The latest in the Bromance Book club series, you knew I had to read this one right? And while I definitely enjoyed A Very Merry Bromance, it’s certainly my least favorite of the bunch I think. I love when I can’t pick a favorite character from our two leads, but here it was rather easy for me. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.
It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…
Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.
Review
Second chance romances are going to be my favorite trope for the year I think. Look I think enemies or rivals to lovers dominated my 2022, but I have a special feeling about second chance romance. There’s something about delving into the past. About seeing the distance between who we were then and who we are now. All the reasons why it didn’t work, it never took off, and why it failed. For Colton, Gretchen is the one who got away. And for Gretchen, afraid of rejection, she cannot possibly take that chance.
But while I was rooting for Colton to convince Gretchen, I found myself drawn more to her character. There was something about Colton maybe a distance, that I just couldn’t connect with. I loved the grumpy sunshine vibes, but I found that there was a lot Colton kept close to his chest. And because of that, I had a difficult time even with his POV where we got to see more of his vulnerabilities. Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoyed how he has to explore this idea of living for himself.
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Of shedding the ways in which he tries to make others happy and to discover himself. But every time I felt like we got to see a glimmer of him, I found myself more drawn to Gretchen. To the awful ways her family treats her, to her passionate career, and to the ways in which she has to confront her fear of being rejected. When we have someone who gives up on us, it’s very difficult to talk our mind out of the fear. Of thinking that everyone is going to hurt us that way. And so while I enjoyed this seasonal romance, and I fell in love with Gretchen, it was certainly my least favorite so far.
Find A Very Merry Bromance on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.