Maverick

Cat Star Legacy #1

by Cheryl Brooks

Zetithians are back. And they're hotter than ever...

Having the Zetithian feline gene gives Larry Tshevnoe awesome beauty, fearsome strength, sensuality and sexual prowess unmatched by any other males in the universe. But it can make the quest for true love...complicated.

Enter childhood friend and fellow Zetithian Althea Banadänsk. Her empathic powers make her the only one who can show Larry what he truly desires, and she'll do anything to help...even if that means hiding her desperate craving for him.

But when a distress call sends them off course—and into danger—they find more than their hearts are at stake. Now it's up to them to become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy...or risk losing it all.

Cat Star Legacy Series:
Maverick (Book 1)

What People are Saying about Cheryl Brooks:
"Out-of-this-world sexy...the ultimate reading experience."—Long and Short Reviews
"Scorching hot...keeps you turning pages."—RT Book Reviews
"Wildly imaginative, highly entertaining, and sure to become a classic."—Star-Crossed Romance

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Romance, Aliens, Paranormal, Ebooks

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

Cheryl Brooks is a former critical care nurse turned romance writer. Her Cat Star Chronicles series includes Slave, Warrior, Rogue, Outcast, Fugitive, Hero, Virgin, Stud, Wildcat, and Rebel. Her Cowboy Heaven series includes the Cowboy Delight novella and the Cowboy Heaven novel. Her self-published works include Sex Love and a Purple Bikini, Midnight in Reno, and the Unlikely Lovers series, which includes Unbridled, Uninhibited, Undeniable, and Unrivaled. As a member of the Sextet, she has also published several erotic novellas with Siren/Bookstrand. She is a member of RWA and IRWA and lives with her husband, two sons, two horses, four cats, and one dog in rural Indiana. You can visit her online at https://www.cherylbrooksonline.com/ or email her at cheryl.brooks52@yahoo.com.

Reviews

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Zetithian felines are back along with a whole host of other aliens in this hot, spicy and adventurous cosmic romance. Larry and Althea are bold and fierce characters that easily draw readers into their world as a distress call sets on a path into danger. Larry and Althea’s romance is a bit unexpected (for them) as they fight their sizzling undeniable attraction with snarky wit and Althea’s empathic powers add a whole other dimension to this relationship as she sets out to help him discover what he truly desires. The relationship is feisty with quite a bit of turbulence that certainly keeps things interesting during this courtship while they become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy.

Surprising twists adds to the exhilarating and adrenaline pumping adventure, thrilling suspense and fascinating alien elements found in this steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot. The varying planet settings are well developed and the author paints vivid images of her world so that the readers can easily imagine each and every setting as they get to know all the fascinating characters involved which makes it easy for readers to become caught up in this sexy space adventure. Some unique alien features, some of which are on the sensual and racy side add to the hotness factor of this read and I quite fascinated by the ideas put forth in Larry Althea’s romantic escapades, which has me quite curious and looking forward to visiting more of this intriguing world.

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its been several years since I read a few of the Cat Star Chronicle books. I remember enjoying them. There is a huge reason I didn't enjoy this one. It is something that will make me never pick up a book from an author again. It also seems to be something that is becoming more and more okay in romances. It's something that I am not okay with on any level, cheating.

Larry's whole reason for setting his course to find Althea is because he wants her to use her emphatic abilities on his girlfriend Celeste. Larry isn't sure if he loves Celeste. Larry knows that Althea will be able to get a good read on her so he asks her to join him on a little space adventure.

Althea and Larry are some of the children from the couples in the Cat Star Chronicle books. Althea and Larry grew up together and have know each other their whole lives. Because of the way memories and things that have happened in the past are written in Brooks robbed readers of a love story. Larry and Althea have always been in love they just never realized it. It took Althea leaving the Jolly Roger for four years in a quest to find quite for her emphatic abilities for these two to realize their love for one another, while Larry cheats on Celeste.

