SFRB Recommends #81: Driven by Eve Silver

In the harsh Northern Waste where human life is worth little, ice trucker Raina Bowen has learned to keep her eyes open and her knife close at hand. She's spent her life on the run, one step ahead of the megalomaniac who hunts her. All she wants is to stay out of trouble and haul her load of grain to Gladow Station--but trouble finds her in the form of a sexy stranger called Wizard. He has the trucking pass she needs, and she has to drag him out of a brawl with the very people she's trying to hide from in order to get it. She may have rescued him, but Raina's not foolish enough to see Wizard as anything close to helpless. He's hard and honed and full of secrets--secrets that may destroy them both. As they race across the Waste, trying to outrun rival truckers, ice pirates, and the powerful man bent on their destruction, Raina's forced to admit that trouble's found her. And this time, there's nowhere left to run. 

This book was previously published with the author's name as Eve Kenin.

There are plenty of parallels to Mad Max, especially with various vehicles all the time. Only this desert's made of ice, full of its own perils.

The attraction between Raina and Wizard may be instant, but their other feelings take a while to grow and don't feel rushed. Their emotional pasts are complicated, and that makes the way they interact more interesting. The secondary characters are all intriguing and I want to read more about them.

The world Silver builds in Driven is one I want to explore more: it's believable and fascinating. Environmental and cultural details blend in an immersive experience. I read it in one day. 

Author's book site: https://www.evesilver.net/books

This recommendation by Lee Koven.

Here's an older cover you might see on paperbacks: