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Maverick Montana #4
Over the Top
Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It's understandable―the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he's on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
174 pages, ebook
First published July 20, 2015
279 people are currently reading
1489 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Zanetti
120 books10.1k followersNew York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has published more than seventy novels and novellas, which have been translated into several languages, with millions of copies sold world-wide. Her books have received Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus starred reviews, favorable Washington Post and New York Times Book Reviews, and been included in Amazon best books of the year.
Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate delivery guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest.
Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate delivery guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
July 22, 2015
3 Stars
Allow me to preface my review by saying had I read this book immediately after Rising Assets, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed it a lot more. As it was, with over a year wait between the last book and this one, I forgot everything. Going back to my review of Rising Assets I was very excited about Hawk's book and I do recall there being some backstory of him and Dawn being covered, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.
I think my biggest issue was that I felt like I was missing a certain backstory of the MCs the entire time reading this book. The author does give a little bit here and there but it just wasn't enough for me to truly form a connection to either one of the characters. It was like the story started from the middle of their relationship and there was always this disconnect for me.
Nothing I love more than a broken hero, and Hawk certainly had his demons that he struggles with. The biggest being a military mission over seas that went wrong and still haunts him. He's determined to neutralize the threat once and for all, but he knows that the chances of him surviving it are not great. So as much as he yearns for Dawn, he can't give her that part of himself knowing that she may lose him in the end.
As much as I loved the small town set up in my books, I found the secondary characters of it to be overpowering here. They were distracting from the main couple, or at least they were for me. While the meddling old women trying to get Hawk and Dawn together throughout the entire book worked in some chapters, I found myself wanting more of the MCs and their story.
Dawn was an awesome heroine. Strong witted, funny, take charge attitude always does it for me, and she certainly gave as good as she got.
She was the perfect match to Hawk's broodiness. As far as the chemistry between them, well they had that in spades between the sheets. The sex scenes were verra hot. I guess I still just needed a little something...more.
It was great catching up with all the couples from the previous 3 books and there were even some laugh out loud moments.
There was also Reese, Hawk's military buddy who was very intriguing. I'm hoping the set up in the story is one for his book?
As much as I enjoyed parts of this story, mostly I felt a little underwhelmed. Perhaps because there was just too long a wait between books? Or maybe because I set my hopes too high since I'm a HUGE Rebecca Zanetti fan? For the most part Over The Top was an OK read; steamy and even a little suspenseful but just not enough to really keep me glued to the pages. I do love this series and look forward to the next release.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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He was tired of fighting, and he was tired of wishing. Most of all, he was tired of wondering.
So he held her in place and delved deep.
Allow me to preface my review by saying had I read this book immediately after Rising Assets, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed it a lot more. As it was, with over a year wait between the last book and this one, I forgot everything. Going back to my review of Rising Assets I was very excited about Hawk's book and I do recall there being some backstory of him and Dawn being covered, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.
And it fucking felt great.
I think my biggest issue was that I felt like I was missing a certain backstory of the MCs the entire time reading this book. The author does give a little bit here and there but it just wasn't enough for me to truly form a connection to either one of the characters. It was like the story started from the middle of their relationship and there was always this disconnect for me.
Nothing I love more than a broken hero, and Hawk certainly had his demons that he struggles with. The biggest being a military mission over seas that went wrong and still haunts him. He's determined to neutralize the threat once and for all, but he knows that the chances of him surviving it are not great. So as much as he yearns for Dawn, he can't give her that part of himself knowing that she may lose him in the end.
As much as I loved the small town set up in my books, I found the secondary characters of it to be overpowering here. They were distracting from the main couple, or at least they were for me. While the meddling old women trying to get Hawk and Dawn together throughout the entire book worked in some chapters, I found myself wanting more of the MCs and their story.
Dawn was an awesome heroine. Strong witted, funny, take charge attitude always does it for me, and she certainly gave as good as she got.
She rolled her eyes. "Good thing I'm not yours. And if you ever tried it, I guarantee you'd lose a testicle."
She was the perfect match to Hawk's broodiness. As far as the chemistry between them, well they had that in spades between the sheets. The sex scenes were verra hot. I guess I still just needed a little something...more.
It was great catching up with all the couples from the previous 3 books and there were even some laugh out loud moments.
There was also Reese, Hawk's military buddy who was very intriguing. I'm hoping the set up in the story is one for his book?
As much as I enjoyed parts of this story, mostly I felt a little underwhelmed. Perhaps because there was just too long a wait between books? Or maybe because I set my hopes too high since I'm a HUGE Rebecca Zanetti fan? For the most part Over The Top was an OK read; steamy and even a little suspenseful but just not enough to really keep me glued to the pages. I do love this series and look forward to the next release.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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May 5, 2025
RATING 3.5 STARS
Over the Top is book four n the Maverick Montana series by Rebecca Zanetti. I loved the first three books in this series and was so looking forward to this one. Somehow, though, this had a completely different feel to it than the others. Even the way it was written felt different. I didn’t feel any of the magic I felt before. I always love a swoony jealous/possessive hero but it just didn’t work in this book. Still, I’m rounding it up to four stars because the characters I have loved in the previous books are still all present and the ending was super cute.
Dawn Freeze is the youngest of the Lodge-Freeze clan and the only girl. Her brothers are all way over protective and they are all super close. Dawn is home now, to Mineral Lake, Montana, after traveling to finish her degree, to take over her position as VP of Finances for Lodge-Freeze Enterprises. It’s what she’s always wanted to do. She adores her family and is ready for this next chapter of her life.
Hawk Rain is Colton Freeze’s best friend. Hawk’s been more or less a part of Colt’s family all his life. After graduating from high school, Hawk went into the military. After that he was hired by his friend in private security for a huge job that never seems to be over.
Hawk is home for a week. He and Dawn have been circling each other all their lives. He always knew Dawn had a huge crush on him. The entire town knew. But Dawn is a grown woman now and Hawk is done fighting his attraction to her. They have just one week. But then he has to go again. He made promises that he would finish this case and he doesn’t want to bring danger to Dawn or her family. They are safest with him far away.
There were plenty of cute moments to be sure. The town has some meddling matchmaker octogenarians that are intent on making sure that Hawk and Dawn get together. They were hilarious. I just never felt the connection between Hawk and Dawn the way I did with the couples in the other books. It looks like there is going to be another book in this series sometime in the future. It will be the bartender, Adam,s book! The blurb sounds good so I’m excited about reading it and hope to feel that magic I felt before, once again.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Over the Top is book four n the Maverick Montana series by Rebecca Zanetti. I loved the first three books in this series and was so looking forward to this one. Somehow, though, this had a completely different feel to it than the others. Even the way it was written felt different. I didn’t feel any of the magic I felt before. I always love a swoony jealous/possessive hero but it just didn’t work in this book. Still, I’m rounding it up to four stars because the characters I have loved in the previous books are still all present and the ending was super cute.
Dawn Freeze is the youngest of the Lodge-Freeze clan and the only girl. Her brothers are all way over protective and they are all super close. Dawn is home now, to Mineral Lake, Montana, after traveling to finish her degree, to take over her position as VP of Finances for Lodge-Freeze Enterprises. It’s what she’s always wanted to do. She adores her family and is ready for this next chapter of her life.
Hawk Rain is Colton Freeze’s best friend. Hawk’s been more or less a part of Colt’s family all his life. After graduating from high school, Hawk went into the military. After that he was hired by his friend in private security for a huge job that never seems to be over.
Hawk is home for a week. He and Dawn have been circling each other all their lives. He always knew Dawn had a huge crush on him. The entire town knew. But Dawn is a grown woman now and Hawk is done fighting his attraction to her. They have just one week. But then he has to go again. He made promises that he would finish this case and he doesn’t want to bring danger to Dawn or her family. They are safest with him far away.
There were plenty of cute moments to be sure. The town has some meddling matchmaker octogenarians that are intent on making sure that Hawk and Dawn get together. They were hilarious. I just never felt the connection between Hawk and Dawn the way I did with the couples in the other books. It looks like there is going to be another book in this series sometime in the future. It will be the bartender, Adam,s book! The blurb sounds good so I’m excited about reading it and hope to feel that magic I felt before, once again.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
July 13, 2015
3 - "This Lone Ranger bullshit you're sporting just ended." Stars.
