It is rare that a sequel is as good as the original but this is! It has all the heart, humor, and panache as the original without feeling recycled or like it didn’t need to be written. I loved the continuation of the characters’ stories and thought it was perfectly executed.

SR, we don't deserve you. Once again, as ever, your words make my heart sing. Your stories make our shelves better reflect readers of today, and tomorrow.

I enjoyed this sequel, which takes place five years after the original "The Guncle" novel. I think Steven Rowley showed such growth in the characters--all the characters--and that is awesome. While there are most certainly flaws and moments of "Oh, crap" throughout the story, I think this is a worthy sequel. I hope we can see some more growth in another five years in the story's timeline.

Absolutely loved this book. The writing was disengaging at times with the use of overcomplicated words but beautiful nonetheless. I found myself laughing out loud a lot and tearing up. I'm hoping there's a third book!
Wonderful sequel that exceed my expectations!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

When I tell you I RAN to NetGalley to request this book — I couldn’t believe my luck when I was approved! I only read the Guncle last month, and was still riding high on Patrick, Maisie & Grant’s story when I realized it didn’t have to end yet! Enter The Guncle Abroad.

Steven Rowley, while being a new-to-me author, has quickly become a staple in my library! I am planning to read his entire backlog and frontlog (yikes, I don’t like how that sounds!) I fell in love with Rowley’s writing reading the first in the Guncle series.

Patrick, Maisie & Grant’s story continues 5 years after it left off, with the family heading to Europe for the kids’ father’s wedding. I loved getting back into the “Guncle rules”, now referred to as “Guncle Love Languages”, and Patrick’s (Rowley’s) signature humor was on full display. It was charming, heartfelt, warm-fuzzy read. I loved it and can’t wait to read more!

Thank you again for the ARC! <3

Thank you to Putnam Books for the gifted eARC of THE GUNCLE ABROAD by Steven Rowley!

THE GUNCLE ABROAD is the follow up novel to THE GUNCLE, following Patrick, a man known as Gay Uncle Patrick (affectionately shorted to GUP) by his niece Maisie and nephew Grant. In the first novel, Patrick stepped in after the children lost their mother and they formed a close and permanent bond. Five years later, the kids are back with their father and Patrick is back to acting, but when the family once again needs him, Patrick of course can’t say no.

Patrick’s brother Greg has announced his plans to get married in Italy. The children are distraught and determined to break up the wedding. Patrick is jealous of the kids’ new lesbian aunt (launt), and Patrick’s own love life is in a bit of a shambles. Still, Patrick has more to teach his niece and nephew about love and open hearts.

I really enjoyed THE GUNCLE when it came out, so I was excited to get ahold of this sequel! I figured there was no better time to pick this up than when I myself was traveling abroad! It wound up being a perfect poolside read and a great book to dip in and out of during my travels.

I really enjoyed the return to Patrick and I liked that we were getting back together with familiar characters a bit further down the line with the five year time jump. There are a lot of fun and silly situations that the characters get into, but a lot of heartfelt moments as well that pulled at the heartstrings! The travel in Italy brought out some great memories of my own travels as well!

If you enjoyed THE GUNCLE, I’m sure you’ll have a good time with this one as well. If you haven’t picked up the first book, I do think that this book would work on its own, but you’d be missing a lot of context!

THE GUNCLE ABROAD comes out on 5/21/2024!

I really enjoyed this one! Patrick is just so fun and I love his sense of humor. This was the perfect sequel to The Guncle. I loved getting to read more of their story.

This felt different, everyone was just a little unlikeable and that wasn't the case with the first book, which will go down as one of my all time faves. I felt so much reading the first book and I hung on every word. This one, took me days to get through. While I loved to be back with the Guncle, it was missing just something. Many thanks for the opportunity to read the book, I appreciate it.

If you found THE GUNCLE to be
humorous & heartfelt
introspective & infectious
observant & one-of-a-kind
mournful & merry
uplifting & uproarious

You will be treated to all of the above in 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 (pub 05.21) and more. The characters you fell in love with are back with their signature wit and the blend of light shenanigans and heavy reflections as they insightfully move through love and life.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦."

