A great follow up to the The Guncle, The Guncle Abroad follows Maisie, Grant and Uncle Patrick five years later through Europe. With some beloved past characters and some new ones as well, we continue to feel the love and fun and grief of life with family. Steven Rowley strikes the perfect balance of light-hearted and the hard things of life.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #PenguinGroupPutnam for a free copy of #TheGuncleAbroad by Steven Rowley. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Guncle, but this is my absolute favorite of the two books. I hated that everyone kept suggesting The Guncle as a funny, lighthearted beach read, when it was really a book about grief. The Guncle Abroad isn't about grief, it's about happiness and love.

As usual, there's a lot of funny dialogue and funny situations. The two kids, Maisie and Grant, are now teenagers, and are even more of a handful. It's a whole new ballgame for Patrick, herding two teens. The rivalry between him and the "Launt" is really funny. GUP is as sarcastic and goofy as ever.. I was cheering for all the characters to have happy endings.

I will read every Steven Rowley book I can.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

THE GUNCLE ABROAD - 5 ⭐️ - I Loved It
❤️ for my LOVERS of GUP & his life lessons, books that transport you to EUROPE, idyllic settings, lovable CHARACTERS

❤️ this book completely TRANSPORTED you to so many places - NYC, Venice, Milan, Lake Como…had me dreaming of my travels last year

❤️ the CHARACTERS felt super special in this one - the found family, new characters, loved it all!

This is a wonderful follow-up to the first book. We find Patrick relocated to New York and newly single. Greg has fallen in love and is getting remarried. Patrick is tasked with bringing the children to the wedding in Lake Como. Maia is and Grant are less than pleased about their future step-mother or the wedding in general. Add in a Launt and several Gunkle lessons on love languages and you have a fun and delightful book.

Patrick O'Hara is back! Steve Rowley has given us another amazing Guncle story that once again delivers all the humor and heart! I loved GUP's dynamic with Maisie and Grant remained front and center. The addition of LANT added an interesting layer to the story and while I wasn't a huge fan at first I grew to really like her. I can't wait to see if Rowley will go for a 3rd!

Since first publishing back in 2021, one of the great things to come out of the release of THE GUNCLE has been my friendship with author Steven Rowley. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate that I would connect on a personal level with some of my favorite authors and content creators, but here we are. And while befriending the authors who inspire you might seem like a great idea in theory…nothing puts said friendships to the test like the author writing a sequel to your favorite freakin book of 2021. What could go wrong…⁣
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Lucky for me, Steven is not only a good friend, but he’s a GREAT author. And THE GUNCLE ABROAD is 5-star fantastic. Like…as good, if not better than the original book. Infused with all the heart and humor one expects from Rowley, this book is a poignant, more mature read, and while I promise that you won’t have more fun with a book this summer, it’s also worth pointing out that TGA does an excellent job exploring themes of grief and aging and parenting and the idea that it’s never too late to make big life changes regardless what age you are. Personally, I really loved the deeper connection between Patrick, Maisie and Grant (the 5-year time jump only deepens these character relationships and the readers’ connection to them), not to mention the exploration of Patrick relationship with siblings Greg and Clara. Additionally, giving Patrick a foil in the form of lesbian Aunt (Launt!) Palomina helps drive Patrick’s a strong narrative arc, and there are several moments in the book that will take your breath away they’re so emotionally powerful (still thinking about the bachelorette party scene with Maisie).⁣
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So book friends…take a breath, big sigh of relief. I’m here to tell you that one of the best books of 2024 has officially arrived. THE GUNCLE ABROAD is available now.

I can't love this enough. I feel like these characters are family. I love the double entendres, the snide jokes, and even the tearjerker moments. I need more stories with this family. It is a continuation of the authors first book but filled with more adventures, and a great ending.

REVIEW: The Guncle Abroad
“You will never know what it is you want until you are certain of who you are.”
― Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad

The Guncle Abroad is the sequel to The Guncle. I absolutely loved The Guncle, so I was really excited to dive in. Once again, the author, Steven Rowley, is the audiobook’s narrator and adds so much to the story.

The Guncle Abroad happens five years after the first book. This was a great choice to show growth with the characters. This time, the crew is in Europe on a vacation before Greg remarries an Italian woman. The setting was so much fun, especially seeing it through the kids’ eyes. Patrick, Maisie, and Grant first travel together, exploring different European areas. The kids are struggling with the idea of their dad remarrying after the loss of their mom, so Patrick’s goal was to teach them different love languages to help them be more understanding, hopefully.

Like the first book, The Guncle Abroad is like a warm hug. It is heartfelt and funny at the same time. Throughout the book, there’s a fun competition between the guncle and the new lant (lesbian aunt). In addition, Patrick’s fun quips still make you chuckle. I liked how Rowley explored love in many forms, such as platonic, family, friendship, and romantic. Rowley also showed different family members’ struggles with the loss of Sarah and how they each were processing it differently.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Guncle Abroad. There were some moments that were a little drawn out more than they should have been, but this never distracted me from the story. The Guncle series is perfect for funny and warm reads.

