Name: kels's review of Isn't it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams
Item: Isn't it Bromantic?
Rating: 3.5
Author: kels

Lyssa Kay Adams

If you love Jasmine Guillory, Sally Thorne and Helen Hoang, you'll LOVE Lyssa Kay Adams! 'The most inventive, refreshing concept in rom-coms!' Entertainment Weekly The Bromance Book Club was one of Bustle's '21 New Rom-Coms Out In Fall 2019 To Give You Warm And Fuzzy Feelings All Season Long'! 'A you're-gonna-burn-dinner book because you will not want to put it down. Laugh out loud with tons of heart, this is an absolutely adorable must read' Avery Flynn, USA Today bestselling author 'A delightful, fast-paced read with the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud and swoony moments - every town should have a Bromance Book Club' Evie Dunmore, author of Bringing Down the Duke 'It is the reading aloud in this story that ultimately wins my heart, and shows that everything worth knowing can be learned from romance' kc dyer, author of Finding Fraser With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad took up the pen to write a novel the Bromance Book Club would swoon over. He's ready to create his own sweeping romance - both on and off the page. Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how. She agreed to marry her childhood friend, Vladimir, and move to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville. Vlad, aka The Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it's become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he's learned is that he deserves more. The Bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love - and this time they're not operating solo, joining forces with Vlad's senior citizen neighbours, a group of meddling widows who call themselves The Loners. But just when things finally look promising, the danger from Elena's past life intrudes. Now the book club face their first-ever life-or-death grand gesture as they race to a happy ever after. Readers LOVE Lyssa Kay Adams! 'The sweetest romance you will read this year. I absolutely loved every moment' Read Sweetly To Me, on Crazy Stupid Bromance 'These books get better with each instalment...Lyssa Kay Adams has a talent for building up sexual tension...I for one cannot WAIT for book 4' Tales of a Literary Addict 'If you're looking for a feel-good contemporary romance then look no further' - reader review 'This is becoming my favourite romance series' reader review 'I cannot even begin to explain how much I love this series! It was sweet and clever and entertaining and had a lovely mix of comedy and seriousness that kept me reading well into the night. Brilliant!!' reader review Don't miss the rest of the Bromance Book Club series: The Bromance Book Club, Undercover Bromance, and Crazy Stupid Bromance!!

The Bromance Book Club is back ... it's time to find out more about our favourite Russian!

Isn't it Bromantic?

Jen Hover

With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one. Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville. Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance—both on and off the page. The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love—and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena’s past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt.

Isn't It Bromantic?

the kidnapping bit threw me off but i’m glad it didn’t culminate in the bromance book club trying to be liam neeson 😂

kels

Bria

I wasn't expecting the part with Elena near the end at all

melina25

FROM THE FIRST BOOK I WAS LOOKING FORWARD AND HOPING THE RUSSIAN GETS HIS DESERVED BOOK AND ROMANCE. He's been my fav since first book😭😭 the author did him justice and I loved his and Elena's story 💓💓💓

amanda dickmann

Duh, I love this story. But like, so much money on plane tickets?!

Jennifer mitchell

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just *chef's kiss* perfection. This entire series is so fun and this 4th book did not disappoint. 

The story moves at an incredible pace and I consistently love the way the author uses the book within a book to relate to the main characters plot line and move their story along. The entire premise of this series is brilliant and I love watching the bromance bookclub come together to help each other out. 

Vlad is such a lovable teddy bear I literally wanted to jump into the pages and hug him the entire book. This book was a breath of fresh air. It was incredible to read about a main male character who isn't afraid to show his emotions. Don't get me wrong, I love an alpha a-hole as much as the next girl, but it is so refreshing to read about a man who isn't afraid to express himself and doesn't shy away from his feelings. Vlad encompassed that perfectly.

ALSO it was so incredible to have an older main character (view spoiler)[who was still a virgin. On top of that, the way the group of guys reacted to finding out about that secret was incredible and exactly how it should be in real life. Unfortunately in our society virginity is looked down on as something to be embarrassed about, when it is completely normal and admirable to wait to share that moment with someone you really love and care about. That part of the book honestly made me tear up because I related to it so much, and it made it feel normal, instead of something to be ashamed about. (hide spoiler)]

Final thoughts:
This book was an absolute delight. I read it in one sitting because I physically couldn't put it down. At one point around 1:30am I did put it down because I was determined to fall asleep, but I ended up picking it back up 10 minutes later because I needed to finish it. The book is a fast paced, super cute marriage of convenience romance read (with a splash of thriller/suspense thrown in!) that I highly recommend.

