Undercover Bromance is a lot of fun. I have not read the first in the series, but this one is great as a stand alone. It follows Liv and Mack, who have a slow burn hate-to-love relationship. The dialogue is extremely funny but has a very serious plot. Liv’s former boss has sexually assaulted numerous employees and Liv, Mack and the Bromance book club are on it to expose him to the media and his peers. Lots of laughs. Liv was mildly annoying with her never ending snide remarks but I personally found her amusing. Can't wait to read the first in the series!

Sequel-itis is in the eye of the beholder. After I laughed all the way through the repair of a troubled marriage, this follow-up enemies-to-lovers story wasn't going to have the same impact. The stakes of a new relationship feel different, even though Mack is a lovable character with unexpected depths.

Turns out that Mr. Romance Novel doesn't have all the right moves. He's lonely, tired of his string of unsuccessful relationships, and hoping that his encyclopedic knowledge of romance and his innate hotness will finally pay off. Along comes Liv, a chef whose leftovers Mack stole in book 1.

She's still mad about it.

Minor nitpick: I wanted Liv's bad boss to be less of a mustache-twirling villain and more complicated, as harassers often are in real life. The revenge scheme is pretty ordinary, too.

That said, I'm always up for more Book Club, because those clowns are priceless and charming.

Received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book series progressively gets better and better and turns so many tropes on their head while slaying them all.

I loved the first book in the Bromance Book Club and was so excited to get my hands on the 2nd one. Before starting the second book, I wasn't quite sure about Mack as the main character, but man I was wrong. Lyssa Kay Adams did a great job of developing Mack and slowly letting is see what drives him. He is transformed from what outwardly comes across as a shallow, perfectionist to a loving, lost puppy of a guy. Liv equally opens up to reveal a more nuanced character. The romance is slow to build but definitely worth it.

I also applaud the author for bringing the MeToo movement into this book. I was a little worried about how it would come off but no worries necessary. She killed it and in the process and in the process also gave us a delightful cast of characters.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the chance to read this great book!

**Spoilers**
I enjoyed the overall theme of this book. Getting to know Thea's feisty sister and the ever flirty Mack. Delving into their backstories gave this book a pretty different feel from the first in the series. While it was hard to read the sexual harassment that Liv witnessed, it was really satisfying to see the jerk get his comeuppance by the end.

I really love this follow-up to The Bromance Book Club. While it could be heavy-handed at times when dealing with such a sensitive topic, I appreciate the balance the author took with the heavy and light moments.

Let me hear you sing with me: ‘BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN! BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN!”

My favorite book club members are finally back. Good to see Gavin and Thea, having a stronger marriage but now, you gotta get ready to read Mack and Thea’s sister Liv’ story.

I loved those boys carry their big, golden hearts behind those muscularity and muscles. When they focus on something and team up to achieve an important mission, they turned into amateurish, humorous, clumsy agents. And this time they were determined to help Liv who was unfairly fired from her job because she witnessed her douchebag boss/ famous chef harassing her colleague. ( She also dropped a cupcake cooked with real golden into Mack’s date’s lap but it was not intentional!) So Mack is stubborn enough to help Liv to fight against this woman predator and bring out his entire book club crew to the war.

My thoughts:

-I loved Braden Mack, his emotional backstory, his charms, boyish but also honest manners ( he reminded me of wiser kind of Joey Tribbiani and I waited him to ask Liv how she is doing!), his heroism, caring, protectiveness. He is amazing book-boyfriend and book reader boyfriend.

-I loved the smart dialogues between Mack and Liv. Their slow-burn romance, growing attraction put them at complex situations. (Poor Mack hardly survive when he collects the eggs and being abused by rooster.)

-I loved RUSSIAN, a great addition to the book club who shouldn’t be fed with cheese, judging the restrooms of the city and giving them points, giving awkward reactions to the situations makes you laugh so hard. (Yes he stole the show and needs a book ASAP!I’m already chanting Russian! Russian! Russian! Taking a few more Smirnoff shots!)

-This book is sweet, swoony, emotional and the characters’ suffering from traumatic father issues and finding themselves to connect with each other. This is absolutely a hot and entertaining enemies to lovers story. I also appreciated the message about women’s stand up for themselves to fight against the harassment and abuse at their work places!

And I also loved ex Vietnam veteran Hop and his contribution to the boy’s club. It seemed like watching Dirty Harry reading romance novels which gave me more hard and long laughs!
Only one thing really really really disturbed me so much ( See! I wrote “really” three times) that was surprise, surprise, surprise (another 3 times): heroine! I want to yell at Liv to get her head out of her ass!!! She was acting like underage spoiled brat, too stubborn, too pretentious, keep telling: “I can do by myself! I don’t need anybody’s help blablabla yada yada yada” too many times which make me fantasize to slap her several times! Especially after the big revelation about Mack’s past, she acted like a biggest Ahole so yes I didn’t like her at the first book and now I still detest her. Hero and his gang overshadowed this obnoxious heroine! Score for: Mack!

