Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

4.5! Heartwarming and heartfelt, the guncle is back five years later. I love these characters and this story so much. The banter is top tier and it has some real laugh out loud moments. Such a good job exploring grief in all roles (parents, partner, friend) and how grief creates challenges across a lifetime. I even shed a few tears. Need another sequel asap (kids go to college maybe?)

Absolutely loved book one and this was almost as good! I thought the traveling Europe would take a larger part of the book, but absolutely loved all the details worked throughout.

Did we need a sequel? Honestly, I'm not sure. I loooooooved The Guncle, it was in my top ten of the year when it was released. However, this fell a bit flat and I could've done without all of the Euro-trip stuff. The kids are older so it wasn't AS funny, but it was still pretty funny. I liked the second half of the book better than the first, and I feel like the second half redeemed it for me. 3.25-3.5 rounded up.

This story picks back up five years later from when Patrick spent the summer with his niece and nephew.

While his career is taking off again his relationship has crumbled. His brother Greg is planning a wedding in Italy with his girlfriend Livia but the kids mostly Maisie isn’t happy about it. She’s determined to cancel the wedding with Patrick’s help.

While they travel through Europe, Patrick is trying to instill in them his rules for love. All the forms it can take, and the different ways people show their love.

The antics, the snarky quipy comebacks are part of what I loved about the original book and this one delivered the same. His competitive nature against the launt (lesbian aunt) and the kids love of her lead to many funny moments.

It ended exactly how it should have and I loved the journey!

I didn't realize that I needed a sequel to The Guncle until I became reunited with Patrick, Maisie, Grant and the whole gang. Patrick is back for his guncle duties and is still his witty and sarcastic self.. There were so many times during the book that I found my self laughing out loud at his one-liners. Maisie and Grant are five years older now are are having trouble dealing with the grief of losing their mom and having their dad remarry so Patrick takes them on a summer tour of Europe before settling in Italy for Greg’s wedding. There was such a nice balance of fun as well as emotion and Patrick’s relationship with the kids was heartwarming. While I did enjoy The Guncle more, this will be such a fun read to enjoy while on vacation this summer!

It was fun to catch up with Patrick, Maisie, Grant, and the rest of the crew. This time in Europe as Greg is about to remarry. This felt different from the first book. Having the group travel around Europe was interesting, but didn't really seem to have much to do with the story. I wish we had known Livia more before getting to the wedding. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as the original, it was still fun to read. If you liked the first book this one is worth picking up. However, if you haven't read the first book I think you can still enjoy this story. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a sequel, and I do feel like reading the first one first would make sense in this scenario – at least, to understand the established relationships between the main characters. Both outings here will make you laugh and cry!

In the first book, Patrick learns to embrace his role as GUP – Gay Uncle Patrick – to Maisie and Grant. During the course of that book, he coins many “Guncle Rules,” lessons he thinks they should learn. In this one, he starts teaching them “Guncle Love Languages,” hoping to help them understand why their dad (Greg) wants to remarry.

We catch up with Patrick while he is filming a movie in London. His brother’s impending wedding will take place in Italy, where the bride’s family resides. Greg confides that the kids are struggling with all this, so Patrick jumps in to spend some time with them before the big day. They meet up with him in London, and will travel slowly around Europe until making it to Italy.

One of the first things that stood out to me, when reading, was how silly and fun some of the quips are. It brought me right back into the world of these characters, as GUP & Co love some good zingers and goofy portmanteaus. Early on, Patrick even laments the lameness of sequels. A funny and “meta” touch.

I enjoyed their travels, and the “Love Languages” along the way – which is why I was a little surprised that their little entourage met up with the rest of the wedding party in Italy at only about 40% into the book!

The next portion brings a lot of drama, and brings up memories of Sarah, the deceased mother of Maisie and Grant. There are also shenanigans, of course, as Patrick strikes up a rivalry with the kids’ soon-to-be lesbian step-aunt. The group still goes on some adventures, albeit within short rides from the hotel; and GUP still tries to impart some bits of wisdom here and there. Overall, the back half felt a little heavier, though.

