Huge thank you to @gpputnam and @netgalley for an advanced gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Guncle is back!! This time he’s on a globetrotting journey with the kids while still doling out life advice along the way. Some of this life advice is literally life changing and others are bits of trivia
that had me chuckling. Patrick’s brother, the dad of Maisie and Grant is getting married and the kids are struggling. Patrick has a big task at hand teaching the kids about love. I was crying laughing as he mused about how he could teach them about love. See below.

“There was a person named Big?” “Yes! Well, Mr. Big. Big was his last name. He rescued Carrie after she was kidnapped by Mikhail Baryshnikov.” “Was he a pirate?” Grant asked. Patrick took in their blank faces. How would he get them to understand love if he couldn’t get them to appreciate Carrie and Big?“

My favorite thing about Rowley’s writing is his keen attention to detail, his humor and wit, while consistently making me feel all the feelings. Yes, I’m always wiping away tears at the end of his books but his books are truly heartwarming and this definitely is!
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This book felt like a hug, plus gave me travel envy. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. It miraculously retains all the charm.

Even better than 'The Guncle'!

Patrick and the kids are back and this time they're going to Europe (for Greg's wedding!) I didn't want the book to end. Grant's cuteness, Maisee's angst and Patrick's humor were like warm cocoa on a rainy day. I couldn't get enough of them.

The first book dealt with more heavy topics like grief, this is lighter with laughter and wit. But there are important topics here too like the very poignant conversation with Palmina (who I loved) about being a young woman.

I laughed so many times and I loved these characters with all my heart. This isn't something I can say for many books of late. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the advanced e-copy!

So many people just love this series. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I found it too chatty and odd.

"You dole out life advice and your little rules for living like candy and you don't follow any of them."
"That's not true," Patrick protested, "I always wear pants to get bottomless mimosas."🥂

I'll started by sayin that The Guncle is a book I absolutely loved, so I was very excited for this sequel - and it had a lot to live up to. The story jumps five years into the future and all the delightful characters are back. Just like book one, the wit, humor, and love in the midst of grief are there. However, I was nowhere near as invested in the will they or won't they get married saga as I was in the plot of The Guncle. It's a solid second act, to be sure, and so much of what is lovely about the first book is present in the second.

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the eARC!

⭐️ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ⭐️
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

mᥡ rᥱ᥎іᥱᥕ:
Patrick is my favorite human ever…I truly wish he wasn’t fictional. I fell in love with the bond between Patrick, Maisie and Grant in The Guncle and this sequel gave me just the dose I needed. I can’t get enough of this family! And I’m wanting more books in this series. 🤞

The way that Patrick has helped these kids through some of the toughest times of their lives makes my heart so warm. He is a constant in their lives that they can count on and confide in. Although the kids are getting older and going through some different phases, Patrick loves them unconditionally and makes sure they know that. His relationship with his niece and nephew is truly so special, they are lucky to have him.

I need more of The Guncle!! I HIGHLY recommend this book, I haven’t been able to stop talking about this series!

It was so much fun to be back with Patrick, Maisie and Grant. Even better they were traveling around Europe. It was fun to read about places I’ve been and seen in this story.
This is a fast paced heartwarming story that picks up five years after The Guncle finished. I hope Steven Rowley keeps going with these books. They are fun. I liked this as much as the first.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and PRHAudio for the early access to this book. The author narrates it himself and brings exactly the voice I envision for main character Patrick O'Hara.

Blurb:
Guncle Part 2, five years later. Maisie and Grant's dad Greg is getting remarried in Lake Como, but first the kids will do some sightseeing through Europe with Gup (Gay Uncle Patrick). He needs to show them the sights, while also convincing them to get on board with future Italian stepmother Livia... and deal with his own insecurities about aging... and survive a host of family members causing more drama. No sweat.

Mood Reader Guide: for when you want to travel across Europe in style with your snarky older gay uncle, who also has nuggets of sincere wisdom to dispense when you're least expecting them

Thoughts: I went into the first volume of The Guncle not realizing how much emotion and heart would be packed into a candy-colored book, and really loved it. The Guncle Abroad is a similar mix of funny and feelings, but the emotional punch isn't at strong. I still really liked it, but more of the enjoyment came from revisiting the characters we loved from Book 1. The first third of the story feels a little like we're spinning our wheels, but the real adventures start when everyone arrives in Lake Como for the wedding and I found myself reading / listening much faster in the second half.

