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Mercenary Librarians #1
Deal with the Devil
Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author duo Kit Rocha
The United States went belly up 45 years ago when our power grid was wiped out. Too few live in well-protected isolation while the rest of us scrape by on the margins. The only thing that matters is survival. By any means. At any cost.
Nina is an information broker with a mission: to bring hope to the darkest corners of Atlanta. She and her team of mercenary librarians use their knowledge to help those in need. But altruism doesn’t pay the bills—raiding vaults and collecting sensitive data is where the real money is.
Knox is a bitter, battle-weary supersoldier who leads the Silver Devils, an elite strike squad that chose to go AWOL rather than slaughter innocents. Before the Devils leave town for good, they need a biochem hacker to stabilize the experimental implants that grant their superhuman abilities.
The problem? Their hacker’s been kidnapped. And the ransom for her return is Nina. Knox has the perfect bait for a perfect trap: a lost Library of Congress server. The data could set Nina and her team up for years...
If they live that long.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
568 people are currently reading
10939 people want to read
About the author
Kit Rocha
70 books2,648 followersOnce upon a time, two best friends decided to write paranormal romance. And while that was awesome, they also sometimes wanted to write insanely dirty stuff that wasn’t paranormal at all. This is that stuff.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,104 reviews
February 9, 2020
***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
Wow, I cannot believe that it's been two years since I've read the last Kit Rocha book.
To be honest, I had a bit of a hard time with this book. The idea is good. It's set in the same post-apo/dystopian world as the Beyond series. But except for the Flares, there is very little in common. It takes place in a different part of America, and I could not find any direct reference to the previous series. (Meaning, I did not notice any mention of the character from the Beyond series. But if I missed some and you find any, please, let me know! I was really curious to see if there would be some.)
While the world and the story were not a problem, the characters were. I could not connect with any of them. They seemed like vaguely similar to some characters from the Beyond series but way less fleshed out. I did not like any of them. I did not dislike any of them. I just did not really care about them in a way. As if they were just shells, a mirror reflection. Something was missing from them.
I wanted to write a couple of sentences for each character, but then I realised that there is nothing much I have to say about them.
So, while I said that the story was good, I also have to say that it was somewhat predictable. The twist? It just felt like the foreshadowing was done by Hulk.
And while in the past I read Kit Rocha's books mainly when I wanted to just relax, I still enjoyed them very much. Because the characters were fun and the writing was well-done, it just drew you to the story, and I was missing this here a bit. Sometimes I just read a chapter, and then I stopped for two days. I have to say that sometimes I caught myself skimming through certain parts just to make some progress.
I don't want to say that this is a bad book. More of an okay book. I'm not angry or even disappointed by it. It's more of the same case as with the characters. I don't necessarily care. And while I give this three stars, I do not think I will continue reading this series.
Wow, I cannot believe that it's been two years since I've read the last Kit Rocha book.
To be honest, I had a bit of a hard time with this book. The idea is good. It's set in the same post-apo/dystopian world as the Beyond series. But except for the Flares, there is very little in common. It takes place in a different part of America, and I could not find any direct reference to the previous series. (Meaning, I did not notice any mention of the character from the Beyond series. But if I missed some and you find any, please, let me know! I was really curious to see if there would be some.)
While the world and the story were not a problem, the characters were. I could not connect with any of them. They seemed like vaguely similar to some characters from the Beyond series but way less fleshed out. I did not like any of them. I did not dislike any of them. I just did not really care about them in a way. As if they were just shells, a mirror reflection. Something was missing from them.
I wanted to write a couple of sentences for each character, but then I realised that there is nothing much I have to say about them.
So, while I said that the story was good, I also have to say that it was somewhat predictable. The twist? It just felt like the foreshadowing was done by Hulk.
And while in the past I read Kit Rocha's books mainly when I wanted to just relax, I still enjoyed them very much. Because the characters were fun and the writing was well-done, it just drew you to the story, and I was missing this here a bit. Sometimes I just read a chapter, and then I stopped for two days. I have to say that sometimes I caught myself skimming through certain parts just to make some progress.
I don't want to say that this is a bad book. More of an okay book. I'm not angry or even disappointed by it. It's more of the same case as with the characters. I don't necessarily care. And while I give this three stars, I do not think I will continue reading this series.
April 7, 2020
New US Pub Date: July 28, 2020
*********************
What a fun apocalyptic romp! I'm new to team Kit Rocha's books, but I'm definitely invested in not only continuing the series, but checking out their previous novels as well. Reading this was curious timing, with the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the world, but I didn't feel that it added to the anxiety I feel by our unknown reality. How these authors were able to take the ramped up action scenes and blend them flawlessly with the steamy romance is beyond me, but I'm certainly glad that they achieved that state of bookish nirvana. I did find one of the twists to be a bit predictable, but otherwise this was an excellent read. Who knew that the apocalypse would be so sexy? I'm looking forward to the next installment!
*This review copy was won in a raffle via Bookish First and supplied by the publisher.
*********************
What a fun apocalyptic romp! I'm new to team Kit Rocha's books, but I'm definitely invested in not only continuing the series, but checking out their previous novels as well. Reading this was curious timing, with the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the world, but I didn't feel that it added to the anxiety I feel by our unknown reality. How these authors were able to take the ramped up action scenes and blend them flawlessly with the steamy romance is beyond me, but I'm certainly glad that they achieved that state of bookish nirvana. I did find one of the twists to be a bit predictable, but otherwise this was an excellent read. Who knew that the apocalypse would be so sexy? I'm looking forward to the next installment!
*This review copy was won in a raffle via Bookish First and supplied by the publisher.
August 4, 2020
2020 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo: Happily Ever After
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCzKvjDgQ...
Oh, this is FUN! I had expected a sexy sci-fi/dystopian romance with intricate world-building and exhilarating adventure, and that's exactly what I got. Per the blurb, "Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers" is a very good description.
You might like this book if you like the following things:
- Found family! There are TWO sets of found families that meld into a bigger found family, so it's really like found family squared. Watching Nina and Knox's respective crews transform from reluctant allies to bantering comrades was my favorite part of the book.
He gestured to his men. “Rafe, Conall, and Gray.”
Dani flipped a knife from one hand to the other, then pointed the tip of the blade at each of them in turn. “Let me guess—muscle, tech, and bullets.”
Rafe quirked an eyebrow at her. “Charm, brains, and taciturn silences. But you were close.”
- That trope when the sunshine one infects the grumpy one with idealism. Even my cold, shriveled heart grows three sizes when cynics fall in love and want to be more productive members of their community. Nina, Maya, and Dani are already the bedrock of their Atlanta community. As librarians, they provide information (books, music, etc) to a community in need and help them survive a post-solar flare dystopia. The Silver Devils are focused on survival after defecting from the Evil Corporation, but teaming up with the mercenary librarians soon leads to soul-searching and a new calling.
- Road trip romance! I mean, there's no "there's only one hotel room available so you have to share a bed" or "every stranger we encounter thinks we're in love" hijinks. But there is murder, professional cage-fighting, rescuing a town from bad guys, and lots of snark. That's practically the same thing, right?
“Fucking hell,” Maya groaned. “Just murder me, already. You know I’m going to remember every word of your second-rate villain monologue for the rest of my life?”
- Sex during a thunderstorm! This was advertised to me before reading the book, so I was pretty excited for it (what can I say, I'm a simple woman). What no one told me was that there would be sex after one MC bandages up the other MC after a fight. Squee! Again, I'm a simple woman with simple desires. Don't judge me.
- You know how some romance novels have quiet signs of sequel bait so that the audience can guess future couples of the series. A brief glance of longing, a murmur of past love gone wrong but still burning bright. Yeah, this isn’t that. This is the freaking megaphone of sequel bait, and I loved it. You will know exactly who to ship by chapter three, and then you will be very upset that you can’t read their stories immediately.
- Per the blurb, there is a deception/betrayal premise. No spoilers as to what enfolds, but I was very satisfied by the length of time between Reveal of Deception and End of the Romance. In my opinion, deception/betrayal storylines work best when that length of time is LONG and the reader gets closure for groveling/forgiveness. I got that closure here.
- It was odd to read about the post-solar flare dystopian world-building details when our own reality is *gestures helplessly at my surroundings and the news.* The moment that felt REALLY uncomfortable is when the crew stops by an abandoned/ransacked movie theater. Someone says it's surreal to communally gather for a movie on a big screen (basically: why bother and go through all the trouble of having an entire building for a communal film experience when you can just watch a movie at home?), and I was like "OKAY THIS IS HITTING WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME NOW!!!" There were lots of little moments like that, lolsob. I guess COVID-19 will keep entering my brain whenever I read dystopian fiction from now.
Lots of other thoughts, but I'll stop here. My main complaint: I wish we saw more of Nina's crew interacting with the Atlanta community and acting as the mercenary librarians. We hear a lot about WHAT they do and why it's so important, but we don't see it much in action (the book is mainly the road trip and then fighting/tricking bad guys). Hopefully we'll see more of those community interactions in the next book.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have interacted with the author on social media, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCzKvjDgQ...
Oh, this is FUN! I had expected a sexy sci-fi/dystopian romance with intricate world-building and exhilarating adventure, and that's exactly what I got. Per the blurb, "Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers" is a very good description.
You might like this book if you like the following things:
- Found family! There are TWO sets of found families that meld into a bigger found family, so it's really like found family squared. Watching Nina and Knox's respective crews transform from reluctant allies to bantering comrades was my favorite part of the book.
He gestured to his men. “Rafe, Conall, and Gray.”
Dani flipped a knife from one hand to the other, then pointed the tip of the blade at each of them in turn. “Let me guess—muscle, tech, and bullets.”
Rafe quirked an eyebrow at her. “Charm, brains, and taciturn silences. But you were close.”
- That trope when the sunshine one infects the grumpy one with idealism. Even my cold, shriveled heart grows three sizes when cynics fall in love and want to be more productive members of their community. Nina, Maya, and Dani are already the bedrock of their Atlanta community. As librarians, they provide information (books, music, etc) to a community in need and help them survive a post-solar flare dystopia. The Silver Devils are focused on survival after defecting from the Evil Corporation, but teaming up with the mercenary librarians soon leads to soul-searching and a new calling.
- Road trip romance! I mean, there's no "there's only one hotel room available so you have to share a bed" or "every stranger we encounter thinks we're in love" hijinks. But there is murder, professional cage-fighting, rescuing a town from bad guys, and lots of snark. That's practically the same thing, right?
“Fucking hell,” Maya groaned. “Just murder me, already. You know I’m going to remember every word of your second-rate villain monologue for the rest of my life?”
- Sex during a thunderstorm! This was advertised to me before reading the book, so I was pretty excited for it (what can I say, I'm a simple woman). What no one told me was that there would be sex after one MC bandages up the other MC after a fight. Squee! Again, I'm a simple woman with simple desires. Don't judge me.
- You know how some romance novels have quiet signs of sequel bait so that the audience can guess future couples of the series. A brief glance of longing, a murmur of past love gone wrong but still burning bright. Yeah, this isn’t that. This is the freaking megaphone of sequel bait, and I loved it. You will know exactly who to ship by chapter three, and then you will be very upset that you can’t read their stories immediately.
- Per the blurb, there is a deception/betrayal premise. No spoilers as to what enfolds, but I was very satisfied by the length of time between Reveal of Deception and End of the Romance. In my opinion, deception/betrayal storylines work best when that length of time is LONG and the reader gets closure for groveling/forgiveness. I got that closure here.
- It was odd to read about the post-solar flare dystopian world-building details when our own reality is *gestures helplessly at my surroundings and the news.* The moment that felt REALLY uncomfortable is when the crew stops by an abandoned/ransacked movie theater. Someone says it's surreal to communally gather for a movie on a big screen (basically: why bother and go through all the trouble of having an entire building for a communal film experience when you can just watch a movie at home?), and I was like "OKAY THIS IS HITTING WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME NOW!!!" There were lots of little moments like that, lolsob. I guess COVID-19 will keep entering my brain whenever I read dystopian fiction from now.
