This is the second book in the Bromance Book Club, and while I enjoyed the first book, I can’t recommend the second. This book tries to tackle the #metoo movement, but this was clumsily done for me, so I found myself more stressed out than interested while reading this.

Even better than the first book!! I loved this - I laughed so much. The characters are excellent, both the main couple and the supporting cast! There are some fantastic moments with the whole book club together - both for the take down of the bad guy as well as for some emotional moments for Mack - that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fans of the first book definitely should not miss this one. And contemporary romance readers who haven't tried this series should pick up both the first book and this one (and pre-order book 3).

Every once in a while a book comes along that turns out to be exactly what you needed at exactly that moment. Undercover Bromance is one of those books for me. For various reasons, I really needed a good laugh, and this one provided plenty of them. Now, that's not to say this one doesn't have its serious moments. It most certainly does, and it's certainly current, especially in light of a certain well-known predator being sentenced so recently. Lyssa Kay Adams manages to walk that line between respectfully shedding light on a serious topic and tempering the serious with moments that are downright hilarious. I laughed so hard, I actually snorted a couple of times, which did earn a few odd looks from those around me, but hey, this stuff was funny! From Mack's predicament with the chickens and one contrary rooster to the bets to the Russian - OMG, the Russian! This guy is a scene-stealer of the highest order, and I really want more of him - anyway, I found myself laughing more than not, and I loved this one from beginning to end. Our couple here is Mack and Liv, who give us a kind of enemies to lovers romance, which is always great for some witty banter, and this couple did not disappoint. I'll stop now before I start giving spoilers, but suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, fast-paced, crazy fun read.

When I heard there would be more Bromance Book Club, I was so excited! I LOVED the first one and I devoured it in 2 days. AND this one was about Mack?! I knew I would love it. I liked it, but it just wasn't like the first one.
Mack is the cookie cutter perfect man. And that's what's wrong with him. Liv is a pastry chef that just ran into a really bad situation. She's black balled by her ex boss from the restaurant scene and Mack and the Bromance Book Club decide to try helping her. This time they use the romantic suspense book they're reading to make sure they can help Liv out of the bad situation she's in.
The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking something was missing. I didn't figure out until I got to the end what it was. The book excerpts aren't there. There's only one in the entire book and it's at the end. That was one of my favorite parts in the first book. I loved how they made the book reflect the situation they were in. It really showed Adams' talent because she was able to write two stories in one. I know it seems selfish to say I wish this one had been the same (it might have been too hard or took too long) but I really do wish it had the same.
The ending was another reason I took away a star. It seemed like it was tacked at the end. And that sucked because that was what the entire story was about. And when it got to it, it was like squeezed on the end. I wish it had been a little more "romantic suspense-y" if that makes sense. It was a little too easy to get it done.
As for the characters, it was really good to be back with everyone again. I liked to see that certain people were doing so much better after the last one. And I have to be honest... Mack was my favorite character from the first one, so I was super happy to see this was his story. I wish I had liked it a bit more, but still, I was really happy with the Epilogue.
This book wasn't my favorite in the series, but this series as a whole is still one of my favorites. I can't wait to get to the next book, the one that seems like a contemp romance, maybe a rom com. It's obviously going to be my favorite. (Until we get Malcolm's story that is....) [PLEASE TELL ME WE'LL GET A MALCOLM STORY.]

I didn’t stand a chance. From the start, I knew there was no way I wasn’t going to fall completely, ardently, head-over-heels in love with this book and with Mack. Like its predecessor, Undercover Bromance has the perfect balance of laugh-out-loud humor, swoon-worthy romance, and emotional depth.

What I loved about Undercover Bromance was that it had all the same charm, earnestness, and fun of the Bromance Book Club, but it stood on its own as well. I wasn’t invested in Liv and Mack’s story because I had already fallen in love with the series in Bromance, I was invested in their story because it was so authentic and loveable. As someone who loves a good slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance, watching Liv and Mack, both so trust-averse and gun-shy, fall in love was an absolute joy.

Undercover Bromance is timely, featuring a #MeToo storyline that is all too familiar to so many. This storyline was so interesting, not just because it was relevant and timely, but also because of Liv’s growth through it. For much of the story, Liv is not a perfect feminist (hint: there’s no such thing) but she carries herself with the self-righteousness of one, often to the detriment of those around her. Over the course of the story, however, Liv experiences gradual and powerful growth—both as a lover and partner to Mack and as an ally and source of support for her friends.

