I adore these books and The Russian’s story was no different. A typical tale of miscommunication with friends to lovers and pretend marriage tropes galore. The kind of book you binge in a day and then miss for 12 months whilst waiting for the next instalment. A series I will recommend to friends again and again.

Another brilliant installment in the Bromance Book Club series, with the usual heartfelt moments and suspenseful storyline.
This is my favorite book in the series so far, focusing on the trope of 'marriage of convenience' it follows The Russian and his childhood sweetheart and they battle with miscommunication (I usually hate the miscommunication trope, but this was done beautifully) and past trauma.

Once again, my favorite aspect was the found family feel and the book club aspect.
Brilliant book

The Bromantics are back! Yes, the undercover bromance book club is on a mission again as Nashvilles hottest husbands and eligible bachelors set out to fix the marriage of gentle giant Vlad the Russian pro hockey player in the group. Seriously funny and a great feel good summer read.
Vlad's mysterious wife Elena has never been seen by the group but when he is injured in the Stanley Cup playoffs she shows up at the hospital and offers to take care of him. With a supporting cast including the Bromance book Club and the "loners", a group of single women who have adopted Vlad into their ranks Elena learns to understand the life Vlad now has in America and her own feelings towards him. The guys are also extremely surprised to find out that Vlad has a secret....he is writing' his own romance novel!!!

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.

Oh my heart, this book is just complete and utter PERFECTION. From the very first page, I have fallen in love with the gorgeous characters that fill the pages of this one. I have adored every book in the Bromance series and really hoping there are more to come.

Vlad is just completely and utterly wonderful, the kindest and most warm hearted man. You just want to hug him all the time. Adams has had me completely caught up in the emotions of him and Elena as they have continued a journey through this book. Unfortunately, Vlad has an accident which leaves him needing some help. This is where (soon to be ex) wife Elena steps up.

I have loved the interaction between Elena and Vlad’s friends. It has been clear that everyone else can see the truth except Vlad and Elena. The meeting between the “loners” and Elena have been interesting, the hostility just oozes from the pages and I absolutely adore that the author has made me feel wrapped up in all these emotions.

I have to admit there have been parts of this book that I’ve had tears streaming down my cheeks. I have literally been captured and completely immersed in the events that take place in this book. However, as always with these gorgeous men, there have been lots of moments that I have laughed out loud.

This is beautifully written and filled with a collection of amazing characters. I have devoured this book in one sitting and it is quite possibly my favourite in the series. This has been absolutely gorgeous to read on a sunny afternoon and a book that has really stolen my heart.

Without a doubt a book worthy of all the stars. Even that doesn’t show just how utterly wonderful this book is. A definite must for the TBR.

One of THE most incredible romances I’ve read. I was doubled over from too many feelings, that’s how incredibly soft this was. The humour is immaculate, the romance is divine, the character all squishy teddy bears. I love the entire bro squad, love Elena to pieces, and the stray chicken as well. My favourite part happens to be the subtle leftist ideology Lyssa Kay Adams slowly writes into her books. Incredible incredible incredible.

Isn't it Bromantic?, The Bromance Book Club is back ... it's time to find out more about our favourite Russian! Lyssa Kay Adams

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance

Vlad, I think we all adore him. He'd got a lot of hidden depth, he's supportive, emotional, loves animals...and his wife. Yep, at the end of the last book we met Elena, and discovered Vlad has been married for six years! How do his best mates not know that? How do we not know that? So many questions.
Its a fun read, as usual the boys kind of bumble through, correcting each others mistakes, using romance books as their guide. Wish more blokes would do that!
Vlad has stayed away from them for months, making excuses, avoiding them, almost ashamed to admit he loves his wife, but she wants to go back to Russia. He's been waiting so long for his happy ending, and when he finally cracks the lads are determined with their help he'll get it.
Its a fun read, so much going on that actually at times I felt there was almost too much happening. The whole Elena's father mystery and repercussions was just a bit too much for me. It fitted but I think it would have been better without it almost, or to have that as a very thin background story. But...that's just me.
As always the characters are fab, Vlad and the lads, their wives and girlfriends, The Losers, Neighbour cat and Neighbour dog, and my favourite – The Cheeseman. Oh I loved the idea of the underground cheese movement! I loved the book within a book too, and how the lads used past books to analyse and help Vlad not only with his romance with Elena but the romance book he's writing. Of course its full of those double entendre lines too, that made me smile so much.
I'm so glad Vlad finally got to the bottom ( smirk) of his digestive issues....made me laugh in earlier reads but he needed to get it sorted for him and everyone around him.
It has a kind of manic, slightly rushed ending but as ever all ends well, the guy gets the girl and everyone is happy. That's what I want, I like some angst along the way but a HEA is why I read romance.

