Not too much to say except I loved the story of Braden and Liv. Both were introduced in the first book in the series and they really shined in this one. Adams takes on the romantic suspense genre in this one and I honestly now understand why I get bugged about most of those romance novels. You have the heroine supposed to meekly let the hero rescue her even when she tells him multiple times that she's good and can do things without him. I am still annoyed at the Nora Roberts books I have read when a smart and capable heroine gets walked over by the hero and told she just needs to deal with him protecting her and that's that. And I get really upset when the heroine has shown she can take care of herself but when the final showdown between them and the bad guy the hero saves her. Bah. Bah I say! 

Anyway, "Undercover Bromance" has Braden wanting a real romantic relationship like the rest of his club members. He has been dating a woman for a couple of months and thinks it is the perfect time to declare himself. Instead things go sideways at the fancy restaurant he takes his date when a $1,000 cupcake ends up in her lap. Liv is the pastry chef who caused the mishap and knows that her boss is going to fire her when all is said and done. When Liv overhears her boss sexually harassing someone she jumps in to stop it and puts a target on her back. She and Braden reluctantly (on Liv's side) work together to bring her boss down. This book really focuses on consent and the far reaching effects of sexual harassment. Adams does such a good job here with showing both sides but also showing how assholey (yeah I said that) some woman are towards other women who are reluctant to step forward. I was glad that the fictional conversation was had. I hate it when other women go looking for a woman scapegoat. 

Liv is hard-headed and you feel for her a lot. She still has some emotional scars because of her parents. I am surprised that Liv is still resisting a relationship with her father when Thea has set that ghost to rest. I did want more scenes between the sisters. However, I got why we didn't, the end of the last book showed how co-dependent the two of them were and I actually thought Liv sucked with wanting her sister to foist her husband out of her life for good. 

Braden and the club members per usual are a highlight. I laughed so much. And I maybe sniffled a bit when you read why Braden got into romance books and specifically why romantic suspense is his favorite. 

The romance actually worked for me (the enemies to friends trope works well here) and even the romantic suspense elements for once worked.

The ending was great and I can't wait for the next book!

Loving this second book and also it's pointing out the many issues I have with romantic thrillers when the hero steps all over the heroine and her agency! Love it!

Not too much to say except this book was hilarious and heart-felt and I needed it badly right now. This is the first book in the series and I cannot wait to see what develops with other characters we are introduced to. I did love that Adams did a great job of showing us both sides to the hero and heroine's marriage (Gavin and Thea) and you end up feeling for both of them. This is true romance through and through with some excerpts from a Regency romance novel that I now want to read in real life. Seriously Adams, how are you going to give us teases and no ending for the book within the book?!

"Bromance Book Club" follows major league baseball player Gavin Scott. Gavin's wife Thea has asked for a divorce and he is drinking his woes away before his fellow players come to save the day. They tell Gavin they have a way to get his wife back, but he has to listen to them and do some reading. From there we get the most hilarious fictional men I have read in some time. I just want to hang out with them and listen to them talk about feminism and how romance books are great.

Thea we find is at a crossroads in her marriage. She wants to love and trust Gavin, but she realizes she gave up a lot for him and being a wife and mother of their twin daughters is not enough. There's a lot of backstory to Thea and I am glad we get to see it unravel over the course of the book. She and Gavin together made me root for them.

We get secondary characters like "The Russian" who my goodness man, go to a gastro doctor, heart-throb Braden Mack who has some hidden depths, and Gavin's best friend on the team Del. I hope we get a novella showing how Del was brought into the Bromance Book Club. Thea's sister Liv was a bit hard to take and I am glad that we get to see what was going on with her and why she's so hell-bent on her sister walking away from Gavin. I really disliked her through parts of the book, but I get why she acted the way she did. 

I loved the idea of men reading romance books in order to be able to delve deeper into how to make their wives and girlfriends happy. I do have to say that Adams does a good job of walking the line with the book we get to see. Though it is regency romance, it sounds like a Courtney Milan style book (a progressive woman and men with none of the darkness that were in the 80s romance books) so one wonders how the men in this book would find "Whitney, My Love" which is still among one of the worst romance books I have ever read. 

The flow was great. We get third person perspectives from Gavin and Thea and also chapters from the romance book that is Gavin's homework. 

The setting of the book takes place in Nashville which I have to say, I can't recall being at the center of a romance series before. 

The ending was great and hit the spot! 

Perfect! I laughed through this whole book. So good! I wish this book pub was real.

Onto something lighter.

Off for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Much needed break from work.