Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - The Secret Book Club: Kein Weihnachten ohne Liebesroman

Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Secret Book Club: Kein Weihnachten ohne Liebesroman by Lyssa Kay Adams

35 reviews

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love how there is a book in this series for every trope. The romance genre would be nothing without a cute love story about the serious lawyer who hates the holidays and a sweet guy who needs to teach her the true meaning of Christmas.

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this series because it has been all over the book community. I was dying to read this book; Colton has always been the shy one within the book club and was not going to wait till November or December to read this book. It was like watching a Christmas episode in a series you are binging. I loved these two together and the chemistry between them.

This book has two points of view. The first is country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler and he felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t for the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity. The second point of view is Gretchen Winthrop and it’s hard for her not to feel. Little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent as an immigration attorney. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal. Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas part to build a future together.

I still adore these men and these characters and their friendships. I will always love grumpy x sunshine and I love country stars and Christmas. This book was just a man who only has eyes for one girl and that is Colton to a tee. I adore how Colton began a different man even though Gretchen didn’t want him to change but he was protecting her. Gretchen’s family can go and do one because they were all assholes expect Uncle Jack. I adore Uncle Jack; he was great, and I wanted to high-five and scream from the rooftop when he stood up for Gretchen. I loved to see all of the couples and the kids together and Vlad playing Santa Claus and that they were all together to prove to Gretchen that she didn’t need her family because this is the family they have. I love that these men were also telling Colton to pull his shit together and how much grand gestures mean to women.

I just didn’t like how predictable it was getting, especially as this was the fifth book, and you knew how it was going to go down with the third-act conflict and how the boys come together to help with the grand gesture.

Overall, I liked this series and like how fast paced the books have been and I will be reading more of Lyssa’s work in the future.

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samisreading's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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thewellbitch's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.75 stars - I love this series, but I definitely like some books better than others. This one was interesting because while I liked the main characters individually, I did not like them as a couple. Gretchen is a character I like since book 2 because of her ideals and personality, and being able to look deeper into her was great in some part but also disappointing. It felt like her being shoved into a role for romance's sake that didn't match what was established and what was being told in the story.

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daniellesharp's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring

5.0

🌶️
I love the Bromance Book Club series. This one was just as great as the others.

Not dual POV.
second chance romance; reverse grumpy/sunshine

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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4.0

Finished reading: July 9th 2023

"I think you should always consider opportunities when they come your way."

I know that I usually only read Christmas themed stories in December, but I decided to make an exception and join Christmas In July in spirit just so that I could read the fifth and final (for now?) Bromance Book Club book while memories of the previous books were still fresh. I confess that Colton didn't really stand out that much as a character for me in the previous books, but I was still curious about his story (and Gretchen as well). It did take me a bit longer to fully warm up to the story and A Very Merry Bromance wasn't my favorite of the series, but I can't deny that it was still a solid read. I think part of the issue might have been that the other bromance book club members aren't really all that visible especially in the first half? And somehow Colton and Gretchen initially didn't fully convince me... Although that improved considerably once Colton 'forces' Gretchen to go on dates with him. The second half of the story was considerably stronger, and as a result the book ended on a high note for me (although I could have done without the 'twist') . I was happy to see the book within a book feature appear again, although I would have liked to have more chapters incorporated... A little warning is also in place for more serious topics including toxic families, abuse and deportation. That said, A Very Merry Bromance also offers plenty of banter and lighter moments, all wrapped with a big red Christmas bow. Fingers crossed there will be news about a possible book six soon!

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rebecca_arielle's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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meghanm404's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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creativelifeofliz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book really took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I struggled to fully support Gretchen and Colton in all their choices since they were being so frustrating for so long. Full warning: this book gets pretty dark so read the content warnings.

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