Ana Paula

By far the best one in the series imo, if not for the fact all the characters merge I'd recommend to just read this one and call it a day

Ashley Wendt

I loved this one! This was my favorite of the series so far! It was sweet and so funny. I laughed so hard. And it’s so sweet. I did guess “the twist” very early on, but still such a fun & delightful addition to the series!

Inês Filipa

another book, another hit. my obsession with this series is probably becoming unhealthy by now. 

since the beginning, i’ve been curious about vlad’s story. he is his gentle big man who feels deeply. i just want to hold him and i wish I could give him the world. 

when i heard this was going to be a marriage of convenience story, i was excited - super excited, mainly because it’s probably one of my favourite tropes. but then i started reading and I realised that they had indeed been married for the course of the previous books. 

once again, the book club is so endearing and their friendship is truly heart warming. 

as always, it is impossible not to laugh out loud while reading. 

i loved this. i love vlad to pieces. 

although i would’ve liked to get a longer epilogue and maybe further on on their lives. 

nonetheless, 

5-stars ✨ (am i even shocked? no)

Aditi

** spoiler alert **
           For months I've been seeing nothing but praise for this. Combine that with the promise of a second chance romance, I was pretty sure I'd like this one. I did not. 

The characters, Vlad and Elena are likeable and I was rooting for them at the start. The humor wasn't too cheesy or try hard as I've seen in the past books in this series. But that's kinda it. 

Most of this book is just the main characters talking out their issues with the side characters, none of whom I cared about so much that I'd want their opinions on everything. I wanted to see the main characters having these difficult conversations instead of everything being resolved through realisations they had with all these random characters.

There's also a lot of unnecessary miscommunication (6 years is enough to talk about the one conversation you overheard at the start of your marriage please) and the ‘I know you deserve better than me so I'm leaving’ which was made worse here Elena's main complaint was that she was never asked to stay.

I stopped caring around the 70% mark and the ending was a mess.

Ashlee

My heart is so full! I have loved this series from the very beginning, and when I found out we’d be getting Vlad’s (aka The Russian) story I was left reeling and giddy with anticipation! And I enjoyed this as much as I hoped I would.

Vlad’s character has been treated as a punchline for much of the series up to this point. He’s an enigma amongst the other characters because even they don’t know much about him. I am so glad we got this story and were able to see how endearing his character is.

I definitely expected this to be more rivals to lovers after the end of the last book, so color me surprised when I realized this is more of a childhood friends romance! I just loved the chemistry, humor, and history between Vlad and Elena. And of course it was highly satisfying to see the rest of the book club help Vlad get the girl. Definitely recommend and I am excited to see what’s next from Lyssa!

Preye

I love this book! Vladimir(male protagonist) might just be the most perfect man in the world and my heart is aching for all the emotional shit he was put through.

Edna

I love the Bromance Book Club series, but I put off reading this because I felt like I wouldn't be into it - the Russian was always used as just a punchline in the previous books and that's not really my vibe. BUT WOW. I think this might be my favorite book out of the series? Vlad is such a loveable character - I was swooning left and right! Also Elena's emotional damage and reluctance to be in love?!? Along with Vlad's eagerness to love her?!? While Elena goes on a mysterious journey to uncover her father's story? A winning combination: it was thrilling and cozy all at once! I also love a good heartbreak, to be torn apart and pulled back together, this book delivers with a side of comedy! 

Aundreya Rich

"Wakey, wakey, hands off snakey." 

Thats right, we are BACK LADIES! And better than ever.

Isn't it Bromantic follows Vlad and his wife Elena. The mystery woman many thought was a figment of the imagination, well, until she shows up asking for a divorce.

But was that request a mistake?
Are the feelings both have ignored so long mutual and stronger than ever?

All Elena knows is right now, Vlad needs her, and she will need to earn the respect and spot among Vlad's people.
First the bookclub... Vlad's best friends that seem to know more than she does with their plotting and "I seeeeee's."
The Loners, a bunch of widowed or divorced women who have taken Vlad under their wing in his time of loneliness. And some of these ladies will put a hex on you.

 "You're still waiting on your knight in shining armor who will make you all giddy and sparkly for the rest of your life. What you should be looking for is someone you're still willing to have sex with after they make you look at their colonoscopy." 

