GUP is back!!!

The Guncle Abroad is like connecting with old friends, and meeting new, on a journey through Europe. Final destination, Lake Como, Italy.

Greg has fallen in love and his future wife is a wealthy Italian whose sister is the "launt" causing Patrick problems. Their hilarious rivalry is riddled with witty one-liners and heart-felt interactions. But before arriving in Italy, Patrick must first take the children on a tour of love as they have trepidations about the upcoming nuptials.

The Guncle's love language tour had me laughing, crying, sometimes both at the sametime. Massie and Greg have truly grown into something special since their time in Palm Springs. Their tour showcases that love is a learning. The locale, the story, its characters make this book a gem.

Rowley has gifted us characters I will never forget.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Five stars for The Guncle Abroad simply because I loved this book!!! Thank you to Steven Rowley for writing a sequel to The Guncle and bringing Patrick, Maisie and Grant back to continue their story as well as other returning characters and introducing us to new ones.

The relationship between the kids and their uncle is so endearing and their adventures - whether stateside or abroad - are so much fun that I would definitely continue reading about them should there be another installment (hint, hint)! I read this book while recovering from back surgery and kept my hand on my kindle throughout the day/night so that anytime I wanted to jump back in, the story and the characters were right there for me.

I cannot wait to host the author at a Literary Luncheon supporting The Fairfield Public Library when The Guncle Abroad is released in May, and will be recommending the book to all in attendance and then some. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the arc!!!

This is a fun, character centric story with so much witty batter and laugh-out-loud scenes. We follow the cast into Italy where more family dynamics and drama ensue. Read if you like light (but BIG) hearted stories. This is a worthy addition to The Guncle story.

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷'𝓽 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓾𝓼 𝓪 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽."

✂️ P L O T L I N E
GUP is back in the sequel of The Guncle. His brother Greg is getting married for the second time in Lake Como Italy and his niece and nephew are not excited. Even though Patrick is single, heartbroken, and lonely, he believes if he can teach them about love then they will come around to the idea of having a step mom. Will Patrick be able to save the day and give everyone the happy ending they deserve?

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
Oh my!!! This book had me laughing so hard and also had me shedding those tears. What a beautiful continuation to The Guncle. This book was just as great, if not even better! Steven Rowley just has the most perfect way with his words that make his characters seem so realistic. This story was so relatable and had the most perfect cast of characters that you wish you could meet in real life!The level of depth really blew me away. This story was emotional and heartfelt and so reflective and thought provoking. I highlighted soooooo many quotes!!! It’s going to be hard to pick my favorite one.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Second chance love💕
💫Witty banter🗣️
💫LGBT themes🏳️‍🌈
💫Emotional and reflective💡
💫Family drama🎭
💫Perfect cast of characters🥰
💫Found family🏠
💫Sequel✌🏽
💫Laugh out loud funny😂
💫Amazing quotes💭
💫Italy backdrop📍

✈️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾✈️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑒𝓇𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒.”


🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Steven Rowley for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Gay Uncle Patrick is back with Maisie and Grant, five years after the death of their mother and his best friend Sara. Their father (and Patrick's brother) is remarrying in Italy and the kids are trying to enlist Patrick to stop the wedding. Instead he takes them on a grand tour of Europe on the way to the wedding, hoping to teach them about love and how to accept their new stepmother.

Patrick has much to teach about love but also much to learn. Cultures and generations clash at the wedding venue as events move toward an unexpected happy ending. Although this is a sequel it can be read on its own. The Guncle was one of my favorite books of 2023, and it was a delight to meet the characters again and see how they've grown.

The Guncle Abroad is set 5 years after The Guncle, which was a 5 star read for me. Patrick, Maise and Grant are together again, this time taking a tour of Europe while his brother Greg prepares for his upcoming wedding in Italy. While the kids, especially Maise, try to talk their guncle into stopping the wedding, Patrick decides to teach them Guncles 5 love languages in hopes he will change their mind before they get to Italy and the wedding.

The first half of the book reads as a bit of a travelogue, with wonderful descriptions of the places they visit and the food they taste (at least they seem great to me, I have never been there so... ) which made me definitely want to add Venice to my bucket list. It is full of funny banter between Patrick and the kids, although it is obvious that the kids have been growing up but not so much Patrick. Once we get to Italy however we introduce new characters, including the launt (lesbian aunt) Patrick loves to hate, and Gregs fiance, and reunites us with sister Clara, who has definitely let her hair down since the first book. There are lots of pop culture references in Patricks jokes, some of which I got and some not so much, and we again see some of the heart along with the humor of the first book.

Overall I enjoyed this book although I don't know if it was possible to match the first one, and there is a storyline towards the end that seemed rushed to me. Overall, however, if you enjoyed the guncle I think you will like this one too, and if you haven't read the first one, what has taken you so long!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Putnam Group for the e-ARC in exchange for my review!

I was so happy when I got to read this book! I absolutely adored the first book and this one certainly met expectations! This book takes place about 5 years after the first book and kept me wanting to read. The story was so cute and sweet and a bit emotional at times but I thoroughly enjoyed it all! I hope that there is another book in this series as I can’t get enough of the characters in these books and their stories! I would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Putnam Group for the ARC in exchange for my review!

It’s the sequel we didn’t know we needed! Thank you @mrstevenrowley for deciding to bring these character back to us. Admittedly, I missed Palm Springs, but that is because I went to Palm Springs because of the original and now I’d have more points of reference. Sigh. Anyway, we have moved ahead five years and we are seeing where all the characters we know and love are at this point. As many would probably agree, Clara was not a fan favorite in book one-SHE WAS HILARIOUS IN THIS ONE! Anytime Clara was in the scene I was laughing! Grant was also hysterical. It was truly like catching up with family you haven’t seen in five years! Like The Guncle, this is full of humor AND heart! I was laughing one minute and crying the next! The new characters also added a new layer to the story, especially Palmina (the kids soon-to-be launt and Patrick’s foe). If you loved The Guncle, you need to read this, it’s a nice way to catch up and close out these characters stories (I would totally read a whole series about them though).

Set 5 years after THE GUNCLE, in this sequel THE GUNCLE ABROAD the reader tours Europe with Patrick and his niece Maisie and his nephew Grant on their way to Patrick's brother Greg's wedding. Patrick is finishing up filming a movie in London with the kids as extras, and Greg is about to marry a marchese named Livia in Italy. The kids are vehemently against their dad remarrying and want Patrick to intervene.

Patrick's banter with Maisie and Grant, now a teen and tween, is slightly elevated, and there are plenty of pop culture references for elder Millienial and Gen X readers like me. The dialogue is snappy like an Amy Sherman-Palladino script. The Europe sightseeing is awesome for armchair travelers, particularly with the food talk and sites visited.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed the front half of this novel. I did have a few quibbles with the back half. The kids Maisie and Grant fade into the background, while Palmina (the lesbian aunt, or "launt") and Clara take on more prominence. Patrick is competitive with both of these women, so his shortcomings become more apparent, and the novel becomes a little less fun. And I have to say that I enjoy the mix of wit and teaching with the kids, but his banter with the adults tends to be a little more bitter.

There is also a plot element introduced in Chapter 19 that quickly changes the novel, and I wasn't "all in" on it. I did like the letter introduced in the airplane scene a lot.

I thought this was a snappy, quick read that had plenty of laughs and a tear or two.

Publishes May 21, 2024

Oh Gup. I loved you the first time around and still love you the second time. This sequel is a fresh story that makes a great summer read.

THE GUNCLE ABROAD returns to the story and characters we all fell in love with during the pandemic; The Guncle was such a charming humorful read that swept us away- and for the most part Steven Rowley successfully brings back a lot of that same "Guncle" magic. This story is set 5 years later; so the kids have grown up a bit, but there father is about to get remarried and they are none too pleased, so Guncle Patrick is taking them on a trip across Europe on the way to the wedding and the kids would love for him to find a way to stop the wedding...!

