When I saw The Bromance Book Club everywhere, I decided I needed to read it. It sounded cute and I love a good rom-com, especially if it has a little twist that makes it different. And I enjoyed TBBC but I didn’t love it like everyone else seemed to. But still, I couldn’t resist the pull of its sequel with Mack and Liv as the MCs. And now that I’ve read it, I can say I’m glad I gave it another chance.

Some of my biggest problems with TBBC didn’t show up in its sequel and that made me extremely happy. First of all, they only include one excerpt from their book club book, so I didn’t end up having to read exactly the same thing twice. And while Mack relies A LOT on his knowledge that comes from romance books, that’s actually one of his biggest challenges. And I really loved that. Because the first book has Gavin pretty much saving his marriage by copying everything in the passage from the romance novel he’s just read. But Mack needs to rely on more than just his reading history because he needs to learn how to be authentic and real and just himself. And the copying and not truly understanding his wife was one of my biggest issues in TBBC. The sequel seemed to deal with that a lot better. For me, at least.

Also, I liked the MCs better in this one. I didn’t necessarily like everything they did or agree with them but I found them much more interesting than the first one. Liv and Mack have a lot of baggage. And it may have taken a while but they do eventually work through their issues and confront the pain they’ve each been holding onto.

This one is sort of sold as romantic suspense, but there’s really only a tiny hint of that. If you don’t like suspense, I wouldn’t pass on this for that. It actually deals a lot with sexual harassment in the workplace and a revenge plot Liv is working on to take her former boss down. I was actually a little disappointed because I was looking forward to some drama and maybe a few intense and dangerous scenes. But the climax doesn’t go the way I had hoped and instead just kind of sizzles out. The focus is very much the romance, which is fine, but don’t expect anything too thrilling in terms of a sting operation.

I also really enjoyed the addition of Rosie and Hop and Noah and Alexis and Sonia. And the continued meetings with the Bromance Book Club add a lot of fun moments. I could honestly do without The Russian’s intestinal problems but that might just be me. The development of the enemies to lovers romance between Liv and Mack was great to watch. They had some really great moments together, some really good banter and chemistry, but their moments of softness and vulnerability together were definitely my favorite. This book deals with some very important issues like workplace harassment, sexual assault, and toxic masculinity. It was great to see the men really understanding that the issue is one men need to confront themselves if we’re really going to move forward but it also felt a little heavy-handed and in your face at times. I’m sure most women already know these things.

Overall, while this book did take me a little bit longer to get into than I liked and the climactic scene with the chef wasn’t entirely satisfying, I’m really glad I stuck with it and gave the series another chance. If you were lukewarm about the first one, give this one a try! It was fun, heartfelt, current and romantic. I really enjoyed it.

Much like the first book in this series, Undercover Bromance is swoon-worthy and will be a smash among the rom com/contemporary romance crowd.

Characters relying on inspiration from the romantic suspense novels they’re reading? I. Was. Here. For. It.

Five star read, you won’t regret it!

I love this series with my whole heart. Honestly, even with the book that the characters being one that I normally don't reach for, I was still eager to know more about how it wove into their situation. The Bromance Book Club is fast becoming my favorite romance series and Lyssa Kay Adams a favorite author.

The Bromance book club of Nashville is back as they try to use the knowledge they've gathered from reading romances to help own of their members with his love life. Mack is a ladies man and never has a problem finding a date but he can't seem to have a relationship. Liv does not trust any man and when she is fired from her job as a pastry chef after confronting the bad boy celebrity chef she has even less reason to trust a man. But Mack and Liv are on a collision course as they try to expose the bad behavior of the celebrity chef. Will they be able to break down their walls and face their own truth? Will Mack's knowledge from romances help his love life? A fun story of friendship and love.

After meeting Mack in the previous book, I couldn't wait for him to find his own happy ever after. He was just as charming and lovably over the top in Undercover Bromance as he was in the first book, and I enjoyed seeing him and Liz verbally spar and go head to head. There was lots of fun banter and a delicious build up between them (the innuendo filled scene at Mack's house was the best!), but as much as I liked Liv and Mack, I didn't love them. It took a bit for me to get into the story and I felt like the pacing was a little slow. I never truly felt hooked or invested in what was happening. The ending wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly, but the epilogue left me smiling. I did appreciate that the author tackled some heavier topics (sexual harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault) throughout the novel and they were balanced really well with the laugh out loud moments.

