Just like the first book this one was a delight. It was funny and heartwarming. I really hope there are more books to come. I love the characters and the whole feeling of the book. Traveling through Europe with GUP and the kids was the perfect start to summer.

I will read everything with the wonderful Guncle in it. I adored the first novel and again loved everything about this follow-up novel. The same wittiness and joy is on every page and I felt engaged and invested from the first word. I'm the President of the Guncle fan club. So fun and wonderful. Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy. I'm so grateful.

Normally I’m skeptical of sequels when the first book is perfect and doesn’t end on cliffhanger, but I was so excited to see that Steven Rowley decided to continue the adventures of Patrick, Maisie, and Grant! I absolutely fell in love with this amazing uncle and his adorable niece and nephew in the original book, The Guncle and while it would have been fine as a stand alone, I seriously needed more of the amazing GUP and his Guncle’s Rules for Life.
In this second installment, taking place five years after The Guncle, Patrick is in London finishing up filming a movie when his brother, Greg, calls to tell him he’s getting married in a month in Italy and Maisie and Grant (now 14 and 11) are very unhappy. Patrick offers to take them and tells Greg the trio will meet him in Italy and he will do his best to help the kids understand love so they will be more accepting of this marriage. During the 4 weeks leading up to the wedding, Patrick teaches the kids about love and different love languages the best way he knows how: through food, singing & dancing, and reminding them about the love their Mom had for them, their Dad, and Patrick. While the kids still aren’t sold by the time they get to Italy, Patrick realizes he needed the very lessons he was teaching his niece and nephew. With the same humor and poignancy as its predecessor, Mr. Rowley has hit another home run of a book that will have you laughing out loud, tearing up, and then laughing some more.
I still feel the same way I did a few years ago when I read The Guncle; I need Patrick O’Hara in my life! With his snarkiness and sarcasm mixed with so much love for his family, Patrick is a character of whom I’ll never tire. I truly hope Mr. Rowley has more stories of Maisie, Grant, and GUP because I’m not yet ready to say goodbye.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy of this. The Guncle Abroad hit the shelves on May 21st.

I read and absolutely loved The Guncle when it came out - it was so funny and full of heart while also tackling complex emotions. So needless to say, I was excited for the opportunity to revisit those characters and read more of Steven Rowley's witty writing. Unfortunately I ended up being more lukewarm on this sequel.

While I loved the setting and travel around Europe, some of aspects of the storyline felt like rehashing what the first book covered. For example, Patrick spent a large portion of this book struggling with his age and his younger ex, which I had thought he worked through in the first book. I did like that there was a gap of 5 years between the two books which made the two kids more adolescent age, lending to different storylines, but overall I just didn't find the same magic with this book. Still enjoyable, but not to the same extent.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This book is such as heartwarming sequel to Steven Rowley's first book. Patrick’s bond with his "niblings" Maisie and Grant is utterly endearing. Their witty banter, the kids’ hilarious observations, and their sweet moments make you want to wrap them up in a big hug. Rowley masterfully captures the magic of family connections.The sweet relationship between Patrick and his younger partner, Emory, adds depth to the story. As Patrick faces the challenges of aging, their love and support shine through. It’s a touching portrayal of finding love again.

As Patrick and the kids go on their European adventure, you can really taste the Parisian hot chocolate and presecco, hear them sing the Sound of Music in Austria, and see the canals of Venice and the beautiful hotel on Lake Como. Beyond Patrick, Maisie, and Grant, the supporting cast adds flavor to the narrative. It was hilarious to read about the competition between Patrick and Palmina, the kids future "launt" (lesbian aunt). I especially adored Palmina's advice to Patrick about Maisie and what it's like growing up as a young girl with strong emotions.

The Guncle Abroad” also beautifully explores themes of loss and resilience. It’s a heartwarming reminder that love can bloom in unexpected places, even amidst grief. This book was a pure delight and I look forward to reading more about Patrick, Grant, and Maisie.

