Synopsis (via 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.
The Bromance Book Club has received sooo much praise - and several friends recommended it to me - which is why I finally decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. To be perfectly honest, I thought Gavin and Thea were a little boring. Their problems felt authentic and they were characters I could relate to, but I didn't like that the story seemed to be based on whether or not Gavin could make her orgasm. I know there was more to it than that, but her lack of O's played a REALLY big role in their relationship.
Thea faked her orgasms for three years and Gavin never noticed. His explanation later on was plausible, but still unlikely. It simply wasn't believable for him to have been oblivious for that long. Their "big night" was all about whether or not she would orgasm, and if Gavin would finally be able to get her there. They should've been able to work on their marriage without Thea's vagina playing such a prominent role in the equation. Do I think it was handled well? Sure. I thought the author explored that aspect of their relationship in a very unique way; I just didn't understand why that one thing seemed to outweigh everything else. Sex was the least of their problems, yet it was the one they focused on the most.
I did, however, really like the baseball team and Gavin's friends. The Bromance Book Club itself was interesting, and I wish there had been more page time for all of the guys involved. It was fun listening to them dissect romance novels and apply them to their daily lives. I think more men should read romance novels just to give them a better idea of how women think (and potentially give them some ideas for the bedroom.)
All in all, it was a fun book to listen to, just not one I was eager to dive into every day. I had to keep reminding myself to listen to a few chapters before my library loan expired (again (and again)). Thea and Gavin just didn't hold my attention, but I'm definitely interested in the tension brewing between Liv and Mack. I have a feeling their story will have a lot more steam and *fingers crossed* be more interesting overall.
Random thought: I wasn't really a fan of Gavin's "grand gesture" at the end. It just didn't sit well with me. What he did was EXTREMELY rude and selfish. There were so many other ways for him to declare his unending love for his wife, but he chose to overshadow someone else's big moment. #NotCoolBro
Lastly, I enjoyed the random chapters from the book Gavin was reading, and seeing how the parallels played out in his life. I would definitely be interested in reading that book, if only it were real and something I could actually do. 😉 Kudos to Adams for creating two very distinct-yet-similar stories in one book! I thought it was a brilliant concept that worked really well for this story, so hopefully all of the other books in this series follow the same format. (★★★☆☆)
I haven't read that one.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. Enjoy your holiday!
It was an okay read, Mary! Let me know what you think if you decide to give it a go. :)
DeleteI have a copy of this one, so I need to try it soon. That's a bummer it focused so much on the sex, since it sounds like there were other aspects of their relationship they could have given some attention to as well as sex. It sounds like you might like the others in the series though if you try them out.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I felt very meh about it, tbh. Like, her ability to orgasm shouldn't have been the focal point of the story. I wanted more from the guys in the book club!
DeleteI'm pretty mixed on whether or not I should read this one. It is on my list for 2021, but it might not make the cut.
ReplyDeleteIt was an okay read, but it definitely could have been better. Let me know what you think if you decide to give it a go. :)
DeleteThis series is fun, and some of my favorite parts are when the guys are all together!
ReplyDeleteYes! I loved listening to them talk about romance books and hearing their thoughts. Some of them were surprisingly deep. ;)
DeleteI do want to read this one but it sounds like this one was a mixed read for you - it sounds like you liked it well enough but it didn't captive you too much. Now I am curious to know what Gavin's grand gesture was.
ReplyDeleteI just don't think their main conflict should have been whether or not Gavin could make her orgasm. They had sooo many other problems that could have been addressed/focused on.
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