Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
I was so pleased to be back with the Bromance Book Club. The scene at the start of the book where they go to a bricks and mortar store to purchase their romance novels was great. Our hero, Braden, is the founder of the book club but when he see him out of a date for the first time, it is clear that while he might have some things right, he is completely clueless about others when it comes to relationships. I found the cluelessness kind of cute because he is a good guy, and a hot one too.

Mack is a constant flirt and I love that our heroine, Liv, isn't affected by Mack's charm in the beginning. When Liv and Mack team up to expose Liv's former boss, who has been taking advantage of his female employees, their initial interactions are not of a romantic nature, but they are fun and there is lots of sarcastic banter, particularly from Liv. She is a strong woman who is ready to fight the good fight and take on the world.

As Liv and Mack spend more time together, an attraction forms and their relationship changes, which was entertaining and a bit sexy as well. As well as a great couple, Undercover Bromance gave me what I want from a rom-com – a sexy romance with lots of fun banter, a supporting cast of interesting, funny and lovable characters that I didn't want to leave when the book was over. Undercover Bromance is my first five star read of 2020.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of determination, ethics, and romance!

This is the second book in the series, and I absolutely loved it. I would recommend that you read them in order, as the basis for the book club, and the success of Gavin and Thea is well worth reading first. That said, if you are impatient, then you could read this first.

There are so many fun and fabulous parts to this story, that I hardly know on which element to concentrate in this review – the determination of Liv to expose her ex-boss for his perverted, controlling and bullying behaviour towards his female staff; the dedication of Braden (Mack) to following the rules he has set himself from his considerable expertise in romantic novels; all the crazy that is Rosie's farm; the camaraderie of the men in the book club; and of course, the fun of the developing relationship between Liv and Mack.

Understanding why Mack had set up the bromance book club and how he had relied on it to help him believe that he could be better than his father was a lovely part of the story as was the group's intervention to give him back the benefit of his own advice! Liv, too, had to move out of her safe place and accept that he really did care about her and she cared about him.

I am very much looking forward to the next installment.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

Let's just say that while you could read this book without having read book one, it would be so much better if you read book one first.

Mack is an amazing character. He wants to believe in love so much that he began this romance book club. He and his friends try to learn all that they can from romance novels in order to win over women and woo them. I absolutely love his group of romance reading men. They are hilarious, chivalrous, and most of all, good men.

Liv has worked her butt off to get where she is. And despite where she is, she kind of hates it. When she witnesses her sleazy boss harassing another woman at work, Liv won't stand for it. Even though she knows that he is a powerful person in the culinary world, she doesn't understand why the women can't or won't stand up for themselves. She starts her own investigation.

When Mack hears about Liv's firing, at first, he thinks it's all his fault. After all, he did make her drop food into his date's lap. But what he doesn't realize is that her snarky, headstrong attitude is just what he wasn't looking for.

These two are like oil and water, until they aren't. I loved their banter and thought that they had great chemistry. Mack and his friends were funny and witty throughout and the Russian was my most favorite character of all in this book.

I can't wait to see what happens next because these couples are fantastic.

Triggers: Sexual Harassment

I really liked this book. It was fun, enjoyable and still dealt with a serious topic (sexual harassement at work). I heard some people say that they loved the first book a lot more and I'm curious to read Thea's story to see how much I'll like it. They seemed like a really nice couple and I just want to know them. I probably should have read the first book before requesting an ARC of Undercover Romance but I couldn't resist and it didn't alter my enjoyment of the book at all so if you're wondering if you can read it as a standalone, you totally can!

Now, I'm not sure if it's because the plot took a huge part of this book but I didn't feel entirely invested in the romance which was nice, just not very angsty. The characters were probably the best part of this book such as Rosie, Hop and let's not forget the Russian lmao.

I'm excited to read something else from this series.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

In this chapter of the Bromance book club, the guys are trying to help Braden Mack, the club's founder, resolve his own issues. Liv, the sister of club member Gavin, tries to take on her boss and shut down his sexual predator operations.

The club members jump in to help, and Braden finally figures out why he hasn't been able to keep a girlfriend.

A good beach read.

