The second in the Bromance Book Club book series, "Undercover Bromance" is an topical read in todays "Me Too" movement. The female protagonist, Liv (sister of the female protagonist in book 1, Thea), finds herself fired after witnessing her horrible celebrity boss sexually harass a co-worker. Mack, an all around good dude and friend of a friend, offers himself to help Liv take down said horrid boss.

I found this book to be a lot more plot driven then the first book, with the plot not only moving more quickly because of it, but a lot of the themes in it are more overarching in regards to societal issues. In the first book, the aim was to introduce the book club and watch as the characters battled with feelings of inadequacy. In the second book, shame is the overarching theme. Shame for our own "weaknesses" or the shame we feel at the opinions and actions of others.

One thing I enjoyed about this particular book more than the first is that, while the in-book fake book the book club was reading as relevant to the story, it wasn't as drawn out as in the first book. The excepts from the fictional book were condensed down to one important scene, and not scattered throughout in a drawn out way.

One thing I did not enjoy, and this is wish fulfillment on my part, is that I am glad we got to see the villain published, but disappointed none of his enablers were likewise punished or shown to be punished. All the men involved who stayed silent while women were harassed and abused were either forgiven too easily or did not have a comeuppance that was seen.

As a romance reader myself, it is a hoot to see Adams bring what people love about the genre into play for the characters in her books. This is the second title in her Bromance Book Club series. While the first book tackled the second chance romance trope, this one takes the plot points of romantic suspense and uses them with an enemies to lovers trope with a timely, #metoo sensibility. Hilarious banter between the to main characters and I love that the princess saves herself at the end of the day.

Undercover Bromance is a delightful romance contemporary that uses humor and an entertainingly antagonistic romance to give a shout out to the #metoo movement and the price of misogyny. I love the idea of the all-male romance club and the lesson the hero learns in the difference between romance and love. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Ms Adams does it again - what an amazing book! I was utterly charmed by Mack and Liv's story and how it organically played out. I'm not going to lie - Vlad the Russian may be my favourite sidekick character of all time. Every time the Russian was in the scene, I was giggling so hard that my family was giving me the "what are you reading NOW?" side eye. I so appreciate a well-written lactose intolerant character! I was so sad when the book was over and I'm really hoping that this is not the last visit to the Bromance Book Club.

I didn't know this was the 2nd book in a series, so this is my first book by author Lyssa Kay Adams. However, these books can definitely be read as standalones. With that being said, I will be going back and reading the first book because I loved this one so much.

I loved how these men realized their roles in society and how to create and sustain equality for all. I also loved how the book club called out indies for being snobbish towards the romance genre. This book was just the fresh read that I needed. I can't wait to read more by this author

Undercover Bromance is a lot of fun. I have not read the first in the series, but this one is great as a stand alone. It follows Liv and Mack, who have a slow burn hate-to-love relationship. The dialogue is extremely funny but has a very serious plot. Liv’s former boss has sexually assaulted numerous employees and Liv, Mack and the Bromance book club are on it to expose him to the media and his peers. Lots of laughs. Liv was mildly annoying with her never ending snide remarks but I personally found her amusing. Can't wait to read the first in the series!

Sequel-itis is in the eye of the beholder. After I laughed all the way through the repair of a troubled marriage, this follow-up enemies-to-lovers story wasn't going to have the same impact. The stakes of a new relationship feel different, even though Mack is a lovable character with unexpected depths.

Turns out that Mr. Romance Novel doesn't have all the right moves. He's lonely, tired of his string of unsuccessful relationships, and hoping that his encyclopedic knowledge of romance and his innate hotness will finally pay off. Along comes Liv, a chef whose leftovers Mack stole in book 1.

She's still mad about it.

Minor nitpick: I wanted Liv's bad boss to be less of a mustache-twirling villain and more complicated, as harassers often are in real life. The revenge scheme is pretty ordinary, too.

That said, I'm always up for more Book Club, because those clowns are priceless and charming.

Received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book series progressively gets better and better and turns so many tropes on their head while slaying them all.