I will not continue on with future books in the Cat Star Legacy.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot space adventures, sizzling passions, and unexpected danger along with some humorous moments highlight Cheryl Brooks’ MAVERICK.

Larry is a Zetithian, a cat-like being with attitude and a huge ego. Althea is his empathic childhood friend and Larry is hoping she can help him determine if he has chosen the right mate. They never expected the heat that would flare between them or how their chemistry could serve as rocket fuel.

While there are lots of light-hearted banter and some off the charts heat, should Larry and Althea have taken their hidden attraction out of the closet? After all, Larry has a girlfriend. Not real sure how I feel about that and while the writing has some fun moments and the descriptions are very detailed, I just couldn’t fall into this tale like I wanted. It missed something "fresh" for me.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca!

Series: Cat Star Legacy - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 4, 2018)
Publication Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Scifi
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Release Review! Maverick (Cat Star Legacy #1) Cheryl Brooks!  

 
Zetithians are back. And they're hotter than ever...
 
Having the Zetithian feline gene gives Larry Tshevnoe awesome beauty, fearsome strength, sensuality and sexual prowess unmatched by any other males in the universe. But it can make the quest for true love...complicated.
 
Enter childhood friend and fellow Zetithian Althea Banadänsk. Her empathic powers make her the only one who can show Larry what he truly desires, and she'll do anything to help...even if that means hiding her desperate craving for him.
 
But when a distress call sends them off course—and into danger—they find more than their hearts are at stake. Now it's up to them to become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy...or risk losing it all.
 
Cat Star Legacy Series:
Maverick (Book 1)
 
What People are Saying about Cheryl Brooks:"Out-of-this-world sexy...the ultimate reading experience."—Long and Short Reviews
"Scorching hot...keeps you turning pages."—RT Book Reviews
"Wildly imaginative, highly entertaining, and sure to become a classic."—Star-Crossed Romance
 

The Zetithian felines are back along with a whole host of other aliens in this hot, spicy and adventurous cosmic romance. Larry and Althea are bold and fierce characters that easily draw readers into their world as a distress call sets on a path into danger. Larry and Althea’s romance is a bit unexpected (for them) as they fight their sizzling undeniable attraction with snarky wit and Althea’s empathic powers add a whole other dimension to this relationship as she sets out to help him discover what he truly desires. The relationship is feisty with quite a bit of turbulence that certainly keeps things interesting during this courtship while they become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy.
 
Surprising twists adds to the exhilarating and adrenaline pumping adventure, thrilling suspense and fascinating alien elements found in this steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot. The varying planet settings are well developed and the author paints vivid images of her world so that the readers can easily imagine each and every setting as they get to know all the fascinating characters involved which makes it easy for readers to become caught up in this sexy space adventure. Some unique alien features, some of which are on the sensual and racy side add to the hotness factor of this read and I quite fascinated by the ideas put forth in Larry Althea’s romantic escapades, which has me quite curious and looking forward to visiting more of this intriguing world.
Add to your book shelves at -
 

 
 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
 
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/maveric...
 

 
Maverick is the 1st book in the Cat Star Legacy series -
 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/2355...
 
Author - http://www.cherylbrooksonline.com/id2...
 
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
 

 
which includes -
 
1 Maverick& 2 Mystic (coming - 1-19-19)
 

 
Cat Star Legacy follows the Cat Star Chronicles -
 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/4559...
 
Author - http://www.cherylbrooksonline.com/id1...
 
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
 

 
in print or ebook at -
 
Sourcebooks - https://shop.sourcebooks.com/maverick...
 
Amazon - https://amzn.to/2FrR7bg
 
B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mave...
 
GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
 
BaM - http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Maveri...
 
iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mave...
 
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mave...
 