Lots of other thoughts, but I'll stop here. My main complaint: I wish we saw more of Nina's crew interacting with the Atlanta community and acting as the mercenary librarians. We hear a lot about WHAT they do and why it's so important, but we don't see it much in action (the book is mainly the road trip and then fighting/tricking bad guys). Hopefully we'll see more of those community interactions in the next book.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have interacted with the author on social media, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
June 19, 2021
Kit Rocha has a THREE BOOK DEAL with Tor for a new series set in the same world as their Beyond and Gideon's Riders books!
AND THIS IS THE BLURB:
pitched as a cross between Orphan Black and the Avengers, in which a trio of MERCENARY LIBRARIANS are approached by a team of rogue super soldiers in order to seek out a treasure trove of lost 21st century data while facing raiders, betrayal, and the danger of falling in love.
Sign up for more info at http://www.thesilverdevils.com!!!
AND THIS IS THE BLURB:
pitched as a cross between Orphan Black and the Avengers, in which a trio of MERCENARY LIBRARIANS are approached by a team of rogue super soldiers in order to seek out a treasure trove of lost 21st century data while facing raiders, betrayal, and the danger of falling in love.
Sign up for more info at http://www.thesilverdevils.com!!!
August 1, 2020
I have so many mixed feelings about this one! I mean, like, what a surprise, though, right? No one is shocked.
But seriously. This read was so strange for me. I was totally sucked in to this world and Rocha's words, was consumed by it for the majority of a sunday afternoon, but nothing about the book had a wow factor, no character was particularly compelling or amazing, the plot itself didn't feel too different from any other post-apocalyptic-esque-dystopian (obviously some elements differ but the familiarity is there) and I was still, somehow, almost tempted to give this four stars. Why? Because the writing was solid, it did consume me, and the ensemble cast and banter was just great (I'm such a sucker for this).
But as I sat down to write this, as I considered the lack of wow, the as-of-right-now (but maybe not in future books considering the final chapter) rather misleading series name, and that overall lack of stand-out from the characters (don't get me wrong, some were better than others, all were pretty good, but none really moved to me think "favourites shelf!!")? I knew I couldn't give this more than what I'm giving it.
This world is a mash-up of survivors after solar flares have basically reduced human contact to those within your local area. And in Atlanta, where this is set, that leaves society to be mostly enforced by a military outfit who uses enhancements on their soldiers, and also an organization who dabbles in genetics, and both are basically no good. The story features a group of ex-military operatives who are trying to survive the ticking time bomb that is their degrading implants and a trio of women who have been enhanced in various ways. Romance, secrets, betrayals, and surprises — naturally — ensue.
This story is full of action, full of sci-fi elements, gritty and dark but not bleak or hopeless. The romance wasn't my favourite part but I didn't hate it. I just liked the "we don't trust each other, we know betrayal is likely" edge better. At least in the beginning. The reluctant friendships, the thawing of the tension, and all the banter, as the story went on, I liked even more. There was a lot of like.
Additionally, I liked that this wasn't a story with just one, or two, POVs, and we'd get little tastes of each character, either to give us some backstory or some perspective. OR to whet our appetites for future books. Either way, I liked it.
I will definitely read on!
Also, of note, after finishing my review and glancing through early feedback, apparently this is supposed to be set in the same world as the duo's other series, though standing apart from it and also with less of an erotic categorization, so, that’s worth noting. I think I've read maybe two of the Beyond books so can't really say that's where I felt this was familiar. In all honesty it made me think of Kennedy's Outlaws series but, again, without the erotica. Though, don't get me wrong, there are some steamy scenes! That said, maybe in the wait for book two, I should go back and read more of this duo's other works just so I can feel caught up on this universe. It probably won't happen, though. I'm crap at follow through.
Ultimately, this is one that gets a cautious recommend from me. If you are into the genre, if you like lots of action, and a pretty stable attraction/romance thread between two opposing forces, you'll definitely be into this. It is fairly long, though, clocking in at over four hundred pages, so if you're more into wham bam thank you done, and don't want this much plot with your sexy action times, maybe try the Kennedy series. Or, obviously, Rocha's other books.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss+ and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
But seriously. This read was so strange for me. I was totally sucked in to this world and Rocha's words, was consumed by it for the majority of a sunday afternoon, but nothing about the book had a wow factor, no character was particularly compelling or amazing, the plot itself didn't feel too different from any other post-apocalyptic-esque-dystopian (obviously some elements differ but the familiarity is there) and I was still, somehow, almost tempted to give this four stars. Why? Because the writing was solid, it did consume me, and the ensemble cast and banter was just great (I'm such a sucker for this).
But as I sat down to write this, as I considered the lack of wow, the as-of-right-now (but maybe not in future books considering the final chapter) rather misleading series name, and that overall lack of stand-out from the characters (don't get me wrong, some were better than others, all were pretty good, but none really moved to me think "favourites shelf!!")? I knew I couldn't give this more than what I'm giving it.
This world is a mash-up of survivors after solar flares have basically reduced human contact to those within your local area. And in Atlanta, where this is set, that leaves society to be mostly enforced by a military outfit who uses enhancements on their soldiers, and also an organization who dabbles in genetics, and both are basically no good. The story features a group of ex-military operatives who are trying to survive the ticking time bomb that is their degrading implants and a trio of women who have been enhanced in various ways. Romance, secrets, betrayals, and surprises — naturally — ensue.
This story is full of action, full of sci-fi elements, gritty and dark but not bleak or hopeless. The romance wasn't my favourite part but I didn't hate it. I just liked the "we don't trust each other, we know betrayal is likely" edge better. At least in the beginning. The reluctant friendships, the thawing of the tension, and all the banter, as the story went on, I liked even more. There was a lot of like.
Additionally, I liked that this wasn't a story with just one, or two, POVs, and we'd get little tastes of each character, either to give us some backstory or some perspective. OR to whet our appetites for future books. Either way, I liked it.
I will definitely read on!
Also, of note, after finishing my review and glancing through early feedback, apparently this is supposed to be set in the same world as the duo's other series, though standing apart from it and also with less of an erotic categorization, so, that’s worth noting. I think I've read maybe two of the Beyond books so can't really say that's where I felt this was familiar. In all honesty it made me think of Kennedy's Outlaws series but, again, without the erotica. Though, don't get me wrong, there are some steamy scenes! That said, maybe in the wait for book two, I should go back and read more of this duo's other works just so I can feel caught up on this universe. It probably won't happen, though. I'm crap at follow through.
Ultimately, this is one that gets a cautious recommend from me. If you are into the genre, if you like lots of action, and a pretty stable attraction/romance thread between two opposing forces, you'll definitely be into this. It is fairly long, though, clocking in at over four hundred pages, so if you're more into wham bam thank you done, and don't want this much plot with your sexy action times, maybe try the Kennedy series. Or, obviously, Rocha's other books.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss+ and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
August 5, 2020
I’ve been wanting to read Kit Rocha’s fantasy/post-apocalyptic/dystopian romances for years. I own a bunch of their Beyond books in audio but for some reason haven’t gotten to them yet. But when I saw they were writing a new dystopian romance series, about mercenary librarians of all things, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Deal with the Devil is the first in this epic new series and I enjoyed it! It’s action-packed and there is plenty of romance to go around. It’s a solid first installment, with great world-building, and I already can’t wait to read more from this series.
Reading Deal with the Devil reminded me of how much I enjoy dystopian books and that I don’t read enough of them regularly! I liked the way the authors set up this futuristic, survivalist world where it’s every man and woman for themselves. The characters are intriguing (again, MERCENARY. LIBRARIANS. Who don’t hesitate to kill to protect those they care about!) and I was honestly surprised, in the best way, by how much fun they were. While there are serious moments, there is still a ton of great banter between our Librarians and Silver Devil soldiers. Nina and her librarian squad are kickass (she literally kills multiple men in the very first scene). Knox and his band of supersoldiers were fascinating to read about, and the ticking time bomb on their lives had me on the edge of my seat.
I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read one of Kit Rocha’s books. They balanced out the suspense, action, and romance perfectly well in this and I cannot wait for more romances between the Librarians and Devils. I do wish we’d gotten more of the librarian aspect of the series title in the book, but hopefully we’ll get more in future releases.
Reading Deal with the Devil reminded me of how much I enjoy dystopian books and that I don’t read enough of them regularly! I liked the way the authors set up this futuristic, survivalist world where it’s every man and woman for themselves. The characters are intriguing (again, MERCENARY. LIBRARIANS. Who don’t hesitate to kill to protect those they care about!) and I was honestly surprised, in the best way, by how much fun they were. While there are serious moments, there is still a ton of great banter between our Librarians and Silver Devil soldiers. Nina and her librarian squad are kickass (she literally kills multiple men in the very first scene). Knox and his band of supersoldiers were fascinating to read about, and the ticking time bomb on their lives had me on the edge of my seat.
I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read one of Kit Rocha’s books. They balanced out the suspense, action, and romance perfectly well in this and I cannot wait for more romances between the Librarians and Devils. I do wish we’d gotten more of the librarian aspect of the series title in the book, but hopefully we’ll get more in future releases.
July 12, 2020
3.5 stars -- I think this is a really intriguing start to a series, though I do think I suffered somewhat for not having read the previous books set in this world. That said, this is certainly an action packed SF/dystopian romance and I think my fellow Ilona Andrews fans will have a lot of those same itches scratched in this one. I think this could be read as a standalone, too, if you don't want to commit to a full series, though the door is certainly open for future books. All in all, this is action packed and has a lot of attitude, and I think overall it will be a crowd pleaser for folks who enjoy plot driven versions of SFF romance.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 26, 2020
DNF at 46%
Despite being one of my most anticipated reads for the year, this was just not doing it for me. I knew it was dystopian romance, I knew it would be sultry, but I wasn't there for all of Knox's staring at Nina's ass every two pages and I'm not jiving with the writing style.
I think if I had read this 10 years ago I would have loved it, but it's not working for me now.
I know this is going to be a five-star read for others. It has a lot to offer! It's just not for me.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Despite being one of my most anticipated reads for the year, this was just not doing it for me. I knew it was dystopian romance, I knew it would be sultry, but I wasn't there for all of Knox's staring at Nina's ass every two pages and I'm not jiving with the writing style.
I think if I had read this 10 years ago I would have loved it, but it's not working for me now.
I know this is going to be a five-star read for others. It has a lot to offer! It's just not for me.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
May 10, 2020
Hmm... I'm not sure what to think about this novel. I was able to read a few chapters to develop a first impression. That impression is a far cry from what I really think now that I've read the entire novel.
Sure, there's enough action in this dystopian sci-fi novel. There's also some humorous moments which lighten the dark moments that the characters have to endure.
What I found out of place were the r-rated sex scenes. Maybe there was a purpose to having them in the story, but I found them to just flatten the mercenary action aspect.
Deal with the Devil is the first book in the Mercenary Librarians series. For now, I see a slight connection of the characters to being mercenary librarians. But perhaps that connection will develop a lot more in future installments.
Rating it three stars -- I liked it vs my first impression of four stars -- I really liked it.
Sure, there's enough action in this dystopian sci-fi novel. There's also some humorous moments which lighten the dark moments that the characters have to endure.
What I found out of place were the r-rated sex scenes. Maybe there was a purpose to having them in the story, but I found them to just flatten the mercenary action aspect.
Deal with the Devil is the first book in the Mercenary Librarians series. For now, I see a slight connection of the characters to being mercenary librarians. But perhaps that connection will develop a lot more in future installments.
Rating it three stars -- I liked it vs my first impression of four stars -- I really liked it.
June 8, 2021
Deal with the Devil is a high-action dystopian romance following deadly mercenaries at odds, trying to survive in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world. The Mercenary Librarians thing is technically true if a little misleading since the librarian elements are hardly referenced, but overall I had a reasonably good time with this. I think the world is really interesting and there is cool use of advanced technology and science including things like genetically altered clones and super soldiers. The specific story being told here was fine, but honestly I would have been more interested in the back story of the main characters. They both escaped from abusive and dangerous organizations, but we never learn a whole lot about their time there. I like the found family elements and the romance was decent, though I never fully connected to all of the characters. Basically this was fun more often than not, but not a story I have strong feelings about. I wouldn't turn people away from it, I just think go in with measured expectations and you'll probably have a pretty good time if this is your sort of book.
March 30, 2020
Mercenary Librarians ? Well this really called out to me ! If like me you've read the Beyond or the Riders series by this talented duo then this the first of a new series will definitely go on your shopping list. Yes its dystopian which seems to be their forte and whilst perhaps not as erotic as some of their previous work it nevertheless was a very interesting start to the series.