Another detail: I have to disagree with Mack, I think “Protector” was most unlikable novel of Jodi Ellen Malpas (Second and third books of This Man series will always have special place in my heart)
Overall: 4 shining, entertaining, enjoyable, fantastic stars! It could be five gazillion stars for the boys! Blame it on unlikable heroine!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for sharing this wonderful ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review and I have to congratulate to Lyssa Kay Adams to enlighten my day with her talented work, And special request: Please write about RUSSIAN!

I read The Bromace Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1) a couple months ago and thought it was refreshing, clever and funny. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2).

I was not disappointed. The 2nd in the series centers around Bromance Book Club founder Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas (Thea's sister). Once again I loved the dynamics of the male book club members. The love that they opening discuss the importance of respecting women. It isn't heavy handed or an afterthought- it is front and center. This is particularly important since the main story line addresses sexual harassment/abuse. It is not discussed in detail, but it is prevalent throughout the book.

What I really loved about this book was how the author was able to unapologetically tackle a tough issue while still delivering a fun, well-developed romance with a happy ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the review copy.

The Bromance Book Club was my favorite rom com of 2019, but unfortunately this second book in the series did not work nearly as well for me. It lacked the same fresh premise and unique humor as the first.

First, Liv hates Braden intensely from the beginning, but I was never clear why. He ate her leftovers, and apologized for it? She just seemed mean and bratty for how she treated him for a good chunk of the book.

It also bothered me how the book tackles sexual harassment yet Sonia says very inappropriate things to Braden. To tackle sexual harassment effectively the female characters shouldn’t get a pass on their own behavior.

Overall, I found Braden to be really likable but underdeveloped. And the constant winking was annoying. Thea and Liv were strident, shrieky, and annoying. And the writing was not as punchy and funny as the first book.

There were parts I liked (the Russian and Noah and Hop!) and I am still very excited to see where this series goes. And I did want to see how this one ended and I enjoyed so many of the minor characters. But the magic from the first one just wasn’t present in this one, at least for me. I’m rounding up to 3 from 2.5 stars.

Thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for the free digital arc.

I was able to read this book early thanks to #NetGalley!

I really loved the first Bromance Book Club book, and this one was even better! Liv and Mack were really great to get to know, and their romance was fun! I think it is wonderful that Lyssa Kay Adams made the premise center around the #Metoo movement, and that there were so many strong women.

After Braden Mack accidentally tilts a $1000 cupcake out of Liv's hands and onto his dates lap he doesn't think it is a big deal right? Well, his date dumps him because he spent too much money, and Liv gets fired after seeing something her boss manipulating a coworker. Mack offers Liv a job, which she turns down, but wants him to offer one for her coworker as a way out. They soon team up to take down her boss and both get a little more than they bargained for.

5 stars (officially)
bookshelves: format-e-book, genre-dangerous-now, owner-netgalley

4.5 stars
A solid 2nd entry in the Bromance series. Mack and Liv have good reasons for their issues, and manage to work through them in a realistic way AND take on the Bad Man together (spoiler?).

OTOH, if your favorite part of the first book was switching between Gavin and Thea’s story and the "manual" the guys were reading...that's not here so much. There *is* a book (I think a real one?) and a great, HEA-saving quote comes from it, but not a lot of back and forth. Instead, we learn how Mack became so heavily invested in romance stories, and how they saved his heart and soul as a young boy.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adams explores the nuance of timely topics in the midst of a satisfying romance. Liv's journey from a place of judgment to a place of deeper understanding for victims of sexual harassment provides important insight for us all.

REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, for release March
.
For those who have been living under a rock, Undercover Bromance is the anticipated sequel to The Bromance Book club, featuring Liv (Thea’s sister) and Mack, the founder of the book club and OG romance book lover. When Liv gets fired from her job, because of Mack, she discovers the dirty secret of her boss. Begrudgingly, she works with Mack to reveal the truth about her boss.

I loved the Bromance Book Club, but this sequel knocked it out of the park. I LOVED it so much more than the first one! Mack was the ultimate sweet heart. He was kind, caring, cocky yet so vulnerable. I especially loved the ensemble cast of characters this go round.

One of my fav things is also the portrayal of male friendship and the bromance the book club members have. It’s so adorable 💕 What I loved most though, was the wonderful portrayal of #MeToo. It was executed SO well and really forced Liv’s character arc. I have to say, I didn’t love Liv in the beginning. I felt she was just plain mean for the sake of being mean. But the revelation of her past in conjunction with her realization of her fear, trust issues, etc was so well done that it worked for me.

I would highly recommend this one! I know it’s early, but I can guarantee it will be one of my favourites of 2020.🙌🏼

Thank you so much Berkeley, netgalley, and Lyssa Kay Adams for this ARC!

I think I may have loved this even more than the first one! Mack and Liz were such a joy to read about and the subject matter which the author explored was tasteful and realistic. I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Lyssa Kay Adams in the future.

