GETTING ROWDY, the latest from Lori Foster

Hey ladies! I'm sure you know by now that Lori Foster has a new release, GETTING ROWDY. Lori was kind enough to send me a review copy and I've gotta say this is one of my favorite covers ever - who agrees?  My start of the book didn't start out as bright and shiny as I'd wished, because Rowdy just didn't start out as one of my favorite characters, regardless of how sumptuous his cover is. He was perfectly likable in the previous books in this series but I was slow to warm up to him in his own book.  Poor Rowdy!

About the book:
Charismatic bar owner Rowdy Yates isn’t the kind of man women say no to. So when he approaches waitress Avery Mullins, he fully expects to get her number. However, the elusive beauty has her reasons for keeping her distance—including a past that might come back to haunt them both.
Avery spends her nights working for tips… and trying to forget the secret Rowdy is determined to unearth. But when history threatens to repeat itself, Avery grows to rely on Rowdy’s protective presence. As the sparks between them ignite, she will be forced to choose between the security she’s finally found… and the passion she’s always wanted.

I'll admit that GETTING ROWDY is the only Lori Foster book I've started and after the first chapter, I put it down. It took me a bit to pick it back up. I didn't like Rowdy's actions in the very beginning and while the heroine, Avery, got past it and moved on, it took me a little longer. Am I getting old and square? Maybe so. To be honest, I thought Rowdy was just a bit of a dick and his redemption would be difficult to pull off.  But Lori did it. I finished the book and was ridiculously pleased that I went back to it.

My review:
Avery takes a bar tending job at Rowdy's bar and he knows that Avery is hiding something, and quite possibly, herself. He's determined to find out her secrets while he protects her from them.
Rowdy is well-known as a womanizer and Avery knows she's playing with fire when she takes the leap and goes after him. Before long Rowdy has to question whether his growing feelings for Avery are lust or something much deeper. His determined struggle with this was interestingly endearing.
Typical of Lori Foster's work, GETTING ROWDY has an over-the-top alpha male and an intelligent, independent woman with a troubled past. What every romance reader loves, right? Clever banter between all of the characters keeps the story fresh and fun, and for readers who love a romantic, sensual love story, I highly recommend GETTING ROWDY.

I'll give one reader here the choice of the Kindle or Nook version of either of the previous books in this series, RUN THE RISK or BARE IT ALL. Just leave a comment and you'll be entered.  Of course, I'd much rather your comments be about your favorite Lori Foster books, characters, etc.! If you wish to leave your email address with your comment, I'll contact you directly if you're the winner. Otherwise, you'll need to be sure to check back because I likely won't track you down. I'll draw a winner on Sunday, October 6th.

Thanks, Lori, for allowing me to read and review GETTING ROWDY for you!  I hope we can get together before/for the holidays!