I love the snark. I love the strong women. I love the fart jokes. And I love guys being vulnerable around each other. I love the series.

Liv Papandreas works very hard in her high-level job as a pastry chef at Nashville’s best restaurant; however her dream job turns to a nightmare when she is fired by a famous chef who is the poster boy for sexual harassment and bad behavior. Liv’s celebrity boss threatens to ruin her career, especially if she tells anyone about witnessing his abuse of power with a young woman working at the restaurant.

Braden Mack, the de facto leader of the Bromance Book Club, and wealthy nightclub owner had a hand in Liv’s firing. They were already frenemies, but Braden feels awful so he wants to make amends and help Liz out with a job offer. Liz resists him with her sharp tongue and rapier strikes determined take down the odious former boss, Royce, exposing him for a sexual predator who has been taking advantage of women for a long time.

Mack and his book club of men who read romance novels to understand women and their desires decide to help Liz despite her wishes. Liz uses her acerbic attitude as a front to hide some deep emotional issues of abandonment and low self-esteem. Braden has secrets of his own as well as hiding behind a charming personality with a winning smile while flirting with all the ladies.

Liv is sometimes very hard to like especially after meeting her in the first book. Ironically though she is a woman who takes no prisoners, Liz kept working for man who treats everyone very poorly even stealing her work for a cookbook. Second in the series, this story focuses less on the complementary stories the book group have been reading and more on the Liz and Mack’s prickly relationship. The #metoo theme is front and center making for a different and darker tone than the first book, THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB, which I enjoyed very much.

Included in SBTB's March New Releases, Part 1: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/03/marchs-new-releases-part-one/

I don’t often laugh out loud while reading books, certainly not nearly as much as I did while reading this book.

I feel like I have to apologize to my husband, because the majority of the reading of this book was done at night after he was already asleep and I could not hold in my bursts of laughter. I annoyingly felt the need to tell him what exactly I found so funny and read him passages from the book. He took it like a champ, though, and humored me with a grunt of acknowledgment.

Liv. Is. Everything. She’s one of my new favorite book girlfriends.

Normally characters like Liv are relegated to secondary character status (I’m looking at you Reagan from Fangirl), in fact, I wasn’t expecting Liv to have her own book after reading the first book in this series. To be completely honest, I didn’t even really like Liv all that much in the first book, but I absolutely ADORED her in this one.

Her attitude, her spice, her fierce determination, her unapologetic fighting instincts paired with her sarcastic sense of humor made for SUCH an entertaining read.

And then there is Mack.

There is so much to love about him, but I think what I adored the most is that he’s not your typical playboy. He’s confident without being arrogant, he’s got swagger without being a douche, he’s strategic without being manipulative, he’s a feminist without the eyeroll.

He is the Book Boyfriend we all deserve and he certainly deserves someone as kickass as Liv.

Can we get a “hell yeah!” for a bookish romance between two people who deserve one another?

There is such a beautiful balance between these two characters. Where Liv’s ferocity can border on overwhelming, Mack is the calm to her storm without tempering her - he simply redirects. It was so satisfying to read.

Between these two characters, it’s no wonder this book has jumped to a favorite spot.

I could’ve easily enjoyed every page of this book if there wasn’t a plot because I loved the characters so much, but the entire storyline was so important and understandably (and necessarily) frustrating at times.

This entire series, to be honest, is so full of female empowerment, even though it revolves around a group of high-powered male characters. I. Love. That.

When I was given the opportunity to read this follow up to The Bromance Bookclub I absolutely hooted with joy! I swear it was at the top of my most frequently recommended list last year!

Undercover Bromance takes on the tone of a romantic suspense novel this time. Lead characters with history that makes it hard for them to trust, a workplace sexual predator, a crazy rooster and the usual humour that you would expect from Lyssa Kay Adams, make this a book you don't want to miss!

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing me with an advanced ARC of #BromanceUndercover in return for an honest review.

Undercover Bromance is almost enemies-to-lovers (my fave trope!) and I really enjoyed this book despite not being crazy about one of the main characters.

Book two in the Bromance Book Club series was a fun and quick read, even though it took a while to start liking Liv. It took me a minute to remember that I was reading book two in a series and that there was a reason for Liv being so unlikable, but even when I remembered the reasons, I still thought she was a bit of a brat.

