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booklovinmamas's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’m attempting to tackle my backlist of books I’ve meant to read, including finishing the book series I’ve meant to read. One of those book series is Lyssa Kay Adams Bromance Book Club. It’s time for me to finish reading this series, especially since I love that it is about men being part of a romance book club. I read the first three books in the series and picked up where I left off: Vlad’s book, Isn’t It Bromantic.
Storyline/My Thoughts: I loved Vlad’s character in the previous books in the series and was happy to hear that the Russian Hockey Player would get his book. This man has been a favorite in the series because he may come off as an intimidating, touch hockey player, but when you get to know him, he has a soft, romantic side. I learned more about his other side in this book when I found out why he married his childhood best friend and that the man not only reads romance books but he is writing his own romance stories. Readers will get sneak peeks of what he is writing and how the other guys in the romance book club are assisting him with this story. That’s not the main focus of the story, though.
Vlad’s marriage is in trouble with his childhood friend, Elena. He married her to get out of Russia and keep her safe after what happened to her father, but she has decided she wants a divorce and to return to Russia. She’s been attending a university in Chicago for a few years while Vlad focused on his hockey career, so they didn’t have a typical marriage. Elena knows she’ll be deported back to Russia once they divorce, and she’s okay with it. The issue is that Vlad and Elena can’t admit they have feelings for each other. When Vlad gets hurt on the ice and needs help recovering, Elena steps in to assist him, but Vlad doesn’t understand why she wants to help when she wants a divorce, but he’ll take her up on her offer, even if he’s heartbroken with her leaving him. There is a lot of back and forth with these two characters fighting the fact they have feelings for one another. It’s obvious from their POVs how much they care, but they are stubborn, especially Elena.
Sometimes I wanted to go through the book and talk with Elena about how she was making a mistake leaving Vlad. The man cared for her from the beginning by marrying her to protect her, but she decided it was wrong and she couldn’t stay with him. The whole reason she wanted a divorce and to return to Russia made me upset. I could sympathize with Vlad on his feelings regarding her wanting a divorce after what this man did for her. He was protecting her and had obvious feelings for her.
I’m not a fan of miscommunication in romance books, which this book had from the beginning. It was a lot of not communicating between both MCs, and there were times I wanted to DNF because of it, but I kept on because I wanted to know if Vlad would get his HEA. I kept thinking he deserved better the whole time, especially with what happened at the end of this book. Vlad was at fault, too, when reading his POV when it came to miscommunicating with Elena. The man kept how he felt from Elena the whole time, and it took his friends in the romance book club confronting him about his feelings for his wife.
What I enjoyed about this book, which stopped me from DNFing, was my investment in Vlad because I loved his character from the beginning of the series. I wanted this man to get his HEA, and I enjoyed getting his POV finally and finding out this man is all about caring for others. It saddens me to give this book 2.5 stars. It’s only due to the miscommunication trope and Elena’s character not being lovable, which is why it gets such a low rating.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Bromance Book Club series.
Steam/Spice: 🌶
Genre/SubGenre(s)/Trope(s)/Element(s): Romance | Contemporary Romance | Romantic Comedy | Marriage of Convenience | Marriage in Trouble | Friends to Lovers | Virgin MMC | Miscommunication
Would I recommend this book? This book may have gotten a low rating from me, but other readers may enjoy it, so I recommend it to readers who enjoy the marriage of convenience trope and have read the other books in this series from Lyssa Kay Adams. If you are like me and don’t like miscommunication in books, then this book may drive you crazy, like it did me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Kidnapping
Moderate: Trafficking
chaptersofamylea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 ⭐️
Fairly enjoyable but nothing to write home about. I’m glad we got Vlad’s book, his character reminded me a lot of Danny Wheeler from Baby Daddy, a big giant softie.
TWs: neglect, kidnapping, ref to human trafficking
Fairly enjoyable but nothing to write home about. I’m glad we got Vlad’s book, his character reminded me a lot of Danny Wheeler from Baby Daddy, a big giant softie.
TWs: neglect, kidnapping, ref to human trafficking
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Trafficking
alisonreadsitall's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s been a couple years since I read the first three Bromance Book Club books, so it took me a minute to remember what previously happened. It all quickly came flashing back after the first chapter and I came to the following conclusions:
Maybe
1. The Russian is a precious man who should be protected at all costs.🥰
2. I love a slowwww burn when it’s done right.
3. I need a black market cheese guy 🧀🤣
Overall, this book is adorable, goofy, and delightful! I can’t want to read the next one!
Maybe
1. The Russian is a precious man who should be protected at all costs.🥰
2. I love a slowwww burn when it’s done right.
3. I need a black market cheese guy 🧀🤣
Overall, this book is adorable, goofy, and delightful! I can’t want to read the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Trafficking, Death of parent, and Murder
booksareoxygen's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Out of all the Bromance Bookclub books this one is my favorite. It focuses on my favorite character, Vlad (aka the Russian) and we get to see a larger part of his story that we got a glimpse of in Crazy Stupid Bromance. In this friends, to marriage of convenience, to maybe something more relationship we get to see more of a few characters and what it means to have a family and a found family. 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Trafficking and Car accident
Minor: Deportation and Murder
mrsmishler's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
margaritaflower's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Trafficking
carmenvillaman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Lesbophobia and Trafficking
haley49's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved the humor and ensamble cast. Everyone was fun and had cute moments to shine. Unfortunately, there was a lot of not communicating as a major plot point and that combined with a narrator with an awfully fake Russian accent effected my rating a bit. It does get a bump up for having a virgin hero and the 🌶 was very nice. I still appreciate the themes of emotional intelligence and brotherhood in the series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Torture, and Murder
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: War, Blood, Car accident, Abandonment, Addiction, Trafficking, and Confinement
rakizaka's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Trafficking
Minor: Infidelity