The Guncle Abroad Review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 5/21/24
Author: @mrstevenrowley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts:
I definitely think you need to read The Guncle first but you won’t regret it (for those of you that haven’t read The Guncle the audio is great and fast).

Now onwards - After Greg tells his kids Maisie and Grant he is remarrying, Patrick takes them to Europe to help them cope with the news. Patrick aims to help the kids accept their new stepmom and adjust to their dad’s remarriage. Despite the challenges, Patrick shows the kids they will always have their GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick).

The book is emotional, witty, atmospheric and of course makes you want to sip Nerve Clicquot 🥂 (no OJ) in Italy!

Steven has the best sense of humor and I do not want to quote too many things (just read the book) but Sunglass Hut I see you, I am also offended by your presence in all major airports 😂☠️

Sequels are tough. You have to take a previously wrapped up story and unthread it a bit to create new conflict. It presents the reader with chances to dislike previously beloved characters. It's a risk for sure, and one I am not sure needed to be taken in the case of Patrick and the kids. I'm sorry. With that said I did still enjoy a lot about The Guncle Abroad!

Patrick and the kids are back and it's five years in the future. Patrick's career is back on track, the kids are more grown up, and their dad is getting re-married; the kids are not taking that last piece well. So in an attempt to help Greg and the kids, Patrick take the kids on an extended European vacation, ending in Italy where the wedding is taking place. I loved the first half of the book. The actual vacation was wonderful. This time around we aren't getting Guncle Rules but rather Guncle Love Languages which was a fun twist.

Where I struggled was the second half of the book turning from the vacation to the wedding. It felt drug out and Patrick's "rivalry" with the kids' soon-to-be 'launt' felt very immature. There was a period during the middle of the book which I felt that I more so muddled through, and had me putting it down more than I would have liked.

The story did pick back up and the last third had me all in my feels. As with all of Rowley's stories - I laughed, I cried, and I felt my heart swell.

Rowley is an unbelievably talented story teller and I will read anything he writes. Overall I still feel this was a strong story, but it just didn't slap as much as the first. I am happy where these characters' stories ended in this book and I hope we get to keep them here.

🍕Oh my heart. Uncle Patrick, Maisie & Grant have it forever. Thank you so much to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the early look at this sequel, which is out in May. This was the first book I finished in 2024 and I promise it’ll make some ‘best of’ lists in December!

🍕 If you have yet to read The Guncle, consider yourself on notice. You MUST read it before this sequel comes out in May! And if you’ve read and loved the original, I’m here to tell you this follow-up does not disappoint!

🍕 This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will fill your brain with wisdom and your heart with joy.

🍕 I was worried I’d be bummed that Patrick’s niblings are growing up- but more preteen, more problems, am I right? The kids had new issues they were facing and GUP was there to help them through it. Not only do we get new Guncle rules in this book— but we get to learn some fun Guncle love languages as well.

🍕 Just read it. Just read it. Just read it.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patrick and his niece & nephew travel through Europe in this smashing sequel.
-
When his niece and nephew head to Italy for a wedding, Patrick “Guncle” O’Hara accompanies them across Europe. Set 5 years after their bonding summer in “The Guncle,” Patrick and his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, exchange the pools of Palm Springs for the roads and canals of Europe. Traipsing across the UK, France, Austria, and Italy, the trio bond further as the three learn about love, commitment, loyalty, and open-mindedness. Everything from their silly conversations and life lessons, to their adventures/encounters, makes the plot fun and heartfelt from start to finish. However, I do wish there were a tad more adventures throughout Europe before they finally stop in Italy - it would’ve been cool to see what else they got up to!

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patrick is a fantastic protagonist yet again. This time around, it’s less about grief and coming out of his shell, and more about better finding/understanding himself and his wants/needs. His charisma and persona are on point as always.
Plus, jumping five years in time allows for great character growth for him between books and within this book.
However, though Maisie and Grant are older and more wonderful, I think there generally lacks a charm to their characters this time around. They fall to the wayside for a bunch of new characters.
These characters, though, are pretty great. There’s Palmina, the lesbian aunt who is way more cool and wholesome than the caricature one might expect her to be. And there’s Livia, the bride-to-be who everyone tries to embrace and analyze until we finally get to know her for ourselves.
And there’s still Greg, who I enjoyed getting to know more of, and perhaps some other surprises as well!

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rowley’s writing is comedic gold. Though some jokes fall flat in this one (at least compared to its predecessor), readers will find themselves laughing at Patrick’s quick wit and humorous references.
However, at 27 years old, I admit some of the references go over my head. Also, there’s an even more obvious white/Euro-centric vibe to this novel’s references than Rowling’s previous ones, which isn’t a completely palatable taste for me.
Expect plenty of Rowley’s wisdom and antics as well.


