A Very Merry Bromance

August 29, 2022
It’s time for the famous men of Nashville’s Bromance Book Club, who last appeared in Adams’s Isn’t it Bromantic?, to read a Christmas romance in this fun holiday romp. Country music superstar Colton Wheeler would be excited, if only his career weren’t at a standstill—and if he weren’t nursing heartache over immigration lawyer Gretchen Winthrop. After meeting at a mutual friend’s wedding, the pair spent one unforgettable night together—which, to Colton’s mind, was not enough. When they’re thrown back together by Gretchen’s immensely privileged family, Colton finally has a chance to show her how much more they could have. Gretchen’s finding it difficult to enjoy the Christmas season while her clients are struggling just to stay in the country, and Colton is determined to raise her spirits—with help from the book club and the knowledge they’ve gleaned from their Christmas romance “manual.” Slowly, his easy charm and enthusiasm for the Christmas traditions she never experienced with her cold, distant family warm her chilly heart. The romance-loving men that give the series its name are a reliable joy, and fans will be especially pleased by all the cameos from past heroes. The result is cute, funny, and heartfelt. Agent: Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary.

September 1, 2022

Country music star Colton Wheeler can't believe Gretchen Winthrop ran away. After a night of the best sex he'd ever had, he wanted to see more of her, but Gretchen left Colton's bed in a panic when he started talking about a future with her. Gretchen's family is a special level of rotten, and she had to protect him from that. Now, a year later, she reappears, asking him to be the new face of her family's whiskey brand since gaining Colton's endorsement could net Gretchen a seat on her family's foundation board. Colton doesn't care about the multimillion-dollar endorsement, but he does want to see more of Gretchen. He makes her a counter proposal: three dates, and he'll consider saying yes. In this amusing, heartwarming romance, the protagonists are well developed with emotional depth and deep backstories that are reflected in their actions and reactions. VERDICT Fans of Adams's "Bromance Book Club" series will clamor for this latest installment (following Isn't It Bromantic?), which can easily be read as a stand-alone and will also bring in new readers looking for an unputdownable holiday romance.--Heather Miller Cover

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2022
Another member of the Bromance Book Club finds love in this fifth series outing. Country star Colton Wheeler can't get Gretchen Winthrop out of his head. A year ago, they had a steamy, satisfying one-night stand after a wedding, but when Colton asked to see her again, Gretchen bolted out the door. Gretchen comes from the wealthiest family in Tennessee but has turned her back on her family's money and influence to start her own small practice providing legal expertise for immigrants. When her oldest brother asks her to reach out to Colton to be the brand ambassador to her family's whiskey distillery, she agrees; in return, she asks for her rightful seat on the family's charitable foundation board. When Gretchen approaches Colton, she's surprised that he has some conditions of his own. He agrees to consider her offer if she'll go out on three dates with him. When Colton discovers that Gretchen is a verifiable Scrooge, he's determined to use their dates to show her the joy of the Christmas season. With the help and advice of his buddies in the Bromance Book Club, Colton will show Gretchen his sunshiny personality is the perfect match for her grumpy one. Longtime readers of the series won't be surprised when the plot takes a turn toward more serious and somber topics. In this case, Colton discovers that Gretchen is aloof and prickly as a coping mechanism from having grown up in an abusive home. Colton's instant love and devotion for Gretchen is a fact of the book rather than something that develops over time, and the result is a relationship that doesn't feel fully developed. The novel is jammed full of scenes with characters from earlier installments and charming meetings of the Bromance Book Club, which will please fans of the series. A solid but unremarkable effort in this long-running series about men who read romance.

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