna be harsh*
Actually, wtf did I just read? I fear I need to say this first before going into detail about what exactly I didn’t enjoy about this book; I was at a solid 2 stars for my ultimate rating. I had actively been skimming since the 50% mark, and I already knew I wasn’t enjoying it. What brought this down to a 1 star rating was not only the end/twist, but also the fact that I was crying by the time I finished reading because THANK THE LORD it was over (y’all think I’m joking, I’m actively sopping up tears with my sweatshirt while writing this review).
I really don’t want to be mean. Writing a book is hard. It takes everything out of you, inhuman amounts of patience, and causes endless nights of frustration. I give so much credit to anybody that becomes a published author. This book was not good though. Terrible is a harsh word but in this case it feels like a fitting one.
The first book’s writing, characters, and plot were fine. Nothing revolutionary or life changing by any means, but it was decent. I was expecting the same going into this sequel, but boy was I wrong. The writing was worse. It felt like reading one of those shitty shifter romances written by fifteen year olds. The chemistry between Aiden and Evie we saw in book 1 was replaced with increasingly frustrating scenes of an exhausted babysitter putting up with a petulant child. Their “romance” consisted of constant fighting, Evie literally blackmailing him into being with her, destroying his property when she gets jealous, and running off to another guy when she gets upset. It’s like somewhere between book 1 and book 2, their relationship turned toxic. Evie was fine in book 1! She completely changed in book 2, and not for the better.
Idek what to say about the plot. Things were happening, but at the same time, no progress was being made. And the ending. Y’all don’t even get me started bc this was my breaking point. The Big Mystery: What really happened with Rook and Evie’s parents? What were they really involved in? The question that has been plaguing us since the very first book. Well lemme tell you.
SPOILER ALERT: they illegally adopted Evie from the shadow government (bc regular adoption is so not cool) and under their orders, trained her to become an elite hacker, until the shadow government wanted to recruit her, which her parents were very unhappy about. They said no! 😬 The shadow government burns down their home! 🤯 Rook and Evie escape! 😱 And The Order… does nothing! For like ten years!! 🤔 Until they decide they want Evie again, and by then, at least two of the members have fallen in love with and are obsessed with her. … Bruh. What?
Anyways, TLDR: if you didn’t like the first book, don’t read the second. If you did like the first book, stop there. My mind is mush, my spirit is broken, and I fear I’ve lost my sanity. Ok, bye for now. 🙃
Evie and Aiden! Love, love, loved these two together. Evie is a sassy, strong willed, bratty tech nerd and Aiden is the brother's best friend that has been her protector for years. While I saw people mention they weren't a fan of Evie's personality, I personally loved her and found Aiden to annoy me with how afraid he was to admit his feelings. Evie is a BRAT and it shines in her personality.
These two were FULL of banter, tension, and spice! Its not surprising that to support the storyline, there was a lot of miscommunication between these two and that was frustrating at times but we made it to the finish line. The audio is also fantastic. I did an immersive read and I was hooked from the beginning.
I will say that there are things about the storyline that didn't make sense to me. Most blaringly was a scene at the end that should have been far more chaotic and dangerous and just wasn't. You definitely have to check some common sense at the door to not be bothered by some scenes. Other than that, though, I still loved it! I'd say this is the perfect read if you are in the right mood for it and you are looking for some biker spice.
#Brother's Best Friend #Forced Proximity #Blackmail #Biker Romance
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley.
Evie is a really dislikeable character. She comes off as very childish like a spoiled brat. Her awful personality seems to completely derail the entire plot. It actually pulls me out of the story.
I also don't really care for the miscommunication trope. In fairness though, the plot was good enough that it took reading half of the book to even realize it was a miscommunication trope.
The pacing for this feels off. It seems like a few weeks at most, but later in the book it mentions it being months.
The motivation for the antagonist doesnt make sense at all. Not even for a split second. It's just totally implausible. It's actually one of the weakest/wierdest motivations I've ever read.
