First published 2024
Luke Crosswhite comes back to his criminal family after years away. He finds them deep in the California desert, where his father sits in prison for a murder Luke watched happen. His uncle now fights for control while rival biker gangs move in on their territory. Luke has grown from a sensitive boy into a hardened man, but he still feels loyalty to his old friend Callie. She has made plans with her boyfriend Pretty Baby to break free from the gang called the Combine. The gang lives by one rule, marked permanently on their hearts: Blood Is Love. Luke must choose between family loyalty and escape as violent pressures close in around him. This story captures the brutal reality of the American West through Luke's struggle between the bonds that tie him and the freedom he craves.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, crime, thriller, action, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: California, California Desert
Period: 21st-Century
290 pages · Paperback · Little, Brown Paperbacks
Content warnings: violence