I loved the first book in the Bromance Book Club and was so excited to get my hands on the 2nd one. Before starting the second book, I wasn't quite sure about Mack as the main character, but man I was wrong. Lyssa Kay Adams did a great job of developing Mack and slowly letting is see what drives him. He is transformed from what outwardly comes across as a shallow, perfectionist to a loving, lost puppy of a guy. Liv equally opens up to reveal a more nuanced character. The romance is slow to build but definitely worth it.

I also applaud the author for bringing the MeToo movement into this book. I was a little worried about how it would come off but no worries necessary. She killed it and in the process and in the process also gave us a delightful cast of characters.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the chance to read this great book!

**Spoilers**
I enjoyed the overall theme of this book. Getting to know Thea's feisty sister and the ever flirty Mack. Delving into their backstories gave this book a pretty different feel from the first in the series. While it was hard to read the sexual harassment that Liv witnessed, it was really satisfying to see the jerk get his comeuppance by the end.

I really love this follow-up to The Bromance Book Club. While it could be heavy-handed at times when dealing with such a sensitive topic, I appreciate the balance the author took with the heavy and light moments.

Let me hear you sing with me: ‘BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN! BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN!”

My favorite book club members are finally back. Good to see Gavin and Thea, having a stronger marriage but now, you gotta get ready to read Mack and Thea’s sister Liv’ story.

I loved those boys carry their big, golden hearts behind those muscularity and muscles. When they focus on something and team up to achieve an important mission, they turned into amateurish, humorous, clumsy agents. And this time they were determined to help Liv who was unfairly fired from her job because she witnessed her douchebag boss/ famous chef harassing her colleague. ( She also dropped a cupcake cooked with real golden into Mack’s date’s lap but it was not intentional!) So Mack is stubborn enough to help Liv to fight against this woman predator and bring out his entire book club crew to the war.

My thoughts:

-I loved Braden Mack, his emotional backstory, his charms, boyish but also honest manners ( he reminded me of wiser kind of Joey Tribbiani and I waited him to ask Liv how she is doing!), his heroism, caring, protectiveness. He is amazing book-boyfriend and book reader boyfriend.

-I loved the smart dialogues between Mack and Liv. Their slow-burn romance, growing attraction put them at complex situations. (Poor Mack hardly survive when he collects the eggs and being abused by rooster.)

-I loved RUSSIAN, a great addition to the book club who shouldn’t be fed with cheese, judging the restrooms of the city and giving them points, giving awkward reactions to the situations makes you laugh so hard. (Yes he stole the show and needs a book ASAP!I’m already chanting Russian! Russian! Russian! Taking a few more Smirnoff shots!)

-This book is sweet, swoony, emotional and the characters’ suffering from traumatic father issues and finding themselves to connect with each other. This is absolutely a hot and entertaining enemies to lovers story. I also appreciated the message about women’s stand up for themselves to fight against the harassment and abuse at their work places!

And I also loved ex Vietnam veteran Hop and his contribution to the boy’s club. It seemed like watching Dirty Harry reading romance novels which gave me more hard and long laughs!
Only one thing really really really disturbed me so much ( See! I wrote “really” three times) that was surprise, surprise, surprise (another 3 times): heroine! I want to yell at Liv to get her head out of her ass!!! She was acting like underage spoiled brat, too stubborn, too pretentious, keep telling: “I can do by myself! I don’t need anybody’s help blablabla yada yada yada” too many times which make me fantasize to slap her several times! Especially after the big revelation about Mack’s past, she acted like a biggest Ahole so yes I didn’t like her at the first book and now I still detest her. Hero and his gang overshadowed this obnoxious heroine! Score for: Mack!

Another detail: I have to disagree with Mack, I think “Protector” was most unlikable novel of Jodi Ellen Malpas (Second and third books of This Man series will always have special place in my heart)
Overall: 4 shining, entertaining, enjoyable, fantastic stars! It could be five gazillion stars for the boys! Blame it on unlikable heroine!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for sharing this wonderful ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review and I have to congratulate to Lyssa Kay Adams to enlighten my day with her talented work, And special request: Please write about RUSSIAN!

I read The Bromace Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1) a couple months ago and thought it was refreshing, clever and funny. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2).