The smut just doesn't connect for me. The writing is the same as book one, but something about Evie's attitude problem/childishness and the stupid constant fighting leaves the smut scenes feeling like an afterthought and thus not very good.
I have high hopes that the next book will be better, and I do intend to keep reading books by the author. I just feel that this one didn't hit the mark.
Just finished immersive reading an advanced copy of a book that was released today called, Ace and Ember. This is about Evie, she's a hacker and part of the motorcycle crew her brother formed years ago. Her brother wants to make sure Evie is always safe so he assigned his best friend Aiden as her bodyguard. Aiden takes it very seriously, by always staying close to her and her always riding on his bike. Evie's brother's number one rule for being a part of his crew was that she is off limits, and Aiden has been secretly in love with her for years but doesn't want to lose the only family he's ever had. Evie is tired of her relationships not lasting because Aiden is always around and tired of not just being with the one person she really wants, Aiden. When the banter and yearning between these two becomes too much to bare, Aiden finally snaps and gives in to his feelings for Evie. They try to hide it but the way they feel for each other is too strong. But with a threat following Evie because she's been keeping secrets from the crew (with chapters from the Shadow's POV), can Aiden keep her safe and keep his found family, or will he lose everything he's ever loved? This dark romance was absolutely incredible! I was soo excited for this ever since reading book one, Rook and Rebel. And let me tell you, this did NOT disappoint! I was fully consumed by the story and these characters, I truly felt like I was part of the story with the way it came to life in my mind! There was so much tension and yearning, and the banter had me laughing out loud! They were like fire and gasoline in the best possible way, their chemistry and spice was OFF THE CHARTS! Aiden has become one of my new fav MMCs, everything about him was *chefs kiss*! Evie was such a badass, I totally loved her! The narrators for this were so absolutely incredible, like I honestly have no words. 🤯 They totally knocked it out of the park, I already want to listen to it again! I'm so excited for book 3, but I didn't want this one to end because I just loved it that much!! 🩵📚
Thank you Kate Crew, Avon, Harper Audio, & Netgalley for this ARC & ALC of Ace and Ember, in exchange for an honest review.
This was borderline 2.5 stars for me. While it was entertaining and easy to read, Evie was kind of annoying and a little all over the place. She was just a little too immature for me. I will also say Aiden was similar. He was pushing Evie away for most of the book, and then all of a sudden towards the end when things were out with Evie's brother he was like I am all in and have been for a while. I just got a little whiplash reading this one. I felt like the plot and question of will they or won't they had my attention more than the secret society that was *stalking* the club. The plot there felt a little scattered and like it was reaching too much in my opinion. All that to say the tension between Aiden and Evie was electric. I laughed out loud at some of her unhinged moments throughout the book. I also thought it was on point that almost ALL of the spicy scenes involved a motorcycle.
Evie has had a crush on Aiden (her brother's best friend) for a LONG time. She is tired of trying to read him. One minute she thinks he is into it, the other she can't tell. So she decides to take matters into her own hands. She blackmails him in a way to be at her beck and call for a bit. She is hoping by being around him more he will take advantage of the situation. Color her shocked when he decides to make a move but while hiding in a way. He doesn't fully want to own it but now she KNOWS he wants her too. She can work with that. So she asks him to help her work on a secret project. She wants to know more about what happened to her parents, and she is trusting him to help her and not share the details they find. The longer they are working in the shadows the harder it is to resist making a move. The more he sees behind the masks she sometimes wheres also makes it harder to hide how she feels. So when they finally decide to go for this, Evie can't believe it. There has been so much back and forth. But then her brother finds out, and she learns the truth of Aiden's feelings for her. She can't believe it. But just before she is able to enjoy this moment, the investigation she has been doing comes back to bite her. And now Aiden gets to prove to her that he is really truly in this. For the long haul.
