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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Put a bunch of alpha males in a group and give them romance novels as a way to understand their women and I’m hooked. This could have gone wrong, but Adams did it right. The characters were compelling and this became an emotional story of two people in a marriage who needed to communicate. I look forward to more from this book club!
Love the set up
What do guys do when they’re working on their relationship goals? Join the Bromance Book Club. I enjoyed this entertaining, laugh out loud book!
The premise is eye-catching, the beginning was promising, the male characters were fun, flawed but redeemable and charming. The best part? They were willing to read romance novels as a way to improve their relationships (that was cute). And while I could object the bad usage of the Spanish language in some dialogues, I felt compelled to accompany these particular book club in their adventure: Help Gavin to win his wife back (while learning tricks from a historical romance book).
Gavin was, according to the author, an attractive but self-conscious man facing a possible divorce from the love of his life. He was at the top of his professional career but his personal life was a mess, and he didn’t feel capable of fixing it. Why, maybe your wondering. Probably because he didn’t feel worthy of love. You’ll see… Gavin has had a stutter his whole life, he was target of bullies and the subject of too many jokes from men and women, so yes, it was normal he had self-stem issues. But he wasn’t the only character with emotional baggage, his wife had it too, making this quest for Happily-Ever-After even more complicated.
Everything was fine with the story. Complications are good in a love story. You don’t want the conflict to resolve so fast. That’s boring. But you know what’s also boring? When a interesting plot and a promising story grows slow halfway through the book or when the characters inspire you homicidal thoughts. So yes, while I enjoyed the book overall, there were things I dislike, but I won’t extend about the bad things, don’t worry.
I’m rating this book with a strong 3.5 over 5, and looking forward of the upcoming novel in the series because I’m a masochist or something and I wan’t to read what’s next with this book club.
5 things I loved about The Bromance Book Club and why you should put it on your #toread list—and why writers should take note:
1. Scoops you right in. By the third page you’ve got a good idea of what to expect—and that it’s going to be a fun ride.
2. Whole characters: all the mains and secondaries in this one have full stories, reasons for what they’re doing and something to offer the reader and the protags.
3. The Russian hockey player.
4. All the stories braid together. The main story, the back story, the secondary story of the romance being read… they just all work.
5. Characters change and evolve and grow—and triumph, and that’s fun to read. #goodrulesmeandrools #pleasetelloffthemeangirlsomemore #dontdissromancekids (PS I did a video book chat of this with a more writerly perspective on IG–@kjda if you want a little more. And a poodle.)
Book Review: /5. “Romance novels are primarily written by women for women, and they’re entirely about how they want to be treated and what they want out of life and in a relationship. We read them to be more comfortable expressing ourselves and to look at things from their perspective”
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This was a very cute book and the only thing that kept me from giving it an extra diamond was the fact that I found the female characters to be extremely irritating and a bit self-centered. I became very aggravated at times with their “cut & dry” behavior towards their men and coming off as victims . I did, however, really enjoy all the male characters and found their Bromance Book Club to be so endearing. Definitely a cute, fun, quirky and easy read with some laugh out loud parts and I would recommend it to someone who would prefer a puff pastry over a rich creme pie (Yes, I’m hungry ).
Audio. This was a fun twist on the typical romance novel. Told in alternating POV’s ~ the book opens with Gavin & Thea already separated. Gavin’s friends vow to help him “win her back” by initiating him into their book club, where they read romance novels to gain perspective on relationships and tips to “woo” their significant others.
The book is sort of 3 POV’s. It alternates between Gavin & Thea (narrated by Andrew Eiden) and then there are occasionally “excerpts” from the regency novel Gavin is reading (narrated by Maxwell Caulfield). I love Andrew Eiden as a narrator, but I kind of wish they’d had added a female narrator as well or opted to give some kind of intro that the POV was switching. It’s not like one chapter was Gavin and the next Thea ~ which is fine. But there were times where the POV changed and I didn’t realize I’m until the sentence or paragraph made it clear we’re now listening to someone else.
I struggled with Thea’s sister, Liv. I know stories need an antagonist and that she has baggage of her own ~ but sometimes she felt like too much “anti Gavin”, though that’s likely the point.
I liked the twins ~ but they didn’t come read as 2 year olds. More like 4 or 5. Which kept making the length of Gavin & Thea’s marriage feel off.
Overall it was an enjoyable listen and I’m looking forward to the series continuing.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
This is such a fun book, with some very moving moments too – so it is great news that it is part of a new series. And I am all for stories about men who have the wisdom to read romance books to work out how women think and how they perceive men. This particular bunch are a fun mix of wealthy, happily married, players and hopefuls – which should give us plenty of fun in future installments.
The first man in need of help is Gavin – his marriage has taken a dive, he is living in a rubbish hotel and drowning his sorrows, until an intervention by his friends who induct him into the Bromance Book Club. The only problem is that Gavin is deeply ashamed about why his marriage is on the rocks and just cannot bring himself to admit the cause, so he seriously hampers their attempts to help. It does, however, make it much funnier for the reader as he gets himself tied up in knots about it.
As we see things from both his and his wife, Thea’s side, it is easy to believe that there is a chance for success, although Thea’s sister, Liv, and their upbringing is clearly also a significant issue that needs to be addressed. I loved the twins and their importance to both parents in finding a way to move forward. And of course, most of all, the romance novel which helps Gavin see things differently, and gives him a whole new vocabulary of hilarious words to call himself!
I think this is a winning formula, and as we are given a clue as to who is going to be the next man that gets help towards a happily ever after, I am waiting expectantly for the next installment.
Veronica –
The story starts with Gavin’s mate, Del, arriving at the crappy hotel he is staying in to stage an intervention. Gavin’s wife has kicked him out and asked for a divorce. Del, with several members of the Bromance Book Club, tell Gavin they are going to help him save his marriage through romance novels. We read parts of the novel with Gavin and we kind of get a novel within a novel, which was fun. I have to say the scenes of this book with the members of the book club are thoroughly entertaining.
When we meet Gavin’s wife, Thea, things with her seem more serious. She is taking care of their twin daughters with the help of her sister, applying to return to college, and wanting to get her life back on track without Gavin. Girl power is the order of the day. I had no idea how Gavin was ever going to win her back because she seemed determined not to give him the time of day. Having her sister in her ear the whole time, putting Gavin down at every opportunity, wasn’t helping either.
Gavin’s fight to win Thea back was at times sexy and romantic and at other times raw and emotional. Parts were challenging to read. They are confronting some really embarrassing and difficult issues. I particularly struggled with the feeling that the blame for their issues lay at Gavin’s feet. It takes two people to make a marriage and neither of them was perfect, and it is glaringly obvious that Thea has her own issues to confront.
This is such a good story. It has a mix of heavy and light subject matter and it does an excellent job of showing us a marriage isn’t all wine and roses, it takes work. This year I’ve struggled with reading contemporary M/F romance and with The Bromance Book Club, I feel like I’ve fallen back in love with the genre, so the author gets a big thank you from me.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The Bromance Book Club is an adorable romance. It’s sweet, funny and gave me all the feels. It’s a guaranteed favourite for everyone who enjoys romance, and it’s the first in a new series I imagine will become immensely popular.
The Bromance Book Club is super funny. The description of the manly-men discussing the female perspective and feelings in general is hilarious. But there’s also a serious undertone, because the lack of understanding the Bromance guys start out with feels painfully realistic.
The main characters are wonderful and so endearing. The story is written as alternating between the viewpoints of either Gavin or Thea. And their rocky journey finding their way back to each other is everything you could possibly want from a romance. I highly recommend this read.
Personally, I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of the naughty. But since The Bromance Book Club is more of a romance than anything else, it’s all good. Just know that the amount of smut is limited.
But in short, this is a great read. It’s so warm and sweet without being over the top sugary. And there’s a perfect balance between the humour and the feels. Even though it’s a story about saving a marriage, it’s absolutely a low-angst story and will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. In an entirely asexual kind of way.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/
The synopsis alone got me and the story kept me UP ALL NIGHT reading!
What a cute concept. There are lots of women who wish their partners would read romance, see what we see, feel what we feel but this book wasn’t just about the sex or the romance but about the “back story”!
Gavin, a major league baseball player and his wife Thea have hit a rough patch. Their marriage is in peril and Gavin isn’t ready to give up.
Their relationship has been a whirlwind. Dating for a few months, married and pregnant (with twins nonetheless) and with Gavin making the big league’s life just began…a few years later and their marriage is in jeopardy.
