Thank you to Berkley Romance, Netgalley and Lyssa Kay Adams for the eARC of Isn’t It Bromantic?

Did I tear through this book in 24 hours? Yes, yes I did.

I’ve always enjoyed the Russian’s one liners in the other Bromance books so I was so thrilled to find out that he would be getting his own love story. The more I learned about Vlad and his backstory, the more I loved this gentle giant of a character. At first I was skeptical of Elena, but I figured if Vlad had always loved her then she must have some redeeming qualities! As Elena’s tragic backstory is revealed, I couldn’t help but love her too.
I haven’t read very many marriage of convenience romance books, so this was a bit new to me but I thought the premise worked.

This book is full of the deep takes on toxic masculinity, hijinks and ribbing from our favorite male characters that we’ve come to know and love. Plus there is a Cheese Man, which I didn’t even know I needed in a book, but I truly hope he makes an appearance in future books. I can’t wait to see what the guys get up to next!

Now.... who should the next Bromance couple be? Colton? Michelle? Mack’s brother?

5/5 stars 2/5 steam factor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3896566896
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRjho2NAPqq/

Oh gosh, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, their motivations, and the journey Vlad and Elena take to find their relationship. I stayed up until 4 am finishing this book, if that tells you anything (it should). With friends to lovers, I often get stuck on what shifted for them. I didn't love the conflict and the conflict resolution here, but it was more than made up for by other aspects of the book.

I loved this book! I loved this entire series, but this is my favorite. I hoped that the Russian's story would be written and this definitely did not disappoint. I can't wait for the next one...I'm guessing Colton!

Finally, finally we get the Russian's aka Vlad's story in Isn't it Bromantic? 😍 Vlad has been a permanent part of the Bromance Book Club, but his friends don't know much about his relationship with his wife Elena.

At point in their lives, Elena and Vlad were the best of friends. They grew up together and were literally neighbors. Elena was often at Vlad's house - especially when her journalist father was off on a lead for a story. So when Vlad asked Elena to marry him so she could come to live with him in America after her father went missing, Elena agreed.

What started off as a marriage of convenience between two friends, slowly turned into the two of them hardly seeing one another. Elena went off to school and Vlad fulfilled his obligation to play professional hockey. But now Vlad wants more of his marriage, he wants a real marriage. Only Elena has had enough and is ready to return to Russia. Will Vlad find a way to woo back his wife like the heroes in the books he's been reading?

I have been waiting for so long to finally get the Russian's story and I am so glad that Vlad turned out to be this sweet cinnamon roll hero. I loved everything about Isn't it Bromantic?. From the bros to the widows in Vlad's neighborhood who call themselves the Loners to the romantic suspense story that Vlad is writing on the side (seriously sooo good). All of these aspects made up for the perfect romance. But most importantly I loved Vlad and Elena's relationship.

Vlad and Elena haven't had the easiest relationship and the longing and angst just had my heart swooning. When a book has be shedding tears within the first few chapters, I know that it's one I will end up loving and that is so true with Isn't it Bromantic?.

If you haven't already picked up your copy - do it now! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

I love this series sooo much.
Russian was always one of my favorite bros! His arc was soo well done and man absolutely nothing like I expected which I adored! These romances will forever be a favorite series of mine and can't wait for the 5th one!

This has quickly become one of my new favorite series! They are seriously just a blast and I love the male POV into relationships. Each book gets better and better and #isntitbromantic might just be my favorite!
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These books are hilarious, charming and a real heart that has me rooting for the couples in each book.
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I cannot wait for the next one!
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Huge thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

And what I wanted to read was Lyssa Kay Adams' Isn't It Bromantic?, which happens to be the fourth book in her Bromance Book Club series. Now, my preference is typically to read books in series order, but this one looked too good to pass up, so I hit up Jess with a proposition (and no, not that kind, but I can see why you might think so...): A BUDDY READ so I could pick her brains about the series and its characters, and we could compare our reading experiences. What follows is our back and forth over the course of a couple of weeks, which unfortunately for me included an extended stay in hospital and emergency surgery. #Awkward #IUnderstandVladMoreNow

Read on to see what we talked about, what we loved and why, and which book in this series is our ultimate favorite...

Psst! Just to be clear, Beth's comments are just plain text, while Jess's thoughts are in italics. Hope that helps!

—————

JESS! I don't think I have ever read a book that started with someone having ahem an extended bathroom emergency at a wedding before... I was alternately cringing and dying with laughter.

(Yes, I figured as much. Since you haven't read the previous Bromance Book Club books, you would not have been aware of the Russian and his issues. I am super curious to see how all of that goes...)

I kind of love that she's given him stomach issues, but I also remember you said you didn't much like him in the previous books, I think? Is it coz you live with smelly boys and he was apparently a very smelly boy? Because right now, I love him so much. That speech killed me DEAD.

(It wasn't that I didn't "like" him as much as I don't feel like he was made out to be attractive, and all I remember about him is the digestive issues. I mean, yes, I live with smelly boys and making a romance hero one straight off the bat is an interesting choice. AND YES, that speech. (heart eyes))

Ahh, that makes way more sense. Because he's so likable and sweet, and I'd like to wrap him up in a hug. Which is weird, because in my heart, I'm also picturing just a ginormous man with a lot of hair and a very thick Russian accent LOL. I have to say the first few chapters after that did a bit of a number on my heart, and then . . . the bath scene. (laughs hysterically)

(In my opinion, the bath scene truly shows how funny Lyssa Kay Adams can write. It's Rom-Com at its finest. I think this scene is also truly beneficial to set up the other characters and the dynamic of the group for those of you who haven't met them before.)

Yes, I definitely got a good feel for their closeness and the depth of their friendship from that scene!

I'm about halfway through and I LOVE THIS BOOK. Ugh, I'm annoyed at myself for not having read the others because if they're all as good as this, I have been missing out 😩😭

(They are all this good. I'm just glad you're with me now 😉)

Update: I LOVE MALCOLM SO MUCH. I mean, I love them all, but he's my favorite. I think. My favorite that's not Vlad, obviously. I really need to read the earlier books and catch up.

(You mean this Malcolm?

"Look, man," Malcolm said, his Hulk-sized hands stroking a beard thick enough to qualify for federal forest protection. "Men are idiots. We complain that women are so mysterious and ****, and we never know what they want. We **** up our relationships because we convince ourselves that it's too hard to figure them out. But the real problem is with us. We think we're not supposed to feel things and cry and express ourselves. We expect women to do all the emotional labor in a relationship and then act confused when they give up on us."

•

"Our society has allowed men to get away with a lack of emotional intelligence by equating the expression of a full range of human emotion with femininity."

•

"One of the most insidious ways that toxic masculinity destroys men is that it strips us of the ability to express our emotions and to connect, not just with women, but with other men. Because real men don't do that, right?"

Swoon)

YES THAT MALCOLM. Would 100% read a prequel book about him, because he's perfect.
Oof, this book knows how to make you laugh and then sock you right in the chest. I'm not mad about it, but sheesh. You could've warned me.

(There were certainly some ups and downs with this one. For sure some things I didn't see coming.)

Understatement of the century LOL

(It's nice to really just not want to put a book down.)

YES, it's the best feeling.

(I don't want to tell you which one is my favorite because I don't want to give you any preconceived notions.)

And I appreciate that. I love all the characters already, and I am SO excited to read their books. Probably most excited for Mack, since he's the driving force behind the Bromance Book Club...

(Vlad was not at all what I expected, in the best way.)

I'm so glad to hear you say that. I loved him from the opening scenes—that SPEECH!—but having now read the other books, I can totally see why you might have been wary. I am super impressed that the author was able to make a man famous for stinky farts so swoony. I need to reconsider my husband in light of this LOL.

(The cheese situation is one of the weirdest, best things I've ever read.)

OMG, between that and the bath scene (and Vlad's hockey butt), I was dying with laughter. I love cheese, but it was . . . brilliant. So randomly brilliant and weird.

(I love Vlad's old lady gang. The character bonds and relationships are so strong.)

You are so right about that. All of the characters have a connection that you can really feel. And considering his lady gang aren't main characters and we don't spend all that much time with them, it's impressive that she made them so lovable and memorable.

Final Thoughts...
Okay, an update for you guys... While I was hospitalized because my gallbladder is a ****** traitor, I was able to read the first three books in the series. I made sure to let Jess know what I was doing—and she approved. This morning, I finally returned to work after nearly two weeks away, and we talked about the books. Namely, about which one/s were our favorites and why. Unsurprisingly, since we have similar tastes, we both named the same book as our favorite. So, which one was it?

