After reading the Bromance Book Club last year I was super excited to receive this follow up and it did not disappoint. An original concept that is both heartwarming and fun to read. Looking forward to the next in the series.

This was an ADORABLE follow up to The Bromance Book Club!
I very much enjoyed Liv as a character and think she has come a long way since the first book.
Would recommend to any fan of the genre!

I love this book!!

Romance is always a hit and miss genre for me, however, I had such a grand time reading this book and ended up finishing it one sitting.

I haven't read the first book in this series so it took me a little while to understand the purpose of the book club along with its members and their various quirks. I absolutely loved all the characters, both the MC's were quite interesting and I adored the relationship development and their hearty banter throughout the story. For such a big ensemble cast, I think the Author did a brilliant job in creating the characters unique identities and establishing the friendships and relationship between them.

The plot was extremely engaging with just the right amount of balance when it came to romance, comedy, angst and a very important social message. I would now definitely pick up the first book in the series and can't wait for any other book that Lyssa Kay Adams may right in the future.

I knew I’d enjoy this story. I already adored Mack, and I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers story. Undercover Bromance is a fantastic addition and sequel to the Bromance Book Club Series. Bring on book three!

Braden Mack is a nightclub owner and business man. He’s open-minded, family-orientated, charming and intelligent. He’s hyper aware of toxic masculinity, boldly pointing it out whenever he hears it. He reminded me a lot of Joey Tribbiani, I could literally picture the “how YOU doin’?” face from the moment Mack began speaking.

Liv Papandreas is a pastry chef, and the younger sister of Thea from The Bromance Book Club. She’s hard-headed, quick-witted, hilariously reckless and fiercely independent. If Liv is upset, she’ll make sure to let everyone know. She’s incredibly stubborn which can be frustrating at times, but was still a readable character.

However, both characters have 100-metre walls around their inner emotions. They’re both honest people, but as soon as someone begins to scratch at the surface they close off. Liv’s barriers are significantly higher and harder to breakdown than Mack’s and throughout the story she is constantly at war with herself. Childhood trauma still has its grip on her. She’s battling the benefits of trust with consequences of betrayal in an endless back-and-forth.

Mack wants a happy ending. And that doesn’t surprise me as a fellow fan of romance. But he struggles to discern the line of reality when it comes to romance novels and the authenticity of real life. He puts on a mask to run from past pain and keep up the illusion of perfection.

Yet again, Lyssa Kay Adams highlights how toxic masculinity in society forces men to be ashamed of things that are stereotypically appreciated by women, like romance novels and… emotion. But the great thing about this book is that she calls out both men and women for their dated and fragile way of thinking.

The romance between Liv and Mack was easily the best part of the book. It may be because I’m a big fan of enemies-to-lovers stories (eg: The Hating Game, The Unhoneymooners, The Simple Wild); but I loved the way their personalities fit together. The banter and repartee between them is seamlessly written and beyond entertaining. There were many moments that made me laugh out loud, between Mack’s natural charm and Liv’s ruthless teasing, the conversation was enjoyably engaging. And in my opinion, there’s no better dynamic for a slow-burn than an light-hearted but passionate one.

I really liked Rosie and Hop as secondary characters. They were refreshingly accurate, especially Hop who was a Vietnam veteran and ex-cop with a mind stuck in the 60’s. But it was his willingness to listen (and read) that made him such a great character. The role Rosie played in Liv’s life was really sweet to read, I knew from the moment she was introduced in the book that’s she’d become the pragmatic voice of reason every main character needs. There was also the very brave Alexis, and computer whiz Noah, who will become to focus for book 3.

In The Bromance Book Club, there was a down-to-earth element that grounded the entire story. Throwing the adorable band of romance brothers on the top made the story really wonderful. But this element was missing in Undercover Bromance. The book club didn’t play as much of a role, but the whole harassment scandal felt over-the-top. The crime and the expressions from the victims were logical, but the reaction from the rest of the characters and their method of finding justice seemed too fictional to be true. And for someone with trust issues, Liv seemed to have no problem trusting random bouncer goons. Finally, I felt like there was way more unnecessary cussing in this book that the previous. It did put me off a little.

