Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: March 27th
How I got this book: review copy from author
As the owner of a flourishing Latin American crafts boutique, Karina Strauss should be basking in her success. Instead she’s worried about her troubled sister, the girlfriend—and prisoner—of drug lord Carlos Moreno. Kari wants no part of that life, but when she helps a friend cross into the United States illegally, two men on opposite sides of the law take notice: Moreno and Adam Cortez, the handsome border protection officer who lets Kari off the hook. It’s not just Kari’s tantalizing flash of skin that catches Adam’s attention—her drug cartel connections bring back the demons of his past.
Moreno demands that Kari smuggle a package for him in exchange for her sister’s freedom. Adam also gets dangerously close, tempting her to surrender and fulfill her wildest desires. As Kari prepares for the drug run, dark secrets, violent criminals, and deadly consequences lurk around every corner. But concern for her sister drives Kari toward a terrifying act, despite Adam’s warnings, despite her overwhelming fears—and despite the odds against coming out alive.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
After reading Sorenson’s The Edge of Night last year, I was impressed by her writing, her characters, and her ability to occasionally have me rooting for the bad guys. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed that book, and I am happy to say that Caught in the Act is just as wonderful.
Kari is all alone in the world except for her drug addict sister who is hooked up with a drug kingpin. All Kari wants is to run her store and get her sister some help. When two men come and threaten Kari – forcing her to run drugs for her sister’s freedom – Kari is at a loss for what to do. On top of that, a sexy border patrol agent starts hanging around, and Keri is caught between her desire to save her sister and her strong emotions towards Adam.
Adam loves his job as a customs and border patrol agent, but when he recognizes Kari crossing the border one day, his desire to do anything to bring down Carlos Moreno has him doing things he never imaged possible. But the more time he spends following and getting to know her, the more he starts to fall for her. When it’s obvious she is in over her head, Adam wants to help her out. But Adam is at a loss for how to do so without losing his job and her in the process.
I was amazed, again, at how Sorenson was able to make me feel for the bad guys in this book. Now, don’t get me wrong, there was still plenty of hate to go around, but two villains in particular stood out to me as conflicted and honorable (in their own screwed up way) characters. I found myself hoping that one in particular was really a good guy undercover, because his actions throughout the story kept endearing me to his character. Very few authors have ever had me cheering for the bad guys, and this is the second time Soreson has done so.
Of course the bad guys weren’t to be overshadowed by the good guys. I really loved that we got a bit of a twofer in the romance department. There were even times when I felt like our main hero and heroine were outshined by the secondary characters Ian and Maria. I absolutely adored their moments together. Ian was tender with Maria, especially given all that her knew about her history. Maria was such a strong and passionate woman, and given her history of violence, she came across as such an incredible person. Their moments together were so tender and yet the tension got higher and higher with each encounter.
Kari and Adam were also larger than life characters. The sexual tension between them was so sizzling that it literally jumped off the pages. I could feel their desires and attraction and hesitancies about getting involved with one another. I liked that they didn’t fall into bed with each other so easily, especially since it was so obvious that they were both hesitant. But once they did, it was also clear as day that they were both swarmed with feelings they weren’t ready for: Adam having to deal with his past relationships and Kari with feeling a bit of betrayal of her sister. While it seemed as if their happily ever after came a little too quickly, I will admit to being turned into a puddle of goo with Adam’s declaration of love and devotion. It might be one of the best I’ve ever read.
I can only hope that Sorenson continues to create a series out of these characters. With the way that this book ended, it seems as if the potential for Ian and Maria to get their story is high. Not only is their HEA left up in the air, but there are also so many questions surrounding the final showdown, who survived and who didn’t. I NEED to know how it all wraps up, especially since I’ve already become so attached to these characters.
All in all I was so happy with this read. The action was never ending, kept the story moving and me on the edge of my seat. The suspense isn’t super mysterious, but the unpredictability of the drug dealers kept me guessing as to where the story would go next. And with TWO great romances, the book was steamy and sexy from cover to cover.
I give Caught in the Act a B+
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