Do you ever have books that have been sitting on your shelves for way too long and when you finally get around to them you ask yourself why did it take me so long to pick this book up?

This is what happened to me after I read The Guncle. This book had me laughing out loud while quietly listening on audiobook and tears in my eyes as the characters all dealt with their loss and grief.

I loved Patrick’s flamboyant ways while witnessing his softer side with his niece and nephew. Can highly recommend the audio of this book.

Steven Rowley’s The Guncle was a hit in the USA upon its release in mid 2021, but it’s taken a year for it to be picked up by an Australian publisher so I’m a little late to the party.

Patrick, a reclusive former television celebrity, is completely unprepared when his brother asks him to take care of his children, nine-year-old Maisie and six-year-old Grant for the summer while he attends a rehab facility. Given they’ve just lost their mother to cancer, Patrick doesn’t think he is the right person to take charge of his niece and nephew, but Greg is insistent, GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is exactly what they need.

Patrick has no real idea how to manage the children on a daily basis, and his general sense of irreverence and sarcastic sense of humour makes him a poor role model, but while he makes mistakes, he does commit to helping them deal with their grief.

There are plenty of hilarious conversational exchanges and situations, like Grant’s midnight encounter with Patrick’s very fancy toilet on their very first night. Some may say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but it rarely fails to raise a laugh from me.

The Guncle is more than just funny though, it offers surprising emotional depth as both Patrick and the children grapple with their losses. There are some truly poignant moments as Patrick talks to them about their late mom, Sara, and recalls his own lost love, Joe.

While Patrick is on the verge of being a larger-than-life character, the children are portrayed realistically. Grant is voluble, full of boundless curiosity and energy, while Maisie is still a child but a little more vulnerable and serious. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these three characters and the journey of their relationship.

Written with warmth and humour, The Guncle was a delightful and heartwarming read.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Having loved Lily and the Octopus also by Steven I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this book also. It was an absolute delight to read from start to finish, yes the premise was a little sad in that the 2 children needed a family member to take them in and care for them but oh the fun they had together. If I wasn't smiling whilst reading this I was literally laughing at some of the moments, the characters all felt very authentic and I loved Guncle Patrick so much. He is one of those characters that I started missing as soon as I finished the book...sooo I am hoping he turns up in another book also! (Hint hint Steven! 😉). Oh and if you haven't read Lily and the Octopus and are a dog person, I highly recommend it as well, I have never cried so much reading a book- but in the best of ways - having lost 2 of my own Corgis to cancer also it hit me hard but I loved it so much also. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#stevenrowney #theguncle #netgalley #goodreads #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #thestorygraph #amazonkindle #amazonaustralia #bookqueen #bookstagram

The Guncle is a warm, inviting book that gives you all the feels. A wonderful tale about a 'guncle' and his niece and nephew navigating the journey of grief together.

This is my first reading experience of Stephen Rowley, and this is one of my favourite books of the year so far.
Rowley has delivered a hilarious, heart-felt story of family. I laughed out loud, and cried onto the page several times. The Guncle tells the story of Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick, an aging ex-celebrity, who takes on the care of his niece and nephew, following the death of his sister-in-law.
Patrick's flailing and sometimes misguided parenting methods are a joy to behold, proving that being a parent is hard, but one of the most rewarding things you can do. Patrick comes to understand the enormity of the role he has taken on, and fights to see it through, even if people tell him he should not.
This was an absolute delight of a book, and I will now be exploring the rest of the Rowley collection.

A moving and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star who is left to care for his niece and nephew after an unexpected family tragedy.

What sounds like a heartbreakingly sad storyline is anything but. Filled with heartfelt moments and humour, you finish this book with a happy heart and a smile on your face.

A new favourite of mine.
Everyone needs a Guncle in their life 💚

#netgalley #theguncle publication date 01 June 2022
OMG I absolutely and truly adored this book, loved every minute of it. Somehow Steven Rowley (author) manages to make a terribly heartbreaking situation, feel good and inspiringly humorous. I read this book with tears and a smile. I highly recommend reading this book to absolutely everyone. I think it would be fantastic if there is a sequel. 5/5 stars

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SUCH a good read. It took me a moment to settle into the tone, but once I got used to Patrick and his personality, I fell absolutely head over heels.

This is really a story about grief, and yet it manages to be hilarious and fun and ridiculous and heartwarming instead of tragically sad, which is what you would imagine a book about grief to be like. It’s honest and raw and real. I loved the way grief was approached; as something to talk about, to not shy away from, as something that seems so all-encompassing that finding joy somehow feels like betrayal. But it’s those moments of pure joy that these characters share together that give this story so much heart and warmth.

Patrick is a character I found wholly relatable. I can’t even explain why, because we are two VERY different people, and yet I saw so much of myself in him. In his approach to children, in his self deprecation, in his emotional and physical distance from people, in all his guilts and hangups and diversions. In his love of brunch. I really, truly felt a kinship with Patrick.

The kids were sweet and I think they were really well written. They were inquisitive and moody and had short attention spans and the way they handled the loss of their mum felt very realistic to me. And they drove me insane at times which is why I never want children of my own!

I loved JED, the throuple next door, especially John. Like, I actually want John to be my best friend. For such a minor character, he managed to take up such a huge place in my heart. And on the topic of minor characters who have my heart, I really ended up adoring Emory. The scene with him and Patrick in bed with the children warmed me to my core.

But now we come to the one, single reason this book isn’t a full five stars for me. Clara, the sister. She’s not really MEANT to be likable, and I completely understand that, but it’s the way she’s written that bothers me. She’s essentially a man-hating feminist, and it’s lazy and reductive. She could have said and done everything she did without throwing in “man-hating feminist” as a character trait. I’m aware these people exist, but to write the ‘villain’ of the story as such really rubbed me the wrong way. It added nothing to her personality other than to make her even more unlikable. Feminism is a fantastic thing and with an otherwise male-heavy cast, it just felt like a bad white-straight-upperclass-male joke.

“Live your life to the fullest every single day, because every day is a gift.”

Patrick aka Gup (Gay Uncle Patrick) loves his niece Masie and nephew Grant. They often come and visit him in Palm Springs and Patrick loves going home to Connecticut for the holidays to see them. Patrick hasUncle down pat but as for caretaking two kids he’s out in the deep end.

Masie and Grant sadly loose their mother and their father has a crisis of his own. Patrick finds himself the primary care giver of his niece and nephew. He’s got no idea what he’s doing but his Guncle Rules are ready to go.

Since loosing the love of his life Patrick his spent years hiding in the desert, leaving his acting career behind and has grown accustomed to the lifestyle which doesn’t exactly cater for and six and nine year old.

Even with all the jokes and tears Patrick embraces his new responsibility and really begins to question life, what once was so important is not longer a thought. Being the best Gup is the greatest feeling in the world.

Oh my heart, this book was equal parts sassy, hilarious, sad and uplifting. You instantly fall in love with this family and enjoy watching the roller coaster of emotions unfold. The family dynamic was perfection, the kids were too cute and it was so damn whitty.

This is one you could recommend to anyone, thank you for the advance copy!

A really enjoyable book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Schitts Creek as the main character gives older Dan Levy vibes. 4/5 stars.

Joyful. Fun & funny. Heartwarming. A giggle-inducer with laugh-out-loud moments. Fast, funny dialogue. And so, so sweet.

The Guncle is THE book I’ll now be recommending to anyone looking for a fun read. It was an absolute delight!

There’s a beautiful balance of sadness, grief, wisdom, love and fun in this story. I wish I’d highlighted passages while I read as there were so many beautiful words of wisdom.

The dialogue between GUP, Maisie and Grant was hilarious and a highlight of the book. Loved the Palm Springs setting too.

This was a fabulous read. Plus, it made me really, really want a mimosa (just wave an orange over the glass!)

What a delight! I want to spend the summer with this guncle. I knew this would be funny but I didn't realize it would be so cleverly funny. It's also sweet and poignant. I love a book that can make me laugh out loud and tear up...almost at the same time. It really has everything to give all the feels. I was prepared to enjoy it but I truly loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to the publisher for the digital copy of this book to read and review.

The Guncle is being released a little later in Australia than in the US, so I was aware of the hype surrounding it, and was a little apprehensive about reading it. There’s always the risk with such hyped books that the expectations will outweigh the pay off. In this case the hype is so well deserved, I’m happy to say. And I’m finishing the book, can I say I just wanted to go back and read it again.

I won’t go into the synopsis as people can get amongst that on goodreads. Instead, know this book is about profound grief and loss, loneliness and being alone, and the ties that bind within families - the push and pull in relationships, familial expectations, and unresolved feelings that bubble to the surface. If The Guncle doesn’t impact in some small way I’ll be very surprised. It’s powerful, poignant and all together joyful as well.

Loved it. Loved it.

I have wanted to read this for SO long and finally saw it was on @netgalley so quickly hopped to it! And it did not disappoint.

This is laugh out loud funny, crying real tears sad and a book I will continue to recommend for a feel good romantic family novel.

Gay-Uncle-Patrick aka GUP, after some tragic circumstances, is asked to look after his niece and nephew in his Palm Springs home & I can just imagine it happening. Mimosa’s for breakfast, laying by day beds by the pool and fun parties.

I appreciated the relationship that GUP developed with Maisie and Grant and the Guncle rules that started within the group. This isn’t just a story about a Gay Uncle, it’s about being who you want to be, it’s about letting life take you and throwing you in the bin, and how you get out again. It’s about family, love, resilience and grief.

@sarahsbookchat mentioned that #DanLevy needs to play this character and I can’t unsee it.

🏳️‍🌈Book Review

The Guncle is about GUP: Gay Uncle Patrick. After his best friend and sister-in-law passes away and his brother goes to rehab, someone needs to take the kids and why not Patrick? He’s an out of work actor, living in the desert with a pool and a gay throuple for neighbours… and the kids are about to learn a thing or two.

This book was so sweet, it was about the innocence of children and the enormity of grief, family and the healing process. There are moments to make you laugh and moments that make you want to cry.

If you are a queer person with young kids in your life you might just see yourself in Gay Uncle Patrick. Great for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea. This book comes out in Australia on June 1st. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterau for this eARC.

What a treat this book was! Absolutely adorable! I think it will be my new go-to rec for feel good books. 😊❤️
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Due to some very sad circumstances, Patrick’s niece and nephew have to come live with him for the Summer (yes there are some sad parts scattered throughout) - so he becomes Gay Uncle Patrick - GUP or Guncle. I was laughing out loud for almost every page at the start. Patrick’s wit, and sarcasm is hilarious. The character and relationship arcs are beautiful and heart warming.
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I read the whole thing picturing an older Dan Levy as GUP, and now I want a movie version with him as the lead. So perfect!
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Thanks NetGalley!! Looooved it!!!