The concept of a book club made up of men reading romance novels as manuals to help them navigate their relationships is just genius. The genius continues with book two, Undercover Bromance.

Braden Mack is the founding member of the club, but the one who has never had an exclusive girlfriend. He is desperate to change this. Mack wants to “finally, fully, fiercely fall in love.”

Liv is Thea’s sister from the first book and works as a pastry chef in a restaurant owned by an egotistical celebrity chef. He fires Liv after a simple mistake but what she overhears while going to his office for said firing, makes her realize he is also a sexual predator.

In the course of this enemies to lovers book, Mack learns there is a “big difference between romancing someone and loving someone.” He learns “perfection is the opposite of authenticity.” He learns to work for love, not just go through the motions of the “manuals.” Mack's confession about his father to his fellow club members was heart wrenching and their support brought tears to my eyes.

Liv learns to trust. She learns that fear, but also love, can be powerful motivators. She learns that even the best intentions can leave collateral damage.

The ideas discussed by the characters are deep and serious. The difference between intent and impact. That harassment is wrong whether it happens to a sister, daughter, wife or to a complete stranger. How you can seemingly blame or shame a victim even without realizing it. The author creates characters that thoughtfully discuss these issues and helped to deepen my own thoughts concerning how our society views and treats women.

All the members of the Bromance Book Club (“Literary League of Tennessee”) are back. There are new supporting players like Rosie, Hop, and even Randy the Rooster that add to the enjoyment of this book.

There is intrigue, romance, humor, family and friendship drama. Real life, authentically written by Lyssa Kay Adams.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC

After reading The Bromance Book Club, I knew I needed to continue with this series. A book club made by men to read romance novels is so appealing! I also came to really Mack's character because even though he did flirt a lot, I wanted to know his story. This book was perfect for that!

Just like in the last book there are two point-of-views: Braden Mack and Liv.

Braden Mack is a very charming and interesting guy. He loves to woo the ladies and at times it can be a bit overwhelming for them. Sometimes he relies too much on the romance books and doesn't let the women he dates see the real him. He does try really hard to hide his family's past and that does eventually catch up to him. I love how even though he is seen as this confident guy, he really is a soft teddy bear who just wants to find love.

Liv, like her sister Thea, has issues due to their parents. It's hard for her to trust, especially men. I definitely could relate when it comes to trusting others. It's hard and its even harder coming from a hard past. She uses her hard exterior to keep people at bay but who can resist Braden Mack? Seriously, these two together was everything I needed. They banter and they have to learn a lot about one another and also learn to let go of their pasts.

The plot for this one focuses on sexual harassment in the workplace. It's a hard subject and one that isn't talked about often but has been getting more press lately over the past few years. I think that it was handled nicely and it was good to see many of the guys in the book sticking up for the women and wanting to help them in any way they could.

My one complaint would be that this one lacked the pages of the book they read as a club. Only one small part was mentioned unlike the last book where it was throughout.

Overall, I think this was a great second book and that ending had me swooning!

I pretty much begged for Mack’s book after reading book one, and it didn’t disappoint! This one dealt with some serious issues (really well), but there was also fun, romance, and lots of friendship and love thrown in! Just a great book!

Liv is a pastry chef at the hottest restaurant in town. Too bad Royce, the beloved celebrity owner, is actually a jerk, but the industry wisdom is that if you can survive working for him, you can write your own ticket to a dream job. Liv is tough and independent, so she sticks it out, until one night she makes an expensive mistake in front of her brother-in-law's friend.

Braden Mack feels bad that he inadvertently got Liv fired, so he tries to make it up to her with a new job, but she refuses to work for him. There's clearly more going on than she will tell him, so Braden enlists the help of the Bromance Book Club members, who covertly read romance novels to help them in their own lives and relationships. Braden has a reputation as a playboy, but is he secretly a romantic?

This was a surprisingly relevant story involving #metoo (I won't give anything away). Liv and Braden each have a heavy emotional journey, but the story has delicious moments of levity, too. I liked this one better than the first book in the series. It felt more authentic when the men discussed feminism and contemporary issues.

Eh, this was not quite as good as the first (The Bromance Book Club). A little too much and a little not enough all at the same time.

Some readers may be put off by the language; there are a ton of f-bombs in here. I don't remember the dialogue in the first book being quite so overpowered by them. I don't know how realistic it is; I don't know anyone who actually talks that way.

And while I appreciate that the whole cadre of guys are real characters and, at least some of them, will get their own books, the fart jokes got a little monotonous.

I appreciated that the tension between the leads was based on some pretty real-world-type stressors. It made the story relatable and believable. But it also made the entire situation a little more frustrating. Like, these are actual problems that people face, so it was more annoying than usual that the characters weren't honest with each other sooner.

Still a solid 3 stars. While this installment can be read on its own, readers will get more out of it if they start with the first book. The series is recommended for mid- to large public libraries.