(Despite the recurring Groot-related jokes. You read that right.)

The last bit throws in a few surprises, and some big life changes for everyone involved. I won’t spoil those, though.

Oh my gosh what a delight! This book really brought me back to the first time I read The Guncle, with unmitigated joy and heartache and so much fun. I didn't connect quite as well with the characters as I did the first time (honestly, probably because the ages of the kids are too close to my own niece and nephew and I refuse to believe they can be that old!) but overall, it was still a delight to get to know everyone again. I don't know that I got any more closure from this story than I did the first time, but I don't regret the story overall!

Everyone’s favorite GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is
back with Maisie and Grant in tow in the sequel to the hilarious The Guncle. This time GUP is traipsing around Europe with the niblings prior to their father’s marriage to the famously wealthy Italian, Livia. Maisie wants Patrick to convince her father to stop the wedding. Instead, Patrick tries to share his lessons on love as they eat and tour their way through Salzburg, Paris and Venice.

What Patrick didn’t count on was competition from Palmina, Livia’s lesbian sister, or “Launt” (Lesbian Aunt) as the kids refer to her. With hilarity and heart, Rowley again tackles the tough topics. It does drag a little in the middle but Clara keeps us distracted with her wildly flirtatious behavior. Not as good as the first one but still a fun read for summer.

Thank you to @netgalley @putnambooks for this #gifted digital copy.

(4.5 stars) I adored The Guncle and was particularly excited to hear about a sequel and here it is! The Guncle Abroad brings us some of our old favorite characters: Patrick (obviously!), Maisie and Grant, and their dad. And we get a whole slew of terrific new characters! The story takes place five years after the first book, so everyone is five years older - and Patrick is obsessing about his age. He has broken up with Emory, who is much younger than he is, because he feels Emory won’t want to be with someone his age, as he gets older (he’ll be turning 50 soon). Maisie and Grant’s dad, Greg, is planning to remarry - and the kids are none too happy about this. Patrick takes the kids on a European trip to both distract them and get them used to the idea. Greg’s fiancee, Livia, happens to be the daughter of a super-wealthy Italian family (a titled one!) and the wedding is scheduled to take place in Lake Como in Italy.

I laughed a lot while reading The Guncle Abroad - but I also found myself weeping at times. Without it being a spoiler, my favorite part might be their experiences in Salzburg, Austria, on a Sound Of Music tour! I finished this on a long flight and I’m sure the passengers around me were wondering what I was reading on my Kindle - because I was either smiling or crying!

Two tiny things I didn’t love - Patrick’s animosity toward Palmina, Livia’s lesbian sister. I thought it was a bit uncalled for. I guess he was worried that she would supplant him in the kids’ affection. The other thing is that the book is structured as Now; Four Weeks Earlier; and Now. I think it would have had more impact if the story was just chronological, if the first Now section was incorporated with the second Now section. But that’s a tiny thing. Overall, I loved The Guncle Abroad.

While you could technically read this as a standalone, you’d miss an awful lot of character development and background.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'm usually a romance reader (I would call this more fic-lit), but I made an exception here, and it didn't disappoint. Funny, charming, and totally heartwarming, this was a true feel good read, and I hope we haven't seen the last of these characters.

What a wonderful sequel! "The Guncle Abroad" brought the same charm, laughs, and heartache as the first, but was still fresh and engaging. If you loved the first book, you must read this one. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. My beloved GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is back in the sequel to one of my favorite reads from 2023, “Guncle”! I loved how that book tackled real life issues of grief and growth in a very light-hearted manner, with many many laughs along the way. I loved how the author gave us a book that will forever serve as a reminder to us all of how important family truly is!

