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SBC Fighters #1
Causing Havoc
Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve—who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight belt was hard.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
About the author
Lori Foster
478 books11.3k followersSince first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.
Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.
Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/
Career Highlights
•In 2001, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy.
•In 2002, Lori’s book Too Much Temptation was the top-selling romance title for Amazon books.
•In 2003, Say No To Joe was the second “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for Waldenbooks.
•In 2004, Lori Foster was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle.
•In 2004, The Secret Life of Bryan was the “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for the BGI group.
•In 2005, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Contemporary Romance.
•In 2006, Jude’s Law was the “Bestselling Romantic Comedy” romance title for the BGI group.
•In 2007, Lori launched a new “urban fantasy” series under the name L.L. Foster. See more on her “dark side” at www.llfoster.com.
•In 2007, Causing Havoc was among Amazon’s Top Ten Editor’s picks in Romance.
•In 2008, Hard to Handle made #2 on The New York Times.
•In 2009, Servant: The Acceptance was Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance.
•In 2010, Lori was a clue in the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle.
Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.
Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/
Career Highlights
•In 2001, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy.
•In 2002, Lori’s book Too Much Temptation was the top-selling romance title for Amazon books.
•In 2003, Say No To Joe was the second “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for Waldenbooks.
•In 2004, Lori Foster was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle.
•In 2004, The Secret Life of Bryan was the “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for the BGI group.
•In 2005, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Contemporary Romance.
•In 2006, Jude’s Law was the “Bestselling Romantic Comedy” romance title for the BGI group.
•In 2007, Lori launched a new “urban fantasy” series under the name L.L. Foster. See more on her “dark side” at www.llfoster.com.
•In 2007, Causing Havoc was among Amazon’s Top Ten Editor’s picks in Romance.
•In 2008, Hard to Handle made #2 on The New York Times.
•In 2009, Servant: The Acceptance was Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance.
•In 2010, Lori was a clue in the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
November 25, 2009
Honestly, the description on this book sounded stupid..
I was in the library looking for books to read over Thanksgiving Break and I saw a few books by Lori Foster and picked a bunch up. This happened to be one of them.
I've read a few books by Foster and overall I really like what she writes. Despite the contrived sounding back cover, the book ended up being funny.
The main character "Havoc" otherwise known as Dean, is a fighther with the SBC organization. He gets a letter from his sister that he doesn't really know asking him to come see her. Once he gets there, he meets Eve, a friend of his sisters. Things scorch between them, and while he's dealing with that he realizes someone may have bad intentions toward the family he doesn't know.
It sounds a little hokey.. but with the way Foster wrote it, it was funny and sweet. The sex scenes were definitely "red face" material lol. I really liked the characters and I felt invested in a happy ending.
All in all, another great book. And that teaches me to judge a book by it's... back cover? lol.
I was in the library looking for books to read over Thanksgiving Break and I saw a few books by Lori Foster and picked a bunch up. This happened to be one of them.
I've read a few books by Foster and overall I really like what she writes. Despite the contrived sounding back cover, the book ended up being funny.
The main character "Havoc" otherwise known as Dean, is a fighther with the SBC organization. He gets a letter from his sister that he doesn't really know asking him to come see her. Once he gets there, he meets Eve, a friend of his sisters. Things scorch between them, and while he's dealing with that he realizes someone may have bad intentions toward the family he doesn't know.
It sounds a little hokey.. but with the way Foster wrote it, it was funny and sweet. The sex scenes were definitely "red face" material lol. I really liked the characters and I felt invested in a happy ending.
All in all, another great book. And that teaches me to judge a book by it's... back cover? lol.
March 10, 2011
Never thought I would like a book about professional fighters, but I loved this one, read it three times in four years, marked it as a favorite, and put it on my keeper shelf. Only bought it because Lori Foster is one of my favorites and she is always an author I can count on. (It was not too melodramatic for me as I had a long lost younger brother who spent his childhood in Foster care – whereas I was adopted into a loving home - and looked me up decades later.) LF did a convincing job of siblings trying to reconnect.
The hero Havoc sucked me into the whole series, though I think this one is the best. He is HOT and tries so hard to be laid-back with the whole family connection and NOT being an older, dependable, protective brother. My roof was leaking at the time I read this book, so there I could relate. LOL. I liked Eve too. When Havoc meets her family was fun and believable. I felt the chemistry between Havoc and Eve was steamy. I could see their affair-turned-to-love happening as the pages turned and knew it was a given when she had her period and he brought ice cream. As a teenager I used to have a boyfriend that worked in an ice cream parlor and brought me rocky road. *Sigh*
The ‘who-done-it?’ kept me guessing; I can usually guess this aspect in romance books, so this was a nice change. The sub-romance plot between Jacki and Gregor was fun and enjoyable too. Not a big fan of tattoos, but the meaning of Havoc’s made me cry. So, yes, everything was firing on all cylinders for me with this one.
The hero Havoc sucked me into the whole series, though I think this one is the best. He is HOT and tries so hard to be laid-back with the whole family connection and NOT being an older, dependable, protective brother. My roof was leaking at the time I read this book, so there I could relate. LOL. I liked Eve too. When Havoc meets her family was fun and believable. I felt the chemistry between Havoc and Eve was steamy. I could see their affair-turned-to-love happening as the pages turned and knew it was a given when she had her period and he brought ice cream. As a teenager I used to have a boyfriend that worked in an ice cream parlor and brought me rocky road. *Sigh*
The ‘who-done-it?’ kept me guessing; I can usually guess this aspect in romance books, so this was a nice change. The sub-romance plot between Jacki and Gregor was fun and enjoyable too. Not a big fan of tattoos, but the meaning of Havoc’s made me cry. So, yes, everything was firing on all cylinders for me with this one.
