Several years ago I stumbled upon Steven Rowley's book The Guncle and was blown away by the humor, love and life lessons of the book. The sequel, The Guncle Abroad, is the rare sequel that may even be better than the original. This book is wonderful. It is such a fun read and the same humor, love and life lessons shine through the story. I really hated for the book to end and can only hope the author is busily writing the next chapter in his character's lives.

I could read a thousand Guncle stories. Terribly witty, quietly devastating, and there’s a running joke about the hand jive that made me laugh out loud every single time. Now who wants to take me to Paris for hot chocolate?

Guncle Patrick is back for another adventure, and this time, it involves Lake Como and his brother Greg’s wedding. The first book was hilariously clever, and I felt the same after reading The Guncle Abroad. The relationship between Patrick and his niece and nephew is adorable, and I loved that he showed them the importance of love through his Guncle Love Language Rules this time. I loved feeling a part of the family. Rowley brilliantly combined his hilarious humor with relatable, emotionally charged topics while exploring European culture and history. The ending was perfect, and that letter Greg gave Mazie made me tear up. It is always hard to compete with the first book, but this sequel also stole my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for giving me a copy of the book.

Reading The Guncle Abroad was like catching up with an old friend. Five years have passed since the Guncle. Patrick O'Hara is back to acting, starring in the sit-com Guncle Knows Best. Patrick's brother Greg announces he is getting married in Lake Como, Italy. This throws his children Grant and Maisie for a loop as they are not taking the news well and are conflicted about gaining a new mother, The Guncle steps in to save the day.

I loved the character development in each person since the previous novel. As always author Steven Rowley delivers such witty dialog and banter.

This was such a great uplifting story with many life lessons of love, family and acceptance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this great book.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Steven Rowley for the gift that is GUP! :) I am a huge fan of The Guncle and was ecstatic to receive this sequel. Emerging myself back in the world of GUP and his niblings was sooo good.

GUP was once again called up to help with his niblings, Maisie and Grant, when his brother Greg was about to remarry. The kids are not fans and enlist GUP to help stop the wedding. GUP has his own set of issues but takes the kids on a European adventure to teach them about the love languages that are not only beneficial for them but himself, too.

I was LOLing from the very beginning. GUP's sarcastic humor picks up right where we left off in The Guncle and we shared some tender moments with these characters, too.

Definitely recommending this to all my book loving friends.

Patrick, Grant, and Maisie are back and wow what a fun sequel! Picking up five years later, Patrick is closing in on 50, Grant is 11, Maisie is 14, and Greg is getting married! With Greg's big announcement comes another GUP, Grant and Maisie adventure, this time in Europe, and more Guncle rules this time referred to as "Guncle Love Languages". As everyone prepares for the wedding, we are reunited with the O'Hara family and meet some new characters including a new "launt". This was as perferct as a sequel could be. Steven Rowley's witty dialogue kept me laughing out loud throughout and the story's tender moments had me in tears in a way only great books can.

Thank you NetGalley amd Putnam Books for this ARC. If you loved The Guncle, you will love this sequel as well.

Rest assured, Patrick O’Hara is still the best Guncle out there. It’s five years after the life-changing summer he shared with his nephew and niece, Grant and Maisie. Grant’s lisp is all but gone, and Maisie is settling into teenage angst. When their father, Greg, announces his engagement, the children do not take to it well. Their Guncle comes to the rescue and whisks them around Europe before joining their family, and new Launt Clara (lesbian aunt, naturally), in Italy for the lavish wedding.

Patrick has found and lost love yet again. His career has experienced a reawakening, but he can’t get recent ex Emory off his mind. This summer, Grant and Maisie are teaching their Guncle just as much as he is teaching them.

This was a well-done sequel and holds true to the original. I adored getting to know all the characters again, and was just as much charmed by Patrick as always.

One thing - Sex and the City fans know Big is not Mr. Big’s last name. His name is John James Preston. That drove me crazy 😜

Thank you to @netgalley and @mrstevenrowley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review! I love The Guncle Abroad wholeheartedly!

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam & Steven Rowley for an ARC of The Guncle Abroad in exchange for an honest review.

Having absolutely loved The Guncle, I was so excited to see The Guncle Abroad and even more thrilled to receive a digital ARC for review.

Patrick's new adventure was just as amazing as his first, if not moreso! And we get introduced to a Launt this time. The showdowns between GUP & Launt were epic! I literally laughed out loud so much, Rowley knows how to perfectly combine comedy with a realistic heartfelt story. The Guncle series is the perfect medicine for a reading pick-me-up or to get a reader out of a slump. I love how much I smile while reading his work.