Side note: The Russian is my favorite and look, I’m going to level with y’all, fart jokes will never not be funny to me.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, rom-coms, steam, and Russians with indigestion (or even if you just love the first three), Undercover Bromance is a must-read.

I loved the first book in this series so much, that I was afraid this one wouldn’t live up to it, but it did! It wasn’t quite as good, but I still loved it so much! The only thing that I felt was missing from this book was more of the book club aspect. In the first book, the book club is a huge part of the story and we even get to read snippets of the book that the guys are reading along with them. In this second book, we only ever got one snippet from the book that they were reading, and not as much talk about the book club. All of the guys from the book club were involved throughout the storyline though, so I appreciated getting to read about them again in this one.

I enjoyed how strong Liv was, but also how she and Mack both had to be vulnerable and accept their flaws in order to move on, apologize and forgive. I loved how protective Mack was of Liv, but also let her be her own person and let her call the shots on how to take down Royce.

4.5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

This book wasn't perfect, but it was a still a fun read and I definitely think that if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you'll most likely enjoy this one as well! However, I do feel like this one was missing some of the ~magic~ that The Bromance Book Club had. In ]that first book, I was completely invested in Gavin and Thea because they were already in a pre-established relationship and I was eager to see them work through their marital struggles. In this book, however, we don't really feel as much chemistry between Mack and Liv and it definitely hurt the reading experience a bit for me. As I said before, this was still a very fun read and I fully intend to carry on with the series, but it just wasn't *quite* everything I was hoping for.

I loved this follow-up to Bromance Book Club! Romantic Hero vs. Cynical Heroine is always a fun romance trope and Mack and Liv certainly delivered. Adams had said in the Author's Note that she had been told that the plot was ambitious, and it is. But I found the Me Too-related plot to be very timely and well done.

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams wove an enemies to lovers theme with elements of the me-too movement while keeping me engaged and wanting to see how the story unfolded.

Braden Mack and Liv Papandreas are secondary characters in the first book in the series and though you do not need to read The Bromance Book Club to enjoy this one, I highly recommend it!


Braden's backstory was so well done, I truly understood his why and a few times during the story wanted to reach into my kindle and HUG him.


Liv was tough cookie, a woman who wanted to make it on her own and push back again all the wrongs in from of her.

The chemistry between these two bleeds off the pages but even more than that I adored how each learned from the other; they are better people for being together.


The happy these to find is so perfect for them and the how me-too issues were resolved was so perfect... nope not telling read the book!

I am looking forward to Crazy Stupid Bromance up next in this world as I am very excited to learn more about computer genius Noah Logan. The use of Noah in this one really peaked my interest!

Undercover Bromance is an enemies to lovers story that plays with traditional romantic tropes in some clever ways. I have very mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed reading it, and I think it was trying to do some fairly interesting and ambitious things. And it succeeded in some of them; the recurring theme of fantasy/perfection as a romantic hero versus the authenticity/respect for what the heroine actually wants was very deftly done, and an interesting take on the genre.

Unfortunately, there were a few things that bugged me even on my first read, and when I started to think about the story critically, I found that it fell apart at the seams. While I admire the attempt to tackle the #MeToo movement and the problems of sexual harrassment in the workplace, in the end it fell short for me in some critical ways, and for a book that is so eager to engage with feminist theory, I felt that its handling of feminism was a bit clumsy.

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

Undercover Bromance is an entertaining follow-up to The Bromance Book Club. Mack is the misunderstood single, cocky, and rather annoying nightclub owner who founded the club. This time around, instead of dishing out advice, he’s the one in need of love lessons.

Liv is Thea’s sister from the previous book. She’s a pastry chef who has difficulty trusting men thanks to a suitcase full of Daddy issues. When Liv is blacklisted by her immoral vengeful boss, Mack’s hero complex kicks in and he insists on teaming up to with Liv to take down the celebrity chef.

Often times in romance novels, either the male or female protagonist has a major flaw that causes a roadblock on their path to love. This story is more balanced and it does a good job highlighting the areas of growth for both characters while also making them appealing. I love Liv’s fierce independence and snark. Mack’s vulnerability and respect for women completely won me over.

The men in the book club engage is some well-meaning ribbing of Mack but they always have his back. I wish the story incorporated discussion of the romantic suspense book they are studying more so that it increasingly parallels Mack and Liv’s relationship.

The book is light and lively. An easy read that goes down sweet.

Things I loved about Undercover Bromance: All the laughs! Randy the homicidal (and “randy) rooster! That mean bird was better, and funnier than any attack dog out there! The subject of chicken mating…I really had no idea, lol. The Russian and his weakness and intolerance for cheese. I wonder if that Bro will get a romance? I think he’ll have to find a cure first. The romance was fun, starting out a little antagonistic, on Liz’s side, of course, but when she let her vulnerable side out it was sweet and then steamy! A definite recommend.

