The Guncle Abroad
-
-
5.0 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
An Indie Next Pick
Patrick O'Hara is called back to his guncle duties . . . This time for a big family wedding in Italy.
Patrick O’Hara is back. It’s been five years since his summer as his niece Maisie and nephew Grant’s caretaker after their mother’s passing. The kids are back in Connecticut with their dad, and Patrick has relocated to New York to remain close by and relaunch his dormant acting career. After the run of his second successful sit-com comes to a close, Patrick feels on top of the world . . . professionally. But some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single again after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has a family to lean on. Until that family needs to again lean on him.
When Patrick's brother, Greg, announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels drawn to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick is overextended managing a groom with cold feet; his sister, Clara, flirting with guests left and right; a growing rivalry with the kids’ charming soon-to-be-launt (lesbian aunt), and two moody young teens trying to adjust to a new normal, all culminating in a disastrous rehearsal dinner.
Can Patrick save the day? Will teaching the kids about love help him repair his own love life? Can the change of scenery help Patrick come to terms with finally growing up? Gracing the page with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley charms with a beloved story about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The wise-cracking and wisdom-dropping protagonist of The Guncle returns for more adventures in Rowley's diverting sequel. Patrick O'Hara, a 49-year-old sitcom star, is dreading his widower brother Greg's second wedding. He's not the only one—his beloved niece and nephew, Maisie, 14, and Grant, 11, also disapprove of their father's relationship with Livia, a wealthy Italian marchesa. When Greg pleads for Patrick to take the children for a few weeks before the wedding, Patrick agrees, happy for the distraction from his anxiety about turning 50, which has driven a wedge in his relationship with his younger boyfriend, Emory. At Lake Como for the wedding preparations, Patrick finds a new cause of concern: Livia's fashionable lesbian sister, Paloma, whom he worries will supplant him in his niece and nephew's adoration. He also makes a noble attempt to discourage Maisie and Grant from scheming to put a stop to the wedding, where a series of rom-com-worthy unfold. Rowley keeps the retread afloat with Patrick's biting wit (about the motormouthed Grant, Patrick says to his agent, "He's what happens when the ventriloquist dies and the dummy keeps talking"). The author's fans will gobble this up.
Customer Reviews
A true testament to love!!✨✨
“The Guncle Abroad” is one of the best books I have ever read!! This amazing book made me laugh (a lot), dream, hope and wish that their story would never end. Patrick won my heart from the first page and I eagerly followed him as he traveled through Europe with his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant. I feel this book is part travelogue, part family drama, and also a testament to love, which we know is all you need. I loved how Patrick used song lyrics to describe his Love Language list to the kids, and I found myself singing along to all the songs he had chosen. Patrick is a thoughtful man, with a gentle soul and the kids were lucky to have him in their lives. He has taught them about life, love, happiness and forgiveness and he loves them with all of his heart. I had fun tagging along with them on the train ride through the Chunnel on their way to France and I could just imagine seeing the beautiful lights of Paris through their eyes.
Patrick’s humor was infectious and he had me laughing so loud that my husband wanted to know what I was reading. I proceeded to read aloud to him, sharing my favorite parts of the book. The scenery throughout their trip, especially as they arrived in Lake Como, had me wishing I was on the guest list. I loved the interactions between the characters, the special memories they had of Sara and the fun they had when they were together. Everyone must read this life-changing book and I hope to someday meet Mr. Rowley to thank him for writing such a memorable and heart-warming story!