Although I did enjoy this sequel, it was not what I was anxiously waiting for. Believe me when I say it pains me to say it! I do NOT want to feel this way. I imagined being delighted and laughing out loud and so happy after reading this sequel. Despite the fact that I did enjoy some parts of this story, it just wasn’t the fantastic blast I was expecting. I was so excited to see GUP in Europe in a caftan and learn more about his skin care routine, hear more “Guncle Rules” and see more of his niece and nephew. “Guncle” was such an emotional and charming book and set the bar pretty high for any sequel to live up to.

There were so many parts of this story that were amazing. I am grateful for the Italian “LAUNT”, ascots, “Guncle Love Language” and so much more!

Would I recommend this book? Yes, BUT not with my whole heart! I was emotionally invested in “Guncle” and it tugged at my heartstrings and made me laugh in a way that only a 5-⭐️ read can and the sequel just didn’t conjure the same emotions!

With that being said, would I still read a third book about this beautiful little family? A thousand times YES! I am still waiting for the screen adaptation of GUNCLE, with my ideal GUP being played by David from Schitts Creek!

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Follow me on Instagram @i.am.book.a.licious for more reviews like this!

An emotionally driven novel that is also outrageously funny. I adored The Guncle and couldn’t wait to read this.
All of the characters are delightful and I love Patrick’s dry humor. His relationship and adventures with Grant and Maisie are endearing and fun. The banter between him and Greg is hilarious. The ending was just wonderful!! I hope there’s a third in the near future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I saw that Steven Rowley had written a sequel to one of my favorite books of 2021, I had mixed emotions. Rarely does a sequel to a book as fresh and fun as The Guncle live up to the original, and while The Guncle Abroad missed the high bar set by its predecessor, it came really close, and I highly recommend it to Guncle fans.

The new book is set 5 years after Maisie and Grant's summer with Uncle Patrick, and their father is getting remarried. Patrick is tasked with the care of the children, now 9 and 13 years old, in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and when they ask their beloved guncle to intervene and stop the wedding, Patrick decides to teach them some lessons about love as they travel Europe.

Most of the book entailed Patrick, Maisie and Grant visiting several European vacation spots (Paris, Austria, Venice) and reigniting their own bond while Patrick sought to learn more about why the children opposed the marriage. It wasn't until they returned to the wedding venue that I really loved the book and felt the same emotional tugs that made me love these characters.

Definitely worth a read, especially for those that loved the first book. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putman for the digital ARC of The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley. The opinions in this review are my own.

Steven Rowley is an auto buy author for me. His books are amazing, filled with love and comedy! This book was everything I wanted and more!

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC!

The Guncle was one of my favorite reads of 2022 and I even got to meet “virtually” Steven Rowley to discuss this masterpiece! I remember when I finished reading it, all I wanted to know was what happened to Patrick and the rest of the crew! I really enjoyed The Guncle Abroad and it brought back the love I had for the original characters as well as introducing some new favorites! Love how Rowley is able to write about grief and how it’s different for each character, but also finding the humor to help ease the pain. This is a summer must read so grab your copy now! 4.5⭐️

I wasn't sure that The Guncle needed a sequel, but it was so lovely to be back with Patrick, the kids, and all the other characters as they navigate both Europe and life. It's such a perfect blend of touching and heartwarming and snarkily humorous that readers are sure to fall right back in love.

Guncle Patrick is back, and he takes his niece and nephew on a European adventure before their father's upcoming wedding to a woman they don't like. Once again, Maisie and Grant remind Patrick about what life and love are about. With humor and snark, this sequel to The Guncle does not disappoint.

That's not to say that this is a perfect book (like the first one was.) I didn't love the stereotypical new characters (although some of that does get explained). I loved the European settings and think that Rowley was smart in that and keeping what worked and adding to it. This may not be my favorite book of the year, but it was still a win and is a memorable and enjoyable addition to the Rowley cannon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I was not able to complete this story but did enjoy getting to return to the world of Patrick and the children. I thought that the plot would be interesting but found myself getting muddled up in the international landmarks.