Oh, umm, maybe we shouldn't say... Because all of these books are incredibly easy and enjoyable to read, so the "best" of the series is relative—the three other books in this series are all noteworthy and recommendable and must-read romance. It's hard to rank such good books against one another, so instead of playing favorites, we're just going to tell you that you HAVE to read them all, and that when you're ready to talk about them, we will be here to relive every funny, heartfelt, running-for-the-grand-gesture moment.

Lyssa Kay Adams does it again with the newest edition to the Bromance Book Club. The Russian and Elena's story is everything I wanted it to be and more. Passion, love and a perfect HEA!

I loved this one so much!

A huge thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

I want to say Isn't It Bromantic ? is my favorite out of the series but I'm torn. Book One is where we were first introduced to this amazing group of bros and it holds a special place in my little book heart.

So if you wanted a ranking here it is-

Book 1
Book 4
Book 2
Book 3

They are all fabulous though.

What I Loved About Isn't It Bromantic-

The Characters- Vlad aka "The Russian" is by far my favorite bro in the book club. I am so glad it was finally time for him to have his own storyline. Love Vlad. Total Beefcake. Total Boyfriend Goals. He's strong and sensitive and all the things swoon worthy. IMO.
I also really loved Elana. I loved getting to know her. Her backstory. One of my favorite female love interests in this series.

The Romance- I wanted these two together so bad!!! They are technically married but it is a marriage of convenience. Isn't It Bromantic? is also a friends to lovers romance. Not my favorite trope but it worked so well in this book.

The Humor- Lyssa Kay Adams is a funny lady. There were quite a few of laugh out loud moments while reading / listening to this book. I listened to this book on audio.

The Audio- The audio for this book was very enjoyable. Andrew Eiden did an amazing job of keeping me engaged in the story as I was multitasking and listening to this book. If you are an audiobook lover like myself I highly recommend this one.

Why It Lost a Star-

Remember Me- I loved that Vlad was writing a book. It added to his charm 😍. The segments with the actual story he was writing- I could have done without.

Overall- so good! I can't wait for the next installment. Lyssa could continue to write this series until the end of time and I will read every single book.

I have really enjoyed this series by Lyssa Kay Adams. I do have to say that I think this one is my new favorite.
"The Russian" aka Vlad was awesome in the other books and I am so glad the author decided to write his story. There was always some mystery to Vlad and his wife Elena.

This may not be the "funniest" book in the series but still lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Absolutely some slow-burn, angsty moments (and I love angst!) This story has some serious moments mixed in and it's great to see that the Bromance Book Club still meeting!

I ADORED this novel! This is the 4th novel in The Bromance Bookclub series and it is by far my favorite! I have been so excited for Vlad’s story and the author did not disappoint. Vlad is such a sweet and compassionate character who just wants the best for Elena. The romance was so sweet and had me smiling from ear to ear at each interaction! I also laughed so much in this book, courtesy of the Cheese Man, (iykyk) who made the book even better!! I highly recommend picking up this series if you haven’t already!!

This was a solid fourth installment in the Bromance Book Club series, and I enjoyed reading about the infamous Russian that we've been teased for about three books.

I absolutely adore the second-chance romance/marriage in trouble trope. It brings a lot of angst and tension to a story and it reinforces the "is love enough?" trope that hurts so good. I love stories where we get to see a couple fall in love all over again. I thought this book was just going to be about the Russian aka Vlad trying to get his wife in a marriage of convenience to fall in love with him. The first 60% of the book really gave me that and more! It also had the hurt/comfort trope where Vlad gets inured playing hockey and the hospital calls his estranged wife to help care for him through recovery. The build up and tension was chef's kiss.

However, right as the relationship was getting good and the we got the love declaration (which is not a spoiler because this is literally a romance novel), the book took a weird sub-plot detour that had nothing to do with the romance, and frankly added nothing to the story. I could have done without it. I appreciate the author trying to add more serious topics to a typical fluffy romance, but it definitely fell flat and had me skimming the last 20% of the book.

I think she did the serious sub-plot arc really well with the third book in this series, Crazy Stupid Bromance, but like my issue with the second book in this series, Undercover Bromance, the third act conflict sub-plot was very convoluted and left me wondering why it was included. For drama, probably.

I did, however, enjoy more of the "bromance" added in this book and we got see more book club action. Seeing Vlad and the Bromance Book Club team up to help him with his relationship was super cute and it portrayed male friendships in a very healthy way that we don't see often in books.