"O𝘬𝘢𝘺! 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘦."

Five full stars! Definitely top 10 book for 2024!

I was anticipating this book the moment I saw it as I loved The Guncle. I figured this one would be good and I would enjoy it. Boy was I wrong! I love it as much as I loved the Guncle if not more.

The Guncle Abroad drew me in right away with excellent writing, dialogue and storytelling. I couldn’t put it down, I flew through the page, simultaneously wanting to read more and wanting it to never end.

The Guncle abroad had fantastic plot and dialogue, witty characters and emotion that made me cry. All the things I look for in a book. I can only hope for a third installment of The Guncle!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From the publisher Penguin Group: Patrick O’Hara is back. It’s been five years since his summer as his niece Maisie and nephew Grant’s caretaker after their mother’s passing. The kids are back in Connecticut with their dad, and Patrick has relocated to New York to remain close by and relaunch his dormant acting career.
When his brother Greg announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels drawn to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick is overextended managing a groom with cold feet, his sister Clara flirting with guests left and right, a growing rivalry with the kids’ charming soon-to-be-launt (lesbian aunt), and two moody young teens trying to adjust to a new normal, all culminating in a disastrous rehearsal dinner.
Can Patrick save the day? Will teaching the kids about love help him repair his own love life? Can the change of scenery help Patrick come to terms with finally growing up?
******************
My review: it is hard to be a sequel but this one does a fabulous job. Everyone is 5 years older and the Guncle is once again trying to guide Maisie and Grant during a rough transition. I felt for Maisie as a girl who needs guidance but is trying to be independent. It's such a hard time for her and she doesn't know who to trust and turn to. Patrick does his best, but as in the first book, he is also unsure and trying to make things make sense, for the kids and for his own broken relationship.
There are definite LOL moments, lots of OMG moments, moments I got teary, and other times I just wanted to hug everyone.
Steven Rowley remains one of my favorites. I will read any book he writes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

The Guncle has a special place in my heart. The main character Patrick is just so warm, fun, loving & funny. I can’t imagine how anyone could read these books and not fall in love with gay uncle Pat. This sequel is set in Europe. Greg (Patricks brother) is getting remarried after his first love and mother to his two children Maisie and Grant has died over five years ago. Patrick has a special relationship with the kids since they had previously lived with him in Palm Springs years prior while Greg was getting himself some much needed help. Patrick is now walking the fine line between doing what he thinks is best for Greg and what he thinks is in the best interest of the children. I loved every minute of this story. Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book as much as the original but it fell flat for me. It had plenty of Rowley's signature wit and humor, but a lot of the original charm was missing. Part of that was because the kids were older and their preteen surliness wasn't quite as cute as their younger selves in the first book. I also felt like the first book dealt with grief, nostalgia, and complex emotions in a more compelling and emotional way. In this book, there wasn't nearly as much exploration of those themes and any addition felt haphazardly stitched in. Finally, I felt like the beginning and ending were hobbled together and rushed. I would've liked to see more of the family's travel through Europe in the beginning and less time in Lake Como - that part really dragged until the wedding. Love Steven Rowley's writing but this is a skippable sequel!

This was such a cute sequel to The Guncle! Taking place 5 years after the first book, this one covers when Patrick takes Maisie and Grant abroad. If you’re searching for a book that’s light and sweet, this will be the one for you. With many heartwarming and funny moments throughout the book, this one is set to keep a smile on your face.

Pick this one up on 5/31! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnum for this arc!

Thank you NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Steven Rowley for the advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad in exchange for my honest review!

What a delight to be back in the world of Patrick O'Hara aka GUP. Fans of The Guncle will be delighted to know the same sense of humor and gut punch feels are on full display. I laughed out loud several times and definitely cried toward the end of the book. Rowley is so good at evoking emotion!

There was one scene in particular (the rehearsal dinner) that seriously had me cracking up. I was picturing how it would be depicted in a movie/TV show adaptation and I just know with the right cast it would be downright hilarious. (Here's hoping for that to happen!!)