In comes the Bromance Book Club; a motley crew of other movers and shakers in the Nashville area. Gavin’s teammates, other professional athletes, and government offices and Mack! Oh, Mack…I need a book about Mack, Lyssa Kay Adams! These men have been where Gavin had been and have found a way to fix their marriages by reading romance. Yes, the laughs begin when these boys are together.
This book isn’t all fun and games, it’s hard work for Gavin to convince Thea to give him another chance. Using the “techniques” he learns from the romance book and guidance of his friends – Gavin goes all in.
I read this book in less than 2 days. Lyssa Kay Adams hit it out of the park with this story and I loved every page.
I picked this book up on a whim at my local bookstore the other day (a bit of an anomaly for me as I generally prefer eBook format these days), but I’m so happy that I did and I’m thrilled it will join my too-massive (hence my penchant for eBooks!) paper library.
It’s a super fun story, with lots of LOL moments, but also enough depth and layers to give it some staying power. I loved Gavin and Thea and rooted for them right from the beginning, desperately hoping they’d get their second chance (even when wanting to give them a shake in frustration!), plus the supporting characters are so fabulous I started crafting couple ideas for Book 2.
The “Bromance Book Club” was awesome, as was their book regency romance book pick and how it weaved into the contemporary story line.
Every once in a while you stumble across a new-to-you author and/or a book that is completely off your radar and experience true book romance almost from the first page. This was that kind of book for me. I spent a lovely night wrapped in its pages. Maybe you’ll enjoy it too!
4.5 Stars
This book was such a fun read. After reading the blurb I knew I needed to get my hands on it. I love how the roles were reversed when it came to the book club. The Bromance Book Club will keep you entertained.
Gavin is a baseball player for the Nashville Legends and trying to figure out how to make things right with his wife. All Gavin wants is to make things right with his wife Thea but he needs help. After finding out Thea had been faking it when they were together has crushed him. He doesn’t know how to fix things and his friends decide to help him.
The lengths Gavin goes to in order to win his wife back was so sweet. Thea was stubborn most of the time instead of giving in to her feelings she has for her husband. She has realized she wants to achieve things she gave up when she married Gavin. She doesn’t expect Gavin to be supportive of her dreams.
If you’re looking or a fun fast paced read grab this book. It was such a fun read and I can’t wait for more in this series.
I really enjoyed this! It’s rare to find a marriage-in-trouble romcom, but this did it exceptionally well. I deeply wish there was a group of men out there, reading romance novels, trying to be better partners, and being aware of societal injustices against women. Reading it in a novel felt slightly like fantasy, but made me hopeful, too. Recommended.
Fabulous, original, laugh out loud rom com!
One of the best romantic comedy books I have ever read. It was laugh out loud funny, but also sweet and sexy too. Loved the characters and story premise. I could visualize this book being turned into a movie that I would want to watch on reply.
The Bromance Book Club was a funny, heartwarming story of a man’s attempt to save his marriage by getting tips from romance novels. Enjoyable read.
A delightful, fast-paced read with the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud and swoony moments — every town should have a Bromance Book Club.
The Bromance Book Club is a delight! Even though Gavin is nothing less than swoon worthy, it was Adams’ heroine that stole the show. With her perfect imperfections, she made me feel seen as a wife, mom, and woman. I raced to finish this book, but still never wanted it to end!
I loved this book. Great twist on the marriage in trouble trope. Was funny, poignant, romantic and deeply emotional yet didn’t drag me down. The humor and wit in the book was fabulous. The author voice was fantastic and it was the most original and fun book I’ve read in a long time. I can’t recommend this book enough and can’t wait for the next book!
In a shocking turn of events this year I became quite the romance lover and The Bromance Book Club was one of my most anticipated books for 2019!! Lyssa Kay Adams did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the role reversal in that this was from the male perspective about a book club of men who read romance novels to help with their love lives. First of all, that is genius and men should actually start doing this.
I am excited to know this is a series and we will get to follow a few more of the players. Another aspect that I loved and hated about the book is that the characters were very human and jumped to conclusions and made horrible decisions trying to figure out their failing marriage. I may have had a few frustrated growls while reading this book and the sister was no help.
(5 out of 5 stars) Initially I was going to give this book a 4 star rating because of how frustrated I was with the characters but the fact that the characters could draw that strong of an emotion out of me only proves how great the writing and storytelling was. I am impatiently waiting for the next book Undercover Bromance.