I read the first book in this series, and I wasn't crazy about it, but I wanted to give the series a second chance...and it didn't really work for me. The characters feel a little cheesy, and I found myself uninterested in their lives.

Mack whistled, "Damn girl, who hurt you?" "The patriarchy," she deadpanned.
Undercover Bromance follows heartthrob entrepreneur Braden and pastry chef Liv after she's fired for witnessing her celebrity chef boss's inappropriate behavior to a fellow employee. They team up to take him down, and grow closer along the way.

I didn't enjoy this as much as book 1 because Liv still annoyed me for a large part of the story. But her banter with Braden was excellent and their sexual tension lept off the page. There was less focus on the book part of the book club (we only got 1 excerpt from their selection) but we get to see the club (and some new members) plenty. I loved how supportive the group was with Braden's struggles and supported and pushed him.

This is another great romcom you can easily knock out in a few hours and indulge in wonderful escapism that combines genuine care and jokes in equal measure.

I receive a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This title was so fun! I just love the snappy dialogue and the cast of characters. I hope that there are more stories involving the Bro Book Club, they are a hoot! Highly recommended!

Undercover Bromance
The Bromance Book Club #2
by: Lyssa Kay Adams @lyssakayadams
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I was lucky enough to get a copy of Undercover Bromance from @netgalley and @berkleyromance, but I was also dumb and didn’t read it immediately. (I’ve been in such a reading slump!) I ended up listening to this on @audible - IN. A. DAY. I LOVED it! I think I may love this one more than the first book, and I LOVED the first book. I’ve also already pre-ordered the third book. (I saw on the internet somewhere that there will be six books in the series...is that true, @lyssakayadams?)
The concept of the Bromance Book Club is so creative, and I feel like the “heroes” in these books get more fleshed out than other romance books. This was also the best kind of sequel - I loved getting to know more about Thea’s sister, Liv, and reading about Mack’s history with romance books. I like a enemies-to-lovers book, and Mack & Liv were definitely enemies in Liv’s eyes. I also like how they united against a common enemy while they fell in love. The secondary characters were also super enjoyable. I’m a big fan!
#callireads2020 #bromancebookclub #romcomreads #netgalley

This was not as good as The Bromance Bookclub but was still enjoyable. Hopefully she moves on to a new character set after this.

Undercover Bromance

In this second book, Lyssa Kay Adams writes an addicting romcom that uncovers real life issues that tackle on the #metoo movement, sexual harassment, secrets from the past in an enemies to love trope. Despite the heavy subject matter I thought that the book stayed light and refreshing with the usual Adams style I have come to love in her writing, characters and fun dialogue.

Mack is the focus on this book, and as the unspoken leader of the Bromance Bookclub he can dish out advice like no other until it’s about Liv Papandreas who has stolen his heart. Liv worked for a superstar celebrity chef with a very nasty cover behind the cameras and Liv vows to expose him and take her revenge.

Liv and Mack activate the Bromance Book Club and just like their romantic suspense novel they are all reading, they bring on their version of art imitates life - their fiction to reality schemes in this fun and amazing read by LK Adams!

This was so light hearted and fun to read! You can definitely read it as a standalone but I will be going back and picking up book 1 and will definitely continue with this series. If you enjoy easy to read, funny romances then this is the book for you!

Fun! Fun! Fun! Lissa Kay Adams once again charmed me with her witty and whimsical writing. This was such an uplifting story filled with wonderful characters and a ton of humor. The book does also address some serious subject matter, but I thought it was done well and with a gentle hand. Live is furious when she is fired from her coveted pastry job after confronting her boss about his inappropriate behavior. She definitely never thought that Braden Mac would be the one to help her out of this jam. The very same man who she disliked from first sight after he ate her leftover Chinese food, without asking. *the nerve* What follows is an entertaining enemies to lovers slow burn romance with loads of humor, intrigue, and charm.

Just like with the first book my favorite parts were the book club, what the men learned from reading romance and their interactions with one another. This time they were reading romantic suspense and that led to Live going undercover to catch her boss. Even though this book was somewhat predictable and a little cheesy it didn’t take anything away from this engaging book. The characters were just so delightful, old and new. And I really loved the addition of the farm where Live was living. Another homerun from this fabulous author, looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book in emojis 🧁🥚🐓📖💻🍸

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This is another romance novel that I fully expect to end up on my favorite books of 2o20 list. I really enjoyed The Bromance Book Club last year and was very excited to get Liv and Mack’s story and it did not disappoint one bit!