Nina is a perfect foil to Knox because she's full of heart and such an optimist who truly wants to help others. Knox is a super soldier who has recently rebelled against his superiors although he is in an insidious position as he has to trick Nina but as he gets to know her that's getting much harder to do !
Yes this slightly futuristic storyline is definitely a winning format with great world building, fabulous well developed characters and I'm already desperate to read more.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Nina is a perfect foil to Knox because she's full of heart and such an optimist who truly wants to help others. Knox is a super soldier who has recently rebelled against his superiors although he is in an insidious position as he has to trick Nina but as he gets to know her that's getting much harder to do !
Yes this slightly futuristic storyline is definitely a winning format with great world building, fabulous well developed characters and I'm already desperate to read more.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
March 23, 2020
*I read an ARC of this book that I got for free from my public library*
Every year I make a reading goal to "try something new". The whole purpose of this goal is to... open my mind to things outside my comfort zone. This is something that is fairly difficult for me. I've found that, when I attempt to steer too far from what I like, I end up frustrated instead of enlightened.
I had planned to read a historical fiction book this year.
I've NEVER considered reading a romance...
Until I found Kit Rocha's Deal with the Devil (DwtD). I didn't know that post-apocalyptic romance was a thing, so I was intrigued. And just look at that badass cover! And when I saw the "A MERCENARY LIBRARIANS NOVEL" tag below the title I was sold. This book would work for my "try something new goal" and hey, maybe it wouldn't be awful, right?
Well...
Perhaps the most surprising part of this book was that it wasn't utter trash. Lets start with the good things.
1) Despite the fact that Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for not one, but the two ladies who wrote this, DwtD doesn't feel like it was written by two people. Now, that is coming from someone who has read nothing else by these authors. But, for what its worth, I was expecting it to be a lot more disjointed than it is.
2) The world of this book is pretty cool. So there was some apocalyptic event called The Flares that brought about this dystopian future full of biomechanical augmentations, human experimentation, corporate military control, raiders, clones, and, most importantly, a whole lot of leather and chains and spikes and ass kicking. It's cool. Maybe not exactly described or explained well, but the world here thematically and aesthetically pleasing.
3) The action is good. Despite how contrived some of the set up for it was, the action scenes were pretty damn good.
4) Kit Rocha seems to be fully aware of their intended audience, and I think they have mastered their craft fairly competently. I am not the target audience for this book, but I think people who are will enjoy this. Yeah, this book is schlocky, contrived, and absurd, but I had expected that.
5) Some little things surprised me. There was a *twist* towards the end that I liked. (However, it was pretty much spoiled for us at the end, but I anticipate a similar *twist* happening in the next book.) There were exactly 2 small character details about 2 of the side characters that was brought up in the beginning and referenced at the end. It was just nice to see something set-up actually pay off like it was planned out.
That's all I have for the good stuff, so lets move on to the not so good.
1) The characters are weak and underwhelming. We have Nina and Knox (cute couple alliteration alert!) as the main protagonists whose primary quality is that they are SO SMOKING HOT. I couldn't really find anything to like about the two because most of their mental real estate is spent thinking about how hot the other is and how much they want to take each other to bonetown. There are like 5 side characters between Nina and her team and Knox and his, but honestly, they are all quite dull and not worth my time to discuss here. But I do want to delve a little deeper regarding the protagonists.
1a) Nina. Nina is described as an "information broker" on the back of the book, but she is basically a librarian. She acquires books and other information then copies and distributes it to the poor. I think she did some other community outreach stuff, but to be honest, this part of the book was poorly described. I wanted to know more about this aspect of her life, but it is glossed over in like 3 sentences. Nina is also a clone. She lost her sisters and is sad about it and that is the extent of her background. Like I said, underwhelming. I wanted Nina to be a strong, sexy, badass female protagonist but she turned out to be more like a sex object.
1b) Knox. I imagined Knox to have a hipster man-bun, a perpetual 5:00 shadow, and the tightest skinny jeans a man can squeeze into. Knox is the leader of a rogue military group of dudes just trying to survive in dystopia with their malfunctioning enhancement implants. The girl who had been maintaining their implants was kidnapped and the price of the ransom is Nina. Knox cons Nina into helping his team, but he didn't expect to fall in love with her... dun dun duuuuun!
2) A huge emphasis is put on how hot and sexy all the characters are. From the moment they meet, Nina and Knox are constantly judging how hot the other is and how turned on they are by each other. If I had a quarter for every time Knox said something like "fuck Nina is dangerous" I would probably have like $2. And when he says this, he is always referring to how her sexy looks have this power to pussy whip anyone to giving her what she wants. Uh, excuse me??
3) There is an embarrassing amount of "telling" and virtually no "showing" in this book. If I was asked to put a number on it, I would guess that like 90% of the information in this book is told to us through internal thoughts, expository dialogue, and contemplation on the past. We never see Nina being a kind and generous social servant who helps the poor. We are told that she does that just like we are told everything. Really the only things we are "shown" in this whole book are the action scenes.
4) The plot is... minimal and uninteresting. Like I said with my point about Knox, the main plot of this book is basically a rescue mission. That's it. What exists as far as plot goes is really only enough for a short story, but it is stretched to novel length with the unending circular "should we or shouldn't we" tension between the protagonists.
5) The plot is painfully contrived. The contrivances in this book are criminal. Everything in this book happens in order to facilitate scenes where Knox and Nina can get a good look at how hot each other is. There are a few bar scenes where they play pool in dim light with drinks in their hands. I SWEAR TO GOD THERE IS A SCENE WHERE KNOX CHOPS WOOD. And, perhaps the most preposterous of all, Knox agrees to participate in a cage fight "to get new implants" but it is really just so Nina can see how masculine and hot he looks fighting.
6) INSTA LOVE!! Knox and Nina never have any moments of genuine character development together. They are immediately aroused by each other and there isn't much more to their characters. Knox thinks about how he likes Nina because of her positive influence on the community, but he hasn't seen her do that and was only told about it just like we were. And I'm not even kidding, but the exact length of time they spend together in this book is TWO WEEKS. TWO FUCKING WEEKS together and Knox is saying stuff like:
Hey Knox, YOU DON'T "KNOW" SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE YOU FUCKED!! It takes more than two weeks to get to know someone ya dingus.
7) The sex scenes are comically bad. There are exactly 3 sex scenes in this book, all of them between Nina and Knox. Again, I'm not the intended audience for this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt- I thought these sex scenes were comically bad. And repetitive. I think at least 4 times in the 3 sex scenes the authors describe "fingers plunging into hair". There's a lot of nibbling and light biting and Knox always pays some attention to Nina's nipples. (In one scene he's playing with her nips and there's a line about how he is "pebbling her nipples" and I just couldn't get the image of him throwing pebbles at her boobs out of my head. I know they meant "pebbling" as "turn into pebbles" but I'm pretty sure that isn't a correct use of the word.)
Oh, and Knox has like augmented hands because he punched his regular ones until they disintegrated or something while he was being tortured by the Protectorate, a military group he joined as a kid. And I'm not even kidding about this, but while they are doing it, Knox mentions how he can finger Nina all night because his hands won't get tired and I'M DEAD about it. I laughed harder than Knox's thrusting!!!
8) The writing and dialogue tries to be cool and edgy and hot and I just found it to be silly. I'm just going to put a few quotes here for you to see this for yourself:
I've thought about my rating for this book quite a lot and I just CANNOT give Kit Rocha's Deal with the Devil higher than a very generous 2 stars. It had a few good things going for it, but, ultimately, the fact that the romance was the worst part of this romance book kind of made my decision for me. If I hadn't genuinely laughed at some of the more absurd parts of this book, I probably would have given it 1 star.
This was a learning experience for me that I am glad I went through. Will I be picking up the sequel?? Will I read another romance?? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do I recommend this book?? I have no clue. If it sounds good, then sure, give it a shot. It wasn't terrible.
Every year I make a reading goal to "try something new". The whole purpose of this goal is to... open my mind to things outside my comfort zone. This is something that is fairly difficult for me. I've found that, when I attempt to steer too far from what I like, I end up frustrated instead of enlightened.
I had planned to read a historical fiction book this year.
I've NEVER considered reading a romance...
Until I found Kit Rocha's Deal with the Devil (DwtD). I didn't know that post-apocalyptic romance was a thing, so I was intrigued. And just look at that badass cover! And when I saw the "A MERCENARY LIBRARIANS NOVEL" tag below the title I was sold. This book would work for my "try something new goal" and hey, maybe it wouldn't be awful, right?
Well...
Perhaps the most surprising part of this book was that it wasn't utter trash. Lets start with the good things.
1) Despite the fact that Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for not one, but the two ladies who wrote this, DwtD doesn't feel like it was written by two people. Now, that is coming from someone who has read nothing else by these authors. But, for what its worth, I was expecting it to be a lot more disjointed than it is.
2) The world of this book is pretty cool. So there was some apocalyptic event called The Flares that brought about this dystopian future full of biomechanical augmentations, human experimentation, corporate military control, raiders, clones, and, most importantly, a whole lot of leather and chains and spikes and ass kicking. It's cool. Maybe not exactly described or explained well, but the world here thematically and aesthetically pleasing.
3) The action is good. Despite how contrived some of the set up for it was, the action scenes were pretty damn good.
4) Kit Rocha seems to be fully aware of their intended audience, and I think they have mastered their craft fairly competently. I am not the target audience for this book, but I think people who are will enjoy this. Yeah, this book is schlocky, contrived, and absurd, but I had expected that.
5) Some little things surprised me. There was a *twist* towards the end that I liked. (However, it was pretty much spoiled for us at the end, but I anticipate a similar *twist* happening in the next book.) There were exactly 2 small character details about 2 of the side characters that was brought up in the beginning and referenced at the end. It was just nice to see something set-up actually pay off like it was planned out.
That's all I have for the good stuff, so lets move on to the not so good.
1) The characters are weak and underwhelming. We have Nina and Knox (cute couple alliteration alert!) as the main protagonists whose primary quality is that they are SO SMOKING HOT. I couldn't really find anything to like about the two because most of their mental real estate is spent thinking about how hot the other is and how much they want to take each other to bonetown. There are like 5 side characters between Nina and her team and Knox and his, but honestly, they are all quite dull and not worth my time to discuss here. But I do want to delve a little deeper regarding the protagonists.
1a) Nina. Nina is described as an "information broker" on the back of the book, but she is basically a librarian. She acquires books and other information then copies and distributes it to the poor. I think she did some other community outreach stuff, but to be honest, this part of the book was poorly described. I wanted to know more about this aspect of her life, but it is glossed over in like 3 sentences. Nina is also a clone. She lost her sisters and is sad about it and that is the extent of her background. Like I said, underwhelming. I wanted Nina to be a strong, sexy, badass female protagonist but she turned out to be more like a sex object.
1b) Knox. I imagined Knox to have a hipster man-bun, a perpetual 5:00 shadow, and the tightest skinny jeans a man can squeeze into. Knox is the leader of a rogue military group of dudes just trying to survive in dystopia with their malfunctioning enhancement implants. The girl who had been maintaining their implants was kidnapped and the price of the ransom is Nina. Knox cons Nina into helping his team, but he didn't expect to fall in love with her... dun dun duuuuun!
2) A huge emphasis is put on how hot and sexy all the characters are. From the moment they meet, Nina and Knox are constantly judging how hot the other is and how turned on they are by each other. If I had a quarter for every time Knox said something like "fuck Nina is dangerous" I would probably have like $2. And when he says this, he is always referring to how her sexy looks have this power to pussy whip anyone to giving her what she wants. Uh, excuse me??
3) There is an embarrassing amount of "telling" and virtually no "showing" in this book. If I was asked to put a number on it, I would guess that like 90% of the information in this book is told to us through internal thoughts, expository dialogue, and contemplation on the past. We never see Nina being a kind and generous social servant who helps the poor. We are told that she does that just like we are told everything. Really the only things we are "shown" in this whole book are the action scenes.
4) The plot is... minimal and uninteresting. Like I said with my point about Knox, the main plot of this book is basically a rescue mission. That's it. What exists as far as plot goes is really only enough for a short story, but it is stretched to novel length with the unending circular "should we or shouldn't we" tension between the protagonists.