Having been waiting somewhat impatiently for well over a year for the next installment in the Maverick Montana series, I started Dawn and Hawk’s story with extremely high expectations, I mean this is Rebecca Zanetti, the author I have a serious author-crush on, and whose books I never get bored of reading. So it was a bit of a surprise and a massive disappointment to be feeling that particular emotion for most of this book.
”Baby, that is not how this is going down.”
I think it is important to say that the book is well written, I did love certain parts of it, Dawn and Hawk together were smoking hot, the whole Lodge/Freeze clan make regular and enjoyable appearances in their story too, and there was a particular scene around the 75% mark that had me laughing like an idiot for several minutes after reading it.
”What the holy fuck of a holy fuckup of a fuck were you two fucking fuck-ups doing?”
But the first 75% of this story is centered on and around a bunch of the towns old-folk and their misguided attempts to pay cupid to our couple, Dawn and Hawk for the bulk of the book were almost secondary characters to the mayhem that was playing out around them. There is also the inclusion of a few ‘single’ secondary characters that makes me think a spin-off or even continuation of this series is likely. I can’t really say what I wanted or was expecting for this story, but I know what I got was definitely not it.
”Sometimes you gotta take a chance at enjoying life and forget fighting death.”
I would have like to have seen more time spent on developing the suspense aspect of the book, Rebecca Zanetti has mad-skillz when it comes to writing this sort of book and let’s face it Hawk has essentially spent the last however many years avoiding any entanglement with Dawn due to the nature of his work. So when it threatens him and those he loves you would expect it to have more of an impact and a lot more involvement on the story than it does. This mainly plays out in the last 25%, and to be honest it felt rushed, and there was so much more that could have been done with it.
”Let’s see what you’ve got soldier.”
I was expecting Over the Top to be kick-ass, and for the most part it felt like more of a gentle rub, Dawn and Hawk have been simmering for the previous three books in the series, and it seemed like the gas had run out right about the time their story started. Will it stop me reading more from this author; No absolutely not. I am sure that my feelings on Over the Top will be in the minority once the book is released. But I have high expectations of Rebecca Zanetti, and sadly they just weren’t met on this occasion.
ARC generously provided via Entangled, in exchange for the above honest review.
Having been waiting somewhat impatiently for well over a year for the next installment in the Maverick Montana series, I started Dawn and Hawk’s story with extremely high expectations, I mean this is Rebecca Zanetti, the author I have a serious author-crush on, and whose books I never get bored of reading. So it was a bit of a surprise and a massive disappointment to be feeling that particular emotion for most of this book.
”Baby, that is not how this is going down.”
I think it is important to say that the book is well written, I did love certain parts of it, Dawn and Hawk together were smoking hot, the whole Lodge/Freeze clan make regular and enjoyable appearances in their story too, and there was a particular scene around the 75% mark that had me laughing like an idiot for several minutes after reading it.
”What the holy fuck of a holy fuckup of a fuck were you two fucking fuck-ups doing?”
But the first 75% of this story is centered on and around a bunch of the towns old-folk and their misguided attempts to pay cupid to our couple, Dawn and Hawk for the bulk of the book were almost secondary characters to the mayhem that was playing out around them. There is also the inclusion of a few ‘single’ secondary characters that makes me think a spin-off or even continuation of this series is likely. I can’t really say what I wanted or was expecting for this story, but I know what I got was definitely not it.
”Sometimes you gotta take a chance at enjoying life and forget fighting death.”
I would have like to have seen more time spent on developing the suspense aspect of the book, Rebecca Zanetti has mad-skillz when it comes to writing this sort of book and let’s face it Hawk has essentially spent the last however many years avoiding any entanglement with Dawn due to the nature of his work. So when it threatens him and those he loves you would expect it to have more of an impact and a lot more involvement on the story than it does. This mainly plays out in the last 25%, and to be honest it felt rushed, and there was so much more that could have been done with it.
”Let’s see what you’ve got soldier.”
I was expecting Over the Top to be kick-ass, and for the most part it felt like more of a gentle rub, Dawn and Hawk have been simmering for the previous three books in the series, and it seemed like the gas had run out right about the time their story started. Will it stop me reading more from this author; No absolutely not. I am sure that my feelings on Over the Top will be in the minority once the book is released. But I have high expectations of Rebecca Zanetti, and sadly they just weren’t met on this occasion.
ARC generously provided via Entangled, in exchange for the above honest review.
July 21, 2015
*ARC received from publisher via Netgalley*
That was cute, I think...
First of all, I'm a big fan of Rebecca's Sin Brothers series. Second, Entangled Brazen is a definite guilty pleasure for me. So seeing this on Netgalley, Zanetti + Entangled Brazen, hey, my first thought was sign me up!
I realized this is the 4th book in the series but it is a standalone. The first 3 is about the Lodge-Freeze brothers. This is now about the baby sis, Dawn, and Hawk. They have a history that goes way back. Dawn's been into Hawk for like forever and Hawk, yah, he was too, but too many things in his head were preventing him to take things further. Until he just had to take things further O.o
Dawn is a good h. She's the baby sis who has something to constantly prove to this older bros. And Hawk is your strong quiet type who'd rather keep things to himself. She doesn't wanna be bossed around and he only knows how to boss her around, in a delish way if I may add;)
I'm not sure why but it's not quite what I was expecting, even though I usually know what to expect from a Brazen read. I think the fact that this is from Rebecca altered my expectations somehow. I was expecting the usual Rebecca read and may have forgotten that yes, this is still a Brazen read.
But I'll tell you what I like. Just like the other Brazen reads, you get a quick read with enough heat and a decent story, and not too heavy on the angst. Particularly with this one, I like that Dawn and Hawk has a history, I like the humor (esp among the men), I like the sense of family, I totally like the Elk Ladies (What a hoot!!! One scene totally made it!), and I totally like Hawk's "grand gesture" at the end. Adorbs!
That was cute, I think...
First of all, I'm a big fan of Rebecca's Sin Brothers series. Second, Entangled Brazen is a definite guilty pleasure for me. So seeing this on Netgalley, Zanetti + Entangled Brazen, hey, my first thought was sign me up!
I realized this is the 4th book in the series but it is a standalone. The first 3 is about the Lodge-Freeze brothers. This is now about the baby sis, Dawn, and Hawk. They have a history that goes way back. Dawn's been into Hawk for like forever and Hawk, yah, he was too, but too many things in his head were preventing him to take things further. Until he just had to take things further O.o
Dawn is a good h. She's the baby sis who has something to constantly prove to this older bros. And Hawk is your strong quiet type who'd rather keep things to himself. She doesn't wanna be bossed around and he only knows how to boss her around, in a delish way if I may add;)
I'm not sure why but it's not quite what I was expecting, even though I usually know what to expect from a Brazen read. I think the fact that this is from Rebecca altered my expectations somehow. I was expecting the usual Rebecca read and may have forgotten that yes, this is still a Brazen read.
But I'll tell you what I like. Just like the other Brazen reads, you get a quick read with enough heat and a decent story, and not too heavy on the angst. Particularly with this one, I like that Dawn and Hawk has a history, I like the humor (esp among the men), I like the sense of family, I totally like the Elk Ladies (What a hoot!!! One scene totally made it!), and I totally like Hawk's "grand gesture" at the end. Adorbs!
July 14, 2015
2.5 stars
Dawn has been in love with Hawk for years. Hawk is her brother's best friend. They have great chemistry together but have never acted on their attraction to each other. I've read every book in this series and they are all standalones, each about a different couple, but they are all connected. As a reader, in every book there was a little glimpse into what could be between Dawn and Hawk and I was super excited for their story. Maybe I had too high of expectations because this didn't really hit the mark for me. I felt more of a connection between Dawn and Hawk when they were supporting characters in the other stories than I felt they had in their own story. There was this constant back and forth, Hawk leaving for his mission, Dawn telling him she wasn't going to wait for him (even though she's been waiting her whole life), Hawk bossing her around, Dawn begging him to stay with her, and more back and forth. I wanted so much more from this story and I felt disappointed. I have loved every other book I have read by this author but this particular story did not work for me. There were some positives, I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the other books, the old ladies interfering were funny and there was a decent amount of sexy time. I'm hoping this series continues and even though this particular book wasn't a winner, I would definitely continue reading more in this series.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Dawn has been in love with Hawk for years. Hawk is her brother's best friend. They have great chemistry together but have never acted on their attraction to each other. I've read every book in this series and they are all standalones, each about a different couple, but they are all connected. As a reader, in every book there was a little glimpse into what could be between Dawn and Hawk and I was super excited for their story. Maybe I had too high of expectations because this didn't really hit the mark for me. I felt more of a connection between Dawn and Hawk when they were supporting characters in the other stories than I felt they had in their own story. There was this constant back and forth, Hawk leaving for his mission, Dawn telling him she wasn't going to wait for him (even though she's been waiting her whole life), Hawk bossing her around, Dawn begging him to stay with her, and more back and forth. I wanted so much more from this story and I felt disappointed. I have loved every other book I have read by this author but this particular story did not work for me. There were some positives, I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the other books, the old ladies interfering were funny and there was a decent amount of sexy time. I'm hoping this series continues and even though this particular book wasn't a winner, I would definitely continue reading more in this series.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
February 24, 2022
This has been a wonderful series. The Freeze clan is loving, caring and close knit. They are warriors and the ultimate alpha heroes. This last book focuses on the little sister, Dawn Freeze. Dawn has loved Hawk Rain, her whole life. Now that he is home for a week, she is done waiting and is ready to make it happen.
