3.5 ⭐


It was a great read. The characters were funny, charismatic, and loveable. Plot was predictable but it was written wonderfully, allowing me to enjoy it. The bro code rules made me laugh and Carter's personality had the perfect balance of cockiness and caring.

This is probably a very solid 3/5 stars for me. I read this when I was younger and it was on Wattpad and ate it right up, so naturally, when I made a Goodreads account, I made sure all my Wattpad loves were recognized at the 5 stars I thought they were. Then I saw the ARC listed and my excitement over another one of my Wattpad loves getting published took over. Unfortunately, as I have grown up I've realized that these are just... they're not for me. We'll leave it at that.

I think a lot of my actual enjoyment of this came from the nostalgia of reading it as a teenager honestly. I remembered very little as I started it but the deeper I got into the story, the more I recognized. However, I CANNOT for the life of me tell you what/if anything has changed. Overall, it's cute. It's not terrible. But reading it at 25 is very different than reading it at 15 and all the cute things I may have liked back then, I'm just not overly thrilled about the second time around.

* Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of The Bro Code in exchange for an honest review*
What I Liked
Rule number 1: Bros* before hoes**
*A bro is any dude, chick, they, or robot in a bro’s circle of friends.
**A hoe is any dude, chick, they, or robot who is toxic, disingenuous, or only wants to be around you for attention.

There were quite a few things I liked about The Bro Code, but I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. The characters are likeable and I found myself wanting to get to know them more. Each chapter is a different rule of the Bro Code which is a nice insight into the boy’s world. It also brought back a lot of high school memories including the ‘he likes, she likes’ drama. However, sometimes the characters were a bit over the top, making them unrealistic at times. But I was able to move past this for the majority of the book.

The Story
Rule number 7: A bro shalt treat his mother like a queen.

We follow Nick, Carter (his best friend) and their group of ‘bros’ through their senior year of high school. Enter Eliza, the girl Nick is in love with but doesn’t realise yet. The only problem is he can’t have her due to rule number 4 of the bro code: Don’t date your bro’s sister.

I did find the story a bit slow in the beginning, but once I got to know who the characters were, I got more into it. The whole premise of the book revolves around the ‘bros before hoes’ concept and I enjoyed it for the most part yet I did think it was a bit cringy to read about. The boys were oblivious on how to treat girls at the beginning and sometimes ‘boys will be boys’ doesn’t make up for that. It can be argued that Seibert purposefully made these boys unaware of girls thoughts and feelings to amp up the dramatic change the boys make of themselves.

The romance between Nick and Eliza is quite sweet and enjoyable seeing as there is this kind of forbidden love between them. As well as a love story, issues such as toxic masculinity and homophobic behaviour are tackled. This is great for a young adult book, especially a high school romance, as it teaches a younger audience about toxic behaviour and how to deal with it.

The Characters
Rule number 11: A bro shalt text a love interest whenever a bro wants.

Eliza was my favourite character by far. She is always the one to call out the boys behaviour and always thought of her own happiness before jumping into a situation. Because of her past, she was very sensible throughout especially when it came to dating.

I couldn’t stand Nick or any of the other boys at the start of the book. I know they are immature students going into their last year of high school, but I feel like it was a bit excessive and too stereotypical at times. Once they started to realise that high school was coming to an end and had to grow up, they became a lot more bearable and I ended up really liking a lot of the characters and rooted for them to do well.

Overall Thoughts
Rule number 25: A bro shalt decide for themselves what rules are worth following.

It was a nice change to read a young adult, high school romance and just forgot all about my adult problems haha! I wish I liked it more, but it seems like a book I would have really enjoyed a couple of years ago before I started really reading adult fiction.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This was a cute Rom-Com that was easy to read and fairly standard/fluffy for its genre. The main characters are sweet and share some nice moments, I had no issues with their development together. Nick and Eliza were adorable and funny and had me laughing out loud.
I really enjoyed that the book was told from a guy’s perspective because you don’t see that too much in YA romance genres.
A couple things I did not like so much…
1)I found the “bros” a little immature and kind of annoying.
2) The book was very predictable and fluffy with nothing too exciting to draw the reader in

Overall for a YA contemporary romance, I think the book is cute and has enough to appeal to those who love the genre.

