Cover Image: The Bromance Book Club

The Bromance Book Club

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Member Reviews

This book was so much fun! I recommended it to a guest, a self proclaimed " romance book snob" on episode 203 of my podcast, What Should I Read Next?!

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Cute second change romance centered around a book club for guys who are tying to repair broken or breaking relationships by modeling their actions after the romance books they're reading. A rom com from a man's perspective (while still written by a woman) is a great twist on a classic.

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The Bromance Book Club has one of the best romance hooks I’ve ever read. It’s all about men who read romance novels in order to better understand another point of view, and to better learn how to talk about their feelings. It was light and romantic, and funny. All the trappings of a perfect romance book.

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A fantastic romance book that will make a perfect book club selection for ANY book group. The Bromance Book Club follows a romance that isn't about two people who just met. It is about a married couple who needs to reevaluate their relationship. I have read very few books that are romances between a married couple and this felt realistic and a wonderful breathe of fresh air for the romance genre. I can't wait to follow the rest of the book bros as they find love.

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What is more fun than a group of masculine, famous guys come together to discuss romance books?

Honestly, I can’t say.

“‘Nearly every man at this table has been on the verge of losing his wife, girlfriend, or fiancée at some point,” Del continued, and Gavin recalled the cryptic thing he said last night. We’ve all been where he is. “And every one of us not only got our girls back but repaired our relationships better than ever.’”

Adams’s debut novel is a wonderful addition to the romance world. With a group of rambunctious guys and their devotion to becoming more aware of the toxicities of relationship culture through reading romance books, THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB will capture your heart. The writing is so fun, with plenty of witty dialogue to keep readers engaged, and the relationship between Thea and Gavin is one that you can’t help but root for, I really recommend this book for romance readers!

Second hand romances are my absolute weaknesses. I love a good grovel and working out past differences in my romance novels. Adams addresses both of these really well within the story. Gavin is this hotshot, famous baseball player who has a super lovely wife that was basically love at first sight for them. They also have adorable twin daughters, who were a sweet addition to the story. But along the way in their marriage, passion was lost and Thea wants something MORE. So she asks for a divorce. And of course Gavin still loves her, so he and the bromance book club devise schemes to fan the flames of passion in their marriage and fix it. And what an absolutely wild ride,

Adams handles the characterizations very well, from Thea’s insecurities that stem from father issues to Gavin’s initial reluctance and gradual friendship to members of the book club. Their own romance was super sweet, and the fact that the book addressed each character’s problems, as well as the relationship, makes it super down to earth and engaging to read. I’m eagerly anticipating what else Adams has in store for us with the Bromance Book Club!

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This book was extremely adorable! I loved the idea of men reading romance books to try and understand their wives. This book is a romance book but gives a helpful psychological look into intimate relationships and insecurities. It was an eye-opener to realize that unless communicated we would never know that both men and women are scared of the same thing.

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Unfortunately, I chose not to finish this title. The premise sounded awesome but the execution felt flat.

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These husbands and boyfriends start up their own book club to read romance novels hoping to learn the art of “wooing”!! And seriously, what lady would not swoon at this. The Bromance Book Club, is a fun and addicting read that will have you laughing and connecting with the characters. It's a quick read that will have you spend your entire day reading. I'm excited for the next book in this series!

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𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝘆𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺𝘀⁣⁣
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Ok, so this book deserves all the good things I've heard about it. It was SO GOOD. The book club guys are hilarious and they are so supportive. I also really appreciated that it was about a married couple trying to work things out after a whirlwind of start. The other thing I enjoyed was the story within the story. Those are always fun. ⁣⁣
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On a personal aspect, this book made me realize a lot of things about what I want in a partner. It's also made me reflect on past relationships and how those went wrong. The next man I date will need to meet standards set by this book, so good luck to them! Who needs self-help or personal growth books when you have romance novels? Thank you, Lyssa!⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟱/𝟱

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This romance book is one of the most talked about this year and with good reason. Gavin’s reading regency romance novels to win back his wife, Thea, sets up a hilarious, often sweet, second-chance romance totally worth your time. I recommended it in a list for The Young Folks "2o Books To Read Before 2020."

