Lori Foster, Causing Havoc

Causing Havoc

Lori Foster

Berkley, Feb 2007, $7.99

ISBN: 0425214230

SBC heavyweight champ extreme fighter Dean "Havoc" Connor has learned to ignore pain, but not because of the devastating holds of opponents. His life lessons came when he and his sisters became orphans. He was separated from his siblings, leading to his dependence on no one, growing up tough and refusing to take bunk from anyone.

Dean tastes havoc for the first time since his family was torn apart over two decades ago when he receives a letter from his sister Cam, whom he vaguely remembers as a small girl, begging him to visit her and his other sibling Jacki. Between fights, Dean travels to his hometown of Harmony, Kentucky, where he meets a close friend of his sisters, sassy Eve Lavon. They team up to prevent Jacki from making a monstrous marital mistake, but when he tries to court Eve she rejects his advances. The octagon seems like a school playground compared with keeping his family safe and winning Eve's love.

Lori Foster is at her best CAUSING HAVOC with this delightful combination family drama, romance, and a bit of a mystery that all blends together into a wonderful contemporary. Though Dean and Eve are the lead characters, the changing relationship between the fighter and his sisters make the tale work as Dean wants to avoid entanglements, but Jacki and especially Cam will not allow him to do so. A secondary romance between Jacki and Gregor enhance the novel with apparently Dean's manager next on the fight (make that romance) card.

Harriet Klausner