This book was by far my favorite in the series since book 1. It has the strong element of comedic relief, serious underlying topics, and of course... romance.

Read if you love:
-the perfect rom-com
-russian inspiration so good you can taste it
-friends to lovers
-a big furry cinnamon roll you can't help cheer on
-friends... the weirdest and the best of them all
-a bit of crime action

Rating:
genre- rom com, can be read as a standalone but wouldn't recommend
story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
characters-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam- He's romantic... not easy, calm down....

Song- Dont Stop Now (acoustic)- The Maine

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an EARC for this incredible book.

Caitlin Snyder

Such a great series that's entertaining but addresses issues like toxic masculinity.

Liz Whitehead

Simone Rhodes

Realistically this is probably a 4.5 stars but the way I feel about Vlad it deserves all the stars! 

I’m so happy that he gets his happily ever after because he is such a sweetheart. He wears his heart on his sleeve and it was so hard to see him unhappy and lonely for so long. And his revelations! Omg I didn’t think I could swoon so much over a fictional character.

The plot itself wasn’t the absolute best. So many of the issues could have been solved with communication but I like that the characters acknowledge this fact. It became quite dramatic near the end but that is a known and expected staple in this series. Sometimes I felt like I was watching a telenovela in certain scenes. 

What surprised me though was Colton’s budding relationship with Vlad in this book. I didn’t notice it before in the prior ones but I adored it. Colton was such a comedic relief from beginning to end. Some of his scenes had me rolling in my bed laughing aloud in the early am. He is getting his own book and I cannot wait to read it.

Elena was an enigma since she is only ever mentioned in the prior books. I don’t have any strong feelings toward her character. She was quite frustrating and I couldn’t totally grasp her personality but she makes my Vlad happy so she can stay.

I also liked the book within a book storyline that tied to the main plot. 

Overall I loved this instalment and I can’t wait to continue the series. 

If you’re interested in my ranking of the series so far from best to least fave: Isn’t It Bromantic?, Undercover Bromance, The Bromance Bookclub and Crazy Stupid Bromance.

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, marriage of convenience 

TW: car accident, death of parents, sex trafficking (mentioned), grief, kidnapping

Sahi K

I’ve been waiting for this book because this is one of the very few contemporary series I’m still reading, and I was frankly disappointed not to get the advance copy. Not that it stopped me because I got it soon after release and it felt like the perfect one for my august readathon prompt. 

And this turned out to be as fun as I expected. When the author mentioned in the acknowledgements that she didn’t plan on writing a book for the Russian, I was surprised because he truly has been a fan favorite since the beginning. But I’m glad she did write this book because it was so much fun. Childhood best friends to lovers is my favorite trope and it was nice to find it in a book after a long time. But it was also equally angsty because there were so many misunderstandings and self-worth issues, but thankfully everything got resolved nicely. The whole idea of the hockey playing hero writing a romance novel was so unique, and perfect for the Bromance book club. The author used the process of writing of this book to highlight some of very tropey but wonderful little moments that we find in most romance novels, and also how much this writing process and the story helps in resolving the issues between the main couple in real life. The pacing is perfect, the humor very endearing and the depiction of friendships heartwarming, which made for a happy read. 

Vlad is just such a nice guy. We are very used to seeing stereotypical depictions of jocks and American media’s representation of Russian people always skews towards the negative, so it was lovely to see Vlad depicted as just a king, compassionate, emotional man who loves everyone with all his heart, but is unsure if he is worthy of receiving the same. Elena on the other hand has gone through a lot in her life and is chasing the void left by her journalist father, wants the love of her best friend and husband but also doesn’t want to be a burden on him. Both of them stay away from each other despite the love they have, and it was nice to see them fight their vulnerabilities and conflicting feelings to finally get to be with each other. 

The book club is always a delight and I thought they were amazing here as well, helping and pestering Vlad to open up about his problems as well as nudging him on his writing journey. The Loners is another group of women who may not have a man in their lives but are full of cutting insights about relationships. And then there’s another special appearance whose name I don’t wanna spoil, but adds a lot of intrigue and hilarity to the proceedings. 

In the end, I was thoroughly entertained while reading the book and I’m glad this series has been equally fun since the beginning. While the various conversations in the book about romance and masculinity and body shaming may feel a tad bit superficial, but I think even such normal talks can help dispel some of the myths and stereotypes associated. I don’t know if this series is gonna continue, but if it does, I know I’ll be ready to read.