For me, the winner of this book was Braden Mack. I liked him from the first book and loved him by the end of the second. He had his flaws and secrets like every human being, but made up for it by being an adorable, open-hearted, lovable, book-boyfriend. I’d happily read another book full of his mis-adventures as a hopeless romantic in Nashville.

Thank you so so much NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I chose this book because I had read and loved the first book in this series "The Bromance Book Club" and I was very excited to know a bit more about this fun and lovely gang.

The book didn´t dissapoint at all! I loved it straight away and it made the reading experience an amazing one.

I liked the fact that this book focused in different characters from the first one but it also mentioned most of the people we met in the first series and I really enjoyed that.

In this book we follow Liv and Mack.

I liked Liv. We met her in the previous book and I have to say that I wasn´t a huge fan of her but in this book my opinion about her changed radically. I liked how tough she was, how stubborn, how she fought for what she thought was right and how she faced the different problems that came along the way.

I also liked Mack and I enjoyed how they both interacted with each other. They were trying to make justice and the issue was quite serious but I couldn't stop finding the situation fun and amusing.

I absolutely adored how Mack and Liv's relationship developed. I loved how this hate relationship turned into a love romance and the hard and long way they had to go to get there. Especially Mack.

I liked how Mack tried over and over again. I liked how he was so close to give up a couple of times but kept fighting and trying. I perfectly got why Liv was the way she was and why it was harder for her to dive into their story but that gave us some priceless moments that made this book amazing!

I loved the writing style. I flew through it! Some eARCs are written different than in paper but this one was typed perfectly and it was easy and clear and smooth to read, understand and love.

I knew I would give this book 5/5⭐ since I started it but that end just reinforced my opinion. I loved every chapter, every character, the plot, the twists... This book was cute and fun and it made me cry and laugh.

Cannot wait for the third part! October seems so far away but I know the wait will worth it!

Oh my 😍😍 This book should come with a warning. It is absolutely fantastic and you won’t be able to put it down. I loved revisiting the characters that we loved from the first instalment. I’m already eager for the next one. I love this series! Really has reminded me that there are good guys out there. Definitely five star worthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my 😍😍 This book should come with a warning. It is absolutely fantastic and you won’t be able to put it down. I loved revisiting the characters that we loved from the first instalment. I’m already eager for the next one. I love this series! Really has reminded me that there are good guys out there. Definitely five star worthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The second book in the series, but it certainly doesn't mean you can't start here, there were no spoilers to the first book at all, just the same characters.
This book is a take on the romantic suspense genre with the hate to love trope (that I love), but covers a major topic of the #metoo movement, which I thought was handled very well.
I loved the prickly character of Liv and Mack was just a sweetheart. This was just as funny as the first book and had me laughing aloud on more than one occasion. We follow Liv as she vows revenge on her ex boss after seeing him harass one of the other workers. I love the side cast of characters and cannot wait to see who will appear in the next one.
Recommended if you need an amusing romance, which I did.
My thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.

Oh boy. I was so looking forward to this, as I really liked The Bromance Book Club and it was such a letdown for me. I think I put this on my TBR list before it even had a description I was so excited. I think that the author has the best of intentions at tackling a #metoo type plot, but I don't think it came off in the execution. For all of his talk of feminism and equality, Mack repeatedly steamrollers what Liv wants and tries to take power and control away from her, and I had trouble getting past it. Liv is also a bit victim-blamey and although she is called on it in the story, she keeps doing it albeit with the best of intentions. I didn't really get why Liv and Mack ended up together - because they never seemed to really reconcile their issues. And the epilogue was a real bummer. Oh and some of my least favourite bits of the first book were the toilet humour around the Russian and there was a lot more of that in this, so I didn't even get to enjoy the banter as much.