Recommended to fans of The Guncle!

Definitely going on my favorite books go of the year! In this sequel, Maisie and Grants father is to be married in Italy. Before the wedding, Maisie and Grant got to visit and spend time with Patrick in London. Before the weeding, Patrick and the kids travel around Europe and he teaches them about love languages, hoping that will help them warm to their father’s fiancé. I will definitely listen to this when audible is out because Steven Rowley is perfection!

I absolutely adored The Guncle so I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of The Guncle Abroad and I loved every bit of it! It lived up to my high expectations and was so so good.

It's been five years since Patrick's sister Sara passed away, and since he's become a very influential person in the life of his niece and nephew. Their father, Patrick's brother Greg, is engaged to be married to an Italian woman with a very well-off family. As Patrick has recently ended his relationship, as well as the film he was shooting while living in London, he's decided to take the kids on a European vacation before meeting the family in Lake Como, Italy, for the wedding.

I loved revisiting all the beloved characters and love seeing how Maisie and Grant have changed in the five years since The Guncle. It was great to see their personalities more solidified and their individual quirks. I loved to see the ways Patrick had changed as well, and the relationship between the three of them is so sweet.

All the travel descriptions are so vivid and make me desperate to travel and see these places!

I would recommend this book to anyone, and I also recommend going in to it with as little prior knowledge about it as possible. I loved the last part of the book, I loved the end, It was all so perfect and I feel like also left things open for possibly a third book?? I can dream, right?! Go read this book! I am a Steven Rowley super-fan for life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭
Summer TBR

My new favorite author @mrstevenrowley is bringing back our beloved GUP, Patrick O'Hara and I loved every minute of his adventures abroad.
I will do a full review in May closer to the pub date.

Add this to your summer reading TBR now, and anticipate loads of laughter, heartwarming gasps (aww) and more.
I hope there will be more stories with GUP, Maisie, Grant and all as there is nothing more satisfying than catching up with fictional friends we love.

You all know I have gushed over The Celebrants and will continue to recommend and read it again for snort laughs.

The Guncle Abroad is a frontrunner for my favorite book of the year. It made me happy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & very high on the snort laughter meter 😂🤣

Ahh! Another big, warm hug in book form from Steven Rowley! Ever the sequel skeptic, I was thrilled to once again quickly fall in love with these charismatic characters. Steven Rowley never fails to take his reader on an adventure, face grief head on with the help of humor and love, and to embrace Patrick as their own Guncle. Thanks for the laughs, tears and Guncle lessons Steven Rowley! Looking forward to many more. Publication date- May 21, 2024

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read a digital ARC copy in return for my honest review.

I adored the Guncle and was so excited to fall back into the world of Patrick, Maisie and Grant again with the Guncle Abroad! I absolutely adored this story and Patrick’s lessons in love languages and seeing how each character had changed over five years, and found myself actually laughing out loud thanks to some moments and references (hand jive, anyone?)! Another hit from Steven Rowley! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. I LOVED this! I’m never sure if sequels are going to live up to the first book, but this one delivered! I’m already ready for ANOTHER one!
This book takes place five years after book 1. Patrick’s brother Greg is set to marry Livia in Italy, and Patrick is once again tasked with caring for Grant and Maisie.
I loved the new characters, and the dynamic between Patrick and Palmina, Livia’s sister.
I can’t say enough about this book. I laughed out loud, I cried. It was fabulous!

When his brother Greg announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels he needs to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick might be the one having a hard time grappling with love.
I was not a huge fan of The Guncle but I loved this book. I thought it was fantastic. I laughed, I cried and I had a great time reading. I highly recommend this to anyone thinking of checking it out. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC copy for an honest review.

What a great way to start off 2024 reading an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Guncle Abroad, thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley. Rowley's sophomore Guncle effort shines brightly as Patrick reunites with Maisie and Grant on a little vacation abroad. It's a few years later, the kids are growing up, and Patrick's career's back on track. I breezed through the first half, bright and easy. About 3/4 of the way through things got a little more serious. Still the signature Patrick wit, but Rowley infuses so much heart and wisdom into the situations all the characters find themselves in as they move forward in life. Lots of surprises and a beautiful ending.

The Guncle Abroad is the follow-up that fans are going to delight over! It's so much fun and Rowley's writing is next level amazing!

The Guncle Abroad picks up some time after the Guncle and the kiddos are doing well..... for the most part. Patrick (GUP, Guncle Pat, etc.) has been called in to help with the kids because Greg (their dad) is getting married. Pat is also going through his own life crisis as he is quickly approaching the big 5-0! Throw in the introduction of the LAUNT! And this story was set to explode as it races towards the climax.

I absolutely adored this book! There hasn't been a book that Steven Rowley has put out that I haven't loved, but this was just equally as much fun as the original Guncle. The writing is so witty and funny! All the classic sarcastic quips and barbs you expect from Pat are there! It just feels so much fun even though some serious themes are being tackled. I seriously cannot express how delightful this was.

Also - after reading this, I seriously thought I was going to make it through a Steven Rowley book without crying - AND THEN THERE WAS A LETTER AT THE END! I cried my eyes out and it was such a cathartic happy cry! Rowley you got me yet again! The emotional impact in your stories gets me at my core every time and readers are going to love getting to go back to this story and revisit all of the favorite characters. I loved getting to check back in and see how the kids were doing and how they were growing up.

You absolutely have to read this book! It's so great and it's an amazing sequel!

PS - now I want a book all about our new LAUNT - Palmina!!

First thank you to Putnam and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The guncle is one of my all time favorites so I had to read this as fast as I can. Sequels can be disappointing but there was no disappointment here. Steven Rowley loves these characters and it shows in his writing. The kids and Patrick were so funny and he added an extra level of depth and emotion in this book. I highly recommend taking notes on the love languages. I love how Patrick can relate to the kids and how they help each other no matter what. The addition of a nemesis for Patrick was so great. The banter and the scenes between them were chefs kiss. I hope this relationship continues because it is so fun to watch Patrick flummoxed.

Finally, the family dynamics between Patrick and his siblings grew and was so authentic. I loved how they know each others needs and flaws and how their relationship evolved through the years.

This book has now moved into my all time favorites and can’t wait to share this with all my friends and family.

LOVED. The PERFECT sequel to The Guncle, one of my favorites of all time! This book was honestly so much more than I expected - I went in expecting a light hearted fun trip that Patrick takes (hopefully with the kids) but what I didn't plan for was all the emotions Rowley would make me feel! This book had so much substance and had me crying one second and laughing hysterically the next. I can't praise this one enough, it deserves more than I can possible give.

"Nerve Clicquot" still has me giggling randomly. and Big was definitely NOT Mr. Big's last name! I can't believe Patrick lied to Grant like that! Definitely easier than explaining the real meaning though so I forgive him.

I promise I will be shouting from the rooftops how much I loved this book. I will insist that every human I come into contact with reads this book (immediately after reading The Guncle, of course). LOVE LOVE LOVE! Can't wait to have a physical copy in my hands.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this follow up - loved seeing what happened next in the story & can’t wait to see what’s next for this author! Such a fun ride & reminds me of my brother! Looking forward to the public release to see everyone else fall in love with it!

Perfection in book form! I thought you couldn't beat The Guncle, but Steven Rowley hit it out of the park with this follow-up to his hit novel. The locations are dreamy, the drama is unrelenting in the best way possible, and the characters are all delightful. A must read!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The Guncle Abroad is the much anticipated sequel to the Guncle, and takes place throughout Europe 5 years later. I found the first half of this book to be slow moving, and while I appreciated the descriptions of European tourist spots, I was left wanting more. I enjoyed the last half of the book and the messages it conveyed about live, loss, grief and the families we make along the way. Solid 4 star read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this book even remotely as charming and wonderful as the first? Absolutely not. Would I still read 8,000 versions of whatever The Guncle might be up to next?

You betcha!

This is a prime example of why I rarely read sequels. It’s hard to capture that lightning in a bottle twice – ESPECIALLY when the story features children. In round two of Patrick and the kids, said kids are getting to be in that not-quite-so-lovable stage of pre-teenery and, let’s just be honest, as a mom I’m telling you it’s not a cute time. Gunc is once again in charge of Maisie and Grant while their (now twice) absentee father is preparing for his nuptials – which Maisie especially has no intention of letting happen. The trio spend a few weeks gallivanting around the most tourist guide-book types of European hotspots as they count down to the big day and The Guncle finds himself battling to be the favorite with the introduction of a new “Launt” (lesbian aunt). The dad jokes still abound, but somehow the quips aren’t quite as quippy. The good news is, if Rowley is going to keep up with this series there’s a good chance #3 could redeem itself with Patrick back on his side of the pond and in love. Until then I will anxiously await the film version of the original.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

For fans of Steven Rowley and The Guncle, this sequel is fantastic. Patrick (GUP) returns with more adventures with Maisie and Grant and this time they are 5 years older. There are new characters to love and old ones that will bring you back to why you enjoyed the first book. There’s a wedding and all of the fun in between. In true Rowley style, you will laugh and you will cry and you will love it!