The first rule of book club: You don’t talk about book club.Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride … he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.
Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.
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First of all, don’t read this in public as some scenes are hot! That being said, I wish I’d read it sooner. This romance novel is chock full of romance, truth and lessons. It is well deserving of all the accolades it has received. If you like love stories, romance and happy endings this is a must read
I really enjoyed this easy romantic romp. Cute and at times clever it was a fun spin on the classic win-your-wife-back romance plot. What I liked about it were the men of the bromance club since that was the most original point of the premise. Gavin was a solid character with clear direction. Thea was also clearly conceived but at times felt distant and a bit contrived and oversimplified. It all worked out for a fun read however. I would recommend it for the rom-com lover. I will pick up the next one coming soon.
I listened to the audio version of this book. My first by this author, but it kept me hooked to the app like nothing else has for awhile. It’s one of those that you want to get to the end of to see what happens, but you never want to end.
The premise of a popular jock using a Recency Romance to win his wife back is fantastic enough, but when there’s a whole “book club” of guys encouraging him because they have done the same, it is just almost too fantastic for the mind and heart to accept. Super swoon-worthy steamy scenes didn’t hurt any, either.
The narrations by Andrew Eiden and Maxwell Caulfield were just what this book needed. Superb!
One of the most heartfelt and sincere romances I’ve ever read. Also, a romance reader’s dream come true. Gavin and Thea’s relationship is great, as is the writing. The Bromance Book Club meetings are hilarious and basically exactly how I imagine men reading romance together would be.
Such a sweet read and I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m just going to say read this if you love romance (maybe even if you don’t).
I loved this book! So many times love stories are the falling in love and leaving us with happily ever after. This one starts when happily ever after falls apart. A marriage takes work. I love how these men come together to do the work.
I adored this book! Warning: It does have some language and steamy love scenes. The author’s portrayal of a marriage in crisis and a bunch of athletes rallying together to help their friend save his marriage through a romance book club was just an utter delight. I bought a paperback copy for my keeper shelf. Love, Love, Love!!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I could easily relate to both Gavin and Thea’s personal and marital insecurities. I also liked how both characters were very relatable and down to earth. Gavin’s support group had a few hilarious scenes and the idea of a group of guys reading romance to understand women-priceless! Overall, sweet gestures, straight up honesty, a few fumbles, and steamy make up scenes had me rooting for Thea and Gavin to find their way back to each other!
More men need to read romance books!
I’m not sure words can express how much I loved this book. I won’t lie, I didn’t pick it up for a while because I was worried I wouldn’t like it, I read some reviews and they were hit or miss. I’m so glad I gave it a shot. Gavin won over my heart. Just like most men, he was completely clueless about how to communicate with his wife on so many levels. He wasn’t a bad guy, he was in a rut in his marriage because of his job and because of his young family. He knew what needed done day to day and when that was accomplished he didn’t go out of his way to make his wife feel how much he loved her.
Thea was broken because of her parents and her past. I know there was a lot of people that didn’t love her, a lot that wanted her to cave early and just let Gavin back in, but I’m so happy with the pace that was set in this book. It felt like a slow burn, but the couple was already married. How hard is it to get the spark back like that IN a marriage!!? So hard. The author did an amazing job creating that love and yearning between the two.
They had so much they had to work through and I loved them both. Liv was a lot for me to handle and I felt like she was the reason Thea felt bad for actually wanting to try to work on her marriage. It’s no ones business but your own, it’s between husband and wife and no one else. The supporting men in the bookclub were phenomenal and I can’t wait for Mack and Liv’s story. I hope I end up loving her.
I told my husband about this book club and urged him to start his own.
Been wanting to read this book for almost a year and I can’t wait for some of my friends to read it so we can discuss it more.
The idea of a second chance to a marriage that happened maybe too early it’s one of my favourite plots to read and this book brought so many feelings while laughing at the antics pulled by the bromance book club members. It does look like a misunderstanding or miscommunication between the main characters and an issue that shouldn’t have to be an issue in the first place as the communication is the key to any relationship, marriage or not.
But it’s a bit more than that, it’s a time to discover what each one wants for their life as they are still young and with big responsibilities.
Sometimes the high expectations are part of the past and this story didn’t miss to tick that box either.
Probably my favourite part was the regency romance book and all the nicknames for Lord Tight Pants .
I’m so looking forward to the next book, part because I really hated Liv but love Mack and I’m curious how this one will turn up.
I freely admit I am a guy who is a huge fan of contemporary romance. Don’t like Regency romance, and have bad memories of 1970’s era ripped bodice novels and book covers. I also don’t get grief from guys for reading romance novels.
