Vicious Cycle

April 20, 2015
Ashley (The Proposition) piles on graphic raunch in this biker-themed series starter, which fits neatly into the contemporary romance genre of good girls and the very bad boys who love them. Deacon Malloy, the sergeant at arms for the Hell's Raiders motorcycle club, has made it his life's work to care for his adoptive familyâeven if it means using his fists. When he learns he has a young daughter, Willow, his world of chrome and blood must shift to include hair ribbons and ballet. Kindergarten teacher Alexandra Evans has developed a special bond with Willow, and she goes above and beyond when Willow's life is threatened by a rival motorcycle club. Having broken through Deacon's daughter's reserve, can Alex reach Deacon's heart before war erupts? The explicit, sometimes overly graphic language and dramatic events detract slightly from an otherwise deliciously raw and gritty story. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

May 1, 2015
Alexandra Evans finds out why Willow, her best student, has not been in school: her father, David Deacon Molloy, sergeant-at-arms of the Hells Raiders motorcycle club, is keeping her home to keep her safe. Alexandra offers to tutor her there after school, and thus begins the romance between a very good gal and a very bad guy. Alex and Deacon fall hard for each other, despite their different backgrounds. It turns out that Siegel, the enemy from a rival club who killed Willow's mother, is now after Willow, and soon makes Alex a target, too. Alex decides to get back at Siegel without telling Deacon, and she manages to do so in a stunning climax, forcing Deacon to admit how much he loves her. This is a motorcycle-club romance with lots of sex talk and graphic sex, a slightly preposterous premise, and a classic happily-ever-after ending. Best-seller Ashley (Melody of the Heart, 2014) launches a new series with a tale that will appeal to fans of Julie Ann Walker, Tara Janzen, and Sarah Castille.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)