September 3, 2014
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this one, thanks to my personal recommender, Lana. xx
I really enjoyed this one, thanks to my personal recommender, Lana. xx
April 10, 2020
This was an okay read. There were interesting moments, but I didn't believe the romance. I enjoyed the stories around Dean trying to reconnect with his sister more than him trying to hookup with Eve.
There was a level of suspense and a twist and you know I love my action, but this fell flat. It wasn't executed well.
I'll continue with the series eventually because I like Dean's sisters.
There was a level of suspense and a twist and you know I love my action, but this fell flat. It wasn't executed well.
I'll continue with the series eventually because I like Dean's sisters.
August 23, 2017
As usual I love every book in this series. Since I seem to do things backwards I already knew of Havoc and Eve. It was good reading to see how they came together and how Havoc found his sisters.
August 19, 2013
Damn, y'all. Another book soooo many ppl love that i absolutely loathed. I was torn between one star and two. I didn't hate everything i read, but i hated damn near all of it. =(
What was tolerable:
* The story. What i suffered through, anyway. A family torn apart, reconnecting later with sisters who didn't know about you. Good stuff, right? Should have been. =\
* Cam. I understand her feelings about accepting further help from Roger and how she didn't want to confuse her gratitude with love for him. I even understand her aversion to Dean's help. Again, i thought she was trying to avoid confusion here...didn't want Dean to think she wanted his financial help more than she wanted to know him. Maybe this gets explained later but i'll never know.
What i hated:
* The too-perfect hero and his merry band of brothers. Ok, so i only got through enough of the book to meet Gregor, but whatever. I couldn't take it anymore!
* Insta-love, just add water! Dean and Eve. Gregor and Jacki. Sick and tired!!
* Eve. She was more worried about what Cam (her BFF) would think about her "easy" demeanor with a stranger than she ever was about the fact that she was sleeping with her friends's long-lost brother. As far into the book as I got, there was no mention of her caring what it might do to their friendship if her "relations" with Dean went to shit. And speaking of Dean...now this is a personal preference, but i HATE it when we get too physical in front of, oh everyone! His family, hers. A restaurant full of people. Really? And don't get me started on her walking around bra-less. Get all-the-way dressed, you're a grown ass woman! A grown ass woman who was on her period but still put on sexy underwear. Riiiight. Look, dude ranch, if you insist on coming over here knowing full well what time it is, you're doing so at your own risk. I'll be damned if i'm gonna try to be sexy for you when i'm...calm down, it's just a book! I really should have given Eve her own separate review. I also found it absurd that she couldn't discuss masturbation like a goddamned adult, but didn't flinch after she got molested in front of her entire family, or tongued-down in front of his family and the innocent restaurant goers...or, most importantly, when Dean mentioned having sex with her during her cycle. WTF?!!? Talking about masturbation makes you squeamish, but you'll beg him to fuck you? OK. I hate her. So this bit isn't all on the character of "Eve", but the first impression of Roger was that he was interested in Eve, then as the story progressed I didn't feel that way about him anymore. Nothing gets me going like a good love triangle, but it seemed that the author started down the road with Roger secretly wanting Eve and then blew a tire and caught a ride in the other direction, settling for Roger simply noting Eve's attractiveness but wanting only Cam.
* Jacki. Oh-em-gee, Jacki. You're concerned about your boobs, and being rushed into getting physical...so you grab Gregor's hand and force him to grope you? Makes perfect sense to me. Look, i know what it's like to want something you don't have. I'm a black woman with no ass whatsoever. NONE! You learn to work with what you DO have. It would have made more sense for a young teen to be so insecure, but Jacki was too old not to realize that men were attracted to her despite her lack of rack. Or that she was hot, by all accounts in this book. You'd think she'd never had a guy be interested in her at all. Ever. Gregor had already seen what she did, er...didn't, have. For shit's sake, obviously he's not a breast man. And i just couldn't pity a tall, skinny, blonde, beautiful woman who people gravitate toward so much that it intimidates others. Talk about the short end of the stick, you poor baby! How does she find the strength to get out of bed in the morning?
It may not be fair but i'm just done with the tortured hero/heroine who thinks he/she is ugly for no good reason. Give me something truly disfiguring, something that really puts ppl off and show me a character suffering with that and trying to feel beautiful in spite of. Just don't give me a runway model who doesn't feel worthy of the hot guy because she's not a Victoria's Secret model. What a world, what a world!!
What was tolerable:
* The story. What i suffered through, anyway. A family torn apart, reconnecting later with sisters who didn't know about you. Good stuff, right? Should have been. =\
* Cam. I understand her feelings about accepting further help from Roger and how she didn't want to confuse her gratitude with love for him. I even understand her aversion to Dean's help. Again, i thought she was trying to avoid confusion here...didn't want Dean to think she wanted his financial help more than she wanted to know him. Maybe this gets explained later but i'll never know.
What i hated:
* The too-perfect hero and his merry band of brothers. Ok, so i only got through enough of the book to meet Gregor, but whatever. I couldn't take it anymore!
* Insta-love, just add water! Dean and Eve. Gregor and Jacki. Sick and tired!!