The first half of the book honestly reads like a travel guide for Europe, there's a lot of guncle humor involved that makes it fun to read- but the novel truly shines in the last 1/3rd of the book when they arrive to Lake Como and the action takes place. I loved where these characters ended up once again just like I loved the first book; Steven Rowley is a charming writer and I will follow him wherever his career leads him. Was it a necessary sequel? Probably not. Am I glad I read it? You bet I am!

I really enjoyed this book as much as I loved the first one! I hope the author continues with this series! I laughed so much! I would definitely recommend this book!

I am so happy that this sequel is just as good as the first Guncle book! It takes place about five years later when the kids are older and life as moved on. Some major events are about to take place in the lives of Maisie and Grant (and their dad) and Uncle Patrick is once again there to help them out and learn a few things about himself along the way. The jokes are fantastic and the story is sweet and emotional at times. I loved it!
Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC!

“There are times when one’s heart dictates and its best to simply stop arguing and obey”…

Five years after Patrick (or, GUP as he is lovingly called), spends a a summer with hs niece and nephew, they are once again in need of the kind of guidance only a Guncle can provide. Their father, Greg, is planning on getting remarried in Italy. Not only is it a whole world away from where they lived but the children (Maisie especially), are still grieving their mother Sara. GUP to the rescue…and as before, he may find himself being rescued right along with the kids.

“The Guncle” was one of my favorite reads, EVER, so when I saw Steven Rowley was writing a sequel, I was beyond excited! Filled with hilarious one-liners in the form of Guncle rules and various song quotes, Patrick once again captured my heart. Although this story has just as many laugh-out-loud moments as its predecessor, at the heart of things is a family grieving. Patrick is able to help them see - and learn himself - that moving forward does not mean you have forgotten your loved one. In fact, it’s just the opposite: loving again as they loved you can be the very best way to honor them. What I found most interesting is that Sara passed away before the events of the first book even happened but she is always very much present in the stories. It’s nearly magical how Steven beautifully honors her memory - indeed you feel like you know her yourself in the pages. Not to mention the beautiful setting of Italy - it provided the perfect backdrop for this story.

This story deserves each and every star! My soul needed it and I am so glad to have gotten to know these characters over the years. I suppose my only question is, where will GUP go next? I can see more adventures - Maisie will be going to Prom in a few years after all :)

Thank you to Netgalley, GP Putnam and Sons and Steven Rowley for the ARC! “The Guncle Abroad” releases May 21, 2o24. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_botttle) shortly :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of The Guncle Abroad.

I loved the Guncle and I was so excited for this sequel! It's been 5 years since the events of the first book and lots has changed. Maisie and Grant are no longer little kids and Patrick's brother Greg is getting remarried to an Italian aristocrat. Patrick is in London filming a show. He is in charge of entertaining the kids for a few weeks while Greg and his fiancee prepare for the wedding. First thing the kids say when they see him is, "Help us stop this wedding." Oh dear.

Patrick is still Patrick while he is navigating being the uncle of a tween and teen who are struggling through a new change. He's a fabulous character still, and the kids are perfect older versions of themselves. My favorite new character is the bride's lesbian sister, who the kids are calling their launt (lesbian aunt). She is an excellent foil to Patrick.

The jokes keep coming and the setting in Lake Como is beautifully described. I had a great time with this one.

📚 The Guncle Abroad
✍ Steven Rowley
📖 Contemporary Fiction
⭐3.5/5

➡ Patrick, Maisie & Grant are back in the follow-up to 2021's smash hit 'The Guncle' and this time, they're headed on a European tour. Expect more Guncle rules, hilarious takes on the many languages of love and a Prosecco-filled Italian wedding.

🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and the author for an advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: I adored The Guncle and find Steven Rowley's humor unique and hilarious so I was thrilled to see that he'd written a sequel that gives readers a lens into the original novel's beloved characters after five years have passed. I really enjoyed the first half of the book where Patrick, Maisie and Grant go on European adventures and he teaches them lessons about life and love. It felt like a perfect follow-up to their dynamic from the first book. Although I really enjoyed reading this as an ARC, I cannot wait for the audiobook of The Guncle Abroad as Steven Rowley frequently narrates his own books and his voice brings an almost impossible level of levity and sass to Patrick's character. As a side note, I would not consider this a stand alone novel and highly recommend reading The Guncle prior to diving into The Guncle Abroad.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I wish that the European galivanting had lasted longer. It felt like each stop on their trip was somewhat clipped and I would have loved to get a bit more of Patrick's lessons and of their adventures before they reached final destination. And where I felt charmed by Patrick's overbearing personality in the first book, some of his antics got to me by the end of this one and I was left feeling a bit frustrated by his need to insert his humor in inappropriate situations. Overall though, this book brought me so much joy and I was giddy to revisit some of my favorite book characters as they encountered another phase in their light approach to grief and living.
◾
Read if you love:
*hilarious family dynamics
*mentorship & life lessons through a funny lens
*love after loss
*coming of age books told from an adult's perspective
*second chance romance
◾
See also: The Guncle, Family Family, Good Company

Maisie, Grant, GUP and the crew are back with a new Dilemma in The Guncle Abroad. Greg has decided to tie the knot for a second time and the kids are not exactly onboard with it. Enter Livia - Greg’s fiancée, Palmina - Grant and Maisie’s “Launt-to-be” and Gustavo aka Groot - Clara’s love interest, and we have an all star cast with laughs a plenty.

I wanted to love this book as much as I did The Guncle but something was a little bit off for me early on in the book. This could, of course, be because I adored The Guncle so much that nothing could ever live up to it. However, the laughs were generously sprinkled in and by the last third of the book I found the appeal of this amazing story and cast of characters return in full force. By that time, I didn’t want the book to end.

There’s something about Rowley’s writing that makes me feel like I am catching up with old friends. Reconnecting with Patrick, Maisie and Grant felt like a long awaited reunion. The beginning of the book lacked the intimate connection I felt to these characters in the first book. That connection grew stronger as the book came to a close. I really, REALLY hope that there will be yet another sequel to this book. Emory was a great addition and I love his wit as much as Patrick’s.

And I want to add that I will pick up any book Steven Rowley writes. I have read three of his books so far and find that his writing style and sense of humor are exactly what I need. I am sure several readers have this same connection.

Thank you to Penguin Group, Putnam Books, NetGalley and especially the author, Steven Rowley, for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.

There's some meta commentary baked into this book regarding the value of sequels that is so spot on. And applies here. Was this as great as the original Guncle? No. Did I love the characters and did it feel like a warm hug to revisit them and see what they were up to 5 years down the road? Absolutely. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and feel like anyone who loved Patrick, Maisie, and Grant the first time around should definitely pick it up. Just manage expectations. The final third of the book is the strongest. The first half reads a bit like a travel guide infused with Patrick-isms. It's a fun read, perfect for a vacation. 3.5 rounded up to 4 because Patrick.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.

It’s cute and an easy read, but it’s missing some of the magic of the first. The Guncle tries to encourage his niece and nephew to give their soon to be stepmother a chance and takes them on a European vacation before the Italian wedding. Some humorous lines and quaintness, but perhaps it’s time to move on from the characters.

An easy 5 star read. The novel has all the quick wit and snappy dialogue of the original. In this one, the Guncle and his beloved niece and nephew are traveling in Europe to attend a wedding with some very loaded emotional stakes. Paris, Venice, Lake Como... the first half of the book takes you around the world. The second half remains mostly in Como and revolves around the wedding. Somehow Rowley still sneaks a surprise twist in there, and tugs at the heartstrings again as he did in the first book.

I can picture this as a great summer read and will easily recommend it to all readers, spanning the spectrum from rom-com to Literary.