I love the idea behind the Bromance Book Club series, so I definitely missed that there wasn't an ongoing accompanying "manual" story this time around to go with Mack and Liv's journey. There is a book that is mentioned a few times and highlighted once, but I would have loved to see it incorporated more into the story. I enjoyed seeing the other members of the club and catching up with Gavin and Thea. The Russian provided some great comic relief and we finally find out his name! I'm curious to see if he will be the hero of the next book (although a certain mysterious IT guy and Liv's friend, Alexis, both had quite a bit of page time too). Overall, this was a fun read, but sadly, I didn't love it.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I didn’t even think it was possible to write a sequel as good as the first book in the series, but some how she’s done it!! Mack is the perfect lead in a book and I really loved reading him and Liv’s journey together all with an underlining story of smashing the patriarchy. Love love love, so excited for this one to come out! Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC.

Even better than the first book. Lyssa Kay Adams does a great job in showing alpha males in a different light. They are vulnerable, romantic, and communicative. The combo of Braden and Liv was fantastic. The chemistry was there in that brief meeting in Bromance Bookclub.
Undercover Bromance kicked things up a notch and it was great! The funny banter, the hot, sexual tension, the theme of women speaking up against sexual harassment, makes this a great book.

Okay, I didn't think it was possible to love this book more than the first, but I stand corrected! Undercover Bromance is just special. I LOVED Mack and Liv's story. I was rooting for them from the moment that he stole her left Chinese food in the first book. And can we just talk about the members of the book club? I normally find secondary characters and their storylines a waste of time. I normally find myself rushing through their parts so I can get back to the main characters, but not with this book! The other members of the Bromance Book Club are my favorites! I love the bickering between Gavin and Mack (there's even more of it in book 2!) and the Russian is as funny and lovable as ever. I just loved this one!

Good contemporary romance. Some of the conflict was projected and "surprises" were anything but. I'll read other books by Adams.

Such a great follow up! Loved the character development, inhaled the book in an afternoon because of how enraptured I was.

<blockquote><i><b>“Who are we?” Mack said, standing all. “We’re the Bromance-Fucking-Book-Club.” </blockquote></i></b>

i received a complimentary copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

okay, i'm not even gonna wait to review this one. i have feelings and i need to express them NOW. listen, the bromance book club was one of my top reads from 2019. when i heard there was a sequel featuring liv and mack, i nearly died of happiness. those two completely won me over in the first book, and even then i wanted them together so badly just from the few lines of interaction they had. liv's snark and mack's flirtatiousness were just a perfect fit in my book, and everything in <i> undercover bromance </i> just further convinced me of that fact. PLEASE LET ME TELL YOU WHY.

so. the book begins with liv walking in on her boss, royce, sexually harassing one of her coworkers. royce is a big and powerful honcho in nashville, so after he realizes liv saw everything, he proceeds to fire her and threaten to ruin her career. this is where mack comes in. after hearing about liv's story, he is determined to take royce down, no matter what it takes. liv is stubborn though, and thinks she can do this all by herself. thus begins a delicious tango between the two that leads to both facing the truths of their pasts and learning to move on from painful memories and trauma.

obviously the big appeal of this book is mack and liv themselves, but there is a plethora of new supporting characters that give this book so much life. rosie, liv's landlord and friend, is a spitfire of a woman who could put liv in her place when she needed to. hop, rosie's kinda-but-not-beau, is just as feisty, and it's super enjoyable seeing his viewpoint about feminism and women's rights shift throughout the novel. noah (the star of the next bromance book club novel!) was a delight, 10/10 would marry him if i could. and of course, our faves from the OG bromance book club are back and funnier than ever (seriously, the russian was comedy gold in this one).

i don't even know what to say. the plot was so enticing and had me on the edge of my seat, the relationship was so deep and meaningful, and seeing my faves from the bromance book club back was so much fun. if you loved the bromance book club, you're gonna *adore* this as well.

I adore this series. The bromances, the brilliant way Adams weaves in topical issues without beating you over the head with a lecture, the way she addresses tropes – gently admonishing the bad - while wholly embracing the genre with love and respect.

I had heard rumblings that this one would be romantic suspense and that gave me pause. One of the things I loved so much about The Bromance Book Club was the humor and I didn’t want the writing style to change to something heavy.

While there is an undercover element and investigation – the winning formula from the first book is still in play and as funny as ever.

Liv is the pastry chef at one of the hottest restaurants, working for a celebrity chef who is volatile and about to go on a book tour for a cookbook of stolen recipes, including one of Liv’s.

Mack is known as a player, but he wants to settle down and thinks his current girlfriend, Gretchen, is the one. He takes her for a fancy dinner where Liv works – ordering the famous $1000 Sultan cupcake, which Liv has to come out and present, with great flourish, with her douchecanoe of a boss. Mack recognizes Liv (readers of book #1 know they didn’t hit it off in that one lol) and tries to give her credit for the pastry – which asshole boss is NOT pleased about – and she ends up dropping the cupcake in Gretchen’s lap.