The early tongue-in-cheek rant about sequels between Patrick and his agent are hilarious. I'm also still laughing about the Sound of Music bus tour, and the "tea a drink with jam and bread" tshirt friends :) The faux rivalry with Launt (lesbian aunt) is great, and I loved seeing how Maisie and Grant have grown up. There are lots of touching moments and insights in terms of how all the characters are dealing long-term with grief, and how the sibling relationships evolve. It's really sweet how everything ends up working out and feels nicely wrapped up at the end.

I am always in awe when authors can write a sequel with the same character quirks and personality traits as the original and this is no different. GUP, Maisie and Grant are written as if they're real people; they are no different in this book than they are in book 1. I loved the addition of the overseas traveling and the family dynamics of adding new people. I would give this more stars if I could!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Oh Steven Rowley - how I love thee - let me count the ways:
1) Your characters just jump off the page and come to life and I never want to leave them
2) Your wit and humor makes me literally laugh out loud throughout your novels
3) You always add so much heart into your stories and I find myself wiping tears from my eyes while also having a smile on my face
4) You make me want to live inside your books

The Guncle is one of my favorite books to recommend to anyone and everyone - so I was so excited to be with Team Guncle again and see what Peter, Maisie and Grant were up to. I was always slightly scared - what if it didn't live up to my expectations? Well it was silly to even think that because THIS IS STEVEN ROWLEY! I just can't say enough about this amazing writer and the way he writes these larger than life characters that are also so rooted in reality - I just want to wrap them up in my arms and hug them!

I was so happy to be back in this world and to be back with my favorite Guncle & see his adorable niece and nephew growing up - Grant's lisp is gone! Maisie is a sassy and sometimes sulky preteen! Peter is back with his witty banter and new version of Guncle Rules! - I was here for every minute of it.

I especially loved the European setting, the peek into Peter's revival of his career and subsequent lifestyle, and the introduction of some new characters - especially Peter's new archenemy, the kids villainous(?) soon-to-be LAUNT (Lesbian Aunt).

Rowley does a great job setting you up if you haven't read The Guncle - but my question is WHY HAVEN'T YOU! These books truly make me heart smile so much and I will forever read anything and everything that Rowley writes!

(Check out his awesome husband too - Byron Lane - and one of my most loved romcoms of last year Big Gay Wedding featuring one of my favorite animals of all-time, Elaine!)

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House/Putnam Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest & glowing opinion!

It’s been 5 years since the events in The Guncle solidified a relationship between Patrick and his niece and nephew. Now they are spending several weeks together traveling in multiple countries before ending up at a wedding. Just a few chapters cover the weeks of travel time, and most of the chapters happen over the few days around the wedding. I would have enjoyed it more if the balance had been flipped and we got to experience more of the travel time with the kids.

The funniest parts of the story are the interactions between Patrick and the kids. Most of this book is about Patrick’s internal thoughts/emotions/growth, so it’s not the humorous book I expected. Overall, I liked it but didn’t love it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

I’m calling it now: The Guncle Abroad is THE book of the summer! Steven Rowley made readers fall in love with The Guncle two years ago, and now he’s back in the follow-up novel, The Guncle Abroad. And dare I say, I think I loved this one even more?!

Our favorite characters are back, as Gay Uncle Patrick is tasked with traveling with Maisie and Grant (his niece and nephew) to Europe for their father’s wedding in Italy. Patrick’s biggest task however, is helping the kids accept this big change to their family and help them understand the complexities of love. I really related and felt a connection with this book as my own kids are the same ages as Maisie and Grant. From the angst and attitudes to the innocence, Rowley captured these young characters so well! I also loved how Patrick found transformational growth for himself, and moved forward in his own grief and love.

This book will take you through a myriad of emotions, as Rowley does so well. My heart swelled and broke often and I can’t even begin to tell you how laugh out loud funny this book is!! We are graced with our favorite characters again, as well as some new ones who won my heart over and then some! From a musical number in the heart of The Sound of Music, to an off the wall reception dinner this book has it ALL!! This book comes out this week, and you are going to want to read this one. Trust me!!