I'm so disappointed in this one that I'm not sure I'll be coming back for book 3.

If you are looking for a bit of escapism, and a fun read, albeit with a little bit of a serious undertone, then look no further. Having read The Bromance Book Club, and loved its originality, I was looking forward to seeing how Lyssa Kay Adams would take the series forward. Whilst this book is a based on a somewhat more common theme than its predecessor, that of enemies to lovers, it is none the worse for it and it enables us to get to know characters we had met in the first book in more depth, in particular Braden Mack, the founder of the Bromance Book Club and Liz, the slightly complicated pastry chef sister of Thea. Yes the course of their romance is a little predictable, but the characters are well drawn as you warm to both of them as their pasts are revealed, and well supported by a great cast of secondary characters, and there is much to laugh about throughout the book. The serious theme that runs through the book is well handled and present without feeling overly awkward in a book which is meant to be an entertaining read. Overall a great addition to the series and I look forward to what comes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Headline for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Undercover Bromance by @lyssakayadams

4 stars

Undercover Bromance is the second in the series from Lyssa Kay Adams and in my opinion even better than the first!
I love Mack! His confident and cocky exterior that is covering up how sweet and loving he is. I adored getting to know him more as he was one of my favourite side characters in the first book.
Liv, the female love interest was one character that I didn't really like in the first book. However I grew to love her and enjoyed her character arc and how she grew throughout the book.
The storyline was really good and it is a quick and easy read that will make you smile and tug on the heart strings. We get to know the other characters even more and new characters that I loved.
There is a theme of sexual harassment, abuse of power and workplace bullying throughout the book so please keep that in mind if you are sensitive to these issues.

I am excited for the next installment later on in the year!!

Thank you to @netgalley and @headlinebooks for providing this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the first book in this series, and number two did not disappoint, here we have the story strongly hinted at in book 1, Braden Mack, smooth and handsome founder member of the bromance book club, and Liz, the spiky pastry chef sister of Thea from book 1.

Braden has decided it is time he settled down with a permanent girlfriend, guided by his reading, he decides to wine and dine his current girlfriend at the swankiest restaurant in town, owned by the local celebrity chef. He orders a very extravagant thousand dollar cupcake for his date, which Liz, who works there, has to serve at the table. When he recognises Liz, there is a catastrophe with dessert which results in Liz being fired, and witnessing her boss sexually harassing a young employee. When she objects, and then tries to get the girl to bring charges against Royce, she finds herself being blackballed for every job she applies to, and also being intimidated by Royce’s goons. When Braden finds out, he insists on helping her, and eventually their spiky banter becomes a true attraction. However, both of them are hiding big secrets, will Liz ever be able to trust people and stop judging them against an unrealistic standard, and can Braden face up to the truth about his abusive childhood, and his father before it’s too late for them?

I loved this one too, the humour and banter between the members of the club was still there and amusing, the witty repartee between the two main protagonists was a joy to read, and the supporting characters including Rosie and Hog, plus the Russian etc, were good fun.

Lisa’s Kay Adams was also brilliant at wrapping up some important home truths about patriarchy and misogyny using the book club, and romance tropes as an excellent metaphor.

I also particularly loved the hero, rich, successful, handsome, but also messed up, but man enough to try and understand himself and try to change, to be better. Swoon!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.


Also posted on Goodreads

Such fun read as well as the first one. I love these concepts and find it very feminist. Very enjoyable!
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

A wonderful light romance, it’s sweet and cute, the kind of book I love to read after a hard day to make me smile. The characters are well written, relatable and most importantly completely adorable. I love the enemy to love trope and this is just a wonderful example, a great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

There’s rom-com and then there’s Brom-com. That’s how I describe Lyssa Kay Adams’ (and she approves!) stories about a group of high-profile businessmen and sports players getting together to read romance novels to resolve their marital issues. Having previously read The Bromance Book Club as the first instalment of the series, I knew Undercover Bromance would be just as good, if not equally as hilarious and am grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read it before its release.

