Ride Steady

Ashley packs passion and pathos into the third Chaos Motorcycle Club contemporary (after Fire Inside). In high school, kindly Carissa Teodoro had it all—or at least it looked that way to Carson Steele, whose father used him for a punching bag. Fast-forward seven years, and circumstances have changed drastically. Carson, now known as Joker, comes across a struggling Carissa and her infant son when they’re stranded on the side of the interstate by a flat tire. Her ex-husband, who was popular in their high school class, is now a total jerk and determined to make her life miserable. Though she doesn’t recognize Carson at first, Carissa quickly falls for the protective man on a motorcycle and is soon adopted by his club, whose members have hearts of gold. But when Carissa’s ex and a separate outside threat imperil not only the group’s happiness but their lives, Joker has a tough decision to make: hold on to the woman he’s always loved and let her heal him, or push her away for everyone’s safety. Ashley’s skillfully drawn characters jump off the page and the suspenseful plot will keep readers engaged to the very end. This is a worthy addition to the Chaos series. Agent: Emily Kim, Prospect Agency. (June)