Undercover Bromance

The Undercover Bromance series is a refreshing take on the romance genre, focusing on a group of men who try to improve their own relationships by reading and analysing romance novels. The first book, The Bromance Book Club, was funny and tender. The second novel in the series, Undercover Bromance, has the leader of the book club confused when his moves don’t seem to work on his heroine.

Braden Mack has read the romance novels. He knows exactly how to woo a lady. But after a disastrous night where he causes his friend’s wife’s sister to drop a $1000 dessert, he gets dumped for being too textbook, no heart. That statement doesn’t bother him until later in the novel as he’s too busy trying to make it up to the feisty Liv. show more She’s now been fired after walking in on her celebrity chef boss sexually harassing one of his workers, blacklisted in the hospitality industry and is now determined to see justice. That’s where Braden comes in. Together, they plot and plan to take down the chef in between barbs. But somewhere along the way, they start to like each other. Can Liv get past her distrust of men and their lies, and can Braden do what he feels, not what the books say?

This novel has excellent banter between Liv and Braden, as well as Liv and anyone. She has a sharp but accurate tongue and is determined to right all the wrongs she sees, even if it means busting up friendships and trust. It’s very noble, and Liv is determined in her quest for justice however does learn to respect others’ point of view during the novel. I liked her as a character – she’s a real go-getter and is determined to right the wrongs of others. Her vulnerable side, usually hidden from all but her sister, is a nice balance to this and makes her more likeable. Likewise, Braden proves he’s more than a rich smooth talker in this novel. He doesn’t have all the right moves when it comes to Liv, and it shocks him. Like Liv, his world has been turned upside down and he has to start again, thinking not only how to please Liv without a book but to come to terms with his past.

Despite some of the heavier subject matter in the novel, the storyline doesn’t get bogged down. There are still lighter moments, such as the romance between Liv’s staunch feminist landlord and the ex-cop who is always around ‘just to help’ (and to teach the book club a thing or too). There’s a mutinous rooster, a college bar fight and the unfortunate gut of one of the book club members. It’s a fun romance novel that ticks the boxes for a good read.

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Liv has what should be her dream job as a pastry chef at one of the hottest restaurants in Nashville. The only problem is that her celebrity chef boss has a very different personality in the kitchen than when he's interacting with the public. When Liv stumbles across him sexually harassing another staff member and is fired, Liv is outraged and vows to out him as the predator he is. However, being blackballed makes it hard for Liv to do much of anything and she ends up turning to Braden Mack for assistance. Mack and Liv don't particularly get along but working together to expose her ex-boss has sparks flying. Whether Mack and Liv can let go of their past baggage and turn those sparks into a flame is a bigger question. It might take the show more assistance of the Bromance Book Club to help Mack and Liv discover just what their relationship could be.

Lyssa Kay Adams demonstrates amazing talents crafting an excellent romance while also delving into the complex issues around sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic abuse. Both Liv and Mack are well developed characters with baggage of their own that they bring into both their nascent relationship and also their quest to take down Liv's former boss. But they also have top notch banter as does the rest of the Bromance Book Club, who add plenty of humour to the novel. Plus there's a certain rooster on the farm where Liv lives that adds plenty of entertainment as well. Highly recommended, particularly for contemporary romance readers. show less

Since the moment I finished reading The Bromance Book Club, I’ve been excited to jump into the sequel but I was prepared to wait for months. Imagine my surprise when I got approved for the ARC (Berkley rarely does) and I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. And it lived up to all my expectations and then some.

The writing in this book is as much fun as it’s predecessor was and I couldn’t put the book down at all. It’s not exactly an enemies to lovers kinda story, but more like two bickering people who don’t want to fall for each but just can’t help it. This leads to a lot of amazing banter and dialogue in the book and I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions. If the first book tried to tackle one form of toxic show more masculinity, this book tries to shine some light on sexual harassment in the workplace and the power imbalance even in seemingly consensual actions. The author also doesn’t shy away from pointing out that powerful men get away with their despicable actions because other “supposedly” good men look the other way. I also appreciated the message that not all survivors of harassment are in a position to fight and we shouldn’t judge them for whatever decisions they make for their own physical, mental and financial well being.

I was really excited to read Mack’s story because he was a total charmer in the first book and I wanted to get to know him better. It was really fascinating to get into the head of a man who is kind, totally considerate, a bit extra protective, always there to help, and an unapologetic believer of the power of romance novels. There is a whole backstory to why he reads romance and why the book club started and it was heartbreaking to get to know that. But he is a total charmed and he has completely made me fall in love with him and he is definitely the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends.

I won’t say hated but I really disliked Liv in the first book and I wasn’t sure if the author could make me like her this time around. And I have to say the author tried and while I could sympathize with Liv most of the times, she is still mostly arrogant and judgmental and doesn’t think of consequences before taking any actions or saying what comes to her mind. Everyone around her was very supportive of her efforts to take down a serial sexual predator despite her not appreciating any of their help. I also hated how she judged the other survivors and only could see her perspective as the right one, and it took multiple people explaining and yelling for her to realize she was in the wrong. Her trust issues run deep and I totally could see how much she didn’t want to be vulnerable, but I didn’t appreciate her hurting others in the process. She does realize all of it eventually but it just wasn’t convincing enough for me.