5) The plot is painfully contrived. The contrivances in this book are criminal. Everything in this book happens in order to facilitate scenes where Knox and Nina can get a good look at how hot each other is. There are a few bar scenes where they play pool in dim light with drinks in their hands. I SWEAR TO GOD THERE IS A SCENE WHERE KNOX CHOPS WOOD. And, perhaps the most preposterous of all, Knox agrees to participate in a cage fight "to get new implants" but it is really just so Nina can see how masculine and hot he looks fighting.
6) INSTA LOVE!! Knox and Nina never have any moments of genuine character development together. They are immediately aroused by each other and there isn't much more to their characters. Knox thinks about how he likes Nina because of her positive influence on the community, but he hasn't seen her do that and was only told about it just like we were. And I'm not even kidding, but the exact length of time they spend together in this book is TWO WEEKS. TWO FUCKING WEEKS together and Knox is saying stuff like:
"And this isn't about fucking. I know her now, and I know what she means to that neighborhood..." (p.185)
Hey Knox, YOU DON'T "KNOW" SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE YOU FUCKED!! It takes more than two weeks to get to know someone ya dingus.
7) The sex scenes are comically bad. There are exactly 3 sex scenes in this book, all of them between Nina and Knox. Again, I'm not the intended audience for this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt- I thought these sex scenes were comically bad. And repetitive. I think at least 4 times in the 3 sex scenes the authors describe "fingers plunging into hair". There's a lot of nibbling and light biting and Knox always pays some attention to Nina's nipples. (In one scene he's playing with her nips and there's a line about how he is "pebbling her nipples" and I just couldn't get the image of him throwing pebbles at her boobs out of my head. I know they meant "pebbling" as "turn into pebbles" but I'm pretty sure that isn't a correct use of the word.)
Oh, and Knox has like augmented hands because he punched his regular ones until they disintegrated or something while he was being tortured by the Protectorate, a military group he joined as a kid. And I'm not even kidding about this, but while they are doing it, Knox mentions how he can finger Nina all night because his hands won't get tired and I'M DEAD about it. I laughed harder than Knox's thrusting!!!
8) The writing and dialogue tries to be cool and edgy and hot and I just found it to be silly. I'm just going to put a few quotes here for you to see this for yourself:
His dick wasn't interested in the mission. It was interested in immediate, enthusiastic gratification. (p.48)
She strode away, fury still etched in every stiff movement. A better man, a decent man, wouldn't have watched her denim-clad ass until the shadows swallowed her whole. (p.92)
Nina would not look at Knox. She would not. "How am I supposed to maintain a vengeance boner for Franklin Center if I'm no better than them?" (p.233)
I've thought about my rating for this book quite a lot and I just CANNOT give Kit Rocha's Deal with the Devil higher than a very generous 2 stars. It had a few good things going for it, but, ultimately, the fact that the romance was the worst part of this romance book kind of made my decision for me. If I hadn't genuinely laughed at some of the more absurd parts of this book, I probably would have given it 1 star.
This was a learning experience for me that I am glad I went through. Will I be picking up the sequel?? Will I read another romance?? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do I recommend this book?? I have no clue. If it sounds good, then sure, give it a shot. It wasn't terrible.
June 6, 2022
Long ago I read the first book in the Beyond series by Kit Rocha. I enjoyed the heck out of it, loving the subversions, the world, the characters. But for some reason - probably because I was getting burnt out on erotica and sex-heavy books - I didn’t read any further. I kept meaning to go back, but I haven’t yet. I will soon, because Deal with the Devil reminded me how of the awesome worlds that await me in Kit Rocha’s books.
This series takes place in the same world as the authors’ Beyond and Gideon’s Riders series. And from my vague recollection, the world is pretty similar - what with the Flares and all - but there’s only one real stand-out callback to the O’Kane’s. And I grinned when I read it.
All that being said, you do not have to read either of those series to enjoy this one. It fully stands on its own, immersing you in the world easily and completely. I love post-apocalyptic worlds. They’re like chocolate oranges to me. Irresistible, and I can’t get enough. The world has suffered from the “Flares.” These sun-flares took out the satellites, burned communications, destroyed what was left of long-abandoned infrastructure. The government had been corrupt for so long, leaving everything to crumble when they couldn’t hold up to the stress of the flares.
Into the void left by a fully-functioning government step the TechCorps. Recently merged technology and medical companies with all the latest and greatest. Generously they supplied solar power, water, food, medicine. Generously, they insinuate themselves into every aspect of lives until they had control. Now they sit, with an iron grip, on their domain.
Not everyone conforms to their rules, however. And so, in steps the Protectorate. Enhanced soldiers to protect the TechCorps interests.
This is why I like post-apocalyptic. They offer me hope, in a world that scares me more and more each day, where I can easily see us trudging, being dragged kicking and screaming as we are, along the roads that lead to these possibilities. Hope that we can survive, that we can be better, and that we can still persevere. And that’s why I stick to romance fueled post-apocalyptic stories. Because I desperately need all the hope I can get.
Nina, Dani, and Maya deliver that hope in spades. Nina’s got a persistent optimism; not naivete, just bone-deep belief that she can make things better. Even if it’s just for a small corner of the world, she’s going to do it. I loved her. She’s so incredibly real, and I understand her on a fundamental level. I can’t do all the amazing warrior stuff she can, but that optimism and hope is something that the world hasn’t quite beaten out of me yet, either.
Captain Garrett Knox, one of the aforementioned Protectorate super-soldiers has been recently separated from his position with the TechCorps. When an irresistible job comes up, to get Nina to a set of coordinates, Knox has no choice but to accept. This is an incredibly delicate position to write in. For some, Knox may cross too many lines. And I admit there was at least one time that I thought he should have told her before anything else happened. But, I also get why he did what he did. He was in an impossible situation, a situation (mostly) created by others that he couldn’t avoid. There were not an infinite number of paths forward. Knox chose the best he could.
Knox reminded me a bit of a storyline in (the reimagined) Battlestar Galactica. At one point the remnants of humanity - all 49,000 of them - settle on a barren planet running from the Cylons. Cylons are AI that became self-aware and rose up against humanity. They’re now humanoid and robotic. Alive, in a very real way. When they show up with the intent to take over, humans have a choice. Resist, fight, or try to survive.
Not all of those options were available to everyone. So when the Cylons put together a human police force, some humans joined with the goal of helping from the inside. What they didn’t realize was that even though they had some power, they never had enough to truly help humanity. They were derided because they appeared to actually be helping the enemy. In fact, a number of them were executed for treason. Bad choices for good reasons.
Knox joined with the intent to help. He tried to do the best he could with the worst possible choices offered him. And he did make a difference. Maybe not enough of one for himself, or for many others, but more than enough to land him on the TechCorp’s terminate list. At that point, his paths forward narrow considerably.
But when Knox meets Nina he begins to suspect that even he can’t sink so low as to turn her over to whomever wants her. He begins to admire and respect her will, her tenacity, and her ever-growing optimism. The casual build of their regard for each other works. I love seeing them find each other.
I also, desperately, loved the casual inclusive voice. Garrett had two dads. Conlan is bisexual (well, some sort of LGBT - I’m sure we’ll learn more as the series progresses). This is all normal. Nothing weird or even exploitative about it. It stated as simply as people talk about their mom and dad, or being interested in the opposite sex. Sometimes in books (and movies) it seems that being gay is included for fetishtic reasons. Or to satisfy some sort of voyeurism. I love that it is not used that way here. The fact that gay people exist, doing the normal things that hetero people do, is so refreshing. It’s beautiful and pushes home the point of how much we need representation in our media.
On top of that, you’ve got a plot that kept me engrossed and guessing. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
When I read that Deal with the Devil is “Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series…” my expectations were, understandably, high. So high. Because Ilona Andrews is my all-time favorite author. Lucky for me, Deal with the Devil delivers. Deal with the Devil is one hell of a ride, brimming with action, burning sexual tension, in an insanely intriguing post-apocalyptic world, that will keep you turning pages until the very end. I canNOT wait to read more in this world and with these fantastic characters.
More on The Alliterates
This series takes place in the same world as the authors’ Beyond and Gideon’s Riders series. And from my vague recollection, the world is pretty similar - what with the Flares and all - but there’s only one real stand-out callback to the O’Kane’s. And I grinned when I read it.
All that being said, you do not have to read either of those series to enjoy this one. It fully stands on its own, immersing you in the world easily and completely. I love post-apocalyptic worlds. They’re like chocolate oranges to me. Irresistible, and I can’t get enough. The world has suffered from the “Flares.” These sun-flares took out the satellites, burned communications, destroyed what was left of long-abandoned infrastructure. The government had been corrupt for so long, leaving everything to crumble when they couldn’t hold up to the stress of the flares.
Into the void left by a fully-functioning government step the TechCorps. Recently merged technology and medical companies with all the latest and greatest. Generously they supplied solar power, water, food, medicine. Generously, they insinuate themselves into every aspect of lives until they had control. Now they sit, with an iron grip, on their domain.
Not everyone conforms to their rules, however. And so, in steps the Protectorate. Enhanced soldiers to protect the TechCorps interests.
This is why I like post-apocalyptic. They offer me hope, in a world that scares me more and more each day, where I can easily see us trudging, being dragged kicking and screaming as we are, along the roads that lead to these possibilities. Hope that we can survive, that we can be better, and that we can still persevere. And that’s why I stick to romance fueled post-apocalyptic stories. Because I desperately need all the hope I can get.
Nina, Dani, and Maya deliver that hope in spades. Nina’s got a persistent optimism; not naivete, just bone-deep belief that she can make things better. Even if it’s just for a small corner of the world, she’s going to do it. I loved her. She’s so incredibly real, and I understand her on a fundamental level. I can’t do all the amazing warrior stuff she can, but that optimism and hope is something that the world hasn’t quite beaten out of me yet, either.
Captain Garrett Knox, one of the aforementioned Protectorate super-soldiers has been recently separated from his position with the TechCorps. When an irresistible job comes up, to get Nina to a set of coordinates, Knox has no choice but to accept. This is an incredibly delicate position to write in. For some, Knox may cross too many lines. And I admit there was at least one time that I thought he should have told her before anything else happened. But, I also get why he did what he did. He was in an impossible situation, a situation (mostly) created by others that he couldn’t avoid. There were not an infinite number of paths forward. Knox chose the best he could.
Knox reminded me a bit of a storyline in (the reimagined) Battlestar Galactica. At one point the remnants of humanity - all 49,000 of them - settle on a barren planet running from the Cylons. Cylons are AI that became self-aware and rose up against humanity. They’re now humanoid and robotic. Alive, in a very real way. When they show up with the intent to take over, humans have a choice. Resist, fight, or try to survive.
Not all of those options were available to everyone. So when the Cylons put together a human police force, some humans joined with the goal of helping from the inside. What they didn’t realize was that even though they had some power, they never had enough to truly help humanity. They were derided because they appeared to actually be helping the enemy. In fact, a number of them were executed for treason. Bad choices for good reasons.
Knox joined with the intent to help. He tried to do the best he could with the worst possible choices offered him. And he did make a difference. Maybe not enough of one for himself, or for many others, but more than enough to land him on the TechCorp’s terminate list. At that point, his paths forward narrow considerably.
But when Knox meets Nina he begins to suspect that even he can’t sink so low as to turn her over to whomever wants her. He begins to admire and respect her will, her tenacity, and her ever-growing optimism. The casual build of their regard for each other works. I love seeing them find each other.
I also, desperately, loved the casual inclusive voice. Garrett had two dads. Conlan is bisexual (well, some sort of LGBT - I’m sure we’ll learn more as the series progresses). This is all normal. Nothing weird or even exploitative about it. It stated as simply as people talk about their mom and dad, or being interested in the opposite sex. Sometimes in books (and movies) it seems that being gay is included for fetishtic reasons. Or to satisfy some sort of voyeurism. I love that it is not used that way here. The fact that gay people exist, doing the normal things that hetero people do, is so refreshing. It’s beautiful and pushes home the point of how much we need representation in our media.