Stars: Four, another fun read. I was half in love with Vlad before, now its all the way ;-)

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers.

this book was so good. i thought the plot was the perfect mixture of mystery and romance. the tension created by her dad going missing paired with the sexual tension between them created a really addictive and engaging read. i thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. i’m going to read the rest of the series now

Aww Vlad, I am so happy you got your own book in this fabulous series.
Vlad has been married for 6 years, but with Elena being away at college none of the other book clubbers have met her and everything isn't what it seems.
This is a slow burn romance, both in pace and steam, but I am still here for it. I loved watching as Vlad and Elenas relationship grew and I just wanted to give Vlad a hug on numerous occasions.
There was a slight romantic suspense section which definitely got the heart racing, I loved the outcome of that section and how the author likes to add different tropes into each book.
The support network is a joy to read and I just fall in love more with the bromance book club after each book.

I love when a book gets you with the first line. In this case, it was this:

“It’s all fun and games until someone shits their pants.“

Yes! A bit of toilet humour to get us started, that’s me in.

I first picked up this series following a recommendation, I believe on one of the Romance subreddits on Reddit. I really enjoyed it and have followed the series but I think I can safely say that this one is my favourite.

We had a little prep for this one at the end of Crazy Stupid Bromance (Book 3) where we found out that Vlad, one of our main characters and Bromance Book Club (BBC) member, was married. After a pretty serious injury, Vlad needs some at home care and Elena, his estranged wife and childhood best friend, steps in to take care of him. The fact that she told him a few months earlier that she wanted a divorce somewhat complicates things.

Vlad is a big sweetie and has been in love with Elena since forever. These two stink at communication however and its going to take some intervention from the BBC to get them sorted.

The main story line with Vlad and Elena is great, we care enough about Vlad to want to see what happens and get to know Elena as the book progresses too so I was rooting for them to get things sorted.

The scenes with the BBC members shine and there’s some great humour in there. Colton plays quite a large part in this book and his scenes and lines with Vlad were great. This one, when Noah is pointing out that he’s seen which links Colton clicks on his laptop and calls him twisted, has found a home in my memory banks to be trotted out at some point:

“Hey, don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”

I’m kind of thinking (hoping) that we might see some more of Colton at some point, maybe his own installment soon?

Plot wise, the subplot with Elena trying to carry on the investigation that her father was carrying out just before he died, after she followed in his journalistic footsteps, was good and I could have had a bit more of that, though it was perhaps slightly dark in contrast to the lighter elements of the book. Plus, the Cheese Guy! Great!

As with many, many romance books, the main characters could have resolved things much earlier if they’d just communicated better. But where would the fun in that be? One of the great things about this series is the commentary on tropes in romance novels, so the BBC members point out what the reader has picked up on, which is good fun.

This series continues to get better with each book and I’ll definitely be picking up Book 5!

🏒Blog tour 🏒
Isn’t it bromantic by @lyssakayadams is available now and I’m very happy and grateful to be part of the blog tour for this amazing story.
I lived it so much! I read all of the books in the series and I was so giddy with excitement about Vlad’s story because he is my favourite character in this world.
I loved how caring and thoughtful he is about every one of his friends but mostly about Elena since they’ve known each other , practically almost all their life.
Elena is awesome and sweet and beautiful and a heroine that I want as my friend in real life. Their chemistry is undeniable and their happily ever after is definitely well deserved.
It was nice to see some of the older couples making appearances and knowing that they are still good friends for Vlad when he was always there for them.
A few suspenseful scenes and some push and pull moments between Elena and Vlad, but I do think is one of the must read romance book of the year.