With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one. Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville. Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it's become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he's learned is that he deserves more. He's ready to create his own sweeping romance--both on and off the page. The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love--and this time they're not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad's neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena's past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt.

Sophia De La Garza

This was the final (??) installment of the Bromance Book Club series and I enjoyed it. I know this book has some mixed reviews and I could see why but I thought it was a cute second chance (ish) romance. I will say the only thing I wasn't a fan of was the whole Elena's father plot line but the romance aspect was cute which is what mattered more (for me). 

4 out of 5 stars

The Bromance Book Club Is Back ... It's Time to Find Out More about Our Favourite Russian!

Candyce Kirk

To be honest I’ve been anxiously awaiting getting Vlad’s book since I read the first book and the excitement has only increased since then. Isn’t It Bromantic? met my expectations and then some. It was such a joy to read this book and I was sad when I read the last page, because I just can’t get enough of these characters.

Vlad is Russian and he’s the sensitive one in this bromance book club. He’s easily in tears and just loves to love. I mean not everyone has an animal door made for the neighborhood animals to come visit him when they want to. I loved this about him! He loves love, but doesn’t seem to think he deserves the same as everyone else. I loved seeing his feelings develop through this book and work on his own happily ever after.

Elena was honestly a character I didn’t want to love. She hurt one of my favorite characters and that’s reason enough for me, haha. Reading the first few parts from her POV really changed my mind about her though. There was so much more to her than meets the eye and her own “mysteries” were still haunting her. Elena really is a caring and protective person and definitely has a feisty side.

Their marriage of convenience and Vlad’s book really had me invested in their love story. I just really wanted them to have their happily ever after. At times the miscommunication annoyed me, because it was just so clear they worked together. Even though things were tense they were still comfortable with each other. They were home.

Besides Vlad’s story we got to see all over the bromance book club members we’ve come to love along the way. I love how close these guys are and when they were together I was laughing out loud. Let’s just say I got some strange looks while reading during my commute to work on the train. They really make this series extra special. Also, a speak cheesy? That was so clever!

All in all, Isn’t It Bromantic? was everything I was hoping for. If you haven’t picked up any of the books in the series yet I highly suggest you do. These are the perfect pick me ups when you’re feeling down or just want an amazing book.

Jessica Williamson

3.75

It's getting harder and harder to talk about this series without just spoiling all of it but here we go.

I know this particular book has been hit or miss for fans of the Bromance Book Club but I really enjoyed it! The thing about this series is that because we see so much toxic masculinity in the real world, you kind of have to suspend your belief in order to see these men as actual humans. Which I think is part of the point. 

For Elena and Vlad, (wait, was this a Vampire Diaries reference?) a lot of their story felt either too slow or too fast. Yet at the same time, the way it was told worked for me? Yeah, I don't understand it either. And the end was VERY real. Like a weird hostage situation that was so unrealistic that I'm just completely stunned by it still. I think it was all glossed over a little too much to make the plot stand out. 

That's the thing about this series. It tackles some seriously DEEP topics while also being completely ridiculous at the same time. And I feel like the plot in this one, in particular, was off balance. 

I don't know if there's going to be more from this series (but from the amount of Colton we got in this book and him being the remaining single member, I can guess so) but I would absolutely pick up the next installment.

 Though finishing this a few months after publication, I did receive an eARC of this work from Negalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

cover 3; characters 3; plot 3; pace 4; writing 4; enjoyment 4; cry*

Linda Quintanilla

We finally have the Russian book!!! It took forever (not really but kinda). I have been waiting so patiently to read his book since he was previously mentioned in the first book of the series.
He is such a softie. I know his marriage of convenience is going to be so much more than loveless marriage. It's how all great romance starts at first. And his wouldn't be any different. 
We also have our Russian write his own romance book. How freaking cute is that? And his bromance buddies are in on it too. All of them plotting and drafting a romance book is too cute for words. Don't you agree?

Katie Wiley

I love this series, but I do feel like there were some unnecessary elements like the Cheese Man and a lot of Elena’s reporting conspiracy storyline. But overall, I enjoyed the romance elements.

Kimberly

A more serious side of the Russian. Really enjoyed it.

Jen Hover &
Isn't it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

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Isn't it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams