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my_personal_escape's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Vomit
Moderate: Bullying, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage
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: Bullying and Cursing
Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol
jazhandz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
vanesst's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
murve's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
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: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
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: Bullying, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
jkneebone'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
3.5
A distraught Gavin is inducted by his best friend and teammate Del into the “bromance book club,” where the other club members help him use a Regency romance to figure out where his relationship went wrong - and how he can fix it. After some negotiating, Thea allows Gavin to move back in for a month: one month for Gavin to use his new lessons in courting and win her back.
This is a pretty standard romance novel - not breaking any conventions of the genre - but it was well-written and a fun read. I thought the premise was really creative, and made for some really interesting moments. I liked that it was about a couple trying to make their relationship work, as opposed to two people falling in love for the first time. The “excerpts” from the book club read that are sprinkled throughout were really funny, and I liked how the author used them to comment along with the things that were happening in the plot - very meta, but it worked. A solid contemporary romance that hits some of the tropes but still puts a unique spin on things, with really compelling main characters!
Graphic: Sexual content and Vomit
Moderate: 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: Misogyny and Abandonment
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: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying and Vomit
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy