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goodthingsread's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I think what bothered me in this book probably is fixed or done better in the rest of the series.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity
dojipengin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol and Infidelity
vanesst's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Vomit
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: June 5th 2023
“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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Vomit, Ableism, Alcohol, Cursing, Bullying, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
drraytay's review against another edition
I think I would’ve loved this book if I was 21 but at 31 this was a nightmare. Way too much emotional manipulation painted as romance and chivalry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Alcohol, Infidelity, Vomit, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity and Abandonment
bookrecsbyjess's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book definitely lived up to the hype. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the whole series.
The book club was hilarious. I couldn’t get over how funny the guys were when discussing the romance novels. The fact that they use romance novels as manuals cracked me up.
It was easy to root for Gavin the whole time because he tried so hard to win Thea back. It was frustrating that Thea didn’t seem to care about saving their marriage at all even though she was part of the problem. I felt bad that Gavin had to do all of the work instead of them both trying to fix their marriage.
Gavin and Thea had a lot of cute moments together. The fact that Gavin had a stutter that Thea accepted wholly was heartwarming and made Gavin a more realistic character.
Thea’s sister Liv was really terrible in this book considering how much of a jerk she was to Gavin.
The other guys in the book club were a fun addition to the story, and I’m excited to read their stories as well.
Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Infidelity
itsmeyseniab's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Although I found this to be a quick read, I will say that I wasn't as invested in the plot as I thought I would be. That being said, I did appreciate the more realistic approach that Lyssa Kay Adams took with this romance (ie. a couple working through their marital problems). I just think the overall story fell flat, had some continuity issues near the end, and got very repetitive at times. I also didn't enjoy the inclusion of the "excerpts" from the bookclub book Courting the Countess along with the humor that was attempted with making the main character of that book the voice of the internal dialogue the characters would have with themselves.
Ultimately this story was underwhelming because of how bland the main characters were. The only time I felt any true chemistry between our two main characters Gavin and Thea were during the sex scenes (which also read very awkwardly to me, and even funny at times). We were told how much Gavin wanted to "win" her back, but the actions on the page left me feeling very meh. The supporting characters were very forgettable to me as well.
Ultimately this story was underwhelming because of how bland the main characters were. The only time I felt any true chemistry between our two main characters Gavin and Thea were during the sex scenes (which also read very awkwardly to me, and even funny at times). We were told how much Gavin wanted to "win" her back, but the actions on the page left me feeling very meh. The supporting characters were very forgettable to me as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Bullying
Child neglectzombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was good for some laughs, but I felt that it was rather meh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, Infidelity, Cursing, and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism
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