Molly Keating has spent two years in hell. It had been an ordinary early morning on her way to the gym when she and her car got run over by a drunk driver – who was driving a ten ton truck. Needless to say, her car was totaled. Unfortunately, so was her lower left leg. It took the Jaws of Life to free her from her mangled vehicle, during which she spent three hours in agonizing pain, very close to death. The next two years saw her having operation after operation, and getting used to her prosthetic limb. The accident was crushing; Molly was only weeks away from competing in the Commonwealth games at the time. Now, she doesn't even know who won and has given up hope of ever running again.

She has also given up on finding a man with whom to spend the rest of her life. Every man she has dated since the accident has run in the opposite direction as soon as they found out about her leg. Molly is now a different person than she was before the accident; she's cynical, defeated, and she has lost a huge chunk of herself. In the past two years, she has accomplished much in the way of recovery, except to thank the firefighters who saved her life. One firefighter in particular climbed into her unstable car to be with her through the entire agonizing experience. He kept her from panicking, he comforted her in her time of great need, yet she cannot even remember his face. She doesn't remember anything about the accident except his smell and his voice, a blessing many would say, a curse would say others. Now he's up for auction in a charity event for the Fire Fighter's Fund, an organization that helps families who lose a loved one on the job. Molly believes the least she can do is 'purchase' him, take him to dinner and finally express her immense gratitude for all he did. She hadn't expected the raging inferno of an attraction to spring up between them without warning; she hadn't counted on his determination to show her she is still a very desirable woman. Could she count on him to be there for her in the future through thick and thin? Or will he split just like the other men when he finally sees her scarred stump? Can she trust him?

Mick Knight rues letting his best friend Nate talk him into being auctioned off, but just minutes before The Event, when he has to strut his stuff for a crowd of hungry women it's too late to back out, even as he pictures his hands throttling Nate's throat. Mick regrets agreeing, that is, before he finds out he has been purchased by Molly. For the past two years, she has never been far from his mind; his thoughts turn to her at some of the most inopportune times. When trapped in the wreck of her car, she hadn't panicked and she didn't go completely hysterical. She was one of the calmest accident victims he has ever come across, though she was very close to death and in agonizing pain. He is exuberant to finally see her again, only something about her is different. She has lost the spark from her eyes. She's changed, and is more cynical. Mick decides she needs to get her spark back, and their attraction to one another is surely the route to go. She needs convincing that his intentions are true at first, and remains unsure of whether she can trust him not to run when he sees her stump for the first time. They seem to fit together, and feel more for each other than friendship. His deepening feelings scare Mick, and rouse his fears of commitment, his fears of leaving a woman a widow as his dad did. He doesn't want to leave a woman to sink into the depths of depression, seemingly never to return. His determination not to hurt a woman to the depths of his soul send him running, but he has regrets about doing so from the beginning. Can Mick overcome his fears and worries about commitment and death on the job? Would he be able to win Molly back after running out on her in fear? What will it take for Mick to find peace with himself and his love for Molly?

Rose Middleton has written a tale that will draw you in and not let you go. The characters are fabulous and very well penned. Their emotions and feelings, fears and worries jump off the page at you and keep you 100% immersed in the story. Both Molly and Mick are scarred, not so much in a physical way (though there is no doubting that Molly's loss of her lower leg is devastating), but in an emotional one. Molly has had too many men run from her disfigurement, and Mick is intensely fearful of leaving a woman behind to grieve for him should he lose his life whilst on a job. So many firefighters go to an early grave, his own father included. The heat between them is high in the double figures (if not triple!), and uncontainable from the first. Their love-making is very sensual and remains within the traditional bounds of sex. No taboo acts in this storyline, I can assure you. Had there been, they would have been entirely out of place, for this is a heartwarming story that is fabulous if you need a little pick-me-up; you'll feel warmed through to the core. One Foot Forward is a fabulous tale that I shall definitely remember. It will remain in my keeper collection, and will most definitely be re-read. I cannot wait to get my hands on another of Ms. Middleton's tales!

Reviewed by: Elizabeth