Bromance. Club de lectura para caballeros

From the first time I saw the cover and title of this book, I was hooked. The idea of this book seemed so much fun and I've been waiting since to read it. But it's taken a while coz apparently everyone else had the same idea and it has a long line at my library. And wow was this worth all the wait.

First, I have to mention that the book is very fast paced and engaging right from the get go - once I started reading, I just didn't wanna put it down and flew through it in a few hours. The book totally lives up to the word “bromance” in its title and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the guys in the book club. I absolutely adored the idea of them trying to learn something from romance novels that might help their relationships - this was definitely my biggest draw for reading the book because romance novels are always looked down upon, and seeing it acknowledged through the words of male characters was mildly satisfying. There were some discussions about toxic masculinity and how it was important for even men to express themselves openly; while some of these discussions could come across as preachy, I also didn't think they were wrong.

As the men are reading a regency romance within the book, we also get excerpts of that story and I thought the author did a wonderful job with that story as well - giving us just enough of the story so we know what's going on, but also to tie it in to whatever the main character is trying to figure out about saving his marriage. I also thought the author captured the conflict within relationships very well, and it felt so relatable.

Both Gavin and Thea are flawed characters, who deep down in their hearts really love each other but have their own hang ups which prevent them from expressing themselves. Gavin took a while to understand that there was more to a marriage than love, and Thea took even longer to realize that she couldn't project the dysfunction of her childhood into her marriage. But I really liked how they finally decided to open up to each other and try to understand what was most important for themselves. The problems in their marriage, keeping things from each other and developing resentments without ever talking about them, keeping walls up that prevented them from ever being truly open - all of this felt too real and I instantly connected with their story.

While the narrative between Gavin and Thea could be both sweet and angsty, all the conversations of the book club were an absolute delight. I had so much fun when they all tried to school Gavin in their own way, and it was just very new to see a group of accomplished jocks and businessmen try to understand the nuances of romance novels. Del was like the steady one in the group, giving sensible advice whereas Mack was a complete charmer who is too full of himself. The other members of the group were much more quieter, just chiming in with their words of wisdom occasionally.

I was conflicted about Liv, Thea's sister for a long time. I really appreciated her being so supportive when Thea was going through a rough time, but I also thought she expected Thea to behave a certain way and assumed she wasn't capable of making her own decisions regarding her marriage. But ultimately they were able to resolve their issues as well and it was nice that they had each other.

To conclude, I'm just glad that this book lived up to my expectations because I had hyped it up a lot in my head. It's an ode to the beauty of romance novels, the struggles of any marriage, the determination of a couple to make it work and overall, a fun but sometimes angsty love story. If that sounds interesting to you, do give it a try and I don't think you'll be disappointed. I had a lot of fun and I'm already excited for the next book Undercover Bromance because it's about Mack and Liv, and I have a feeling it's gonna be pretty explosive.

DNF. I got a few chapters in before giving up. The characters are all tropes and the ideas that they hold seem really stereotypical, even though the situation (a bunch of manly men reading romance to better understand women) isn't typical. It was a cute idea but the execution is lacking. I also was a bit bothered by the idea the guys had that all women read romance and that they all view these romance novels as an ideal love. Maybe it would change farther into the book but I just couldn't get past that.

This is the most problematic romanc book I've read in a very long time. The author tried to be funny, but I was only disgusted. I even made myself check if it was really written by a woman and not a man.

Then he winked, and boom, her nipples hardened. What the...? Thea looked down at her round, pink areolas, now tight and bebbled. Jesus. Her tits were like Pavlov's dog around him.

AAAAH OH GOD. OH GOD. OH GOD.

So fun. So heartwarming. So full of things that make us feel light and happy, and hoping that love could be reached after all. Also, made me realize that all men should make more effort to “conquer” their wives, and girlfriends and all.
I loved (obsessed loved) the Bookclub!! I loved the idea of a group of really “male” men - they're massive, gorgeous looking baseball players, for god'sake... they are hot. Like, insanely hot. period - discussing their love lives in a male way, although needing the help of historical romance books - their manuals - to get things right.

As a loyal and almost obsessed reader of this book gender, I can relate. Guilty of this pleasure combined with the shame that all covers of those books can bring while reading it (thanks e-readers to exist and mastering the art of hiding it), hit me directly in the guts.

Criticizing the toxic masculinity that surrounds us all every day, like not drinking pumpkin latte, or dressing up with their daughters, nor saying what they felt or fear to their partners; are small things, pointed in an envolving charismatic way by the author, are tips/dots that can make a total difference of what matters in the end.

I LOL with all of these, since the very beginning. I enjoyed myself reading it, and had tons of fun. And despite the very romantic and femme ton of the book, the idea of a male narrator was precisely the ton it requires.

The ending was a little cliché. I was indeed hoping that the big gesture was made by Thea and not Gavin, with all the boys, running desperately to find the woman in her father's wedding.

And I definitely can't wait for the next one in the series!
For now, it's one of the favourites of the year.

second review:

I'm still in love with it.

Firstly I must say I found one thing irritating about this book. That is the heavy-handedness (if that is a word) of the author. She kept banging on about the world and the patriarchal society we live in. Now, being a woman I see the many flaws and glass ceilings of society and so I don't need to be hit around the head every 30 pages with an in depth description of the failings of our world. Personally, it drew me out of the story as it was totally out of character and it was so blatant and unnecessary as well as a clear reminder of the author's presence. It felt like at certain times the author would pop up and say “So children remember men don't treat women as well as they should and this is bad. Repeat after me...”. As a result, I had to take off a star. Apart from that, I bloody loved this book. I read it in one sitting, from cover to cover. I found myself giggling and fanning myself throughout and can't wait for her next book!

Dit boek was exact wat ik wou dat het zou zijn en het was zalig. Grappig, schattig, overdreven en het perfect materiaal voor een rom-com.
Zo cool ook dat er stukjes van het boek dat de boekclub leest tussen zitten.

If masses of women like something, our society automatically begins to mock them. Just like romance novels. If women like them, they must be a joke, right?

Heel fijn vond ik ook de analyse en pertinente quotes over het genre van het romantische boek.
Toen ik zelf begon historische romantische boeken te lezen – vorige jaar pas – voelde ik een soort van gêne om dit toe te geven. Dergelijke boeken hebben vaak nogal ongemakkelijke covers en over gans het genre chicklit (die term alleen al is gruwelijk) hangt een soort van stigma, door het ingebakken idee dat dit soort boeken inferieur zouden zijn.
Ik geef eerlijk toe dat als ik niet zo neurotisch was geweest in het bijhouden van mijn leesgewoontes, ik geneigd zou zijn geweest deze boeken te verzwijgen, terwijl het ondertussen wel mijn ervaring is dat dit genre vaak eigenlijk veel meer brengt en veel meer diepgang heeft dan wat de ogen-rollende covers doen vermoeden.

That's why fiction resonates with people. It speaks to universal truths.

Maar goed, terug naar dit specifieke boek. The Bromance Book Club was verslavend en een buitengewoon leesplezier. Het was goed en vlot geschreven en ook al weet je van in het begin hoe het gaat aflopen, soms heb je gewoon behoefte aan zo'n boek, vooral als de reis zo hilarisch en amusant is als hier.

this was a quick, pretty fun read and I appreciated that it focused on a couple trying to work on their relationship & issues that come along with being in a long-term relationship. didn't really care for any of the side characters or the sex scenes, prolly won't continue in the series but still would recommend!

Spoiler-Free Review:

This book was so incredibly cute! Such a light read which was much needed since my last two were kind of heavy! Another book that I devoured at work in one sitting. This book follows the journey of married couple, Gavin and Thea. It discusses the struggles of married life and life after having kids. This book was just adorable. A group of men who use romance novels to guide their relationships... it was just so light and fun! This is an adult romance novel 18+. There are some spicy scenes but they're very tastefully done. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read that's also romantic and steamy! Great palate cleanser after Crescent City and It Ends With Us!

The best way I can describe this contemporary romance is fun. This story of Gavin Scott trying to win back his wife through reading romance novels is entirely enjoyable and surprisingly funny. The men of the Bromance Book Club are endearing and humorous. The banter between Gavin and Thea is at times light-hearted and cute and at other times sad and heartbreaking.

Though the book is mostly light reading, I found it to have some significant messages about relationships. The struggle of these two characters to mend their relationship reminds the reader how it important it is to understand oneself and one's “backstory” in order to nurture a healthy relationship. It also emphasizes the need for honesty in a marriage.

There as a also a nice balance of emotional dialogue, humor, and sex scenes. The sex scenes were not abundant and were not overdone. I didn't feel like I was reading smut.

Overall, I had a great time reading this contemporary romance.