During Gavin and Thea’s patch-up in The Bromance Book Club, we saw the founder of the book club, Braden Mack, have a brief yet comical encounter with Thea’s sister, Liv, by eating her Chinese food. Keen-eyed readers will have noticed the obvious sparks that were flying between them but they needed something more, which is exactly what we get to see in Undercover Bromance. Liv, working as a pastry chef for a high-profile celebrity chef, has an encounter with Braden Mack which results in her witnessing her boss’s sexual harassment and intimidation of a colleague and is subsequently fired. Feeling bad for Liv, Braden seeks to resolve the dire situation by offering her help in her mission to take down her previous employer and ensure justice is served. Quite naturally, the two become close and things take their natural course but not without the help of the Bromance Book Club who are part of the climactic sting operation, hence an ‘undercover bromance’.

There are, of course, undertones of #MeToo in Undercover Bromance and Lyssa Kay Adams deftly navigates the issues of abuse of power and intimidation of employees including what prevents victims from taking their case to the authorities. But the story moves even deeper as it did with The Bromance Book Club; Liv’s mission is integral to the plot to ensure both characters are kept in close proximity to each other in order for it to uncover the baggage both she and Braden carry before they can move forward. Principled as they may be, Liv and Braden are deeply flawed in how they view themselves and carry a lot of pain from their past; they’re layered characters and in some ways, one of the reasons why I prefer Undercover Bromance is because Braden’s past is far more harrowing yet he commendably works hard to keep his life on the right side of the tracks. I noticed that Undercover Bromance alternates rather equally between Liv and Braden whereas The Bromance Book Club was skewed a lot more towards Gavin’s point of view.

Undercover Bromance is a hilarious, light and easy read yet not so light that it lacks the substance to be relevant to us in today’s world of abuse of power while simultaneously setting the example that there are men for whom being morally masculine is not only a part of their subconscious but who will equally and wilfully manifest their principles through the conscious choices they make. Lyssa Kay Adams’ writing artfully displays these traits and more to weave together a simple story of love that pushes Undercover Bromance beyond the standard romance novel.

3.5 stars

UNDERCOVER BROMANCE was everything light and fun. This was a quick and immersive read that made me smile, laugh but also made me want to dig a bit deeper.

If you read book one, you’ll recall Thea’s grouchy sister Liv. Liv was front and central to this book and I found her more human and slightly more approachable in this story. That said, Liv had all sharp corners with a bag on chips added; I did find her infuriating at times. Braden Mack, the Bromance Book Club ring leader was not quite so smooth and accomplished in this instalment and I found him fun and quite lovely.

“I don’t want a man. I don’t have time for a man. They’re needy, clingy and never keep their promises.”

I wanted Liv to give Mack a chance, I screamed it sometimes…
These two had epic banter, I lived for their dialogue and laughed through it. Those moments helped me with the frustration I felt over Liv.

I felt like the book club was a little more in the background in this one (sad face) but their use of The Protector was pretty hilarious. Hop and Rosie were great new character addition as was Randy the rooster. The cover is the cutest and I love it. I will definitely be picking up the third book in this series, I’ve seen who the protangonists are and I’m looking forward to their story.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the early review copy.

So good. Better then the first one. A romance story with a feminist core.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault. Sexual harassment.

Ooo Braden f****n Mack I think I'm a little bit in love with you! 😍
This book was so much better than I anticipated. I was really looking forward to Mack and Liv's story and it did not disappointed me.
Mack is desperately looking for a lady to share his life with. He is the founder of the Bromance Book Club and being surrounded by people in love all he wants is his happy ending. Liv is a total fire cracker! She is very sarcastic and synical and can't stand Mack and his approach with woman, a big smile and a bit of the Mack charm and they are putty in his hands. She hates him even more after he accidentally gets her fired!
I really enjoyed the Bromance Book Club but the sequel has blow it out of the water. It touched on a very good and series topic which I enjoyed and was absolutely hilarious! I actually had tears down my face from laughing at one point. It was nice to see a serious side to Mack and a softer side to Liv. Was good to get more of a back story on Mack to underat9why he is the way he is.
So excited for the next book now! FAB-U-LOUS!!!

Mack is the founder of the Bromance Book Club, the saviour of marriages, and the man who has memorised every line from every romance novel going. He knows how to woo a woman, be the hero of every romance, and knows everything about love. Except he can’t seem to keep a woman. He’s too fake. An undercover agent in his own life. So when he encounters Liv, the antithesis to his romantic ways, immune to his charm and blister, he feels he’s finally met his match. And when Liv sets out to expose her ex boss for the sexual predator he is, Mack steps up to be her partner in crime.

I really enjoyed this sequel to The Bromance Book Club, even more than the original. Whereas the previous instalment entered on a second chance romance, this plays on the enemies to lovers trope that I love so much. Mack and Liv have great chemistry. The banter is funny and the tension and sexual chemistry are on an all time high. It feels realistic and there’s just the right balance of character development to plot to make me care. Liv has a tough exterior, putting up walls because she believes she doesn’t deserve to love. Mack feels similar. On the outside he’s all bravado, but inside he hides a dark past that’s shaped his the man he’s become. The two compliment each other well.

As always, the secondary characters provide much of the light relief - especially ‘The Russian’, with his dairy intolerance and love of chickens. This time we’re also introduced to Rosie and Hop, who also become quickly enveloped in Liv’s escapades. They all feel like a large extended found family, with a lot of love and mutual respect that feels wholesome and lovely.

The plot is a lot darker than than The Bromance Book Club, and tackles some hard hitting and important topics such as sexual assault and the after effects for survivors. I thought the topic was handled well, and never feels gratuitous. In fact, quite the opposite, with some powerful conversations being made throughout the book - especially between Liv and her friends. It tackled concepts I wouldn’t normally expect from what I would consider as a ‘light’ read, but I greatly appreciated it, and found the story really benefitted from the discussions raised.

The writing, as before, is easy to read although I wouldn’t consider it amazing. The overall story arc is, as you would expect with a romance, very predictable and convenient at times, with information and help arriving for our characters when they need it. There’s also the predictable ‘I’m hiding a secret from you that will be exposed and force us to express our feelings’ issue that I read about in every romance novel at the moment. Sometimes I felt a little exasperated bu the lack of originality.

However, I enjoyed being swept up into the story and I’m utterly charmed by the book club itself. These guys have stolen a little piece of my heart, and I can’t wait for the next instalment with my romance loving romantic heroes.

I was so incredible happy that I got acccepted for this arc. I was excited about this book since the moment Mack met Liv and she wasn't affected by his flirting in The Bromance Bookclub.

The story is about Braden Mack, one of the single guys in the bookclub, he is an owner of a number of nightclubs and haven't been in a relationship in a while. He is in a way responsible for getting Liv fired and he wants to make amends for it.
Liv is a pastry chef and works in a restaurant which is owned by a celebrity chef, when she caught him harrassing a colleague, he fires her. Liv has no choice but to expose him for who he really is, Mack with the help of the bookclub is determined to help anyway they can.
This book was unxepected in the best way possible, the plot is very interesting, it is developed around a very sensitive issue, which is handled responsibly. The story had a depth but it was also funny and romantic, a perfect combination.
Mack and Liv made a great team and became better just by being together. Mack created some very swoony momets and made me love him even more.
As for the bookclub, those guys are beguiling, it is an amazing group of people always there for one another.

*I received an arc from Headline Eternal through Netgalley in exchange for a review.