 
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Cheryl Brooks is a former critical care nurse who resides in rural Indiana with her husband, two sons, two horses, four cats, and one dog. Her Cat Star Chronicles series was first published by Sourcebooks Casablanca in 2008, and includes Slave, Warrior, Rogue, Outcast, Fugitive, Hero, Virgin, Stud, Wildcat, and Rebel. Her Cowboy Heaven series includes the Cowboy Delight novella and two novels, Cowboy Heaven and Must Love Cowboys. Self-published works include Sex, Love, and a Purple Bikini, Midnight in Reno, and the Unlikely Lovers series: Unbridled, Uninhibited, Undeniable, and Unrivaled. She has also published If You Could Read My Mind writing as Samantha R. Michaels. As a member of The Sextet, she has written eight erotic novellas published by Siren/Bookstrand. Her other interests include cooking, gardening, singing, and guitar playing. Cheryl is a member of RWA and IRWA. You can visit her online at www.cherylbrooksonline.com or email her at cheryl.brooks52@yahoo.com.
 
Website - http://www.cherylbrooksonline.com/
 
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chery...
 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
 
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
 
Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/CherylCatMaster
 
Blog - http://cherylbrooksauthor.blogspot.com/
 
 
 
 
 

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Maverick begins the Cat Star Legacy series which is a second generation spin-off from the Cat Star Chronicles series from a few years back. I wish I had read the original series first, but didn’t realize that I should have… now, I’m not sure that I will. So let me be frank without being harsh — I do not like cheating by the hero or the heroine while a potential couple in any form, in any way. Almost everyone has had a life before they meet the one destined for them so past relationships are realistic… but to seek out a childhood friend who has the empathic ability to tell Larry if he has chosen the right woman in his current girlfriend for a lifelong mate is… not my cup of tea. Yet I committed to reading and reviewing for the publisher so I set that aspect of the story aside – having said that, Maverick is an enjoyable, imaginative science fiction romance that will grab the reader’s attention. I – personally – simply could not get past the cheating on his girlfriend, even if they didn’t seem all that committed to each other, part of this story so my view of Larry was slanted from the start.

Now, in the alternative world view of science fiction a lot of readers can suspend reality and go with what works for what particular alien race they’re reading about. So, please, check out Maverick for yourself and form your own opinion. If you were a fan of the original series, then I’m sure you’ll have fun stepping back into this world with the now adult children of those couples.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Cat Star books and was thrilled to see that there was a new series featuring the children of the original pairs. While I enjoyed meeting Althea Banadänsk. and Larry Tshevnoe I thought the story lacked the tension and danger that was in the first series. This was a pleasant romance , in fact it managed to have a HEA for three different couples. I felt that there was just not that much action in the plot. The story kept bogging down and not moving that fast. Even so I will be looking for the next book in the fun series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Glittergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun romp. I haven't read the previous Cat Star series, although I've collected them all to read. I'll have to make a point to do that as so many stories and characters either visit or are referred to in this second generation spin-off. I have a weakness for sci-fi romance and it takes me on an enjoyable imaginary adventure. Cheryl is a master at this sub-genre and my head was happily spinning with all these odd creatures. She does a fabulous job describing them so you can see them in your minds eye and slipping into the world she has created.

This story starts out pretty straight forward and veers off into adventure of search & rescue. Larry Tshevnoe is the son of Cat, the enslaved Zetithian warrior rescued by the human captain Jack from the first Cat Star book. Althea Banadansk is the daughter of Tisana, a Mordrial witch who heals Leo, the enslaved Zetithian warrior from the second Cat Star book. For fans of the original series this spin-off series will make them very happy. I enjoyed the adventure and letting my imagination soar.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I remember reading Larry's parents' story ages ago. I kinda loved how fantastic the Zetithians were. I mean, they suffered terribly after their planet was destroyed and yet they persevered in the face of overwhelming odds. As a reward, they ended up with their perfect someone. *heart eyes*

This series follows the second generation and all the shenanigans they get into. Since pretty much all the Zetithians are hybrids now, who knows what their capable of. I mean, Althea has the gift that comes through her mother's blood AND the issues that plague the female Zetithians. What issues? Oh, you know. She's weirdly unmoved by her male counterparts' desire to impress her which means they have to REALLY turn up the heat to get her interested.

