I'm just cutting onions. Don't mind me.
No, but Rowley and Patrick do it again. Another great read about our favorite GUP and his niblings, as well as his love life and perception of himself at midlife. I really enjoyed the mixture of deeper themes like grief, friendship, and growing older balanced with what feels like the lesser stakes rivalry between Patrick and the "launt" (I loved this plot line). The only thing that didn't work for me throughout was the "love languages" as a new kind of Uncle Rules, which I didn't think was needed. I did cry at the end, and I did enjoy the ride.

Everyone's favorite guncle is back. The kids are teenagers now and dad is getting remarried. It's not an easy transition for Masie and Grant since they are still missing their mom. Guncle Patrick takes them on a trip through Europe where he tries to teach them about love while pondering what it means himself. It was nice catching up with Patrick and the kids. Everyone is going through growing pains even Patrick things are changing and exploring that with everyone.

“The Guncle Abroad” is one of the best books I have ever read!! This amazing book made me laugh (a lot), dream, hope and wish that their story would never end. Patrick won my heart from the first page and I eagerly followed him as he traveled through Europe with his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant. I feel this book is part travelogue, part family drama, and also a testament to love, which we know is all you need. I loved how Patrick used song lyrics to describe his Love Language list to the kids, and I found myself singing along to all the songs he had chosen. Patrick is a thoughtful man, with a gentle soul and the kids were lucky to have him in their lives. He has taught them about life, love, happiness and forgiveness and he loves them with all of his heart. I had fun tagging along with them on the train ride through the Chunnel on their way to France and I could just imagine seeing the beautiful lights of Paris through their eyes.

Patrick’s humor was infectious and he had me laughing so loud that my husband wanted to know what I was reading. I proceeded to read aloud to him, sharing my favorite parts of the book. The scenery throughout their trip, especially as they arrived in Lake Como, had me wishing I was on the guest list. I loved the interactions between the characters, the special memories they had of Sara and the fun they had when they were together. Everyone must read this life-changing book and I hope to someday meet Mr. Rowley to thank him for writing such a memorable and heart-warming story!

I absolutely adored The Guncle, and was delighted to find this sequel just as charming. I loved seeing the development and growth of the characters in the 5 years since the last book took place. I loved all the tidbits of wisdom and humor sprinkled throughout. The writing is clever and insightful, and feels light even when the content is not. There were so many tender moments. This book warmed my heart once again through laughter and tears. Another five star read for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Group for sending me an ARC of The Guncle Abroad in exchange for an honest review.

The Guncle Abroad picks up five years after The Guncle. Patrick’s in the second act of his again-ascendant career, wrapping up filming a movie in London. Patrick’s niece Maisie and nephew Grant are upset because their Dad/Patrick’s brother Greg is getting remarried, and they’ve asked Patrick to try to stop the wedding. Patrick reluctantly agrees for their sake, but only if they travel to the wedding with him and let him try to show them why they should instead chose to accept their father’s new love and their second chance at having maternal love in their lives. However, the kids are 11 and 14 now, and much more immune to Patrick’s charms and persuasion, and who is he to tell anyone about love and family and happiness given that he’s about to turn 50 and recently ended his nearly five-year relationship with Emory?

There’s a meta scene in The Guncle Abroad where Patrick and his agent bicker about the value of sequels. It’s funny, but it does draw attention to the question of whether this sequel and its story were necessary to Patrick’s story. The Guncle was about a gay man who had turned his back on the world ten years earlier when his partner died learning to renter the world by spending a summer helping his niece and nephew begin to heal from the death of their mother. It was charming, funny, and sweet. By the end, you knew the kids were going to be ok and Patrick had reentered the world and found love to boot. The Guncle Abroad is similarly charming, funny, and sweet, and by the end, you once again know the kids are going to be ok. As for Patrick, he’s in a much better place from the start, so his story is a bit more of a standard midlife crisis tale. Still, by the end, you once again know Patrick is going to be ok too.

