Undercover Bromance
⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you loved The Bromance Book Club you’ll enjoy Undercover Bromance, but if you were ambivalent the series may not be worth sticking with. The fun is still there, don’t get me wrong. We get a solid dose of silly from the side characters such as the Russian or Liv’s very angry rooster. But somewhat surprising to me was the weight of the plot choice - the plot centers on Liv trying to expose a sexual predator for what he is, and the Bros all end up helping. I thought the book just barely held the balance between the goofy moments and the serious subject matter, but for some it could read as insensitive. (Much like Liv at several points throughout the book. Wow is the woman self centered at times.)
On a positive note, I deeply enjoyed Mack’s transformation from excellent dater to excellent boyfriend. The fact that going on good dates to create a relationship and building a solid relationship requires two different skill sets isn’t talked about enough, and I loved watching his learning curve. Mack was the founding member of the bros book club, so having Lyssa Kay Adams set him up as a character who still had lessons to learn instead of leaving him permanently as a ‘wise older brother’ was a satisfying surprise.
Overall the concept holds strong from the first book, and while it isn’t pure fluffy fun like the first one it's still enjoyable escapism. It lacks the sparkle of originality of the first book and while I don’t think I’ll come back to it I’m happy I read it, and I (obviously) still went straight into the next in the series. I paired it with a Hemingway daiquiri for a drink that's still summary and delicious, but less sugary sweet than the original.
Hemingway Daiquiri:
2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 ounce grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
Garnish: lime wheel
Add the rum, maraschino liqueur, lime juice and grapefruit juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish as desired.
This has been my favorite cocktail I’ve tried in a minute. I used Don Q white rum (supposed to be the best value for its price) and added an extra dash of lime juice because I am who I am. I’ll definitely be making this again in the near future, and not just because I have no much leftover maraschino liqueur.
