Gavin and Thea have the perfect life...well so it seems. Gavin is a professional baseball player; he and Thea have a pair of beautiful twin daughters together. Except...as it turns out, Thea has been faking IT for their entire marriage. As you can imagine the shock and embarrassment of discovering this causes Gavin to re-evaluate their entire marriage but not before pouting and moving into the guest room until Thea asks him for a divorce. This leads to the best discovery of Gavin’s life: the Bromance Book Club. The book club is filled with Gavin’s teammates and other professional athletes who have been in the same shoes as Gavin. They introduce him to the insight that comes from reading romance novels: learning to express his feelings and desires for his wife in a way that she understands and gives voice to the thoughts he previously hadn’t known needed to be said aloud. The story is well-written and the characters lack that perfection that can be irritating in many romance novels. Adams knows the complications of marriage and portrays them with accuracy and heart. The Bromance Book Club is filled with love and humor. I cannot wait to read the next installment.

When I started The Bromance Book Club, I immediately thought "oh, no" and all but rolled my eyes. Like oh, no this book is going to be garbage. And oh, no Lyssa Kay Adams is going to make fun of romance. And oh, no I'm just going to hate-read this, aren't I? And then I read a couple more chapters and basically completely changed my opinion. Because this book is awesome, y'all. I 100% neglected all of my grown-up responsibilities one Sunday afternoon to just binge read it—something I think I've done only a handful of times. I immediately got sucked into the plot and cared about the characters and laughed out loud before literally making heart eyes once I'd finished.

When we first meet our leading man, Gavin, he's drunk in a hotel room, distraught over the knowledge that his wife, Thea, has been faking her orgasms for their entire three-year marriage. And Gavin's (imo overblown) reaction to this fact—he refers to it as a "betrayal"...like come ON dude 🙄—was one of the reasons I thought I'd hate the book. I assumed that Adams was going to make me read 350 pages all about a dude who couldn't fathom why his wife would feel the need to fake her orgasms. And while that was indeed part of the story (and provided wonderful character growth), it wasn't everything.

Mostly, The Bromance Book Club was a story of a marriage—Thea and Gavin's—as well as how they both need to grow and change within their partnership and outside of it as individuals. As Gavin's teammate and friend Malcolm notes to Gavin, "you need to stop focusing all your attention on the fact that she faked it and start asking yourself why the fuck you didn't notice." And if that introspection just happens to come through hulking men in peak physical condition reading historical romances—whose writers "use the patriarchal society of old British aristocracy to explore the gender-based limitations placed on women today in both the professional and person spheres" and end up writing work that is "feminist as fuck"—well, then, so be it. 🤷‍♀️

I mean, was I was a soft puddle of heart eyes and good vibes at the end of the book? Did I immediately add Undercover Bromance to my tbr? Did I kind of want to read the book again? Yes, yes, and yes. I've had an arc of The Bromance Book Club since June and the book was published more than a month ago... which is to say that I wish I would have read this one sooner. But I'm also sure it pulled me out of a rut so... maybe I was meant to read it when I did.

The Bromance Book Club was simultaneously exactly what was advertised to readers and so much more. It's feminist and romantic and real in a way I wasn't expecting but thoroughly loved.

The first rule of book club:
You don't talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife. (Goodreads)

I received an eARC of The Bromance Book Club in exchange for an honest review.

It needs some trigger warnings for alcohol use, parental neglect, the memory of bullying for a speech impediment, and snide comments by a non-main character about said speech impediment.

I loved a lot about this book - the way it dealt with how family trauma affects your current familial, platonic and romantic relationships; the way the men all came together to say "no you're being a dick let's fix that"; even the challenges that came with being separated parents for the first part of the book.

The center of this book is in male friendships and I loved that so much. Friendships outside of the romantic couple, particularly between men, are still pretty rare in a lot of romance books. I loved the book club and all of the members. Even Braden-Fucking-Mack, who surprised me a lot.