I desperately need these books to be turned into a sitcom, mini-series or movie(s), PLEASE!

In case it is not obvious, Rowley hit another homerun with The Guncle Abroad and I truly hope there are more to come for GUP!

5 Stars

The Guncle Abroad Review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 5/21/24
Author: @mrstevenrowley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts:
I definitely think you need to read The Guncle first but you won’t regret it (for those of you that haven’t read The Guncle the audio is great and fast).

Now onwards - After Greg tells his kids Maisie and Grant he is remarrying, Patrick takes them to Europe to help them cope with the news. Patrick aims to help the kids accept their new stepmom and adjust to their dad’s remarriage. Despite the challenges, Patrick shows the kids they will always have their GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick).

The book is emotional, witty, atmospheric and of course makes you want to sip Nerve Clicquot 🥂 (no OJ) in Italy!

Steven has the best sense of humor and I do not want to quote too many things (just read the book) but Sunglass Hut I see you, I am also offended by your presence in all major airports 😂☠️

Sequels are tough. You have to take a previously wrapped up story and unthread it a bit to create new conflict. It presents the reader with chances to dislike previously beloved characters. It's a risk for sure, and one I am not sure needed to be taken in the case of Patrick and the kids. I'm sorry. With that said I did still enjoy a lot about The Guncle Abroad!

Patrick and the kids are back and it's five years in the future. Patrick's career is back on track, the kids are more grown up, and their dad is getting re-married; the kids are not taking that last piece well. So in an attempt to help Greg and the kids, Patrick take the kids on an extended European vacation, ending in Italy where the wedding is taking place. I loved the first half of the book. The actual vacation was wonderful. This time around we aren't getting Guncle Rules but rather Guncle Love Languages which was a fun twist.

Where I struggled was the second half of the book turning from the vacation to the wedding. It felt drug out and Patrick's "rivalry" with the kids' soon-to-be 'launt' felt very immature. There was a period during the middle of the book which I felt that I more so muddled through, and had me putting it down more than I would have liked.

The story did pick back up and the last third had me all in my feels. As with all of Rowley's stories - I laughed, I cried, and I felt my heart swell.

Rowley is an unbelievably talented story teller and I will read anything he writes. Overall I still feel this was a strong story, but it just didn't slap as much as the first. I am happy where these characters' stories ended in this book and I hope we get to keep them here.

🍕Oh my heart. Uncle Patrick, Maisie & Grant have it forever. Thank you so much to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the early look at this sequel, which is out in May. This was the first book I finished in 2024 and I promise it’ll make some ‘best of’ lists in December!

🍕 If you have yet to read The Guncle, consider yourself on notice. You MUST read it before this sequel comes out in May! And if you’ve read and loved the original, I’m here to tell you this follow-up does not disappoint!

🍕 This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will fill your brain with wisdom and your heart with joy.

🍕 I was worried I’d be bummed that Patrick’s niblings are growing up- but more preteen, more problems, am I right? The kids had new issues they were facing and GUP was there to help them through it. Not only do we get new Guncle rules in this book— but we get to learn some fun Guncle love languages as well.

🍕 Just read it. Just read it. Just read it.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patrick and his niece & nephew travel through Europe in this smashing sequel.
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When his niece and nephew head to Italy for a wedding, Patrick “Guncle” O’Hara accompanies them across Europe. Set 5 years after their bonding summer in “The Guncle,” Patrick and his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, exchange the pools of Palm Springs for the roads and canals of Europe. Traipsing across the UK, France, Austria, and Italy, the trio bond further as the three learn about love, commitment, loyalty, and open-mindedness. Everything from their silly conversations and life lessons, to their adventures/encounters, makes the plot fun and heartfelt from start to finish. However, I do wish there were a tad more adventures throughout Europe before they finally stop in Italy - it would’ve been cool to see what else they got up to!

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patrick is a fantastic protagonist yet again. This time around, it’s less about grief and coming out of his shell, and more about better finding/understanding himself and his wants/needs. His charisma and persona are on point as always.
Plus, jumping five years in time allows for great character growth for him between books and within this book.
However, though Maisie and Grant are older and more wonderful, I think there generally lacks a charm to their characters this time around. They fall to the wayside for a bunch of new characters.
These characters, though, are pretty great. There’s Palmina, the lesbian aunt who is way more cool and wholesome than the caricature one might expect her to be. And there’s Livia, the bride-to-be who everyone tries to embrace and analyze until we finally get to know her for ourselves.
And there’s still Greg, who I enjoyed getting to know more of, and perhaps some other surprises as well!

