3.5 stars

I'll start my review with a caveat that I'm not a seasoned romance reader, which very much correlate with the unique setup of The Bromance Book Club. The 're-education of love' by way of referencing the regency romance sub-genre is perhaps the strongest aspect of this otherwise run of the mill output.

Aside from the book-within-book interludes, the primary narrative is a serviceable second chance romance, relying heavily on well-worn tropes (moments of miscommunication, one final dramatic quarrel before reaching the happy ending, etc.). Though thoroughly amused by the drama and comedy throughout, I had to turn off my critical brain at the oftentimes cheesy and overly-manipulated scenarios (going to an art supply store as a date, no matter how thoughtful, does not warrant that much awe and giddy).

All in all, The Bromance Book Club is pleasant enough; I appreciate it the most when it goes 'meta' and referencing its own genre tropes. Do I wish it had push that train of thought further? Yes. But as it stands it's more than enjoyable with its charming, relatable set of main characters (particularly appreciate the inclusion of speech disorder as a character trait; as someone who have a similar condition, it's nice to see it represented), and plenty fun antics to distract.

p.s. definitely try the audiobook, which in my opinion is the ultimate way to consume this.