Thank you sooo much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. I absolutely LOVED the Guncle (which I just read) and couldn’t possibly wait any longer to read this one. Rowley is such an amazing author. What an incredible talent to mix humor with deep life lessons and so much heart. I adored this sequel and truly hope this series continues because I can’t get enough of Patrick and his family. This book has so much heart and does a great job following up such an epic first book in the series. Run, don’t walk to get this one!!

What a delightful book. It contains all the things - travel abroad with descriptions, family drama and emotions, feel good ending.

GUP takes the kids on a trip through Europe before his brother's wedding in Italy. A wedding the children, Maisie especially, beg him to put a stop to. The betrothed, Greg and Livia, meanwhile are blissfully planning their wedding.

Everything comes to a head and that's when the fun begins.

I enjoyed The Guncle, but The Guncle Abroad topped it. I highly recommend it for a light read that will still make you think and examine your own feelings and attitudes.

I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own,.

Patrick is traveling in Europe, obviously bringing his dear grandchildren with him, but this is not a pleasure trip, or rather, not only that, Greg is remarrying.
The story is set a few years after the tragic death of Maisie and Grant's mother. Patrick's personal life is in shambles, but his career is skyrocketing. A trip to Europe, but also an emotional and growth journey. I'm really happy to have been able to read this story as a preview, I hope there will be a sequel, and above all a television series!Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Every Steven Rowley's books touch my heart, I definitely have a soft spot for this serie.
I read The Guncle during pandemic.
The gang is back, Patrick O'Hara, the guncle we all would like, takes his loving nephews, Grand and Maisie, on a trip to Europe, specifically to Lake Como.
It's the second book I've read this month, with an Italian setting, and I have to admit, bring it more! I loved it!
The dialogues are intelligent and funny, totally guncles style.
In the second book, we met Patrick some years later, his show is now a hit, and he is the lead actor, but obviously, if one part of your life is great, the other part is bad. Patrick and Emory's relationship isn't going great.
My favourite think about this book, apart from the trip to Italy, of course it is Launt (Lesbian aunt).
I'm not saying anything more. Just read and enjoy this book!
Thank to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for this ARC, in exchange of my honest review.

Loved The Guncle and I think this was a great sequel. We got to see how the kids deal wi5 life continuing on without their mother and we got to see Patrick come to terms with his own insecurities and how they are stopping him from living to the fullest. I was worried about the undoing f the original happy ending but I think Patrick’s comment to his agent about sequels put me at ease.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Steven is one of my favorite authors! He’s a wonderful writer. I can’t wait for his book tour. He always comes to my local bookstore. His books are a joy to read. The first part, traveling with the kids was a little slow for me. But once they got to Italy, it really picked up. I loved meeting the Italian family members. I loved the twist of an ending. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I’m sure this one will be well received.

thank you netgalley for this opportunity. this was a cute one that i really enjoyed and would recommend.

Hooray! The Guncle is back! Delightful read -fun, fabulous story of an Italian wedding gone wrong - then right! The Guncle and Launt are memorable characters. Hopefully there will be more books to come!

In The Guncle Abroad, we catch back up with Patrick, Maisie, and Grant five years after their summer together in Palm Springs. The children's father is getting remarried, and they kids are having trouble accepting that they will soon have a new stepmother. 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.
I went into this book with very high expectations as The Guncle is one of my favorites, and I was not disappointed. 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.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad in exchange for my honest review.

Who needs a vicarious European vacation? This is the book for you, another installment to the beloved original where grief and new life cozy up side by side. Warm, entertaining, packed with dad jokes (and innuendo).

Move over Guncle Rules and make way for The Guncle Love Language lessons! As the escapades of Uncle Patrick, Maisie and Grant continue, we find the trio traveling through Europe as they head for Lake Como to attend the wedding of the kids’ dad Greg to Livia, an Italian marchesa. Eleven year old Grant and fourteen year old Maisie, are still struggling with the loss of their Mom Sara and are distraught that their father is getting remarried. With his wit, humor and wisdom, Patrick is determined to “teach the kids about love, how to love others and how to be loved in return.”

