Thank you to Berkley / NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Published 11/5/2019 by Berkley
ISBN: 9781984806093
339 pages (Goodreads says there is 320 pages, but the copy I’m reading goes to 339)
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Rom-Com
Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads Synopsis:
The first rule of this 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 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.
Review:
*I am late with my review, but any quote(s) used are from the finished copy.
“I’m the kind of baseball wife who still isn’t sure the difference between a no-hitter and a perfect game, and you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because I didn’t marry baseball. I married Gavin, a man with more integrity than you could ever dream of having.”
I’m quite behind on writing reviews. I’ve hit some sort of reading sprint, and I can’t stop. I finished two books in one weekend, which never happens to me. I’m slowly getting all of my thoughts together for each book.
Characters |
The characters were all pretty interesting. I thought that the members of the book club were funny. They all had their flaws though, and some bothered me more than others.
I started out hating Gavin, then Thea started showing her true colors. Her mothering skills were fantastic. She treats her daughters like they matter, which I don’t see very often in novels. She has a semi-strong bond with her sister, which is great. I just don’t like how she treats Gavin. If you don’t want to give him the light of day, then just end it right then and there. Instead, she eggs it on. That kills me! The reader understands why, like, right at the end of the book. I get that she has a depressing past, but that doesn’t mean you need to take it out on other people. I just didn’t end up liking her that much, unfortunately.
I didn’t care for Liv and the way she treated Gavin. It wasn’t any of her business as to why Gavin was still staying at the house. I understand she was trying to take care of her sister but, there are boundaries. She was probably my least favorite character, other than Mack, who is part of the book club.
Story |
I would consider this a slow-burn romance. Nothing steamy happens until closer to the end, but I’m into the rom-com novels. This could totally be a movie! I would watch it.
The story focuses on Gavin and his desire to keep his marriage together after he supposedly tore it apart. The issue is that they both play a pretty big role in what path their marriage is going down. The reader learns a lot about Thea’s past and her relationship with her parents. I won’t spoil that for you since it’s a significant piece of information in the novel. I’m sure it won’t be a surprise to anyone who reads/watches rom-coms.
I loved this so much. This is romantic, but it also has a lot of familial dynamics. Thea and Gavin have two twin daughters, Ava and Amelia, who make it even harder to make a decision regarding their marriage. Oh yeah, did I also mention Thea’s sister, Liv? She plays a role in the whole ordeal too. She also has a lot of turmoil with their parents. Thea and Liv stick together. Let’s just say that Liv isn’t a fan of Gavin and vice versa.
My issues with the story: There was a point that I just wanted it to come to an end. This isn’t a very long book, but it does get redundant, I guess. It is still very fast-paced, regardless. It was a five-star read up until around page 260. I found myself not wanting to continue on, or just skipping to the end to see what happens.
I also found myself not wanting to read the excerpts of the novel. Obviously, the two stories are similar to one another, except one is from the 1800s and one is present day. The situations are different. I just didn’t care about those characters. Thank God that doesn’t show up too often.
Writing |
I found the sex scenes to be very well done! They are scarce and short-lived, but they were 10/10. Good description of everything!
This is a romance novel, so don’t go into this expecting it to blow your mind. I found it to be a bit more sophisticated. The book club members have a very diverse vocabulary, which surprised me.
Overall |
I would totally buy this for my shelves! I enjoyed it a lot, and I recommend it if you’re interested or if you need a funny, steamy, fast-paced read. This is the type of book that will lift you out of your reading slump, for sure! Go pick it up and show it some love.
“Love is enough.”
“It’s always enough.”
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