Crazy Stupid Bromance
Review
Crazy Stupid Bromance
Do you think that romance novels are worthless and trashy? Well, think again because they just might be life-changing when the all-male Bromance Book Club uses them as guides to improve their relationships with their spouses! I’m finding Lyssa Kay Adams’ series to be original, steamy and downright entertaining. The men’s interactions and advice are hilarious and heartfelt.
In this third installment, Noah Logan wants more than friendship from his best friend, Alexis Carlisle. But will joining the book club help or hurt his chances? Is it true that “the best love affairs start as friendships,” and will he find the answers he’s looking for from his friends and/or a romance novel?
“The guys believed romance novels held all the answers to relationships,” but Noah isn’t too sure.
"Romance is not usually my jam, but these rom-coms are just the right blend of humor and romance without being sappy or overdone. I’ve read the entire series this year, and it’s been the perfect respite and escape from the chaos and uncertainty of 2020."
Noah owns a computer security company in Nashville, Tennessee, that boasts celebrity clients, while Alexis owns ToeBeans Cat Café…and a neurotic Maine Coon cat appropriately named Beefcake for his immense size. CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE picks up 18 months after UNDERCOVER BROMANCE, the second in the series, with a mysterious woman showing up at the café. At first, Alexis assumes that she is a victim of domestic abuse, so she’s doubly shocked when Candace “Candi” Vanderpool claims to be her biological sister! What does Candi want from Alexis? Does she want to build a familial relationship or something even more personal and shocking?
As with the first two books, the characters we’ve come to know and love make appearances, and I appreciated that CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE started with a sneak peek at Braden Mack from UNDERCOVER BROMANCE as he plans his wedding to Liv Papandreas. And, of course, since Liv is mentioned here, so is her sister, Thea Scott, and husband, Gavin, from the book that started it all, THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB.
I was also amused when a real-life “Karen” makes an appearance and stirs up trouble for Alexis (like she needs more right now).
But before you assume that these books are all fun and games, be warned that this latest installment packs a powerful punch while dealing with a few heavy topics, such as the loss of a parent, organ donation, and sexual harassment and abuse.
I love how this contemporary romance series pokes good fun at romances, and this time, Adams does a great job of explaining why we continue to read and enjoy them, even though they are often predictable and always end with a happily ever after: “It’s the journey…. It’s how they get to that happily ever after that matters and makes those books so special and instructive.”
I have to agree because I’ve loved the journeys and, if I’m being honest, absolutely everything about this series. Romance is not usually my jam, but these rom-coms are just the right blend of humor and romance without being sappy or overdone. I’ve read the entire series this year, and it’s been the perfect respite and escape from the chaos and uncertainty of 2020. If you also need a break from heavier reads or a breath of fresh air, then I would highly recommend this unique series. It makes me giddy and fills me with JOY!
Now if only the fourth entry, ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? (The Russian’s story), were releasing sooner than June 2021. Sigh.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wasniak on October 30, 2020
Crazy Stupid Bromance
- Publication Date: October 27, 2020
- Genres: Comedy, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Berkley
- ISBN-10: 1984806130
- ISBN-13: 9781984806130