I loved that Thea strove to go back to a truer version of herself and that Gavin wanted to support that, even if he didn't know how to show it before everything went to hell.

Before I finish this review, I want to talk about Gavin's stutter. Something you may not know about me if we haven't met in person is that I stammer and words get lost a lot. Sometimes when things get more emotional or overwhelming, I have to pull out my phone or a notebook and write down what I want to say because I just can't make them audible. I also tend to rely on quotes, templates, and things like it at times when I'm struggling with my words, which is something I saw Gavin doing throughout this book. It both broke my heart and helped heal it a little bit, especially after the template discourse on Twitter the last few weeks. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, trust me, you're better off.)

Thea made it really clear why finding out that his words weren't his own hurt her feelings. By talking about it, Gavin made sure that she understood why he did it. And together, they built the confidence they needed to be able to trust each other. It was beautiful to me and gives me hope for their happily ever after.

Adams set us up for an enemies-to-lovers sequel with Liv and Mack which intrigues me. I would love to get more into Liv's head and see her flourish. I'd also love to see Mack get increasingly frustrated with not getting his usual response from women. I look forward to the sequel and anything else Adams puts out!

In case you couldn't tell, I loved this book. I highly recommend you pick this up if it appeals to you at all. You can pick up a copy through  Indiebound or Amazon!




Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound, The Book Depository and Amazon are affiliate links. If you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of the sale.

This is one of the laugh-out-loud funniest books I have read in a while! The premise is refreshing (an all-male book club that focuses on a different romance novel at every meeting) and all of the trials and tribulations that go along with trying to help Gavin and Thea work on their relationship. I am also secretly hoping to read more about Mack and Liv in a future book! This is one of my favorite books I have read this year. Huge fan of this author!

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him. Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. review: I absolutely loved this unique, refreshing take on a second chance romance! At the core, this book is about two vulnerable people who are working through some deeply-seated issues that have affected their marriage in numerous ways. I think the author did a great job of weaving laugh-out-loud scenarios with real life problems that contained depth and emotion. Gavin’s character was my favorite – he was flawed, authentic, funny, and helplessly lost at times! I’m already looking forward to the second book! rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️

This book was a hoot. I was in a slump of the worst kind - starting multiple books and enjoying them, but inevitably not finishing them because I didn't have the time or energy.
This book interested me and made me laugh every time I saw the title or cover. I figured, "Why not start it now? What's the worst it could do?"
The answer is that it could give me a reason to stop listening to the influx of podcasts I downloaded.

When Thea asks her baseball star husband for a divorce, he'll do anything to get her back. And luckily, his teammates know exactly what it takes. Before he can blink, Gavin finds himself the newest member of a secret book club where men read romance novels to improve their relationships. Can lessons gleaned from a regency romance help Gavin win Thea over?

I smiled so hard reading this book. I love the meta nature of it, with chapters of fictional regency romance novel Courting the Countess tucked into Gavin and Thea's story. This is such a clever take on the genre, and the whole concept of the Bromance Book Club is so endearing. Definitely worth a read for any romance lovers.

This was absolutely lovely. I'm always a sucker for second-chance romance, and this did not disappoint. Gavin and Thea really clicked as the main characters, and I loved all of the references to romance books. Can't wait for the sequel!

This is an unexpected romance. Gavin, our hero, is the main voice we hear in this story which was interesting. I liked the different perspective and how fun it was to hear about the “bromance” book club. Gavin and Thea married young and at 25 with school age twins, they realized they’ve lied for most of their relationship. It was interesting to see how a couple could attempt to rebuild their marriage and this novel takes you to tough places while also placing a band aid over the hurts it also delivers. It is a blend of cheesy romantic lines that are delivered to his wife as he tries to woo her back. With botched date nights, hilarious attempts at “date-rescue” by his friends and the rekindling of their chemistry.