Very grateful to the publisher @headlineeternal for my copy

Isn’t it Bromantic
Lyssa Kay Adams
Pub Date July 20 2021

This book is brilliant I read it in to days loved it. I loved it Vlad and Elena characters such great chemistry. My first hockey romance book I’ve read and loved it. Vlad a brilliant hockey player and famous then a tragic accident happens and Elena his wife looks after him I loved how his hockey players bonded with him and look after him to and his neighbours such a great community and bringing people together there were some drama and lovely plot in this book you enjoy I love to tell more of this story but I be giving away to many spoilers for you all you going to love this book I love Lyssa Kay adams writing style .

Isn’t It Bromantic, the fourth book in the Bromance Book Club series, focuses on Vlad, a Russian ice hockey player and a much loved character in previous books. It can be read as a standalone but it is such a great series I recommend you start at the beginning.

Vlad’s estranged wife Elena is often mentioned in previous books, but none of his friends have ever met her. They are childhood friends who grew up in Russia together and their marriage was ostensibly one of convenience in order to help Elena leave Russia, though Vlad has always hoped that it could become something more. Elena is in Chicago studying to be a journalist but considering returning to Russia. When Vlad has an accident on the ice, she rushes to visit him and as a result the pair are forced to learn to interact again and to confront miscommunication, hidden secrets and their true feelings.
We also find out that unbeknownst to everyone, Vlad has been writing his own romance book and his fellow book club members are keen to get help, whether Vlad wants them to or not..

Vlad is a fabulous character but in previous books has always been a bit of a clown - in this one you learn more about him and as a reader you fall even more in love with him. The strength of the books lies in the relationship between the men in the book club - their banter and their escapades are as entertaining as ever, and this book introductesThe Loners, a group of older women who have befriended Vlad and also provide plenty of laughs. Oh - and you have to love Cheese Man ….

There’s a lot going on in this book but it is so much fun - Adams’ skill lies in combining plenty of laugh out loud moments with all the feels of a great romance, heartwrenching at times but ultimately heartwarming and I loved it. I can’t wait to see which member of the club she writes about next.

Headlines:
Second chances
All the good guy vibes
Dr Doolittle

Vlad 'The Russian' story has been long awaited and this installment of the series was fun, sweet and warm. For those wondering, the gluten allergy was under control and toilets weren't a big feature of this story. What was a big thing of this story was Vlad's marriage of convenience to Elena and how that evolved.

Vlad finally had a dose of the Bromance Book Club and the twist to the book in this one was pretty great; I'd definitely read Promise Me. I really enjoyed getting to know Vlad's personality, his warmth, his integrity and affinity to animals. He really was the kind of good guy I love to read about.

Elena was a complex and restrained character but she did open up. The banter and dialogue was en pointe in this book, just as I have come to expect from this series. I would share some quotes but most are pretty hilariously double entendre. Friendships are always a theme in this series and I'm wholly entertained by the guys but I have to say the women stole the friendship stakes in this one. Claud was particularly funny.

I do hope there's more to come of this series because I'm not tired of it yet.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the early review copy.

Yesss, we finally got The Russians story, and Lyssa did not disappoint.

I adored everything about this. The plot, both Vlad and Elena's characters and the way they grow through the book, the book club, the Loners. Everything!

Lyssa can do no wrong with these books and I'm really hoping this isn't the end of the Bromance book club. I also hope that at some point, she might make one of the characters queer. Fingers crossed.

BOOK TOUR - BOOK REVIEW: Isn't it Bromantic? By @lyssakayadams

4 Stars

I was so excited for this book as I have loved the Russian from the first time we met him. I was so glad that he got his own story and I loved reading every second of it!