Aiden has been hiding his feelings for his best friend's little sister for a long time. Rook made it clear that no one was to go near Evie, and yet Aiden has been assigned to making sure Evie is safe for all these years. He can sense that things have changed between them but isn't ready for Evie's move of blackmail. She just knows how to drive him crazy in the best way. He wants to show her how he feels. He wants to drive her crazy too, but he just can't cross that line. But what if he crossed the line in a disguise of sorts? That wouldn't count right. Aiden doesn't care anymore. Now that he has had a taste of sorts, he can't stay away. He is holding on by a thread while following Evie on her quest to learn more about her parents. He just can't fight this thing between them anymore. And now that he is in it, he isn't going to walk away. Which is when Rook finds out. And Aiden is ready to step in and explain everything he has been holding back. Then Evie goes missing and he can show Rook what he is willing to do to keep her safe. And when he gets her back, he is going to show Evie how unhinged he can be. He isn't walking away from her again. Ever.
Both of the books in this series have been 3 stars for me and yet I think I want to read the third book. There wasn't a ton of depth in this one. Like I said, the who will make the first move and WHEN will the first move happened carried the book more than the side plot of investigating what happened to Evie's parents. I didn't have the best connection with the characters due to some whiplash (specifically Aiden) on back and forth. Overall though, it was an entertaining and easy to read book. I tandem read this on audio as well and enjoyed the narrators! I liked that the Shadow POV had a different narrator- nice take there.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a disappointing 2nd book in the series. (Possible spoilers ahead)
There’s no virgins in this. Both MCs have been with others. There’s plenty of OM/OW drama, it’s mostly to make the other jealous.
Evie (h) was just not a very likable character. I guess she’s supposed to come off as strong and tough, but she came off as immature and petty…and very impulsive.
Ace or Aiden (H) was mostly likable, but the fact that he was so scared of Rook just made me think he was not very Alpha.
So…Evie and Aiden have always been hot for each other. Aiden absolutely refuses to let himself go there because Rook is his BFF. The whole gang is his only family so he doesn’t want to mess that up. Rook has always threatened his friends to stay away from Evie. *hard eye roll*
Evie spends the majority of the first half chasing Aiden, pushing Aiden’s buttons, or trying to make him jealous. Aiden spends EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT. Telling her NO.
So she resorts to blackmail. Yes! She basically set it up where a picture was taken of them kissing, then she blackmail this man. 😖😖 YIKES
Personally, I don’t like it when the heroine has to basically hogtie a hero to make them be with her…or in this case, blackmail them. It makes the heroine seem so desperate. I guess it’s okay here though, because Aiden ends up thanking Evie in the end. He never would have taken the first step to be with her. 🤪🤪🤪
There are a few smexual moments but the main event doesn’t happen until you’re over 65%. There’s even a moment where Evie 🔪 Aiden’s motorcycle because he was flaunting another woman in her face. Then Aiden makes her have smex with the knife while it’s still stuck in the motorcycle. I guess it’s supposed to be hawt but it just left me going eek. Different strokes, I guess.
When we finally get the moment, it’s a quick fuxk in a dirty warehouse while she’s covered in fake blood. A letdown IMO
Aiden will spend about 70% of this book going “come here….no, go away” or “I’m not good enough because I’m a foster kid”
Evie will spend 90% of this book doing dumb things that cause more trouble. Evie was exhausting.
Evie has a stalker(s) throughout this book. You get their POV which was usually about how obsessed they were with Evie. The stalker films Evie and Aiden fuxking…..and naturally Rook eventually sees the video. Rook’s not happy, but he didn’t act like a complete weirdo over his sister’s smex life.
Oh gawd, the big finale. I wanted to throw my kindle. Evie didn’t have just ONE stalker, she had TWO. She literally had 3 guys ready to kill for her. 😜😜🙇♀️
So big spoiler ahead. Don’t read if you don’t want to know how this shite show ends. Evie is not Rook’s biological sister. Her parents did an illegal adoption but Evie really belongs to “The Order” and now they want their expert hacker back. 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Look 👀, I read a book last week where a husband slept with his wife’s sister and they carried on a 2 month affair. Like, he loved his wife’s sister. Wife found out 7 years into their happy marriage and left her husband. After some mediocre grovel, SHE TOOK HIM BACK. I had that as the worst ending of a book I’ve read this month. Idk, this one rates high up there, too.
I was not a fan. I hope Book 3 will be an improvement.
Really wanted to love this but it definitely didn’t hit like the first book Rook & Rebel did. I found myself becoming really bored and uninterested throughout the whole book and there wasn’t much that really grabbed you to keep you hooked. Even the tropes didn’t do much for me! I don’t know what happened with this but it just didn’t do it for me.
Performed in dual narration by Andi Eloise, Max Meyers, and Aiden Snow. I loved listening to this one and I feel like it flew by! They were so perfect to bring this book to life and I’m so happy I was able to listen to this audio. The banter between Evie and Aiden was hilarious at times! Evie is full of sass and I’m so here for that energy in a FMC. I was literally dying for the moment these two would give in and boy did that tension keep building and building until they couldn't resist!
What to expect: 🩵dark rom com 🩵hacker x morally grey biker 🩵touch her/him & die 🩵she blackmails him 🩵suspense 🩵brother’s best friend 🩵protective mmc 🩵forbidden
Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for giving me an e-arc copy to read and review! 🥰🥰
I truly love the trope 'brother's best-friend' SO MUCH. And let me say this did not disappoint. The push and pull from the very beginning of this story had me hooked, as it shows the very realistic feelings of the forced proximity that comes from it.
I read some other reviews while reading this book myself about some getting annoyed with the 'push and pull', but I think that's the whole point when dealing with this big of a trope in family matter. I think this story hit a lot of points being realistic of the thought of losing those you love while also choosing who you love.
I am honestly super excited to read the rest of the books in this series and how everyone's love story will play out!
Did I eat this book up in one sitting? Yes. Did half of it make sense if you think about it too hard? Absolutely not.
Ace & Ember by Kate Crew ⭐⭐⭐
Tropes: • Found family • Friends / enemies to lovers • Motorcycle club vibes
This book gave me major Flock vibes by Kate Stewart. Very similar energy. Instead of hot rods we’ve got motorcycles and a slightly darker vibe, but the dynamic definitely felt familiar.
🖤 The good
Evie and Aiden definitely had chemistry. Their tension and banter carried a lot of the story, and the found family dynamic within the group was fun to read.
And honestly?
I devoured this book. It’s fast-paced and very bingeable.
🤨 The things that didn’t quite work for me
This is one of those books where it works as long as you don’t think about it too hard.
Because if you do start thinking about it… some things fall apart a little.
Evie and Aiden spend the entire book acting like they’re obsessed with each other while also pretending they’re not. Which is a trope I usually enjoy—but somehow no one around them notices until the very end??
Including Evie’s brother, who is apparently the most overprotective man alive but also completely blind to the very obvious situation happening in front of him.
His rules about Evie dating were also confusing. He says she can have a boyfriend… just not anyone in their group.
Except he also gives her no freedom to actually have a boyfriend, so the logic there never really made sense to me.
Toward the end there’s a big action/rescue sequence that didn’t quite add up logistically. It felt like the characters forgot information they should have known minutes earlier, which pulled me out of the moment a bit.
🌶️ Spice
Very dark romance energy.
There’s one knife scene that was… a lot. Personally I could have done without that one.
Also Aiden calling Evie “psycho girl” as a pet name the entire book just wasn’t my favorite.
⭐ Overall
Did I still eat this book up? Yes.
Does that necessarily mean it was great? …also no.
But it was entertaining, chaotic, and easy to binge.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. My thoughts are my own.
The story itself is probably closer to a three-star, but on behalf of the audio performance, which I very much enjoyed, I’m bumping it up a star. Aiden Snow and Max Meyers are officially on my list of narrators to keep an eye out for. I very much enjoyed their performances. The only thing that would have improved the audiobook is if it had been performed in duet.
Aiden and Evie have been circling each other for years, always close but never crossing the line. Neither of them is willing to risk rejection, and in Aiden's case, the repercussions to their gang. But Evie is done waiting around for Aiden, and she's done having unanswered questions about her parents. She sets out to solve both dilemmas.
