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A review by goodthingsread
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I think what bothered me in this book probably is fixed or done better in the rest of the series.
Technically speaking, this is a reread. I first read this book on March of 2022 for a book club, but like a classic procrastinator, I tried to absorb the last few hours of the audiobook in the wee hours of the night before the book club meeting. I remembered the ending, but the third act was a bit hazy.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book. I liked the premise of a bunch of stereotypical dude bros getting together to support each other and read romance novels to grow and improve their relationships. I liked the assortment of characters, didn't feel too overwhelmed by their number, and felt they were given decent depth despite not being the main focus of the book.
What I didn't like was Thea, the girl half of the main couple. Rather, I didn't like how she was portrayed. A lot of focus is given to Gavin's journey, and that's appropriate and fair given the premise of the book. But a lot of Thea's issues with him boil down to her own trauma. She pushes him away and then accuses him of running away; she lies to him for years but holds a grudge against him for not knowing that she was struggling. I was very tempted to DNF in the middle of the book because pushing this idea that when your partner tells you to leave, you should instead stay and fight disturbs me. I stuck with it and eventually Gavin calls get out for this unfair and twisted view of things, but unfortunately all of Thea's growth is shoehorned into the resolution of the third act, maybe the last 20%. It's not enough for all the damage she lived through, especially when it feels like Gavin had minimal emotional trauma to work through, comparatively. I wasn't the HEA, but I also want Thea to have a slightly more realistic journey.
A small note, too, is that the book is remarkably void of any kind of diversity, considering it's a modern book set in Nashville. One teammate is Russian, but he's essentially a running gag about IBS.
The audiobook is good. There are two narrators: Andrew Eiden for the main story and Maxwell Caulfield for the interwoven Regency romance novel. Caulfield seems a perfect fit, but Eiden is at times too growly for me in scenes that don't need it.
Technically speaking, this is a reread. I first read this book on March of 2022 for a book club, but like a classic procrastinator, I tried to absorb the last few hours of the audiobook in the wee hours of the night before the book club meeting. I remembered the ending, but the third act was a bit hazy.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book. I liked the premise of a bunch of stereotypical dude bros getting together to support each other and read romance novels to grow and improve their relationships. I liked the assortment of characters, didn't feel too overwhelmed by their number, and felt they were given decent depth despite not being the main focus of the book.
What I didn't like was Thea, the girl half of the main couple. Rather, I didn't like how she was portrayed. A lot of focus is given to Gavin's journey, and that's appropriate and fair given the premise of the book. But a lot of Thea's issues with him boil down to her own trauma. She pushes him away and then accuses him of running away; she lies to him for years but holds a grudge against him for not knowing that she was struggling. I was very tempted to DNF in the middle of the book because pushing this idea that when your partner tells you to leave, you should instead stay and fight disturbs me. I stuck with it and eventually Gavin calls get out for this unfair and twisted view of things, but unfortunately all of Thea's growth is shoehorned into the resolution of the third act, maybe the last 20%. It's not enough for all the damage she lived through, especially when it feels like Gavin had minimal emotional trauma to work through, comparatively. I wasn't the HEA, but I also want Thea to have a slightly more realistic journey.
A small note, too, is that the book is remarkably void of any kind of diversity, considering it's a modern book set in Nashville. One teammate is Russian, but he's essentially a running gag about IBS.
The audiobook is good. There are two narrators: Andrew Eiden for the main story and Maxwell Caulfield for the interwoven Regency romance novel. Caulfield seems a perfect fit, but Eiden is at times too growly for me in scenes that don't need it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity