The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Rom-Com
Blurb (on back of book): The first rule of 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.
MY OPINION: **
As I take a break from college apps and start busting out the next five book reviews, I'm ready to rant and go off about all the things I loved/hated in the final five books I read this year (though I hope to finish one more tonight). These reviews may not be the most coherent or the most sane but they certainly will be the most passionate.
I didn't like this book. I wanted to like it so bad because the premise is SO good. A married couple are having relationship issues and the man decides to turn to a ROMANCE NOVEL BOOK CLUB to try to fix everything. That is such a unique and interesting premise and I would have LOVED it if only the book itself had fit my expectations. The plot was good but the execution was simply not there.
I don't know what exactly it was, to be quite honest. I think the writing itself was a little bland and mediocre and I was not at all intrigued by any of the characters. I didn't like reading the romance book excerpts either because it felt rather disjointed within the overall plot of the book and while I understand the point of sticking them in, I would have much rather preferred we see Gavin use the tips he learned in his own life. Rather than showing us what he read and then making us basically read the same thing all over again in real life outside of the book within the book, I would have loved to have seen Gavin read the book and then apply what he learned to his relationship with Thea so that we understand what it is he read without actually having to read it ourselves. Basically show not tell.
Everyone and their mother seems to be obsessed with this book. I've seen it called adorable, cute, funny, realistic, etc, etc, etc. I personally just did not see it. I don't know if it's JUST me but this book simply didn't agree with me. I love rom-coms and I especially love romance novels with a twist like this one but for some reason, this one was simply not it.
Gavin is a pro baseball star, believing his life with his wife and two daughters is perfect until one fateful day when he learns his wife, Thea, has been faking it in the bedroom. I don't know if it was toxic masculinity or wounded pride but he somehow cannot stomach that idea and decides to just LEAVE and sleep in the guest room. Thea then kicks him out of the house and he realizes he's made a big mistake and wants her back. We spend a lot of the time watching Thea adamantly refuse his come-ons until eventually, she begins to fall in love with him again.
I hated Thea. Her entire character was so aggravating and I couldn't stand her. She was unreasonable and sure, she's gone through some trauma and has a bad relationship with her family or whatever but that doesn't excuse her behavior. She acted like a downright child at times. The ending, which I will not spoil, was particularly ridiculous. Everything about her character was irritating, from the way she treated her husband to the way she cared so much about what others thought. I also strongly disliked her sister, whose name I don't even remember. Not liking the main characters is nothing new for me but it definitely never really amounts to an enjoyable, five-star read.
Gavin was okay. I didn't hate him, didn't love him. I did pity him and his obvious ineptitude at understanding his wife at times (though frankly, I didn't understand her either). In my mind, he's kind of a bumbling doofus, one of those who are just so naive you can't help but like them while simultaneously feeling a little bad for them.
The book was so slow-going and despite being pretty short, it took me twice the amount of time it usually takes me to finish a rom-com. Or maybe three times. I don't know why but scrolling through the pages on my phone seemed to take longer than any other book.
I'm simply not inspired to read the rest of the series. I normally don't like to leave a series unfinished but alas, I think this may just have to be one of the rare times I decide not to continue on. I don't know if the rest of the series is any better and I've learned the hard way not to trust the raving reviews on Goodreads and from friends. This was just simply not my cup of tea. However, I would recommend it to readers looking for a rom-com with a twist. Everyone really does seem to like it and there were times when I did find it interesting so definitely don't discredit it completely. It just may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Main Character: Gavin, Thea
Sidekick(s): Family, friends, book club, etc
Villain(s): Toxic masculinity, misunderstandings, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of the happenings within this book could all occur in real life.
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