As much as I LOVED The Guncle, this one fell a little flat for me. I still really enjoyed this book and I would absolutely read another Guncle book, but I think some of the sparkle was missing, especially in the first half. I missed Emory and the Launt was a highlight, so maybe I just went into it expecting too much? But overall I would recommend this series, and hope to read Steven's next book!

The Guncle Abroad was a strong follow up to The Guncle. It was always going to be hard for this book to top The Guncle for me because The Guncle is one of my favorite books. Abroad is a lot more lighthearted than its predecessor (I cried throughout The Guncle and merely teared up once or twice in Abroad) but still has the same amount of heart.
There was a bit of the book that I wasn't as much of a fan of- sometimes I feel like our main character Patrick doesn't have the best of thoughts about the women he interacts with, in this case the kids soon-to-be aunt. He redeems himself by the end but I still wish it wasn't as big of a plot point. I loved this book and would love to visit these characters again in the future.

This story is packed with so much humor, and also so much heart and soul. I want a guncle! Patrick’s relationship with the kids was heartwarming. You’ll laugh and cry (probably at the same time) while reading this amazing book that’s filled with love of many kinds- family, friends, and partners.

If you love feel good stories, and stories filled with wanderlust inducing travel, you’ll love this one.

The Guncle was everything I needed when I read it and this sequel was equally as wonderful.

GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is the flawed hero we all need in our lives to give us sometimes terrible sometimes decent advice on life. I enjoyed being able to prance around Europe with Patrick and the kiddos on their way to Lake Como for the wedding and seeing more glimpses of Patrick's past.

This is a book that needs the context of the first book to understand and I don't think is something you could pick up as a stand alone, but also......both books are so good!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: I was such a huge fan of The Guncle in 2021 and was cautiously optimistic about this book because I knew that a sequel would have an uphill battle to live up to my expectations of the first. Thanks to the audio narration, I was instantly transported back into the world of GUP, Maisie, and Grant upon picking this up—and despite being absent of one very sweet lisp, it felt like picking up where I left off with old friends.

What I love most about Rowley’s books is that he explores the topic of grief with humor and heart. I still remember a comment he made last year on tour for The Celebrants: that despite approaching these heavy and complex topics, his readers can always trust him to bring us back to the surface. The Guncle Abroad will take you on a journey of love and self-acceptance, and you can rely on Patrick (GUP) to be as witty and snarky as ever. The transformation of Maisie and Grant into pre-teens really brought their characters to life, and you can clearly see that these characters have grown in Rowley’s heart since the last time we stepped into their world.

To repeat my thoughts on the original book, I’m so blown away that this series is narrated by the author himself. Each character’s unique voice will immerse you into the story, and I’m twice as impressed by Rowley’s writing and voice acting talents. I highly recommend that you experience this one on audio.
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: The sweet reflections on Sarah toward the end completely caught me off guard and left me sobbing in bed late at night—so don’t forget to pack your tissues friends!

YES YES YES!
I loved this one and getting to return to GUP!

In my opinion, sequels can be very hit or miss. It's hard to go back to a beloved set of characters and do them justice. However, Steven Rowley knocked it out of the dang park. His writing blew me away! The story is beautiful with so many great life lessons.

Absolutely recommend this series!!!!

This was a sweet sequel to The Guncle! 💖 I loved how it showed the family's growth over the past few years and the struggles they work through together. Their adventures through Europe, especially the Sound of Music Tour, were delightful. It's such a sweet, happy book with funny moments and a wonderfully dry sense of humor. 🌍🎶

adore the Guncle books! I would eagerly read 10,000 more of them, and I'm pretty sure I would love every single one. The book's characters feel like family, and I find myself craving their warmth and comfort every time I dive into the story!

In The Guncle Abroad, Patrick wants to teach Maisie and Grant about Guncle’s Love Languages as they waltz across Europe on their way to Italy for a family wedding. Along the way, Patrick reflects on his own relevancy, aging, and loneliness.

As expected, the pages light up with subtle humor while coexisting with lingering grief. These characters have changed because of their grief but also have learned to move forward despite it. Patrick, Maisie, Grant, and the rest of the crew show us how resilient they've become as the family navigates change, second chances, and acceptance.

Other highlights: ✨song and movie references in daily conversations, especially the Grease references ✨Maisie’s speech✨surprise twist

Thank you to Penguin Group (Putnam) for the gifted copy. The review contains some spoilers for the book. I was a big fan of the first Guncle book and read it in one sitting. I was so delighted to return to these characters and “world”.

Rowley has a very special talent of highlighting complexities in human experiences but in an incredibly humorous and personal way that leaves impact but still manages to entertain in a genuine way. He was a way of doing almost a “bait and switch” on his characters - there is the facade that Patrick (“GUP”) is humorously shepherding Grant and Maisie through their anxieties about their dad’s upcoming wedding, but really (or additionally) the real depth in growth is his grappling with his brother moving on (his sister in law was his close friend before his brother married her) and continued trauma from the loss of his former partner Joe. It is a parallel scaffolding to the original book but with new types of grief (the bittersweet happiness after loss), which made the story feel fresh but had the same coming-of-age charm as the original.

