Isn't It Bromantic?

Three things in life terrified Vlad. A flare-up without a bathroom in sight. Running over an animal with his car. And this. Waking up to find his friends circling his bed... he was about to get book clubbed.This is Vlad aka The Russian's story. He's the cheese ball who grew on me like mold since book 1. Who is this giant teddy bear on hockey skates? His backstory was always a mystery, until now. Vlad married his childhood best friend out of convenience that went downhill shortly after they exchanged their nuptials. It was such a delight to see Vlad and Elena make quick work through years of lack of communication and rebuild their trust and faith in each other. There was a part that got a little intense, like the movie Taken intense. Overall, I loved seeing Vlad fight for Elena. He got his own "we run for grand gesture", HEA and put those skills he learned from the manuals in the bedroom. It was so sweet and so Vlad.The highlight of the books will always be the bromance. My gosh, they are so hilarious and incredibly supportive of each other. Colton really shines here and omg new hot side character alert, The Cheese Man! If cheese wasn't your kink, it might be now! And I can't forget the Loners. a busybody group of widows that also play a role in Vlad's life.If you're looking for a lighthearted, highly entertaining series give this a try! There's even going to be 2 more books (Colton? Cheese Man?) and a Netflix adaptation!Read if you like:» childhood friends to lovers» marriage of convenience» slow burn» second chances, forgiveness and starting over» Pushkin, Russian food & culture» journalism shenanigans» bromance & laughsunderlying themes: sex trafficking, death of parent & kidnapping (less)

Vladimir is a hockey player in Tennessee. Originally from Russia, he married Elena, whose father disappeared years ago. Their marriage was primarily to protect Elena, whom Vladimir has been friends with since they were children, but their relationship is hollow without feelings of true love. Vladimir joined the Bromance Book Club seeking a magical elixir of literature that would evoke romantic sparks of love. Yet so far, all that has met Vladimir in his search for love is a brick wall and plenty of evaporated dreams. Seeking an outlet for his lovelorn hope, he begins to write of what he yearns for, and wonders if he can manifest the happiness he deserves from the written pages. The Bromance Book Club is by his side, and Vladimir begins to see where his life can go, only for dark shadows of the past to loom over all that Vladimir and Elena need. Can Vladimir keep Elena safe and discover the love that he deserves, or will they be torn asunder in the end?This remains one of the best series that I keep kicking myself for not reading sooner. Each book adds something new and great, and this one is no exception! In previous stories, the book club will read a romance story, but here they actually help Vladimir work through his romantic ennui by helping him to write his own romance novel. The friendship that the club continues to build with its members is just awesome, and many recurring characters return, along with bringing in the new Loners, a couple of previously married women. A central theme of this series is that masculinity is defined by more than trite phrases like, "Man up!" or "Be a man!", and I appreciate that it's examined from many different angles as these stories continue being told.This story is my second favorite in the series so far, nearly tied with the first story. I couldn't get enough of it, which is part of why I think the ending felt a little abrupt, and I wanted more questions answered at the end to wrap things up nice and tidy. However, I imagine there will be another entry in this series, and maybe some questions will be answered then. I'm hoping the next story will be about Colton! Isn't It Bromantic? is another heartwarming, soul-searching, stereotype-breaking winner from Lyssa Kay Adams, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers who like to see men step outside their comfort zone for the sake of love, who enjoy stories where characters must confront their internal struggles in tandem with the plot, and who like to see groups that support each other when the going gets tough. Keep the bromance going!4.5 ⭐

“It took me a long time to realize it wasn’t my job to convince him that I was worth fighting for.”Our favorite bookclub is back! This time they need to fix our favorite friend Vlad, aka the Russian. When his wife of convenience decides she wants a divorce, Vlad is heartbroken. While each of them feels that the other doesn’t have real feelings for them, deep down they are both struggling. With the bookclub and the local group of widows, can they bring Vlad and Elena back together?This line. Everything about this line! It spoke to me so hard. Throughout this series, Vlad was always the fun loving, goofy, bathroom issue having, athlete. This book quickly dove into his absolutely adorable, teddy bear, softer side. I loved both him and Elena so damn much and I wanted to smack them both and just shove them together! This one was probably my favorite of the series. I seriously could not love Vlad more. It’s also getting fun to guess who the next book will be about while reading! My guess is Colton and I think I may know his love interest too! If you have loved our bookclub bros, you will fall head over heals for our favorite Russians story!