On top of that, you’ve got a plot that kept me engrossed and guessing. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
When I read that Deal with the Devil is “Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series…” my expectations were, understandably, high. So high. Because Ilona Andrews is my all-time favorite author. Lucky for me, Deal with the Devil delivers. Deal with the Devil is one hell of a ride, brimming with action, burning sexual tension, in an insanely intriguing post-apocalyptic world, that will keep you turning pages until the very end. I canNOT wait to read more in this world and with these fantastic characters.
More on The Alliterates
July 25, 2020
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Deal with the Devil is an action-packed, humorous, engaging, and sexy sci-fi/dystopian novel. I thought this book was a great introduction to the Mercenary Librarians series. First impressions are everything, and I think the authors did a great job in laying the groundwork for this series. The world-building was done in a very clear and interesting way, which kept me intrigued until the end. The main characters Nina and Knox were very likable and were a great fit. I liked that the progress of their relationship had a steady pace and took time to develop instead of being instant. The authors really gave them time to get to know each other. The side characters were also amazing. Both Nina and Knox have their own crew that they are responsible for, and you could really feel how much they cared for each of them.
What I loved most about this book was just the combination of action, suspense, and romance. The banter between the characters were also done really well. The authors told a lot in this book without making it feeling busy. They were able to introduce each character and make you care for them. I enjoyed getting snippets from their POV, which gave me an idea what was going on in their heads. They were all very unique and interesting in their own ways, and I really look forward to seeing them develop throughout this series. There were a couple of twists added to the plot which I loved. It makes me even more excited to see what will happen next. I think this book was a great introduction to the world Kit Rocha built, and I loved what I read so I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Deal with the Devil is an action-packed, humorous, engaging, and sexy sci-fi/dystopian novel. I thought this book was a great introduction to the Mercenary Librarians series. First impressions are everything, and I think the authors did a great job in laying the groundwork for this series. The world-building was done in a very clear and interesting way, which kept me intrigued until the end. The main characters Nina and Knox were very likable and were a great fit. I liked that the progress of their relationship had a steady pace and took time to develop instead of being instant. The authors really gave them time to get to know each other. The side characters were also amazing. Both Nina and Knox have their own crew that they are responsible for, and you could really feel how much they cared for each of them.
What I loved most about this book was just the combination of action, suspense, and romance. The banter between the characters were also done really well. The authors told a lot in this book without making it feeling busy. They were able to introduce each character and make you care for them. I enjoyed getting snippets from their POV, which gave me an idea what was going on in their heads. They were all very unique and interesting in their own ways, and I really look forward to seeing them develop throughout this series. There were a couple of twists added to the plot which I loved. It makes me even more excited to see what will happen next. I think this book was a great introduction to the world Kit Rocha built, and I loved what I read so I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
unfinished
December 13, 2020I'm dropping out of this really early because I fell out of the mood before the hold came in. Dystopian is a hard-sell for me anyway, so that's not a huge surprise. No rating because it's not the author or book's fault that my mood shifted.
December 18, 2020
Kit Rocha are great at characters and their interactions, the banter is brilliant, the emotional core incredible, and the world building wonderful. Enough so that I did not really mind the clumsy pacing and the uneven plotting. I cannot wait for the next one.
June 10, 2020
As you can see I've been reading contemporary romances A LOT, or only tbh, since I came back from my slump. I'm still afraid, somehow, of getting into other genres outside contemporary because of the slump and I don't want to have to hate a book only because "I'm not feeling it" or my slump isn't messing with me. So contemporary was my saving grace. YET!!! YET... Kit Rocha's attention to storytelling is amazing and I trust them completely to give me the best reading experience (The Gideon's Riders series is amazing!). With that, I decided to read Deal with the Devil.
It's not joke that that first chapter captured my soul and attention very quickly. I was completely enthralled with Nina, because that first scene is epic and really leaves you with a sense of how Nina is. The way she fights, how powerful she is with only her body and her way of thinking. When you meet Knox is like you have a completed puzzle in your hands. These two compliment each other so well and you are just waiting to know more about them and how their lives are going to be forever intertwine. The romance is that good!!
But the found family is amazing. When these two teams meets is chaos tbh, but you know they will understand each other and will come to that place of camaraderie one day. The banter and the fun moments together, it's really the greatest time I've spent reading a book. Maya, Dani, Rafe, Gray and Conall - I full expect every single of them gets a happily ever after because I love them all!!! They're all interesting characters that give something to this story and this is only the beginning.
Action-packed, exciting and with lots of tension (emotional and physical), Deal with the Devil is a book that you cannot missed. Kit Rocha throws at us twist after twist and I couldn't stop reading until I found out more about this story and how it will be going to end. Give me book 2 now please.
I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!!
It's not joke that that first chapter captured my soul and attention very quickly. I was completely enthralled with Nina, because that first scene is epic and really leaves you with a sense of how Nina is. The way she fights, how powerful she is with only her body and her way of thinking. When you meet Knox is like you have a completed puzzle in your hands. These two compliment each other so well and you are just waiting to know more about them and how their lives are going to be forever intertwine. The romance is that good!!
But the found family is amazing. When these two teams meets is chaos tbh, but you know they will understand each other and will come to that place of camaraderie one day. The banter and the fun moments together, it's really the greatest time I've spent reading a book. Maya, Dani, Rafe, Gray and Conall - I full expect every single of them gets a happily ever after because I love them all!!! They're all interesting characters that give something to this story and this is only the beginning.
Action-packed, exciting and with lots of tension (emotional and physical), Deal with the Devil is a book that you cannot missed. Kit Rocha throws at us twist after twist and I couldn't stop reading until I found out more about this story and how it will be going to end. Give me book 2 now please.
I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!!
August 12, 2020
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/08/06/...
Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha is a dystopian adventure with strong undercurrents of sexual tensions, featuring the clash of two mercenary squads forced to form an alliance amidst hidden agendas and secrets until an unexpected spark between their team leaders ultimately leads to a reckoning. It is the year 2086 and the country has become a crumbling wasteland following a catastrophic event called the Flares that wiped out the power grid. In the ruins of what’s left of Atlanta, Nina heads the Librarians, who are actually a group of information brokers. Her teammates, Maya and Dani, have become her new family ever since Nina lost her own clone sisters following a harrowing escape from the lab that created her. They now run their operation out of a secret underground bunker, using both their combat skills and access to data to help those in need.
Enter Captain Garrett Knox and the Silver Devils. The former soldier and his gang of fellow exiles from the Protectorate-owned TechCorps isn’t exactly the kind of people who typically show up looking for Nina’s services, but they need her help regardless. Knox along with his friends have gone rogue from the company that created and maintained the experimental implants used to grant them superhuman abilities, and now they are in desperate need of a biochem hacker to stabilize their tech and keep them alive. The problem is that the hacker, Luna, has been kidnapped. Knox approaches Nina with a offer he knows she can’t refuse: she’ll help the Silver Devils retrieve the information they need to get out of their predicament, and in exchange, she’ll receive access to the archives of the fabled lost Library of Congress servers. However, in reality, Knox is actually setting the bait for the perfect trap. He does need Nina’s help, but not for the reasons he’s led her to believe.
Confession: this was my first book by the authors, so it’s probably on me for not doing a little more research into the genres they write before jumping headfirst into this one while taking everything in the publisher’s description at face value. Kit Rocha is actually the pen name for a writing duo who also writes paranormal romance under the moniker of Moira Rogers. Romance is thus a huge component of Deal with the Devil as well, with some R-rated erotica thrown in for good measure. Not a big deal—that is, unless you were expecting a straight-up dystopian adventure and instead became bogged down with relationship drama, which was especially predominant in the book’s first half.
This, I think, is what I struggled with the most. In general, I am not against romance in my books, but I do like to be prepared for it. Again, while it’s not really this novel’s fault that I felt blindsided, I do wish there had been more indication of it in its blurb or cover to help readers decide if they want to read it rather than be surprised—be it positively or negatively—while partway through. My own personal experience was a bit mixed. I didn’t mind the romance, but did often find myself frustrated by the lack of movement in the actual story while Nina and Knox mostly stood around drooling like a couple of hungry dogs over each other’s hot curves, abs, and asses. I mean, I know I’m not the ideal audience for this kind of stuff, but if you’re going to force your characters to fall in love in less than two weeks, the least you can do is maybe not put so much focus on objectification and physical lust. When it comes to romance in stories, I make it no secret that I prefer slow-burn as opposed to whirlwind, so the almost cringe-worthy lack of emotional connection here admittedly made this one less than ideal.
But on to the actual story. Boy was I disappointed at first to discover the complete misnomer of the series title. Let’s just say the whole “librarian” aspect of it doesn’t play much of a role at all, but thankfully, the idea of a group of underground information brokers is almost as intriguing. I enjoyed the world-building. Although nothing is really explained in great detail, the authors have nevertheless created an immersive setting using familiar themes and descriptions that worked. Also, as I said before, the plot might have dragged at first, but that’s definitely not the case in the second half of the novel. Sure, the action we got was pretty routine, but considering how close I was to outright boredom at the beginning of the book, at this point even standard-fare thrills were more than welcome.
Bottom line, I might have enjoyed this novel more had I been properly prepared for how much romance was going to dominate the story, and I might even cheered if there had been more of an emotional connection between Nina and Knox. However, the writing mainly focused on sexual attraction and how much they both wanted to jump each other’s bones, and the result was a lack of chemistry and shallow (albeit fun) characters.
Still, overall Deal with the Devil was an entertaining, light fluffy book to while away a few hours. No doubt it will appeal to the authors’ target readers or fans of romance/erotica with a speculative fiction twist. If I ever feel up for another book like this, I might consider picking up more of their work or checking out the sequel, but I’ll definitely have to be in the right mood.
Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha is a dystopian adventure with strong undercurrents of sexual tensions, featuring the clash of two mercenary squads forced to form an alliance amidst hidden agendas and secrets until an unexpected spark between their team leaders ultimately leads to a reckoning. It is the year 2086 and the country has become a crumbling wasteland following a catastrophic event called the Flares that wiped out the power grid. In the ruins of what’s left of Atlanta, Nina heads the Librarians, who are actually a group of information brokers. Her teammates, Maya and Dani, have become her new family ever since Nina lost her own clone sisters following a harrowing escape from the lab that created her. They now run their operation out of a secret underground bunker, using both their combat skills and access to data to help those in need.
Enter Captain Garrett Knox and the Silver Devils. The former soldier and his gang of fellow exiles from the Protectorate-owned TechCorps isn’t exactly the kind of people who typically show up looking for Nina’s services, but they need her help regardless. Knox along with his friends have gone rogue from the company that created and maintained the experimental implants used to grant them superhuman abilities, and now they are in desperate need of a biochem hacker to stabilize their tech and keep them alive. The problem is that the hacker, Luna, has been kidnapped. Knox approaches Nina with a offer he knows she can’t refuse: she’ll help the Silver Devils retrieve the information they need to get out of their predicament, and in exchange, she’ll receive access to the archives of the fabled lost Library of Congress servers. However, in reality, Knox is actually setting the bait for the perfect trap. He does need Nina’s help, but not for the reasons he’s led her to believe.
Confession: this was my first book by the authors, so it’s probably on me for not doing a little more research into the genres they write before jumping headfirst into this one while taking everything in the publisher’s description at face value. Kit Rocha is actually the pen name for a writing duo who also writes paranormal romance under the moniker of Moira Rogers. Romance is thus a huge component of Deal with the Devil as well, with some R-rated erotica thrown in for good measure. Not a big deal—that is, unless you were expecting a straight-up dystopian adventure and instead became bogged down with relationship drama, which was especially predominant in the book’s first half.
This, I think, is what I struggled with the most. In general, I am not against romance in my books, but I do like to be prepared for it. Again, while it’s not really this novel’s fault that I felt blindsided, I do wish there had been more indication of it in its blurb or cover to help readers decide if they want to read it rather than be surprised—be it positively or negatively—while partway through. My own personal experience was a bit mixed. I didn’t mind the romance, but did often find myself frustrated by the lack of movement in the actual story while Nina and Knox mostly stood around drooling like a couple of hungry dogs over each other’s hot curves, abs, and asses. I mean, I know I’m not the ideal audience for this kind of stuff, but if you’re going to force your characters to fall in love in less than two weeks, the least you can do is maybe not put so much focus on objectification and physical lust. When it comes to romance in stories, I make it no secret that I prefer slow-burn as opposed to whirlwind, so the almost cringe-worthy lack of emotional connection here admittedly made this one less than ideal.
