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goodthingsread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Technically speaking, this is a reread. I first read this book on March of 2022 for a book club, but like a classic procrastinator, I tried to absorb the last few hours of the audiobook in the wee hours of the night before the book club meeting. I remembered the ending, but the third act was a bit hazy.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book. I liked the premise of a bunch of stereotypical dude bros getting together to support each other and read romance novels to grow and improve their relationships. I liked the assortment of characters, didn't feel too overwhelmed by their number, and felt they were given decent depth despite not being the main focus of the book.
What I didn't like was Thea, the girl half of the main couple. Rather, I didn't like how she was portrayed. A lot of focus is given to Gavin's journey, and that's appropriate and fair given the premise of the book. But a lot of Thea's issues with him boil down to her own trauma. She pushes him away and then accuses him of running away; she lies to him for years but holds a grudge against him for not knowing that she was struggling. I was very tempted to DNF in the middle of the book because pushing this idea that when your partner tells you to leave, you should instead stay and fight disturbs me. I stuck with it and eventually Gavin calls get out for this unfair and twisted view of things, but unfortunately all of Thea's growth is shoehorned into the resolution of the third act, maybe the last 20%. It's not enough for all the damage she lived through, especially when it feels like Gavin had minimal emotional trauma to work through, comparatively. I wasn't the HEA, but I also want Thea to have a slightly more realistic journey.
A small note, too, is that the book is remarkably void of any kind of diversity, considering it's a modern book set in Nashville. One teammate is Russian, but he's essentially a running gag about IBS.
The audiobook is good. There are two narrators: Andrew Eiden for the main story and Maxwell Caulfield for the interwoven Regency romance novel. Caulfield seems a perfect fit, but Eiden is at times too growly for me in scenes that don't need it.
Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity
bryelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
“That’s why fiction resonates with people. It speaks to universal truths.”
This series has been recommended to me multiple times since it was published four years ago, and I've been meaning to finally pick it up for ages now. I actually added it to my list of series I wanted to catch up with in 2023, and after a fantastic start with The Bromance Book Club I have no doubt that I actually will this time. Oh yes, this first book and me got along splendidly! I was warned about the female main character before I started, but thankfully I wasn't too bothered by Thea herself. I did find her sister Liv to be extremely frustrating, but that was probably the only minor blip in this story for me. It was so easy to warm up to Gavin and the rest of his friends, and I loved the twins from the start. As a result, I found myself rooting for Gavin from the very beginning... The bromance book club element was brilliant, and I liked how the Courting The Countess chapters were incorporated into the plot. Thea's behavior could get a little annoying, but then again it is understandable if you keep in mind her past... The smut was a bit too much for me, but somehow I didn't mind those scenes that much as the main focus of the story was on Gavin and Thea rebuilding their relationship. I can't wait to read the next book!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Vomit, Ableism, Alcohol, Cursing, Bullying, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
mandaraffe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, and Fatphobia
sinilukee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Vomit
candaceallison's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Minor: Emotional abuse
turtlebrainlibrarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
folded_between_pages_of_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol
ashley_1206's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
do i wish it was a double pov? yes. but at the same time it kinda was because in chapters it flips between gavin’s third person pov and thea’s third person pov. it’s really easy to identify when the third person is focused on a certain character.
also what i loved about the pov is that you can tell who’s head you are in and who you are hovering over. we are always hovering either thea or gavin if that helps anyone.
i’m a sucker for a marriage reconciliation trope i feel like everyone knows this. i often rate marriage reconciliation books high because they’ve slowly became my faves.
this review sounds really negative but the book isn’t bad! the plot is deep. the characters have issues. the main character has a stutter and there is a character who stutter shames in a short scene of the book so if that is a tw. basically what i’m saying is this book is a process it has depth and emotion so if you’re looking for fluff it’s not this book!!
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse