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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
dojipengin'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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol and Infidelity
deluna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic relationship
carina_dreamer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ainda não tinha sido traduzido cá quando já gostava da ideia de um montão de homens, tipicamente alfas bem sucedidos no desporto ou engravatados, tivessem de montar um clube de leitura e usassem os livros 🔥 para reconquistar as esposas 🤩
🌼 A dinâmica entre os membros do book club foi do meu agrado, ri-me bastante com o contraste de sábios do romance e os banters bromásticos 😂
🌼 Em relação à parte romántica do livro...
Começamos o livro com o Gavin a contar que a esposa, Thea, lhe pediu o divórcio. Os motivos feriram-lhe de tal forma o ego masculino que ele fugiu para um hotel enquanto a Thea cuidava das filhas gémeas de 2/3 anos. O enredo é então o Gavin tenta reconquistar a Thea antes do divórcio se tornar oficial.
🌼 Deparei-me com várias reviews em que as pessoas ou amavam ou não gostavam do livro.
No meu caso, fui surpreendida pela positiva.
A ideia de um second chance quando as personagens são ainda casadas pode ser algo confuso, mas acredito que essa é a maravilha deste livro.
Sim, eles são casados, mas não se conheceram o suficiente porque logo no início do namoro engravidaram e depois a carreira de beisebol do Gavin meteu-se no meio também.
A meu ver, este é um livro que realça a falta de comunicação entre casais, a falta de intimidade e a construção de uma amizade entre ambos.
🌼 Adorei o livro, mas também acho que este não é ideal para um público que não esteja interessado em relações heterossexuais (porque isto é sobre um homem a tentar entender a mente de uma mulher).
Outro fator que acho afetar a leitura é se nos conectamos ou não à estória, eu ia lendo o livro e fazendo comparações com um casal que sabia estar a ter atrito na relação e isso realçava muito a leitura.
Minor: Bullying and Abandonment
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
rebecca_bluedragonskeep_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Pregnancy and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Bullying, and Alcohol
tomasalbanez'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
3.75
Is it (some how) at the same time too simple? Also yes
But, just like Gavin, this book conquers you besides it's flaws. You start reading it to judge the characters, like reality TV, and when you notice you have already finished it in 2 days.
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Abandonment and Misogyny
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Violence, and Alcohol
fromthefoxhole'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
Now, years into their marriage, they've drifted so far apart that Gavin is staying in a hotel and Thea has dropped the D bomb - divorce. Luckily for them both, Gavin's got some teammates in his corner, who vow to help him get his wife back by way of introducing him to the world of romance novels. Thea agrees to a few weeks of Gavin being back in the home, but she's not planning on going easy on him.
I had a great time reading this, past a few slightly fatphobic moments in the beginning. I definitely wish we got more of the book club outside of Mack being a bit of a thoughtless prick, but I assume I'll get to flesh them out a little more in their individual books.
Thea and Gavin are both prideful and stubborn, which at times made me want to physically shake them, but I did feel rewarded when they finally worked through it! Their physical chemistry is great, they just needed to get on the same mental page to really make it shine.
Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Cursing
Moderate: Bullying and Vomit
Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
cady_sass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
If only men possessed the emotional intelligence and were secure enough in their masculinity to actually do this… it would be over for us
Graphic: Cursing, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
kespittia's review
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Bullying, Ableism, and Abandonment