Wattpad stories are normally your cliche, short one-day reads. The Bro Code wasn't any exception. The story goes is about Nick and his friends known as ''bros" following a bunch of rules which they like to call "The Bro Code". One of the rules include not dating your bro's sister. But Nick eventually falls for one his bro Carter's sister, Eliza and they started dating secretly.
The plot as a whole was really small and totally predictive, so the chapters kinda felt stretched and repetitive. First of all, during the first few pages it was mentioned Austin was once in a realtion with Eliza, so basically he was the first one to break the code but it didn't matter then and Nick's one became a huge issue. Also, the continuous mention of "bros before hoes" was really annoying and immature. Besides this, the dialogues were pretty fun to read
Overall, I would say this was a decent one day read.

The Bro Code by Elizabeth A. SEIBERT is a story about a group of friends who live their life by following The Bro Code. So when Nick falls for his best friend sister that goes against The Bro Code. So they start meeting in secret.

I found this so cheesy and so repetitive. The saying Bros before hoes was repeated so many times that I found it so insulting to be reading this in a young adult book. I just couldn't give this a higher rating especially since Nick annoyed me so much.

Thank you Netgalley and Wattpad for a copy of this book for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: mentions of previous sexual assaults, car accidents, and divorce

SYNOPSIS:
Nick and his "bros" follow a bunch of rules called "The Bro Code." One of the rules is that you can't date your bro's sister, but Nick is starting to have feelings for Eliza ever since she got back from her year abroad. The bad thing is that Eliza is Carter's sister, and Carter is one of Nick's bros. Nick soon finds himself having to choose between following the bro code or getting the girl.

WHAT I LIKED

- Eliza & Nick were likable characters and had lots of cute moments together
- Some of the dialogue was pretty funny
- There was character growth in relation to toxic masculinity
- The story was told from a guy’s POV (I typically read stories from girls’ POVs)
- I was invested enough in this story that I read it really quickly
- It was mostly fluffy (even though it was pretty predictable)

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

- Even though it was told from a guy’s POV, I could tell that it was written by a female author since many things didn’t seem realistic to guys I know
- Some serious issues like sexual assault were brushed over too lightly in my opinion
- The “bros” still had a lot of messed up thoughts that they weren’t really held accountable for

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Even though some parts were problematic for me, I would still recommend this book to others.

This was super cute! I want more romcoms from a teenage boy perspective because the good ones are few and far between.

I hate to say this was a DNF for me. There was very little plot. I felt like I was just following around a random immature teenage boy. I really tried to finish, but there were no stakes keeping me invested in the story.

This book is amazing!!! Such a cute YA contemporary romance! I loved the author writing from the male character’s perspective! That is not a common factor in young adult books so it was a welcome change! In this book we get to explore the friendship rules of guys who follow the “Bro Code” and how that affects their relationships. And how they rewrite it on their own terms! It was interesting to read how guys feel about certain things that happen in high school! Especially as a female reader, it made me see the other side of situations! Nick and Eliza make great lead characters! Both funny and filled with quick wit, they will have you laughing out loud! This was a great read that kept me on my toes, and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author! I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends!

e-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Bro Code follows a group of “bros” who follow a specific set of rules. It's not something Nick Maguire has ever had to worry about until his bro Carter's sister, Eliza, returns from Australia, and Nick almost immediately falls head over heels. I generally enjoy YA but this one wasn't for me. I kind of struggled to enjoy and concentrate on this book.

