This was a really good read! 4⭐️s from me.

Plot: working a dead end job but dreaming of a high flying position in a New York startup. Jane is invited for an interview and receives an offer from her dream company but she is raped by one of the founders. She then proceeds to accept the position despite the rape and works for 4 months before he tries again then fires her. She sues and wins.

Triggers: Depression, rape, pain

Opinion: I really think the book was well written, and. the fact that it was sort of based on the author's own experience was really intriguing. I really enjoyed Jane as a character, she was not pompous or arrogant and at the same time she was not so nice it becomes unbelievable. I also enjoyed the realistic way in which the relationships she has were portrayed. I wish there was a little more written about her relationship with her dad and brother and also her mum but all in all it was a great read. The scenes with the rape were well written and I like how the writer didn't make it unbelievable.

I like how her relationship with carmen was also written, it reminded me of my closest friends in my life and that is definitely a plus when you can relate to characters in a book.

The ending was a little cliché for me, in that it was a nice way to tie the whole story together and set. the scene for the next book but I wish it packed more punch. I am unsure how I would have ended it if I was the writer but all in all it was a good length, well thought out and written novel.

I definitely will be reading more from this author.

For what it is....it's a good story.

Rating: 3/5

The Maverick is a story about persistence, pain, and recovery in the face of assault. It follows Jane as she struggles to make sense of, and live with, the after math of a sexual assault that leads her to landing a new (albeit stressful and kinda crappy) job and to having to face her attacker every day. As a reader, and as a survivor, it was both hard and empowering to watch her come to terms (as best one can) and ultimately take down the man who stole her sense of autonomy and her sense of self.

However good the story is, the writing itself was extremely hard to get through at times. Words were jumbled, the dialogue between Jane and her best friend Carmen was stunted, and the most interesting tidbits of the story came when Jane was speaking with her coworkers - and even those were dry. I really enjoyed the plot, and could resonate on another level with Jane, but the writing made it hard for me to enjoy the book as a whole.

A very well-written book. I definitely enjoyed the characters and the plot. This was an incredible debut.

Thank you to Netgalley, Love Book Tours, and Hyde Park Press for this ARC of THE MAVERICK. A special thank you to Jennifer Valenti for her transparency and vulnerability with regard to her own personal trauma that born the idea for this fictional story. THE MAVERICK is a relevant, valid, and a necessary piece of fiction in the world as we know it. For far too long the idea or concept of a females part in non consensual sex has been convoluted and manipulated into the role of seductress. While I believe we have made leaps and bounds there are still those out there who believe these outdated ways of thinking. As a sexual assault survivor I applaud this book.
**Jane is up for her dream job with a small but prominent tech company in New York. Their primary focus is a proprietary software that will help detect breast cancer early enough to save almost everyone from long term repercussions and even death. When the interview goes well enough to land her in invite to the annual holiday party she agrees to attend. What happens there, will alter the course of her life from that day forward. Journey with Jane as she manages, PTSD, anxiety, trauma, panic attacks, and low self esteem which manifest as a direct result of this altercation. Watch as she pushes through boundaries and stereotypes to have her voice be heard. Where she ends up will leave you smiling and eagerly awaiting book two.**

Fair Warning: This book discusses a serious subject that many may hesitate to want to read. I will say that it was told in such a way that was descriptive but not graphic. However, some people may still be triggered by the content.

Their were several emotions that I felt while reading this story. Life itself is full of emotions as we humans are not robots as much as some would like us to be.

Overall, I think it was a well-written Women's Fiction book. I'm grateful that Hyde Park Imprint, Mindbuck Media, and NetGalley made it possible for me to read an advance reader's copy.

Real life at its best. A little bit of workplace drama, home life drama, you get it. Great read!

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

The words flow immediately unleashing pain from personal secrets, it’s only at the end of this brave novel that one becomes fully aware of the deepest physical and emotional effects that result from terrifying violence against women and regrettable decisions we make.

The character Jane takes the lead by offering the reader a spectator of her story that only a deeply personal connected writer can provide. The author…delivers drama, personal growth, and her roadmap for recovery.