She quietly begins to investigate the mystery surrounding her parents' death, looping Aiden when he catches her in the act. In the meantime, whilst investigating, she decides to blackmail Aiden. Pushing past the well-established boundaries of their relationship. She taunts. She teases. She torments. And Aiden, despite pretending otherwise, isn't strong enough to resist her pull. Nor does he truly want these two.
The vast majority of the book is a long game of foreplay. A game that is both fun and frustrating at times.
Unbeknownst to them both, there is another player at large. A shadowy figure who is just as obsessed with Evie as she and Aiden are obsessed with each other.
I enjoyed this book, especially the audiobook as mentioned, but I found the reveal to be a tad lackluster. I was expecting more of a punch, more drama, more answers as to what The Order is and who might be behind them. But alas, no such luck. I'm assuming that storyline will continue into the next book, which I am very eager to get to because I love Harper and Hero.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
"Two sides of the same coin. He was my safety. I was his chaos." 🖤🔥
Did I read a completely different book from Netgalley than some of these reviewers? 🤔
Kate Crew... YOU officially have me hooked on the Mavericks. I had such a hard time putting this one down. Ace & Ember had romance, suspense, humor, & my perfect amount of chaos.
Evie is exactly the kind of FMC I gravitate toward. She's smart, fearless, sarcastic, & a talented hacker who refuses to let her past define her. Even when she's scared, she keeps pushing forward🖤
Ace... 🥵 Aiden "Ace" Hayes is the club's second-in-command, fiercely loyal, protective, & carrying the weight of everyone around him. His biggest rule? Don't fall for your best friend's little sister. Watching him fight that battle while trying to keep Evie safe made every interaction between them that much better.
"Two sides of the same coin. He was my safety. I was his chaos." -sums them up perfectly.
The suspense kept me guessing, & I loved that the danger surrounding Evie never felt like it was only there to push the romance forward. Both storylines complemented each other really well.
Now... The audiobook. 🎧 The narration was incredible. Aiden Snow never disappoints, & Andi Louise & Max Meyers brought so much personality to every scene. It never felt like someone was simply reading the book to me, but like the characters were telling their own story over the phone. Easily one of my favorite audiobook casts this year.
And yes... Chapter 15. 🖤 Chapter 17... that's all I'm going to say. 🥵🔥 If you know, you know.
Let's just say... If you're here for the spice, Kate Crew understood the assignment. 🌶️🔥 I'm officially obsessed with the Mavericks series.
My only complaint? What am I supposed to do while I wait for Harper's story?!?!!! 😭 I need it immediately because I'm nowhere near ready to leave this world.
If you love: 🏍️ Brother's best friend's little sister 🖤 Off-limits romance 🔥 Morally gray MMC 💻 Hacker FMC (who might be just a little psycho 🤷🏻♀️🤌🏻🔪) 🏍️ Biker club family ⚔️ Suspense & danger ❤️ Protective "touch her and die" vibes 🌶️ Extra spicy romance 🎧 Multicast narration This one deserves a spot on your TBR. Kate Crew has officially become an auto-buy author for me, and I already know I'll be counting down the days until Harper's story. 🖤
Thank you Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Omg if you thought Rook & Rebel was amazing and had the best bike scene, just wait until you get your hands on this one. MORE spicy bike scenes and even more suspense. Is it possible that I may have loved Evie and Aiden a little more than Rook and Regan?!? I truly love them all the same, but these two made my heart so happy!! As much as this is more of a darker romance, some parts were really sweet and swoon-worthy. Evie, our little psycho girl, was really a romantic at heart. She kept her smart mouth, chaos, and tough image on the outside for everyone else to see, but Aiden knew her better than anyone else, even more than she knew herself.
