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octygon's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Fun romance, interesting cast of characters, not too graphic
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Cursing
amandamyers's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There's some kind of magic in all of the books in this series, and mixed with the Christmas sparkle, this book shines. At the heart of it, this is a second chance-ish romance, plus a healthy dose of sunshine/grump, with plenty of Hallmark movie vibes. I loved getting the chance to see the happy ending for Colton and Gretchen, who were interesting background characters in other books in the series, especially Gretchen, as the ex-girlfriend of one of the earlier MMCs.
Colton is a famous country singer, who feels like he's about to lose his career as he hasn't been able to get a new album out, much to the displeasure of his record label. He's charming, handsome, and wealthy, and he hasn't been able to stop thinking about Gretchen since they spent a night together about a year ago, at the wedding of his friend, who is also Gretchen's aforementioned ex.
Gretchen is an immigration lawyer, running her own pro bono clinic, just trying to keep the lights on so she can help her clients. Meanwhile, her capital-w Wealthy family that she mostly stays away from wants her to convince Colton to become the face of their whisky brand. Her family is absolutely the worst, but if she does this, she'll be able to join their charity's board, and make a real impact with the millions of dollars the charity is in charge of.
He wants an actual date, while she has commitment issues (an understatement, really). They have fun banter, and smoking hot chemistry. The clips of the romance novel within the romance novel is always a treat in this series, and there's plenty of that. You can definitely read this without prior knowledge of the series but the big extended family of the bromance book club is so much fun and definitely better consumed together.
I recommend this book if you like: grumpy FMC/sunshine MMC, lowkey celebrity romance, found family
I would not recommend this book if you don't like: stubborn MCs, family problem, Christmas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Violence
abusive/neglectful family:purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Classism, Deportation, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Child abuse
theespressoedition's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Let me start this off by saying that The Bromance Book Club is one of my favorite (and most-recommended) rom-com series. I've read all of the books, in order, and I truly love the cast of characters, their wild stories, and how they all blend together to create this fantastic world of inspiration, inclusivity, humor, and of course--spice. They're some of the most unique contemporary romance novels I've read and that's a huge reason why I love them so much. They've never ceased to bring a smile to my face.
Now, let me get into why I struggled with A Very Merry Bromance. The number one reason? It didn't feel like it was part of this series I've come to know and love. Despite the whole cast making appearances throughout the book, it felt wholly disconnected. If those recognizable character names hadn't shown up, I don't think I ever would've associated this installation with the rest of the books.
Despite being a bit of a self-absorbed celebrity who's unused to being told "no," Colton doesn't really take the primary spotlight in the book (even if he should have - for all the work his character needed). He also doesn't receive his advice from the romance books as the bros have in all of the other stories. He does, however, loan a romance book to Gretchen (which, by the way, we never really see have any affect on her) and constantly mentions A Christmas Carol, a story that supposedly had a huge impact on his own life and way of celebrating Christmas. So yes, there's mentions of reading, but it doesn't hold much sway on either of the characters, unless you count them both admitting they're part of a "grump and sunshine" trope a few times.
Gretchen has a lot of family issues. I mean a lot. If you're uncomfortable with the topic of familial abuse, this is not the book for you, since the story relies heavily on that element of her life. I wanted to see more growth in her character, since I loved her heart, but it felt more like Colton fought her battles for her (and not very well, I might add). I honestly wanted more of Uncle Jack!
Truthfully, I expected to walk away from this book with giddy good feelings and a tummy ache from all the laughter. Instead, I was frustrated with the protagonists, disconnected from the story as a whole, and frankly, just irritated at how different it was from the rest of the series. I wouldn't say that I hated it, and there were some things I really enjoyed (mostly the side characters--and visualizing Vlad in a Santa suit), I was disappointed by the book as a whole and can't imagine that I'd pick it up again. This one was a bit of a bust for me, sadly.
Now, let me get into why I struggled with A Very Merry Bromance. The number one reason? It didn't feel like it was part of this series I've come to know and love. Despite the whole cast making appearances throughout the book, it felt wholly disconnected. If those recognizable character names hadn't shown up, I don't think I ever would've associated this installation with the rest of the books.
Despite being a bit of a self-absorbed celebrity who's unused to being told "no," Colton doesn't really take the primary spotlight in the book (even if he should have - for all the work his character needed). He also doesn't receive his advice from the romance books as the bros have in all of the other stories. He does, however, loan a romance book to Gretchen (which, by the way, we never really see have any affect on her) and constantly mentions A Christmas Carol, a story that supposedly had a huge impact on his own life and way of celebrating Christmas. So yes, there's mentions of reading, but it doesn't hold much sway on either of the characters, unless you count them both admitting they're part of a "grump and sunshine" trope a few times.
Gretchen has a lot of family issues. I mean a lot. If you're uncomfortable with the topic of familial abuse, this is not the book for you, since the story relies heavily on that element of her life. I wanted to see more growth in her character, since I loved her heart, but it felt more like Colton fought her battles for her (and not very well, I might add). I honestly wanted more of Uncle Jack!
Truthfully, I expected to walk away from this book with giddy good feelings and a tummy ache from all the laughter. Instead, I was frustrated with the protagonists, disconnected from the story as a whole, and frankly, just irritated at how different it was from the rest of the series. I wouldn't say that I hated it, and there were some things I really enjoyed (mostly the side characters--and visualizing Vlad in a Santa suit), I was disappointed by the book as a whole and can't imagine that I'd pick it up again. This one was a bit of a bust for me, sadly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Classism, and Alcoholism
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