The Guncle Abroad did not disappoint! I loved getting back to the world of GUP (aka Patrick), Maisie and Grant. Set 5 years after The Guncle, it's got a bit of a different vibe than the first book. It was so fun to follow them around Europe before landing in Italy for Greg's wedding. What happens leading up to the wedding had my jaw on the floor! And I'm sorry but GUP FOR LIFE - no launts!!! It was so cool to see Patrick's growth over the years and watch him get his own HEA. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think fans of The Guncle will enjoy diving back into these characters' world!

I love these characters. Reading this book was like snuggling up and catching up with some good friends.

Patrick is in charge of his niece and nephew yet again. This time it's for a family wedding - - his brother's. Yep, his brother who lost his wife in the last book is now getting remarried in this one and the kids are not happy about it. And if he's honest, neither is Patrick. The beautiful thing about these books is that Patrick's inner monologue can have me giggling one minute and tearing up the next. The loss of his best friends who was also Greg's wife and the mother of his niece and nephew rocked all their worlds - - just differently. In addition to that, Patrick has never fully dealt with the loss of his partner, Joe from years ago either.

There is so much to feel and learn through the beautiful words in this book. I loved each and every bit of it. When I reached the end, I felt fully satisfied that everyone was finally in a good place but a bit sad because I don't know if another book will come out from here or not. Either way, this one was a real treat. Even if I did have to grab a tissue or ten.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed reading The Guncle Abroad and diving back into Steven Rowley's world, especially as the kids are more grown up!

Patrick O'Hara is back as the Guncle and ready to take the kids abroad! Maisie and Grant are living back with their dad, which is fine, until they hear that he is getting remarried. Knowing this can't happen, they are upset and Patrick is tasked with helping them out... one European country at a time. Tasked with showing the beautiful cities and getting Maisie's nose out of her books, he's got quite the job ahead. But there's nothing the Guncle cannot do....even abroad.

I enjoyed reading The Guncle Abroad but I couldn't help noticing that the jabs Rowley made towards sequels. While this follow-up was well written and features the characters readers love from the first book, I couldn't help but wonder if this book was truly necessary. The middle sections, while whimsical with the traveling adventures, felt dry and lost my interest. I enjoyed how everything was tied together in the end but I wasn't convinced with all the antics that went on throughout the rest of the novel.

GUP is back and he’s abroad! Patrick, Maisie, and Grant are bouncing around Europe as their dad prepares to remarry.

Set five years after the events of The Guncle, Patrick is trying to teach the kids about love as they struggle to accept their dad's new soon-to-be wife.

The Guncle Abroad is chock-full of everything that I loved about the first book and more. The Guncle Rules are back, along with Guncle Love Languages.

Once again, I laughed, I teared up, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

The Guncle Abroad captures the essence of what it means to be a family, with all its imperfections and beauty.

Thank you so much to the author, Netgalley and the publisher Putnam Books for giving me this opportunity to read an ARC copy, especially because I loved The Guncle so much.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

FINALLY, a sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2021! I absolutely loved seeing what GUP, Maisie, and Grant are up to these days, and on a European adventure? YES PLEASE!

Four years later, Greg is moving on and marrying another woman, and Maisie and Grant are not okay with this. Patrick is working on a movie in London, and the kids are sent to him to traipse through Europe on the way to the wedding in Italy. Patrick uses this time to teach them about the Love Languages...but with his own spin, of course! As he is teaching the kids about love, he is learning quite a few things himself.

Almost as heartwarming as The Guncle (I mean, can anything top that one??) The Guncle Abroad brings us a story about family, love, self discovery, and growing older. The ending was perfect, and although there were plenty of tender moments throughout the book, I had a big smile on my face because I just love these characters so much!

The Guncle was one of my favorite books in 2021 so I was ecstatic to be in the presence of Patrick, Maisie, and Grant again. Was book #2 needed after the first installment? No. Did I enjoy every moment of being back with these characters? Absolutely, yes.

In this book you are reunited with the characters from book 1 as they fly to Italy for the wedding of Greg and Livia. The first half is spent as Patrick takes Grant and Maisie sightseeing around Italy to spend some QT with them. The second half of the book focuses on new family dynamics and the upcoming nuptials. Again, just an all around fun time.

I am also excited to see The Guncle coming to screen!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for allowing me to read an early copy of this book!

This was the perfect book to kick off summer vacation. Maise and Grant traipse through Europe with the wittiest and most fun Guncle around as they make their way to Italy for a wedding, learning life lessons and love languages along the way.

If you know me, The Guncle has been one of my top book recommendations to people since I read it years ago. I was thrilled to see the sequel, The Guncle Abroad, published. I loved reconnecting with this family and experiencing their emotional development through another phase of their lives. These books have a special place in my heart and are top recommendations. I loved the narration for both of them so much! They are the best way to hear this story.

