Five years after The Guncle Patrick is called to care for his niece and nephew, this time when their dad is getting married in Europe and Patrick is trying to come to terms with turning 50 and dealing with his career. On the way to the wedding, Patrick wants to help them understand love - all they want is to have the wedding called off. This is another great read in the series; best if you read the first book before moving on to this. More characters are introduced and the kids are now teens.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

I was a fan of the first Book "The Guncle" after stumbling across the book because it fit a category in a reading challenge I was doing and I am so glad I did! Getting an ARC of the second book , The Guncle Abroad did not disappoint! I really need to see a movie made staring Jonathan Bennett as Patrick, Now that Grant & Maisy are older they are headed to Europe with Patrick for a wedding

As a lover of the Guncle, I was so excited to read this book. I was not disappointed, it felt like a familiar warm hug and I can imagine my patrons loving this book as well. I can't wait to share this with the patrons at my library when it is finally published.

I loved The Guncle and was so excited to read the sequel. The Guncle Abroad takes place 5 years later, so Maisie and Grant are older and are facing the upcoming wedding of their father in Lake Como. They aren’t happy about it. GUP ( Gay Uncle Patrick ) takes them to Paris, Austria and Venice on the way, trying to help them in his kind, clever and witty way. I read this on an airplane and giggled so often. I had a Guncle, so I can totally relate and I found this book heart-warming, funny and such a feel good story.

Let me start by saying I loved The Guncle and the heartwarming tale. I was so excited when Steven Rowley announced there would be a follow up and we would get to catch up with Patrick, Maisie and Grant once again. This story was fun, and less heavy than it's debut counterpart, however I missed the nuances of Patrick and his interesting takes. I felt this one was a bit forced and the characters of Maisie and Grant weren't very believable for their ages especially through dialogue. I felt the story dragged especially towards the end and we were left missing that quintessential Guncle good feeling.

The Guncle Abroad takes you on an adventure to find what love really means. Will Patrick be able to teach his niblings Maisie and Grant how to find love by taking them on an international adventure or will their trip end in a disrupted wedding?

A cute adventure that shows the many types of love. Patrick may see himself as the teacher but will he learn a lesson along the way?

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Guncle Abroad
(The Guncle, #2)
Steven Rowley
Pub: 5/21/24
5

OMG! My heart is so happy after being back with GUP, Greg, Grant, Maisie, and sweet Emory! The Guncle was and will forever remain one of my favoritest books, but the Guncle Abroad was everything I could have hoped for and more from a sequel.

This one-of-a-kind story, and its amazing, unforgettable characters (known & new) have fiercely grabbed ahold of my whole heart. I literally could not put this book down. I just wanted to wrap it up in a hug and never let go. It was a heartwarming and uplifting story full of family, love, grief, moving forward, oh so much yummy Prosecco. I laugh so freakin hard over the dialogue between GUP, Grant, and Maisie, I cried (that letter), and I swooned over the soft relaunch. A truly perfect sequel. Rowley once again has blown me away. I just love his writing so much. I’m hoping that this is just goodbye for now, and that we may once again see this cast.

“You can’t change the past. But some people come into our lives to give us a second chance and set some wrong things right.”

What I loved;
🩵 LOL Humor
🩵 Witty Banter
🩵 Guncle Love Language Rules
🩵 Second Chances
🩵 Italian Setting
🩵 ALL the feels

Wholeheartedly would recommend. Definitely start with the Guncle first if you haven’t read it. I am already counting down the days until I can reread with the audiobook. I am so excited to listen to Rowley narrate again. 💛

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In true Guncle fashion, this was adorable. I enjoyed seeing Maisie and Grant “grown up” and yet still seem so small. The book seemed to get to a certain spot rather quickly, but once I continued, it seemed to all fall into place and make perfect sense! It was well written and gave me some good giggles. My only complaint was the utilized naming was pretty heavy in the first half, and I didn’t feel they added a lot to the story.

GUP is back!!!

The Guncle Abroad is like connecting with old friends, and meeting new, on a journey through Europe. Final destination, Lake Como, Italy.

