Interesting romantic suspense story

Jill Sorenson does a very effective job, early on in Caught in the Act, of showing how a previously law-abiding young woman might get dragged into smuggling people and perhaps even drugs. When Kari Strauss’s friend Maria Santos asks for help to cross to the US, Kari agrees. She’s terrified as she crosses the border, but not so terrified that she fails to notice dishy border control agent Adam Cortez.

Adam notices Kari, too--and it’s not just her looks but her surname. Kari’s sister is the girlfriend of the local drug lord, someone whom Adam has been trying to catch for several years. So Adam starts trying to get to know Kari in order to find out what part she’s playing in the drug operation. At the same time, Kari’s sister is being threatened, and Kari is instructed to transfer some drugs across the border in order to keep her sister safe. Will Kari go ahead with the drug running? Can she rescue her sister? Can Adam keep his focus and his job?

I really enjoyed Caught in the Act. The setting (the border between Mexico and the USA) works really well to illustrate some of the difficult choices Kari has to make and her sense of responsibility to Maria. In fact, for me Maria is the outstanding character in this story--a really strong young woman who appears to have overcome some awful events in her life and who is loyal, hardworking and brave. The way this story ends, it looks as though there might be a further book focusing on Maria. I hope so.

Caught in the Act focuses on issues of trust and responsibility and weaves a good story around them. Although a few sections are beset by plot holes, overall I really enjoyed reading this and I hope that this author continues on with the story of Maria.