I enjoyed the flipped story with the men in the story reading the romance novels and helping each other improve their relationships. It was good to see a couple work through their problems, with humor to lighten the story.

Gavin Scott’s life looks perfect from the outside: major league baseball player, beautiful loving wife, and adorable twin girls. All that comes to a screeching halt when he finds out his wife, Thea, has been faking a lot of things in order to be the perfect wife. She gave up just about everyone of her dreams to support his career. He had been so self-absorbed that Gavin totally missed Thea’s unhappiness until everything about their marriage and life implodes.

Gavin’s teammates and friends, some of them irritating like Mack, come to his rescue with an unlikely plan that at first, seems too ludicrous to be believed. They have a very secret men only book club that uses romance novels to figure out what the women they love truly desire in a relationship. Gavin is less than enthusiastic but agrees giving it a try as a last-ditch effort to save his marriage. The story within the story is a Regency novel Gavin is tasked with reading called COURTING THE COUNTESS making for an interesting juxtaposition for the modern day man.

Thea comes from a very hurtful background parent-wise so she has no good role models for dealing with problems in a marriage. Her sister, Liv, who has been staying in the house since Gavin left, has a very dim view of men adding a kind of toxic element to the mix. Though they are very close, Liv is as much a hindrance as a help to Thea.

Both Gavin and Thea have some major baggage to deal with before they can ever move forward or recapture the early magic of their relationship. Several challenges abound including their quick marriage after only being together a short time because Thea got pregnant and then Gavin’s career took off foisting them into a public life. Thea also has to put up with being in the women’s team support group which is filled with unkind, gossiping mean girls who give all of us a bad name.

This story is quite cleverly done, so much so in many respects, it makes me wish this book club was a reality more than humorous fiction. How often have we women wished men understood why romance books call to us so strongly? Ms. Adams story has a lot to recommend for it including clever writing, an imaginative story line, and laugh out loud moments. I very much look forward to the caustic Liz and equally annoying Mack’s story. I think readers will be in for a real treat.

Completely charming. I found myself smiling a lot as I read this book. If only people (not just men) IRL were as open to considering the well-meaning advice of their friends....

An exploration of how a marriage can fall apart and the long, hard, work of slowly rebuilding it through persistence, openness, a willingness to learn, and, of course, the guidance of romance novels.

Thank you NetGalley for a first read of this book. I loved the idea of having a book club of men that used their picks to help with relationship troubles. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I started reading this book because it takes place in Nashville but I was pleasantly surprised. I was hesitant to read a book about a married couple because I didn't think I could relate but I really liked this one!! I've already requested the next one in the series!

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

A literary rom-com that will make you all kinds of giddy! I hereby demand that ALL of our husbands join the Bromance Book Club! This is a sweet, funny, and sexy read that will leave a lasting impression.The author was spot on! Fans of both Contemporary Romance AND Historical Romance will fall head over heels for this refreshing story.

As the wife of a husband who reads “my books” this had me with a big ol’ smile on my face. Yes, at times I was frustrated with Thea, and Gavin, as much a loved him, was a bit clueless sometimes, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved how much effort Gavin put into saving his marriage and especially loved the BROMANCE happening between all the guys. It was so much fun to read. Definitely recommend!

I read this months ago and really liked it. But I didn’t take any notes and felt like I needed to reread it in order to write a mini review of it. It held up the second time around and actually this time I was less annoyed by some of the things I didn’t like the first read.
Here’s what worked for me: It is a marriage in trouble book, one of my favorite tropes. The dialogue is fast-paced and witty. I loved seeing the strong and supportive male friendships in this book. I thought it was appropriately funny and emotional. It is sports adjacent and wasn’t too heavy on sportsball. Thea and Gavin’s twin daughters were just the right amount of moppety for me and there was no forced drama involving the children. It hit all the right notes for me.
The things that didn’t work as well: Thea’s sister is really angry at Gavin. I wished that Thea would have not let that seep into her relationship so much, but I also understand why it did.
Thea has some issues with one of the other wives on the baseball wives. It had a medium amount of nuance, and I understood Thea’s feelings about it all. But I am pretty much over the usage of an “evil” woman as a plot point.