Hawk is a man on a mission and when he wants something he goes after it. Right now, he wants Dawn, even if she is the little sister of his best friends. But Hawk still feels that he needs to complete a mission started during his last tour. Even though he is now discharged he is going to track down and bring to justice a fellow serviceman who was running drugs and who knifed both Hawk and another serviceman. His feelings for Dawn will just have to wait. With a little help from the Lady Elks, Dawn just might be able to change Hawk's mind.
The absolute best part of this book were the chapter intros from the Lady Elks Secret Archives. They alone are worth reading this book, but I have also made them visible as Highlights. They are just great.
Chapter One: "Make a man feel special, and he'll follow you like a chestnut wanting a carrot."
There are twenty of these and the Five Lady Elks Rules for How to Catch a Man. Priceless. I also read my new favorite word: snortal (snort and chortle).
Hawk is a man on a mission and when he wants something he goes after it. Right now, he wants Dawn, even if she is the little sister of his best friends. But Hawk still feels that he needs to complete a mission started during his last tour. Even though he is now discharged he is going to track down and bring to justice a fellow serviceman who was running drugs and who knifed both Hawk and another serviceman. His feelings for Dawn will just have to wait. With a little help from the Lady Elks, Dawn just might be able to change Hawk's mind.
The absolute best part of this book were the chapter intros from the Lady Elks Secret Archives. They alone are worth reading this book, but I have also made them visible as Highlights. They are just great.
Chapter One: "Make a man feel special, and he'll follow you like a chestnut wanting a carrot."
There are twenty of these and the Five Lady Elks Rules for How to Catch a Man. Priceless. I also read my new favorite word: snortal (snort and chortle).
July 9, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti
Book Four of the Maverick Montana series
Publisher: Brazen
Publication Date: July 21, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
This kind of temptation is worth the risk...
Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It's understandable?the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he's on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
What I Liked:
This one was not bad, but not that great either. It's a companion novel, the fourth in the series, but I feel like I'm really missing something in this book. I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I'd hoped, especially since I've heard so many great things about this author (this is my first novel of hers that I've read). I think Zanetti is an accomplished romance writer, but this one wasn't entirely for me!
Dawn has had a crush on Hawk for years, and now that he's back in town, it seems like her crush has strengthened enormously. But he's only in town for a short time before he goes back to hunting a criminal drug lord. Hawk has been attracted to Dawn for quite some time as well, but he knows better than to mess around with his best friend's sister - especially since she's got other brothers, and they're all friends. But Dawn and Hawk throw caution to the wind and decide to act on their desire for each other. But Hawk isn't planning on staying in town - will Dawn wait for him? Will one week together be enough?
I like the romance trope of old friends or old acquaintances, especially when it's the girl + brother best friend (Dawn and her brother's best friend, Hawk). Dawn and Hawk have no romantic history, but everyone knows that Dawn has a crush on Hawk, and they can see that Hawk cares about Dawn. I like the romance trope employed in this book a lot!
Another thing I really liked was some of the secondary characters. I'll get to Dawn and Hawk in a second. But there was this set of old ladies, whose names I can't quite recall at the moment, who were exceptionally hilarious. They kept pushing Dawn to do this or that with Hawk or to Hawk, in order to get the pair together. They had rules and advice and guidelines for Dawn to follow, like the best way to a man is through his stomach, or let him rescue you sometimes, or things like that. These ladies were everything in this book!
I really like Hawk - he is alpha to the core, a bit of a control freak (more so than your usual alpha), and very swoonworthy. I believe he used to be some sort of military personnel (or maybe he still is?), and right now he is hired to track someone down. Which is one of the reasons he doesn't want to start anything with Dawn - his current job is dangerous. And he has to hunt this guy, so he'll be leaving. Also, if things don't work out with Dawn, then he loses her AND his best friends (her brothers). I liked Hawk, even with his controlling nature. It wasn't demeaning, in my opinion.
I didn't really like Dawn though. More on that below.
Overall, the romance in this book was really steamy and chemistry-filled. The scenes were tense and hot. There was also a great deal of humor in the story, and some feels. I liked the book, but I just didn't get into it as much as I would have liked to. Still, I enjoyed the story!
What I Did Not Like:
Well... I didn't like Dawn very much. At first I didn't really mind her, she seemed sweet and kind. But then I realized, she's actually stupid. She thinks she can take on a criminal, a drug lord? She thinks she can "take care of herself" or "handle herself"? Honey, please. I bet you've never even held a gun before. Self-defense only goes so far. This attitude of hers really, really bothered me, throughout the entire book. Like she could actually do s*** if the criminal came up to her with a gun at her temple. How dare she blame Hawk for wanting to leave and protect her by not drawing danger to her? He's been honorable and she's being a b****. And then she wants to complain about how he's a control freak? He's "bossing you around" because he wants to protect you from things/people that are ENTIRELY TOO DANGEROUS FOR YOU.
So I thought Dawn was naive and stupid. And selfish too. But that's the way the author wrote Dawn, and I think it was supposed to be very feminist and independent. Personally, I think it came off as naive and dumb. Straight-up zero common sense.
Beyond that, I couldn't really get into the story. The romance was hot, don't get me wrong. But the story itself, with the drug lord and the crime and hunting him down - that seemed off to me. It's like the author didn't take this plot seriously. It seemed to casual for Hawk to be hunting someone down. So I couldn't really get into the story. It's like the author had a hot romance, and she had an idea of a high-stakes story, and she wanted to shove the two together. It didn't really work, in my opinion. Maybe I needed to read the first three books in the series, to get a better feel of the setting and overall story? I don't know.
Would I Recommend It:
Meh. Maybe not. This isn't Brazen's best novel, by far. It's getting three stars because I actually did really like the romance (the chemistry was steamy!), and there were parts of this book that were hilarious and totally worth rereading. But overall, I could recommend a slew of other Brazen books that were much better than this one!
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Perhaps I'm feeling generous. I think I trust Zanetti to write a good romance. Not sure about a good story though, outside the romance. But I think I'd read more books from her.
Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti
Book Four of the Maverick Montana series
Publisher: Brazen
Publication Date: July 21, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
This kind of temptation is worth the risk...
Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It's understandable?the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he's on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
What I Liked:
This one was not bad, but not that great either. It's a companion novel, the fourth in the series, but I feel like I'm really missing something in this book. I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I'd hoped, especially since I've heard so many great things about this author (this is my first novel of hers that I've read). I think Zanetti is an accomplished romance writer, but this one wasn't entirely for me!
Dawn has had a crush on Hawk for years, and now that he's back in town, it seems like her crush has strengthened enormously. But he's only in town for a short time before he goes back to hunting a criminal drug lord. Hawk has been attracted to Dawn for quite some time as well, but he knows better than to mess around with his best friend's sister - especially since she's got other brothers, and they're all friends. But Dawn and Hawk throw caution to the wind and decide to act on their desire for each other. But Hawk isn't planning on staying in town - will Dawn wait for him? Will one week together be enough?
I like the romance trope of old friends or old acquaintances, especially when it's the girl + brother best friend (Dawn and her brother's best friend, Hawk). Dawn and Hawk have no romantic history, but everyone knows that Dawn has a crush on Hawk, and they can see that Hawk cares about Dawn. I like the romance trope employed in this book a lot!
