Loved this read just as much as I loved the first one. Patrick and the kids are back and they’re going abroad to their fathers wedding.

Patrick O’Hara is finally in a league of his own…professionally. Inspired by his stint as Grant and Maisie’s caretaker after their mother’s passing, Patrick has "un-stalled" his acting career with sit-com, Guncle Knows Best. Still, some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single and lonely after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has family, right? When his brother Greg announces his big, second wedding in Lake Como, Italy, Patrick feels pulled toward Grant and Maisie and flies to Europe to attend the lavish event, only to butt heads with a newfound Launt (Lesbian Aunt), curb his sister Clara from flirting with guests, and desperately restore himself to the favored relative status in the eyes of the kids, as they struggle to adjust to a new normal. But is it Patrick’s job to save the day? Or is simply celebrating love enough to quell the family chaos? Gracing the page with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley delivers the long-awaited sequel to a beloved story, all about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.

Our favorite family is back this time traveling throughout Europe! This was such a fun read. I loved the feeling of the travel that Patrick takes Masie and Grant on. I loved that he was trying to instill these values in his niece and nephew. I have to admit I have some mixed feelings about this book. As happy as I was to see the whole gang back together, it felt kinda forced. Literally in the book, Patrick won't consider a sequel or a reboot of his past roles because he has negative connotations to them, and yet here we are in a sequel. And yes it does feel a little forced. It was a little long and I found myself putting this one down a lot. It almost felt like 2 separate books in one. The first plot involves Patrick and the kids traveling through Europe and trying to teach them how to accept that their father is getting married, and the second is the actual wedding event and the chaos that transpires there.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/21

Thank you @putnam and @netgalley for the eARC of The Guncle Abroad @mrstevenrowley in exchange for an honest review.

📖📖 To be perfectly honest, I loved this book before I even started it. It's been five years since we first met the whole crew and I could not be happier for this reunion abroad. Patrick O’Hara, or GUP, is the quintessential uncle always there for the kids when they need him in his most endearing, unique way. When Maisie and Grant’s dad is getting remarried, there is no better individual to help them charter these new scary waters than their guncle. A hilariously heartwarming jaunt through Europewith non-stop adventure. Now that the kids are older, Patrick can focus his Guncle lessons on Languages of Love. The Guncle Abroad is an absolutely must-read and definitely lived up to the high bar set by the first book!

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There is nothing quite like being reunited with my favorite Guncle. The sequel to Rowley’s best selling book, The Guncle, takes you on an adventurous and swoonworthy trip through Italy as Patrick is in charge of his favorite niblings, Maisie and Grant for the wedding of the year.

This book is a warm hug that any reader would find relatable. Rowley does an incredible job walking his readers through the streets of Europe, specifically Italy, as our main characters learn the secrets to love according to GUP.

This book is the definition of a comfort read and is the perfect sequel to my favorite read of 2021. I cried, I laughed, I even fell in love while reading this hilariously wonderful family story. I think if you are looking for a feel good book this is the one for you. It is truly a bright light in the literary world and Rowley will definitely have all of his readers, old and new, wanting to follow Guncle Patrick anywhere.

I’m almost sad that it’s over because I had so much fun reading it. I can definitely see this being the poolside read of 2024.

I LOVED IT! I was so happy to get to return to these characters I enjoyed so much in The Guncle. In The Guncle Abroad, by Steven Rowley, we pick up five years after the first book. Patrick, Maisie and Grant travel Europe together while Patrick tries to teach them about love. As in the original, hijinks and heartfelt moments abound.

What really struck me about this sequel was how Patrick is helping the kids move through a different stage of grief. In the first book their loss was so fresh and the grieving they were all going through was so new. In this book they have had time to start to heal, but their father’s engagement brings up new fears and issues for them. I also really felt the difference in age, the kids were young in the first book but now are a tween and a teen, and that changed how Patrick related to them. I felt this really brought a new experience to this book, it didn’t just feel like a rehash of the first book.

As with the original this book was funny and touching. The dialog was snappy throughout and it had me LOL’ing and tearing up, and I don’t do that often while reading. I loved the European setting, revisiting some places I have been and the spot on cultural references. My only small gripe was that we didn’t spend more time on their European tour, but that was only because I enjoyed it so much.

I loved this new journey with Patrick, the kids, and the rest of the family - both old and new. I highly recommend The Guncle Abroad.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam via NetGalley for the digital ARC to review.

I am not going to lie: I LOVED this book. I throughly enjoyed the first book by Steven Rowley, The Guncle, and was fully expecting for his follow up The Guncle Abroad to suffer from what is commonly known as second book syndrome. To my delight, it did not fall into that category at all.

The Guncle Abroad opens several years after the first book, finding Patrick once again spending crucial Guncle (Gay Uncle) time with his niblings; Maisie, now on the verge of teenage angst-dom and Grant, not quite a teenager not quite as lispy as he once was. Patrick himself has changed. Now once again a household name, he finds himself preparing the kids and himself for the second wedding of his brother Greg. As he dispenses his wisdom on love and life to the kids, the all-knowing Guncle has to contend with the not so well going aspects of his own life; his break up with Emory, his need to step back and take a break, and worst of all….turning 50! (His stage has him turning 49, but that’s his little secret).

In the midst of all these changes, The Guncle is escorting the kids through Europe on their way to the wedding in Rome, trying to convince them that its not going to be bad and to give their stepmother a chance…but what about this Launt? (Lesbian Aunt) The relationships in this book are alone with the good feels you get when reading this novel. I highly recommend this to everyone and I highly recommend the first one as well. It will give you all the warm fuzzies you could ever want.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for the advanced reader copy!

While I thoroughly enjoyed The Guncle, this one seems a bit forced and not as enjoyable or enticing. The characters have aged by 5 years, but don't really seem to have grown or learned from their prior experiences - not to belittle the size of there loss(es), but learning from ones mistakes feels obvious.

For those who loved the Guncle, the sequel was just as fun and heart-warming.

The Guncle abroad is another adventure starring Patrick, Maisie, and Grant 5 years later. Patrick is back in his career, but is newly post-breakup. Maisie and Grant are unhappy with their father's impending nuptials. The trio adventures through Europe learning about love, grief, and all the biggest life lessons. The middle was full of witty banter and adorable curmudgeon-y characters. The ending is the type that swells your heart, feels complete, and maybe leaves your face soggy with joy tears.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

5 STARS!

The Guncle stole my heart, so I couldn't contain my excitement when news of a sequel emerged! The arrival of The Guncle Abroad was like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day.

In this absolutely delightful sequel, we join Patrick as he continues his journey with Maisie and Grant, navigating the twists and turns of family dynamics. When Greg drops the bombshell of his impending remarriage, Patrick steps in to support the kids through this challenging time. Off to Europe, they go on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Rowley's knack for crafting genuine characters shines through again as we laugh, cry, and empathize with Patrick and the kids. The story's emotional depth is remarkable, leaving us pondering life's complexities long after the final page. With each turn of phrase, Rowley proves his literary prowess, delivering a narrative that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. The Guncle Abroad effortlessly captures the essence of family, love, and resilience.

The story lingers in my heart and my mind, earning its place among the all-time favorites, right new to its predecessor. Highly recommend BOTH The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Guncle Abroad

3.5 ⭐️

I had to pick up The Guncle Abroad as I headed abroad for vacation! Anyone else like to theme their reads on vacation?

The Guncle Abroad picks up five years after the original Guncle book, with the same quirky characters and even a few new ones added in. Maisie and Grant are pushing hard against their father’s marriage in Italy to his new wife while Patrick is also figuring out why he left Emory.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first. A lot of the same funny voices are in there but it felt like the plot didn’t have as much focus. The twist at the end didn’t feel quite as well thought out with Emory and Patrick not spending much of the book at all talking. Still enjoyed some of the funny lines!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. I think this is definitely a case of should've stopped after one because the first book was perfection! It's hard to follow that up. Poor Patrick started to get on my nerves and the kids were older, but still being portrayed as their younger selves. It didn't work for me.


Thanks Putnam Books via NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

We meet back up several years after the book The Guncle. This time, everyone is overseas for Greg's wedding. Patrick has the kids again in an attempt to get them more on board with their dad remarrying. I was so happy to be back with these characters again but some of the magic of the first book was missing. It just felt like it read a little slower and was trying to recreate some of the same things we loved about the first book but they were missing. I will still recommend it because the characters are great, there are a lot of funny parts, and it was so nice to get to check back in with this family.