Though much of the humor very intentionally relies on hyperbolic tropes, I did find some aspects of Patrick’s rivalry with Palomina to be a little overdone (the overemphasis of guncle vs. luant), as well as the European backdrop and following Patrick and the kids on their perfect jaunt through Europe. I enjoyed the fresh setting but at times it felt almost too outlandish that it was hard to continue to suspend disbelief. However, nothing beats Rowley’s hilarious storytelling and one liners that once again had me laughing out loud - “feelings are like treasures…they should be buried” fully took me out.

Looooved The Guncle and really enjoyed being back in this world! It wasn’t perfect and definitely wasn’t needed as a book but it was full of adventure and heart.

While it was very nice to catch up with my favorite characters 5 years after the events in "The Guncle", this one just didn't have the same flow or emotional pull. I found it a bit slow and it just took me a long time to get through. I liked the new characters that were added, and I do hope there's another sequel in the future to see how they are all fairing!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

To start, I loved "The Guncle," which came out at a time when we all deperately needed a feel good book. It was cute and quirky and wholesome and just a delightful journey. So I acknowledge that I came into the sequel with heightened expectations.

The sequel sees Patrick traveling across Europe with Maisie and Grant en route to their dad's/Patrick's brother's wedding in Italy. Maisie is opposed to the marriage and wants Patrick to intervene. He takes this as his cue to teach the kids about love as they travel through France, Austria, and Italy. But Patrick is also coping with his own feelings about the demise of his relationship with Emory. And as they arrive in Lake Como for the wedding, Patrick has to face all kinds of hurdles, including a new nemesis = the kids' soon-to-be-launt (Lesbian Aunt), a divorced sister who brings an unexpected date, and Greg's uncertainty about whether he's doing the right thing for his kids. Will the wedding happen, and if so, will everyone come to terms with it?

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It was just missing some of the magic from the original and almost seemed satirical at times. But it still was good fun and made me want to travel to Italy.

Overall: 4/5

I really missed these characters, so was very excited to pick up the second installment. While I preferred the original storyline better, I loved the character development and the love shared between these characters.

The Guncle was a 5 star read for me and something about this follow up fell flat. It was a story that didn't hold as much magic for the reader and I didn't feel the special connection between Patrick and the kids this time. Everyone is older and that's really the only plot point.

I loved loved loved The Guncle so I was so excited for this sequel! In a lot of ways, The Guncle Abroad felt like coming home. It was filled with Rowley's signature quick wit and humor combined with authentic heart-felt moments. I'm so looking forward to seeing these characters on screen! If you loved The Guncle, The Guncle Abroad will feel like a hug from an old friend.

I mean, if you loved the Guncle, you will love the Guncle Abroad. Despite some cheeky comments about sequels, this is more of what we all loved the first time around. The kids are older and snarkier, the Guncle is older and grumpier, and everyone is more lovable. And there is a Launt involved, the guncle's lesbian aunt nemesis, who charms everyone including the reader.

Read if you love:
*hilarious family dynamics
*mentorship & life lessons through a funny lens
*love after loss
*coming of age books told from an adult's perspective
*second chance romance

Patrick returns to his Guncle (Gay Uncle) duties to shepherd his slightly older niece and nephew across Europe to Italy, where his brother (their dad) is getting remarried .This was such a cute book! I’m so glad we got to revisit this family again, even after the first book got a happy ending. We all know happy endings don’t always last, so coming back to Patrick, Maisie, and Grant as they’re all growing up was so sweet. If you read the first one, you’ll hopefully love this book too! If you haven’t read the first book, what are you waiting for?!

I adore Steven Rowley and was beyond excited to re-join The Guncle on his latest story. This book had the same banter and humor that endeared me to Patrick in book one and it felt good to sink bank into his characters. I will admit I was not as emotionally invested or moved in book two, but I enjoyed it just as much as book one. So glad I got to continue on with these characters for a bit longer.

This book was super cute! I don't think I would have loved it if I hadn't loved The Guncle so much (AKA don't read this as a standalone), but because I already knew and loved these characters I had a blast reading it.

Was it as good as the first book? No, not at all. But did it have me in my feels and smiling ear to ear? Absolutely.

I loved that this book felt like a vacation, and I loved that we got to see these characters years after the first book and check in on them. I thought the pacing was a little off, but it didn't bother me too much since I read the book quickly.

If Steven Rowley keeps writing Guncle books, I'll keep reading them - simple as that!

How special to get more of one my favorite books. The Guncle Abroad does everything the Guncle did so wonderfully, and I loved the roamnce added into this one. I could read so many books about these kids and GUP. LOVED!