Book Review: Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams is a contemporary romance novel. Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan. Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush. Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

Crazy Stupid Bromance is a contemporary, friends to lover romance that is self aware. I loved the importance put on communication, consent, and honesty (especially with yourself). These are factors in every relationship, and most romance novels, but here they were not just underlying themes and plot points- they were THE point. Neither Alexis or Noah want to lose the friendship they have, and neither can get out of their own way long enough to have an honest discussion about it all because of that fear and the amount of other things going on in their lives. For awhile I thought the sheer amount of intense thing happening to them at the same time was overkill, but then I looked around and thought about my life, and sometimes that's just how it goes. Good and bad all bombarding us at the same time- and getting a moment to process and take a breath seems impossible. I held my breath with both Alexis and Noah more than once, was upset with each of them sometimes for either not listening or not speaking, and relieved when their support systems stepped up and helped. I loved the secondary characters and the community that is clearly built in the books by Adams. I will be going back to read previous book, and keeping an eye out for future releases.

Crazy Stupid Bromance is a sweet and funny romance with plenty of heat and angst built in. An emotional roller coaster to be sure, but still plenty of moments that make readers like me grin.