New Ink on Life

Starred review from April 22, 2019
Davids’s debut, first in the Thorn and Thistle contemporary series, blends a delightfully nuanced opposites-attract romance with real-world issues of health and healing. MJ Flores is struggling to keep her tattoo studio, the Thorn & Thistle, in the black. She’s also trying to overcome the betrayal of her former business partner and girlfriend. She’s hardly in the mood to take on a new apprentice, much less the quiet and painfully shy woman who’s asking for a job. Cassie Whiteaker endured extensive treatments for breast cancer, and expects to be declared cancer-free in a few months. She is determined to start living again. When she arrives at the shop, she’s dismayed to find her new boss floundering. MJ agrees to let Cassie use her business skills to keep the shop going in return for lessons in how to be a badass tattoo artist. As their partnership develops into a passionate and profound love, both Cassie and MJ find a new strength to fight for their shop, their art, and each other. The protagonists are vibrant and their connection is honest and real. This moving and deeply fulfilling romance marks the launch of a very promising series. Agent: Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary.

May 1, 2019
MJ Flores is desperately trying to keep her tattoo shop, Thorn & Thistle, from going under. The last thing she needs is a wannabe tattoo artist with a Mary Poppins personality who wants to learn how to ink. But since Cassie Fletcher, who has had breast cancer, comes with a recommendation from MJ's old mentor, MJ is willing to cut Cassie some slack. In exchange for her help in increasing foot traffic to the store, MJ will not only help Cassie with her apprenticeship, but also teach her how to say "no" to people taking advantage of her niceness. On the upside, Cassie's business skills just might help get Thorn & Thistle out of its financial hole. On the downside, MJ just might regret her promise to teach Cassie how to say "no" when it turns out that she really wants Cassie to say "yes" to her. In this emotionally intense and searingly sensual debut, Davids delivers a superbly crafted and flawlessly executed story about the redemptive power of love that also deftly explores the challenges cancer survivors face.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)