So does The Guncle Abroad pass its own sequel test? Maybe. It’s not bloated or stuffed with B-team actors or characters—his sister Clara comes off much better here, and Livia’s sister Palmina is no one’s Ewok 😄. I’d probably lean towards saying that The Guncle had given everyone their happy ending that this book had to (briefly) undo. But Patrick’s sequel test overlooks another important consideration: is the story fun? Are these characters you want to spend more time with? And the answer here is an easy yes. I’m still not sure this book was necessary, but it was entertaining to dip back into the lives of Patrick and his family. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

This sequel to The Guncle is just as witty and charming as our initial introduction to Patrick, Maisie, and Grant. I was skeptical that the magic of the first book could be recreated, but even though the characters have aged, their unique bonds remain the bedrock of the story. The different stops through Europe were fun and my favorite by far was "the acts of service" during their visit to Austria. The tension between Palmina, the launt, and Patrick was a nice addition to the plot. The predictablility of the ending did not detract from the joy it brought. I'll definitely be recommending this book to my patrons.

I loved The Guncle so much and was SO excited when I saw the announcement for a follow-up. This book was everything I expected and more! It was endearing and funny. I literally laughed out loud so many times and was choked up just as many. Patrick’s relationship with Grant and Maisie is so special. I love their dynamic.

I can’t imagine losing a parent, especially a mother, as young as Maisie and Grant did. And then coming to terms with their dad moving on and becoming engaged to another woman is so hard. When Grant finally admitted that he wanted a mom to go through the motions of life with, I could feel the pain and longing. Poor Maisie coming into her teenage years and dealing with all of the things with becoming a young woman without her mom…..I was so heartbroken for her but glad that she started to come around with the idea of Livia being in their lives for the long haul.

I loved Palima (the launt) and the cool, smart, and sophisticated aurora she presented. Her banter and “rivalry” with Patrick was fun to read.

I could go on and on about how much I loved The Guncle Abroad. I hope there will be a third book in the series as I don’t want to be done reading about Patrick, Grant, Maisie, and the rest of the family. Thank you to Putnam Books for the ARC!

I love the witty banter with GUP and the other characters! It was so much fun carrying on with the story of him and his niece and nephew. I liked the real life struggle of moving on after the death of a companion…for both Patrick and his brother. I still loved the first one more, but this was a fun continuation of the story!

I was really excited to read this sequel to The Guncle and although it did not disappoint, it was not as good as the first one.

Once again, Patrick (Guncle) is called upon to watch is niece and nephew while his brother prepares to get married. Maisie and Grant are not happy about the upcoming nuptials and try to convince Patrick to stop the wedding. The story is cute and it truly about getting older and reflecting on what makes you happy. The travel in Europe was a nice addition to the story. I would definitely read a third book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rowley captivates us once again with the antics of Patrick, Maisie, and Grant, the beloved main characters from the Guncle. In this heartwarming and funny sequel, everyone is five years older, and the kids need Patrick's help as their dad is getting remarried in a big expensive wedding in Lake Como, Italy. As sequels go, this one is a delight. Patrick sets out to teach the kids about love, and the teacher becomes the student in the end.

The Guncle Abroad offers a thoughtful exploration of what it's like to open your heart to love after loss. There's also a beautifully complex parallel between Maisie's adolescent struggles and Patrick's feelings about getting older. I enjoyed the addition of new characters like Palmina, who challenges Patrick and offers up lots of opportunities for witty banter and Rowley's trademark humor. (I mean, who doesn't need both a Guncle and a Launt?)

I'd recommend this book any day of the week; it's the perfect comfort read!

Thanks so much to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for providing an ARC of the book for me to review.

4.25 stars!

It's always hard for a sequel to live up to its predecessor, especially one as beloved to me as The Guncle, so while this was a highly enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone, it did not have the same magic of the first novel.

At the start of The Guncle Abroad we revisit Patrick, whose acting career was revived, his niece Maisie, and his nephew Grant five years into the future. Maisie has now become a sullen teen, while Grant is entering middle school. I did feel the Grant character was a bit too immature for his age at times and written as a younger character, which read as unrealistic to me. It might have been better to fast forward three years instead of five (since The Guncle came out in 2021 so that is the actual time gap anyway).