Which makes for an interesting dynamic between Althea and Larry. Not only did they grow up together, they're trying to be very careful not to cross any lines that could put them in any uncomfortable situations.

Until they just chuck those lines out the window and go all in.

I wasn't terribly thrilled with the fact that Larry had a girlfriend of sorts prior to him pulling Althea into his orbit, but...I don't know. It didn't bother me as much as it might have. Maybe because their relationship seemed very distant. Frankly, neither of them were bothered by how everything played out, so I'm good with it. (Still not thrilled, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.)

(There's more to this book than just Althea and Larry figuring things out, btw. There's a whole THING they have to do. It's important.)

I enjoyed catching up with Jack, Cat, and the others. I enjoyed getting to revisit the Zetithians and their supreme prowess with the opposite sex. I just like these guys, okay? I like them. They're over the top and some of the situations they end up in are ridiculous, but they're always fun.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Helyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to be back in the world of Ms. Brooks’ imagination. I read and enjoyed the original Cat Star Chronicles series that introduced us not only to her famous Zetithians, but to many other planets and worlds and to the inhabitants of those worlds. In every shape, color and size, some humanoid like, a lot of them not human at all, but in Ms. Brooks’ world there is always some way to communicate and a lot of inter-species canoodling. Of course, there are humans from earth too, and they just happen to be biologically compatible to some of these off-world species.

This new series will center around the children of the original cast. In this first book, we meet Larsanken “Larry” Tshevnoe who is now an adult with his own ship. He cruises through the galaxy with his trusty navigator, Brak, who is a Scorillian-think gigantic talking praying mantis. Larry is a communications expert and he travels around fixing other ships communications devices. He stops on Barada Seven in the hopes of locating his childhood friend Althea, a female Zetithian that he grew up with on his parent’s ship. Althea is an empath. She left her family and friends and moved to Barada Seven to escape the constant noise in her head, her empathic gifts picking up everyone’s feelings. If that wasn’t enough, Althea’s mother is a witch, and she’s inherited some of her gifts as well. All those gifts made it difficult for Althea to function so she left home and settled on Barada Seven where for some reason the land didn’t scream in her head and she could live in the jungles and not be bombarded by everyone’s feelings.

It’s been four long years and Larry has missed his friend. Larry wants to ask Althea to come home with him to use her empath skills to read a girl that he kind of likes. It’s difficult for a Zetithian male to trust that a woman is into him for himself or because of the rumors surrounding the Zetithian males exceptional “skills” during sex. Because of this, he hasn’t been physical with anyone for fear of making a huge mistake. Althea misses her family so she agrees to go with him.

I didn’t realize how much I missed this world and though it’s been about 4 years since the last book in the first series, it was like coming home. Ms. Brooks does a great job of giving just enough back story, and while having read the previous series would definitely enhance your reading experience, it’s not necessary.

From the moment it’s revealed that Althea couldn’t read Larry’s emotions, I knew exactly what that meant and just settled in to see how their friendship would bloom into love. Things progress a bit slow as Althea fights what she’s feeling and tries to ignore all the hints her body throws at her. She also doesn’t want to come between Larry and any woman he might be interested in. But in the world of the Zetithians, if you’re meant to be mated, there is no stopping it.

A side story introduces half siblings of both Larry and Althea and bring a bit of excitement when Larry diverts course to pick up Keplok and Dartula who have broken down. We later learn that they were on a mission to find something special that was taken from their home planet and had set out to retrieve it. They now need Larry’s help and his ship. The addition of these two characters brought a lot of humor to the story.

