What can you say about Steven Rowley that hasn’t already been said- he is a masterful storyteller who touches your heart when you don’t expect it in ways you never see coming. This sequel to The Guncle brings characters we know and love ( well some we love p, some not so much) together with new characters to tell an age old story in a fresh, new way. Get it, the minute you can!

I am so thankful for NetGalley for a free copy of The Guncle Abroad. With the new, exciting locale, I was hoping for more excitement, but it just fell flat for me. The relationships felt brittle, and the jokes felt forced. I was happy to see movement and evolution of characters that I fell in love with in the first book, but the whole thing just lacked umph that I wanted.

What a joy of a read!! Preorder it now so you can experience it as soon as it comes out. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read it early!

This was such a fun, delightful read! I loved The Guncle so much and couldn’t wait for this sequel! With Rowley’s signature witty banter and top notch, lovely characters, this book definitely lived up to the first!

Taking place a few years after the last book, GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) and his lovable niece (Maisie) and nephew (Grant) are at it again, journeying abroad, meeting an array of characters and seeing all the beautiful sights. After learning that their dad is remarrying and after an especially difficult breakup, the trio decides to take a monthlong vacation across Europe. It is here that GUP decides to teach them all about love, adding to the Guncle rules. Along the way, GUP is forced to compete with the future Launt (lesbian aunt) in order to be his niece/nephew’s favorite again. This wacky trio learns from one another about life, love, loss, moving on, and what it really means to be family.

I will read pretty much anything Steven Rowley writes, and I am rarely disappointed; this is no exception. I definitely hope for another! I absolutely loved Maisie and Grant - especially getting to see them grow up, including all the teenage attitude that comes with it. The Love Language Rules were so adorable and heartwarming. Overall, this was such a fun, emotional read!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

Gay uncle Patrick is called upon again to help his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, through more rough times. This time their father has found a new partner and is preparing to marry her. Patrick's personal life has taken a downturn with his breakup from Emory, and therefore, a change is in the air. Patrick sets out with the kids to tour Europe before arriving at Lake Como, the site of the upcoming nuptials. Patrick and the children are mutually needy and all need pampering, and need to be able to accept and learn how to deal with a new normal.

While the book was humorous, sometimes the humor felt forced. Perhaps this is the way recovery from grief looks. Put on a good front and people will not realize how deeply you are affected by the grief and by all the changes coming in life.

I’m hesitant to even write this review because I know my words will not be able to fully express how truly perfect this book is, but here goes.

This book is an adventure. It takes you on a European vacation. It’s an escape. I love travel, and that aspect is so much fun.

This book is hilarious. So witty and clever.

This book will make you cry. That letter. Wow. But it doesn’t make you sad. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

This book is about love, family, grief, moving forward, growing up, learning about yourself. There are so many meaningful and memorable quotes from this book. The Guncle was very good. The Guncle Abroad is even better. I didn’t think that was possible. But oh, it is. I want to be a part of Patrick, Maisie, and Grant’s world. I just wish the book didn’t have to end. Hopefully, there will be endless more Guncle books because I will read them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced copy. And thank you to Steven Rowley for writing this and bringing me so much joy.

Patrick O’Hara, aka GUP, is back alongside his niece and nephew Maisie and Grant! It’s been years since the events of the first book, and everyone is moving on. Patrick is newly single, and the kids’ dad is getting remarried in Italy. Of course Patrick decided to step in and take care of Maisie and Grant who are struggling to come to terms with their dad’s remarriage. But what does Patrick know? He’s almost fifty, single, and lonely! But with this family, it’s hard to feel so alone, and there is so much for Patrick to teach and learn.

This was such a cute book! I’m so glad we got to revisit this family again, even after the first book got a happy ending. We all know happy endings don’t always last, so coming back to Patrick, Maisie, and Grant as they’re all growing up was so sweet. If you read the first one, you’ll hopefully love this book too! If you haven’t read the first book, what are you waiting for?! 😉

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)
Release date: May 21st, 2024

What a delightful follow up to Patrick, Maisie, and Grant’s story! The love language lessons were cute, the new characters, especially Palmina, were well-suited to the story, and the quippy dialogue remained.