But on to the actual story. Boy was I disappointed at first to discover the complete misnomer of the series title. Let’s just say the whole “librarian” aspect of it doesn’t play much of a role at all, but thankfully, the idea of a group of underground information brokers is almost as intriguing. I enjoyed the world-building. Although nothing is really explained in great detail, the authors have nevertheless created an immersive setting using familiar themes and descriptions that worked. Also, as I said before, the plot might have dragged at first, but that’s definitely not the case in the second half of the novel. Sure, the action we got was pretty routine, but considering how close I was to outright boredom at the beginning of the book, at this point even standard-fare thrills were more than welcome.
Bottom line, I might have enjoyed this novel more had I been properly prepared for how much romance was going to dominate the story, and I might even cheered if there had been more of an emotional connection between Nina and Knox. However, the writing mainly focused on sexual attraction and how much they both wanted to jump each other’s bones, and the result was a lack of chemistry and shallow (albeit fun) characters.
Still, overall Deal with the Devil was an entertaining, light fluffy book to while away a few hours. No doubt it will appeal to the authors’ target readers or fans of romance/erotica with a speculative fiction twist. If I ever feel up for another book like this, I might consider picking up more of their work or checking out the sequel, but I’ll definitely have to be in the right mood.
December 11, 2020
I had been excited to read Deal with the Devil ever since the book deal was announced. It promised mercenary librarians and how freaking cool does that sound? I haven't read a lot of post-apocalyptic romances but after having fun with Deal with the Devil, I'm thinking this is a subset of science-fiction that I desperately need to explore more of. This book was super entertaining! I found myself speeding through it as there was plenty of action and plenty of fun twists!
The series focuses on a group of mercenary librarians (duh!), Nina, Maya, and Dani, who deal in information. While each of the librarians plays a substantial role in this first book, Deal with the Devil, primarily centered on Nina's story. If you look up the definition of badass heroines, I reckon you'll find Nina's (and Maya and Dani, tbh) photo right next to it. Life has thrown curveball after curveball at her - she was part of a genetically engineered trio of clones, had experienced a tremendous amount of loss, and she was living in a completely decimated society. Despite the lack of kindness that the world had shown her, Nina was fiercely loving and generous. There was a lot that she grappled with throughout the book and I do mean a lot, but she remained so loyal and kind. The sisterhood between Nina, Maya, and Dani, was a fabulous addition to this book. I thought it helped the world seem not so bleak. These women were wildly devoted to each other. You wouldn't want to cross one of them because the other two would come for your throat in your sleep. This is the kind of female friendship that I never tire of reading.
On the other side, we have the Silver Devils, a group of genetically engineered soldiers, who used to be under the Protectorate's leadership until they defected. The group consisted of Knox, the leader, Rafe, Gray, and Conall. Knox was the one paired with Nina as a love interest in Deal with the Devil, so he is the one we intimately become acquainted with. He was the strong, stoic, and silent type - a giant grump! I'm a sucker for this kind of hero, especially paired with a bright and lovely woman like Nina. Like Nina, Knox had his own responsibilities to shoulder and his own guilt to deal with. I bet you can already imagine just the immense power when the mercenary librarians and the Silver Devils were pushed to team-up. Nina and Knox's chemistry, in particular, was sexy and potent. I was very into them as a couple and could not get enough of their opposites-attract personalities. And oh gosh, the sexy times! Folks, we have a thunderstorm sexy times scene that was just RIVETING. Kit Rocha also endlessly teased readers with interactions between the future couples, and I can't wait to dive into their stories!
Since this is a science-fiction book, I feel compelled to mention the world-building in Deal with the Devil. Well, it was fabulous. This is a gritty and dangerous world and that we get to discover as the characters venture on this road-trip. There is still a lot we don't know as readers about this world and the evil corporations and I'm excited to learn more in the subsequent books. The plot was high-stakes and there were so many twists and betrayals that I won't go into, but they made the book a very tense page-turner. The last chapter, in particular, was super RUDE and months later, I am still reeling from it.
If you're looking for a good time, I highly recommend Deal with the Devil! I, for one, can't wait to read the next book whenever it releases.
November 26, 2021
After plenty of recommendations to read this author duo, I finally took the plunge. Mind you, I waited until this book was available for a decent price because HOLY COW IS IT EXPENSIVE?! Like seriously... on Amazon Canada... it's $11.99 just for the kindle copy.
I bought the hardcover a while back from Book Outlet (thanks Book Outlet for always saving me money) and when the digital copy went on sale for 99 cents (was that a glitch that I was lucky enough to catch?), I grabbed my copy and promised myself that one day... ONE DAY... I would read it. And finally I did!
And I really liked it!
Seriously, what was there not to like?
📚 lethal librarians - Nina's a deadly clone, Maya is a human computer, and Dani... well, she's just crazy!
📚 mercenaries - they're the Silver Devils and when someone they care about is taken and threatened, they prove they're willing to do almost anything to get her back
📚 chaos - who doesn't love chaos?
📚 destruction - again, who doesn't love it?
📚 enough plot to carry over into another book and characters I want to get to know better
📚 there was even the apocalypse version of romance
So why didn't it get all the stars? Well, here's the deal: I was told that these authors write some seriously filthy sex scenes. So when I realized that there was something building between Nina and Knox, I expected a lot of bow chicka wow wow and instead got some whomp whomp. Aside from calling his penis a cock like it should be, the sex scenes were pretty tame. And I felt let down. I know, I'm terrible for docking a star for lukewarm sex scenes. I'm such a fictional hoebag. And I'm sure there were more valid reasons to dock a star, but this is the one that keeps sticking out for me.
Will I read from these authors again? Yup. I'm planning to continue this series. And yes, I do know that the authors have a truly filthy menage series out there, but I'm not interested in books like that. I'll stick to the traditional relationships I've found here and muddle through the young adultish intimacy.
Everything is on the blog
I bought the hardcover a while back from Book Outlet (thanks Book Outlet for always saving me money) and when the digital copy went on sale for 99 cents (was that a glitch that I was lucky enough to catch?), I grabbed my copy and promised myself that one day... ONE DAY... I would read it. And finally I did!
And I really liked it!
Seriously, what was there not to like?
📚 lethal librarians - Nina's a deadly clone, Maya is a human computer, and Dani... well, she's just crazy!
📚 mercenaries - they're the Silver Devils and when someone they care about is taken and threatened, they prove they're willing to do almost anything to get her back
📚 chaos - who doesn't love chaos?
📚 destruction - again, who doesn't love it?
📚 enough plot to carry over into another book and characters I want to get to know better
📚 there was even the apocalypse version of romance
So why didn't it get all the stars? Well, here's the deal: I was told that these authors write some seriously filthy sex scenes. So when I realized that there was something building between Nina and Knox, I expected a lot of bow chicka wow wow and instead got some whomp whomp. Aside from calling his penis a cock like it should be, the sex scenes were pretty tame. And I felt let down. I know, I'm terrible for docking a star for lukewarm sex scenes. I'm such a fictional hoebag. And I'm sure there were more valid reasons to dock a star, but this is the one that keeps sticking out for me.
Will I read from these authors again? Yup. I'm planning to continue this series. And yes, I do know that the authors have a truly filthy menage series out there, but I'm not interested in books like that. I'll stick to the traditional relationships I've found here and muddle through the young adultish intimacy.
Everything is on the blog
May 1, 2021
Mercenary librarians? Cool, I'm in.
Never having read this author I was anticipating good things based on that tag line alone. Problem was this dystopian romance failed to deliver anything close to what I was expecting.
I'm sorry, but from chapter two I knew what story I wanted to read - a mega billionaire with secrets upon secrets hires two separate teams to locate and enter the Rogue Library of America - their prize? What they want most in the world - Knox and his team a way to be free of the implants. Nina and her team the answers to who was the original clone / or her 'birth' parents.
The library was to be nothing but booby traps and in the end the teams must work together to survive - only to discover at the end they are both betrayed by the billionaire - now they want revenge - that's book 2 by the way.
What did I actually get??? A messy light weight road trip adventure. With interchangeable characters - why did everyone have 4 letter names? Knox, Mace, Rafe, Gary. Nina, Dani, Maya. Just saying that was a mistake out of the gate.
Worse - in the book blurb it is very clearly indicated the two teams will join up. So that sucks away all tension and I spent two thirds of the book just wondering when Knox was going to tell Nina what was going on.
There was a heap of discrepancies that just jarred and failed to make sense:
- Besides the implants what exactly is the difference between the males and females? They all seem to be super soldiers.
- Mary-Sue, I mean Nina made little to no sense as a character. Her goody two shoes character had little to do with her back story. She had no regrets? No questions about her past? The original clone? Who her 'parents' may have been and did they willing hand their dna over for cloning? Does she question her humanity?
- The lab tech that made Nina just happily let her go? They seem to be aware she is in Atlanta and did not a damn thing to reclaim or kill her??? That seems like a bad precedent if the other clones discover they can just up and run away.
- so the 'richest person on earth' hired Knox and his team to get to Nina. Yet, there didn't seem to be one darn reason why they couldn't have just approached her themselves, given their skill set. The whole kidnapping, road trip was nonsensical.
- Dani was so much more interesting than Nina.
- a wood chopping scene? really, talk about an odd scene to throw into the mix just so Knox has an excuse to shed his shirt.
- these people all have super powers so no matter what they faced the stakes never felt high or that there was any real risk to them. ( a library full of booby traps would have been awesome - just saying)
These authors - above all else - completely failed to deliver on the series tag line. This whole story felt like nothing but a waste of time tangent.
All hype - no payoff.
Never having read this author I was anticipating good things based on that tag line alone. Problem was this dystopian romance failed to deliver anything close to what I was expecting.
I'm sorry, but from chapter two I knew what story I wanted to read - a mega billionaire with secrets upon secrets hires two separate teams to locate and enter the Rogue Library of America - their prize? What they want most in the world - Knox and his team a way to be free of the implants. Nina and her team the answers to who was the original clone / or her 'birth' parents.
The library was to be nothing but booby traps and in the end the teams must work together to survive - only to discover at the end they are both betrayed by the billionaire - now they want revenge - that's book 2 by the way.
What did I actually get??? A messy light weight road trip adventure. With interchangeable characters - why did everyone have 4 letter names? Knox, Mace, Rafe, Gary. Nina, Dani, Maya. Just saying that was a mistake out of the gate.
Worse - in the book blurb it is very clearly indicated the two teams will join up. So that sucks away all tension and I spent two thirds of the book just wondering when Knox was going to tell Nina what was going on.
There was a heap of discrepancies that just jarred and failed to make sense:
- Besides the implants what exactly is the difference between the males and females? They all seem to be super soldiers.
- Mary-Sue, I mean Nina made little to no sense as a character. Her goody two shoes character had little to do with her back story. She had no regrets? No questions about her past? The original clone? Who her 'parents' may have been and did they willing hand their dna over for cloning? Does she question her humanity?
- The lab tech that made Nina just happily let her go? They seem to be aware she is in Atlanta and did not a damn thing to reclaim or kill her??? That seems like a bad precedent if the other clones discover they can just up and run away.
- so the 'richest person on earth' hired Knox and his team to get to Nina. Yet, there didn't seem to be one darn reason why they couldn't have just approached her themselves, given their skill set. The whole kidnapping, road trip was nonsensical.
- Dani was so much more interesting than Nina.
- a wood chopping scene? really, talk about an odd scene to throw into the mix just so Knox has an excuse to shed his shirt.
- these people all have super powers so no matter what they faced the stakes never felt high or that there was any real risk to them. ( a library full of booby traps would have been awesome - just saying)
These authors - above all else - completely failed to deliver on the series tag line. This whole story felt like nothing but a waste of time tangent.
All hype - no payoff.
Want to read
June 13, 2019MERCENARY LIBRARIANS???????
I think I'm already 99% in love with this.
I think I'm already 99% in love with this.
July 29, 2020
Absolutely Safe!
Great Heroine and love the bond with her friends.
The hero's gang is good and there is some push and pull.
Great Heroine and love the bond with her friends.
The hero's gang is good and there is some push and pull.
February 12, 2021
"He was utterly focused, every tiny shred of attention dialed in like he wanted to drown in her."
Look at that glorious cover with ALL THE BOOKS! I guess I would describe this as a pulpy urban science fiction romance novel?
For a book supposedly about mercenary librarians, there was a surprising lack of, well, mercenary librarians.
Although there *are* some wicked sexy scenes. So there's that! 🥵🥵
Not to mention assassinations, soldiers, thieves, data couriers, clones & superhumans. Sure would have been nice to have more librarying, though 🤷♀️
Look at that glorious cover with ALL THE BOOKS! I guess I would describe this as a pulpy urban science fiction romance novel?
For a book supposedly about mercenary librarians, there was a surprising lack of, well, mercenary librarians.
Although there *are* some wicked sexy scenes. So there's that! 🥵🥵
Not to mention assassinations, soldiers, thieves, data couriers, clones & superhumans. Sure would have been nice to have more librarying, though 🤷♀️
July 27, 2020
Ever since the Beyond Series I have loved Kit Rocha and the world that they have created.
Colour me surprised when a new series arrived and it also is set like Beyond after the Flares but has a completely different and fantastic vibe to it.
Admittedly I haven’t seen Orphan Black, yes I know shame on me. But I have heard only brilliant things about it and then the tough one mentioned was post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series, as a huge Ilona Andrews fan it was like ohhhh you did not just go there. I pushed this out of mind and moved along with reading the book.
It was a near miss for a five star review but nevertheless I loved it. Set in Atlanta where the Techcorps rule with their bionic soldiers and with an iron fist. Three women try and bring a little hope into the world and I think they are doing a fabtastic job. These are strong heroines who saved books after the Flares and are also totally kickarse. But not only do they have metal and a backbone of steel but they have heart as well.
Deal with the Devil focuses on Nina and the information broker business and retrieval of books business she has with Maya and with Dani. Her next job is however going to be slightly more difficult and involves a one hot Captain Garrett Know who isn’t to be trusted, yet she does it anyway.
Captain Garrett Knox and his Silver Devils team has gone AWOL from the Procterate and the Techcorps because of what they did to Mace and now they have kidnapped their Biohacker and the deal is exchange Nina for Luna. Knox lies but there is some truth intermingled and a gem that is too hard to turn down for Nina and her crew.
At the beginning they are wary of one another but over time the crews start to mingle and become one. Not easy when Mum and Dad are fighting though.
The world building is excellent and I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and action packed with in-depth characterisation and substance that I’m sure lead to a fantastic series. I can’t wait for more and I hope the series’ progresses over two planned books a lot of awesomeness can be done here.
Colour me surprised when a new series arrived and it also is set like Beyond after the Flares but has a completely different and fantastic vibe to it.
Admittedly I haven’t seen Orphan Black, yes I know shame on me. But I have heard only brilliant things about it and then the tough one mentioned was post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series, as a huge Ilona Andrews fan it was like ohhhh you did not just go there. I pushed this out of mind and moved along with reading the book.
It was a near miss for a five star review but nevertheless I loved it. Set in Atlanta where the Techcorps rule with their bionic soldiers and with an iron fist. Three women try and bring a little hope into the world and I think they are doing a fabtastic job. These are strong heroines who saved books after the Flares and are also totally kickarse. But not only do they have metal and a backbone of steel but they have heart as well.
Deal with the Devil focuses on Nina and the information broker business and retrieval of books business she has with Maya and with Dani. Her next job is however going to be slightly more difficult and involves a one hot Captain Garrett Know who isn’t to be trusted, yet she does it anyway.
Captain Garrett Knox and his Silver Devils team has gone AWOL from the Procterate and the Techcorps because of what they did to Mace and now they have kidnapped their Biohacker and the deal is exchange Nina for Luna. Knox lies but there is some truth intermingled and a gem that is too hard to turn down for Nina and her crew.
At the beginning they are wary of one another but over time the crews start to mingle and become one. Not easy when Mum and Dad are fighting though.
The world building is excellent and I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and action packed with in-depth characterisation and substance that I’m sure lead to a fantastic series. I can’t wait for more and I hope the series’ progresses over two planned books a lot of awesomeness can be done here.
May 13, 2020
Kit Rocha has returned to writing dystopian that’s a similar to world that they have built in the Beyond series. However, I should warn readers right off the bat that although there are some similarities, the style is quite different.
The Beyond series took a more erotic approach whereas this new series still has the same worldbuilding style and new characters, but has a more true dystopian theme to it. It reads much more like an Urban Fantasy to me, which makes a lot of sense given the publisher that it’s being distributed with. I do like the book, but I kind of wished that some new ideas were introduced.
Nevertheless, I do like the worldbuilding. I think readers tend to get confused when it comes to the dystopian genre because it’s so different to the society we live in, so it’s nice to see more books being published with more of this idea in mind. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
July 27, 2020
I really loved Deal with the Devil and here are a few reasons I think other people will love it too:
1. Great world building-post apocalyptic America! Loved it! (I mean, I loved reading about it-not living it)
2. Team of FIERCE females kicking butt! They hold the power by using information. Love women who use their brains and win. Who runs the world? GIRLS!
3. Solidly intriguing plot-danger, banter, and more combine to create an engaging plot
Seriously-give the new series a shot! I think you will really like it! I can't wait for more of the mercenary librarians and see where Rocha takes these characters. Nina and Knox are ying/yang for sure and it just works so well. Despite the dystopian setting, Nina is still kind of an optimist. It's the perfect foil to Knox's cranky pessimism.
1. Great world building-post apocalyptic America! Loved it! (I mean, I loved reading about it-not living it)
2. Team of FIERCE females kicking butt! They hold the power by using information. Love women who use their brains and win. Who runs the world? GIRLS!
3. Solidly intriguing plot-danger, banter, and more combine to create an engaging plot
Seriously-give the new series a shot! I think you will really like it! I can't wait for more of the mercenary librarians and see where Rocha takes these characters. Nina and Knox are ying/yang for sure and it just works so well. Despite the dystopian setting, Nina is still kind of an optimist. It's the perfect foil to Knox's cranky pessimism.
July 29, 2020
Thank you so much Tor Books for providing me a free copy through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
A cute, hot, engaging beginning to a very promising series.
CHARACTERS:
The characters were very captivating: the main protagonists, Knox and Nina, are both complex people full of secrets and with a turbulent past.
Knox has been a captain and responsible for his Silver Devils since the unit was started, he would sacrifice everything he owns for them.
He wants his guys to have a satisfying life now that they aren’t under the evil Corporation’s clutches anymore.
Nina has lost everything: her sisters, her purpose, her drive.
She has found new meaning in her roommates (which she treats as her new team and family) and their dream: to give the people in their neighborhood a way to survive without having to rely on the Corp and have a better overall quality of life by providing tools and knowledge to do so...
I loved how Nina and Knox are so different and yet have so much in common, their burdens are very similar and their tragic past let’s them find a common ground during their journey.
The romance between them really impressed me because while it has its bumps and issues to overcome, the foundation is about finding in each other somebody that understands what it means being in charge and what kind of burdens it comes with.
The smut and chemistry between Nina and Knox was really steamy and that coupled with their personalities got me invested in them immediately.
Special mention to the rest of the group (which feels a lot like found family - one of my favorite tropes): each secondary character is fully fleshed out and I loved that we got a few snippets from their POV scattered throughout the book.
I also loved that we get an inkling of what the future pairings might be and what their chemistry looks like.
I can’t wait to read about their stories as well!
Another special mention to two particular side characters: A. and M.
These two were a huge twist and I low key ship them? I’m so curious to see whether or not they’ll be a thing!
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The story takes place in a post apocalyptic Atlanta: a bunch of solar flares have obliterated most of the technology as we know it, which catapulted the world in an era where small communities are the normal and the resources are limited.
Atlanta’s society is organized on tiers: an evil corporation oversees the governance of the city, most of the people are left to fend for themselves and are kept in check by a bunch of super soldiers belonging to aforementioned evil corporation.
We learn that while technology has progressed to what we might consider a near future kind, the biggest advancements have been made in biotechnology: we meet super soldiers full of augmenting implants, cloned humans and generically modified people.
The plot revolves around the recovery of an immense treasure: the material stored in the National Library before the flares obliterated all forms of communication.
It’s both a heist, an adventure, and a self discovery journey; our protagonists have to leave the familiarity of the city and adventure into the wilderness (full of dangers) in order to get to the prize.
The journey is full of betrayals, self discoveries and realizations.
A journey that will change them forever.
WRITING:
The writing is very well streamlined, the switch between writers hardly noticeable thanks to the usage of multiple POVs and third person perspective, which greatly help with the immersion into the story.
The dialogues are full of sass, intensity and emotion, the narrative parts don’t feel too overwhelming or boring.
Overall the pacing was well planned and executed, with a lot of action sprinkled in.
FINAL NOTE
I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely heck out the rest of the series because that final epilogue was such a huge tease and completely caught my interest.
A cute, hot, engaging beginning to a very promising series.
CHARACTERS:
The characters were very captivating: the main protagonists, Knox and Nina, are both complex people full of secrets and with a turbulent past.
Knox has been a captain and responsible for his Silver Devils since the unit was started, he would sacrifice everything he owns for them.
He wants his guys to have a satisfying life now that they aren’t under the evil Corporation’s clutches anymore.
Nina has lost everything: her sisters, her purpose, her drive.
She has found new meaning in her roommates (which she treats as her new team and family) and their dream: to give the people in their neighborhood a way to survive without having to rely on the Corp and have a better overall quality of life by providing tools and knowledge to do so...
I loved how Nina and Knox are so different and yet have so much in common, their burdens are very similar and their tragic past let’s them find a common ground during their journey.
The romance between them really impressed me because while it has its bumps and issues to overcome, the foundation is about finding in each other somebody that understands what it means being in charge and what kind of burdens it comes with.
The smut and chemistry between Nina and Knox was really steamy and that coupled with their personalities got me invested in them immediately.
Special mention to the rest of the group (which feels a lot like found family - one of my favorite tropes): each secondary character is fully fleshed out and I loved that we got a few snippets from their POV scattered throughout the book.
I also loved that we get an inkling of what the future pairings might be and what their chemistry looks like.
I can’t wait to read about their stories as well!
Another special mention to two particular side characters: A. and M.
These two were a huge twist and I low key ship them? I’m so curious to see whether or not they’ll be a thing!
WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The story takes place in a post apocalyptic Atlanta: a bunch of solar flares have obliterated most of the technology as we know it, which catapulted the world in an era where small communities are the normal and the resources are limited.
Atlanta’s society is organized on tiers: an evil corporation oversees the governance of the city, most of the people are left to fend for themselves and are kept in check by a bunch of super soldiers belonging to aforementioned evil corporation.
We learn that while technology has progressed to what we might consider a near future kind, the biggest advancements have been made in biotechnology: we meet super soldiers full of augmenting implants, cloned humans and generically modified people.
The plot revolves around the recovery of an immense treasure: the material stored in the National Library before the flares obliterated all forms of communication.
It’s both a heist, an adventure, and a self discovery journey; our protagonists have to leave the familiarity of the city and adventure into the wilderness (full of dangers) in order to get to the prize.
The journey is full of betrayals, self discoveries and realizations.
A journey that will change them forever.
WRITING:
The writing is very well streamlined, the switch between writers hardly noticeable thanks to the usage of multiple POVs and third person perspective, which greatly help with the immersion into the story.
The dialogues are full of sass, intensity and emotion, the narrative parts don’t feel too overwhelming or boring.
Overall the pacing was well planned and executed, with a lot of action sprinkled in.
FINAL NOTE
I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely heck out the rest of the series because that final epilogue was such a huge tease and completely caught my interest.
August 28, 2020
I’ve long heard good things about the Beyond series by the writing duo known as Kit Rocha, but I’d never really dived into it because starting a long running series is like trying to jump on a moving train. Kind of exciting, probably exhausting, and I’m not sure if I wanted to take the chance. Did it stop me from hoarding several Beyond books in my TBR pile? Hell no because like a dragon with gold, if it’s shiny, I want to keep it near and clutch it close to my breast.
It worked out well, since I now have some books I am very, very eager to explore while I wait for the next book in the Mercenary Librarians series.
I got some things to say (and if you’ve read my reviews before, this is no surprise, I’m a wordy bitch), so let’s dive in.