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Four stars: A second chance romance featuring a broken marriage and a husband who wants to fix things with a little help from his teammates and romance novels.

Gavin, a baseball star, is devastated when learns that his wife has been faking her orgasms. His ego and pride are bruised so he moves to the guest bedroom. Things quickly go from bad to worse as Thea demands a divorce. Gavin isn’t ready to give up on his marriage. He wants to make things work, but Thea doesn’t. In a night of drunk confessions, he lets his teammates know his marriage is failing. To his surprise, they come to the rescues in an unexpected way. Gavin soon finds himself reading historical romances and dissecting them with the guys in order to gain insight on how to fix his marital problems. Will the Bromance Book Club work a miracle?
What I Liked:
*The Bromance Book Club is a book that I was eager to read as there is so much hype surrounding this one. For the most part, this one pans out and it is a funny and heartfelt read.
*I liked that this was a second chance romance featuring a married couple. Anyone who has been in a long term relationship or marriage, knows there are plenty of ups and downs, and that a relationship takes constant work. This is a story about a marriage that is in the working phase. I liked that both parties were at fault, and that they both made mistakes. I enjoyed watching the two work through their differences and try to figure out how to make it work again.
*I adored Gavin. I felt like he was trying so much harder than Thea. He was the one who refused to give up, and he put the effort into the relationship. I liked that he was kind, caring and that he remembered the small things. I especially appreciated the lengths he was willing to go to save his marriage from joining the Bromance Book Club, reading historical romances, to art supply store dates. He isn’t perfect, and he makes some mistakes, which makes him all the more adorable.
*Thea is prickly, and I admittedly struggled with her character. However, it was easier to understand her actions once her back story was revealed. Once I knew why she behaved the way she did, my heart went out to her. One of the best scenes in the book for me was when she went to see her dad. It was poignant and heartfelt. I liked that the author kept it real too.
*The Bromance Book Club was hilarious. It was funny to see big star baseball players reading steamy historical romance novels on the sly and then discussing and dissecting them to gain insight into their own marriages. If only this happened in real life. The scenes where the Bromance Club met were some of my favorite in the book.
*Another thing that I loved about the book was that the author took wealthy, successful baseball stars and made them relatable. I liked seeing the guys struggle with their own insecurities especially when it came to their wives and girlfriends. The author doesn’t glamorize the baseball players or make them seem larger than life.
*After lots of reflection, the book ends in a happy moment like it should. I thought it was the right ending, and I was completely satisfied with the end.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I understood Thea once her backstory was revealed, I felt like she was overreacting and being a little too nasty. Yes, Gavin made mistakes, but she did too, but she was never willing to step up and take responsibility for her actions. Meanwhile, Gavin was analyzing his behavior, apologizing and doing everything in his power to make it right. I felt like she wasn’t even willing to try for most of the book, and her reasons were shallow. I wished I liked her more. She redeems herself, but it was almost too late for me.
*I adored the Bromance Book Club, but I was disappointed that the author didn’t bother to flesh out more of the guys in the club. Maybe it’s just me, but I was bothered by the fact that she didn’t even properly give one of the characters a name. He is referred to as the Russian throughout.

The Bromance Book Club isn’t your run of the mill romance. I liked that this was a second chance romance all about repairing a broken marriage. This was a story about reflection, change and righting some wrongs with a little help from the Bromance Book Club. I enjoyed the heartfelt moments as well as the hilarious parts too. This is a fun, flirty read perfect for anyone who wants something different in the romance genre.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

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*Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was such a great surprise. I loved the idea of the men creating a romance bookclub to help their love lives. The guys were so charming. Now down to the main story line. I really enjoyed Gavin and Thea's story, I felt like their struggles were so relatable. We all carry so much baggage but we can never open ourselves up to love until we work through those things. This was heartfelt, steamy, sweet, and I can't wait to read the next one.

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While not a typical romance, I loved that this book featured a group of men who were unashamed of helping each other with love, and were totally cool with romance novels

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This one was hard to swallow. While it was fun, the lead was just not interesting and kind of a prick. I wished he went to his wife more instead of his bros.

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3.5 stars

‘A lonely marriage is the worst kind of lonely there is.’

The premise of this story set our hearts aflutter! A couple desperate to reconnect, a book club for men discussing romance books…sign us up! There were aspects we really enjoyed about this story and parts that didn’t quite connect.

The first rule of Bromance book club…you guessed it; you don’t talk about the goings on in the boys’ Bookclub outside the walls of the inner sanctum. It’s a secret place for men to read romance novels to better ‘understand’ their wives, their wants, their needs and to try and emotionally connect with their other halves when all seems lost. And Gavin Scott is most definitely lost.

“I’m at your mercy Thea. From the moment I first saw you, I have been half a man, because you’ve always held the other half of me.”

When Nashville’s much loved Second Baseman, Gavin realises his wife Thea, the woman who owns his heart, has been faking the Big O for the past few years, he’s devastated, hurt and humiliated. His way of coping is to shut down and ignore Thea. Thea’s had enough and asks him to move out which he readily does.

Gavin is lost, bereft, drowning in a bottle of whiskey and missing Thea and his beautiful twin daughters Amelia and Ava desperately. He wants her back, he wants their marriage to work and wants to start afresh but has no idea where to start.

Enter his Nashville Legends buddies to the rescue. They invite him to book club introducing him to the word of bodice ripping regency romance, in an effort to help their buddy rekindle the spark and connect with his and Thea’s feelings through romance novels.

This was a story of two people, for whom their pasts are very much a third (and fourth) person in their marriage. On the surface, Thea is the one carrying the baggage from her childhood but as they begin to rediscover one another again, communicating more, we find the sweet vulnerable Gavin, also carries scars which have influenced some of his decisions.

“You make it sound like things were horrible between us, Thea. They weren’t.”
“Is that the highest standard you aim for? Not horrible?”

We have to say, from the get-go, Gavin had our hearts. We felt so sorry for him and willed Thea to give him a break. Gavin wasn’t a bad person, he hadn’t cheated, he loved his wife, but both had lost a bit of themselves along the way. On the other hand, we did understand Thea’s reaction and the impact her childhood played in her decision making and how adrift she had become from Gavin.

“Backstory is everything, Thea. Dig into yours.”

The parts that didn’t work for us first up was Thea’s sister Liv. She grated on our every nerve and only seemed intent on having Thea to herself, berating and belittling Gavin at every opportunity. She didn’t let up and it wore us down. Also, we adore stories with children and found Ava and Amelia to be little sweethearts, however, their actions and speech didn’t reflect their toddler age of 3 – they came across as school-age children which took us out of the moment more than a few times.

We wish there had been more focus on the boys and their book club, as the moments spent with them gave us a right chuckle, and we look forward to catching up with them throughout the series.

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This books was a hoot from beginning to end. Rom-coms are doing quite well at our library and I am sure this will make a perfect addition to it. The writing is quick and witty and the way the author shows males tackling issues of relationships from a feminist perspective is highly refreshing. Get this one ASAP.

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I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! The premise really interested me, though I was a little apprehensive about reading from a male perspective because I tend to read romance from the female perspective but I ended up really enjoying it! I loved how nuanced the characters were and how they each dealt with their own challenges that they brought to the relationship. Overall, the book was a great read--funny, meaningful, and so much more than "just a romance novel."

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Sarah contributed this review to Really Into This

Thank you, Berkley, for our gifted review copy.

As soon as I read the premise of The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams, I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. So why in the world did I wait so long to read it?

I swear, there is some part of me that is a reading masochist. I have these books that I know I will love and I let them sit. They stare at me like little bricks of gold from my bookshelves. When times get rough, I pluck them from my shelves & hope they're as good as I think they will be.

Well, let me tell you, I am completely enamored with The Bromance Book Club. There are many reasons why I love this book so much.