Overall this was a super quick and fun read, and a great culmination to the Bromance Book Club series, though I would not be opposed to a book for Colton, our favorite country music superstar.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

So glad to finally get The Russian’s story. This series just keeps getting better and better. One of my favorites yet.

I loved this book so much! I actually think that this may be my favorite installment of her series for me.up there with the Bromance Book Club

I am soooo glad we got a Vlad book! Big shoutout to everyone who bothered Lyssa Kay Adams about this for years because this easily stole it's spot as my fave in the series! I loved Vlad and Elena and their rocky road to happiness. Also the group of side character was amazing! Like where's Colton's book? Or even Cheeseman's? I can't wait to see what she writes next!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Our Russian cinnamon roll finally got his own book!!! I’ve read all the books in this series and I’ve grown to love this sweet little Russian cinnamon roll and I’m so happy that we got a book from his POV! If you’ve read all the books by this point If I’m being honest my favorite part of this book wasn’t the romance-which isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy it BUT my favorite part was reading the bromance between these men. Seeing them all gather to help our lovable Russian win the love of his life back was so freaking cute! I can’t!!!

Thank you Berkley Romance and Lets Talk Books Promo for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

As far as I'm concerned, Lyssa Kay Adams can do no wrong. I absolutely adore this entire series. After seeing The Russian/Vlad throughout the previous three books, I was excited to see his and Elena's story. I love how Adams has different tropes in different books. Second chance romance is not one I read a lot of, but I loved this. Vlad is such a big softie. It loved seeing him get his happy ever after. I love how this series makes me laugh and cry. The friendship of the men in the Bromance book club is unparalled in anything else I've ever read. They are progressive and I wish more men would read romance and learn from it like they do.

It was cool to see Vlad writing a romance novel. I think it took a little bit away from the story to delve into a second book, but otherwise I still really enjoyed this.

I really hope Colton's book is next!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

The Bromance Book Club series just keeps getting better and better! I have been dying for Vlad’s story as I was intrigued by him since the very first book. Even though this is a series, each book can be read as standalone but I highly recommend the entire series!

Vlad, also know as The Russian, finally gets his own story in a delightful combination of friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, and forced proximity. Vlad has always been a sweet and romantic character, but we truly learn how big his heart is in this story. Vlad and Elena’s relationship had many obstacles, but the payout was well worth it.

I also loved revisiting the other Bromance Book Club men and how involved they were in the story. It is just so sweet how far they will go to support each other!

I could gush on and on, but if you want to read a sweet and sexy romance where the man is romantic, in tune with his emotions, and a complete cinnamon roll hero with an Adonis body then you HAVE to read Isn’t It Bromantic?!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, and Berit Talks Books for the gifted copy! #berkleybuddyreads #berkleywritesstrongwomen

Vlad Konnikov, aka the Russian, is the latest Bromance Book Club member to fall and this is his story. Vlad may be the top defenseman for the Nashville Vipers professional hockey team but he is at the bottom of his game when it comes to love....especially with his wife....Elena Konnikova! Vlad and Elena married six years ago after her father went missing so she could escape to The United States and be safe. Elena's dad was a Russian reporter and was working on a dangerous case. Shortly after their marriage, Elena moved to Chicago, IL to attend college and be a journalist herself. Now that Elena has earned her degree, Vlad wants to make a go of their marriage. Elena has other ideas. When Vlad ends up getting seriously hurt in a hockey game, Elena comes back to town to take care of him. The more time these two spend together, the more they realize that maybe a real marriage could work. The Bromance Boys come to also help out and discover that Vlad has started writing his own romance novel. The boys are determined to help Vlad win over Elena AND help him finish his book, all while trying to deal with Vlad's neighbors, The Loner's; all the wandering animals and their own lives.

I just adored this Super Sexy story by Lyssa Kay Adams. I laughed out so many times, my sides started to hurt. I just adored Vlad. He is so sweet, naive, and genuinely a good guy. You can't help buy root for him to get the girl. I liked Elena. She was trying resolve things from her past and was having a hard time trusting, but once she started to realize certain things, her life started coming together perfectly. This story was another great addition to a 5 star series!

I really liked Vlad in previous books. He really carried this book for me (despite me never really seeing him as a love interest before). Elena fell flat for me. I really had a hard time figuring out why I should care about her and root for this couple. There wasn't enough reason or background information for me; maybe some scenes of them as a teen? When did Vlad fall in love with her? This was what was missing for me to really be invested. The story itself was fine and entertained me but it didn't pull on any of my heartstrings like previous books in the series.