Mister Bodyguard by Lauren Rowe | Review

Publisher: self-published
Release Date: December 3, 2018 (out today!)
Source of my copy: author
Series: Morgan Brothers #4/standalone
My rating:

Synopsis
A bodyguard, a beauty, and a bet.

“I’m hiring you to do more than guard her, Zander,” my new boss explained. “You’re gonna be her rock. Her human Valium. Her trusted friend. And she’s gonna be your mission from God.”

“So I’m her babysitter?”

“Her babysitter, her bodyguard, her f*cking service doggie. Whatever she needs or wants, that’s what you’ll be. Anything except her booty call.” The vein in my new boss’s neck bulged. “Touch her and I’ll do more than fire your ass, Zander. I’ll rip off your balls.”

My buddies laughed when I told them about my ridiculous new job. They said, “Three months on a tour with a world famous beauty, glued to her hip, catering to her every whim? A hundred bucks says you’re gonna break down and bang her within the first month.”

But I said nope. No way. Never. “I’m a professional,” I said. “Plus, she’s not even my type. And I’m just getting over a broken heart. It’s never gonna happen.”

So I put my money where my mouth was, figuring I’d laugh all the way to the bank. I never thought I’d actually fall in love with the girl. Or that she’d become my reason for breathing.

The job, the bet, the girl. It was nothing but fun and games . . . until it became dead serious.

Mister Bodyguard is a standalone, friends to lovers contemporary romance in the Morgan Brothers Series from USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Rowe. The story of Zander Shaw—Keane Morgan's devoted best friend who is an honorary Morgan Brother—and the pop star who brings him to his knees.

Mister Bodyguard is the fourth book in the Morgan Brothers series, but I am going to preface this review to say that while it can be read as a standalone you almost need to read the previous books in the series (I highly suggest in publication order rather than series order) to appreciate the bromance, the inside jokes, and the banter between the characters. There are long chapters-length scenes of dialogue between groups of characters that a reader just entering the series that just won't get while long-time readers of the series like myself just eat up. 

Anyway, Mister Bodyguard is all about Zander Shaw, best friend/wifey of Keane Morgan (Ball Peen Hammer) and honorary Morgan brother, and former Disney darling turned mega-pop star Aloha Carmichael. Zander was just hired to be Aloha's new bodyguard/babysitter on her three-months long, multi-city tour and his friends just bet that he'll bang her fall in love with her before the tour is over. Zander is adamant that, contrary to his usual MO, it won't happen: one, he's been warned by his new boss that he'll get his balls ripped along with being immediately fired if he touches his new ward, and two, he's nursing a broken heart after being dumped. But, then he meets Aloha and they just click in every way--instant best friends plus an undeniably chemistry that hard to deny. And Aloha isn't denying the fact that she's into Zander in a big way and Zander knows he's in big trouble--not just with losing the bet but actually falling in love...

Aloha is one of the most fun, most open heroines I've read in a very long time. She was hilarious and so endearing--lol, a female Keane indeed!--and I love her! I love the banter between her and Zander, and how she just says whatever she's thinking to him. As for Zander, he was just as wonderful as I remember him being in Ball Peen Hammer and I am so happy he got his own book so we got to know him better. I love the friendship that formed between him and Aloha--I don't remember reading about a couple who were as open they were to each so early on just talking about everything and anything. Actually, one of the things I love about Lauren Rowe's books is that her characters *really* talk to each other--we learn character back story and other info through dialogue rather than inner dialogue, which I think is rather refreshing.

Mister Bodyguard was such a fun book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Getting back into the world of the Morgans and their friends is always a treat--they are seriously one of the best families in the romance genre if not THE best! There's just so much love and good humor between them all and with every book we get in the series is a chance to hang out with them again and this is exactly what we got in Mister Bodyguard in addition to the swoon-worthy friends-to-lovers romance between Zander and Aloha who were just sooo cute!

If you're a Lauren Rowe/Morgan Brothers series fan, Mister Bodyguard is a MUST-read. If you're new to Lauren Rowe/the Morgan Brothers, start with Ball Peen Hammer (followed by Captain and Hero--yep, publication order rather than series order) and make your way to Mister Bodyguard--you won't regret it!