The main character stutters. Someone I love very deeply stutters as well. Lyssa Kay Adams writes Gavin's stutter as a part of him. This is just as it should be. The stutter is present throughout the book & written in a way that is respectful, realistic & authentic. Gavin's speech takes center stage at a few moments & is handled in a way that I could not love more.

I LOVE that romance novels take center stage to help salvage a relationship. The more romance I read, the more I buy into this notion. The fact that The Bromance Book Club is held together by men (professional athletes) who want to better connect to women & create lasting & fulfilling relationships just makes my heart swell ten sizes.

Another thing I love about The Bromance Book Club is the authenticity of Gavin & Thea's relationship. Readers get to hear both sides of the relationship. We see the good stuff, the flaws & I'm rooting for them throughout the story. Lyssa Kay Adams really does something special with Gavin & Thea. There is no hero & no villain. What we get is a real & raw look at a believable marriage & I love it.

Buy this book, recommend this book, buy it for your friends & read it ASAP.

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This book was wonderful! Gavin and Thea are a married couple having problems, just like real life, except that Gavin is a professional baseball player. Thea came from a broken home and has never really dealt with the emotional toll it took on her and her younger sister Liv. Gavin also has problems expressing himself, partly because he stutters and partly because he is afraid. These are things that happen in everyday life and it was interesting to see how they dealt with their problems. This book had me laughing out loud, brought tears to my eyes, made me smile, and also made me think. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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‘A lonely marriage is the worst kind of lonely there is.’

The premise of this story set our hearts aflutter! A couple desperate to reconnect, a book club for men discussing romance books…sign us up! There were aspects we really enjoyed about this story and parts that didn’t quite connect.

The first rule of Bromance book club…you guessed it; you don’t talk about the goings on in the boys’ Bookclub outside the walls of the inner sanctum. It’s a secret place for men to read romance novels to better ‘understand’ their wives, their wants, their needs and to try and emotionally connect with their other halves when all seems lost. And Gavin Scott is most definitely lost.

“I’m at your mercy Thea. From the moment I first saw you, I have been half a man, because you’ve always held the other half of me.”

When Nashville’s much loved Second Baseman, Gavin realises his wife Thea, the woman who owns his heart, has been faking the Big O for the past few years, he’s devastated, hurt and humiliated. His way of coping is to shut down and ignore Thea. Thea’s had enough and asks him to move out which he readily does.

Gavin is lost, bereft, drowning in a bottle of whiskey and missing Thea and his beautiful twin daughters Amelia and Ava desperately. He wants her back, he wants their marriage to work and wants to start afresh but has no idea where to start.

Enter his Nashville Legends buddies to the rescue. They invite him to book club introducing him to the word of bodice ripping regency romance, in an effort to help their buddy rekindle the spark and connect with his and Thea’s feelings through romance novels.

This was a story of two people, for whom their pasts are very much a third (and fourth) person in their marriage. On the surface, Thea is the one carrying the baggage from her childhood but as they begin to rediscover one another again, communicating more, we find the sweet vulnerable Gavin, also carries scars which have influenced some of his decisions.

“You make it sound like things were horrible between us, Thea. They weren’t.”
“Is that the highest standard you aim for? Not horrible?”

We have to say, from the get-go, Gavin had our hearts. We felt so sorry for him and willed Thea to give him a break. Gavin wasn’t a bad person, he hadn’t cheated, he loved his wife, but both had lost a bit of themselves along the way. On the other hand, we did understand Thea’s reaction and the impact her childhood played in her decision making and how adrift she had become from Gavin.

“Backstory is everything, Thea. Dig into yours.”

The parts that didn’t work for us first up was Thea’s sister Liv. She grated on our every nerve and only seemed intent on having Thea to herself, berating and belittling Gavin at every opportunity. She didn’t let up and it wore us down. Also, we adore stories with children and found Ava and Amelia to be little sweethearts, however, their actions and speech didn’t reflect their toddler age of 3 – they came across as school-age children which took us out of the moment more than a few times.

We wish there had been more focus on the boys and their book club, as the moments spent with them gave us a right chuckle, and we look forward to catching up with them throughout the series.

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