As far as romance novels go I enjoy a good enemies to lovers story. This one ticked all the boxes! I enjoyed the witty banter and clever comebacks between Mack and Liv. The sex scenes were just as 🔥 🔥 as they were in the first book. Not only did this book continue with it’s take on toxic masculinity but also sexual harassment! It managed to address those topics while still remaining fun and hilarious. The only thing I missed was the excerpts from their book club book. I really enjoyed that in the first book.. and this second one doesn’t have that at all. I hope she brings that back in her next book. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!

I loved this one even more than the first in the series and I didn’t think that would be possible. I absolutely loved Mack and Liv’s story. It was surprising, funny, emotional, and an all-around joy to read. I know this technically isn’t Adams’ second book, but as it’s the second book in this series and (I think) her second full-length novel, I’ll happily say: No sophomore slump here. Adams really knocked it out of the park with this one.

In UNDERCOVER BROMANCE, the book club guys are reading a romantic suspense novel. Unlike the first book in the series, their pick doesn’t play as big a role in this one. Instead, the story itself mirrors the romantic suspense genre.

Mack is the founder of the book club and I loved learning how he came to read romance books. Even though his backstory is pretty heartbreaking, it made it easier to understand why he is the way he is. His character’s journey from start to finish was compelling and kept me reading. I loved how the guys supported him and his emotional growth. In 2020, there is still a lot of stigma around men being emotional and in touch with their feelings. Mack’s story is an important one and I think a lot of guys could learn and benefit from reading this story.

We know a little about Liv’s past due to the first book, but there were still new layers to discover and learn about her. Her strength is one thing that stood out in particular to me. The Royce storyline is extra infuriating because I know it happens in real life. But I liked how it made Liz learn more about herself, even if those things weren’t always flattering.

I loved Mack and Liv’s journey together, particularly how Mack learned to listen and trust Liv, and how he doesn’t try to overrule and take the lead from her. Not everything went according to plan in the book. There were mishaps and mistakes and it made it feel a bit more realistic.

Another easy 5 stars from me for Adams. I loved this one and cannot wait to read more from her!

Taking this one off the TBR. See this review. (reviewer is part of the podcast Fated Mates and is also a kirkus reviewer). https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3221961632

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a romance novel, so I was intrigued by one that focused on a novel concept - a man’s book club that reads romance novels.

This is book 2 in the series, but it can obviously be read as a standalone.

I’m a little torn in my review of this book. I’ve read all the positive reviews to try and see if I was feeling a little too harsh. For one thing, I don’t read a lot of romance novels, so am I a really good judge of them? Probably not. I don’t know what people who love to read romance novels are looking for in a book, all I know is what I look for in a book.

This book follows the basic romance novel formula where the man and woman obviously like each other, but they squabble and fight, until they finally see they are right for each other.

In this case, it’s Mack and Liv. Mack heads up the Bromance Bookclub - which I wished there was more in the book about the bookclub. Liv is a pastry chef who is strong and independent.

While at her job, Liv sees a coworker being sexually harassed by their boss, Royce. Royce is conniving, power hungry and evil.

She enlists the help of Mack and her friends to try and bring down her boss, while he simultaneously tries to ruin her and make sure she’ll never work in their town.

Obviously the plot is pulled straight from the headlines.

There is plenty of humor even while addressing the issue of sexual harassment and that humor is probably what saved the book for me. I love the character of the Russian and I also liked the character of Noah.

Everyone is pretty stereotypical though, the Russian is all about busting heads and doing things the Russian way, very matter of fact and blunt. Noah, the IT security type guy, is very knowledgeable, can get into any security system and is very secretive. The boss, Royce, is a super villian, nasty on every level. Mack is the good guy, I imagined him riding in on a white horse to save the day. Liv is the independent strong woman, wants to do everything on her own, but accepts that she’ll need help.

There is also plenty of very steamy sex. . Where was all this when I was reading them in my teens?!

Again, I’m having a hard time judging this. I have to stop and think that when I watch a rom com movie, I want the stereotypes, I want the good guys, I want the bad guys, I want the happy endings. So, with that I’m giving it four stars. It fulfills it’s duty as a romance novel.

Where do I even start with this book? I read the first book in the series and I loved it except for some clichés that were all over the book. Winking for one. Boy, I thought that book had it bad. But the author probably thought – “wait, hold my beer”. I counted the winks in this book. 16 of them. 16 different times some man thought winking at the pretty girl was a good thing. I’ll have a list later with all the winking. It was problematic for me.