I absolutely adore Rowley's books and he's definitely cemented himself as an autobuy author. Get your pre-orders in for The Guncle Abroad! Pub date: May 21.

I was really disappointed in the sequel. I loved The Guncle so much. This one fell short. The storyline has been overdone and there wasn’t really anything special about this one. It’s was an okay story but definitely didn’t even compare to the original.

I read The Guncle a few years ago and fell in love with Patrick, Maisie and Grant. I was so excited to hear this trio was getting a sequel and so grateful to receive an advanced copy from @netgalley!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏳️‍🌈 Representation
🩷 Heartwarming
🤣 Hilarious
🧳 European tour
📓 Lessons on dealing with change and grief

This book was so good, it made me laugh so many times. Patrick is hilarious and witty as usual. The kids are growing up and processing another big change in their lives throughout this book. But not without the help of their beloved GUP! Truly loved this one - preorder it now or find on shelves May 21, 2024.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Fiction
Setting: Europe, NYC
Format: 📖
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Length: 320 pages

The GUP is back 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 and I could not be happier. What? You do not know who the GUP is? Then you must read or listen to the first book The Guncle.

It has been five years since Maisie and Grant were reunited with their Dad, Greg. Now dad is getting remarried to Livia. She is from a rather wealthy noble family from Italy and this second shindig of wedding is taking place in a swanky hotel on Lake Como, Italy. The children are having a difficult time with this news and Greg is at wits end and really needs Patrick’s help. So, for two week Gay Uncle Patrick or as Maisie and Grant call him … GUP or Guncle will take the kids for a two week journey from London to Paris, Salzburg, and Venice to see, eat and experience some astonishing things, things considered “Guncle Love Language” in hopes that by the time they arrive in Lake Como both will learn about love, loving each other and be loved. Will Patrick follow his own advice?

Pour yourself a glass of prosecco, snag some canapés and get yourself comfortable for this entertaining and humorous story with the O’Hara crew as Maisie and Grant push bother families to their limits and prove they are just as wise. The teasing and mocking between Greg and Patrick are priceless. But the best is the competition that arises between Livia’s cool gay sister Palmina and Patrick. The children do not help when they decided to call her “launt” (lesbian aunt) or “GAP” .(Gay Aunt Palmina) which does not sit well with Patrick

Steve Rowley brings you another uplifting and funny story that deals with love and acceptance, believing in second chances while addressing the children’s fear with their remarrying and replacing their decreased mother. There are some great one lines and off the cuff reference to sitcoms, movies and music videos .. that will just make you laugh ..at least they certainly did for me.

Thank you, Steve Rowley, G.P. Putnam’s Son and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on May 21, 2024.

I had immediately preordered The Guncle Abroad as soon as I learned it was coming out, but when I had the chance to read an advance copy through NetGalley, I couldn’t resist. It didn’t disappoint! I loved the way the story picked up 5 years after the first book but you could still feel and see the character development over the period of time in between the stories. I love the characters and the humor and the way these books tackle heavier topics like grief in an accessible and still entertaining way. 4.5 stars!

The Guncle is back! And in a big way! Sequels don’t always work but Rowley nailed it on this one! I absolutely loved it. It’s full of love, hope, humor and sweet memories of those gone and those new to our lives. Rowley is a master at giving you tenderness and warmth as you laugh.
It’s been five years since Patrick took Maisie and Grant for the summer and formed a very special bond. Well now, they need him again. His brother Greg is getting married, and Maisie and Grant aren’t having it. Patrick is definitely older, but is he wiser? And in helping those he loves the most, can he help himself along the way?
The new characters only add to the humor of this one! GUPs rules are replaced by The Guncle love languages and the ways to show and remember love!
I don’t know if Steven Rowley has anymore planned but I hope we see more of this family! I just love Maisie, despite being a petulant teen at this point in her life, she does it with such charming sarcasm! I can’t wait to see the woman she grows into!
Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books and Steven Rowley for entrusting me with a #gifted advanced ebook of this special book!