Getting Rowdy

While I have been fascinated with Rowdy since reading the first in this Love Undercover series I was actually not a big fan of his womanizing ways that bombarded the first part of this book. To tell the truth there is a scene in the first 1/4 of the book that almost lost me as a reader Rowdy receives oral sex from some random woman and Avery witnesses it and I just couldn't accept his reasoning that the faceless women helped him deal with his life. However by the end of the book I was caught up in everything that was Rowdy despite the spoiler section. He has a very strong protective streak that makes him a champion and pretty wonderful. His interactions with a young boy named Marcus was touching and helped give Rowdy even more depth. show more Unfortunately, the suspense part of this book, like the last, was very secondary to the character building. Meaning this book is more about the characters than the plot which falls right in my wheelhouse but might not work for other readers who love strong suspenseful plots. Overall this was a good book and I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it. show less

I have loved Rowdy from the very moment he burst into this series and have been looking forward to reading his story from the beginning. He so needed a HEA and I think Avery was perfect for him. At times his story was sad and other times I couldn't help but shake my head at his antics. He's just so damn lovable even when he's being a jerk. Hopefully there will be more books in this series (Dash and Cannon) because I can't wait to see peaks of his life as a married man and eventually a father (you just know he'll make a kick-ass father). Strongly recommend this book, but even though it can be read as a stand alone in order to get the full effect of his awesomeness it should be read in order.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Read for Book Tour (Book Trib)
Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon
Overall Rating: 5.00
Story Rating: 5.00
Character Rating: 5.00

Rowdy Rating: OFF THE FREAKING CHARTS!

First Thought when Finished: Getting Rowdy is the best in a series that is filled with great books!

Story Thoughts: Bad guys: Check! Bad Ass leading characters (Rowdy/Avery): Check! Visits from characters that I already know and love: Check! What does this equal? A book that I love and adore! I will put this on my reread shelf (not many books go there) and visit Rowdy again in the future. The action was fantastic, the love story very organic and real, and the characters were brilliant. You don't even have to read the rest of the series to enjoy Getting Rowdy though you will enjoy the show more other books too. Getting Rowdy was a page turner from beginning to end!

Character Thoughts: I loved bad-boy Rowdy Yates. He is that alpha male that gives off the "you can't have me for more than one night but you know that you want me" vibe. The great thing about those alphas is you know they will meet their kryptonite sooner or later. Avery was great kryptonite. She didn't play his games, did things on her own terms, and had enough stuff to deal with that she never asked more than he could give. They had explosive chemistry and off the charts sex appeal. Yep, I loved them!

Final Thoughts:Can I just say that I miss Rowdy already! show less

Avery Mullins, on the run for personal reasons that might be catching up with her, is working as a bartender in Rowdy Yates new bar. Rowdy is handsome, sexy, and every bit of a bad boy. He has been hitting on her ever since he saw her but she is determined not to be the next one-night stand in Rowdy's life.

Rowdy has reasons of his own to keep his relationships to one-night stands. He had a tough childhood and lives a dangerous life. He grew up taking care of his younger sister Pepper and keeping both of them out of trouble. Now Pepper has found her own love (Run the Risk) and doesn't need the same level of care. Rowdy has bought the bar but still doesn't see himself as settling down and changing his lifestyle.

When Avery's trouble show more catches up with her, she doesn't want to just bring out Rowdy's protective streak. She wants to handle her own problems and not put him in danger. Rowdy wants to be her protector and lover - and one night is no where near long enough to be with her.

I liked that both characters in this romance were strong people. Avery has gone from sheltered young woman to someone who was assertive and able to make it on her own. I also liked that she was confident enough to share her feelings with Rowdy without demanding that he reciprocate them. I also liked that both characters were vulnerable. Rowdy is exploring new territory because he has never had a relationship with a woman that lasted more than a day. It takes a while for Rowdy to realize that his desire to protect Avery and keep her safe from any danger was love.

I also liked getting a chance to catch up with some of the secondary characters who had been main characters in earlier books in the Lovers Undercover series. The book also introduces new characters - especially Cannon - who need their stories told too. It looks like Dash's story is coming next but I am also really curious about Cannon's.

