The magic, for me, is Patrick's relationship and banter with Maisie and Grant. I really enjoyed the first 2/3rds, as it's just the three of them, but I struggled with the final third, the conflict/climax, and the dialogue between adults. I found myself cringing from secondhand embarrassment from how characters were handling themselves. And while I liked the first two thirds the most, the travelling distracted Patrick from listening and connecting with his niece and nephew. I felt disconnected from the kids as a reader, since the story was juggling the kids with its travelogue.

I think Rowley does a decent job of portraying the tension between gay men and women, and Patrick certainly doesn't come across as an angel in that regard - which is realistic.

It doesn't have the magic of the first book but it's decent enough to read to see what happens after the first book.

I loved "The Guncle" so was really excited to see a sequel!

I loved getting to revisit the character of Patrick O'Hara -- the same biting humor and clever, dry wit, but deep underlying love for his nephew & niece were great to read again. I also enjoyed that we got more of the unique Patrick personality that I loved from the first book, but this time with his niece & nephew moving on to a new chapter of their lives -- older, navigating their own growth and grief as they grow up and are faced with the challenge of a new step-mother.

The European setting was fun, and I enjoyed some of their adventures as they frolicked through Europe (particularly the Sound of Music episode) -- but overall this book felt thinner than the last -- the central core of Patrick & the kids was there, but it felt like there was a fair bit of padding to get to a novel length -- sometimes felt like I was reading a travel guide instead of a story. The side-plots & characters kinda worked - they were a bit hit or miss.... (like the rivalry/friendship with Palmina...)

I wanted a bit more communication & plot and background and to & fro on the Patrick & Emory front -- this was sidelined almost too much & would have made it more enjoyable to have this as a side plot throughout as they try to work things out -- this seemed to just happen rather suddenly (and somewhat predictably) near the end... But maybe that's the romance-reader in me wanting that to be more of the story; the relationship with Grant & Maisie took the fore here - and there were some particularly beautiful sentiments about grief and loss, and how that changes but doesn't go away over time (e.g. "You're the last survivors of a lost civilization that was your nuclear family.... they're afraid of their civilization crumbling further under the weight of advancement. They're both furious little archaeologists trying to unearth it with those teeny brushes as fast as the present is busy bburying it under more sand." )

Overalll, an enjoyable sequel, with some hilarity and some poignant moments - but feels more like enough story/content for a novella, suffers a little for trying to stretch to a full-on novel.

Our Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) is back to help Maisie and Grant navigate another big life change. However, Patrick seems sassier and honestly annoying this time. The way he talks is so pretentious and rude and instead of thinking it’s funny this time, it became old for me rather quickly. I will say I was glad Clara and Palmina checked him towards the middle of the book. The beginning jumped in too quickly and was confusing. I felt like until chapter 4 I was regretting not rereading the first book bc I felt lost. The time between travels felt disjointed and stiff. I didn’t feel like the transition was smooth enough to segue into a new country. I also felt like the whole European tour was a bit odd in general. Like I see how it tried to be rationalized with their mom always wanting to have gone to Austria and stuff but it felt like a weird lengthy way to get more content but not get to the plot? Maybe I’m reading too far into it or maybe just not connecting enough. The ending truly redeemed it for me though. I felt like this time Patrick had the most character growth. I loved the ending and I loved the scenes in Italy. Overall a great sequel.

Oh, how I love the Guncle! His pithy lessons on life. His wit. His sensitivities and sensibilities. His adoration of Maisie and Grant….

Rowley’s The Guncle Abroad arguably is a novel in need of pruning. In my humble opinion, portions are meandering, excessive and absurd. But in that the construct of the story mirrors GUP’s own personality, those factors did not diminish my enjoyment of this tale. And extra points to Rowley for the meaningful author’s note.

Reading The Guncle prior to embarking on this journey with Patrick is highly recommended.

Three and a half stars rounded up for making me laugh and for the important social commentary.

Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a complementary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I loved "The Guncle" and I really liked this sequel - just not as much as the first one. Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) is reunited with his niece and nephew while they are traveling through Europe to meet up with their dad and his new fiancee in Italy. Where GUP came across as outrageous, funny and also sweet and vulnerable in the first book, he at times were annoying, whining and over the top in this one. His self-pity over turning 50 was a bit too much, and his feud with the new launt (lesbian aunt) did not really sit well with me either.
That being said it was still a very good read - hence the four stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

The Guncle is back! The love I have for this family Is unlike any other book. Reading this book brought so much joy and happiness to me. I will be recommending The Guncle Abroad to my book club as soon as it is published.

This sequel has the same charm and humor as the first book. I'll admit that I didn't like this story as much as the original, but it was still entertaining and it was really nice to revisit these characters to see how they've grown.

The Guncle Abroad is another fantastic Steven Rowley adventure with everyone's favorite GUP, or Gay Uncle Patrick. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series, The Guncle, start there, and buy an extra copy for a friend because it will quickly become a favorite book. Set five years after the last book, and after the recent engagement of Maisie and Grant's father Greg, Patrick and the kids set off on a European adventure with the ultimate destination of Italy for their father's wedding. Along the way they share many love lessons, life lessons, and as usual it's not only the children that are learning. This book is filled with humor, heart, and as Steven Rowley fans may expect, so many beautiful reminders to be open to living a beautiful life. The Guncle is easily one of my favorite books I read last year, and I loved The Guncle Abroad just as much. Do yourself a favor and preorder this one before it comes out in May and while you are waiting, read The Guncle! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Not quite as much as the first but it was very close. I love the characters and watching them all grow (up) together through life and everything they've been through. This is one I will definitely be recommending to everyone I know just as I did The Guncle.