Ace & Ember was the perfect brother’s best friend and forbidden love romance. Aiden basically became Evie’s personal bodyguard, never letting her out of his sight for any reason at all. They had such good banter and tension between them that it was for sure a cover up to hide their true feelings for one another. Rook would legit kill anyone who touched his sister, so Aiden never wanted to risk losing the only family he has ever had. This definitely put him between a rock and a hard place. But Aiden’s feelings kept getting stronger to the point that Evie was worth these consequences.
I really enjoyed there being an unknown third point of view character, a shadow that was following Evie at all times. Evie was digging up a lot of info that was never meant to come to light, and this person made sure she didn’t uncover more than they wanted her to. She needed answers and closure that involved her parent’s death, and she will do anything to find them. Also, not everyone is as they seem, and you’ll find out more secrets than you expected. This is one wild ride!
Does Aiden end up losing everything, including Evie? Or can he have it all while still keeping his family? 🫣🫣
This a must read and definitely worth the wait until release day in July!
I ended up finishing Ace & Ember in almost one sitting while traveling, and overall I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved Evie in Rook & Rebel, so I was excited to finally get her story.
One thing I really enjoyed was getting an FMC who was the unhinged one for a change. Usually that’s a role reserved for the MMC, but Evie doesn’t follow anyone’s rules and does whatever she wants. While that definitely made her entertaining, there were a few moments where it felt like she was trying a little too hard to prove how badass she was. Plus, her impulsive choices occasionally came back to bite her.
Aiden and Evie’s dynamic was easily one of my favorite parts. Aiden spends a lot of the book fighting the attraction between them, the tension was absolutely tensioning.
My biggest issue was that there seemed to be almost too much happening at once. It felt like several different plotlines were packed into a single book, and at times it pulled my attention in too many directions.
Overall, this was a fun read with some moments that had me saying “hell yeah!” out loud. While I don’t think it quite lived up to Rook & Rebel for me, it was still an entertaining ride and I’m glad I picked it up
I received an ALC from Harper Audio via NetGalley, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to listen.
First, I have to talk about the narration because it was phenomenal. Andi Eloise was absolutely perfect for Evie and captured her chaotic personality so well. This was my second audiobook narrated by Max Meyers, and I really enjoyed his performance as Aiden. And Aiden Snow, as always, was incredible.
After loving Rook & Rebel, this was one of my most anticipated reads. I absolutely loved Evie and Aiden individually, but their lack of communication made parts of their journey frustrating. I understood Aiden’s hesitation and loyalty to his found family, but I couldn’t help thinking one honest conversation could have avoided so much. Then again, maybe that was exactly what they needed to finally admit their feelings.
There was a twist I didn’t see coming, but because the relationships were already so well established, it didn’t have as much of an impact on me. I never doubted the bond between the characters.
Even with those frustrations, I really enjoyed being back in this world.
Thank you NetGalley and Kate crew for the arc! This was a great second book in the mavericks series! I love the banter with the characters, and the tension between the two characters was felts through the pages!
The brother’s best friend, ace falls for the one thing that’s off limits…
Book two in The Mavericks series! ⛓️Dark rom com 🏍️ Biker Gang ❤️🔥 she’s off limits 💻 Computer hacker FMC and dark ruthless MMC
This book had me sucked in and giggling and gasping and the spice 🌶️ 😍 Evie the sister of Rook, the head of the biker gang has assigned a protector to his sister, Aiden aka Ace. The tension these two have… they both have feelings for each other, but keep it inside, because she’s off limits 😉 In the second book the gang becomes target to a stalking lurking in the shadows. The twist and turns with the spice sprinkled in was such a fun read! Catch Ace & Ember out July 14, 2026! Thank you @ For the opportunity to read this book early!
I didn’t know I was a dark rom com lover but the more I read, the more I love! Anyway, MY BABIESSSSS. I knew I was going to love Evie & Aiden before I even started page 1. Their dynamic in rook & Rebel had me knowing. I thought I knew who the stalker was but I didn’t. I did guess some other stuff beforehand and was proud of myself. So excited for this book to release! Kate Crew killed it again. Thank you for the ARC Avon 💓🫶🏻