Crazy Stupid Bromance is a rom-com about a tech guy and his best friend, a chef who is a survivor of sexual abuse. Their relationship is tender and sweet, but complicated by the sudden appearance of the father she never knew. This book is best when the other members of the Bromance Book Club are on the page. Their funny and caring interactions are unique in the romance genre. Fans of Ms. Adams other books will enjoy this one.

The Bromance Bookclub is a series I think everyone should have the joy of reading about! The romance, the “bromance” and the overall atmosphere of this book made it perfect, also who doesn’t love a book mostly set in a cat cafe named ToeBeans?! This is the third installment in The Bromance Bookclub series and it was definitely my favorite. This book follows Noah and Alexis who were featured in the previous books. Let me know me start off by saying, Noah Logan is one of my favorite book boyfriends. He is kind, caring, loving, and protective. He cares about Alexis with all of his heart and does everything to protect her and make sure she is safe. I loved how supportive he was of Alexis in everything she did, no matter what. Noah and Alexis had amazing chemistry and their characters were written so well. I am a huge animal person so for Alexis to own a cat cafe made my heart so warm! Alexis was such a caring person and she loved taking care of not just her friends, but animals alike. I loved each and every one of the characters in this book, because they were all written so well and the development was superb. The Bromance Bookclub is a series that should be a must read for everyone. This series involves must read romances, awesome bromances, and amazing story lines. I highly recommend reading this book or checking out this series if you haven’t already!

I think this might be my favorite Bromance Book Club entry!
Brave and nurturing Alexis and hunky computer geek Noah are the adorable couple featured in Adams' latest romance, and there is no way you're going to be able to resist falling in love with them. Noah's having a hard time resisting himself, as he attempts to balance his support of Lexa and his desire to break out of the friend zone and take their relationship to the next level.
This book had me smiling the entire time I was reading!

I received an eARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I was so excited to get an ARC for this one! I had actually JUST read Undercover Bromance a week before and then the publisher granted my wish for this one the NEXT day! Which just really made me happy. I was also on a roll of going through some of my NetGalley ARCS so it just really worked out well for me.

I was really intrigued about this one when I heard it would be about Alexis and Noah. Alexis, who we met in the last book as a sexual assault survivor and Liv's friend who came forward in the end to take down her abuser. And Noah who was a former Hacktivist who helped with surveillance and putting the evidence together against that abuser.

So now its 18 months later and these two have become best friends. Its time for Liv and Mack to get married, so we have a wedding in the air. It was soooo adorable to see Mack planning his wedding and how seriously he took it. Mack is still such an amazing character and I loved seeing him help another guy break down some walls just like he did for Travis and himself.

The first half of this book is the typical boiling of sexual tension that happens when friends turn to lovers and I was so here for it. All the friends are in play to get these two kids to see the light and make a move and it was so much fun. In fact I was really interested to see what the "dark" moment of the novel would be since they seemed to work through their hurdles relatively early. However, never fear, the author had a doosy planned.

While I won't go into spoilers for that, it was believable that this issue would be a problem and it led to some amazing growth for Noah (and some man tears that always slay me). Both Alexis and Noah have some issues they need to get through with their remaining parents. It brought me to tears too because it just felt so real.

The steamy times, you ask? Well, this one had my favorite sex scenes in the series so far. Noah was aware of Alexis' past but he didn't treat her like a delicate flower. He just made sure to always check in with her and it was sexy as hell! They had some great sexy times and it was awesome.

On a final note, a major plot point of the novel is personal to the author and I thought it was worth mentioning that it totally made sense after finishing the story because I could feel how much it meant to the author while reading it.

Great story, heartwarming, and sexy! Never doubt the Bromance Book Club!

5/5 Starts

This series seems to have gone downhill a bit.

What did I like about this one? I liked that Alexis and Noah had such an incredible friendship and that they genuinely cared about each other. It was really nice to see. I also thought that they had good chemistry. So let's talk about what I didn't like.

1) I am a big fan of overcoming toxic masculinity. But having a bunch of men sit around and talk about bad toxic masculinity was seemed so unrealistic. Seems like the more books this author writes in this series, the preachier she gets. I want to see Noah express his feelings, not sit around and talk about they need to express their feelings. Just get to the point, already. And it seemed like EVERYTHING in this book was the man's fault. Alexis never did anything wrong. When Noah and Alexis were making out and he stopped to make sure she was okay with what was happening, the guys acted like he was an idiot for doing it. And even though both Noah and Alexis basically ignored all the signs, Noah was the only one called out for it. Alexis was a coward too, she was coddled, whereas Noah was attacked for it. And when Alexis doubted him towards the end of the book, Noah apologized for it.