Thank you, Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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Another perfect light hearted read, this is the perfect book for everyone to enjoy this summer where the adventures continue. The sequel we all needed.

I was able to meet Steven Rowley over the summer and had the opportunity to hear him read an excerpt from his book! He was the narrator and did an amazing job on the audio. I truly loved these books! The Guncle Abroad was a fun addition to book 1 and per usual the humor was so great! I loved the Sound of Music references too! I do admit, I loved the first book more with the message that was presented in the plot, but the extension of the story was cute nonetheless!

The Guncle was one of my favorite novels of 2021, so I was very excited when I heard that Steven Rowly wrote a sequel! It was enjoyable to reconnect with these characters several years later and observe their growth and development. Patrick remains his witty self, and it was nice to see that he has maintained his relationships with Maise and Grant. The children continue to be humorous and charming, with some elements of teenage angst now that Maise is older.

However, I found the premise for their presence in Italy to be less compelling. Greg's engagement to someone who essentially represents royalty feels somewhat reminiscent of a Hallmark movie and out of place. While I did appreciate the experience overall, it lacked the same magic as the first installment. I did, however, find Patrick's story arc engaging once again; his journeys of self-discovery are consistently authentic and heartwarming.

I was anticipating this read very much because I fell in love with The Guncle. With that, special thanks to netgalley and PRHAudio for the complimentary copies for review.
I simply love the characters, it felt like having a reunion, only with a little bit older, sassier and slightly know it all version of Maisie and Grant. A time spent with the best Gunkle Patrick is worth every second. The teen years are not everyone's favorite and yet Patrick is just kicking it all! The vivid description of this extra amazing Europe tour is making me jealous. Unfortunately, I did not find this sequel as adorable as the first. Sure, it has its own charm and charisma and heart warming effects but it somehow lacks that tug on my end. Would I still be excited to read another sequel after this? I would say yes! Because the characters are who I am here for. I did not mind the "kids" having a new "LAUNT"! The more love, the better! It is still worth the read and looking forward to the next!

Gup does it again.

Rowley continues to balance hope and heartbreak in this series continuation. Europe was the perfect setting for the kids to learn and grow into a new life. I love that, even in a comedy, there is so much depth to the emotions of everyone involved and the author doesn’t back off from letting those things be difficult and take up space.

It’s been five years since Patrick O’Hara has been tasked to care for his niece and nephew Maisie and Grant. Now his brother is getting remarried to an Italian socialite in Italy and he has been asked to keep an eye on his niece and nephew again while they prepare for the wedding. While Maisie and Grant are not happy about their father getting remarried, Patrick has decided to teach them lessons in love while traveling abroad finally ending in Italy just in time for a wedding. Will his lessons in love help the kids and also help his broken heart as well?

I really enjoyed The Guncle so I was excited to pick this one up but it started it was moving a bit slow for me, but I’m so glad I kept with it. The way Steven Rowley navigates grief and love is so heartwarming. I enjoyed The Celebrants and I also enjoyed this one as well once I got through the first little bit.

First, thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. However, I started the e-ARC and then saw on Mr. Rowley's Instagram that he was narrating again and I immediately put it down and opted to wait for the audio version. STELLAR job portraying Patrick O'Hara. There is much lost in the experience if you don't experience these stories via audio.

I was a tiny bit nervous about a sequel as not every book needs a follow-up. But I so enjoyed visiting with GUP and his niblings again. I adored the Sound of Music references. Mr. Rowley has a lovely way of tying together love and grief. I shed a number of tears at the end, and now four years into my own grief journey, LOVED the line about not moving "on" but moving "forward."

Love always to GUP and his niblings.

The Guncle is back, and he is as charming as ever. However, the author spent too much time describing the glories of Europe in great detail. It’s slowed down the book a lot. It was not as interesting or fun of the first one, but it’s a nice, easy carefree read if you have the time.

After reading the Guncle I convinced a friend to visit Palm Springs - we went and enjoyed some of the places mentioned in the book.
The Guncle Abroad has made me want to visit Italy!
Another great title from Steven Rowley - I hope there are more adventures to come

Every time I pick up a Steven Rowley novel it’s like getting together with an old friend. In The Guncle Abroad, it really felt like being reunited with those cherished friends. I loved every minute of The Guncle Abroad and that we were able to see what Patrick and the kids were up to following the end of The Guncle. I highly recommend any of Rowley’s books and I know fans of The Guncle will love this newest release!

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Can Steven Rowley do no wrong? He gave us another 5 star novel! The Guncle is back and I loved it! This was a wonderful sequel for Patrick, Maisie, and Grant. GUP still has his quick wit that we've come to expect and Rowley had me laughing out loud several times throughout the story. This was full of witty banter, sarcasm, charm, and heart. The sequel was not quite up to the high standards of the original, but still very well-done. I frequently recommend The Guncle to friends and will be adding this one to my recommendations, as well.