This was a wonderful romantic suspense story. It had enough sexy romance to satisfy the most romantic and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. show less

Fantastic book. We first met Rowdy in Book 1 Run the Risk and he appeared again in Bare It All. He is the older brother of Pepper, who he spent his life protecting, until she married Logan Riske. He and Pepper had a rough childhood and he has never had a problem doing whatever he had to in order to keep her safe. His actions have gotten him into plenty of trouble in the past, but things are getting better. He has purchased a bar that he is running and mostly staying out of trouble. One of his best employees is Avery, a beautiful redhead that he wants to get a lot closer to. He's not used to women telling him no and that has him even more intrigued. When she starts receiving threats all his protective instincts come roaring to the show more surface.

I loved Rowdy and have from the beginning. His way of watching out for his sister, then Alice and now Avery shows that there is a really good heart under all those muscles and frowning looks. It isn't always obvious, especially with the way he goes through women. He is constantly fighting the demons of his past, and being with a woman is about the only thing that takes his mind off his troubles. He doesn't do relationships at all and makes sure that the women know it. He really wants Avery but she isn't letting him close. I loved the way he went all alpha protector the night he drove her home and saw where she lived. It got even better when he discovered she was being harassed. He was determined to protect her whether she wanted it or not. I loved seeing his confusion and frustration when she would stand up to him. He also found himself doing things with and for her that he had never done for anyone else and it really freaks him out. In spite of his extreme confidence in himself and his abilities he doesn't react well to a visit to her parents and what he thinks she is doing. It does serve as quite a catalyst to really push them together and things get hot really fast. I really enjoyed seeing Rowdy deal with things he has never experienced before. When she starts telling him she loves him he doesn't know how to deal with it, but realizes that he is starting to care for her.

Avery has been hiding out for a year, escaping from a situation that had become unbearable. She wants Rowdy but she has no intention of being just another in a long line of women. I really enjoyed seeing her hold him off for as long as she did. She is also very different than most of the women he goes after, being more restrained in her dress and actions. She's afraid when she starts getting strange phone calls, but she initially doesn't want to draw Rowdy into her problems. Once he makes it clear that he will help whether she wants it or not, she accepts his assistance. I really liked the way that she didn't take stupid chances and kept her head when bad things happened. I loved the scene behind the bar when Rowdy went after the drug guy. She really stood up to him about going to the hospital and then again when she insisted on taking care of him. I saw that as the real turning point in their relationship. It was great seeing her accept that she loved him, and also accept Rowdy for exactly who he was. She didn't try to change him or get him to admit feelings for her and has no plans to make a scene when the time comes Rowdy wants to end things. All she does is love him and tell him so frequently.

The action in the book is fantastic. Rowdy is the kind of guy who doesn't back down from a fight. From the time he takes her home the first time and takes out the drunks to the final confrontation with her stalker he lays it all on the line. I also enjoyed seeing him deal with both Logan and Reece. Because of his early life, and later problems with crooked cops, he has a problem with law enforcement and having his sister married to a cop still gives him a bit of trouble. I loved some of the interactions among the three of them as they tried to keep Rowdy from doing something stupid. As Rowdy learned more about the man threatening Avery he really wanted to do some serious harm. The final confrontation was really intense with a twist I was completely surprised by.

I also enjoyed the appearance of various characters. Seeing Logan, Pepper, Reece and Alice again was great, especially as they had important parts in the story and weren't just thrown in for the heck of it. The growing friendship between Pepper and Avery gave added insight into Rowdy and what has made him the man he is. The rescue of the little boy named Marcus from the druggie father who attacked Rowdy also gave us a chance to find out more about Rowdy's past, as did the way that he interacted with Marcus at Alice and Reece's house. I laughed when the female police lieutenant came into the bar and started putting the moves on Rowdy and the panicked phone call he made to Dash. I really can't wait to read his book. And finally, I loved the new guy, Cannon. He had some very interesting things to say and I really liked the things he did. I suspect that we will be seeing more of him. show less

Getting Rowdy is the sexy yet sweet third installment in Lori Foster's Love Undercover series. Bar owner Rowdy Yates and bartender Avery Mullins finally find their happily ever after but they have a few obstacles to overcome along the way. Avery is going to have to confront the past she has been running away from while Rowdy has to face the emotional wreckage from his childhood.