I was not disappointed. The 2nd in the series centers around Bromance Book Club founder Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas (Thea's sister). Once again I loved the dynamics of the male book club members. The love that they opening discuss the importance of respecting women. It isn't heavy handed or an afterthought- it is front and center. This is particularly important since the main story line addresses sexual harassment/abuse. It is not discussed in detail, but it is prevalent throughout the book.

What I really loved about this book was how the author was able to unapologetically tackle a tough issue while still delivering a fun, well-developed romance with a happy ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the review copy.

The Bromance Book Club was my favorite rom com of 2019, but unfortunately this second book in the series did not work nearly as well for me. It lacked the same fresh premise and unique humor as the first.

First, Liv hates Braden intensely from the beginning, but I was never clear why. He ate her leftovers, and apologized for it? She just seemed mean and bratty for how she treated him for a good chunk of the book.

It also bothered me how the book tackles sexual harassment yet Sonia says very inappropriate things to Braden. To tackle sexual harassment effectively the female characters shouldn’t get a pass on their own behavior.

Overall, I found Braden to be really likable but underdeveloped. And the constant winking was annoying. Thea and Liv were strident, shrieky, and annoying. And the writing was not as punchy and funny as the first book.

There were parts I liked (the Russian and Noah and Hop!) and I am still very excited to see where this series goes. And I did want to see how this one ended and I enjoyed so many of the minor characters. But the magic from the first one just wasn’t present in this one, at least for me. I’m rounding up to 3 from 2.5 stars.

Thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for the free digital arc.

I was able to read this book early thanks to #NetGalley!

I really loved the first Bromance Book Club book, and this one was even better! Liv and Mack were really great to get to know, and their romance was fun! I think it is wonderful that Lyssa Kay Adams made the premise center around the #Metoo movement, and that there were so many strong women.

After Braden Mack accidentally tilts a $1000 cupcake out of Liv's hands and onto his dates lap he doesn't think it is a big deal right? Well, his date dumps him because he spent too much money, and Liv gets fired after seeing something her boss manipulating a coworker. Mack offers Liv a job, which she turns down, but wants him to offer one for her coworker as a way out. They soon team up to take down her boss and both get a little more than they bargained for.

5 stars (officially)
bookshelves: format-e-book, genre-dangerous-now, owner-netgalley

4.5 stars
A solid 2nd entry in the Bromance series. Mack and Liv have good reasons for their issues, and manage to work through them in a realistic way AND take on the Bad Man together (spoiler?).

OTOH, if your favorite part of the first book was switching between Gavin and Thea’s story and the "manual" the guys were reading...that's not here so much. There *is* a book (I think a real one?) and a great, HEA-saving quote comes from it, but not a lot of back and forth. Instead, we learn how Mack became so heavily invested in romance stories, and how they saved his heart and soul as a young boy.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adams explores the nuance of timely topics in the midst of a satisfying romance. Liv's journey from a place of judgment to a place of deeper understanding for victims of sexual harassment provides important insight for us all.

REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, for release March
.
For those who have been living under a rock, Undercover Bromance is the anticipated sequel to The Bromance Book club, featuring Liv (Thea’s sister) and Mack, the founder of the book club and OG romance book lover. When Liv gets fired from her job, because of Mack, she discovers the dirty secret of her boss. Begrudgingly, she works with Mack to reveal the truth about her boss.

I loved the Bromance Book Club, but this sequel knocked it out of the park. I LOVED it so much more than the first one! Mack was the ultimate sweet heart. He was kind, caring, cocky yet so vulnerable. I especially loved the ensemble cast of characters this go round.

One of my fav things is also the portrayal of male friendship and the bromance the book club members have. It’s so adorable 💕 What I loved most though, was the wonderful portrayal of #MeToo. It was executed SO well and really forced Liv’s character arc. I have to say, I didn’t love Liv in the beginning. I felt she was just plain mean for the sake of being mean. But the revelation of her past in conjunction with her realization of her fear, trust issues, etc was so well done that it worked for me.

I would highly recommend this one! I know it’s early, but I can guarantee it will be one of my favourites of 2020.🙌🏼

Thank you so much Berkeley, netgalley, and Lyssa Kay Adams for this ARC!

I think I may have loved this even more than the first one! Mack and Liz were such a joy to read about and the subject matter which the author explored was tasteful and realistic. I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Lyssa Kay Adams in the future.