I really thought that I would enjoy this a lot more than I did. There was just a lack of connectivity for me as a reader because of the narration style of this book. while I understand that the entire basis of this book was based on "bro culture," it was different to read everything from such a bias lens. And I didn't really have any particularly strong connections with any of the characters, because the story felt a bit disjointed at times and didn't flow well especially the "bros" and how their behavior was always excused for in certain ways which to me just seemed like an excuse for blatant sexism. While the general idea of The "Bro Code" are well known there were some in this book that felt a little rando and didn't really add anything to the storyline of this book. Even though I had a problem with the bro's I found Nick to be so sweet and his romance with Eliza to be really honest and it felt like a high school coming of age romance which I semi appreciated for having to read through all the bro stuff.

I feel like this book could have taken a stronger stance against sexism, harassment, and rape but instead chose to make light of it instead and for that, it was disappointing. The revelation towards the end was also handled very poorly. Like oh a guy made a mistake, well oops, he's a boy, and boys will be boys. With what's going on right now, I had hoped for more accountability, especially since it was a book through a lens of a 'bro.' but with that, it's also a double-edged sword of I, as a reader shouldn't have expected so much

DNF #7 127 pages (47%)
Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sending me a free early copy to review!
I've been on a serious romance kick so I was really excited to give this one a chance I love when a wrench is thrown in the romance plan, but this one just wasn't for me. The story and the characters were good but I just wasn't hooked by the story and I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't connect to the characters or the story no matter how hard I tried. The whole focus on the bro code felt really juvenile and it was just really frustrating to watch the character go on and on about these rules that didn't even really make sense to me. I think a lot of people will enjoy this one it could be a fun romance especially for people that like this type of set up. You can pick up The Bro Code on September 22, 2020!

I thought this book was OK. It was interesting to have a book that was from the male perspective. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, but that might be because I am older? Not sure. I think this is definitely a good book for the teen/ YA age group!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

So yes the book is called Bro Code, and yes there were too many bro codes, but yes it's sad but true as many men have bro codes. Are they always right? Not always. This book took me a while to read because of all the bro codes, was I offended, no it would take a lot more to offend me.

I can appreciate what the book was trying to do, the bros were trying to grow up throughout the book. Some succeeded more than others, some were quicker than others. I love that they had strong friendships throughout the books, but sometimes there is more to life than those strong friendships, it's good to keep them but you also have to be happy with yourself.

I don't really want to give too much away but I'm glad realizations were made, friendships were made stronger, and relationships blossomed.

Overall the book was a good read, quick even though it took me a while with distractions in life. I just with the content went a little deeper as it all felt very surface simple.

Well, writing a review about this is gonna be a bit hard. The reason being mixed feelings. At times, I felt to DNF it but at times, I felt this book to just go on and on.
This book follows the story of Nick who falls for his best friend's sister Eliza. But this comes in between his devotion to the Bro Codes he follows wholeheartedly. Nick comes in dilemma whether he should break these codes and do whatever his heart wishes.

Being inside the head of an *oblivious* mysgonisitc jerk appealed to my curiosity of why certain group of guys behave they're the lord or something. Here, we find Nick and his friends or to be specific "Bros", a group of teenage guys who couldn't be any less stereotypical, they have a bunch of ridiculous and sexist rules each one of them must follow. But, as more the story unfolded we get to see that, except Nick the other bros don't really give a "damn" about the brocodes and have been hiding some serious stuffs from Nick. By the end of the book, Nick and his friends do understand that their bro code is extremely sickening and sexist, and redemp themselves. There's a subplot of #Metoo movement potrayed in it.