Steven Rowley returns with his signature style of character banter and dialogue that will make you laugh, cry and cause your heart to swell with emotion. Reconnecting with this trio was like meeting up with dear friends and my heart and mind are hoping for yet another sequel. With Uncle Patrick and his older but still precocious companions, the adventures and life lessons for these three are limitless!

Thank you NetGalley, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Steven Rowley for the opportunity to read this much anticipated sequel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was beyond thrilled to be granted an advanced copy of this book. The Guncle broke my heart wide open, made me laugh, think about grief in a different way and pieces my heart right back together. To hear there would be a sequel made my heart happy! Steven Rowley is one of the most incredibly gifted writers to tackle grief in the most beautiful way and make you laugh in the same paragraph. The Guncle Abroad did not disappoint. Tugs your heart, always makes me chuckle and by the end makes me sad the book is over. Thank you, thank you for the early copy! Truly made my day!

🌈THE GUNCLE ABROAD🌈
Went on a little getaway and while it wasn’t abroad, I couldn’t help but read a digital arc of @mrstevenrowley latest and let me just say, it was perfect.

Don’t wanna spoil it too much but if you read THE GUNCLE, this was a seamless follow up to the story of Patrick O’Hara as he finishes a movie and takes Maisie and Grant through Europe and continues the Guncle rules to help his niece and nephew wrap their heads around the idea of love. Like I said, I won’t get into it too much because it was just fantastic, heartfelt, and full of laughs and many, many highlighted quotes! (Something I don’t do very often). If you’ve read any of his books before- you are absolutely going to love this one. And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for??! He has an amazing back catalog so get to it.

A HUGE THANK YOU to @putnambooks for this advance arc and to @mrstevenrowley for writing such incredible characters and giving a broader audience LGBTQ characters we will love for a very long time. OUT 5/21/24

I have anxiously awaited the return of Patrick O'Hara and this book does not disappoint. It has been five years since he was called upon to perform his uncle duties. This time, his brother is getting married in Italy and has asked Patrick to take the kids for several weeks while he prepares to get married. The kids, Maisie and Grant, are opposed to the wedding and ask Patrick to help stop the wedding. As they travel through Europe on the way to the wedding, Patrick tries to teach the children about love. While trying to teach the kids about love, can Patrick repair his own love life? A wonderful story about family and love.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the Guncle when I read it not long after it came out, and honestly, my first reaction to hearing it was setting a sequel was "why?" The Guncle felt very self-contained to me, and I was worried that a sequel simply couldn’t live up to it. But Steven Rowley hasn't lead me wrong yet, so I went into it with on open mind.
What I discovered is that while The Guncle Abroad is a sequel, it isn't a traditional continuation in the "this is what happened next" sense. The time jump between the two books (about five years) helps separate the stories, and the sequel felt just as self-contained to me as the first. Throughout the book, Patrick makes it his mission to bring the kids around to the idea of their dad falling in love and getting married again. This obviously sets a good backdrop for Patrick's own journey in defining what he wants from love as well.
Long story short: if you liked The Guncle, you'll like this one too. The sassy humor and heartfelt interactions are all still there. The relationship between Patrick and the kids is well-developed, taking into account the way kids attitudes towards the adults in their lives changes as they older. As a bonus, it’s all set against a backdrop of various European countries with all the kitschy tourist moments you'd expect.
I think my only complaint is that throughout the book it’s pointed out to Patrick that he's engaging in the very specific form of misogny that is common among cis, white, gay men. Rowley sets it up as if Patrick is going to have a learning moment about this that I was looking forward to. And I guess he sort of does? But it came across (to me - others may not read it this way) like he reaches his ultimate conclusion and enlightenment on his own. Or I guess more accurately, as if he really thought this way the whole time, he just had a couple of bad moments, when the rest of the book doesn't seem to support that. Id be interested to hear other readers take on this.

"The Guncle" was one of my favorite feel-good reads, and "The Guncle Abroad" brings a lot of that same energy and enjoyment while tackling the more long-term effects of losing a loved one. With a five year time jump, we get to see a new iteration of Patrick's relationship with his niece and nephew. The humor and heart is still there in full force, with new challenges as they all navigate moving on from grief and growing up (even when you're already a grown up). I did think the ending felt a bit rushed, and the time jump took something away from the Patrick/Emory relationship, like we missed too much. But the handling of Greg's pending nuptials, Maisie's journey with trying to accept Livia in her life, and all the new characters made this a worthwhile sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this ARC!

The Guncle Abroad was everything I hoped it’d be after The Guncle became a heartprint book for me a few years ago. Immersive setting, incredibly loveable (and consistent, but growing!) characters, heart and hope and grief all rolled into one. After experiencing my own parental loss last year, I’m almost exclusively drawn to books now that hit these notes of the beautiful + brutal of life all at once, and consistently Stephen Rowley delivers perfectly. I loved Guncle Abroad and already can’t wait to read it again!

Can’t afford a first-class trip across Europe or to Lake Como? Buy The Guncle Abroad instead. Not only will you be transported on a wonderful holiday, you’ll be along for the ride on an emotional roller coaster (in the best way!) that is Patrick O’Hara and his family.

The Guncle Abroad is my most anticipated book of 2024 and the fact that I was lucky enough to get approved for an ARC is just icing on the cake. If you liked The Guncle I’m pretty sure you’ll like its sequel*. Since we last saw everyone, five years ago, big changes have come to pass. The biggest being Greg, Patrick’s brother, getting remarried. Once again it’s up to GUP to oversee his niblets, Maisie and Grant, for a few weeks prior to the wedding in Lake Como, Italy.

Patrick, I must say, is everything you remember and more. He’s, um, well there’s no delicate way to say this, a bit unhinged about turning 50. He’s even more ridiculous and self-centered than you remember him. There are times when you may not like him, but his heart is always in the right place, even if his mouth or ego may not have gotten the memo.

In TGA we’re treated to Guncle Love Languages, they’re similar to his Guncle Rules. Patrick’s hope is that they will make Maisie and Grant understand love, and maybe even appreciate it, because all they want to do is stop their dad’s impending nuptials to Italian noblewoman, Livia. I enjoyed the trio’s travels across Europe and felt I was on their jaunt right along with them and I learned several interesting facts as well.

TGA can be read as a standalone. However, I encourage everyone to read The Guncle first. You’ll get a better understanding Patrick, Maisie and Grant and how they’ve dealt and are still dealing with Sara’s death. Plus it’s just a great book.

Rowley has a knack for writing relatable emotions and family dynamics. He manages to convey the button pushing, irritability, frustrations and everything else that comes with close relationships. But it’s love that is the heart of the book and his message is to find love in something, anything that makes you happy. I highly recommend The Guncle Abroad and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*Patrick has an opinon regarding sequels. Because of course he does. “The only time it maybe works—and I mean the only time—is when there wasn’t an ending that was entirely happy, when not everything was tied up in a neat little bow.” I see what you did there Mr. Rowley. Touché.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital ARC of The Guncle Abroad.

I LOVED The Guncle and had reluctantly high hopes for the second (how can you top that masterpiece?). Overall, this was a solid sequel. I loved seeing the characters in the future and hear about what had happened to them over the years. Characters were remarkably stable and some new gems were introduced. I loved the ending (last 15% or so) of this book. Nothing will top the first one, but I definitely recommend this followup. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel.

I adored The Guncle and so I was extremely excited to see another one by Steven Rowley. This book was as heart wrenching as it was funny. The characters make you feel for them!! 10/10