Liv is a little rough around the edges. Mack is a sweet and silly goofball. Together, they fit so perfectly as they team up to expose and take down Liv’s asshole of an ex-boss, who manipulates and takes advantage wherever and whenever he can. Mack brings in his boys from the Bromance Book Club and more hilarity ensues.

I loved everything about this book. Mack and Liv’s interactions and banter, their growing relationship, their determination to take down an asshole for his wrongdoings to women. I loved it all. Plus it was great to get to see the rest of the Bromance boys and induct a new member who I believe is going to be the hero in the third novel of the series. I cannot wait for book three, and the rest of the Bromance books that were recently announced. Please, Lyssa, never stop writing in this universe, it is too good!

*Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Lyssa Kay Adams can't go wrong. Love the story, the humor, the writing, and the characters. She really knows what women want! This book is great and I'll be following Lyssa Kay Adams into the future.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: 5:Loved It 4:Really Liked It 3:Liked It 2:Just OK 1:Did Not Like It 0:DNF⁣
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"𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞" 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬⁣
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: #fiction #contemporaryromance ⁣
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: see comment section⁣
𝐂𝗪/𝐓𝗪: child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, coercion, gaslighting ⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5.0⁣
𝟏-𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: mul·ti·fac·et·ed⁣
/ˌməltēˈfasədəd,ˌməltīˈfasədəd/⁣
adjective⁣
1. having many facets.⁣
⁣
𝟒.𝟓/𝟓.𝟎⁣
Guys, this one topped Bromance Book Club for me and I am just as shocked as you (𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺) are. I though Bromance was adorable so I requested Undercover through netgalley and naturally, I put off reading it because I wasn’t crazy about either of the central characters (𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣). I am 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 to say that I was wrong and ended up loving these characters. I could gather early on that, as a reader, I would uncover the reasons behind the personality characteristics of the main characters that I disliked in the first book. Further, I was engrossed by the balance that Adams was able to achieve between comedy, love and female empowerment.⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝟓/𝟓...⁣
•Totally subjective alert, but slightly missing the complete escape and emotional involvement I reserve for my 5’s. ⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: If you enjoy contemporary fiction, I highly recommend that you read Bromance Book Club and then Undercover Bromance. You won’t be disappointed. xx

A great follow-up to Adams' first Bromance Book Club titles. Love the dynamic between the main characters, and the supporting characters are fantastic.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Note: Some spoilers – sorry – could not help myself! They were too funny not to share.

Undercover Bromance is the second book in the new series Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. I must say I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying this series. As a voracious reader, I was drawn in by the men’s book club and the thought that these men could actually take romantic advice from the novels they were reading. I encountered witty, humourous and engaging writing which kept me entertained throughout the story.

We begin the story with the members of The Bromance Book Club visiting a bookstore. What ensues set me up and essentially guaranteed I would enjoy the book (or at least I had hoped):

“Who cares if we’re recognized?” said Malcom, another famous face….”We spend a lot of time talking about the unfairness of how our toxic masculine society forces us to be ashamed of embracing romance novels. Yet we buy our books in secret. It’s time we practice what we preach.”

This story is a bit different from book 1 – The Bromance Book Club – the first book was about challenges with an established couple – Gavin and Thea whereas in book 2 – Undercover Bromance – it involves a budding relationship between Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas (Thea’s sister) but it is also about how the bookclub members help Liv with an unpleasant situation occurring at her now “previous” place of employment.

A situation arose (Live made a REALLY expensive dessert and then when presenting it – dropped it into the customer’s lap – FYI – the customer was Mack and his date), thus Liv ended up out of a job. This whole scene was quite funny.

Another scene in this love story that had me chuckling was when Mack ran into Randy (a rooster) while visiting Liv, and then the ensuing scene where Mack collects eggs – SO chuckle worthy:

Randy flew from his perch and ran straight for Mack, feathers fluffed and wings flapping. Mack hopped on one foot and then the other to avoid the attach. “What’s wrong with this thing?” “Roosters are assholes.”

