Updated May 2025 – Review refreshed with updated formatting, book info, and buy links.
Series: Love Undercover #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published: September 24, 2013
Rating: ★★★★☆
My Review
What drew me to this book initially was the promise of a hero who breaks the mold, and Rowdy Yates absolutely delivers on that front. He runs a bar, which already sets him apart from the usual corporate executives or military heroes you often see in romance. There's something refreshingly real about a guy who makes his living serving drinks and dealing with the everyday drama that comes through his doors.
The shadowy past element had me intrigued from the start. Foster doesn't dump all of Rowdy's secrets on you at once - she parcels them out just enough to keep you wondering what he's really running from. I appreciated that his reluctance to get involved wasn't just generic commitment phobia but stemmed from genuine reasons rooted in his history.
Avery Mullins proved to be exactly the kind of heroine I love reading about. She's not intimidated by Rowdy's brooding exterior or his attempts to keep her at a distance. The fact that she challenges him at every turn creates this delicious tension that had me rooting for both of them to just give in already. Their verbal sparring matches were some of my favorite scenes in the book.
The romance and suspense elements worked really well together here. Just when I was getting comfortable with the developing relationship, something would happen to remind me that there were real stakes and real danger involved. Foster managed to keep both plot lines moving without one overwhelming the other, which isn't always easy to pull off.
I found myself staying up way too late because the pacing was so addictive. Every time I thought I had figured out where the story was heading, Foster would throw in something unexpected. The twists felt organic to the story rather than just shock value for shock value's sake.
What impressed me most was how Foster developed both main characters beyond their surface roles. Rowdy isn't just the mysterious bad boy with a heart of gold, and Avery isn't just the plucky heroine who tames him. They both have layers that get peeled back gradually, making their eventual connection feel earned rather than inevitable.
The bar setting gave the whole story an authentic, gritty feel that I really enjoyed. It's not glamorous, but it's real, and that grounded quality made everything else - the romance, the danger, the character growth - feel more believable.
By the end, I was completely invested in seeing these two work through their issues and find their way to each other. Foster delivered a conclusion that satisfied both the romantic and suspense elements of the story without feeling rushed or convenient.
This book reminded me why I seek out romantic suspense in the first place - for that perfect combination of emotional investment and adrenaline rush. If you're looking for characters with depth, chemistry that leaps off the page, and enough twists to keep you guessing, this one hits all the marks.
What worked for me: Complex, believable characters; great balance of romance and suspense; authentic dialogue; steady pacing that kept me hooked
Perfect for: Fans of romantic suspense who want both heart and thrills in equal measure.
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You can find Getting Rowdy on Goodreads or check out my full review there too:
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Read My Review on Goodreads
Series Reading Order
- Run the Risk (2012)
- Bare It All (2013)
- Getting Rowdy (2013)
- Dash of Peril (2014)
Note: There is also a novella titled Marcus (2022), which serves as a companion to the series.
Love Undercover Series by Lori Foster
 Run the Risk |
 Bare It All |
 Getting Rowdy |
 Dash of Peril |
See more of her books I’ve read and loved — your next favorite might be just a click away.
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