Ms. Brooks’ writing style has really matured since the first series. While we still got a true feel for these sexy Zetithians, I really appreciated the fact that I wasn’t overwhelmed with explanations and descriptions of snard, joy juice, or coronal/penile acrobatics. There is more emphasis on the story, the characters and the people and things they encounter. I did miss the multitude of alien species from the first series though. Brak is a kick with his dry humor, but a lot of the alien species that I remembered from before are not mentioned until near the end.

This a fun, over the top, fantastical adventure that always makes me ask, “how does she come up with this stuff?” I’m so glad Ms. Brooks decided to revisit these characters and give us the next generation.

[Up All Night With Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
Review by Sasha
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Maverick by Cheryl Brooks is an entertaining outer space novel that brings to life a world that you could never think to imagine.

Everyone is looking for their one true love. For some, the process is quick and easy while others it can take a lifetime. For Althea, finding her true love is a little bit more difficult due to her mixed bloodline. Her parents have given her beautiful gifts that come along with her lifeline. Finding her one true love would mean that she has found her perfect match, and that has slowly been seeming less and less like it will happen. One of those gifts being that she can sense others peoples feelings and desires. This has caused her brain to be overwhelmed and lead her to run off to a secluded planet. Just when she thinks all hope is lost her childhood friend, Larry, comes to find her. With him, he brings the reminder of the life that she had thought she left behind. Larry comes to see her so that he can help reveal the true feelings of this earth girl that he loves. Suddenly, Althea finds herself noticing Larry in different ways and wondering how she never noticed the boy next door.

The characters species and planets are literally out of this world. I found myself trying to fathom how one person could see the inspiration to come up with everything wrapped in this novel. Some of the language that she had created is so creative that I am in pure admiration, and would love to know how her brain works. Due to this crazy concept, I found that it was hard to get into the story at the beginning. All of the background information was just so strange and difficult to process up front. Once the information was laid out, and the story took off when I found myself settling into the story more.

I would give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I found that the character development was terrific and gave all of the characters such a dynamic and heartwarming characteristics to them. Each character brought their own twist and turn to the story, and this created a much more vibrant plot line. It kept changing and kept you guessing what would be happening in the next chapter. It was a thrilling read and takes you to a world that is literally and figuratively out of this world.

**ARC provided for honest review**

[Catherine]

I'm not going to rate this one because I don't think it would be fair. As per my new rule, I read a third of this Sci-fi Romance (I know it's labelled as Paranormal Romance, but I can't see it in those terms) book by Cheryl Brooks and decided that I don't want to finish it. Let me start by saying that I think, from what I read, that Cheryl Brooks is a great writer. She's also highly imaginative, clearly! However, as I was sitting and reading, I kept getting the feeling that there was something I was missing entirely. The way the story was set up, I felt as though the author was talking in terms and about places that I should already have known about or should already have been familiar with and I was left clueless. Intrigued, but clueless After doing a quick search, it seems that Cheryl Brooks already wrote a series of books centered around the Zetithian race! Perhaps I should have started with that first set of books to familiarize myself with everything. I mean, I think this can be read separate from the previous series based on the Zetithian race and within the same world but for those that prefer to get the full picture from the very beginning and who can easily sense that there is something missing, maybe go back and start with that other series first and then move to this one!

[~❤️Minnie❤️~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Under the Moonlight Book Blog


This book started ion an interesting note and I liked the concept of it. We have this race of aliens that are cat-like and this insect race and all the makings of a great story. And it would have been if I had read the series that this one spins off.

About half the book the characters mention many things that happened in the other series and I was a bit lost. If you are interested in this series I recommend you read the other series CAT STAR CHRONICLES.

That said I liked what little I understood of this book and although I know there are people mad because of a supposed cheating I think it was done correctly in this instance since Larry was never intimate with this other person. Their relationship was superficial on both their sides it seems.