So happy to have GUP back!! The Guncle is one of my favorite characters of all time and I was so excited to find out about the sequel.
It was wonderful but the beginning could have been condensed some as it felt like it was dragging. Once we got to Italy the story took hold. Catching up with the kids and seeing how their personalities have developed, watching Patrick move forward with his life, and the getting more flashbacks of Patrick and Sarah were exactly what I was hoping for.
4.5

I had the arc for The Guncle Abroad since last Fall, but put off reading it because I knew I'd be sad as soon as it was over- and boy was I.
I love these characters so much, it's almost like they are real to me- I wish they were!

The Guncle was one of my top reads of 2021 and The Guncle Abroad will definitely be one of my top reads of 2024.

I knew I'd love this book, but I was also a little scared it wouldn't live up to my high expectations. So many times I've been disappointed in the second book in a series, but that was not the case here. While I don't think any sequel could live up to my love for The Guncle, The Guncle Abroad sure came close. I adore Gup, Maisie, and Grant. I loved seeing the kids growing up, but still so close to their uncle. The relationship the three of them have is so very special.

This story was so fun, but just as heartfelt. Once again I laughed at the antics, and cried at the feels. I'd be happy if Mr. Rowley decided to give us a Guncle book every year- I'll never grow tired of these wonderful characters he's created.

Not as good as the first Guncle. LOVED that one and it was a fav of the year that year. Also liked Celebrants better than this one. Almost dnf'd a couple of times and skimmed alot for thr last 30%. Just didn't hold my interest. Best part was the "now" part at the end.

Steve Rowley has done it again! I love the universe he has built in the Guncle series. In this book, the Guncle’s niece and nephew are growing up and grappling with new adolescent challenges. It was clever and fun to jump so far ahead in time and check in with the characters. This book is just as fun, witty and entertaining as Rowley’s first Guncle book. Highly recommend!

The Guncle Abroad was a fun read about the adventures of Patrick, Maisie and Grant together again as they traveled Europe with the end destination of Italy and their father’s wedding. Healing, change and moving forward were central themes throughout this book as well as Patrick’s love language wisdom tidbits.


Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

The Guncle Abroad was a great follow-up to the original! The characters remained the same but also grew in the time between the books, which was a great realistic look at how the kids would have grown between the two books. There is a heartwarming blend of humor and emotions that is often hard to capture but done excellently here. If you are looking for. a way to spend your summer in Europe through a book, there a great descriptions of the places visited that make you feel like you are there! A great pick for a light summer read for those with some wanderlust and want a comforting laugh.

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy!

Although I loved the first book more, this one felt true to the characters developed and continued the story in what felt like an authentic way. Rockets story was heartwarming as usual.

I thought this iteration was fine. It did not make me feel the same way as The Guncle did and this one definitely felt more over the top, forced, and contrived. I guessed what was going to happen. It was ok, but not as good as the first one.

This was a good read. Not as good as the first book but still a decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Steven Rowley's books are always such a treat! I loved the Guncle, and really loved that this book jumped forward five years so we got to see a new depth to the children as they grew up and some time passed since their loss. Patrick's character is just so lovable- so full of warmth and charm and humor! The Italian setting was a bonus too. Five stars!

Long-time actor Patrick is tapped, once again, to fill his Guncle duties in watching after his niece and nephew, but this time as their father prepares to get married. The children, now older and more independent, are determined to stop the wedding to preserve their deceased mother's memory and beg Patrick to help. But Patrick takes them on a whirlwind European adventure to show them what love really is, in the hopes that they give their dad's bride a chance. But as the day inches closer, disaster seems to reign, and Patrick is forced to manage not only the rebellious tweens, but a groom with cold feet and a rival lesbian aunt.

The Guncle (and The Celebrants, for that matter) were both winners in my book, touching and sweet while at the same time humorous in their journeys through grief. This book is no exception, though it doesn't quite live up to the same 10/10 stardom of Rowley's prior two novels. In some ways, I wonder if I had read this book back-to-back with The Guncle, instead of with years between, if I would have enjoyed it more, recalling more of the backstory and characters. On the other hand, almost five years passed in the book universe so perhaps it made more sense to be somewhat detached from the world. Either way, it's a worthy follow-up to the first novel (and cannot be read as a stand-alone).

Thanks to Putnam for my eARC and finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Overall, I did enjoy the story. The message was strong about allowing yourself to love again and more than one person was be your person that you share your life with. I was happy to spend more time with the characters I fell in love with when I read the first book (The Guncle). I thought the middle was a little slow for me which was why I rated 3 star instead of 4 star. I would recommend this book especially if you enjoyed the first one.