Hopeless Bromantics (Love & Luck) Paperback – July 26, 2020

Hopeless Bromantics is book four in the Love & Luck series by Isla Olsen. This is my very first book of this series so it can be read as a stand alone and it is also my very first book by this author. This book was offered in a temporary freebie deal a while back so I picked it up and I am just in love!!Brendan Kelly is thirty two years old and is part owner of Hammer Time Construction along with his brother. Brendan is one of TEN siblings in the Kelly clan. Not having read the previous books, I do admit it was a little confusing with so many names to learn but I just decided to kind of let those slide and concentrate on the main characters. Brendan is straight. He actually wants to settle down and fall in love but has the worst luck dating.Wade (Andy) Anderson is divorced and is the single dad to his amazing five year old son, Baxter. This little boy made this already wonderful book even more wonderful. He was adorable and so funny. Wade has decided to take his son back to Staten Island to live to be near his family after the divorce is final. He is a fifth grade teacher and when a job opening came up, he grabbed it.Wade and Brendan were best friends growing up. But as often happens, they drifted apart after Wade moved away. When Wade hires Brendan’s company to fix up the house he will be living in, it is the perfect way for them to reconnect. It’s like they were never apart. Their friendship just started right up like they just saw each other the day before. A little friendly experimenting just for fun between the two of them soon becomes something more, and then something even more. Does this mean they are gay? Or bi? Or is it just something special between the two of them that was always meant to be? A special connection they won’t ever find with anyone else.I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. Books like this are what I love the most. It made me smile and swoon and sigh and giggle. There two amazing epilogues and the ending couldn’t have been more perfect! This was pretty much angst free and just a wonderful way to spend my day. I also happen to have the next book, book five, Two Men and a Baby, which is Connor’s book. The cover is amazing and I can’t wait to jump in!

Another great book from Isla Olsen. The whole premise of how Wade and Brendan decided to take their bromance to the next level was a little ridiculous but also worked because after experiencing something like that I’d expect more people would be curious. Even though they really didn’t do labels, I’m guessing both characters were actually pan given how their feelings unfolded for eachother which would make sense on how neither really had an inclination they could be with the same sex before. Also, I really loved Baxter, he was so cute and added an extra element to the story I enjoyed. This book like the others was filled with laughs, heart and sizzling hot love scenes. Another great book in the Love & Luck Series.

Wade and Brendan, whose friendship was put on hold living apart, are reunited after Wade’s divorce. Yet, they seem to go right into the best friends immediately. After a night out that culminates in threesome, something begins to change. They find themselves able to satisfy at least part of themselves sexually without the woman of the threesome. Bros become Bromaniticly involved. Wade’s son, Baxter, soon adopts Brendan as another father, and Brendan’s big Irish American family welcomes Wade and Baxter with open arms. This is a humorous and loving story, with an accepting and welcoming family and happy ending for all. The characters are memorable and the events believable. The storyline seemed to be perfect for a sequel or even a series!! Good read

This has some good moments, but mostly not so good. I very nearly chucked it and the series after the last book and getting to the needlessly stupid "backpack" moment with Baxter, but I'm determined to see the series through to the end. This story did recover a little after that bit, but then it kept finding other ways to annoy me. Like when did Wade become Andy? I assume it's from his last name, but I don't remember any establishment of that nickname, do when Andy first popped up I thought it was some kind of error the editor missed.The thing that most annoys me with this is the excessive "no homo" attitude. Can't call this a gay for you story when both men in the relationship take obvious offense at being thought of as gay. They're straight! It gets to an offensive degree that there's no consideration of bi, demi or pansexuality, just this supposed not caring about labels they just happen to love each other, but they're totally not gay and personally identify as straight except for the the one man they'll love for the rest of their lives.So what do I actually like enough to rate this e stars? It's really 2.5 rounded up because I do like it more than Shay's story. The writer is able to tell an engaging story, for the most part. The characters end up mostly likeable and there are some nice, romantic moments. The attempts at humor are often forced to a cringe worthy level, but I'll gladly take that over some of the needless drama I've read in some other books lately.

I am totally in love with this series. Each book piggybacks off the previous one yet they each are centered around one couple. Wade & Brendan are adorable together and the things out of Baxter’s mouth are priceless. I will never look at a backpack the same way again. I am a huge fan of gay for you or straight to gay books but they can be very difficult to successfully convince the reader that one who has been straight for 20+ years can awaken in one moment. This book is well written, full of humor and sexy times, and the author does a wonderful job with the interactions between the characters. The chat between Kelly family members are hilariously written and I cannot wait to see where the Kelly brothers find love next. Although these are my honest and unbiased thoughts based on an advanced readers copy, I purchased a copy of the book for my own personal library.