Liv and Braden's developing relationship against the backdrop of taking down a predator was interesting and really worked. There were some funny moments with the side characters, and some set up for the next book in the series. Great read!

Fantastic second book in the hilarious, “Bromance Book Club,” romantic-comedy series

Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas are important subcharacters in the first book in this series, The Bromance Book Club (BBC). It is not absolutely essential to read BBC before reading Undercover Bromance (UB), but BBC is so wonderful that I highly recommend it. Braden is a professional baseball player and teammate of the hero of BBC, Gavin, as well as Gavin’s best friend and beloved babysitter of Gavin’s preschool-age, twin daughters. Liv is the sister of Thea, the heroine of BBC, and doting aunt to her adorable little nieces. I am so delighted that Braden and Liv have gotten their own chance to take the spotlight here in UB!

This story is a classic, “enemies to lovers” and “opposites attract” romantic comedy. Braden is a laid-back people person, and Liv is an uptight, grouchy loner. They already knew each other from the events in BBC, but their initial Meet Cute in this book is riotously funny. To his guilty dismay, Braden is accidentally instrumental in getting Liv fired from a prestigious job as a sous chef at a fancy Nashville restaurant owned and managed by a celebrity chef. The job was a crucial stepping stone in her career, which was the only reason Liv spent over a year putting up with the boss from hell. Not only is the chef verbally abusive to his staff, but Liv discovers from one of her fellow apprentice chefs the night he fires her that the chef has sexually abused her coworker and may well have done the same to multiple other female apprentice chefs. As a result, on top of her anger and resentment at her own unjust firing, Liv is filled with a righteous determination to take down her scummy boss. In the process of seeking out Liv to apologize for his part in her firing, Braden learns of her quest and insists on helping her, in spite of Liv’s equally strong determination to go it alone.

Just like BBC, UB is filled with humor and heart. Braden is the founder of the Bromance Book Club, a small, tightly-knit group of big, strong, macho-appearing baseball players who read romance novels together to gain important life lessons. “Romance novels,” they gravely inform any new members of their group, “are primarily written by women for women, and they’re entirely about how they want to be treated and what they want out of life and in a relationship.” Braden is the ultimate, enlightened, metrosexual male, which is a source of a significant portion of the humor in the book. It is both comedic and impressive hearing him lecture big gruff men on how to be more sensitive and understanding toward the women in their lives.

Liv is a real fireball. Life has taught her to distrust all men, and the latest fiasco with her horrible boss hasn’t done anything to improve her opinion of the male half of the population. Though Liv can sometimes come off as bitter and alienated, two things soften her harsh edges and make her very sympathetic. The first is the sharp intelligence displayed in the witty repartee slung between her and Braden. The second is her deep love and loyalty for her sister and nieces and her best-friend relationship with her fun and feisty landlady, a sixty-something hippie who lives on a farm.

In addition to the landlady, there are many other hilariously adorable subcharacters in this novel, including cameo appearances by Gavin and Thea and their little twin girls and many of Braden’s teammates whom we first met in BBC. There is also a wonderful secondary romance between the feminist, hippie landlady and an arch-conservative old coot whom Braden helps enlighten on how to go about winning the heart of his stubbornly self-sufficient lady love.

This is a slow-burn romance, which I very much enjoy. The sex scenes between Braden and Liv are very tender as well as sensual, and they always advance the relationship rather than existing just to throw in some graphic sex—a failure of far too many romance novels.

In short, this book is a real keeper, and I very much look forward to the next book in this fabulous series.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Secondary Romance Plot: 5 stars
Take Down the Boss Plot: 4 stars
Bromance Bookclub Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall : 5 stars

Confession: I reeeeeeaaally didn’t like Mack and Liv when I read The Bromance Book Club. Like not as in them being together but just in general.

But their story, Undercover Bromance, is SO GOOD. So now I love Mack. And I (mostly) love Liv.

There’s also a scene that made my immature little heart soar. I laughed until I cried. Keep an eye out for it.

This book is smart and hilarious and just the perfect amount of cheesy ALL while still tackling extremely serious issues like sexual harassment and even assault. Also toxic masculinity and Patriarchy.