This book also potrays friendship and trust, there's also family drama present in it. I really liked the portrayal of friendship, college acceptances, scholarships and other normal teenage stuffs.
All more I can say is, this book was ninety nine percent predictable and an absolute clichè, however it wasn't full bland and their was a great amount of character growth throughout. The relationship between Eliza and Nick was unrealistic and super cheesy but however a romance with no toxicity.
I liked how the Author addressed wide range of issues like sexual assault, toxic masculinity. I felt the characters acted more like adult/college students than normal seventeen year old high schoolers, a few times it reminded me of "Gossip Girls" though there exists not much similarities between the two, except some careless/hypocrite attitudes from the characters.
70% of the book, I felt the urge to scream and shut this stupid bro codes and slap the arrogant characters. The thing that disappointed me the most was how the sexual assault was not addressed the right way, I mean there wasn't any consequences for those jerks. I rooted for those jerks to finally get what they deserve. Apart from this, I adored the new set of Bro Codes in the ending.
Overall, the book is okayyish for me. I appreaciated the message the Author wanted to point out. But the way the book proceeded wasn't really for me.

Thank you to the author, Wattpad Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I would give YA another go - and I wish I had left it for another day/book. This was supposed to be a fun, light rom-com, but instead it tackled really heavy issues like toxic masculinity and sexual assault. I'm all for that, I just wish it had been done better. The plot was top-heavy with the whole "Bro Code" thing - endless rules, many of them cringe-worthy and annoying. The dialogue was very obviously an adult trying to sound like a teenager, which was another distraction.

I'm sure the author had good intentions, but the execution was not so good. Great was the fact that toxic masculinity and white male privilege were called out, not great was the fact that the females involved and their feelings, got swept under the rug. I also felt that the revelations about sexual assault should have been handled with much greater care, if that is going to crop up as part of the plot. These issues were all resolved much too quickly, IMO.

This book reminded me why I don't usually read YA romance. I really tried with this book, but it wasn't for me. I found the bro codes at the beginning of each chapter to be annoying. The dialogue was the biggest hurdle for me. It was eye-rolling and cringe-worthy at times. The main characters talk as if they were parents trying to fit in with their teen children. The amount of times the word "bro" appears in this book is ridiculous. I don't think teens talk like this nowadays. Then again, I'm not a teen anymore, so what do I know?

The main character Nick is hard to like at times. The author adds in problems at home to make us feel for him. But I just couldn't root for him. I did like Eliza, but there wasn't much to her character with what I had read.

I DNF'd this book mainly because of the writing. The writing style was not my type and I couldn't get through the dialogue.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review The Bro Code! I love the Best Friend's Brother/Brother's Best Friend trope so the plot sucked me right in. Coming from the point of view of the guy in the love story was another plus for me. The way the story unfolded, following the different rules of the code and how they were applying to the guys in the group, felt fresh and full of humor. I'm not sure if the formatting of the text was off due to it being an ARC, but the way the sentences ran together or broke in odd spots was distracting to my pacing and reading flow, making the process feel laborious. The love story had me swooning as it started to develop, the perfect unfolding of romance between the two. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

The Bro Code starts slow and unfortunately I got bored pretty quickly. Where was the internal conflict? Where was the inciting incident?

When I first requested this from Netgalley I was pretty excited! It sounded like one of those cute YA contemporary novels that warm your heart and I was looking forward to starting it... but I was disappointed when I did.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy this more than I did.

Nick had been best friends with Carter and Austin his whole life. They did everything together including Nick and Carter going to college together and looking after Carter’s kid sister Eliza. When Eliza returns from a year living in Australia Nick sees her in a different light and that is not good. Nick is bound by the Bro Code and one of the most sacred rules is that sisters are a no go. Nick fights his feelings for Eliza but it is a battle he is losing and he must chose between losing his life long friend Carter or the girl he has fallen in love with, Carter’s sister Eliza.
This was a great coming of age story about 3 teens who are trying to grow up in a small town and make something of themselves. It is about friendship, love and all those angsty emotions that teens deal with during this time. There is some trigger warnings for sexual assault which I still have some mixed feelings about in the way one of them was addressed. But the other one although still not great was dealt with a bit better.
I enjoyed reading about the growth all three of these teens went through and how they addressed some of the issues that did arise particularly around their attitudes towards women and how they are treated.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
3.5*