Another thing I really liked was some of the secondary characters. I'll get to Dawn and Hawk in a second. But there was this set of old ladies, whose names I can't quite recall at the moment, who were exceptionally hilarious. They kept pushing Dawn to do this or that with Hawk or to Hawk, in order to get the pair together. They had rules and advice and guidelines for Dawn to follow, like the best way to a man is through his stomach, or let him rescue you sometimes, or things like that. These ladies were everything in this book!
I really like Hawk - he is alpha to the core, a bit of a control freak (more so than your usual alpha), and very swoonworthy. I believe he used to be some sort of military personnel (or maybe he still is?), and right now he is hired to track someone down. Which is one of the reasons he doesn't want to start anything with Dawn - his current job is dangerous. And he has to hunt this guy, so he'll be leaving. Also, if things don't work out with Dawn, then he loses her AND his best friends (her brothers). I liked Hawk, even with his controlling nature. It wasn't demeaning, in my opinion.
I didn't really like Dawn though. More on that below.
Overall, the romance in this book was really steamy and chemistry-filled. The scenes were tense and hot. There was also a great deal of humor in the story, and some feels. I liked the book, but I just didn't get into it as much as I would have liked to. Still, I enjoyed the story!
What I Did Not Like:
Well... I didn't like Dawn very much. At first I didn't really mind her, she seemed sweet and kind. But then I realized, she's actually stupid. She thinks she can take on a criminal, a drug lord? She thinks she can "take care of herself" or "handle herself"? Honey, please. I bet you've never even held a gun before. Self-defense only goes so far. This attitude of hers really, really bothered me, throughout the entire book. Like she could actually do s*** if the criminal came up to her with a gun at her temple. How dare she blame Hawk for wanting to leave and protect her by not drawing danger to her? He's been honorable and she's being a b****. And then she wants to complain about how he's a control freak? He's "bossing you around" because he wants to protect you from things/people that are ENTIRELY TOO DANGEROUS FOR YOU.
So I thought Dawn was naive and stupid. And selfish too. But that's the way the author wrote Dawn, and I think it was supposed to be very feminist and independent. Personally, I think it came off as naive and dumb. Straight-up zero common sense.
Beyond that, I couldn't really get into the story. The romance was hot, don't get me wrong. But the story itself, with the drug lord and the crime and hunting him down - that seemed off to me. It's like the author didn't take this plot seriously. It seemed to casual for Hawk to be hunting someone down. So I couldn't really get into the story. It's like the author had a hot romance, and she had an idea of a high-stakes story, and she wanted to shove the two together. It didn't really work, in my opinion. Maybe I needed to read the first three books in the series, to get a better feel of the setting and overall story? I don't know.
Would I Recommend It:
Meh. Maybe not. This isn't Brazen's best novel, by far. It's getting three stars because I actually did really like the romance (the chemistry was steamy!), and there were parts of this book that were hilarious and totally worth rereading. But overall, I could recommend a slew of other Brazen books that were much better than this one!
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Perhaps I'm feeling generous. I think I trust Zanetti to write a good romance. Not sure about a good story though, outside the romance. But I think I'd read more books from her.
December 13, 2015
Rebecca Zanetti has always been a go to author for me. When I want something thrilling. Something sexy. Something a little fun.
I waited an awful long time for Hawk and Dawn's story. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite all I'd hoped it would be. A bit too much of the over the top old lady antics and not enough of the sinfully sexy alpha-male Hawk. And can I just wonder out loud ... How many possible concussions actually happen on a day to day basis, because in this book it seemed like a lot. Every other chapter someone was concussed.
All in all, it's an okay read. The storyline is what you'd expect from a Brazen title. The Lodge-Freeze boys are all present and accounted for. And the main characters have a decent heat level.
Not the best in the series, but still glad we finally got this story.
I waited an awful long time for Hawk and Dawn's story. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite all I'd hoped it would be. A bit too much of the over the top old lady antics and not enough of the sinfully sexy alpha-male Hawk. And can I just wonder out loud ... How many possible concussions actually happen on a day to day basis, because in this book it seemed like a lot. Every other chapter someone was concussed.
All in all, it's an okay read. The storyline is what you'd expect from a Brazen title. The Lodge-Freeze boys are all present and accounted for. And the main characters have a decent heat level.
Not the best in the series, but still glad we finally got this story.
January 6, 2018
Over the Top is book 4 in the Maverick Montana series and finally we get Hawk and Dawn. I really enjoyed this one and it was my favorite of the series. Dawn has loved Hawk for forever and Hawk definitely had eyes for her too. I was happy the brothers got over it really quickly since the three are really protective. If I had one complaint I wish it was longer. I would have liked to see them as a couple without the threat of danger and I was disappointed that we weren't given an Epilogue. Overall this was an enjoyable series, not my favorite by this author but definitely one I would recommend for those looking for a cute, small town romance.
July 17, 2015
ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti is the first book that I have read from this author and I must say that I found myself enjoying this quick read. It had the elements of a sweet yet fun and quirky romance. Since I have not read the previous three books of this series, this book was written in such a way that you did not feel lost with characters found in the previous books. Over the Top focuses on one of my favorite trope of best friend brother's little sister romance and in this story.
Dawn Freeze has always had a crush on her brother's best friend, Hawk Rain for years. Hawk always felt the same way of Dawn but never crossed that line until he finally could fight the attraction any longer. One passionate night was all it took to Hawk to really see Dawn. But what happens when Hawk is only in town for a week before he has to depart on a dangerous secretive mission? Will Hawk let Dawn in before it's too late?
Over the Top was definitely a sweet, charming read yet had the protective and quirky undertones integrated into the story-line especially when you have meddling townsfolks. I found Over the Top an enjoyable read that makes me want to read the previous books of the Maverick Montana Series from Rebecca Zanetti. Definitely this won't be my last read from this author. So if you are in the mood for a fun, sweet and sexy read then I would recommend Over the Top.
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Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly... Rebecca Zanetti
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Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti is the first book that I have read from this author and I must say that I found myself enjoying this quick read. It had the elements of a sweet yet fun and quirky romance. Since I have not read the previous three books of this series, this book was written in such a way that you did not feel lost with characters found in the previous books. Over the Top focuses on one of my favorite trope of best friend brother's little sister romance and in this story.
Dawn Freeze has always had a crush on her brother's best friend, Hawk Rain for years. Hawk always felt the same way of Dawn but never crossed that line until he finally could fight the attraction any longer. One passionate night was all it took to Hawk to really see Dawn. But what happens when Hawk is only in town for a week before he has to depart on a dangerous secretive mission? Will Hawk let Dawn in before it's too late?
Over the Top was definitely a sweet, charming read yet had the protective and quirky undertones integrated into the story-line especially when you have meddling townsfolks. I found Over the Top an enjoyable read that makes me want to read the previous books of the Maverick Montana Series from Rebecca Zanetti. Definitely this won't be my last read from this author. So if you are in the mood for a fun, sweet and sexy read then I would recommend Over the Top.
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Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly... Rebecca Zanetti
July 14, 2015
Having loved the Maverick Montana series I admit I went into this with high expectations. Hawk and Dawn's story has been gathering momentum nicely over the three previous books and I highly rate Rebecca Zanetti as an author, so to say I felt underwhelmed by Over The Top is disappointing.
“I’ve tried reason, I’ve tried friendship, and I’ve even tried asking nicely. Now we’re gonna try something else.”
The foundations for the story are solid and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing; Hawk and Dawn are completely likeable and very sexy together, the Lodge/Freeze family are as endearing as ever, and the humour that is injected is downright hilarious at times.
“What the holy fuck of a holy fuckup of a fuck were you two fucking fuck-ups fucking doing?”
But we have a storyline that had huge potential in terms of action and suspense that just fizzled out. Plus a bunch of meddlesome OAP's were added to the mix, doing as most OAP's in romances do and playing matchmaker, but these characters were almost pushed to the forefront of the story and it seriously took the focus away from Hawk and Dawn and this is a couple who deserved to shine.
Had the suspense element been worked to its potential and not crammed into the last 25% to make way for needless storyline from the OAP's, then this would likely have been a very different review. I know Rebecca Zanetti can combine romance with action and suspense and can do it exceptionally well --her Sin Brothers series shows that, so the fact I found this mediocre will have no effect on my reading her work in the future. I have a suspicion that there may be more to come from this series and if she can recreate the magic of the earlier books then I'll be a happier reader.
Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing for an honest and unbiased opinion.
