In this banter-packed, action-fueled opener to the post-apocalyptic Mercenary Librarians series, Kit Rocha (Beyond series), also known as writing team Bree Bridges and Donna Herren, imagines a technocratic future and the bold heroes trying to survive it.
"Nina had broken the cardinal rule, and now she had to kill someone." In 2060, the remnants of the U.S. exist under the rule of a megacorporation that seized power after a massive solar flare wrecked the country. Nina, a genetically altered clone, lives with her friends and fellow fugitives Maya and Dani in the ruins of Atlanta, where they're slowly re-creating a lost artifact of civilization--a public library. When gruff, gorgeous supersoldier Garrett Knox and his squad of artificially enhanced commandos ask the women to help them steal a complete copy of the Library of Congress, Nina can't resist the offer or the man. Knox, however, has a problem. His squad members will die if he doesn't double-cross Nina, but he's falling for her generous heart. If he doesn't come clean, he'll lose her forever. If he does, he'll lose everything else.
Exciting fight sequences, plentiful one-liners and spicy love scenes make Deal with the Devil easy to relish. Under its gritty veneer lies a deep core of idealism and compassion, as two people with traumatic pasts struggle to hold onto their ethics in a world where only the strongest survive. Filled with intriguing heroes- and heroines-in-waiting, this series is poised for a long, satisfying run. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads