Deal with the Devil

Rocha, the pseudonym for writing duo Donna Herren and Bree Bridges (the Beyond series), matches the relentless action of this postapocalyptic thriller (and Mercenary Librarian series launch) with simmering sexual tension. It’s the latter half of the 21st century, solar flares and energy wars have all but destroyed human civilization, and Nina and her team of librarians work as “information brokers” with deadly combat skills. When Capt. Garrett Knox, leader of the Silver Devils, a gang of rogue soldiers who’ve broken off from their former employers, TechCorps, to avoid the slaughter of innocents, approaches Nina with a job for the librarians, they team up to recover the Library of Congress archives from seven underground bunkers scattered across the U.S. As they race to unearth the archives before TechCorps finds them, sparks fly between Nina and Knox, but hidden agendas and looming danger stand in the way of their happiness. Rocha capably deploys found family and forbidden love tropes while keeping readers on their toes with unpredictable action beats. This postapocalyptic tale of espionage and romance will have readers eager to know what happens next. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)