“I’ve tried reason, I’ve tried friendship, and I’ve even tried asking nicely. Now we’re gonna try something else.”
The foundations for the story are solid and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing; Hawk and Dawn are completely likeable and very sexy together, the Lodge/Freeze family are as endearing as ever, and the humour that is injected is downright hilarious at times.
“What the holy fuck of a holy fuckup of a fuck were you two fucking fuck-ups fucking doing?”
But we have a storyline that had huge potential in terms of action and suspense that just fizzled out. Plus a bunch of meddlesome OAP's were added to the mix, doing as most OAP's in romances do and playing matchmaker, but these characters were almost pushed to the forefront of the story and it seriously took the focus away from Hawk and Dawn and this is a couple who deserved to shine.
Had the suspense element been worked to its potential and not crammed into the last 25% to make way for needless storyline from the OAP's, then this would likely have been a very different review. I know Rebecca Zanetti can combine romance with action and suspense and can do it exceptionally well --her Sin Brothers series shows that, so the fact I found this mediocre will have no effect on my reading her work in the future. I have a suspicion that there may be more to come from this series and if she can recreate the magic of the earlier books then I'll be a happier reader.
Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing for an honest and unbiased opinion.
July 22, 2015
3 Huckleberry flavoured stars
It's a known fact in Maverick County that the little sister, Dawn Freeze, has held a candle for Hawk Rain for most of her life. Being her big brothers best friend growing up, he became part of the furniture, as well as the family.
Hawk has blended in and out of the town's backdrop, as his military and then covert work allowed him. He returns on a particular day to Dawn singing with a band in the local centre, and is dumbfounded not only by her stellar voice, but by how mature, and attractive, and alluring, and all grown up she is.
He can't have her, he doesn't deserve her, how could he possibly contemplate any level of normality? All the thoughts that have previously kept him away, are now disregarded for one intense night with the girl he's always seen as "the one".
We've been party to many rumblings about Hawk and Dawn from the previous Maverick Mountain stories, and I tumbled into theirs with a warm smile.
I found most parts of this story entertaining; the resident meddlers "The Lady Elks", who saw it as their duty to play fairy matchmakers. The other brothers and their respective wives made appearances, especially Colton and Melanie. These elements all helped to inject familiarity with the series, along with the humour.
But i felt a little deflated by the lack of connection I had to Hawk and Dawn. I don't know whether it was due to the character development, because the intensity certainly oozed between them.
ARC provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review..
July 28, 2015
I love this series and I have been waiting forever to read Hawk's story. It was perfect...lots of action, lots of passion, and lots of humour! I also loved the fact that we have known the two main characters through the other books and as friends the story immediately started as the couple already knew each other. I hope this isn't the last book in the series as I'd love to read Reese's story...if he can stay out of the hospital long enough!!
July 12, 2015
Over the Top is the fourth book in the Maverick Montana series by Rebecca Zanetti. Let me just start off by saying that this author -never- lets me down. I enjoy her books and style of writing immensely. It never fails that I end up laughing like a loon, more than once while reading a novel by Ms. Zanetti. She creates not only relate-able, likeable characters, but ones that you remember and that leave a smile on your face. It's never just the hero or heroine either, it's the full cast. In fact, my favorite character isn't even one of the main ones! She's sassy do-gooder Mrs. Hudson, who wears bedazzled things and carries a huge purse that could house an army. ;) She reminds me of one of my grandmothers, honestly.
I've been waiting for this book since probably the very first one in the series, and I somehow missed the third book, so I'll have to go back and read it. Regardless, Over the Top can be read as a standalone. This book is about Dawn Freeze and Hawk Rain.. FINALLY! :D The whole town has known about Dawn's feelings for Hawk for years, even her over protective family has known about them. It's hard to say much, because in fact, the synopsis covers this book very well descriptively and if I were to say more, it'd just throw out a tone of spoilers.
I never really thought Dawn and Rain would have an easy road, but I never figured on this. Hawk is just flat out stubborn, but protective, so it doesn't exactly add up to everything being perfect. He's been trying to stay away from Dawn for years. He's seen active combat, and he's not exactly steady with himself. I would say he's got mild PTSD although it's never actually stated within the book. Alluded to, but not made clear.
Dawn still wants him, but she's grown up, and she's ready to move past this whole "crush" thing. That is if Hawk will let her. She's out to prove a point though, to Hawk and her family, she's an adult, she doesn't need to be coddled. Hawk knows good and well that he needs to keep his distance, because once he goes near Dawn, it's all over.
Chemistry wise, I should have known this was coming, but holy smokes, these two are hot together. From every single interaction, I just felt like I needed to fan my face.
I gave the book a four star rating, it could have probably been a five but I guess maybe I wanted more for this pair. Not that there isn't a lot here, but I'm thinking maybe I built them up in my head as having more to their story and I didn't want it to end. It wasn't a rushed ending, it didn't feel awkward or detached or anything of the like. In fact, I freaking -loved- the ending. I giggled and I may have even shed a tear or to. Anyway, if you're a Rebecca Zanetti fan, you'll love this book. If you're not, you'll probably find a new writer you love. Regardless, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a good love story.
I've been waiting for this book since probably the very first one in the series, and I somehow missed the third book, so I'll have to go back and read it. Regardless, Over the Top can be read as a standalone. This book is about Dawn Freeze and Hawk Rain.. FINALLY! :D The whole town has known about Dawn's feelings for Hawk for years, even her over protective family has known about them. It's hard to say much, because in fact, the synopsis covers this book very well descriptively and if I were to say more, it'd just throw out a tone of spoilers.
I never really thought Dawn and Rain would have an easy road, but I never figured on this. Hawk is just flat out stubborn, but protective, so it doesn't exactly add up to everything being perfect. He's been trying to stay away from Dawn for years. He's seen active combat, and he's not exactly steady with himself. I would say he's got mild PTSD although it's never actually stated within the book. Alluded to, but not made clear.
"He was about as screwed up as a guy could be, and he was smart enough to know it."
Dawn still wants him, but she's grown up, and she's ready to move past this whole "crush" thing. That is if Hawk will let her. She's out to prove a point though, to Hawk and her family, she's an adult, she doesn't need to be coddled. Hawk knows good and well that he needs to keep his distance, because once he goes near Dawn, it's all over.
He'e known. He'd known if he ever touched her, she'd burn him."
Chemistry wise, I should have known this was coming, but holy smokes, these two are hot together. From every single interaction, I just felt like I needed to fan my face.
I gave the book a four star rating, it could have probably been a five but I guess maybe I wanted more for this pair. Not that there isn't a lot here, but I'm thinking maybe I built them up in my head as having more to their story and I didn't want it to end. It wasn't a rushed ending, it didn't feel awkward or detached or anything of the like. In fact, I freaking -loved- the ending. I giggled and I may have even shed a tear or to. Anyway, if you're a Rebecca Zanetti fan, you'll love this book. If you're not, you'll probably find a new writer you love. Regardless, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a good love story.
July 19, 2015
3 Meddling Ways Stars!
Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Entangled Publishing (Brazen)
I adore the Maverick Montana series and all the towns meddling ways. So when finally we get Dawn and Hawk's story with Over the Top I jumped at this opportunity. Sadly, though I didn't fall in love with this one as much as the others. It was still cute but it didn't grab me like the others.
Hawk is the best friends to the Freeze/Lodge boys . He has also been the desire to his best friend's little sisters heart. Dawn Freeze has loved Hawk forever, but it's always been unrequited. Or has it? Hawk has kept Dawn at arms length for a reason but now back in town he's willing to give it a go.
"Most guys don't like that much wildness." He tucked the picture back into his wallet. "I do. Don't want to tame it. Don't even want to mellow it. I just want to possess it and keep it close, wrap myself in it and keep it safe."
The small town of Maverick Montana are tired of Hawk dragging his heels where it comes to Dawn so the make it their mission to meddle their way through to give these two the deserving HEA. Dawn and Hawk are perfect together but Hawk's past is coming to the present. Hawk has always wanted to keep everyone he loves safe but he always underestimates his friends and their woman as well as Dawn.
"You've been chasing me for years, baby, and it's time I caught you."
This book was cute and I did like it, I just didn't love it. There was no wow factor for me this time around. Would I read more from this series? Yes. Did I like Dawn and Hawk together? Yes the balance each other out nicely. Did I love the meddling ways of this town? Yes but for some reason I wanted more like we get in the other books from this series. Would I recommend this book? Sure, yeah it was cute and had some humorous elements. It's just not one of those books that will leave an imprint for a long time afterwards.