2) It was frustrating that most of the story revolved around other plot points beyond their relationship. There was Noah's family and his relationship with Marsh, Alexis's family and organ donation saga and Alexis's arch nemesis. By the way, what was the point of that one? Why bother showing some woman intent on complaining about Alexis for the sole purpose of showing how some women don't believe victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault? She was only shown a couple of times. And it was a little on the nose for her name to be Karen, wasn't it? I mean, come on. There was just a LOT going on.

3) Alexis irritated me. When her long lost sister comes in search of a kidney for the father Alexis never knew, she didn't even hesitate to say yes. That was just too much. Couldn't she have thought about it for at least a day?

4) I thought there weren't really any obstacles to Alexis and Noah's relationship beyond not talking to each other. It was ironic that one of the men mentioned that a pet peeve of his in romance novels was when two adults couldn't even have a simple conversation with each other. That was irony since that is MY biggest pet peeve AND that is exactly what happened here! Argh. So I was bored because over half of the book revolved around issues Alexis and Noah were having with other people, as opposed to their relationship.

5) This might seem a little petty, but could we have some consistency with the nicknames please? Sometimes Noah called her Alexis and sometimes he called her Lexa. It was annoying.

I hate to say it, but this series has lost a little of its magic. I loved the first one, I liked parts of the second one and this one wasn't that great, in my opinion. I skimmed over a few of the meetings with the guys. I just found them to be a bit preachy now and there wasn't as much humor and heart there. Sorry this one wasn't for me!

This is the third book in the popular Bromance series about a Nashville ball player whose relationship is on the rocks, so he forms a book club with other prominent and popular men and they read romance novels in an attempt to learn about and please their women. It was good.

I like this crazy concept of a secret club for men where they get relationship advice from reading romance novels. It is a fun series to read and this book was just as good as the first two. I really enjoyed the relationship between this couple that starts out as friends and moves to more.

Ooof, I am such a sucker for friends-to-lovers, and the Bromance Book Club just keeps me laughing every time! Alexis was a realistic heroine with issues still happening from her #metoo moment in the last book, and Noah is a loveable nerd who is crazy in love with his best friend and just wants to help her... and make out with her a little. The supporting characters are, as always, fantastic-- Beefcake, Alexis's rescue cat, who is all I envision in a tough-as-nails cat role, and the Russian both had some scene-stealing moments. I super can't wait to hear more about the Russian's story, BTW.

REVIEW WILL GO LIVE ON LAIR OF BOOKS & GOODREADS ON 10/20/2020 AT 8AM EST. LINKS WILL THEN BE ADDED HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.


PLOT

Alexis and Noah have really solidified in my corner why I love & truly enjoy reading romance books with the friends to lovers trope. We're first introduced to Alexis in Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) where she is the victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. Noah is the hacktivist we also meet in book 2 who so happens to have been recruited by the Bromance Book Club to help bring down the dirt bag celebrity chef. Since then, Alexis and Noah have become very good friends who speak every day & spend most nights having dinner at home. They also have one thing in common, both have lost a parent at a young age and find comfort in each other over their shared loss. Is there non-platonic chemistry? ABSOLUTELY! but both are super protective of their friendship to rush into anything. We see Noah play it safe because he saw Alexis deal with sexual harrasment & the last thing he wants is to infringe on the trust she has in him. Alexis on the other hand never really looked at Noah as anything more than a friend up until some awkward physical encounters occur.

We follow Alexis as she manages her Cat Café...Yes, a café where cats are saved and Alexis finds them their forever home. She also hosts Yoga at night for victims of sexual harassment/domestic violence. In the background, the Bromance Book Club is busy with a wedding underway. Mack from book 2 is marrying Liv who has solely left him and the guys in charge of wedding planning. Mack has detected Noah's predicament aka Friend Zone status & sets out to make him a member of the Bromance Book Club.

CHARACTERS

Alexis aka Lexa- exudes vintage 60's style fashion, bakes & cooks, over feeder, master home/holiday decorator, cat savior and a safe haven to survivors of sexual harassment/domestic violence. Lexa and her HIGHLY Sus (haha!) cat Beefcake are now faves in this corner.

Noah- a Hacktivist in his younger years has now turned himself into a very low key wealthy owner of a security firm. When he isn't providing services to members in the Bromance Book Club who are of high profile, he is grabbing tacos *heart eyes* for Lexa. Noah does have some baggage stemming from the loss of his dad in the war that took place in Iraq. Like Lexa, he has some boundaries that make their friendship more of a comfort zone that neither want to leave. Side note: Noah is by far the hottest Bromance Bookclub member I've pictured in my head!