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rowley’s writing is comedic gold. Though some jokes fall flat in this one (at least compared to its predecessor), readers will find themselves laughing at Patrick’s quick wit and humorous references.
However, at 27 years old, I admit some of the references go over my head. Also, there’s an even more obvious white/Euro-centric vibe to this novel’s references than Rowling’s previous ones, which isn’t a completely palatable taste for me.
Expect plenty of Rowley’s wisdom and antics as well.


Recommended to fans of The Guncle!

Definitely going on my favorite books go of the year! In this sequel, Maisie and Grants father is to be married in Italy. Before the wedding, Maisie and Grant got to visit and spend time with Patrick in London. Before the weeding, Patrick and the kids travel around Europe and he teaches them about love languages, hoping that will help them warm to their father’s fiancé. I will definitely listen to this when audible is out because Steven Rowley is perfection!

I absolutely adored The Guncle so I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad and I loved every bit of it! It lived up to my high expectations and was so so good.

It's been five years since Patrick's sister Sara passed away, and since he's become a very influential person in the life of his niece and nephew. Their father, Patrick's brother Greg, is engaged to be married to an Italian woman with a very well-off family. As Patrick has recently ended his relationship, as well as the film he was shooting while living in London, he's decided to take the kids on a European vacation before meeting the family in Lake Como, Italy, for the wedding.

I loved revisiting all the beloved characters and love seeing how Maisie and Grant have changed in the five years since The Guncle. It was great to see their personalities more solidified and their individual quirks. I loved to see the ways Patrick had changed as well, and the relationship between the three of them is so sweet.

All the travel descriptions are so vivid and make me desperate to travel and see these places!

I would recommend this book to anyone, and I also recommend going in to it with as little prior knowledge about it as possible. I loved the last part of the book, I loved the end, It was all so perfect and I feel like also left things open for possibly a third book?? I can dream, right?! Go read this book! I am a Steven Rowley super-fan for life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭
Summer TBR

My new favorite author @mrstevenrowley is bringing back our beloved GUP, Patrick O'Hara and I loved every minute of his adventures abroad.
I will do a full review in May closer to the pub date.

Add this to your summer reading TBR now, and anticipate loads of laughter, heartwarming gasps (aww) and more.
I hope there will be more stories with GUP, Maisie, Grant and all as there is nothing more satisfying than catching up with fictional friends we love.

You all know I have gushed over The Celebrants and will continue to recommend and read it again for snort laughs.

The Guncle Abroad is a frontrunner for my favorite book of the year. It made me happy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & very high on the snort laughter meter 😂🤣

Ahh! Another big, warm hug in book form from Steven Rowley! Ever the sequel skeptic, I was thrilled to once again quickly fall in love with these charismatic characters. Steven Rowley never fails to take his reader on an adventure, face grief head on with the help of humor and love, and to embrace Patrick as their own Guncle. Thanks for the laughs, tears and Guncle lessons Steven Rowley! Looking forward to many more. Publication date- May 21, 2024

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read a digital ARC copy in return for my honest review.

I adored the Guncle and was so excited to fall back into the world of Patrick, Maisie and Grant again with the Guncle Abroad! I absolutely adored this story and Patrick’s lessons in love languages and seeing how each character had changed over five years, and found myself actually laughing out loud thanks to some moments and references (hand jive, anyone?)! Another hit from Steven Rowley! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. I LOVED this! I’m never sure if sequels are going to live up to the first book, but this one delivered! I’m already ready for ANOTHER one!
This book takes place five years after book 1. Patrick’s brother Greg is set to marry Livia in Italy, and Patrick is once again tasked with caring for Grant and Maisie.
I loved the new characters, and the dynamic between Patrick and Palmina, Livia’s sister.
I can’t say enough about this book. I laughed out loud, I cried. It was fabulous!

When his brother Greg announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels he needs 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 might be the one having a hard time grappling with love.
I was not a huge fan of The Guncle but I loved this book. I thought it was fantastic. I laughed, I cried and I had a great time reading. I highly recommend this to anyone thinking of checking it out. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC copy for an honest review.

What a great way to start off 2024 reading an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Guncle Abroad, thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley. Rowley's sophomore Guncle effort shines brightly as Patrick reunites with Maisie and Grant on a little vacation abroad. It's a few years later, the kids are growing up, and Patrick's career's back on track. I breezed through the first half, bright and easy. About 3/4 of the way through things got a little more serious. Still the signature Patrick wit, but Rowley infuses so much heart and wisdom into the situations all the characters find themselves in as they move forward in life. Lots of surprises and a beautiful ending.