Sadly, the Guncle is no longer for me. This latest book seemed like a retread with none of the magic of the first book. Disappointed but grateful for the advance ecopy from Netgalley

Patrick’s brother is about to get married and the kids are less than enthused. Patrick steps in to try and teach them about love by touring some scenic European sites before the wedding in Italy. During the trip he keeps hearing about the new “launt” and so he’s having his own reservations about the new family. Will he be replaced?
I adored Guncle. The second installment feels so much less. Yes I laughed but the relationships all seemed shallow. The rivalry between Patrick and Palmina felt forced.
Glad to have read it. Sequels to amazing books are hard.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Oh, how I wanted to love this book as much as the original. Patrick, Maisie, and Grant are back in Rowley's new novel and traveling Europe to get to Italy for the wedding of the kids' dad. Unfortunately, the book spends more time with Patrick being irritated my the fiance's sister than on the travel portion with the kids, which is supposed to have been a couple weeks long and feels like three days, as he tries to teach them about love. I was so hoping that the story would make more of the line "Can grief and gratitude coexist?" throughout instead of on the short travel portion at the beginning and then at the end. I do hope that the ending is leading to a third book with more Emory, maybe a couple years later as the kids really face the prospect of love! Thank you to Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam;s Sons, and NetGalley for the early read in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

If you loved "The Guncle" then I think you'll love this book too. I'd forgotten how much the book had made me smile, laugh and even cry. This book was no different.

Except that it's totally different. Patrick takes the kids for a few weeks leading up to their dad's wedding. They're not happy about the upcoming nuptials and Patrick decides to teach them about love.

His "lessons" may be wacky but his heart is in the right place, as always.

I would recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tbh. I liked it. It was a solid read. But I loved the first much better and feel like it was missing the magic the first one had.

GUP is back! After The Guncle stole my heart in 2021, I figured that’s the last we would hear of Patrick’s story. So when I heard there was a sequel coming out, I was insanely excited!

The Guncle Abroad picks up 5 years after The Guncle ends. Patrick heads back to his hotel after a day of filming a new movie (opposite Jude Law??) to find a wedding invitation waiting for him. His brother Greg is remarrying and Greg’s kiddos, Maisie and Grant, are less than excited about it. Uncle Patrick sees an opportunity to teach the children about love and takes them on a journey through Europe, with Italy (and the upcoming wedding) as the final stop. With the memory of Sara still fresh on their minds, can Patrick, Maisie, and Grant let love back into their hearts?

The Guncle Abroad was a fun read. It’s been a while since I’ve read The Guncle, but there were multiple poignant moments that made me remember why I loved Steven Rowley’s writing so much. Rowley tackles grief so beautifully it always makes me weepy. Patrick can be annoying at times, but I feel like that makes him more authentic. No one is perfect! While this didn’t pack the punch that the first one did, I loved being able to revisit these characters. I’m hopeful this isn’t the last we’ve seen of them!

The Guncle Abroad is out May 21, 2024

Thanks to Penguin Group Putman and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was like a wonderful reunion with long lost friends. I loved The Guncle and was so disappointed when it was over. Imagine my delight that we get to visit with these characters again in a sequel! Greg is getting remarried and Maisie and Grant are struggling with their father's impending nuptials. GUP decides to take the kids on a vacation of a lifetime while trying to teach them about love languages while he tries to convince them to be happy for their dad. Since this is The Guncle, lots of hilarity ensues. Just like the first book there were laugh out loud moments and others that brought tears to my eyes. I sometimes felt like there was a lot of explanation about locations and wealth that slightly took away from my enjoyment of the story. But if you liked The Guncle, you will love this sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book.

I won't lie. I was paralyzed with indecision on opening this one up, only because The Guncle was utter perfection...how could Rowley write a sequel worthy of the first one, let alone somehow match its magic?

Well...jokes on me...because this was literally perfect.

GUP and the kids are back and this time they take Europe. We catch up with them 5 years after the conclusion of The Guncle. Life has moved on, but the kids are having a hard time accepting their Dad moving on, planning a wedding and being in love with someone who isn't their Mom. We also have some pre-teen angst, a Guncle who has loved and lost again in that timeframe and a new Launt (?!) that GUP is not thrilled with.

Between the adventures through Europe, the banter between GUP and the kids, the food, the life lessons, the magic of their relationship and new characters that I now consider worthy of our trio...this was utter magic. This resonated so deeply with me in so many ways. I love the lessons GUP taught, while also learned. Life keeps moving forward for all of us. We can lament this and stay stuck, or we can grow and move with it and maybe its where I am in my life, but this really, truly, hit hard for me.

Steven Rowley is so incredibly talented. This series and book in particular really will be a top 5 favorite of all time. When someone asks me what to read, I can now say The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad, because anytime with GUP should be treasured.

I loved reading the first in this series so as you could imagine, I was elated for a second Guncle book. It certainly did not disappoint! Patrick is hilarious, heartwarming and never fails to make me chuckle. Loved it! Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored "The Guncle" when it first came out in 2021. Something about Patrick and his relationship with the kids was purely magical. I also loved this follow-up and how it touched on grief and love in the same ways the first book did. As a fan of Italy and France, loved the setting as well and the descriptions of Lake Como!

Thanks to NetGalley and J. P. Putnam and Sons for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published May 25, 2024.

This is the second book in the highly rated The Guncle series and it’s probably best to read them in order.

This book had some funny lines and endearing moments. My favorite new term is “launt” for lesbian aunt. Take that Guncle (Gay Uncle) 🤣