* Eve. She was more worried about what Cam (her BFF) would think about her "easy" demeanor with a stranger than she ever was about the fact that she was sleeping with her friends's long-lost brother. As far into the book as I got, there was no mention of her caring what it might do to their friendship if her "relations" with Dean went to shit. And speaking of Dean...now this is a personal preference, but i HATE it when we get too physical in front of, oh everyone! His family, hers. A restaurant full of people. Really? And don't get me started on her walking around bra-less. Get all-the-way dressed, you're a grown ass woman! A grown ass woman who was on her period but still put on sexy underwear. Riiiight. Look, dude ranch, if you insist on coming over here knowing full well what time it is, you're doing so at your own risk. I'll be damned if i'm gonna try to be sexy for you when i'm...calm down, it's just a book! I really should have given Eve her own separate review. I also found it absurd that she couldn't discuss masturbation like a goddamned adult, but didn't flinch after she got molested in front of her entire family, or tongued-down in front of his family and the innocent restaurant goers...or, most importantly, when Dean mentioned having sex with her during her cycle. WTF?!!? Talking about masturbation makes you squeamish, but you'll beg him to fuck you? OK. I hate her. So this bit isn't all on the character of "Eve", but the first impression of Roger was that he was interested in Eve, then as the story progressed I didn't feel that way about him anymore. Nothing gets me going like a good love triangle, but it seemed that the author started down the road with Roger secretly wanting Eve and then blew a tire and caught a ride in the other direction, settling for Roger simply noting Eve's attractiveness but wanting only Cam.
* Jacki. Oh-em-gee, Jacki. You're concerned about your boobs, and being rushed into getting physical...so you grab Gregor's hand and force him to grope you? Makes perfect sense to me. Look, i know what it's like to want something you don't have. I'm a black woman with no ass whatsoever. NONE! You learn to work with what you DO have. It would have made more sense for a young teen to be so insecure, but Jacki was too old not to realize that men were attracted to her despite her lack of rack. Or that she was hot, by all accounts in this book. You'd think she'd never had a guy be interested in her at all. Ever. Gregor had already seen what she did, er...didn't, have. For shit's sake, obviously he's not a breast man. And i just couldn't pity a tall, skinny, blonde, beautiful woman who people gravitate toward so much that it intimidates others. Talk about the short end of the stick, you poor baby! How does she find the strength to get out of bed in the morning?
It may not be fair but i'm just done with the tortured hero/heroine who thinks he/she is ugly for no good reason. Give me something truly disfiguring, something that really puts ppl off and show me a character suffering with that and trying to feel beautiful in spite of. Just don't give me a runway model who doesn't feel worthy of the hot guy because she's not a Victoria's Secret model. What a world, what a world!!
July 20, 2016
Dean aka: Havoc is set on a course he's not so sure about. When he was 9 years of age, he was sent to live with an uncle he didn't know; which took him from his two baby sisters. He receives a letter from his sister Cam and decides to head back to Harmony to, essentially, meet his sisters all over again. However, he does carry a bit of resentment with him and he's not sure he's ready to be a big brother at this stage in life.
Eve is Cam's best gal friend. She's an event coordinator and a bit of a free spirit. She has no problem going toe-to-toe with the best of them. She's a good loyal friend and she will push all your buttons, if she thinks it's for the best and right reasons.
Jacki and Cam are Dean's younger sisters. They still live in their childhood home with their Aunt Lorna. They have their own issues to work out that Dean isn't prepared to handle. He and his aunt have a hate relationship and which is clear as day the whole book.
Dean being back in town stirs up trouble. He tries to stay unattached while getting to know his sisters all while trying to seduce Eve in to her bed. While he's on a mission of making Eve his forever girl, someone sets out to make him leave town. Then there's Roger, Cam's kind of fiancé. He's got some issues all of his own. Next, you throw in to the mix Gregor, Dean's "frenemy" who want's to fight him in a SBC match AND become his little sister's new boyfriend... not to mention Aunt Lorna and her bad attitude... this all makes for one giant headache for Dean.
Can Dean make Eve see she's all he wants? Will he finally let go of the past and open his heart to his sisters? Will he successfully be able to find peace, love and acceptance? Pick up this book and find out what happens when Dean, Eve, Jacki, Cam, Roger, Gregor and Lorna all collide and what becomes of them all.
----------------------------------------------------
What I liked
1. I LOVED Gregor. He makes me laugh.
2. It was easy to figure out a small twist. (I felt it was blatantly obvious.)
3. Eve. She had a good backbone.
4. Good steam.
5. Gregor and Dean moments when they have good banter.
6. No real threat/outside forces to break up couples.
7. Once a couple, always a couple.
8. Gregor with Jacki.
9. Dean with Eve.
10. Loved that there were two love stories in this book and their endings.
11. I loved the ending.
-----------------------------------------------------
This story was told in multiple POV's, however a good portion of it was told from Dean and Eve's points.
I did feel at times that this story dragged for me; it felt a bit sluggish in a lot of areas and I found myself getting restless with wanting to finish the book. The other part that made me frustrated was Dean. I didn't like him most of the book while he tried to hold back from his sisters and worried more about his libido with Eve.
One more observation: I didn't feel a connection or ever think that Roger and Cam were in love. The whole book he seems like a slime-ball and that there's no real connection. So, when she declares she loves him it felt like a surprise as I didn't see any love between them the entire book.
Overall it's not a bad story, as I liked most of it. I just couldn't love it. Also, I did like seeing Gregor more then Dean, as Dean irritated me most of the book.
December 24, 2018
Dean Conor es un luchador de la SBC y está contento con eso. Hace años que es un lobo solitario por así decirlo, hasta que recibe una carta de su hermana. Una hermana, bueno en realidad dos, que hace muchos años que tuvo que dejar atrás. Irá a verlas solo para dejarles claro que él ha rehecho su vida y ellas deberían hacer lo mismo... O eso cree él.
El pueblo de Harmony tiene muchas cosas esperando por Dean, entre ellas a Eve, una mujer que vuelve loco a Dean, dos hermanas que no son lo que esperaba y que no quiere amar aunque le es imposible, y una tía que todavía lo odia sin razón alguna. Está claro que en su regreso no va a tener tiempo de aburrirse.
Hace muchos años que me leí esta serie, no me acuerdo de nada y estaba indecisa en que leerme y recordé estos libros. Me encanta ver a Dean intentando no querer a sus hermanas, y lo dulce que es con ellas y niega que haga tal cosa... Es que me dan ganas de comermelo a besos!!!! 😍
Realmente si que tengo que decir, que alguien podría quejarse de esto pero para mí la autora ha hecho bien, y es que la historia de Dean con Eve ha sucedido paralelamente con la historia con sus hermanas pero más en segundo plano. Para mi gusto esto ha estado muy bien, no que Eve me caiga mal, porque me encanta, pero sí que me resultaba más interesante ver cómo progresaba el amor fraternal de Dean antes que el que tenía con Eve.
Recomiendo mucho esta saga, es fácil de leer y no hay excesivo drama, al menos no al que yo estoy acostumbrada.
El pueblo de Harmony tiene muchas cosas esperando por Dean, entre ellas a Eve, una mujer que vuelve loco a Dean, dos hermanas que no son lo que esperaba y que no quiere amar aunque le es imposible, y una tía que todavía lo odia sin razón alguna. Está claro que en su regreso no va a tener tiempo de aburrirse.
Hace muchos años que me leí esta serie, no me acuerdo de nada y estaba indecisa en que leerme y recordé estos libros. Me encanta ver a Dean intentando no querer a sus hermanas, y lo dulce que es con ellas y niega que haga tal cosa... Es que me dan ganas de comermelo a besos!!!! 😍
Realmente si que tengo que decir, que alguien podría quejarse de esto pero para mí la autora ha hecho bien, y es que la historia de Dean con Eve ha sucedido paralelamente con la historia con sus hermanas pero más en segundo plano. Para mi gusto esto ha estado muy bien, no que Eve me caiga mal, porque me encanta, pero sí que me resultaba más interesante ver cómo progresaba el amor fraternal de Dean antes que el que tenía con Eve.
Recomiendo mucho esta saga, es fácil de leer y no hay excesivo drama, al menos no al que yo estoy acostumbrada.
August 12, 2017
First things first, I'm so excited to finally know what sbc stands for since no one warned me that this series predated the ultimate series (seriously goodreads needs to make the whole thing a series then with each individual series also indicated like I've seen on other books)! But seriously as much as I bitched about the ultimate series coming so close to perfect but falling just short I missed them in this book. One of the things that draws you into the ultimate series is the sense of family and interconnectedness. They all love and respect one another and do whatever is needed no questions asked and nothing held over someone's head. This book was missing that. The characters we met like and respect each other but they business partners or colleagues not family, and we really don't get to see enough of them to make you really NEED to read the next of the series. H made an ok hero but (as one particularly awful interviewer said to me) he wasn't a fully formed person. he was a decent enough character but the author never gave me any insights as to his motives for things. Like why was he so uncomfortable with people telling him he was a good person? If she had given us a little more in that area then when he acted weird and sometimes jerky then I could've made allowances for the behavior but since I didn't understand the why it was just offputting. The heroine was likable enough but she wasn't really fully formed as a character either. This was a romance story where the romance was secondary...like really secondary. This story was really about H reconnecting with his family with a little romance thrown in because romance is fosters wheelhouse. I think if I had read things on the proper order I would've liked this book more, but after reading the ultimate series it feels like she pulled punches with the storyline of this one. She went through the trouble of setting up a villain even giving us douchey evil thoughts in the person's pov...then at the end they're actually an ok person and all's well that ends well? Maybe all other things I could've reconciled to this ending but the person's own inner thoughts made them the bad guy the sudden flip didn't jive. Overall this was a book that just kinda skimmed the surface in every aspect. Good plot idea and decent writing but light on character development, romantic development, and plot development. Enjoyable, but a let down after other books.
June 28, 2023
This would have been a 4-star or even a 4.5 if it weren't for the ending.
January 8, 2016
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Welcome to our first Flashback Friday review post!! I'm so excited about this feature on the blog where we go back and read some of our all time favorite books and the review them for you. I love to re-read books over and over and I'll admit I've probably read Causing Havoc by Lori Foster at least 10 times and I never tire of it. We hope you'll enjoy as we go back present some of our favorite books and who knows maybe you'll discover a hidden gem you didn't know about.
Never had I ever even thought of reading a book about an MMA fighter until I started reading everything Lori Foster had ever written and as soon as I read Causing Havoc I was hooked. There was something just so real about this story and to be honest in the first few pages of this book I wasn't sure I was going to like Dean "Havoc" Conor, but he won me over time and time again in this book.
The morning after a fight he came close to losing Dean gets a letter from his sister he hasn't seen in almost 20 years when he was taken by his uncle following his parent's death and his sisters remained with their aunt. It was interesting watching Dean struggle with all the emotions of hearing from his sister and then even more so after he meets both Cam and Jacki. Being back in Harmony, Kentucky Dean finds it impossible to keep his distance as he planned and he never expected to meet Eve a woman who turns him sideways from the moment he lays eyes on her.
Dean is rough and gruff but he has a heart of gold and the more he become invested in his sister's lives and the more time he spends with Eve it becomes apparent that leaving isn't going to be easy. I loved the intensity between Dean and Eve, but more than that I enjoyed how easily they opened up to one another and shared pieces of their lives they hadn't shared with other people before.