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS

It's safe to say that at this point I'm deeply invested in this series & its characters. I enjoyed the first installment, however I've noticed my enjoyment levels significantly increase with each new book. As of this moment, Crazy Stupid Bromance is my absolute favorite. The friendship at the core of this book is well developed, we get the back history and the shared grief. I was cheering these two on all along and also hoping their friendship would remain intact. These books offer humor while also tackling some serious subject matter, the perfect balance between the two. I LIVED for the scenes between Beefacake & Noah, truly frightened yet entertained haha! The Bromance Bookclub is back together again & the book they've chosen is a slam dunk! I enjoy seeing my faves back on the page because Lyssa Kay Adams has given each such an authentic unique voice. Their personalities are intact including those of the supporting cast, which only piques my interest for our next couple in crisis. Could we finally be getting "The Russian"?!?! I Hope so!

So, this series has been great so far. I loved the first one, liked the second one, and liked this one. The characters are interesting but not super original, and there was the classic romance predicament that could’ve just been solved by, ya know, TALKING to each other. I enjoyed the story and continue to love the bromance book club and their attempts to help each other have strong relationships, but Noah kept getting in the way of their relationship. It seemed like he just didn’t want to try and was so afraid of being vulnerable that he nearly destroyed the relationship a few times. Alexis also made some dumb mistakes and was far too forgiving when she really didn’t need to be, but I understood her a lot more than I did Noah. Maybe it’s just because I identified more strongly with her as a character, but Noah’s anger and standoffishness was most frequently just frustrating to me rather than helpful in creating a more complicated and nuanced character. I suppose I should be more understanding of the difficulties he went through in his childhood, but mostly I just kind of hated that he didn’t seem to understand how to interpret his emotions. That happens to the best of us every once in a while, but he’s a fully-grown adult who has seemingly pushed down all of his emotions for half his life. I wanted more from him.

That might sound like I hated this book, but I really didn’t. I loved Alexis and Noah together, and I really loved all of Alexis’ journey (which made up the bulk of the plot), especially with her family. I had a few issues with Noah, but overall it really was a good addition to the series.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy of Crazy Stupid Bromance.

This is the third in the Bromance Book Club series. Although they could be read as stand alone copies if you felt the need to skip. However, I enjoyed reading them in order. Crazy Stupid Bromance follows Alexis and Nate. Alexis and Nate were both introduced in the second book Undercover Bromance.

Alexis runs a coffee shop that hosts cat adoptions and after coming forward with a public sexual harassment claim against her former boss, the coffee shop is also a place where survivors can gather. I enjoyed the survivors yoga. I don't think I have lived anywhere that had that option and I think it would be such an awesome experience.

Alexis and Nate are best friends but neither one of them really want to stay that way. There is a cat named Beefcakes. Beefcakes personification is excellent and I loved his personality.

My favorite thing so far about this series is in a way it is attempting to crush gender stereotypes. I loved that the men planned Liv's wedding including crafting seasons. I love that it attempts to show that men can display emotions and need too. This book made me laugh and cry and I didn't throw it across the room. That is definitely a win for me.

The Bromance Boys are back! Apparently all I read now are romances! But seriously, I am on such a romance kick. I decided to go ahead and read my Netgalley copy of Crazy, Stupid Bromance, and dare I say it just may be my favorite one yet?! It certainly did not disappoint. In this story, Noah and Alexis are best friends. They "friend zoned" each other immediately, but with the help of the Bromance book club, Noah is able to move out of the friend zone. Once again, Adams delivers a cute, funny, entertaining, and emotional story. Noah and Alexis both have their reasons for avoiding a real relationship, as they both have their difficult pasts, which include the death of Alexis's mom and the death of Noah's dad. This was a story about family, identity, and loss, and how two imperfect people can be perfect for each other. We get to follow along on the journey as Noah and Alexis open themselves up and learn to be vulnerable.. We get to see what Gavin and the other bromance guys are up to, as well as their wives and partners. I couldn't give this book anything but the 5 stars it wholeheartedly deserves. Thank you @berkleyromance @berkleypub @netgalley for my copy! This book is out in October, so be sure to keep an eye out for it!

This is the third book in the Bromance Book Club series and is my second favorite. I was surprised to hear this would be Noah's story as he didn't have a central role in either of the other books. I did believe his friends to lovers relationship with Alexis. However, I missed a lot of the bromance and actual book club discussions. I thought there would be a conclusion to the book within the book too and this felt like it was missing a lot. I really enjoyed the transplant story line but this felt like more of a family drama than bromance book club. I'm so excited for The Russian's story line!

I was really surprised that this book in the series did not hit my funny bone. All of the others did it for me but for some reason I could not connect with Alexis and Noah. With all the tiptoeing around their feelings and not just going for it aggravated me. I completely understand her situation but it just felt off. They also had this dry sense of humor or something. It was nice seeing all the other characters and noting that the Russian still has stomach issues!! I really adore Lyssa's novels but this one was just not the one for me.

Arc provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the #bromanceseries and follows Mack's cyber security guy, Noah, and Liv's friend, Alexis, as they work through their feelings for each other in a friends turned lovers romance.