If I liked the book club in the first book, I completely fell in love with them here. They are all so much fun, taunting and teasing each other but also having each other’s back, having thoughtful discussions about the book they were reading and also the wider implications of the story, about harassment in general and what they could do about it. They never once hesitated about helping Liv in her endeavor. They are also such amazing friends to Mack and were there whenever he needed them, even when he didn’t know it. I think every guy needs such a gang in his life. While I like all of them, the Russian was a delight this time around (read the book to find his name show less

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 show more 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! show less

In her second Bromance Book Club Lyssa Kay Adams tells the story of Olivia "Liv" Papandreas and Braden Mack. Liv is a pastry chef who works as a pastry chef for Nashville's "hottest" restaurant. Mack owns the best, and most favored, night club in Nashville. He is also the head of the Bromance Book Club.
When Liv is fired from her job after she catches her boss with his pants down (literally) harassing a fellow employee, she decides to bring him down. Even if she has to do it herself. Unfortunately for her, Mack is under the impression that it was his fault she was fired after she dropped a cupcake (Costing $1,000) on his date. He offers her a job, which she quickly refuses. When she tells Mack about what she saw, he decides to not just show more help her, but to bring in the guys of the Bromance Book Club as reinforcements.
As they plot and plan to get back at her former boss, the "know-it-all of romance" and the "snarky" chef begin to have feelings for each other. But will his secret and her insecurities about trusting a man be the downfall of their budding romance?
This is not your typical "boy meets girl, they fall in love, and live happily ever after" kind of book. It is a sweet, funny, laugh out loud, and tear inducing book. There is a LOT of swearing from the characters in the book, but for some reason I don't see it as Adams just throwing in the F-bomb (which she does a LOT) to throw it in, but it can be seen as the normal way these characters talk.
I really enjoyed this book. And I am NOT a Romance reading kind of girl. This book combines romance with a little bit of mystery, and a lot of humor.
So if you want a cute, easy, beach read, pick up Undercover Bromance.
I would have given this book 4-1/2 stars, but there are no halves in the ratings. show less

I liked this book more than the first in the series. I mostly like romance because I know it will all work out in the end, so a thriller-ish romance is right up my alley. That said, I HATE the recurring gag with Vlad aka The Russian. Starting with the fact that he doesn't get a name until 85% of the way into the book, but mostly I hate how his bowel issues are handled. It's cruel and unnecessary. Most people with chronic health conditions are doing their best and using him as the butt of a bunch of joke is just mean.

I never read the first book and, having read the description, I don’t think I will (I’m not into second-chance romance or marriages right now). Lately, I have been fascinated by men who read romance (last count was 16% of romance reads, so up!), and reading men's blogs to get a better understanding of them - with limited success so far. Then, I saw promotion for this book and, what perfect timing!

I felt let down, but I may have had my hopes too high for this book. It was light, and enjoyable. But I had issues:

(a) in the beginning, the characters are so arrogant and annoying, that I had to force myself to keep going to develop sympathy for them - though, it did happen and I felt a connection in a familiar experience with both of the show more mains;

(b) sexual harassment and rape are a reality in the life of a woman - even if you've never been raped, I find it hard to believe if a woman says she hasn't been threatened or otherwise touched by it - so it was triggering/anxiety-provoking at first, and then the light touch to such a serious thing felt out of place, to the point that I hated when it was on "the main action."

(c) while I could see some of the dynamics of the Bromance Book Club, these friends felt very flat - the book may have relied on having read the first book to give the side characters life but, as I haven't, I felt no connection and like the whole thing was too slapstick, especially the Russian Vlad.

(d) The motivation behind the Bromance Book Club: I too have fallen prey to the idea that men read romance to get insight into women, and surely there are some, but it felt insulting to men that it was largely the premise of the book club and how heavily it was relied on. My reading of men's romance reviews and blogs suggest that it is far more nuanced than that, and it made even Mack - who I was attracted to - feeling flat. Of course, I am a woman - cishet even - so I wouldn't rely on my opinion of whether it was insulting to men (oh, and I would say the trope in 15-second commercials of the incompetent man is still more insulting than the entirety of this book put together, so perspective). Love to hear a man on this topic!

(e) I was glad to see some steam(!) in the form of relatively explicit sex scenes (2) but they were really mild and tame. Now, I am very vanilla so I love tame but, while the ordering him to perform acts - with not just his consent but his instruction for her to give instruction - was a not bad (though mild) change in the power dynamics, the scenes overall were so glossed over and quick. This is a matter of preference but, to me, if you are going to bother being explicit over fade-to-black, use some real words, details and even a little technique. Ground it a little. Good grounding does not weigh down writing but elevates it; a beach-read can still have great grounding. It was so glossy, it was unreal. Am I the only one who feels a little realism to pull me in to the story restores my faith in HFN, or maybe even HEA for me, than some powderpuff piece?

But was it enough to take away from my enjoyment of the book? Not enough. It took the book from really indulgent fun down to cute. I still like cute! I don't feel I wasted my time reading it. In fact, it was nice to see someone else who has such difficulty with believing they are worthy of love. However, bottom line: while it is still worth a read, I am passing on this book to someone else (once COVID restrictions are reduced to a point where we can share again) rather than making it a permanent piece in my collection. If you can borrow it from a friend or go halvsies, do so, because why pay full price for something you likely won't keep? show less