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July 22, 2015
How did I miss 2 books in this series? I’m not sure, but I can tell you that I’m rectifying that as soon as I finish typing this.
Over the Top is a hot read. Hawk is scorching: a growly, bossy, alpha male of the best kind. He is on a self appointed mission, and he can’t start anything with Dawn, the girl he’s loved most of his life (little sister to his best friends/family) until he is ready to be 100% in.
Dawn has loved Hawk since she could remember and had been waiting for him to make a move for what it feels like a lifetime. Everyone in Maverick knows about it too. They aren’t getting together soon enough for the likes of the “ladies” (aka the old busybodies that run the town gossip central). Hawk and Dawn won’t only have to fight their desires, their issues and all of Hawk’s stubbornness, but the well meaning interference of The Lady Elks secret society. The following is their instructions on how to catch a man.
Let’s just say that after braking all the rules (#2 repeatedly) it seems things aren’t going Dawn’s way.
Will Hawk get over himself and realize there’s no better time than right now? Will Dawn be able to convince him that even if she is young, she knows what she wants?
Add to that, cool action, a bit of suspense, annoying siblings and a super abundance of hot guys and testosterone. Their chemistry is way hot and their boudoir shenanigans…. I took copious notes, enough said.
I really enjoyed Rebecca Zanetti’s hot romantic suspense.
*I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Over the Top is a hot read. Hawk is scorching: a growly, bossy, alpha male of the best kind. He is on a self appointed mission, and he can’t start anything with Dawn, the girl he’s loved most of his life (little sister to his best friends/family) until he is ready to be 100% in.
Dawn has loved Hawk since she could remember and had been waiting for him to make a move for what it feels like a lifetime. Everyone in Maverick knows about it too. They aren’t getting together soon enough for the likes of the “ladies” (aka the old busybodies that run the town gossip central). Hawk and Dawn won’t only have to fight their desires, their issues and all of Hawk’s stubbornness, but the well meaning interference of The Lady Elks secret society. The following is their instructions on how to catch a man.
How to Catch a Man
1. Make your man the only man around.
2. Don’t give the cow away (AKA NO SEX).
3. The way to his heart really is through his stomach.
4. Let your man rescue you.
5. Give him the illusion of control so you can chase him until he catches you.
Let’s just say that after braking all the rules (#2 repeatedly) it seems things aren’t going Dawn’s way.
Will Hawk get over himself and realize there’s no better time than right now? Will Dawn be able to convince him that even if she is young, she knows what she wants?
Add to that, cool action, a bit of suspense, annoying siblings and a super abundance of hot guys and testosterone. Their chemistry is way hot and their boudoir shenanigans…. I took copious notes, enough said.
I really enjoyed Rebecca Zanetti’s hot romantic suspense.
*I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
March 20, 2017
Over-the-top Hot 3.5***
Dawn Freeze has crushed on her brother's best friend Hawk, for years. At age 18 it became obvious to Hawk, her family, and the town of Maverick that she had feelings for him. He is in the military and has been in and out of town for years. Nobody, not even his best friend Colton know what he does, but this is one of the reasons Hawk has stayed away from Dawn. There is also the family, who Hawk considers as his own family.
There is a lot of back and forth between these two. Dawn has never tried to hide how she feels, but Hawk has battled his feelings for her for years. He is not done with his latest mission and will have to leave soon. He also feels screwed up because of all he has done and seen in the military and doesn't feel good enough for Dawn.
A night out with Colton leads Hawk to thinking Dawn has finally moved on with one of her bandmates and he realizes he cannot stand it. He is finally done trying to stay away from Dawn and goes after her. He knows he has to leave soon and if all he can have with her is a week he's going to take it. Dawn understands he will be leaving and her response is always the same. If he leaves, she will not be waiting.
Dawn is a good match for Hawk. She doesn't really put up with his Alpha tendencies. As his mission follows him to Maverick, all he wants to do is keep her safe. She fights him on this the whole way. She feels capable of taking care of herself, even though she has no understanding as to what Hawk is up against and exactly the type of danger they could all be in.
This was an enjoyable read. There was no doubt that Hawk and Dawn belonged together. They were extremely hot together. We also have the usual town and family involvement, which always brings humor to these stories. Hawk finally sees the Freeze/Lodge clan are truly his family when they all unwaveringly support his relationship with Dawn, and all try and assist him with his last mission. The ending was extremely sweet and I was glad to see these two finally together.
"You've been chasing me for years baby, and it's time I caught you."
"It's always been you, Dawn Freeze. I love you. Give me another chance--I'm here for good. I promise."
Dawn Freeze has crushed on her brother's best friend Hawk, for years. At age 18 it became obvious to Hawk, her family, and the town of Maverick that she had feelings for him. He is in the military and has been in and out of town for years. Nobody, not even his best friend Colton know what he does, but this is one of the reasons Hawk has stayed away from Dawn. There is also the family, who Hawk considers as his own family.
There is a lot of back and forth between these two. Dawn has never tried to hide how she feels, but Hawk has battled his feelings for her for years. He is not done with his latest mission and will have to leave soon. He also feels screwed up because of all he has done and seen in the military and doesn't feel good enough for Dawn.
A night out with Colton leads Hawk to thinking Dawn has finally moved on with one of her bandmates and he realizes he cannot stand it. He is finally done trying to stay away from Dawn and goes after her. He knows he has to leave soon and if all he can have with her is a week he's going to take it. Dawn understands he will be leaving and her response is always the same. If he leaves, she will not be waiting.
Dawn is a good match for Hawk. She doesn't really put up with his Alpha tendencies. As his mission follows him to Maverick, all he wants to do is keep her safe. She fights him on this the whole way. She feels capable of taking care of herself, even though she has no understanding as to what Hawk is up against and exactly the type of danger they could all be in.
This was an enjoyable read. There was no doubt that Hawk and Dawn belonged together. They were extremely hot together. We also have the usual town and family involvement, which always brings humor to these stories. Hawk finally sees the Freeze/Lodge clan are truly his family when they all unwaveringly support his relationship with Dawn, and all try and assist him with his last mission. The ending was extremely sweet and I was glad to see these two finally together.
"You've been chasing me for years baby, and it's time I caught you."
"It's always been you, Dawn Freeze. I love you. Give me another chance--I'm here for good. I promise."
July 20, 2015
3.5/5
The old ladies in this book seriously cracked me up! I liked them more than I liked the main characters.
Review to come!
The old ladies in this book seriously cracked me up! I liked them more than I liked the main characters.
Review to come!
July 12, 2015
Advanced Readers Copy Courtesy of Entangled Publishing
September 4, 2021
4.5 Fun Laugh Out Loud Stars!!
Dawn Freeze has been in love with her brother Colt’s best friend Hawk, for years. It’s always been obvious to Hawk, her family, and the meddling town of Maverick that she has had feelings for him.
Hawk is in the military and has been in and out of the country for years. Nobody, not even his best friend Colton knows what he does, just that it’s dangerous, which is the main reason Hawk has stayed away from Dawn. There is also the Lodge/Freeze family, Hawk practically grew up with them after losing his mother at a young age and considers them as his own family.
Dawn has never tried to hide how she feels unlike Hawk who has battled his feelings for her for years. Although Hawk has finally left the military he now has another dangerous national security job and his latest mission will once again have him leaving soon and because of that he’s determined to steer clear of her……or at least try. But, with meddling elderly ladies of this small town continuing to play cupid it seems his days are numbered.
Hawk is a Soldier and a cowboy and never backs down from a fight, and his “brothers” Colt, Jake, and Quinn are determined to help when it looks as though danger is coming home. Danger brings out Hawk’s fierce protectiveness and he is determined to keep Dawn & the rest of the family protected by any means necessary!!
Favorite quote/scene: Hawk & Colt caused a bit of trouble….Laugh out loud funny!!
This was a sweet, fun, entertaining, and oh so sexy read. I enjoyed seeing Dawn and Hawk finally get together, they had sizzling chemistry….there’s absolutely no doubt these two were meant for each other. I love that we get more of Jake & Sophie, Quinn & Juliet, and Colt & Melanie!!
I loved The Maverick Montana series, I’m sad to see it end. I highly recommend, although each book can be read as a standalone, I suggest you should read the whole series in order!!
July 18, 2015
I have been waiting over a year for a new book in Rebecca Zanetti's Maverick, Montana series. A year! I was therefore ecstatic to finally get to read Dawn and Hawk's story in Over the Top, especially since their potential romance has been teased for some time. The "best friend's little sister" angle is always fun to read about, combining sexual tension and a history between the characters that raises the stakes of their would-be relationship. While Hawk has always been a bit of a mystery, Dawn is the type to lay her heart out on the table – a contrast that is both intriguing and entertaining. With its fast-paced narrative, whirlwind romance, and the elements of comedy and suspense, Over the Top is a story that will capture and hold your attention from start to finish.
In previous books in the series, Hawk has proven himself to be a wild card, enigmatic and slightly menacing, which is perhaps why I figured the narrative would have a similar feel. I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case. In fact, this book is at times outrageously funny, especially with the band of elderly busybodies in full-on matchmaking mode ensuring any lull between the threat of Hawk's assignment and the excitement of his and Dawn's budding romance is filled with their misguided, if well-meaning antics. There is certainly never a dull moment in the narrative, especially with Dawn as the heroine. Her spitfire persona is the perfect match against Hawk’s Alpha male tendencies, leading to many a verbal sparring match and, of course, some super steamy love scenes. The two have this playful banter where they seem to relish goading each other at every opportunity and I enjoyed their teasing, give-and-take rapport, which it created a lightheartedness that was a welcome respite from Hawk's danger-filled mission.
Even with the focus on Dawn and Hawk’s romance and the subplot with Hawk’s contracted job, Over the Top is a character-driven narrative, with the personalities of the two protagonists constantly competing for dominance. The two are engaged in a power struggle, with Hawk trying to push Dawn away to keep her safe, and Dawn refusing to back down. While another heroine might sit at home and let Hawk put himself in danger, Dawn is the type of heroine to demand to remain at his side. It was admirable (and, often humorous) watching her go toe to toe with the intimidating former military man. Dawn may be diminutive in size but her personality is undeniably larger-than-life, bringing energy and vitality to the pages of the narrative. Hawk’s possessive side is admittedly alluring, but I love that Dawn is a strong-willed, opinionated woman willing to fight for what she wants and what she wants just happens to be Hawk.
One of my favorite things about Over the Top is that, even in the midst of Hawk and Dawn’s budding relationship, the book brings back familiar characters while also introducing some new faces. I had assumed that Over the Top would be the final book in the series since Dawn is the last of the Lodge-Freeze siblings to be romantically paired up, yet I'm thrilled to report that may not be the case. Here’s to hoping there’s at least one, if not more, return trips to Maverick, Montana in the near future, especially if it means getting another glimpse into Dawn and Hawk’s happily ever after.
*complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 5 Stars
In previous books in the series, Hawk has proven himself to be a wild card, enigmatic and slightly menacing, which is perhaps why I figured the narrative would have a similar feel. I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case. In fact, this book is at times outrageously funny, especially with the band of elderly busybodies in full-on matchmaking mode ensuring any lull between the threat of Hawk's assignment and the excitement of his and Dawn's budding romance is filled with their misguided, if well-meaning antics. There is certainly never a dull moment in the narrative, especially with Dawn as the heroine. Her spitfire persona is the perfect match against Hawk’s Alpha male tendencies, leading to many a verbal sparring match and, of course, some super steamy love scenes. The two have this playful banter where they seem to relish goading each other at every opportunity and I enjoyed their teasing, give-and-take rapport, which it created a lightheartedness that was a welcome respite from Hawk's danger-filled mission.
Even with the focus on Dawn and Hawk’s romance and the subplot with Hawk’s contracted job, Over the Top is a character-driven narrative, with the personalities of the two protagonists constantly competing for dominance. The two are engaged in a power struggle, with Hawk trying to push Dawn away to keep her safe, and Dawn refusing to back down. While another heroine might sit at home and let Hawk put himself in danger, Dawn is the type of heroine to demand to remain at his side. It was admirable (and, often humorous) watching her go toe to toe with the intimidating former military man. Dawn may be diminutive in size but her personality is undeniably larger-than-life, bringing energy and vitality to the pages of the narrative. Hawk’s possessive side is admittedly alluring, but I love that Dawn is a strong-willed, opinionated woman willing to fight for what she wants and what she wants just happens to be Hawk.
One of my favorite things about Over the Top is that, even in the midst of Hawk and Dawn’s budding relationship, the book brings back familiar characters while also introducing some new faces. I had assumed that Over the Top would be the final book in the series since Dawn is the last of the Lodge-Freeze siblings to be romantically paired up, yet I'm thrilled to report that may not be the case. Here’s to hoping there’s at least one, if not more, return trips to Maverick, Montana in the near future, especially if it means getting another glimpse into Dawn and Hawk’s happily ever after.
*complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 5 Stars
July 16, 2015
3.5 stars
Dawn has been in love with her brother's best friend for as long as she can remember and half the town knows how she feels even if Hawk has never done anything to encourage her. Hawk has secretly wanted Dawn for years but he's sure her brothers would never approve of them as a couple. His job is dangerous and every time he leaves town there's a risk he might never come back so the last thing he wants is to leave Dawn broken hearted. He's tired of fighting his feelings though and she's becoming harder and harder to resist. After spending one amazing night together Hawk's job unexpectedly catches up with him and now everyone he cares about is in danger, including Dawn and her family. Can he keep her safe or will he lose her forever?
I've been dying to read Dawn and Hawk's story ever since they were introduced in the first book of the series. I had a feeling Hawk was going to be my favourite and I wasn't wrong, he's definitely a brilliant hero and Dawn's a lucky lady. This story was incredibly fun to read, a few of the town's busybodies have decided it's time for Dawn to land her man and they're not above meddling to get Hawk to admit his feelings for her. I spent a lot of time laughing at their antics and they're definitely not the usual tricks you'd expect from a couple of little old ladies. I also loved catching up with Dawn's brothers and their wives, I've enjoyed spending time with this family and it's great to see how far everyone has come since the beginning of the series.
Unfortunately I don't think the romance was as well developed as it could have been, this seemed like a fairly short book and as much as I enjoyed the crazy antics as well as the suspense side to the story I think the relationship development between Dawn and Hawk suffered because it wasn't the main focus. Don't get me wrong - the sex was hot and there were a few really sweet moments between them but I had such high expectations for their book and I was slightly disappointed. This has still been a fun series though and it's one I'd recommend to people who enjoy small town romances. I love Rebecca Zanetti's writing and I'll definitely be checking out more books by her in the future.
Dawn has been in love with her brother's best friend for as long as she can remember and half the town knows how she feels even if Hawk has never done anything to encourage her. Hawk has secretly wanted Dawn for years but he's sure her brothers would never approve of them as a couple. His job is dangerous and every time he leaves town there's a risk he might never come back so the last thing he wants is to leave Dawn broken hearted. He's tired of fighting his feelings though and she's becoming harder and harder to resist. After spending one amazing night together Hawk's job unexpectedly catches up with him and now everyone he cares about is in danger, including Dawn and her family. Can he keep her safe or will he lose her forever?
I've been dying to read Dawn and Hawk's story ever since they were introduced in the first book of the series. I had a feeling Hawk was going to be my favourite and I wasn't wrong, he's definitely a brilliant hero and Dawn's a lucky lady. This story was incredibly fun to read, a few of the town's busybodies have decided it's time for Dawn to land her man and they're not above meddling to get Hawk to admit his feelings for her. I spent a lot of time laughing at their antics and they're definitely not the usual tricks you'd expect from a couple of little old ladies. I also loved catching up with Dawn's brothers and their wives, I've enjoyed spending time with this family and it's great to see how far everyone has come since the beginning of the series.
Unfortunately I don't think the romance was as well developed as it could have been, this seemed like a fairly short book and as much as I enjoyed the crazy antics as well as the suspense side to the story I think the relationship development between Dawn and Hawk suffered because it wasn't the main focus. Don't get me wrong - the sex was hot and there were a few really sweet moments between them but I had such high expectations for their book and I was slightly disappointed. This has still been a fun series though and it's one I'd recommend to people who enjoy small town romances. I love Rebecca Zanetti's writing and I'll definitely be checking out more books by her in the future.