Causing Havoc is light on the MMA fighting and while there was no mistaking the romance going on between Dean and Eve there was more to this story than that making it a very well rounded and entertaining book. Despite everything that Lori Foster has written since this book was first released back in 2007, it remains one of my favorite books by this author and Dean Conor is one of my favorite romance heroes ever.
Welcome to our first Flashback Friday review post!! I'm so excited about this feature on the blog where we go back and read some of our all time favorite books and the review them for you. I love to re-read books over and over and I'll admit I've probably read Causing Havoc by Lori Foster at least 10 times and I never tire of it. We hope you'll enjoy as we go back present some of our favorite books and who knows maybe you'll discover a hidden gem you didn't know about.
Never had I ever even thought of reading a book about an MMA fighter until I started reading everything Lori Foster had ever written and as soon as I read Causing Havoc I was hooked. There was something just so real about this story and to be honest in the first few pages of this book I wasn't sure I was going to like Dean "Havoc" Conor, but he won me over time and time again in this book.
The morning after a fight he came close to losing Dean gets a letter from his sister he hasn't seen in almost 20 years when he was taken by his uncle following his parent's death and his sisters remained with their aunt. It was interesting watching Dean struggle with all the emotions of hearing from his sister and then even more so after he meets both Cam and Jacki. Being back in Harmony, Kentucky Dean finds it impossible to keep his distance as he planned and he never expected to meet Eve a woman who turns him sideways from the moment he lays eyes on her.
Dean is rough and gruff but he has a heart of gold and the more he become invested in his sister's lives and the more time he spends with Eve it becomes apparent that leaving isn't going to be easy. I loved the intensity between Dean and Eve, but more than that I enjoyed how easily they opened up to one another and shared pieces of their lives they hadn't shared with other people before.
Causing Havoc is light on the MMA fighting and while there was no mistaking the romance going on between Dean and Eve there was more to this story than that making it a very well rounded and entertaining book. Despite everything that Lori Foster has written since this book was first released back in 2007, it remains one of my favorite books by this author and Dean Conor is one of my favorite romance heroes ever.
August 15, 2011
I ended up liking this one a lot more than I thought I would. I don't know why I had some reservations about Lori Foster and thought I wouldn't really like her books. I picked this one up for a challenge and I'm very glad I did. Dean (Havoc) absolutely makes this book. And it's really more of his story and how he reconnects with his sisters anyway. I didn't dislike Eve but I felt like I never really got to know her as her own person. They had a lot of chemistry but she never came alive as a character for me. But I never felt like the book suffered for it. It just felt like it was more focused on Dean's journey and that's OK because he was sympathetic without being wimpy and watching him grow to show his feelings for the sisters he didn't grow up with was more than enough emotional growth for me.
June 5, 2010
Okay, darn it! Sucked into a series now. This was a good one and I didn't want it to end, mostly because of the sub-story romances, I wanted to see how those would unfold. PLEASE tell me Simon is the main character in one of the others of this series. However, I digress from my original review of this book. Havoc was HOT. I don't think there can be a more perfect male specimen out there. I enjoyed the plot of the book (him hooking up with his two sisters after haven't seen them since he was 9 years old) and I liked that he actually had a heart and the struggle with his feelings. This book more focused on the hero of the story when usually it is the heroine that is the main focus. Nice for a change of pace. Oh yes, and I've not ever read a book starring SBC fighters, so that was unique in its own right. I'm not sure I can look at the sport the same again. ;-)
June 27, 2008
I read it in a few hours. It was not as good as the first SBC book I read by Lori Foster but it was decent. I actually wanted to read more about the secondary characters, Jacki and Gregor but they weren't mention much. I should see if she wrote a book on their relationship. It is sexy but she has written much better. I didn't go to sleep until it was all read so I was hooked. It only gets the three stars because I have read better work from this author.
June 21, 2014
Really enjoyed Dean as a hero, and I loved Jacki and Gregor's relationship... Looking forwards to reading Simon's story! 4.5 stars
Read
October 26, 2017What a twist at the end.
March 23, 2017
Muy buenas críticas pero no me ha gustado nada, me ha aburrido mucho, ha habido instanlove y el "malo de la película" me ha parecido demasiado de culebrón
September 9, 2012
This was ok... I've read The Men Who Walk the Edge of Honour series and I wasn't super taken with them either. There's just something about Foster's characters and storylines that I don't particularly dig. To me a lot of the characters, the men especially, seem one-demensional and her plots are unrealistic.
At first this read too much like a Cinderella story, with the evil aunt squandering the Conor sisters' inhertiance, while the oldest sister works hard to keep everything afloat. After receiving a letter from his sister, their long lost brother, MMA superstar Dean "Havoc" Conor, arrives to Harmony, Kentucky to save the day, and ultimately falls in love with one of the sister's best friends, Eve.
Suddenly, when Dean decides that maybe sticking around in Harmony might not be that bad of an idea, weird things start happening: his tires are slashed, a ladder rung is tampered with to cause injury, Dean and his friend are shot at with paintballs. The plot twist happens quickly, which I felt more confused by then surprised, and it seemed a little unbelievable. It was also barely touched on, quickly skipped over, so that we could get to an even more abrupt HEA ending.
I suppose the transition Dean makes from hard-ass, alone, determined, strong fighter to overproctective big brother and family man is endearing, but more often than not I felt confused by his feelings. He's determined that Eve and his sisters see him as someone who doesn't really care, and it makes him angry when they begin to suggest that he's kind and loving. Generally, I found Dean to be sex driven and stoic.
I wouldn't mind seeing a story between Dean's youngest sister, Jacki, and Dean's SBC fighter friend, Gregor, however. Because although Gregor seemed totally sex driven as well, the flirtations between him and Jacki were cute. And it would be even more interesting if Dean's other sister, Cam, lost her initial loser love interest and hooked up with Dean's sexy sounding trainer, friend and manager, Simon. Only time will tell.