Still on the lighter side of things – I love The Russian – and here is why (but you will need to read the story to find out the details of the why):

“The Russian could identify the best public bathrooms in every major city in the United States. If he ever retired from hockey, he could create an app ranking them and make more money that he ever did as a player.”

Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot on content that is serious and heavy – the whole story line about Liv’s previous boss taking advantage of his female employees. Must say – loved how the Bromance crew assisted Liv with getting this horrid issue taken care of.

And the budding romance between Liv and Mack was a romantics dream come true…slow and steady…watching the embers of love simmer and eventually…well… many ups and downs and I shall leave it to the next reader to experience this journey for themselves along with Mack and Liv.

I will happily continue on with this series with Crazy Stupid Bromance, book three of the Bromance Book Club series.

*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

2.75/5 stars
I was really really excited for this one because book one was so pure.
But I was disappointed. I mean, maybe it’s because I’ve been reading a painful amount of romance lately and eventually they all just can’t live up to a certain standard and I slowly start seeing all the flaws in it because I’ve read so many. There are definitely ones that are so much better than this out there. Braden was such a promising character in the beginning and it looked like I could definitely love this book but I think that everything in it was just blown way out of proportion. For the solution to have been so, for lack of a better word, easy I wasn’t happy. What was the point of the whole book if it just gets resolved in a second. The main problem of the book was Royce and I feel like his whole role in the media and that was not even that important and he was not that much of an opposition for them to be so scared. The whole issue could have been resolved faster if they’d just gone with Jessica and Alexis to the cops instead of breaking into his office? There was so much unnecessary drama and everyone was way too dramatic about basically everything. As for Liv, in the beginning she was a good character but she just got more annoying as the story went on. Also in the first book I loved Gavin but it felt like Braden was a really forced character in this one. There were a lot of scenes which made zero sense to me, especially with the whole covert mission thing. Again, there was no point. I’m so disappointed that this one wasn’t as good as the first one.

I really enjoyed this second standalone in the series. The characters are more fleshed out and stand on their own. In this edition there is a hilarious takedown of a heinous character. The exploration of the #metoo movement is the forefront of the plot, the romance secondary. However, the chemistry between the two characters is a journey from hate love to a slow build of romantic tension that adds spice to the story. This is a really fun book and if you’re looking for some fun with plenty of comedic banter, this is for you.

Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy of Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Braden Mack and I have the same taste in books, “something about a rescue dog in the true meaning of Christmas”!


Things I Loved

1. Lyssa Kay Adams can write some banter! Oh, let me tell you - I am living for the whip-smart back and forth between Liv & Braden.

2. Lots more to love about Liv in this sequel. I know some readers didn't love her as "the little sister" in The Bromance Book Club. Well, she shines on her won here & I really enjoyed getting to know more about her character & her motives.

3. Braden Mack is slick, smart & damn if I love him! I usually don't love a suave hero that much. Lyssa gives us lso much backstory that it just makes readers fall in love with Mr. Mack.

4. Give me more of the Book Club! I loved catching up with the Russian & all his stomach issues.


Lots to love in this one. It does deal with a Me Too movement storyline. I am all for it, but I felt it took away from the deeper storyline of Braden & Liv. A minor flaw, but for me, it definitely impacted my overall reading experience.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book & I can't wait for more of the series!

While I adored Bromance Book Club, the companion sequel was very underwhelming for me. I even contemplated rating it lower than 3 stars, but it was fun at times and I enjoyed reading from Mack’s perspective. He was a fun character from the first book and it was great to see the book club bros again. But we didn’t get enough of them actually reading the book together nor was there the “fake romance novel” interspersed through the text that was reflecting the characters lives. We got a small snippet at the end and I wished we saw it in the whole book. The sort of hate-to-love aspects of the relationship definitely kept me reading. I liked Liv and Mack’s banter and sexual tension. But the real turn off with this book for me was the way Liv spent so much time victim blaming and trying to act like a savior for the women in her life who had been harassed by her former employer. I think the intention was good, but it was so difficult to get through at times and left a really bad taste after I put the book down. I think the bonkers fun energy this book had at times that was enjoyable to read just didn’t mesh well with the more serious theme of sexual harassment.