The kids are struggle to come to terms with their dad remarrying (a wealthy Italian woman), so Patrick takes the children on a European tour to help them understand love in advance of the impending nuptials. Instead of sharing his "guncle rules" a la the first book, this time he attempts to impart "guncle love languages."

There was a lot of trademark Rowley humor throughout the book that I really enjoyed, particularly with regard to love, cultural differences, and generational gaps. At times the plot pace was inconsistent, and I did not find it as satisfying or heartwarming as the original. Overall, this was still a great read and I hope this one is also turned into a movie, as I would love to see the scenic settings depicted in the book!

Thank you to author Steven Rowley, G.P. Putnam's Sons publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to review.

I loved this book! Some of the descriptions get a little muddles but the overall message of love and acceptance is wonderful. I highly recommend this 5* read!

Absolutely loved this follow up to The Guncle! As with the first book, it’s filled with so much more than fluff and silly antics! It’s a heartwarming to see how Patrick has stayed so close to the kids and the wonderful advice he shares with them (and follows himself along the way!)

I will never say no to adventures with the guncle, Maisie, and Grant. This is a wonderful sequel to the Guncle that sees our fabulous trio galavanting around Europe with puns, quips, and love.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

It's rare that a sequel is better than its source material, but such is the case for The Guncle Abroad, the follow up to Steven Rowley's 2021 novel. This story takes place five years after the events of the first book, with Patrick (the titular gay uncle) preparing for his brother's second wedding in Italy. As is customary, however, the kids are less than thrilled about the prospect of a stepmother and ask Gay Uncle Patrick to get their dad to call off the nuptials. Over the course of a jaunt across Europe and some unpredictable chaos, Patrick teaches (and learns!) some valuable lessons about love, grief, and what it's all worth in the end.

In The Guncle Abroad, we catch back up with Patrick, Maisie, and Grant five years after their summer together in Palm Springs.

Patrick takes the kids under his wing for a summer in Europe leading up to the wedding in Italy. In The Guncle, Patrick taught his niece & nephew his "Guncle Rules" for life & mourning their recently deceased mother. In this book, we get Patrick's "Guncle Love Languages" imparting on the children all the different ways they can give and receive love.

While I did find that it started to drag a little bit in the middle, I still enjoyed the dynamic between Patrick, Maisie, and Grant. The humor and playfulness from the first book was prevalent throughout this one, and I loved revisiting with these characters and adding the launt (iykyk)

The author handles grief so amazingly. I definitely cried more in the original book but this one was no less touching.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad!

The Guncle Abroad was just as delightful as I hoped it would be. It takes all the clever wit of The Guncle and changes the setting to many gorgeous European cities! Instead of doling out Guncle Rules, this time Patrick is lecturing the kids on Guncle Love Languages.

Steven Rowley handles grief so well, and I say that as someone who lost her mom around the age Maisie and Grant were. The original Guncle will always hold the most special place in my heart. It makes a big difference to have someone like Patrick in your life.

Sequels with the same characters are hard, and I really appreciated this book for the opportunity to revisit the people we loved so much in the first book. The ending especially felt like the Guncle we know and love!

Has Steven Rowley always used this many semicolons? I listened to audiobooks of all his previous novels, so I didn't notice! Not a critique, just unique and funny I didn't know.

I almost liked this. more than the first! I just find him so lovable. the characters are beautifully written and I couldn't put this book down. very different from my typical reads.

This follow up to The Guncle was just as delightful as the first book and I was so happy to return to this family and their hijinks. The Guncle is back with his niblings and gallavanting around Europe before their dad gets remarried in Italy.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion.

This story was so fun and I loved it just as much if not more than the first book! It was nice to see the GUP out and about teaching his niece and nephew more about their mother. Meeting all the new characters was great fun!

I'm so excited that they will be making a movie off the first novel! I'll be first in line to see it in theaters! I can't wait to see who they get to play Patrick!