This series has been so much fun! It packs current issues and has 'tough guys' working on all the toxic traits they have learned throughout their lives - which is amazing!

The plot being around a bunch of professional athletes and business men reading romance books to better understand their relationships has been so refreshing in a romance series. Plus the Russian is absolutely hilarious and for sure my favorite character.

I do recommend that you read these in order, starting with The Bromance Book Club. By reading in order, the characters really grow on you and you know all of the backstory leading up to the current book.

Crazy Stupid Bromance is a fun continuation of the Bromance Book Club series. If you read the other books, definitely pick this one up. We learn more about Noah, the hactivist we met in Undercover Bromance. We also get a peak at how Mack and Liv's wedding planning is going.

While these aren't my favorite contemporary romance books, they have a huge following so give them a try. For me the "lessons/morals" are just a bit too front and center which I get is kind of the point of these books. That said I know the author is working on additional books and I like the characters enough that I'll totally pick up the next one.

Thank you to Berkely Publishing, Berkely Romance, Netgalley, and the Bookish Ladies Club for the advanced electronic copy.

I love this addition to the series. I also like how Lyssa always brings back her other characters from earlier in the series, so you get to feel like you're journey along with the other characters we have all previously loved! I was really hoping that we would get a story with Alexis and see how life has changed for the better and what better man to pair her with than Noah! Great book all around, excited to see it on our shelves and in the hands of readers!

Love this friends to lovers romance! The characters are so fun, and the plot moves seamlessly with the story. There’s just enough angst, steam, charm, and humor to make this the perfect rom com for a variety of readers. This author continues to impress me with this series! Looking forward to the next book!

This is a really difficult book for me to review. Each third of the book had me feeling a different way, and each feeling was very drastic.

I went back and forth on the rating and I’m going to stick with a 3 ⭐️ which to me means, it’s good

Near the end of the book is when I had an epiphany and realized why I wasn’t loving this as much as I thought I would - it doesn’t fit in with the series and would have been better as a novella between books 2 and 3. It deviates from the pattern of the first two books far too much - there is barely any book club nor bromance! A lot of the story felt trite and mundane.

Don’t get me wrong, parts of Bromance Book Club were great! But there weren’t enough of those great chapters to outweigh the meh parts for me. The parts with the men of the bromance book club are what bring the laughs and the familiarity to this series and it is what keeps me coming back.

There was a great deal more of steam in this book then in the previous two. I did feel like the steamy sections were a bit forced and over the top- but that’s just me. It was difficult for me to keep in mind that the character’s name was Alexis but was also referred to as Lexa. The names were used quite interchangeably and that made it confusing because it seemed like they were two different people.

I wish there was more focus on building up and forming the main relationship because that part was way too easy and seemed cheesy.

There were a few things that annoyed me due to their overuse in the story: the term “padded” as in “she padded down the hall,” Candi repeatedly chewing her lip- how does the girl have anything left?, and the amount of times the women would “hug their torso.”

The parts where the whole bromance book club group were together were amazing, however! The Russian and his love for grand gestures will always bring a smile to my face.

Beginning: I’m glad to have updates on the characters from the 2nd book but I was really not attaching to the new main characters since both were very minor characters in the previous novel. I did not care for the main plot line of the long lost father appearing but also he needs a kidney. I’ve never been a fan of this particular trope so I wasn’t thrilled to see if being the main source of conflict for this story.

Middle: The storyline I didn’t care for took a back seat and we are now more into the “bromance bookclub” world! They were reading the book, discussing topics like toxic masculinity and feminism like the bosses that are, and they are showcasing their bromance! The relationship then progresses and I was there for it! But it did get a bit too steamy for me and felt a little bit too forced like the section needed to check off the “top hot to handle steam” section. But overall the ~romance~ was happening and I was finally invested in the characters!


End: Anddd great. At around 80% in the book, we are now back to the annoying storyline from the beginning that I didn’t care for. The bromance isn’t happening. There is no book club! The review I started writing while in the second section has to be scrapped because I no longer feel those ways!

I realize this review is incredibly too long and no one will probably read it, but if someone is reading it please know that I do like this author and I hope the next book gets back on track to the core of the series.

Overall, I found Crazy Stupid Bromance a fun and light read. I read the first book in the series, but must have missed when the second came out, so I jumped into this third installment without any background from the second. The Bromance Book Club itself and scenes where the club comes together are my favorite parts - their relationships and support of each other runs both heartwarming and hilarious. I did like how the friends-to-lovers romance plotline progressed between Noah and Alexis. Alexis had some really naive and slightly annoying moments though when it came to the surrounding family dynamic plot. I also found Noah's alternating usage of 'Alexis' and her nickname 'Lexa' distracting and making little sense.