The Good
Found family that I love to read about. I adore a good romance that builds a found family for the lead characters, and Nina and Knox’s relationships with their individual crews was compelling and realistic.
Fantastic dialogue. When it comes to my reads, yes I love a great love scene, or a great action sequence (more on this later), but dialogue is a huge draw for me. I think the banter was very good, humorous but emotional, and it’s the conversations between Nina and Knox, as well as the group scenes, that conveyed the depth of their connections and allowing me to get to know all these characters.
Road romance can bring the fun (and danger) like few things can. This is essentially a road romance and it helped to force that proximity and allow the reader to explore this ‘verse while getting to know Nina and Knox. The danger ratcheted up with each chapter, and I was fascinated to see Kit Rocha’s version of what happens after the world goes to hell because some days it feels closer than others. Anyhoodle, I understand that this is based in the Beyond ‘verse, but it’s absolutely not necessary to read those to enjoy this. I do think there’s small moments that probably would mean more to the longtime reader, but it didn’t leave me feeling left out, which I appreciated.
Excellent action. I love the way the action is written, and there's a very cinematic feel to the fight sequences. I could absolutely see this playing out on a big screen. I think that for a road romance, especially set an a dystopian universe it’s very important that there be that sense of danger and conflict to give that apocalyptic feel like nothing else can. The fight sequence are very vividly drawn and reminds me at times of one of my favorite authors who can blend romance and action adventure in a very realistic manner. This is not a bad thing.
Complicated, smart, strong females, and the men who think that's hot AF Think of a sunshine heroine that can kick everyone’s ass, including the hero, and that’s Nina, although there’s much more than that going on with her physically and emotionally. She inspires loyalty and devotion, and I absolutely could see why Knox fell for her. The writers have given us some strong and capable women who can more than hold their own, and really saved the day, when it comes down to it. Nina, Dani, and Maya each have their own strengths but the way they supported each other reminded me of my female friendships, and I absolutely think there needs to be more of that in every romance. I adored the way each Devil admires that quality in the women and is turned on by it. Very sexy. Speaking of...
Action is great, but it’s the romance that centers this tale. There’s alot of stuff going on in this book, between the worldbuilding, the action, the danger, and the seeds planted for future story, that it could have easily lost the thread of the romance, but that is not the case. The chemistry between Knox and Nina was fire, and it helped me invest in their romance. While the action was solid and the overarching storyline certainly has me already planning future reads, it’s the romance that always brings me to the yard, so to speak.
Knox and Nina had very good chemistry and I thought the unresolved sexual tension between them built to a satisfying conclusion. To me, the Firsts (meet/kiss/love scene) really need to work, and boy do they. There are storyline beats that are crucial to play when you’re dealing with a betrayal that is baked into the plot from the very beginning, and I liked that they all pretty much played out instead of rushing to close out the story. In the end, I did understand Knox’s conflict, and I appreciated that time was taken to deal with the fallout.
The Bad(ish) (not really, I’m nitpicking)
The Librarian aspect doesn’t factor as greatly in this first installment as I had hoped. Between getting to know more about the Protectorate, Knox and his crew’s physical deterioration tied to their implants, and the shadowy conspiracy surrounding it all, the actual Librarian aspect of these mercenaries isn’t fully developed. I think it would have been fascinating to see more of how valuable the Rogue Library of Congress really is in this ‘verse. I will say that even if I wished for more of it, I understand the need to not turn the first book into War & Peace (like this review), that this is the first entry in this series, and I am hopeful that we’ll get to see this more in future books.
Twists...Also, based on the blurb, it wasn’t hard to figure out the twist involving Nina, and as the story progressed I wasn't exactly surprised. There are strong hints of what’s to come in that final epilogue, but I was ok with that because even if I could figure out what was going to happen in this book it doesn’t mean I’m not fully onboard to find out what comes next.
Everything in Between
Besides getting to know Nina and Knox, you get little glimpses into each crew member and I can't wait to see them get their own books. I especially enjoyed the little Protectorate/Franklin Center memos on these characters that kept me guessing who was who between chapters.
If you couldn’t tell by the length of this review, I really, really, really enjoyed this dystopian romance. Like ALOT. It’s going on my list of top books for 2020 (whenever this hellish year ever ends), and I cannot wait for the next book. I don’t hesitate to recommend it, especially for those who love a good dystopian/apocalyptic angle to their action/adventure romances.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
It worked out well, since I now have some books I am very, very eager to explore while I wait for the next book in the Mercenary Librarians series.
I got some things to say (and if you’ve read my reviews before, this is no surprise, I’m a wordy bitch), so let’s dive in.
The Good
Found family that I love to read about. I adore a good romance that builds a found family for the lead characters, and Nina and Knox’s relationships with their individual crews was compelling and realistic.
Fantastic dialogue. When it comes to my reads, yes I love a great love scene, or a great action sequence (more on this later), but dialogue is a huge draw for me. I think the banter was very good, humorous but emotional, and it’s the conversations between Nina and Knox, as well as the group scenes, that conveyed the depth of their connections and allowing me to get to know all these characters.
Road romance can bring the fun (and danger) like few things can. This is essentially a road romance and it helped to force that proximity and allow the reader to explore this ‘verse while getting to know Nina and Knox. The danger ratcheted up with each chapter, and I was fascinated to see Kit Rocha’s version of what happens after the world goes to hell because some days it feels closer than others. Anyhoodle, I understand that this is based in the Beyond ‘verse, but it’s absolutely not necessary to read those to enjoy this. I do think there’s small moments that probably would mean more to the longtime reader, but it didn’t leave me feeling left out, which I appreciated.
Excellent action. I love the way the action is written, and there's a very cinematic feel to the fight sequences. I could absolutely see this playing out on a big screen. I think that for a road romance, especially set an a dystopian universe it’s very important that there be that sense of danger and conflict to give that apocalyptic feel like nothing else can. The fight sequence are very vividly drawn and reminds me at times of one of my favorite authors who can blend romance and action adventure in a very realistic manner. This is not a bad thing.
Complicated, smart, strong females, and the men who think that's hot AF Think of a sunshine heroine that can kick everyone’s ass, including the hero, and that’s Nina, although there’s much more than that going on with her physically and emotionally. She inspires loyalty and devotion, and I absolutely could see why Knox fell for her. The writers have given us some strong and capable women who can more than hold their own, and really saved the day, when it comes down to it. Nina, Dani, and Maya each have their own strengths but the way they supported each other reminded me of my female friendships, and I absolutely think there needs to be more of that in every romance. I adored the way each Devil admires that quality in the women and is turned on by it. Very sexy. Speaking of...
Action is great, but it’s the romance that centers this tale. There’s alot of stuff going on in this book, between the worldbuilding, the action, the danger, and the seeds planted for future story, that it could have easily lost the thread of the romance, but that is not the case. The chemistry between Knox and Nina was fire, and it helped me invest in their romance. While the action was solid and the overarching storyline certainly has me already planning future reads, it’s the romance that always brings me to the yard, so to speak.
Knox and Nina had very good chemistry and I thought the unresolved sexual tension between them built to a satisfying conclusion. To me, the Firsts (meet/kiss/love scene) really need to work, and boy do they. There are storyline beats that are crucial to play when you’re dealing with a betrayal that is baked into the plot from the very beginning, and I liked that they all pretty much played out instead of rushing to close out the story. In the end, I did understand Knox’s conflict, and I appreciated that time was taken to deal with the fallout.
The Bad(ish) (not really, I’m nitpicking)
The Librarian aspect doesn’t factor as greatly in this first installment as I had hoped. Between getting to know more about the Protectorate, Knox and his crew’s physical deterioration tied to their implants, and the shadowy conspiracy surrounding it all, the actual Librarian aspect of these mercenaries isn’t fully developed. I think it would have been fascinating to see more of how valuable the Rogue Library of Congress really is in this ‘verse. I will say that even if I wished for more of it, I understand the need to not turn the first book into War & Peace (like this review), that this is the first entry in this series, and I am hopeful that we’ll get to see this more in future books.
Twists...Also, based on the blurb, it wasn’t hard to figure out the twist involving Nina, and as the story progressed I wasn't exactly surprised. There are strong hints of what’s to come in that final epilogue, but I was ok with that because even if I could figure out what was going to happen in this book it doesn’t mean I’m not fully onboard to find out what comes next.
Everything in Between
Besides getting to know Nina and Knox, you get little glimpses into each crew member and I can't wait to see them get their own books. I especially enjoyed the little Protectorate/Franklin Center memos on these characters that kept me guessing who was who between chapters.
If you couldn’t tell by the length of this review, I really, really, really enjoyed this dystopian romance. Like ALOT. It’s going on my list of top books for 2020 (whenever this hellish year ever ends), and I cannot wait for the next book. I don’t hesitate to recommend it, especially for those who love a good dystopian/apocalyptic angle to their action/adventure romances.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
December 15, 2020
B+ at AAR, so 4.5 stars Post-apocalyptic adventures? With librarians? Sign me up. Ever since I heard about the new
Mercenary Librarians
series, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. And with 2020 being, well, 2020, post-apocalyptic fiction felt very on point for me right now. While not perfect, Deal With the Devil is a strong series opener and I already know I want to read book two.
As this one opens, we learn that the power grid has collapsed and what was once the United States has descended into chaos. The few well-heeled and well-connected live in protected communities, while life for everyone else tends to be dangerous and full of deprivation in a world dominated by corporate interests that appear bent on protecting the few at the expense of the many.
In this environment, we see bands of mercenaries as well as grassroots groups of neighbors looking out for one another. Given current events, it’s a thought-provoking backdrop. So, what brings Knox and Nina together? Well, Knox is a genetically altered supersoldier who has escaped his corporate overlords. Unlike many in his situation, he and his friends still have a conscience. Their big drawback? Their genetic alterations come with kill switches that need constant hacking and tinkering to keep them from destroying these men from the inside out.
Knox’s trusted hacker has been captured and held for ransom. The price? Knox must find and produce Nina. Nina, for her part, lives with her friends and serves as something of a librarian, sharing her knowledge with her neighbors. However, her real money comes from getting her hands of caches of data and artefacts from before the world descended into chaos. When Knox encounters Nina, he waves the idea of a Library of Congress stash in front of her. Getting her hands on this information would be valuable in many ways, so while Nina is wary by nature, she and her friends reluctantly join forces with Knox, not knowing they are being led into betrayal.
Having a hero who is out to betray the heroine from the get-go is obviously a tough sell. The plotline worked for me because the author does a good job of showing the reader Knox’s conscience, and we see him weighing his actions as well as considering and reconsidering his choices. As the book moves along, one can tell that Knox is trapped in an untenable situation and that he is trying to find a way out of it.
This is a partial review. The complete text can be found here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
As this one opens, we learn that the power grid has collapsed and what was once the United States has descended into chaos. The few well-heeled and well-connected live in protected communities, while life for everyone else tends to be dangerous and full of deprivation in a world dominated by corporate interests that appear bent on protecting the few at the expense of the many.
In this environment, we see bands of mercenaries as well as grassroots groups of neighbors looking out for one another. Given current events, it’s a thought-provoking backdrop. So, what brings Knox and Nina together? Well, Knox is a genetically altered supersoldier who has escaped his corporate overlords. Unlike many in his situation, he and his friends still have a conscience. Their big drawback? Their genetic alterations come with kill switches that need constant hacking and tinkering to keep them from destroying these men from the inside out.
Knox’s trusted hacker has been captured and held for ransom. The price? Knox must find and produce Nina. Nina, for her part, lives with her friends and serves as something of a librarian, sharing her knowledge with her neighbors. However, her real money comes from getting her hands of caches of data and artefacts from before the world descended into chaos. When Knox encounters Nina, he waves the idea of a Library of Congress stash in front of her. Getting her hands on this information would be valuable in many ways, so while Nina is wary by nature, she and her friends reluctantly join forces with Knox, not knowing they are being led into betrayal.
Having a hero who is out to betray the heroine from the get-go is obviously a tough sell. The plotline worked for me because the author does a good job of showing the reader Knox’s conscience, and we see him weighing his actions as well as considering and reconsidering his choices. As the book moves along, one can tell that Knox is trapped in an untenable situation and that he is trying to find a way out of it.
This is a partial review. The complete text can be found here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
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