This sets off a spiral of events that leaves Mack dumped for the first time in his life, Liv fired, and the discovery that her boss is more than just a yelling jerk but also sexually harassing the female workers.

Mack tries to smooth things over and Liv isn’t having it.

Which leads me to the elephant in the room – if you read Bromance Book Club, chances are you (meaning me) do not like Liv. She’s stubborn, quick to judge and sticks her nose & opinions where where they don’t belong. I’ll be honest, she isn’t a whole lot better here but I also think Mack softened her in a way that let you see her side of things and with her POV – you can see that some of her snark also come with an eyeroll and not intended as gut punches. Mack also lets most of it roll right off and hits right back – not being mean, but challenging her at every step. If she’s wrong, he calls her out (as do a few other people) and if she’s right – well he heeds her judgement. They work as a couple and even though this romance took a bit of a backseat to the larger – take down the predator arc – I liked them.

Liv and Mack partner to take down her former boss and enlist the help of the book club as well as a few newly introduced characters, who were all great additions. Undercover Bromance has a lot of smart things to say, and to think about, regarding #MeToo, including the need for men to confront men, the idea that & jokes that were funny 10 years ago aren’t allowed to be told now, and how women support (or don’t) other women and they way they choose to handle their own situations.

It also pokes a bit at the romantic suspense genre and how men feel the need to jump in and take control of the case and save the girl. Mack started the Bromance Book Club and has given some of the best advice to help the guys save their marriages but in his own romantic life? Well, he tries a little too hard to make it romance novel perfect. His bafflement and confusing over how to handle Liv is hilarious because he’s coming unglued while everyone else can clearly see what’s happening and how to handle it.

The guys are supportive as ever and this is just such a clever, enjoyable series to me. It balances a few heavier aspects while still making me smile.

I do have a few minor quibbles though. Mack is keeping a secret and Liv’s relationship Kryptonite is secrets. When it’s finally revealed I kind of sighed. The I’m not worthy trope is not one of my favorite things – even though I understand where Mack was coming from. And Liv’s reaction to it was so bad that it erased so much of the goodwill she earned. I really wish that was written a bit better or had a bit more time to play out.

The other thing is Liv and Thea have a complex relationship. I didn’t realize how much until seeing it from Liv’s side. It definitely made me empathize with her more. It’s clear how much these two have been through and support each other but still have issues and I had hoped there was a moment for them to really talk or address it more.

I’m not sure who will be next but there are so many great characters to choose from. am I weird that I want The Russian to get an HEA?? He has a bit of a stinky reaction to cheese and I can't fathom how you make a romantic farting hero but I want Adams to try. lol I discussed it with a friend and we thought a dietitian girlfriend? I would love a romance that showed some of the messier sides of coupledom ha!

In Adams’s hit romance novel, married couple Gavin and Thea work through their marriage problems with the help of their friends and an unlikely guide: a historical romance titled Courting the Countess. I loved the premise of this book and recommended it on both an episode of my podcast, What Should I Read Next? and in a blog post called "50 engrossing and adorable rom-com movies and books..."

While I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book, I really enjoyed this sequel. Braden and Liv have so much chemistry, and I love how much he fights for her. You so rarely see men and male friendships in romance fiction, and it's such a joy to read here.

Undercover Bromance will appeal to contemporary romance and romantic suspense readers. Though it's not a fully developed suspense novel there are enough elements that turned me (a non-suspense reader) almost all the way off. I really enjoyed the first book in this series that broke the mold of general romance protocols and loved the inserts of historical romance (my preferred genre), but this fell flat for me. I think this was a personal taste issue as the book remains upbeat, feminist, and tongue and cheek (all things I like.).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book to review.

Undercover Bromance is the follow up book to The Bromance Bookclub and it was excellent! There is something so swoon worthy about seeing manly men doing what’s right to help women and bring justice against bad guys. This book was full of Girl Power supporting bros who just want to make things right for women.

I immensely enjoyed watching new bonds form in this novel, and having a different perspective than the first. The full cast of characters from book one are all still present but instead of following the story from the lenses of Gavin and Thea, the reader is treated to the views of Mack and Liv. I didn’t like Liv’s character in book one, but really felt for her and admired her strong spirit in this sequel.

This book has all the ingredients for Rom Com perfection. I adored it! There are some super steamy scenes that made me blush. However, the story also delves into some current social issues and has major political aspects going on. It’s not just a surface level romance but still felt fun and got me to laugh and smile.

I highly recommend reading the first book now since Valentine’s Day is around the corner and it fits right in, and then grabbing your own copy of the second book when it is published on March 10th.
I give it 4.5/5 stars and rounded up to 5 for this review

Rating: 4.5 Stars

She survived a year of his tyranny, but after catching her boss sexually harassing one of her co-workers, Liv spoke up, and found herself out of a job. She was down, but she wasn't out. Determined to expose him and his despicable workplace antics, Liv came up with a plan, and found an unlikely partner in Braden Mack.

I have to admit, I had a few reservations about this book.

First, I was worried it would be too heavy, but Adams did a great job balancing the weight of the storylines with the humor and charm, that won my heart when I read The Bromance Book Club. I appreciate, that Adams was compelled to take on such a relevant topic, but I am even more appreciative, that she was able to do so while still keeping this in the realm of being a rom-com.

My other reservation had to do with Liv. She was very prickly in the last book, and maybe wasn't one of my favorite characters. However, here, as the star of the story, I got a deeper look into her life, past and present. I got to see her at her fiercest and her most vulnerable, and I liked what I saw. Not only did I like Liv, I liked who she was with Braden, and who he was with her. Watching them warm up to each other and form a genuine connection was a thing of beauty, and to my delight, I found myself 100% behind this pairing.

The title of this book eludes to the undercover nature of their quest to reveal Liv's evil boss to the world, but it also hints at how both Liv and Braden were undercover in their own lives, hiding their real selves from the rest of the world.

Braden was the affable night club owner, who everybody liked, yet he was playing a part. Underneath the shiny and smooth Braden Mack exterior was a man struggling with the guilt and pain of his past. His backstory broke my heart, but I loved that he was finally able to come to terms with it as he connected with Liv. She also harbored some pain from her past, and was dealing with feelings of inadequacy, of being a burden, and of being a disappointment to her loved ones. It was a pleasure seeing her work through these issues and see herself the way others saw her.

So much to love, but it was the Bromance boys who stole the show every time they were on page. I thought I got to know each member a bit better this time around, and I reveled in the increased number of bromantic encounters. There was feeling sharing, bouts of hugging it out, and I even learned The Russian's name! I thought putting these men, who were in touch with their emotions, side by side with a toxic male was a great choice for this story. I also enjoyed the introduction of Hop and Rosie to the mix. They added even more fun to this world, and some really heartfelt emotion as well.

Once again, the men of the Bromance Book Club made me laugh, smile, and swoon, and I cannot wait to have another bromantic adventure with them.

Mack is a romance connoisseur thanks to founding the Bromance Book Club years ago, but he's the only member without an SO, and underneath the abs and flirty charisma, he yearns for a partner that he can sweep off their feet. Liv is a recently unemployed pastry chef on a mission: to uncover her ex-boss's penchant for sexual harassment; she doesn't have time --or the trust bandwidth-- for a relationship. Constantly at one another's throats since Mack "accidentally" ate Liv's leftovers, these two seem like they couldn't share a rollercoaster seat, let alone take down a celebrity chef or--God forbid-- fall in love. And yet it is the age-old tale of enemies to lovers. And it is hilarious and smart and feminist AF, just as I expected from Adams's first book in this series: a wonderful follow-up to Bromance Book Club.

BRB: Putting it in my Ingram cart for my library right now.

Humungous thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy.

Love this follow-up to Lyssa Kay Adams' ultra charming book The Bromance Book Club. I was already obsessed with this series, but I was particularly excited when I learned that this second novel would focus on Mack and Liv, two incredibly intriguing characters.

Whereas Adams' first book dealt mostly with family and marriage trauma and healing, Undercover Bromance does a deep dive into our culture during the #MeToo era, a theme that's become a more prevalent in contemporary romance books over the past several years. I appreciated, however, that Lyssa Kay Adams tried to go beneath just using #MeToo as a plot device and actually started to wade into larger dynamics at play, like women's own misogyny and the onus that needs to be put on men.

If I had to find anything off about this book, the only thing I can think of is that fact that the dialogue on occasion dips into utterly cheesy territory. But you know what? That's not necessarily a bad thing. We could all use a little fluff.

Undercover Bromance is one of those reads that feel effortless. From the moment it began, I was immediately in love with the story. Liv and Mack's antagonistic relationship from The Bromance Book Club spilled over perfectly into this book. Liv's love to hate on Mack and his constant need to impress her and make her admit she liked him made for some spectacular banter and chemistry. It made for a really fun enemies to lovers romance.

Liv and Mack's romance wasn't the only thing that stood out positively in Undercover Bromance. The way Lyssa Kay Adams approached sexual harassment in the work place and the way society has normalized it over the years was outstanding. She brought opinions from all sides and educated while she entertained. I also have to applaud the way such a serious subject was also made to feel "lighter" within this romance -- even when it really wasn't.

I also have to say how much fun it was to be back with the gang from The Bromance Book Club. I love those guys. Their advice and love of romance novels always makes me smile. (Now, can I get a book for the Russian, please?) Undercover Bromance was a hit for me and a great sophomore addition to the Bromance Book Club series.