Such a moving follow up to an already spectacular novel surrounding the act of grieving, In many cases, I agree with the masses that a great work does not always need a sequel but after reading this, the Guncle abroad managed to touch on areas that the original was not narratively ready to. In the original installment we see the kids and their Guncle working through the immediate grief after the loss of their mom and his best friend; they spend the novel making sense of the world without her while also embarking on humorous shenanigans. In The Guncle Abroad, we see Patrick and his niblings tackle the question of how they can hold on to their love and memories while also embracing that life goes on even after a devastating loss. It is difficult to mesh such a profound subject matter with the dry humor and quips that make up Patrick’s character but Rowley did it so perfectly. I read the original via audiobook which Rowley narrated himself and I truly recommend listening via that medium because the way that he captures Patrick’s delivery and cadence was just stunning! Though I did still feel the humor and wit come through the page reading the digital version as well.

Thank you to Putnam books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you haven't read The Guncle yet, stop what you are doing, and read that book now. Then come back and read this fun, emotional sequel, The Guncle Abroad for the perfect summer reading.

Thank you to PUtnam Books and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

It was ok. I found myself reading just find something to like about the main character. After finishing the book, I really don't like him. The story was forced. None of the characters were likeable. The whole point of the story was lost being told by such a narcissistic character that has no real concept of love. He was sexist and selfish.

I really love these characters. I fell in love with them in The Guncle and I didn’t know I needed them back, but this journey with them was needed in such a different way.

The first book introduced us to Patrick and his niece and nephew who he took in after their mother died and his brother was in rehab. It’s a book that marinates on grief and closing yourself off and finding yourself again.

Now we’re back 5 year later with these characters in very different places in their lives. But grief is still the key. We’ve all lost people and been on that journey with grief that ebbs and flows. What I found the most poignant in this one is the focus on the continued journey of grief for people who lost a partner, a best friend, a parent.

Grief is a never ending journey and it’s always different. There isn’t a lot of fiction that rejoins that journey down the road. I highly recommend it.

This is the quote that opened my soul:

“She’s getting fuzzier and fuzzier. Mom. The further we get from her she seems less sharp.” Maisie’s eyes grew wet. Patrick remembered telling them once that one day they would miss the acute pain of grief, the grief that meant their mother was still close. He had a hard time acknowledging that time was here, or understanding how five years ha already passed.

I’m about to hit 25 years since I lost my Pops (who raised me). I was 17 when he died and I’m 42 now and I read this quote and just broke for a bit. Grief is so weird and painful and unique to everyone that when someone hits that wound with the perfect words it means a lot .

I absolutely fell in love with The Guncle and was delighted to hear that the sequel would be coming out. I was a little hesitant, as most of us were, because I didn't think it was possible to release another story of GUP, Maisie, and Grant that I would love as much as the first. While I didn't love this one as much as the first, I still really enjoyed the story.

Let me start with parts that I didn't enjoy as much. The traveling aspect of it became a little boring for me, sadly. I think I just wanted more of GUP's humor and mimosa's like the first story. I know we saw a lot of GUP's one liners in this one, but parts of the traveling became slow and a little repetitive. I just wanted to feel all the feels of the first story again.

Back to what I loved. I love the relationship that GUP, Maisie, and Grant share. Five years have passed, Maisie is becoming a woman and although Patrick still likes to give her a hard time, he is there for her in more ways than she realizes, Grant has outgrown his lisp, which made me sad, I really missed that part of his character. The children are trying to come to terms with their father marrying someone new, and Patrick so tenderly tries to help them see the good in that. I absolutely adored the last half of the book. GUP and his humorous side started to come out more, I loved his raging jealousy towards the new Launt. That scene with him and her in the hotel room alone was one of my favorite scenes... an unlikely friendship? I think so! The ending was perfection, and really brought back what I loved most about The Guncle.

