Isn't It Romantic?

The Bromance Book Club
Lyssa Kay Adams
Series: Bromance Book Club, #1
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

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.

Gavin loved his wife. He was IN LOVE with his wife, but after finding out she had been lying about their sex life, he erected a wall between them. When she asked for a divorce, he realized the error of his ways, and wanted to fight for his marriage. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, he began courting his wife, but was he too late?

I love romance, and read a plethora of romance books, but we don't get too many involving a husband and a wife trying to reignite their relationship. That was something I really enjoyed about The Bromance Book Club. I am always sad to hear, when a marriage ends, and therefore, was wholeheartedly behind Gavin's quest to win back Thea's heart.

I was also a big fan of how he went about the task. I mean, using a romance novel as a how-to guide was fantastic! As a romance lover, I abhor how the genre is constantly ridiculed. This book celebrates romance books, and actually highlights how wonderful they really are. Adams wove passages from The Book Club's selection into the story, and the placement was brilliant. They either guided Gavin in his attempt to woo his wife or helped him understand his mistakes.  I enjoyed moving in and out of the story, and was impressed with how well these passages meshed with Gavin and Thea's tale.

When this story began, this marriage was very broken, though, it was difficult to understand why. I mean, it did seem like Gavin let his bruised ego get the most of him, but there was more to that story, and there was a LOT more to Thea's side of the story too. The issues seemed small, but they were complicated, and the way Adams revealed the whole situation, bit by bit, made the naked truth land with a greater impact. My heart broke for both of them, though, I felt like Thea could have spoken up a bit sooner. Whatever the obstacles, I loved seeing these two slowly work their way back to each other. Each relit flame gave me hope, and the payoff was so big.

Yes, the romance was lovely, but the bromance was fantastic! What a fun group Adams assembled for us. I always enjoy seeing manly men sharing their feelings and affirming their love and adoration for the women in their lives. Their friendship and support of each other was a thing of beauty, while their interactions were great sources of hilarity.

I had the BEST time reading this book! It equal parts fun and touching, and I am overjoyed that we will be gifted with more Bromance books.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

The Simple Wild
K.A. Tucker
Series: Wild, #1
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

She left Alaska, and her father, 24 years ago, but after learning her father was ill, and after some soul searching, she returned in an effort to connect with her him once again.

When I first read the synopsis, I thought this was going to be a full-on romance. Don't get me wrong, there was a strong romantic element, but this leaned more towards women's fiction for me. The story was really Calla's. She seemed to be at a standstill in her life. She had lost her job, shed her boyfriend, and wasn't sure what her next step would be. She seemed to be unfulfilled in many areas of her life, and Alaska was a place for her to escape. A place where she could sort through her emotions, while also trying to make peace with her past. Watching her evolve was an amazing treat, and I have to thank Tucker for allowing me to take this journey with her. It was heartfelt and moving, and I was really pleased with all she accomplished.

Aside from Calla and her part of the story, I adored being in Alaska. I had cruised through there several years ago, and was captivated by the beauty of that state. Tucker did a great job sharing that part with us, as well as giving us a glimpse into how they live out there. I really appreciated getting that peek into their daily life, and also the respectful way it was presented to me.

This book was packed with characters, who won a place in my heart. Agnes was a beautiful human, whose love saw no boundaries. I could feel her warmth radiating off the page every time she entered a scene. And, Simon, Calla's step dad, was another star in my eyes. It was quite a situation he was in, but he handled it with so much grace.

And, then, there was Jonah. I have a special place in my heart for grumpy heroes, and Jonah definitely fit that bill. From their first interaction, I knew he and Calla would eventually catch fire, and when then did! Oh, boy! They were white hot. But, it wasn't just about the chemistry, he really pushed her to be the best version of herself, while still loving all the parts of her, and they complemented each other well.

However, Calla wasn't supposed to fall for the Viking Sky Cowboy. I sort of loved, that Tucker set Calla up in a situation similar to her parents. It was almost like history repeating itself.

So, yeah, I went through the crying part, and then another crying part, and then the ending happened, which was amazing, and made me really happy, and now, I am eagerly waiting the sequel, because I cannot wait to continue this story.

Overall: A touching and beautiful story about forgiveness, connection, and love containing the perfect blend of humor, romance, and drama, which left me constantly switching between happy and sad tears.

Which do you prefer: city or country?
Let us know in the comments!