At first this read too much like a Cinderella story, with the evil aunt squandering the Conor sisters' inhertiance, while the oldest sister works hard to keep everything afloat. After receiving a letter from his sister, their long lost brother, MMA superstar Dean "Havoc" Conor, arrives to Harmony, Kentucky to save the day, and ultimately falls in love with one of the sister's best friends, Eve.
Suddenly, when Dean decides that maybe sticking around in Harmony might not be that bad of an idea, weird things start happening: his tires are slashed, a ladder rung is tampered with to cause injury, Dean and his friend are shot at with paintballs. The plot twist happens quickly, which I felt more confused by then surprised, and it seemed a little unbelievable. It was also barely touched on, quickly skipped over, so that we could get to an even more abrupt HEA ending.
I suppose the transition Dean makes from hard-ass, alone, determined, strong fighter to overproctective big brother and family man is endearing, but more often than not I felt confused by his feelings. He's determined that Eve and his sisters see him as someone who doesn't really care, and it makes him angry when they begin to suggest that he's kind and loving. Generally, I found Dean to be sex driven and stoic.
I wouldn't mind seeing a story between Dean's youngest sister, Jacki, and Dean's SBC fighter friend, Gregor, however. Because although Gregor seemed totally sex driven as well, the flirtations between him and Jacki were cute. And it would be even more interesting if Dean's other sister, Cam, lost her initial loser love interest and hooked up with Dean's sexy sounding trainer, friend and manager, Simon. Only time will tell.
June 30, 2016
My Rating 4 out of 5
I really loved this book! Lori Foster is one of my favorite authors. She has a way of infusing humor into every situation. She writes great dialogue and great characters.
Quite honestly the blurb sounded really ridiculous. It made this book sound so stupid! In reality the book is more romance than romantic suspense. Which is fine, but I would have liked more suspense.
Dean is a very like able character, is almost too perfect except for his fear of getting close to his sisters. He's considerate, humble and is tremendously successful. Sounds perfect. Too perfect. I mean how can you resist a guy who saved an old lady once? His interactions with his sisters are cute, but stilted. Which is understandable. His reaction to Eve is very insta love and too good to be true.
Eve was a great character. Smart, witty and fun.She knows what she wants and she is going to get it. She doesn't make a huge deal about sleeping with Dean the day after she meets with him. Which is nice. I hate it when authors have the main character have a crisis after sleeping with a guy. She is loyal to her friends and has a hilarious family.
The plot was good, it moved quickly. There was no lull, however the addition of the suspense part seemed a little misplaced. It was a little rushed. It was still good though. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Book Review also on my website!
I really loved this book! Lori Foster is one of my favorite authors. She has a way of infusing humor into every situation. She writes great dialogue and great characters.
Quite honestly the blurb sounded really ridiculous. It made this book sound so stupid! In reality the book is more romance than romantic suspense. Which is fine, but I would have liked more suspense.
Dean is a very like able character, is almost too perfect except for his fear of getting close to his sisters. He's considerate, humble and is tremendously successful. Sounds perfect. Too perfect. I mean how can you resist a guy who saved an old lady once? His interactions with his sisters are cute, but stilted. Which is understandable. His reaction to Eve is very insta love and too good to be true.
Eve was a great character. Smart, witty and fun.She knows what she wants and she is going to get it. She doesn't make a huge deal about sleeping with Dean the day after she meets with him. Which is nice. I hate it when authors have the main character have a crisis after sleeping with a guy. She is loyal to her friends and has a hilarious family.
The plot was good, it moved quickly. There was no lull, however the addition of the suspense part seemed a little misplaced. It was a little rushed. It was still good though. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Book Review also on my website!
September 26, 2010
The story was too ordinary and sweet for me. It was not entertaining enough. I prefer wittier dialogue and unexpected actions.
All the main characters are likeable and nice to each other. Couples fall in love at first sight. There are a couple of "bad guys" who cause conflict. I do not recommend it because there was nothing creative or unusual about it. I wasn't surprised or delighted. The book reminded me of normal conversations and actions of people living in a small town. I would have preferred wittier dialogue.
STORY BRIEF:
Dean is a mixed maritial arts fighter. His parents died when he was about 8. His uncle Grover raised him. His Aunt Lorna raised his two younger sisters, Cam and Jacki. Lorna hated Grover and Dean and never told his sisters that Dean existed. 21 years later Cam learns Dean exists and writes him. He visits and becomes involved in their lives. He also meets and immediately falls in love with Eve who is Cam's best friend.
DATA:
Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about four. Setting: current day Harmony, Kentucky. Copyright: 2007. Genre: contemporary romance with a little suspense.
All the main characters are likeable and nice to each other. Couples fall in love at first sight. There are a couple of "bad guys" who cause conflict. I do not recommend it because there was nothing creative or unusual about it. I wasn't surprised or delighted. The book reminded me of normal conversations and actions of people living in a small town. I would have preferred wittier dialogue.
STORY BRIEF:
Dean is a mixed maritial arts fighter. His parents died when he was about 8. His uncle Grover raised him. His Aunt Lorna raised his two younger sisters, Cam and Jacki. Lorna hated Grover and Dean and never told his sisters that Dean existed. 21 years later Cam learns Dean exists and writes him. He visits and becomes involved in their lives. He also meets and immediately falls in love with Eve who is Cam's best friend.
DATA:
Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about four. Setting: current day Harmony, Kentucky. Copyright: 2007. Genre: contemporary romance with a little suspense.