Rowdy Yates oozes sex appeal, he is über charming and women are drawn to him like flies to honey. He is always upfront that he is a no-strings, one night stand kind of guy and Avery Mullins is not planning on becoming his next conquest. When an incident at the bar leaves Rowdy in need of some tender loving care, Avery is the logical choice to stay with him and show more their relationship slowly evolves from friends to lovers.

OK, I admit I was not too sure about Rowdy in the beginning. The opening scene pretty much left me wondering what the heck Avery saw in him and I knew that warming up to him was not going to be easy. I am glad that I kept an open mind about him but my feelings about him were conflicted for a good portion of the novel. Having said that, Rowdy is a good guy, very protective of his loved ones and he does have a lot of great qualities. He is very slow to open up to Avery, but once he does, the healing process begins. And watching him figure out his feelings for Avery? Sooo sweet and emotionally satisfying.

I liked Avery right from the beginning, and I admired how she stood her ground with Rowdy. She was definitely attracted to him, but she wanted more from him than a one night stand. In her own way, she is just as protective as Rowdy and that makes her reluctant to discuss her past. While Avery wants to know what haunts Rowdy, she patiently waits until he is ready to talk about his demons.

There are a couple of secondary story arcs in addition to Avery and Rowdy's romance. A chance encounter with an abused child really showcases Rowdy's softer and more vulnerable side. It also gives fans of the series a chance to catch up with Alice and Reese (from Bare It All).

The other storyline revolves around the secret from Avery's past. There is plenty of buildup to the stalker plot and while I had my suspicions about who was behind it, I could not figure out why. There were a few surprises about the culprit but the resolution of this part of the storyline felt rushed.

Overall, Getting Rowdy is a fast-paced romance with a full cast of engaging characters. Old and new fans of the Love Undercover series are sure to enjoy this newest addition and Lori Foster expertly sets the stage for Dash and Margo's story, Dash of Peril. show less

Please excuse any rambling you may find while reading this review, my mind was all jumbled this at 12:30 last night, but I just had to get this review written down on paper!

Going in, I expected to like this book, but not love it. The first two books in the series were great, but they weren't my favorite books by Lori Foster. So you can understand why it was so surprising to me that I fell in love with this book from the moment Avery walked in on Rowdy receiving a BJ in his office. Which, if you haven't read GETTING ROWDY, is how the book begins.

Over the years, l've noticed Lori Foster never starts with a boring intro, or even just eases a reader into the story. Something is always going on, which is something I'm extremely grateful show more for. I can get distracted by other books very easily, but no way was I diverted today. I had my head stuck in the book at every available moment. I even missed a new episode of PAWN STARS for this! That is how much I loved the book. (If you didn't know, I have a serious addiction to that show. It's the history buff in me.)

Rowdy is a beefcake in a sea of hungry lady fish and everyone wants a nibble! All he really wants to nibble on is Avery, but since she won't give it up (you go girl!), why not sample the other fish in the sea? The easy fish. Is it so bad that he takes these ladies up on their offer every once in awhile? Especially when Avery won't have him? Yes. Yes it is, Rowdy! Okay, so it was amusing to read about, but poor Avery has to have it all flaunted in her face. And you wonder why she won't sex with you, Rowdy. *grumbles*

But... like a good LF heroine, Avery eventually gives it up. Bahaha, just kidding guys, she does makes him work for it! And when they finally hit the sheets, let me just say.... HOT DAMN. That could actually be said before they get horizontal, too. There is sexual tension everywhere in this book, and it is hawt.

Sex and hot guys aside, the ending is a pleasant surprise for me. Usually I can predict an ending pretty easily. When you've been reading for such long a long time, things can become a little predictable. I had the ending all figured out, and then Ms. Foster snatched my feet right out from under me! I love that she can still leave me shocked after all the years I've been reading her books.

If you like suspense and all things sexy and male, this is the book for you. I may just re-read the first two books in the series and see how much I like them now, verses before my new Rowdy addiction.

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