I’ve had such good reading recently that I feel bit a bit bad ending this week on a negative note. At the same time, I’m not one to mince my words so while I love light-hearted, fun reading, especially in the summer, these two books fell far short of success for me.
The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle, #2) by Steven Rowley
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date: May 21, 2024
Bookshop
Patrick, the witty, gay uncle in Steven Rowley’s novel The Guncle has returned for an encore performance in the sequel, The Guncle Abroad. It’s five years later and while Patrick’s acting career is ascending, the rest of his life is spiraling down. He’s about to turn 50, has broken up with his younger boyfriend, and has now been asked by his brother for help his niece and nephew, the same children he guided through the loss of their mother. Their father is getting married to an Italian heiress and his children are hoping Patrick can stop the wedding.
This starts out strong with plenty of gay snark from Patrick, which I always love especially with the addition of his sister and brother and their banter. The wedding venue provides gorgeous descriptions of the high life on Lake Como and all is reasonably entertaining until there’s a scene I felt was unnecessary to move the plot forward. Even more than that, it felt like an immature, cheap shot and not funny. I almost DNFed the book at that point. To say anymore is a spoiler, but it’s a gender trope and confirms my opinion that Rowley doesn’t really know how to write women. The Guncle worked when the children were small, but as they mature, they’re getting more interesting and he’s not. I give The Guncle Abroad 3.5 stars for humor and 3 stars overall.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Published by Doubleday
Publication date: May 21, 2024
There are few things sadder than being disappointed by a favorite author’s latest novel. Unfortunately, this was the case with Kevin Kwan’s Lies and Weddings. The plot is a familiar one: overbearing aristocratic Asian mother trying to force son into advantageous marriage, but he loves a poor girl. Which can’t happen because the family money is running out. The novel is set in Hawaii and from the jump things start going wrong. Wildly, outrageously wrong.
If you’re going to write the same book over and over then it needs to get better and better and that didn’t happen here. Kwan’s earlier books had scalpel sharp wit and a definite feel of satire. He was in on the joke about the absurd lengths the rich will go to spend their money and outdo each other. This one lacked any of that and was simply an unending recitation of designer labels. Also, it was over 400 pages long and summer is too short to waste so I DNFed this at 70%. Actually, DNF is too strong a word. I stopped reading out of disinterest.
Everything about my reading has been different this year so if these are authors you love or you just want a big dose of silly then these could be the novels for you.
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*I received a free copy of these books from G.P. Putnam and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.*
Guncle Abroad brings back Patrick’s witty charm, but the story falters with an unnecessary and disappointing plot point. Despite the humor, it struggles to capture the magic of the original as the characters evolve.