Greg has fallen in love and his future wife is a wealthy Italian whose sister is the "launt" causing Patrick problems. Their hilarious rivalry is riddled with witty one-liners and heart-felt interactions. But before arriving in Italy, Patrick must first take the children on a tour of love as they have trepidations about the upcoming nuptials.

The Guncle's love language tour had me laughing, crying, sometimes both at the sametime. Massie and Greg have truly grown into something special since their time in Palm Springs. Their tour showcases that love is a learning. The locale, the story, its characters make this book a gem.

Rowley has gifted us characters I will never forget.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Five stars for The Guncle Abroad simply because I loved this book!!! Thank you to Steven Rowley for writing a sequel to The Guncle and bringing Patrick, Maisie and Grant back to continue their story as well as other returning characters and introducing us to new ones.

The relationship between the kids and their uncle is so endearing and their adventures - whether stateside or abroad - are so much fun that I would definitely continue reading about them should there be another installment (hint, hint)! I read this book while recovering from back surgery and kept my hand on my kindle throughout the day/night so that anytime I wanted to jump back in, the story and the characters were right there for me.

I cannot wait to host the author at a Literary Luncheon supporting The Fairfield Public Library when The Guncle Abroad is released in May, and will be recommending the book to all in attendance and then some. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the arc!!!

This is a fun, character centric story with so much witty batter and laugh-out-loud scenes. We follow the cast into Italy where more family dynamics and drama ensue. Read if you like light (but BIG) hearted stories. This is a worthy addition to The Guncle story.

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷'𝓽 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓾𝓼 𝓪 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽."

✂️ P L O T L I N E
GUP is back in the sequel of The Guncle. His brother Greg is getting married for the second time in Lake Como Italy and his niece and nephew are not excited. Even though Patrick is single, heartbroken, and lonely, he believes if he can teach them about love then they will come around to the idea of having a step mom. Will Patrick be able to save the day and give everyone the happy ending they deserve?

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
Oh my!!! This book had me laughing so hard and also had me shedding those tears. What a beautiful continuation to The Guncle. This book was just as great, if not even better! Steven Rowley just has the most perfect way with his words that make his characters seem so realistic. This story was so relatable and had the most perfect cast of characters that you wish you could meet in real life!The level of depth really blew me away. This story was emotional and heartfelt and so reflective and thought provoking. I highlighted soooooo many quotes!!! It’s going to be hard to pick my favorite one.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Second chance love💕
💫Witty banter🗣️
💫LGBT themes🏳️‍🌈
💫Emotional and reflective💡
💫Family drama🎭
💫Perfect cast of characters🥰
💫Found family🏠
💫Sequel✌🏽
💫Laugh out loud funny😂
💫Amazing quotes💭
💫Italy backdrop📍

✈️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾✈️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑒𝓇𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒.”


🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Steven Rowley for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Gay Uncle Patrick is back with Maisie and Grant, five years after the death of their mother and his best friend Sara. Their father (and Patrick's brother) is remarrying in Italy and the kids are trying to enlist Patrick to stop the wedding. Instead he takes them on a grand tour of Europe on the way to the wedding, hoping to teach them about love and how to accept their new stepmother.

Patrick has much to teach about love but also much to learn. Cultures and generations clash at the wedding venue as events move toward an unexpected happy ending. Although this is a sequel it can be read on its own. The Guncle was one of my favorite books of 2023, and it was a delight to meet the characters again and see how they've grown.

The Guncle Abroad is set 5 years after The Guncle, which was a 5 star read for me. Patrick, Maise and Grant are together again, this time taking a tour of Europe while his brother Greg prepares for his upcoming wedding in Italy. While the kids, especially Maise, try to talk their guncle into stopping the wedding, Patrick decides to teach them Guncles 5 love languages in hopes he will change their mind before they get to Italy and the wedding.

The first half of the book reads as a bit of a travelogue, with wonderful descriptions of the places they visit and the food they taste (at least they seem great to me, I have never been there so... ) which made me definitely want to add Venice to my bucket list. It is full of funny banter between Patrick and the kids, although it is obvious that the kids have been growing up but not so much Patrick. Once we get to Italy however we introduce new characters, including the launt (lesbian aunt) Patrick loves to hate, and Gregs fiance, and reunites us with sister Clara, who has definitely let her hair down since the first book. There are lots of pop culture references in Patricks jokes, some of which I got and some not so much, and we again see some of the heart along with the humor of the first book.

Overall I enjoyed this book although I don't know if it was possible to match the first one, and there is a storyline towards the end that seemed rushed to me. Overall, however, if you enjoyed the guncle I think you will like this one too, and if you haven't read the first one, what has taken you so long!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Putnam Group for the e-ARC in exchange for my review!

I was so happy when I got to read this book! I absolutely adored the first book and this one certainly met expectations! This book takes place about 5 years after the first book and kept me wanting to read. The story was so cute and sweet and a bit emotional at times but I thoroughly enjoyed it all! I hope that there is another book in this series as I can’t get enough of the characters in these books and their stories! I would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Putnam Group for the ARC in exchange for my review!

It’s the sequel we didn’t know we needed! Thank you @mrstevenrowley for deciding to bring these character back to us. Admittedly, I missed Palm Springs, but that is because I went to Palm Springs because of the original and now I’d have more points of reference. Sigh. Anyway, we have moved ahead five years and we are seeing where all the characters we know and love are at this point. As many would probably agree, Clara was not a fan favorite in book one-SHE WAS HILARIOUS IN THIS ONE! Anytime Clara was in the scene I was laughing! Grant was also hysterical. It was truly like catching up with family you haven’t seen in five years! Like The Guncle, this is full of humor AND heart! I was laughing one minute and crying the next! The new characters also added a new layer to the story, especially Palmina (the kids soon-to-be launt and Patrick’s foe). If you loved The Guncle, you need to read this, it’s a nice way to catch up and close out these characters stories (I would totally read a whole series about them though).

Set 5 years after THE GUNCLE, in this sequel THE GUNCLE ABROAD the reader tours Europe with Patrick and his niece Maisie and his nephew Grant on their way to Patrick's brother Greg's wedding. Patrick is finishing up filming a movie in London with the kids as extras, and Greg is about to marry a marchese named Livia in Italy. The kids are vehemently against their dad remarrying and want Patrick to intervene.

Patrick's banter with Maisie and Grant, now a teen and tween, is slightly elevated, and there are plenty of pop culture references for elder Millienial and Gen X readers like me. The dialogue is snappy like an Amy Sherman-Palladino script. The Europe sightseeing is awesome for armchair travelers, particularly with the food talk and sites visited.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed the front half of this novel. I did have a few quibbles with the back half. The kids Maisie and Grant fade into the background, while Palmina (the lesbian aunt, or "launt") and Clara take on more prominence. Patrick is competitive with both of these women, so his shortcomings become more apparent, and the novel becomes a little less fun. And I have to say that I enjoy the mix of wit and teaching with the kids, but his banter with the adults tends to be a little more bitter.

There is also a plot element introduced in Chapter 19 that quickly changes the novel, and I wasn't "all in" on it. I did like the letter introduced in the airplane scene a lot.

I thought this was a snappy, quick read that had plenty of laughs and a tear or two.

Publishes May 21, 2024

Oh Gup. I loved you the first time around and still love you the second time. This sequel is a fresh story that makes a great summer read.

THE GUNCLE ABROAD returns to the story and characters we all fell in love with during the pandemic; The Guncle was such a charming humorful read that swept us away- and for the most part Steven Rowley successfully brings back a lot of that same "Guncle" magic. This story is set 5 years later; so the kids have grown up a bit, but there father is about to get remarried and they are none too pleased, so Guncle Patrick is taking them on a trip across Europe on the way to the wedding and the kids would love for him to find a way to stop the wedding...!

The first half of the book honestly reads like a travel guide for Europe, there's a lot of guncle humor involved that makes it fun to read- but the novel truly shines in the last 1/3rd of the book when they arrive to Lake Como and the action takes place. I loved where these characters ended up once again just like I loved the first book; Steven Rowley is a charming writer and I will follow him wherever his career leads him. Was it a necessary sequel? Probably not. Am I glad I read it? You bet I am!

I really enjoyed this book as much as I loved the first one! I hope the author continues with this series! I laughed so much! I would definitely recommend this book!