Rival moonshine distillers Hannah Hawkins and Javier Meza get married to present a united front against their common enemy, a band of vicious new players on the scene in their hometown of Harlan, Kentucky.

Hannah found herself at the helm of her recently deceased mother's empire and this is really the last thing she needs, but Javier is the heir to his father's business and could prove to be an amazing partner in the fight to come, and perhaps for a future neither of them dared dream of.

So absolutely delicious. The setting of Black Appalachia is a character in its own right and has opened up a whole new world to me (a white reviewer). The drama comes not from the romance, as it is pretty clear both Hannah and Javier are very much into their "fake" marriage from the start, but from their actions to ensure their family legacies and business. I loved the slow-burn but absolutely steamy development of Hannah and Javier's physical relationship while they teamed up to take down their enemy. The scene on the hood of Javier's car is FIRE.

Slaughter is a new to me author, and I cannot wait to read more!

CW for gun violence, parental death (off page), cancer death of a minor character, kidnapping (of adults).