I loved Brak and I found him hilarious at times. I loved the mission they went on and I just wish that I could have read the other series first so I could appreciate this book more.

Disclaimer:
♥♦♥ This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of it or the content of my review.♥♦♥

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been years since I read a book in the Cat Star Chronicles series. I really enjoyed that series. I could not read those books fast enough. Thus, when I saw this new series, I figured now was the perfect time to read a book from this author again. Sadly, there was something missing in this book that I loved about the prior series.

I found myself having a hard time forming a very close emotional connection to the characters. Also, the there was some humor but it was minor. That is what I enjoyed the most about the other books is first the characters and second the humor mixed with nice storylines. This book kind of got lost like the ship that Larry was piloting. There is a bright spot as I did like Brak. He may be an insect but he is an likable insect. I may give the next book in this series a try before making my final decision about this series.

[Michael Howley · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "eugenics-y." There was way too much talk about breeding programs and racial traits for comfort. It's also hetero AF, borderline homophobic.

Other bits that kept me out: White Castle exists, somehow? And there are self-aware references to Dune and romance novels? It did not work for me, but maybe it feels more natural for long-time readers of the series.

Otherwise, I felt like there was no real tension in the story. The main characters have no real flaws and are incapable of keeping secrets. There's almost no conflict, and any potential barriers to everyone getting what they want dissolve with the slightest push. It makes for an overall bland experience that you can easily beat elsewhere.

[Janet Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific Start of a New Series

I am so very happy to have new Car Star books to read! I have read the books in the original series many times and I never get tired of reading them. Author Cheryl Brooks is terrific at creating wonderful characters and worlds. Alyssa and Larry's story is full of danger, action and fun. And let's not forget the sexy, sexy romantic scenes. If you like Sci-fi romance, you can't go wrong with the Car Star books.

[Betty Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. This is the first book in this series. This is about Larsanken (Larry) Tshevnoe. He is out looking for his true mate. He takes along his childhood friend and fellow Zetithian Althea Banadansk and she has empathic powers and can tell him if a female he likes is out for something other than for him. Althea has been in love with Larry for a long time but he just doesn't see her like that. Makes for a good story line . Some bit of comedy but lots of action too. Recommend.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The super sexy Zetithians strike again in this book. Honestly, if you aren't wanting to tangle your hands in his long, curly hair by the end of this book, you're made of stone. Finally, an alpha hero that's also sweet and vulnerable, and not just alpha. Cheryl Brooks never disappoints. This one kept me up all night!

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst highlights of Matriarchies played out by alien elves.

I hard DNF'd this book once the women forced men into the sex industry and then married them off when women fought over them. It was as disgusting as you'd imagine - hate this on so many levels.

[Breane Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, LOVED this book! It is a great futuristic romance and the characters rock! Totally recommend this book!

[Theresa Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It was great seeing/reading about the kids and getting into their lives!

[Miranda Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id...

[Angela Goodrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

The cats are back! Or should I say, the kittens are all grown up? Either way, I’m glad to be able to return to Cheryl Brooks’ Cat Star World where Zetithians have successfully staved off their extinction and the second generation of hybrids are beginning to find their own mates. I’ll admit that I’m not entirely sure I read the final book of the Cat Star Chronicles simply because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Zetithians and the women who fought so hard to save them. So it’s beyond fitting that Maverick, the first book in the Cat Star Legacy series, would show the romance and accompanying adventures of Captain Jack’s and Tisana’s children.

I loved that Larry was so much like his mother, Captain Jack Tshevnoe, yet his father’s calm Zetithian nature tempered the recklessness he might have otherwise inherited from his adventure-seeking mother. Althea is even more of an oddity as the daughter of a Mordrial witch and a Zetithian. The magic she inherited from her mother forced her to become a bit of a recluse, ensconced on a distant planet disconnected from her family, as she learned to control the magic she could and avoid triggers for the magic she couldn’t, at least until she matured enough to improve her control. When Larry shows up on her doorstep asking for her help, she’s unable to tell her childhood best friend no, even if what he’s asking her to do and where she must go to do it threatens the mental peace she’s carefully constructed in the four years since she left home. But true to form in the Cat Star World, trouble and adventure seem to sense the Tshevnoe blood and soon Larry, Althea, and Brak are embroiled in a rescue mission that would have made Captain Jack envious.