The fourth installment in the Bromance Book Club series has been my most anticipated. In talks with Lyssa Kay Adams, the Russian was never intended to have his own book, but his personality won fans over.I don't think I ever knew his name until this book, but Vlad has always been a shining star in the series. His comedic timing, his soft heart, and his broodish figure... He's the guy women hope to find! If only his wife Elena, elusive for the entire series, would see what the readers all see.To be fair, this didn't end up being my favorite of the books simply because the plot just wasn't there for me. I wanted to grab Vlad by the collar and Elena by the arm, force them into a room, and torture them until they finally had a real conversation. Their assumptions of each other made each of them asses. Granted, the book wouldn't have been full length if the two of them had just admitted their feelings for each other from the get-go...However, the trademark humor was on pointe. This group of guys crack me up each and every time. It never fails. I was disappointed to learn that Vlad had solved his bathroom issues because they always made me laugh, but good for him for being healthy! I loved the introduction of Vlad's other group of friends - the widow's club! They were the male version of the book club - hilarious.I hope that the series continues because there is so much more to explore for these characters. Maybe a group vacation or something? I had suggested to my bookish co-worker this series as she doesn't usually read series or romance books - but she arrived at work 2 days later to report that I had been right - these books are hilarious and she'd already finished the first and started on the second. So while Isn't it Bromantic is a stand-alone, you'll really want to read the others just because they are all fabulous!Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for allowing me to read this and offer my honest opinion.

Out of all the characters from the “Bromance Book Club”, The Russian a.k.a. Vlad, was the one that was usually in the background in the other books and when he was more involved in certain scenes he was usually the butt of the joke. In addition, while Vlad was a kind character, he wasn’t necessarily my favorite from the bunch (sorry!). Despite that, he was always the sweet, tough, cuddly teddy bear that all the guys loved and cherished. I was surprised to see that this book was going to centered on Vlad and his marriage, but I went into the book with an open mind to give Vlad’s story a chance.Like always, I highly recommend you read the books in order as each book highlights significant details that play a role in the next book pertaining to the next couple, in this case it was Vlad and Elena. In the last book, Colton (country music singer & fellow Bromance Book Club member) believed that Vlad’s “wife” was just a figment of his imagination or just Vlad laying about being married since no one had ever met her, but by the very end of the last book, “Crazy Stupid Bromance”, at Liv and Mack’s wedding reception, Elena, Vlad’s wife surprised everyone by showing up, and then promptly running away from Vlad. I gotta admit even from the very beginning, I was also curious as to why Vlad’s wife never made an appearance in the previous books, but in this book we got more of an explanation as to why, and so much more.When Vlad and Elena mentioned that their marriage was… a marriage of convenience I was a little bit shocked, but also excited since that is one of my favorite tropes. You would think with it being a marriage of convenience that maybe both people in the marriage held secret feelings for each other, but nope. After a couple of years being married to each other, it seemed that only Vlad was the one who had strong feelings for Elena, whereas Elena only saw Vlad as her childhood friend, whom she married in order to leave Russia, and pursue an education. That’s not to say that Elena was completely heartless, she just had different feelings for Vlad that were more on the lines of friendship. Later on in the story, it’s revealed that Elena did in fact have feelings for Vlad even when they were growing up, but just never gave into those feelings, more like put them on the back burner.Getting to read about Vlad’s feelings on how he felt in his marriage was truly eye opening because, as a man whom I didn’t really give that much thought to, surprised me. Vlad wanted love, someone to come home to, and build a life together. Of course being in the Bromance Book Club, everyone had their own significant other, and Vlad always felt like he was living a lie because, from his perspective, his marriage was built on a lie, not a marriage of love, but just for convenience.Now once again, I loved how the guys appeared in the story because hello Bromance Book Club forever! This time the guys really banded together in order to help Vlad, it was a nice change since Vlad was usually helping others in the group, but this time he was put in the hot seat, and spoke all his fears and truths about everything he felt especially in terms with Elena. Through out this entire series, I’ve fallen in love with each and every character, and honestly after reading this book, I grew to appreciate Vlad more, and I gotta say, he was an absolute joy and lovable character. Plus while I initially thought I wouldn’t like this book as much compared to the previous ones, I surprised myself by genuinely loving this book as well.Another thing that I loved in this book was seeing the guys not only try to help Vlad with his marriage to Elena, but also help him work on his manuscript. The Bromance Book Club really knew what they were saying when they were brainstorming ideas for Vlad’s book. The times when the guys would point out specific tropes or things they loved seeing in romance novels, it was like they were reading my mind, and essentially understood the assignment. Those parts usually made me smile because as they described how they loved a “first kiss” scene or a slow burn romance or even a “hot, passionate, angry” kiss, those men knew exactly what we know and love. In addition, seeing the parallels of Vlad’s story and his own life was interesting, but I also loved reading the separate story itself that Vlad created. I feel like in the very first book we got a chance to follow along with the book the guys were reading, and in this instance it was the same too. In a way, it was like getting to read two stories at the same time, yay!Lyssa created these characters in such an amazing way that she truly did them justice and showcased a group of different, wonderful, kind men who broke down the stereotypical expectations of a man, and showed that men can love to read romance novels, and it be totally normal. I cannot get over just how much I truly love this series. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, if you’re looking for a lighthearted, funny, unique, and sweet book/ series to read, definitely check out all the books in the Bromance Book Club series!