January 27, 2011
This book was a little disappointing and did not quite live up to my expectations.
Dean “Havoc” Conor lost his parents when he was 9 years old and his uncle took him away from his home and his younger sisters because his Aunt Lorna wanted it this way. In this time Dean has become a prize fighter and is very good at his chosen career.
Move forward 20 years when Dean receives a letter from his sister Camille asking him to come home to Harmony as she wants to meet him. He goes, not knowing what to expect. He has always thought that his sisters got the good end of it after their parents died because they got to stay in their own home but he finds out differently when he meets his sisters.
His romance with Camille’s friend Eve moved really fast, as it does with a lot of novels, but there was something missing from this one. Also the romance between Dean’s other sister Jacki and his fellow fighter Gregor moved even faster and there were some really corny statements.
There was a bit of a mystery that was written okay because I did not figure it out until we were told. I did start skipping through this book in some areas but all in all it was okay.
Dean “Havoc” Conor lost his parents when he was 9 years old and his uncle took him away from his home and his younger sisters because his Aunt Lorna wanted it this way. In this time Dean has become a prize fighter and is very good at his chosen career.
Move forward 20 years when Dean receives a letter from his sister Camille asking him to come home to Harmony as she wants to meet him. He goes, not knowing what to expect. He has always thought that his sisters got the good end of it after their parents died because they got to stay in their own home but he finds out differently when he meets his sisters.
His romance with Camille’s friend Eve moved really fast, as it does with a lot of novels, but there was something missing from this one. Also the romance between Dean’s other sister Jacki and his fellow fighter Gregor moved even faster and there were some really corny statements.
There was a bit of a mystery that was written okay because I did not figure it out until we were told. I did start skipping through this book in some areas but all in all it was okay.
October 9, 2011
I was surprised by how much I liked this one because I am not a fan of this type of fighting and I wasn't sure how much it would play into the storyline. It was negligible, just their profession. What it did bring to the table was some very alpha type men, which is always fun.
Dean didn't seem like the typical fighter or even pro athlete, usually their sport defines them. With Dean he seemed to not want to define by anything. I loved how the letter from his sister threw him off and caused instant action in him. Then having to deal with the reality of sisters seemed to overwhelm him. He wasn't sure what to do with them or how to react.
I loved the romance with Eve. How they met was great, how the met the second time was even better. It was great to see each of them open up to the other in ways they didn't with other people.
I also loved the other fighters that came and the drama that came with them. The drama with Roger and Lorna was blah.
I can't wait to read the next book.
Dean didn't seem like the typical fighter or even pro athlete, usually their sport defines them. With Dean he seemed to not want to define by anything. I loved how the letter from his sister threw him off and caused instant action in him. Then having to deal with the reality of sisters seemed to overwhelm him. He wasn't sure what to do with them or how to react.
I loved the romance with Eve. How they met was great, how the met the second time was even better. It was great to see each of them open up to the other in ways they didn't with other people.
I also loved the other fighters that came and the drama that came with them. The drama with Roger and Lorna was blah.
I can't wait to read the next book.
April 18, 2016
Orphaned at nine, Dean "Havoc" Conor has grown into a tough-as-nails extreme fighter happy to live a solitary life. When he receives a letter from his two little sisters, who he hasn't seen in the twenty years since their parents died, Dean reluctantly decides to honor their request and return home to Harmony, Ky. Once there, he finds that the aunt who raised his sisters has squandered most of their inheritance and that one of his sisters, Cam, is engaged to a sleaze named Roger. He also meets Cam's best friend, Eve Lavon, an opinionated beauty who already has the commitment-phobic Dean figured out. However, if Dean's going to drive off Roger and figure out why someone in Harmony is trying to kill him, he'll need Eve's help—and he'll have to confront his growing feelings for her. More interesting, though, is Dean's struggle to become the family man his sisters need, a transformation that Foster executes with skill, elevating the tight if typical romance plot with convincing, heartfelt family drama.
November 27, 2014
I have read other Lori Foster books and have loved them but this book did not fall in that category. I feel as if the plot was common and then to throw the readers off, Foster ended the story with a twist that just didn’t seem to make sense to me.
Havoc and Eve were good characters but they weren’t great in my eyes and I just had a hard time really rooting for them to have any kind of relationship. I rooted more for Jacki and the guy she runs into (I won’t say his name so it can be a surprise) than Havoc and Eve. I also didn’t see any appeal that Roger brought to the relationship with Cam, Havoc’s sister. He seemed like such a jerk throughout the whole book but she still loved him. Roger never treated her nicely for her to love him. That was confusing for me.
Also, I get where the money went but I feel like it could have been a little more thought out than where it ended up. Like, maybe someone was sick and that is where all the inheritance went instead of the aunt spending it all before the girls realized that they had trust funds.
I don’t know…
Havoc and Eve were good characters but they weren’t great in my eyes and I just had a hard time really rooting for them to have any kind of relationship. I rooted more for Jacki and the guy she runs into (I won’t say his name so it can be a surprise) than Havoc and Eve. I also didn’t see any appeal that Roger brought to the relationship with Cam, Havoc’s sister. He seemed like such a jerk throughout the whole book but she still loved him. Roger never treated her nicely for her to love him. That was confusing for me.
Also, I get where the money went but I feel like it could have been a little more thought out than where it ended up. Like, maybe someone was sick and that is where all the inheritance went instead of the aunt spending it all before the girls realized that they had trust funds.
I don’t know…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2016
WOW!! incredible. I did not want to put this book down at all. I even found myself reading at work ^_^, it was HOT, it was SEXY, totally not what I expected for the ending, but in all I'm happy everybody got there happily ever after. the description for the book it's actually correct. it should go more along the lines like this maybe.
