Caught in the Act (Men to Rescue) [Mass Market Paperback]

When we first met Mick Dawson, he was the teenage protector of the heroine in BEGUILED (1999). You could not help but be drawn to him, as he was adult-like then, helping to protect the heroine and manage an apartment building at the tender age of sixteen. I had hoped he would get his own story, and was pleased to learn that it would be a longer length novel, the first ever by Lori Foster.

Mick Dawson is now an undercover cop, somewhat a loner, but still a protector. He has been secretly observing a mysterious woman in his old neighborhood. One day he sees the chance to follow her but ends up taking a bullet meant for her in a robbery attempt. To Mick, it looked like the robbers were really trying to kill her. The lady turns out to be Delilah (Del) Piper. She is a mystery writer and also a loner. She thinks she is very capable of taking care of herself and doesn't understand why someone would be after her. She was just an innocent bystander. Her eccentric way of testing out plot devices for her books and interviewing criminals for research purposes couldn't possibly be related to the robbery/shooting. But Mick is so attractive.... So she invites Mick to her home so she can take care of him.

Mick looks at the invitation as a way to protect Del and to get to know her better. Once there, the relationship between the two heats up. It is apparent the bad guys think Del knows something, and it is up to Mick and Del to figure out why, before they get to her. In the course of the investigation, Mick has his youthful insecurities come back to haunt him. Can he trust Del? Evidence seems to suggest she knows more than she lets on. Will Mick find out the truth and get the bad guys? Will these two get together permanently? The action packed ending provides the answers.

The main characters are very compelling and likable. The story keeps you enthralled from the beginning and the reader guessing what will happen next. And of course the sizzling relationship between Mick and Del will give readers of romance what they want. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a nice mix of suspense, a little humor and hot romance. You will also get to meet once again characters from BEGUILED and WANTON, and get introduced to two new characters, Zack Grange and Josh Marshall. These men get their own stories in upcoming Temptations (TREAT HER RIGHT and MR. NOVEMBER).

In *Caught in the Act*, Lori Foster�s first single title, we re-visit old friends from previous books and are introduced to a couple more who will get their own stories in the upcoming months. But the main focus is on Mick Dawson, undercover cop, and Delilah (�Call me Del�) Piper, mystery writer. After Mick has spent a couple of weeks longingly watching Del jog each morning, he finally works up the nerve to introduce himself�only to get caught in a botched jewelry story holdup. While trying to protect Del, Mick is seriously injured and when he needs some nursing, Del volunteers. There�s something about Mick that attracts Del and rather than question the sanity of taking this stranger home with her, she goes with her instincts. Mick improves and the sexy writer drives him to the brink of insanity with her attention to his most basic needs. They forge a bond that gets stronger as the story goes on, so when Mick discovers that the robbery wasn�t the usual sort of heist and that someone is out to kill Del, he turns from lover to fierce protector. His resolve is strengthened when they learn someone is watching every move they make, especially their bedroom moves.
Before the story ends, near tragedy forces both to re-examine what their relationship means to each of them and where they go from that point on. *Caught in the Act* reunites Mick with Dane and Angel Carter from *Beguiled*, Alec and Celia Sharpe from *Wanton*, and introduces Zack Grange and Josh Marshall. In addition to being a hot romantic story, this book is a return to the brotherhood of male friends as found in the Buckhorn Brothers series and which this author does so well. The camaraderie touches your heart and the interaction and banter amongst this tight knit circle of males is what makes this book a keeper. I'm looking forward to Zach in *Treat Her Right* and Josh in *Mr. November*, both released later this year.

Lori Foster's latest book, CAUGHT IN THE ACT has readers buzzing. The much anticipated story of a character first introduced in a Special Release she shares with Jayne Ann Krentz, has readers hungry to get their hands on Mick Dawson's story. The fact that this is a longer novel (at nearly 300 pages), had this reader anxious to sit back and enjoy a little more time spent with these characters. We were first introduced to Mick in Beguiled as the heroine's landlord's son; then a gangly, reserved teen. A young man dealing with adult issues in a turbulent household. He helped the heroine, Angel, until her hero, Dane came along, but Ms. Foster knew that readers would want a success story for a young man mature beyond his years. Now Mick's all grown up. He's still reserved, and reluctant to trust others, but being a cop has much to do with his continued hesitance. That all changes the moment he spots Delilah Piper ambling past him on the street one afternoon. Mick is fascinated by her. He watches her. Even traces the route she jogs each day, which happens to be right past a restaurant that he and his two friends frequent. He sees her enter a jewelry store across the street from the eatery one rainy day, and decides it's his chance to make her acquaintance. Little did he know that he'd be caught in the middle of an armed robbery moments after entering the establishment! Mick becomes her hero, but his police instincts are on full alert when things don't add up, and it seems the object of his desire may have been targeted for murder. Could she be involved in some way? He wonders this even as he step in the line of fire and takes a bullet on her behalf. The attraction is mutual and intense for both "Del" and Mick. He knows he needs to protect her, since the assailants are still at large, but his personal feelings play a huge part in his decision to stay at her house while he recuperates from his injury. Her profession as a mystery novelist, and her unorthodox ways of writing her crime scenes give him pause; both for how she makes them realistic, but also for her safety while doing it, and the people she associates with while researching her books. Can Mick put his growing passion for this woman aside and do his duty as a cop if he finds she is involved with the jewelry store robbery? Or will his feelings take over his common sense, and ignore clues that will help him solve the crime? Ms. Foster has scored once again with her sexy characters and staunch loyalty of friends and family. Readers asked for more, and she answered the call with Caught In The Act. Mick's emotional scars will tug at your heartstrings, and the obvious single status of his friends, Zack and Josh, will have you clamoring for them to find a love for each, their own. A wonderful story of inner conflict and strength; this is a journey of a man who begins with a heart locked away because of his hurtful past, but opens it for a future with a woman who, with her love, has the power to heal it. Congratulations to Ms. Foster! A powerful in depth tale of love, heartache, trust, and truth. Caught In The Act has it all!