Lastly one of the issues between Thea and Gavin is that she’s been faking orgasms for three years and he didn’t notice. When he finds out, his pride is hurt and their marriage starts to unravel. The crux of it is that he isn’t paying attention to their relationship and there by not paying attention to any of her needs. And that part actually worked really well for me. What I take issue with is that once they reconnect and start dealing with their shit, the orgasms are back for Thea. In between my reads of this book, I listened to Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski and just once I wished for Thea to tell Gavin that orgasms are not the only goal of intercourse and that sex can still pleasurable if they don’t happen. But this is romancelandia and that’s not a thing characters talk about.
All said and done I still really liked this book. I thought the writing voice was fresh and very enjoyable. My quibbles were small and did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Such a fantastic read! Really enjoyed the plot of this story. It was funny, smart and emotional. I loved the conversations the male characters had examining the patriarchy, so spot on and funny yet resonating. Thea was my favourite though. I liked her character development, from the outset where she feels lost to the end when she’s recovered her identity. Overall just so much fun!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is such a fun book, with some very moving moments too – so it is great news that it is part of a new series. And I am all for stories about men who have the wisdom to read romance books to work out how women think and how they perceive men. This particular bunch are a fun mix of wealthy, happily married, players and hopefuls – which should give us plenty of fun in future installments.

The first man in need of help is Gavin – his marriage has taken a dive, he is living in a rubbish hotel and drowning his sorrows, until an intervention by his friends who induct him into the Bromance Book Club. The only problem is that Gavin is deeply ashamed about why his marriage is on the rocks and just cannot bring himself to admit the cause, so he seriously hampers their attempts to help. It does, however, make it much funnier for the reader as he gets himself tied up in knots about it.

As we see things from both his and his wife, Thea's side, it is easy to believe that there is a chance for success, although Thea's sister, Liv, and their upbringing is clearly also a significant issue that needs to be addressed. I loved the twins and their importance to both parents in finding a way to move forward. And of course, most of all, the romance novel which helps Gavin see things differently, and gives him a whole new vocabulary of hilarious words to call himself!

I think this is a winning formula, and as we are given a clue as to who is going to be the next man that gets help towards a happily ever after, I am waiting expectantly for the next installment.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
The story starts with Gavin’s mate, Del, arriving at the crappy hotel he is staying in to stage an intervention. Gavin’s wife has kicked him out and asked for a divorce. Del, with several members of the Bromance Book Club, tell Gavin they are going to help him save his marriage through romance novels. We read parts of the novel with Gavin and we kind of get a novel within a novel, which was fun. I have to say the scenes of this book with the members of the book club are thoroughly entertaining.

When we meet Gavin’s wife, Thea, things with her seem more serious. She is taking care of their twin daughters with the help of her sister, applying to return to college, and wanting to get her life back on track without Gavin. Girl power is the order of the day. I had no idea how Gavin was ever going to win her back because she seemed determined not to give him the time of day. Having her sister in her ear the whole time, putting Gavin down at every opportunity, wasn’t helping either.

Gavin’s fight to win Thea back was at times sexy and romantic and at other times raw and emotional. Parts were challenging to read. They are confronting some really embarrassing and difficult issues. I particularly struggled with the feeling that the blame for their issues lay at Gavin’s feet. It takes two people to make a marriage and neither of them was perfect, and it is glaringly obvious that Thea has her own issues to confront.

This is such a good story. It has a mix of heavy and light subject matter and it does an excellent job of showing us a marriage isn’t all wine and roses, it takes work. This year I’ve struggled with reading contemporary M/F romance and with The Bromance Book Club, I feel like I’ve fallen back in love with the genre, so the author gets a big thank you from me.