I absolutely loved reading THE GUNCLE last year. It ended up being one of my favorite books of the year! I was so excited to dive back in to this world with THE GUNCLE ABROAD.

Steven did NOT disappoint!!! The amount of heart and love is his books is truly incredible. The characters are written in a way where you just want to hug them and be friends with them. I really enjoyed watching Patrick’s relationship grow with his niece and nephew. Overall I thought it was a great quirky and heartfelt sequel to THE GUNCLE.

Okay this book was a pleasant surprise. I requested it because it sounded entertaining and I didn't mind the idea of going overseas with Patrick, Maisie, and Grant. At the time I hadn't even read The Guncle yet but did my due diligence and read it in hopes of getting approved and luckily I did.

I'll be honest, this sequel started off slow for me but since I had enjoyed The Guncle, I kept going. It really picked up by 50% and I was so invested in what was going to happen with the wedding. The story caught me completely off guard and had me ugly crying, like mascara running down my face before school pick up towards the end, but they were happy tears. There was just something about this one for me that had more depth than the first. You get plenty of new Guncle rules about love and the vacation vibes were on point as GUP, Grant and Maisie travel through Europe.

I highly recommend The Guncle Abroad! 4.25 stars for this beautiful story. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Guncle. It was my fave read of 2021 so I couldn’t wait to catch up with Patrick and the kids in this sequel. Unfortunately the first half of the book I found a little slow and as much as I loved some of the play on words from the first book it felt more forced in this one and I started to eye roll a bit. That all being said I still found Patrick delightful and by the end GUP of course had me tearing up. 🥹

I was really excited to dive back into the Guncle universe and this was a fun sequel to the original. The original book was absolute perfection, and while this was a strong follow-up, I didn’t feel the same emotional connection to the storyline as the first.

That being said, I loved being able to further explore Patrick and his relationships with all of his different family members, including of course Grant and Maisie.

I really wish the book had spent more time on Patrick and Emory! I know Patrick’s guncle duties are the main focus of these stories but I’d have loved some more chapters about their relationship.

I hope the author will write a third because these characters are truly charming.

I loved the Guncle and was sooooo happy to read more. Patrick is such a good character and I personally felt his mid-life crisis angst. The supporting characters were great and nicely fleshed out where needed. Really hoping there will a 3rd installment.

This brought on all of the emotions of the first book in the best possible way. I laughed, I cried and I grew alongside this gorgeous cast of characters. Rowley’s ability to write banter where every single line is a reference/pun/perfectly placed comeback is unparalleled. The characters are so human and their struggles and support for one another are so beautiful. I love how Rowley handles complex topics like grief and love and family. And I always love when books travel to places I’ve been, especially the inclusion of Salzburg in this one!! This was the best trip back with this crew and I am so delighted by this book! Also the acknowledgments including reference to a Guncle movie has me 🤯

Thank you to PRH and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed reading this book and following along with Patrick, Maisie and Grant! I did not read the first book in the series so I was not familiar with all of the characters and the backstory but I felt like the author did a great job of making us feel connected to the characters and the story. I love Patrick’s character and I found myself wishing I had a Guncle like him! He was hilarious and made me laugh multiple times. It definitely made me want to go back and read the first book! Overall it was very enjoyable and I liked the traveling aspect. It was a lot of fun. 3.5 stars

You must read The Guncle before reading this story. (If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend the audio version, where the author is also the narrator.)

Maisie is only 14 years old in this story, and while I’m 50, I related to her so much in this book. In the first book the kids were dealing with the loss of their mother, and in this one they are dealing with their father remarrying. While in The Guncle it’s the kids that need the support of “Gup”, I feel in The Guncle Abroad it’s more Patrick that needs their support, even with all that Maisie is dealing with. I love how no matter what, this family comes together to support each other.

While there are still fun times and humor, like Patrick having to deal with the addition of the Launt, I feel in this sequel, it has a more serious undertone to it. The kids are older, the feelings are deeper, and there are certainly more emotions.

I hope we see more from this family, because I don’t feel as though their story is done quite yet.

Note: As I began reading this book, I thought back to the The Guncle and thought what a great movie it would be. I was pleasantly surprised while reading the acknowledgements that one is already in the works. I can’t wait to see the book come to life on the big screen.