She is driven not by anger but by compassion and the desire to offer encouragement and guidance to others that experienced similar pain.

Oftentimes, when a woman speaks up about her sexual assault experiences, she is discredited. She is asked all kinds of questions. Why didn't she go to the police? Why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she speak up earlier? No one considers the magnitude of the situation. No one considers the trauma she may have experienced. No one tries to find out what she is going through. In The Maverick, Jennifer Valenti takes the reader through the emotional process a woman goes through during and after she experiences sexual assault.

Jane Valiante lives a monotonous life with big dreams. She takes care of her father and her younger brother in Florida. She performs boring tasks as a data scientist at an insurance company. So when a recruiter calls to tell her that the position of senior data analyst at her dream firm, Imagiene, is empty, she rushes to apply. As she flies to New York for her interview, she is excited at the prospect of living in her dream city, working at a firm that is developing technology to detect cancer in patients before they reach Stage 1. After acing the interview, she is invited to a holiday party to meet all the other employees. She is excited and overwhelmed.

All this ends when she offers to let her potential boss, Peter Wright, stay the night in her hotel room so he does not have to drive too far to get home that night. After kissing her in the cab, he forces himself onto her at the hotel room, despite her constant protests, and despite the fact that she switches beds to be away from him. He doesn't care, and nothing stops him from raping her. Traumatized and devastated, Jane goes back home. She is unable to tell anyone what happened. She expects to receive a rejection from Imagiene due to this encounter. Instead, she is accepted. Not only that, but she learns that Peter was her biggest advocate. Unsure as to what game he plans to play, Jane accepts the offer, determined to beat him at his game. She knows that she is making a mistake by going to work for him, but she is in desperate need of an update to her life. Once at work, she tries her level best to concentrate, despite how much Peter's presence haunts her. She ends up doing really well, and being responsible for their team breaking a record. Amidst subtle threats, frustrating behavior, and high expectations, Jane adjusts to life at the company. Until she finds out that she is not the only employee Peter assaulted. Circumstances begin to get dangerous and Jane struggles to decide what to do. Will she do the right thing and get justice, or will she prioritize her job over all else?

The book is a heartbreaking yet fantastically written story. Full of excellent descriptions and creative metaphors, the writing style will keep you engaged through out. The author maintains a comedic tone, whereby she uses dark humor and clever references. Full of exciting events, enjoyable narrations, and sudden revelations, The Maverick will take you on a literary journey like no other.

We are shown certain contrasts between Jane's feelings and thoughts before and after she was assaulted. She is first shown to love New York and its views, and on her way back, notices nothing due to the fact that New York is ruined for her. We are shown how corrupt and biased the justice system is, the lengths people go to save their company's reputation, as well as the stages sexual assault survivors go through in coping with what happened.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

What a fantastic novel.
The Maverick Is an emotional ride of a book from jump street.
The fact that Jennifer wrote this book says something.
I absolutely love books that talk about real life happenings and that's what this book does.
I loved the plot, the characters, the setting, how real this was!

Thank You NetGalley Publisher and author for this amazing ebook!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Jennifer Valenti's debut novel is impressive, considering this is her first published work. Please note *trigger warning * for sexual assault, PTSD.

Jane Valiente (a name which is very similar to the author. She disclosed at the beginning the book is based on her own assault) is a data scientist at an insurance company in Florida, living with her dad who is recovering from a stroke and her 13 year old brother. Jane's mom died of breast cancer. Jane gets an opportunity to interview for her dream job for a tech start up based in NYC. The product they are seeking FDA approval for would help diagnose breast cancer before it even gets to stage 1. Jane prepares for the interview. Except the thing she couldn't prepare to happen. Despite the horror of what happens, Jane accepts the job offer and moves in with her best friend Carmen, a public defender and DACA recipient. Jane tries to suppress what happened even though it's obvious she suffers PTSD.

Some of the tech details were lost on me. However it was a quick read & victorious ending with a follow up book due next spring. Jane has an excellent support system of friends. This book is one I'd recommend if you can handle the trigger warning.

It's a great read, even though it's not always an easy-to-swallow topic. Very well done for a debut. I'm curious how the series will be continued.