Thank you netgalley for this novel when i saw this on the site i was shook because i didnt know a second novel was being written and so when i got it i had to dive in this book series is so wholesome and it touches down on alot of important topics regarding grief etc and how to live after losing people you care so much about and i also love how supportive of an uncle he is it makes my heart melt! These characters are so wholesome i love them and so after reading the first one a while back jumping into this one made me still remember how much i love the dynamic between these 3! This novel maisie was older so they talked more about her and her changes she goes through and stuff and also dealing with the loss of her mother as a teen. I loved all the detail of the writing regarding the fashion and movie references and the book takes place in europe and mostly italy what is not too love about those beautiful places. I will say this book had a little twist towards the end and i cant say why because its a major spoiler to the storyline but OMG. I loved it. Overall this was a great funny read with a handful of great characters. Is it bad to say i want book 3? 🤭

Cant post the synopsis because its too long but also dont wanna spoil much.

Rowley has written an engaging sequel to his very successful novel, The Guncle. It's been 5 years since Patrick (the Gay uncle) stepped in to help his niece and nephew grieve after their mom died. But now their Dad intends to remarry, and the kids fear that their memories of their mom will be erased. So Patrick takes them in a tour of Europe to teach them about the many facets of love. They finish the tour near Milan, where the wedding will take place, but the rehearsal dinner turns into a fiasco. Can Patrick encourage the kids to give their new stepmom a chance? And can he manage to follow his own advice about love and happiness?
Patrick is a delightfully irreverent and funny character. I love his cultural references that frequently fly over the heads of the kids!

DNF at 25% this takes place immediately after the last one and is just so hard to follow I forgot all of the characters from the first. It’s a real bummer but I couldn’t get into it without a proper reread of the first

BEYOND THRILLED to spend time with Gay Uncle Patrick O’Hara again!!

Patrick is on the cusp of his 50th birthday, and single, again. He's in Lake Como, Italy, for his brother, Greg's wedding. But Maisie and Grant aren't too keen on their dad remarrying. So, GUP is called on to work his magic, be there for his niece and nephew, and to help them understand that it's okay if their dad moves on. A trip around Europe, a possible addition of a Launt (Lesbian Aunt) to the family who absolutely CANNOT replace him in the kids' hearts, along with Patrick's signature humour and wisdom make this book as funny, and heartfelt as the first.

It's official, I'll read anything this man writes.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“‘Do you remember Guncle Rule sweet sixteen?’ He hoped that was the right one—it had been such a long time. ‘I want you to really live. And change is the biggest part of living.’”

I have never requested/downloaded a book/audiobook so fast in my life! Patrick, aka the guncle, is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. And the authors narration of his own audiobooks is *chefs kiss*. Grazie!!

4.5 stars! Italy and GUP, aka Gay Uncle Patrick? Yesss please! I loved seeing my favorite country through GUP’s eyes, with his telltale humor and spunk. Was this one as good as The Guncle? No. Did I still love it? You bet!

It was missing just a bit of that heart and humor that had me falling in love with Patrick in The Guncle. But make no mistake.. I will continue to read any book that he appears in.

Thank you for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Putnam Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley--this delightful sequel to The Guncle releases May 21. Guncle Patrick is back 5 years after the previous book to again help his brother's kids deal with changes in their lives. Their dad is getting remarried to a rich Italian lady and the kids want Patrick to help them stop the wedding. Patrick takes them on a tour across Europe before the wedding to try to teach them about love, grief, and new beginnings in hopes of softening their feelings about the soon-to-be stepmom. Along the way Patrick learns some of these same lessons for himself. The book is charming, heartwarming, snarky, funny, and has a sweet happy ending. Highly recommend picking up this book!

This book was so wonderful. I loved the Guncle so I was delighted another story about this crew was forthcoming. I love the realness of these characters and their evolution. The story kept me guessing and I just loved it

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Guncle Abroad, especially because The Guncle was a 5-star read in 2021. I think I loved that book so much that I was expecting similar hilarious antics in this book, as well. While there were laugh-out-loud moments, the tone of the book felt more serious and morose. The traveling descriptions lost me a little bit in the middle and I felt myself dragging through those chapters. The ending of the book was wonderful. If the rest of the book felt that way, it would've been another 5-star read for me. I think I will just stick to re-reading the masterpiece that is The Guncle and skip any future sequels.