3.75 stars rounded up. This was a fun, lighthearted book, much in the vein of its presescessor. Several years after the first book, Patrick is coming to grips with aging, Grant’s lost his lisp (mostly) though is still cute and endearing, and Maise is finding her voice as a young woman but is struggling with her father choosing to move on from their mother’s death to marry a new woman. The trio—Guncle, niece, and nephew—travel around Europe before settling last in Italy for the wedding, where Patrick meets his nemesis—his brother’s future sister-in-law—a fabulous lesbian who competes with him for the attention and spotlight he is so accustomed to bathing in.

What carries this is the love Patrick has for his family and his quick, witty jokes. I enjoyed the banter between the Guncle and the lesbian aunt or “Launt.” I especially liked the lines at the end where Patrick talks about the relationship between lesbians and gay men. I also thought the author did a great job aging up the niece and nephew, while still keeping the same dynamic between the three that we all loved.

Overall, this was a good sequel. Would I read another installment? Of course! Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Putnam for providing me with a free e-ARC in enchange for an honest review.

What a gift the Guncle series is. I have truly grown to love Patrick, Maisie and Grant and feel like they are family. I love the bond that they have kept through the years, and I love the maturing banter that they share and the ease with which they share their problems. Although a few parts of this latest novel, The Guncle Abroad, moved a bit slowly, all in all it is a wonderful story that I’m sure will delight many.

I love these books! Great writing and fun characters. I love a good sequel!!

Thank you NetGalley and Steven Rowley!

When I saw this was coming out, it forced me to finally read The Guncle. Both books are sweet, funny stories. Good lite reads. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The Guncle is back! This was a sweet sequel that felt constistent and like it was good to be home. I love the character’s voices and it was fun to have the whole family back together for another important milestone. The writing is beautiful.

I was beyond excited to see that Steve Rowley was coming out with a sequel to The Guncle! Our lovable Guncle is back in action to care for Maisie and Grant at a family wedding in Lake Como. I absolutely loved the European vacation aspect, and Rowley’s ability to make me laugh out loud, but also have me in all my feels. This book was a delight!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC! I was such a fan of The Guncle, so when I got this ARC, I was over the moon! It lived up to my expectations. This book was like a big, warm hug. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I just loved it.

I adored The Guncle so to say I was thrilled to hear there was a sequel is a massive understatement! The Guncle Abroad felt like a warm hug and chicken soup for this reader's soul!!! I loved jumping back into the world of Patrick, Maisie, and Grant! The sweet and emotional journey the three experience will have you both laughing and crying! The Guncle Abroad is a 5++++ star novel and one of my top favorites for this year! Just when I thought I couldn’t love GUP anymore than I do, Steven Rowley writes this gem! I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more installments in the future!

Rowley can do no wrong and reading this was another hilarious romp with adventure and endearing moments with my favorite literature uncle. I will keep reading every book that Rowley releases.

So incredibly happy to have started my 2024 reading with this wonderful book. I loved The Guncle so much that my expectations were extremely high for the sequel, well, this book exceeded all expectations. It was even better than I wanted it to be. The family is back together, abroad! Their relationship is beautiful, their growth as a family and as individuals was so heartwarming, and Patrick’s ability to continue to grow as a human is one of my favorite things. I laughed, I cried, and I finished the book ready for a third in the series. I didn’t know I needed a Guncle sequel, but this was my favorite start to the year.

I absolutely loved The Guncle and the witty characters so full of life. When I saw this new title, I couldn't wait to read it! GUP is back, but this time, the kids are a little older and their dad is getting married. They beg Patrick to talk to their dad and get him to call it off.
An epic trip through Europe with GUP and the kids has us getting to know these loveable characters all over again.
Steven Rowley has a way of bringing the characters off the page and into your heart. I really felt empathy for all of them, in their unique situations.
Add this one to your tbr, it's definitely worth a read.
Thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Everyone’s favorite Guncle returns and returns in style in London/Italy. The kids, Macy and Grant have grown up and are at Italy to attend their father's wedding with Livia. In this installment of Guncle, we get to see how Patrick helps his niece and nephew about love And moving forward in life. Macy is set on getting the wedding canceled so that the status quo remains in their family and Patrick is still grieving his relationship this wedding, and some of the most amazing attendees help in self discovery for multiple characters.

So for me, I was wondering if this would be as good as the previous book, I would say it did not exceed the previous one, but in a different way it felt more mature. The kids in the previous book needed something different and in this book they needed a different kind of parenting, which Patrick as their favorite Guncle is absolutely ready to deliver while helping himself move on in life finally. This dealt with helping with Maisie's confidence along with his own self-discovery.