April 2, 2016
I've been waiting for Dawn and Hawk's book and in the previous Maverick Montana stories, it's been made clear that Dawn's had a thing for Hawk for ages (and vice versa) but with his military stints and other jobs, he hasn't stuck around long enough for anything between them to happen. But he's finally decided that Dawn is all grown up and if she wants him for a short fling, she can have him. What was interesting to me about this story is that there is very little conflict between Dawn and Hawk at this point. The conflict comes externally, from the latest job that Hawk is involved in and how it's going to affect his family - Dawn and her brothers. So it's different than your typical romance because there is no big buildup to a misunderstanding or revelation or something that's going to rock their boat. Instead what you get is two people who finally have the sense to enjoy each other - and they do that with a sexy style all their own. Their love scenes have been worth waiting for and show all the emotion that they've been holding back until now. I enjoyed seeing them finally getting together. A big part of the story is how Dawn's older brothers and sisters-in-law take the news and also how they make it clear to Hawk that he has always been and will always be part of the family. I enjoyed those interactions greatly. The suspense plot added a bit of action to the story, nothing overly crazy but enough to make it clear to Hawk that it's time for him to settle down. The story has been left open for some spin off stories with a few of the other characters and I'm looking forward to seeing where that goes. The angst is minimal, there are some good laughs, and great sexual chemistry between Dawn and Hawk. It was a satisfying read. 3.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
July 21, 2015
Happy Release Day!!!
This is the 4th book in the Montana Maverick's Series. My review of #3, Rising Assets can be found here.
It was great seeing the characters from the first three books in this one. This is Hawk and Dawn's book...and I've been anxiously awaiting Hawk's HEA. Poor guy was pretty badly beaten in the last book, and it's about time he found some happiness. Of course, just about when he thinks he can grab that brass ring...the bad guy gets loose and he has to leave Dawn's warm, sweet arms to go after him. At least he thinks he needs to do so. Ah, men...they always want to do things on their own!
Dawn and his "brothers" school him on just how family can be counted on.
Dawn was a great. She has a backbone. She is feisty. She's been waiting on Hawk and it's time to grab what she wants. Good thing he wants it, too.
There is quite a bit of humor in this one. Each chapter starts with a line from the Lady Elks Secret Archives. Like this:
If a man can dance, he knows how to move in bed.
and this one:
Men like an angel in public, a mom in the kitchen, and a wildcat in bed.
Do NOT get those mixed up.
Yes, I laughed. The little old ladies really wanted to get Dawn and Hawk together. They worked hard at it, too.
I counted just a bit off for repetition in the narrative.
This was very enjoyable, just as I've come to expect from this author. I highly recommend it to readers who like cowboys, military types, Alpha males...and sweet romance.
*Thank you, NetGalley and Entangled, for the opportunity to read this book
This is the 4th book in the Montana Maverick's Series. My review of #3, Rising Assets can be found here.
It was great seeing the characters from the first three books in this one. This is Hawk and Dawn's book...and I've been anxiously awaiting Hawk's HEA. Poor guy was pretty badly beaten in the last book, and it's about time he found some happiness. Of course, just about when he thinks he can grab that brass ring...the bad guy gets loose and he has to leave Dawn's warm, sweet arms to go after him. At least he thinks he needs to do so. Ah, men...they always want to do things on their own!
Dawn and his "brothers" school him on just how family can be counted on.
Dawn was a great. She has a backbone. She is feisty. She's been waiting on Hawk and it's time to grab what she wants. Good thing he wants it, too.
There is quite a bit of humor in this one. Each chapter starts with a line from the Lady Elks Secret Archives. Like this:
If a man can dance, he knows how to move in bed.
and this one:
Men like an angel in public, a mom in the kitchen, and a wildcat in bed.
Do NOT get those mixed up.
Yes, I laughed. The little old ladies really wanted to get Dawn and Hawk together. They worked hard at it, too.
I counted just a bit off for repetition in the narrative.
This was very enjoyable, just as I've come to expect from this author. I highly recommend it to readers who like cowboys, military types, Alpha males...and sweet romance.
*Thank you, NetGalley and Entangled, for the opportunity to read this book
July 28, 2015
Gabi's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
3.5 stars
This is book 4 of 4 of a series. I've never read the series before. This is a standalone so you do not have to read the others first. However if you're like me once you finish this book you will most definitely want to read the others. Dawn and Hawk are scorching together and not just during the sexy scenes. Their chemistry is AMAZING. I loved their relationship every page of the book. I loved how strong Dawn was and how fierce Hawk is. And together? BOOM!
This book held me and didn't let me go until the last page. Not once did I feel the story should have gone one way or another its almost as if the book was written for dare I say me??? It felt as if the Rebecca Zanetti knows what her readers do and do not want in her stories and she delivers. I will definitely be picking up the other 3 and indulging myself in some Maverick Montana love.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
3.5 stars
This is book 4 of 4 of a series. I've never read the series before. This is a standalone so you do not have to read the others first. However if you're like me once you finish this book you will most definitely want to read the others. Dawn and Hawk are scorching together and not just during the sexy scenes. Their chemistry is AMAZING. I loved their relationship every page of the book. I loved how strong Dawn was and how fierce Hawk is. And together? BOOM!
This book held me and didn't let me go until the last page. Not once did I feel the story should have gone one way or another its almost as if the book was written for dare I say me??? It felt as if the Rebecca Zanetti knows what her readers do and do not want in her stories and she delivers. I will definitely be picking up the other 3 and indulging myself in some Maverick Montana love.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
July 21, 2019
Dawn and Hawk💕
Hawk is finally home, but unfortunately he will have to leave again soon to ensure the life he has and those around him are safe. He witnesses Dawn leaving the bar with the owner and something inside him shifts. He makes a play for Dawn, knowing full well, he could be putting her life in danger! When it appears he will have to go back to work sooner than he thought he tries to push her away😢
This story was the one I feel like I’ve been waiting for and Rebecca made it worth the wait😁 This whole community is off their rockers crazy but in a good way and kept me enthralled and laughing with all their shenanigans😂 I hope there will be more in the series, like someone for Reese, but if not I’m happy with this series if it is concluded❣️
Hawk is finally home, but unfortunately he will have to leave again soon to ensure the life he has and those around him are safe. He witnesses Dawn leaving the bar with the owner and something inside him shifts. He makes a play for Dawn, knowing full well, he could be putting her life in danger! When it appears he will have to go back to work sooner than he thought he tries to push her away😢
This story was the one I feel like I’ve been waiting for and Rebecca made it worth the wait😁 This whole community is off their rockers crazy but in a good way and kept me enthralled and laughing with all their shenanigans😂 I hope there will be more in the series, like someone for Reese, but if not I’m happy with this series if it is concluded❣️
July 21, 2015
3.5 stars
Over the Top was a sweet, fun and entertaining read.
I enjoyed seeing Dawn and Hawk finally get together, they had amazing chemistry and there was never any doubt these two were meant for each other.
The Maverick Montana series has been a great read and highly recommend it. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Thank you Entangled Brazen via Netgalley for the advance copy.
Over the Top was a sweet, fun and entertaining read.
I enjoyed seeing Dawn and Hawk finally get together, they had amazing chemistry and there was never any doubt these two were meant for each other.
The Maverick Montana series has been a great read and highly recommend it. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Thank you Entangled Brazen via Netgalley for the advance copy.
December 21, 2015
Book 4 of series. Dawn and Hawk have been tap dancing around each other for years, and finally they get together with the help of two town busybodies. Their meddling was the best part of the story for me. Many laugh out loud moments. I also enjoyed touching base with Dawn's brothers Jake, Colton and Quinn, I love the relationship they all have with each other. Enjoyable, quick read.
July 23, 2015
Hmmmmmmmmm. Sigh..... It's. . . . okay. Missing something or I was just expecting too much. The build up, plus the years of waiting kind of did that but then, I guess.. *shrugs*
January 3, 2018
Delicious and entertaining, Over the Top concludes the Maverick Montana series, and brings us Dawn and Hawk's story. She's the baby sister; he's one of the older brothers' best friends. She's loved him for years, but he's had lots of reasons not to give her hope.
But the meddling townsfolk have other ideas, and circumstances also conspire to give these two a shove.
Ms Zanetti's story is fun, funny, and hot.
Definitely looking forward to reading more by Ms Zanetti!
But the meddling townsfolk have other ideas, and circumstances also conspire to give these two a shove.
Ms Zanetti's story is fun, funny, and hot.
Definitely looking forward to reading more by Ms Zanetti!
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