Dean is a fighter all his life he's non nothing but discipline til' he gets a letter that throws his world upside down. Just when Dean thought he could show up and stay unattached his feelings go and throw a right hook to his heart. Will he be able to over come all these new feelings? or will he give up and go back to how things were?
Eve is just a small town girl working hard for everything she wants until one hot, sexy stud walks into the bar she's at and turns her world on it's axis. Will she be able to fight these feelings so her heart doesn't get torn out and stomped on? or will she find there's more there than either of them can fight?
Dean is a fighter all his life he's non nothing but discipline til' he gets a letter that throws his world upside down. Just when Dean thought he could show up and stay unattached his feelings go and throw a right hook to his heart. Will he be able to over come all these new feelings? or will he give up and go back to how things were?
Eve is just a small town girl working hard for everything she wants until one hot, sexy stud walks into the bar she's at and turns her world on it's axis. Will she be able to fight these feelings so her heart doesn't get torn out and stomped on? or will she find there's more there than either of them can fight?
August 9, 2015
Lori Foster brings her signature strengths -- great humor, engaging characters, and sizzling passion- to this contemporary love story and family drama. It centers around extreme fighter Dean "Havoc" Connor, a self-reliant, rolling-stone kind of guy, whose world turns upside down with one letter from his sister, Cam. He hasn't seen her since he was eight, when their parents were killed in a car crash; he was dispatched to live with his uncle Grover while his two younger sisters got to stay at home in Harmony, Kentucky, with their aunt Lorna.
I really enjoyed this book. Dean was an interesting person and watching how his relationship with his sisters progressed was sweet. The whole relationship dynamic was well explored in this story, from body confidence issues to independence issues. I also loved the twist at the end. This was a sizzling story about people I could relate to and cared about and I am looking forward to reading Simon's,(Dean's agent),story.
I really enjoyed this book. Dean was an interesting person and watching how his relationship with his sisters progressed was sweet. The whole relationship dynamic was well explored in this story, from body confidence issues to independence issues. I also loved the twist at the end. This was a sizzling story about people I could relate to and cared about and I am looking forward to reading Simon's,(Dean's agent),story.
July 18, 2013
I honestly had a hard time getting over Dean being an ass.
I get it he wanted Eve. But, his off hand comments about his long lost sisters he JUST came to see. Ugh. It drove me nuts. He answered the letter. He had the tattoo. He had feeling for them. He dropped everything to go to Cam after he got the letter. But yet he acted so aloof about it all. Like he didn't care about anything but getting into Eve's pants. It wasn't until Geregor comes does he turn in the brotherly direction. .
I got the feeling he was paying them off by helping so he could get away and not feel bad.
Lorna. I was gonna throw the book if he magical loved her. Seriously. Yeah right. Then Randy?? (I can't remember and I read this, this morning. Bad sign for a book right)Cam's fiancé. I need a what the hell vent! Seriously. I had all kinds of problems with this part of the story.
I get it he wanted Eve. But, his off hand comments about his long lost sisters he JUST came to see. Ugh. It drove me nuts. He answered the letter. He had the tattoo. He had feeling for them. He dropped everything to go to Cam after he got the letter. But yet he acted so aloof about it all. Like he didn't care about anything but getting into Eve's pants. It wasn't until Geregor comes does he turn in the brotherly direction. .
I got the feeling he was paying them off by helping so he could get away and not feel bad.
Lorna. I was gonna throw the book if he magical loved her. Seriously. Yeah right. Then Randy?? (I can't remember and I read this, this morning. Bad sign for a book right)Cam's fiancé. I need a what the hell vent! Seriously. I had all kinds of problems with this part of the story.
March 11, 2012
**3.5 stars**
This book was very cute. The romance was a bit flat but the hero was just so well drawn. This is a really a book about him and how he reconnects with his sisters, which he hadn't seen in 20 years. It was also very interesting to know about his life as a MMA fighter. I knew next to nothing about that but the author did a good job explaining what it was a about.
There was a pseudo suspense plot that was poorly handled. Roger didn't seem to be the same person in the first half of the book and in the second half and I couldn't believe how the relationship between him and Cam was settled.
Overall though, I liked it well enough that I'll continue reading the series.
This book was very cute. The romance was a bit flat but the hero was just so well drawn. This is a really a book about him and how he reconnects with his sisters, which he hadn't seen in 20 years. It was also very interesting to know about his life as a MMA fighter. I knew next to nothing about that but the author did a good job explaining what it was a about.
There was a pseudo suspense plot that was poorly handled. Roger didn't seem to be the same person in the first half of the book and in the second half and I couldn't believe how the relationship between him and Cam was settled.
Overall though, I liked it well enough that I'll continue reading the series.
May 31, 2011
2.5 star
This book was really just okay for me. I read it in a day because of the bit of suspense that it had regarding Cam and her Aunt Lorna, but in the end that fell a little flat for me. Not a lot of romance in my opinion. All the characters felt very flat and not very developed.
Now with all that said, I am reading book two, because I believe that the first book in a series tends to be a little tedious. I am not giving up hope that the author will flesh out these characters a little better in the rest of the books. Well at least I hope…
Not a terrible read, just a blah read.
This book was really just okay for me. I read it in a day because of the bit of suspense that it had regarding Cam and her Aunt Lorna, but in the end that fell a little flat for me. Not a lot of romance in my opinion. All the characters felt very flat and not very developed.
Now with all that said, I am reading book two, because I believe that the first book in a series tends to be a little tedious. I am not giving up hope that the author will flesh out these characters a little better in the rest of the books. Well at least I hope…
Not a terrible read, just a blah read.
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