It also dances around the idea that while women don’t NEED men to protect us or fight our battles…it’s nice when they want to help because they have an inherent privilege and power that we don’t. And having that privilege and power working on side of good is a good thing.

Anywho, I LOVED Undercover Bromance. So impressed by this series. Thank you Netgalley and Berkely for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I loved most about this one was it’s portrayal of whatever the exact opposite of toxic masculinity is. There’s a conversation amongst the men near the end that was such a good portrayal of male friendship. I really wish dudes would read this and use it as a manual. I loved Braden as a character, which was surprising because I found him sort of off-putting in the first book. Liv took some warming up to, but I think it worked for the story. Also, I love a girl who doesn’t shy away from a bar fight!

What a fantastic addition to this series! This book was super fun, very cute but also toeing the cheesy line! Which was perfectly fine! I think I enjoyed these characters more than the main couple in Bromance Book Club causing me to like this book just a bit more! Liv and Mack are both awesome well flushed out characters that led to a more interesting and engaging storyline. I'm really glad the Lyssa Kay Adams decided to tackle a more serious subplot with this one like sexual harassment in the workplace. She did a great job of showcasing multiple point of views when different people were confronted with the issue. I'm so glad that she focused on it and that the support of the main character was so strong. What a great read and can't wait for more in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

I love series books, so I enjoyed the fact that we came back to characters that had been established in the first book in this series. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters too. However, I felt like the premise of the book was a little too "on the nose" of the #MeToo movement and I didn't love the way it was handled throughout. There was no nuance of the emotional ramifications that individuals go through when they are part of situations described in the book. The losses were glossed over and that didn't feel authentic to me. I'll still read the next book in the series, but I'm hoping for a different premise. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

I just love what the author is doing with this series! Fun romances that talk about romance in a meta way and tackle toxic masculinity? Sign me up! In Undercover Bromance, the Bromance Book Club is reading a romantic suspense and the plot follows a hate-to-love romance between Liv (sister of the MC in book 1), and Braden Mac as they work to expose a celebrity chef as a sexual predator. This is an ambitious book very much born from the #metoo era as it discusses abuse of power, consent, and the problems with victim blaming. All of that is done incredibly well.

Liv is a prickly, independent woman and Mac is all about romance and sweeping women off their feet, but isn't great at being vulnerable. The two of them clash in a way that will force them to face their individual demons and grow in ways that are painful but important. The text actively interrogates Mac's impulse toward protection (when it might not be necessary or wanted) as well as Liv's lack of empathy for victims of sexual abuse who choose not to fight back or speak up. These are difficult but critical topics and they are handled with grace and nuance.

In terms of pure enjoyment of the romance, I probably prefer the first book in the series, but I still had a good time with this and love so much of what it's trying to do. It feels fresh and timely and I will absolutely be reading on in the series. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My Thoughts:

I didn't think it could be possible, but this series just keeps getting better! Undercover Bromance is the second book in the Bromance Book Club. These books can be read as standalones. Each book focuses on a different couple, and features the Bromance Book Club as a strong and colorful cast of supporting characters.

In this book, we get Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas' love story told through their dual perspectives. Liv is a talented pastry chef at Savoy, a top notch restaurant, where she works for the famous reality star, owner, and despicable head chef of the establishment. When she catches him sexually harassing a young hostess, she is outraged, and speaks up, only to be fired, and blacklisted.

Braden offers to help bring down Liv's ex-boss, and even though Liv is determined to do it on her own, Braden won't take "no" for an answer. He enlists the help of his best friends, members of the Bromance Book Club. What follows is a page-turning, fun, humorous, entertaining, and romantic love story.

Undercover Bromance was such a treat! This story had me smiling, chuckling, and laughing out loud at the love story that developed between Braden and Liv, as well as the shenanigans of the bromance book club members.

Liv struggled with trusting others, especially members of the opposite sex. She refused to lean on anyone, and was determined to do everything on her own. Braden was a modern day, "Knight in Shining Armor." I loved how his actions showed Liv that good men exist. She didn't make it easy on him, but through patience, determination, and persistence, Braden managed to break down her walls.

He was lonely, and wanted love, and a family all his own. Braden thought by being "perfect," and living life by a manual, (his romance novels), he could get what he wanted. However, he learned that "real" or authentic, wasn't perfect; and all of the crazy feelings that Liv stirred up in him, and drove him crazy in a good way, where what true love was all about.