The genius of The Bromance Book Club series is the group of men that read romances, are feminists and through their amazing friendships, look out for one another in every way. This installment was no different and I loved how the club rallied around Vlad through some of that hardest moments of his career and life. It is such a beautiful friendship group and I love getting to know each character more and more. We especially learn a lot about country singer Colton in this book and I hope that means the next book will be about him!
On top of the book club was an interesting group of women that Vlad had become friends with. I won't say much more but it added a different layer to the book which I really enjoyed.
Vlad's wife and love interest Elena was a brilliant character with a fantastic back story and I loved her straight away. She is stubborn and overly protective of her heart but also incredibly brave and strong.
The storyline was really good, I felt a few areas could have been fleshed out a little more and there were a few rather ridiculous aspects but I still really enjoyed it. The humour is as ever, utterly brilliant and made me smile lots!

Overall, a fantastic addition to the series and I cannot wait for the next book already! An easy read series filled with friendship, love, humour, feminism and romance. I highly recommend it!

OUT NOW!

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vlad, everyone's favourite Russian, finally has his own romance story. And it's the best from the Bromance book club yet. For six years, Vlad has been married to Elena, his childhood best friend. But what nobody knows is that Elena and Vlad aren't a real couple, and there's is a marriage of convenience. When a bad hockey injury leaves Vlad unable to skate, Elena steps in to care for him, and feelings left simmering for six years are about to come to the surface. It's make or break time for this couple.

Vlad has always been my favourite Bromance book club member (like most people I imagine). He's a gentle giant with a lot of heart. He loves animals, he loves his found family, and he also deeply loves Elena. So much so that he hasn't even thougt about giving his heart to anyone else in those chase six years of platonic marriage. The first half of the book sees Vlad and Elena struggling to address their personal issues - neither of them feel they're good enough for each other, and start to talk about their strange dynamic as a couple. Elena is a good match for Vlad - she's incredibly brave and resilient, standing up to Vlad's various groups of friends and managing to still come across as kind hearted and forgiving. You can tell right from the start that she owes Vlad everything, and has loved him for a long time.

The two constantly clashing over their inability to really tell each other their feelings does result in a lot less humour than I've come to associate with Vlad. He's in a dark place at the start of the novel, and that leaves little in the way for light relief. However, the humour does return quite swiftly in the form of an underground illegal cheese speakeasy and the cheese man. Honestly, give that man a book of his own. To see the various women swooning over smelly cheese in Vlad's kitchen while he gets increasingly jealous was absolute perfection. As usual, I always love the dynamic between all the book club members too. Colton, our country music star, plays a bit more of a central role here (perhaps leading to his own book in the future...?) and his cocky flirting mingled with genuine care for Vlad feels very realistic and endearing. There's also the important message regarding toxic masculinity and expressing emotion as a healthy practice in men. Too many romances place men in a negative, alpha male overbearing role, and it's so refreshing to see this flipped on its head in these books.

In terms of plot, on the one hand this follows the typical romance formula that everyone expects - internal conflict, leads to big fight, leads to grand gesture and happy ending. However, here it gets a bit meta in that Vlad is concurrently writing his own romance novel with input from the guys. They quite blatantly talk about common romance tropes that turn up in Vlad's own story, and poke fun at common plot points. It made the whole story that little bit more interesting, and a whole lot more entertaining.

I really hope this isn't the last Bromance book. I've fallen in love with these guys and their healthy examination of romance. I only wish more men read them!

4.5 Stars

Sweet, sassy, sexy and sparkling, romantic comedy fans are going to be completely bowled over by Lyssa Kay Adams’ latest novel, Isn’t it Bromantic?

Danger and jeopardy had long been a part of Elena Konnikova’s life. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who had disappeared in mysterious circumstances, Elena had realized that the only way she could be free of the terror that dogged her every footstep was by leaving Russia behind and moving to the United States and marry her childhood friend, Vladimir, who was a professional hockey player in Nashville. Theirs was meant to be a marriage in name in only, however, it quickly transpired that there was nothing at all convenient about Vlad’s feelings for his wife!

Vlad thought that a marriage of convenience would be the answer to both his and Elena’s problems. He had every reason to believe that he would be perfectly happy with a paper marriage – until his feelings for Elena deepened and he fell head over in heels in love with her! Vlad would love nothing more than for Elena to see him as something other than her convenient husband, but she seems quite happy to leave things as they are – much to Vlad’s frustration! Determined to try anything to make his wife fall in love with him, Vlad had joined the Bromance Book Club and had hoped that he would find the answers to his relationship problems between the pages of the romance novels the Bros read, but that hasn’t proven to be the case. Vlad is at his wits’ end. He knows that he deserves more out of his relationship, but will Elena ever reciprocate his feelings for her?

With the Bros giving him a helping hand – not to mention a group of meddling widows who know a thing or two about love and romance – Vlad has certainly got plenty of relationship advice to draw upon, but just when things begin to look up, a threat from Elena’s old life might just end up derailing any hope the two of them might have of a future together.

Will Vlad and Elena ever get their happy ever after? Or is a tragic ending on the cards for these two lovers?

An irresistible romance spiced with humour, heat and danger, Isn’t It Bromantic? is a superb page-turner that breathes new life into the much-loved marriage of convenience trope. Full of charm, heart and sensuality, Isn’t It Bromantic? is an adorable contemporary romp that is absolutely fantastic.

With a gorgeous Russian hero, a wonderful heroine, a cast of fabulous supporting characters and a soupcon of danger and suspense, make sure Lyssa Kay Adams’ Isn’t It Bromantic? is at the very top of your auto-buy list this summer.

Honestly- I don't think there is anything Lyssa Kay Adams could write that would disappoint me. I have been hooked on this series since book 1 and I truly think each one is better than the last. (Not saying that any are in any way/ shape or form bad: they aren't)

I have already shared in other posts how The Russian has always been a favourite character of mine. His humour, his mystery, his kind hearted wholesome reactions- he is just wonderfully written and I'm SO glad we got to delve deeper into his life and journey.

As with all of the other books, Adams covers difficult themes and creates characters that are relatable- even if they are rich and famous. She works hard to continually break down and address gender stereotypes (with the men challenging one another's inappropriate beliefs) and encourage the notion of men exploring their emotional side, independently, with partners and with friends. I will always support the promotion of positive mental health by talking openly, regardless of gender.

I was sceptical about Elena as a character but I think that's because of my love of Vlad- she had to be good enough right?! But overall she was yet another strong female lead who knew her mind and was inspirational in her own way. I love how these women aren't being saved but supported. With that in mind, I also feel Adams built the other females up more in this book compared to the previous ones. She shows each character as a strong unit of friends who are now family- as equally important as the males' bond- not just men and their wives/partners.

All in all, another huge success with the perfect balance of emotion, humour, bromance and of course steam!

Review:
Isn’t It Bromantic follows Vlad ‘The Russian’ Konnikov and his wife Elena. I have been waiting for his story and it did not disappoint! You can expect all the usual book club shenanigans from the guys as they help Vlad with his relationship as well as his book. That’s right! The Russian is writing a book! We see scenes from it throughout Isn’t It Bromantic just like in the rest of the series. These scenes and the discussion the book club has about them fit so smoothly with Vlad and Elena’s own story. The book club chats will always be one of my favourite things about this series.

Alongside the book club friendships we already know and love we’re also introduced to The Loners, a group of older women who have divorced or lost their husbands and adopted Vlad as one of their own. These ladies cause quite the stir.

Read for:
• A childhood friends to lovers/marriage of convenience turned real romance 💕
• Male friends that fight against toxic masculinity
• A fun and supportive group of women
• A sprinkle of mystery 🧐
• The Cheese Man 🧀 (read and find out)
• A touch of spice 🌶

I gave Isn’t It Bromantic 5/5🌟
I was given a copy of this book through @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Physical copy is from the publisher for the book tour I’ll be participating in soon.