Reviews with content warning for Cursing - The Bromance Book Club

“That’s why fiction resonates with people. It speaks to universal truths.”

"Backstory is everything."

I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a romance about a married couple but turns out, it's definitely for me. I liked how the book club allowed the book to make it's own commentary on itself without taking itself too seriously. I really liked the quote "Backstory is everything." I've recently started my journey with therapy and one of my goals is to unpack the things that make me who I am and how it affects how I show up in my relationships. While this was quite oversimplified in the book, getting to know each of the characters through that lens was really intriguing. I also really liked how both Thea and Gavin were not perfect. They definitely weren't realistically flawed, in my opinion, but their issues were a main focal point of the book which was really nice.

I think my only critique is the grand gesture at the end. In general, I'm not a fan of the grand gesture, especially in contemporaries. Sometimes, fantasies and sci-fi can get away with it because stakes tend to be a lot higher in those types of stories (like the main character is saving the world kind of stakes) so it's easier to believe that the grand gesture was necessary. When the gesture is grand just to prove a point or make a declaration, it feels cringy. Maybe I just struggle to express my emotions but having something so personal on display for lots of people feels dreadful. Maybe I should work through that bit in therapy. Otherwise, this was a really fun romance. I will definitely be picking up the other novels in this series.

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meredith_williams_'s review

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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nav26's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

3.5

Not my fave romcom but still enjoyable! I love romances about long-term/married couples falling in love again, especially since most books just leave them to a happily ever after. I feel like the main conflict wasn't dramatic enough for what it spurred, and the whole thing was definitely cheesy in some places (but I think it was meant to be that way). I already have the next book in the series so I'm hoping the writing improves. It felt in places like it was trying too hard to be therapy/woke and felt inauthentic - maybe because I don't know guys who think or talk like that, let alone a whole group of them! Spice rating: 3.

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travelthrupages's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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bookrecsbyjess's review

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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!

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100_pages_hr's review

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

To be honest the title just never caught my attention so I never even read the blurb. But then I was told it was marriage in crisis and I read the description and realized my mistake.

I just finished this book and I absolutely LOVED it!!! It was the perfect balance of humor, romance, and family drama. (I don't do funny and I laughed out loud at least 4 times.)

I loved the guys' book club. I loved their secret love of romance books and pumpkin spice lattes. I loved how they discovered Pinterest. Really I loved everything. I can't wait to finish this series!

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