Then Olivia, Liv to her friends and family, was cranky ALL THE TIME. That was her thing. Why did Mack think that was attractive? Why did he fall for a woman who was bitchy every time he saw her? Plus, it was all about her. She found out that her boss was doing bad things and she wanted it to end. So she started to find women who would speak out against him but they didn’t want to do it. Liv was so upset because she wanted them to come forward. She did a lot of victim blaming.

The best people in the book were Rosie and Hop. Two older people who “hated” each other, fought all the time, but you know they secretly liked each other. And we had the guys from the Bromance Book Club; Gavin, Malcolm, Del, and the Russian. The Russian has a name and we find that out in this book.

Here are some notes I wrote down while reading this book:
Loc 1550 – Liv faked a gag.
Loc 1669 – Not liking Liv. She is cranky all the time and gives everyone a hard time.
Loc 1672 – Liv faked a gag again.
Loc 1846 – OK, the guys flip each other off and wink at the pretty girls.
Loc – 2372 – This is the 2nd time someone has “slammed down their cell phone”. That’s not something you want to do with a cell phone.
Loc 4881 – Grand Gesture!! I love it.
Loc 4883 – Mack was sliding to a stop on the sidewalk. How does that work?

Those were just the regular notes I took. Now on to the winking notes.
Loc 215 – wink – no, no wink
Loc 1074 – wink – No winking
Loc 1275 – wink – NO
Loc 1279 – wink – No no
Loc 1315 – wink – Stop
Loc 1371 – wink – STOP
Loc 1389 – wink – PLEASE STOP
Loc 1672 – wink – Oh God please stop
Loc 1721 – wink – dammit
Loc 1744 – wink – grrrr
Loc 1817 – wink – this time it’s the drunk guy at the bar winking
Loc 1923 – wink – Christ
Loc 2231 – wink – Uh again
Loc 3213 – wink – wow we were doing so well for a while there
Loc 3322 – wink – during sex
Loc 4172 – wink – Now Royce, the boss, is doing it

So you see, 16 times doesn’t sound like a lot of times but when you list them, Oh My God it’s way too much. Hopefully, with the next book it won’t be so much.

Other than a few items I thought it was a pretty good book. Not as good as the first in the series but still good. I will definitely read the next in the series.

This book was given to me by the publisher and Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I've been trying to read this book for a couple of days now, and I'm officially DNFing it. This book doesn't sit well with me. It's handling of sexual assault, and sexual harassment is, in my opinion, harmful. I know that a lot of people have enjoyed this book. I'm glad that they were able to overcome some of the red flags in this book, but unfortunately, I couldn't.

I got to roughly 57% into this book, and then I couldn't finish it. The victim-blaming mentality of Liv was something that I struggled with. Liv is a strong woman, and it was frustrating to watch her continuously bully a victim into action. There are so many reasons that survivors of sexual assault do not come forward, so to see this bully tactic was disheartening and honestly harmful. The continuous use of "what about the other people he'll hurt" doesn't do anything but put more trauma on the survivor. Both Liv & Mack are bullies, and I honestly dislike their characters more than I thought possible. A survivor's trauma should never be used as a stepping stone for revenge.

Braden Mack knows women, He’s the founder of the Bromance Book Club. So why is he the last man standing without a long term partner? When Mack sets up the perfect date to “woo” his latest lady and seal the deal as a steady girlfriend, he (literally) runs into Liv. But when Liv gets the boot from her job From the biggest star chef around, Royce, she stumbles upon an even more sinister secret than Royce’s falsely-friendly public persona. Filled with strong female characters and absent of toxic masculinity, Undercover Bromance is a fun, exciting and heartwarming ride from beginning to end.

I’ve been dying to find out more about Mack since reading (and absolutely loving) The Bromance Book Club last year and I’m so glad he played a starring role in the latest installment. The fact that he was the founder of the book club immediately fascinated me, what really made this super charming man pick up a romance novel in the first place? Besides learning so much about him, you also get to hear from Liv (Thea’s sister from book one) in alternating chapters. It has the same hilarious humor and supporting cast of characters as the first book but it also has a fresh plot that made this one just as much fun as the first.

Once again this had the perfect balance of sexiness and humor for me and there was also plenty of depth as Liv is dealing with the fallout from not only losing her job, but also from trying to take down her former boss who is a sexual predator and the lowest of the low. There’s a lot going on here but also a lot to love and I’ll be following this series as long as the author keeps writing it!