I loved Braden and Liv's story. The pages just flew by, and I completely escaped in this book. I loved every moment of this story, and didn't want it to end. It had me swooning and excited for the intense, and passionate love that Braden and Liv experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships from the Bromance Book Club Members. They were fun, hilarious, and entertaining. When things got tough, they were always there for Braden and each other.

I liked the way the author addressed the issues of sexual harassment, woman's rights, and treatment in our society. She gave women a voice and delivered a strong message about blaming the victim, women supporting women, and people standing up, instead of passively standing by when they witness the abuse and ill treatment of women in our society.

If you are looking for an entertaining, super fast paced, fun, humorous, and romantic read, check out Undercover Bromance!

I didn't read book one in this series but I was so intrigued by the premise that I jumped at the opportunity to read this one. I can say without any doubt that I will absolutely be going back and reading the first book.

I loved this book! Just the idea alone, I mean a guys book club? Who even comes up with that? Is it code for let's get together and drink beer? Nope. Nope. Nope. These guys are funny and charming and sweet. There was more emotion than I expected but, combined with the swoon, I was totally swept off of my feet. I can't wait for the next one.

It was so great to have my favorite guys back in action! Is it possible that I enjoyed this one even more than The Bromance Book Club? This was the perfect sequel and I cannot wait for the third one to be released. If you haven't read these yet... why not? You are surely missing out. Just go ahead and order this one on March 10th, you won't regret it.

P.S. The Russian is the best. Period.

**With thanks to the author and Berkley Publishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication.**

Unfortunately, I will not be able to recommend this book to patrons looking for light romance. I read the first few chapters and was so put off I didn't finish it. Initially, I was excited to see how sexual harassment would be treated in the context of a romance book. However, it quickly became so cringy, I couldn't go on. I like a good enemies-to-lovers story. However, but I couldn't understand how Liv, portrayed as a strong woman who routinely stood up for herself and others, would allow Mack to continually invade her space, after she repeated told him she was not interested. It was as if the author viewed sexual harassment as an extreme (groping someone with your pants open) and not the nuanced thing it actually is (grabbing someone's arm to keep them from leaving, squeezing a knee under the table to warn someone, placing a hand on her lower back to guide her). So even though Liv says she's not interested, she enjoys these touches. No means yes? In a book that's trying to tackle sexual harassment? And I won't begin to talk about Liv and Mack harassing the victim who is within her rights choosing not to accept their help. Maybe all of my concerns are resolved in later chapters. However, I couldn't muster up enough affection for Mack or Liv to continue the journey.

After reading the first book I absolutely knew I was going to love Mack and Liv's story, what I wasn't prepared for was how much more than the first book, I was going to love it.

If you want more humor, more romance, more cheesy yet irresistible one liners and more of the Russian and all his lactose intolerance, this is the story for you.

It will be a toss up between how much more you will laugh, swoon, and how quickly you can turn the pages to get more. So many emotions will run through you while reading this you will feel as if you are on a roller coaster and right there with them through it all. Simply said, it was just more.

It is hard not to love all the men in these stories. They are so sincere and they truly have hearts of gold. And even though they make mistakes, they steal the show with their bromance and be willing to do whatever it takes to get the one that they love, that it makes up for everything else.

The women on the other hand? They are cranky and downright mean and awful at times and, I'm not going to lie, sometimes I found it hard to even like them and their choices but all in all, the author still somehow manages to make you feel for them and they do redeem themselves in the end.

Liv Papandreas is a badass. I repeat, Liv Papandreas is a badass.

Even though we get a picture of what each of these characters were like in the first book, the scope of what we learn when they are the focus is obviously so much more. Even though the two briefly meet earlier because of Thea and Gavin, they really don’t know anything about each other. When Mack decides to wine and dine his latest girlfriend and make things ~official~ he of course decides that he needs to buy her this $1,000 cupcake that surprise, surprise is Liv’s job to make. Due to a series of….very unfortunate events…the cupcake ends up in Mack’s girl’s lap. Neither one of them care very much as it was an accident EXCEPT for Liv’s douchey slime-ball boss. When she goes up to his office later that night to receive the talking to of a life time, she walks in on him sexually harassing another employee and things proceed to blow up from there.

Let’s just say that neither Liv nor Mack’s nights end up very good that night. Liv is FURIOUS and without a job and Mack is left sans girlfriend, feeling guilty for playing a role in Liv being fired. The two, begrudgingly (especially on Liv’s part) decide to team up to take the previously mentioned douchey slime-ball.

What I really enjoyed about this book, other than Liv’s badassery, was the push and pull of Mack’s and Liv’s relationship. They both have their own share of issues but as the book progresses we slowly see both of them showing sides of their life and who they truly are to each other that no one else has ever seen before. There were plenty of bickering scenes which always sets up a good scene for explosive kisses (which we get a few of) and you know that this is going to be a couple that is always going to be poking at each other just to rile the other one up.

The scenes with the other guys from book club were just as fun as the first book. The Russian, I tell ya, lol. He might be my favorite. I just love picturing this huge group of hot, hulking guys who are insanely famous and rich getting together reading romance lololol. Ugh, still such a genius idea.

Finally, the biggest component of this book that ended up being so satisfying to read was the takedown of the bad guy. It ends up coming to light that (not surprisingly) this guy has been a predator for LONG time and has paid a lot of women off because he’s done terrible things. There were a few really important scenes with Liv and a friend that also happened to have been taken advantage of by the sleaze bag where Liv got so mad because her friend just wanted to let it lie. She had a café that she owned and ran and she just wanted the past to stay in the past. I mean that is such…relevant commentary on situations that have come to light recently with several different rich and powerful men and that you know has happened for years and years in the past. While Liv’s friend did eventually come forward about it, they had a little bit of a falling out about it before that. What I learned from that situation is that even though you are always going to want those people to get in trouble, the women who went through it don’t necessarily want to drag that past into the now because of the pain it’s going to cause them. Just because they didn’t come forward with it when it happened, doesn’t mean they should be discredited (like what seems to happen these days). They just knew in that moment that even if they did come forward, they probably still wouldn’t have gotten believed and their life would have been even worse off than if they just stayed quiet.

UGH. It makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it honestly.

Luckily in this story at least, the girls and Liv get partial justice anyway which is something. Liv learns to be more understand and to trust and love and Mack learns how to just be himself. Overall a very good continuation of the series!

Huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion! ♥

I give Undercover Bromance a 4.5. I absolutely adored the first book, The Bromance Book Club, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this baby. I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.

When we were introduced to Mack in the first book I couldn’t wait for him to have his own story told. His charisma and smart aleck ways left you wanting more. We get that and so much more in this book. He makes an excellent male lead; he shows his vulnerability and his want for his own “Happily Ever After” and he goes for it wholeheartedly.

It’s Liv that takes the book down to a 4.5 instead of a 5 star review for me. I had problems with her in the first book and they carried over into this one. I find her overbearing, self-righteous, and someone who always has to handle things her way no matter who she hurts in the process. But she does stick to her guns and her heart is always in the right place.

This story emphasizes the #metoo movement. Liv is kick-ass with this part. She witnesses sexual harassment and puts her foot down; it’s wrong, nobody should have to deal with it, and something has to be done to stop it from happening again. How she goes about doing it though is sometimes suspect.

The Bromance Book Club are the best feminists ever! They are the first to point out the toxic masculine society and the first to believe women and help work for the #metoo movement. And I loved that Mack called Liv out on everything. He told her when she was being rude and that she was victim shaming the survivors. Preach!

The side characters are the absolute best! The Russian is back and flatulent as ever, there’s a rooster that’s aptly named Randy, and a new member joins the Club. Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait for the third installment to come out later this year.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for releasing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5

I enjoyed the first book in the Undercover Bromance series, but I absolutely loved this one. Though they both frustrated me at times I loved both of the main love interests Mack and Liv, and their relationship seemed so realistic to me. I also loved that this book dealt with real life tough topics of sexual harassment at work and good guys versus bad guys and how good guys let bad guys get away with things.

Again it was so fun to hear about these men's exploits with romance novels and the things they learn from them, this time bringing Hop into the picture (who was my favourite character development). I raced through this book to get to the end before my bus got to my stop and it was worth every moment.