Given my background and experiences, I was intrigued by the idea of a secret romance book club for men, to better understand women. I didn’t initially like the idea of the guys using a Regency novel as Gavin’s manual, but it was well done and led to some humorous lines. I liked Gavin’s willingness as well as his resistance to the idea in order to romance his wife back. I also appreciated that Thea had her own issues that she had to recognize and repair, so that both Gavin and Thea contributed to the problems in their marriage.
What I didn’t like was Thea’s sister Liv, Bromance book club member Mack, and the author’s views on toxic masculinity. Liv was a sister Thea didn’t need. Liv was toxic towards marriage and Gavin. But I truly despised Mack. He was just a toxic jerk to everyone. I could not see any reason he was a member of the BBC, as he was a single guy and treated every member poorly. No one would put up with his behavior in real life. The only reason I could see for his character here is his role as the Male main character in the second book. Toxic masculinity (TM) is mentioned three times in the book. The first states pumpkin spice latte is denigrated because women love PSL, but pumpkin spice is EVERYWHERE in the fall, which seems at odds with societal condemnation. PSL toxic masculinity then leads to the statement that romance novels aren’t taken seriously because of toxic masculinity. If there really is a societal dismissal of romance novels, maybe it is because the image is of cheesy bodice rippers. And the RWA survey says 19% of romance readers are men. The second and third instances of TM involve Mack and Gavin, and I couldn’t determine if the author was serious or not in invoking TM. My reading of the book shows both Gavin and Thea both have toxic issues, behaviors, and lack of communication that almost destroys their marriage, so is TM really the problem in the book?
I do recommend this book. The concept of a Bromance book club so guys can learn to understand their wives better is original, and except for the despicable Mack, great to read. However, don’t know if I can stomach reading the next novel featuring both Mack and Liv.
A twist on a traditional romance. I loved it!
The premise for this book definitely sucked me in: men reading romance books as aids to help them repair their relationships. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall at those meetings? And we can be!
THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams certainly covers some tough subjects in this book. There’s a marriage on the rocks with both partners still afflicted by past experiences. Although I sometimes felt the majority blame for this marriage collapse was unfairly placed at the feet of our hero, I console myself with the knowledge that this is not far removed from real life situations.
Setting aside the serious issues, I really enjoyed the fun and lightness Adams brought to the story. The differing personalities and escapades of the other ‘Bromancers’ makes for a madcap group of men genuinely trying to help in a highly unconventional way.
With plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and an overall upbeat narrative, I really enjoyed the time I spent reading this book. Can’t wait for the next one!
This book was wonderful! Gavin and Thea are a married couple having problems, just like real life, except that Gavin is a professional baseball player. Thea came from a broken home and has never really dealt with the emotional toll it took on her and her younger sister Liv. Gavin also has problems expressing himself, partly because he stutters and partly because he is afraid. These are things that happen in everyday life and it was interesting to see how they dealt with their problems. This book had me laughing out loud, brought tears to my eyes, made me smile, and also made me think. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book was so much fun, and the perfect read when I just wanted to relax while feeling under the weather.
Gavin is reeling after his wife asks him for a divorce. When his best friend shows up with a few other macho guys offering him a way to save his marriage, he’s all for it: until he finds out that their plan involves reading romance novels. Unsure, but ultimately willing to try anything, Gavin joins the book club and starts listening to their advice.
This is a fun second chance romance with two characters that are under 30 (no, not middle-aged!!) They have to get to know and appreciate each other, baring all with an honesty to help them support each other.
Then there is the book club. What can be better than a bunch of macho guys turning to romance novels to help them navigate their love lives and understand the women that are important in their lives? The character development was wonderful, and there was more to this novel than appears on the surface. Both Gavin and Thea had emotional things in their past that they needed to face to understand how they got to the point of walking away from their marriage.
#TheBromanceBookClub #BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPublishing #LyssaKayAddams
This was such a fun ride. This was my first attempt at a modern-day romance novel and enjoyed it so much. This book is Gavin’s story where he has to either win his wife back or lose her forever.
What made me want to read this book was how Chelsea, over at chelseadolling reads, raved about this book.
I found myself laughing out loud at some points, and just enjoying this story very much. Reading all of these Alpha males talk about Regency Romance books was so entertaining. Just seeing how they interpreted the books and the lessons that they took from them and watching Gavin grow as a person in the process was great. One thing that I also loved was that they showed Thea also having to work through some issues in order to save their marriage.
I highly suggest if the synopsis appeals to you even a little bit that you give it a shot.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams is a poignant, endearing, and witty look into a marriage that is in desperate need of a second chance. When MLB player Gavin Scott realizes that his wife, Thea, has been faking it in the bedroom, he totally loses his cool. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes that he wants to save their marriage. Enter the Bromance Book Club, a secret romance book club comprised of Nashville’s most elite men, who all rally behind Gavin to help him out.
There are so many things to love about this book. First off, Adams gives us a window into an imperfect marriage, one that is informed by the experiences of both the heroine and the hero in a really honest and realistic way. The novel is exceptionally witty and hilarious, with so many laugh-out-loud moments. I also love the fact that Adams gives Gavin a stutter. I enjoy reading characters who aren’t glossy prototypes of perfection, who are endearing and relatable. And Thea and Gavin fit that bill.
I also enjoy the interspersion of Courting the Countess chapters. (That’s the fictional novel that the book club gives Gavin to read.) It’s an intelligent way to weave Gavin’s reading into the narrative.
In all, this novel is a delight from start to finish and will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
This was such a fun book that I had to give it five stars. Fun, but also very meaningful as it explores the pains and growth of a marriage and the complications that arise when communication goes south.
As it says in the blurbs, “The first rule of Book Club is…you don’t talk about Book Club.” After all, when a bunch of testosterone laden athletes and bros get together, they don’t want anyone to know they’re reading historical romance to Get A Clue About What Women Want.
The H&H seemed very real, as were their problems. I liked how the author dealt with the hero’s speech impediment, and what that meant to him in and out of relationships. We got a hint at where the author’s going to go next with the Bromance Book Club and I can’t wait!
This book was funny and cute . It was second chance romance between a married couple who are trying to mend their relationship. Some of it was relatable and at times it was quite hilarious. I literally binge read this book and devoured it. This is the first time I’ve read this author, I got intrigued by the blurb and purchased it and it was so worth the price. Can’t wait to read more books by this author and definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. Have already preordered my copy
A story about a group of men belonging to a book club with the sole function of saving their marriages and helping other men save their own, grabbed my attention from the book blurb onward. The positive hype surrounding the book only fueled my desire to read this story. And with only a couple of misgivings, I can say it delivered.
Thea and Gavin Scott are a married couple with deep problems. Only Gavin had no idea there were any problems until his wife has to admit to faking orgasms. Instead of trying to talk about their problems, Gavin shuts his wife out and moves into the guestroom. Eventually, she asks him to leave. Gavin is devastated, as is Thea. Neither are talking and a divorce seems imminent. Del, Gavin’s best friend and fellow baseball teammate comes to the rescue. He takes Gavin to a meeting of the book club to help him save his marriage. This means lots of personalities get involved in the intimate details of Gavin’s life. The main tool they use is a historical romance that Gavin has to read. He also has to keep the details of the book club hush hush and do exactly what they tell him to do. It’s not exactly smooth sailing.
I really enjoyed how real the characters of Thea and Gavin were written. They are both good people, no matter how clueless Gavin has been in the past. His life revolves around baseball and he doesn’t have much left over for his wife and twin daughters. Thea gave up finishing her degree to raise the children and keep the home fires burning while Gavin travels for his job. She’s a good mom and homemaker, but she wants more. She grew up in bad circumstances and has residual problems due to that. Gavin has had baseball his whole life to fall back on. There never was any hint he would do anything but play. When he met Thea, they immediately fell for each other and married soon after. They never got that alone time together before life got in the way. Thea’s sister Liv moves in with Thea when Gavin moves out. She was not my favorite character. I found her to be a snarky woman, one that wouldn’t let up against Gavin, who really needed to mind her own business. To be fair, she too has some of the same issues as Thea. Braden Mack is a member of the book club. He was an egotistical man who thought he was God’s gift to women. I also disliked him immensely. Those two characters are my misgivings/problems about this book. Thank goodness for Del and his wife. They were the good guys in this story.
It comes down to a story about forgiveness and taking responsibility for one’s actions. Gavin has a bit of growing up to do and some groveling to accomplish and Thea has some real issues in her past to let go of in addition to her problems with Gavin. It was fun reading the historical romance right along with Gavin at times and then seeing how he used the information. The guys in the book club are in the middle of everything-sometimes being outright funny. I just wished for Liv to lighten up and for Braden to get over himself. I’m sure I am in the minority about them though.
After all is said and done, it was a 4 star read for me so I do highly recommend it to adult romance readers. You really need to meet these engaging characters, Gavin and Thea. My thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this in exchange for a fair and honest review.(To be posted on Delighted Reader) (less)