My book club's first pick was 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦 back in May 2021. We all loved it and it's still a book I recommend to people constantly. When we heard about the sequel, we chose it as our April book club read, and 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 was another win for me. I really enjoyed being reunited with the characters, and the story made me laugh (Gustavo! 🤣🤣🤣) and tear up just like the first one did.

4.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to Putnam for the copy to review.

This was an absolute delight. The Guncle was an all time favorite of mine so as good as a writer Steven Rowley is I had my doubts whether he would be able to bring back the same witty, heart-felt feelings that was at the core of the first. Well I can say without a doubt he has. This time the story takes place five years later and the kids are with Patrick in Europe getting ready for the upcoming wedding of their father, his brother, in Italy. The kids are not on board with this wedding and want Patrick to talk him out of it. This time instead of helping them cope with grief Patrick decides to show them about love in all its forms and languages. Needless to say there are many teaching moments for them all as they learn the importance of love, family and growing older.

This was just such a great story. I experienced a broad range of emotions—actually laughing out loud and tearing up at times. Rowley is a truly gifted writer. I only wish everyone could have a Guncle Patrick to help them navigate life. The world would be a much better place.

5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

have greatly been anticipating this book as The Guncle was one of my favorite books of 2021. The Guncle Abroad was a treat as we go back to Gay Uncle Patrick's escapades with siblings, Maisie and Grant as they tour Europe before they go to the kid's dad's wedding in Italy. The kids don't want their dad to get remarried and Patrick has his work cut out for him teaching them about love. GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) also has to deal with the kid's future launt (lesbian aunt). This book is a hilarious and fun read! Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and G.T. Putnam's Sons for the advanced digital copy of the book.

I fell in love with these characters in "The Guncle" - Patrick, aka "Guncle" and "Gup" - and both Maisie, niece, and Grant, nephew - and even more so in the sequel. This is full of humor, snark, sarcasm and most importantly love in so many forms. Each of their lives is expanded by the love and care they share - complicated, messy and pure. Everyone should read both of these books.

I loved The Guncle. I loved it so much that I bought copies for a handful of friends and made recommendations to everyone I knew. When I heard that another Guncle book was coming out, I am pretty sure I literally squealed.

I love the fun, lightheartedness of The Guncle. I laughed, I had all the feels. I was hoping that I would feel the same with The Guncle Abroad, but unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. I really enjoyed the relationship GUP had with Maisie and Grant, but the trip that they had didn't really resonate with me. I didn't feel the lightheartedness that I felt in the previous book. It honestly took me too long to get into it, but once I did, I did end up enjoying the relationship between Patrick and Emory. I just wanted... more.

I absolutely loved The Gungle and was so excited to read this. However, I wasn't as impressed with this sequel. It didn't give me the butterfly's and laugh out loud moments that I had in the first book. Maybe it was just the curse of the second book slump. I still enjoyed this book but I wouldn't recommend this book as much as the first one.

Round up to 4.5 stars.

Just as much fun as the first Guncle book. I love Patrick's wittiness and his interactions with Maisie and Grant. I also appreciated the honesty with which the author portrayed Maisie and Grant getting older and all the changes that come with that, including Maisie becoming more sensitive about her body. Patrick's desire to keep them young while also attending to their present needs is something every parent/caregiver can relate to and it was handled perfectly in the book. I would readily read a third Guncle book, should one be written.

This was such a fun sequel and definitely lived up to how much I enjoyed the Guncle. The relationship between Patrick and the kids was so fun to see continue and flourish in this book. The surprise wedding was such a cute twist! This was the epitome of family love.

I wanted to read this book because I loved The Guncle for its unique voice and emotional range. This sequel didn’t his the mark for me. I felt less connection to the characters and less invested in the outcome. The conclusion was enjoyable, and the travel component was interesting but overall I felt underwhelmed by this story.

This was a sweet sequel to The Uncle with Gay Uncle Patrick still being his amusing self. I didn't find this book as funny as the first one, but the children are a little older in this one, so there wasn't so much of a target rich environment for jokes. I felt as though the ending was more extended than it needed to be, but overall I really enjoyed this book.