The hardest part about writing a review of a book I’m absolutely enamored with is not giving away too much. There are so many things I want to gush about and remark upon because I loved getting back to Brooks’ world, but I would hate to spoil the discovery and surprises for other fans if they happened upon my review. Usually this is a dilemma I face when writing reviews for romantic suspense novels, but this is a long-established world and fans of the Cat Star Chronicles deserve to discover the delights Brooks has sprinkled throughout this first book – the big ones and the little ones – on their own. If you’ve not read the Cat Star Chronicles, don’t worry as I truly believe you’ll be able to read Maverick without issue as it’s about the next generation of Zetithians and Brooks does a wonderful job of referencing characters and events from the first series as needed, without engaging in an overwhelming info dump. Of course, if you’re new to the Cat Star world, you’ll have the benefit of being able to binge upon the Cat Star Chronicles if you find yourself as taken with the Zetithians as I was when I stumbled upon Captain Jack and Cat in Slave – one of the best freebie finds I ever snagged. At least while I wait for book two’s release, I can go back and make sure I’ve read all of the Cat Star Chronicles because I now have a whole new generation of cats to sink my teeth into. 😉

Please note: My review is of an unedited, pre-release copy of this book and assumes that any errors were corrected prior to publication.

[Nibrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun return to the series. The kids are all grown up and looking for love.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy this series is back!

[Sandy Frediani · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by this author. I enjoyed it. A fairly light, fun read. At times the dialog bordered on campy, but that was okay. No stumbles or hiccups.
Nicely done.

[Kat]

Too much detail in first few pages

[Latricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for fans on the series.

[TINNGG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed the Zetithians...

My issues are... I don't remember the joy juice causing the reactions that way. Granted, it's been a few years since the last one. Still... Not sure any of the previous books are where I can reach them though to double check. Oh wait - one was a freebie on kindle once.

And... I generally don't find it that interesting to read up on the now adult offspring of previous H/h pairings. Actually, most of the time I find it uncomfortable, particularly if the author has let me see v. much in the growing up of said offspring.

The H and h are offspring of the two couples on the Jolly Roger, namely a son of Jack and Cat, and a daughter of err...whatever her name is, and Leo. There's a bit of side romance after a fashion in the form of a couple from the Statzeel/Zetithian breeding program. I was a bit... Ok, it's been a while since I read Manx's book so I must have missed the negotiations where he and Leo donned rubber gloves and grabbed mason jars. I knew about Cat's contribution as that happened in the first book. Apparently this is ongoing and I have to wonder - did it occur to them at any point that their lifestyle wasn't really compatible with Zetithian mating habits?

Whatever. It was interesting, particularly that the hybrids don't always function quite the same as the purebloods. Also interesting that it has occurred to someone that these guys have the potential to wipe out other races just by interbreeding.

[CA Portnellus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheryl Brooks has answered the questions and dreams of her readers with this new Legacy Cat Star series. Maverick is the Next Generation of the original books of Zetithians, now the kids are adults and getting into adventures and falling in love, Zethitian style!
This one wasn't as humorous or fun as some books in the past. The characters are a bit self-absorbed, yet still wondering about their sex appeal and how to do it (alluring a new mate, falling in love and such).

But as most readers of Brooks know, we will be smitten by the new Zethithians Larry and Althea.

[Davida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing Start.

I love the original series and the next generation is just as amazing. I love the development and the recap of the previous characters but then in a way that they didn't seem redundant. This is a great read and this series is going to be amazing. Looking forward to it all.