Ride Rough the second book in Laura Kaye's Raven Riders series deals with the heavy subject of partner abuse both mentally and physically and while it was handled extremely well , I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first book in this series. Don't misunderstand, it was well written and the characters were compelling, but I struggled with part of the story and there was so much going on in this book that I felt the couple got a bit lost in the rest of the story instead of being the focus of it. 
 Years ago Maverick and Alexa were a couple, but with her brother's grief and her mother's emotional state Alexa needed more from Maverick and when he balked for just a moment in time she broke up with him and walked out of his life never looking back. Now engaged to a powerful man, working in his company, living in his home and planning a wedding just weeks ago Alexa thinks she has it all, but the closer they get to the wedding the more she realizes that something is "off" with her fiance, Grant, and when Maverick inserts himself in her life again she begins to see that security and safety are two very different things. 
 Maverick really impressed me with his handling of Alexa especially when he began to suspect exactly what was happening in her life. He could have gone in all guns blazing, but instead he settled for being there for her as a friend, for making sure she was okay, and to help when she needed it. I liked that he understood what was happening and was determined to let her figure it out, but be close by when she did and needed him. 
 As difficult as it is to see women get caught up in an abusive relationship, I can also understand it because I've seen it happen to someone close to me. Alexa was smart, but an abuser is good at picking their victims and figuring out what they need to feel safe, make them feel that way and then pull the rug out from underneath them. Most women are not as lucky as Alexa to have someone willing to jump in and help and she not only had Maverick, but the whole Raven Riders crew. 
 As these two had history it wasn't a surprise that they moved pretty quickly into a physical relationship, but to be honest it kind of bothered me. Alexa was coming out of a long term relationship that turned abusive over time, but she easily moved on to another man without any counseling or even really thinking about the fact she moved from one man's bed to another man's bed in the blink of an eye. It was evident the Alexa and Maverick shared a closeness that couldn't be denied and I love the passion and tenderness they shared especially given what she had endured. 
 I am really enjoying getting to know all the members of the Raven Riders and with each book their personalities come out a bit more. While there is no doubt their activities sometimes skirt the law, these are men who a passionate about helping women and children out of bad situations and giving back to their community. 
 Despite my few issues with Ride Rough, I did enjoy the story and Ms. Kaye writes with such passion that it is insanely easy to get wrapped up in her stories and be excited about what is coming next. 
 ARC provided by Inkslinger PR for a voluntary review.