Book Description 

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.

My Review 

I adored the original Guncle book, so naturally I was thrilled about the opportunity to read another adventure with the world’s best gay uncle Patrick. . 

The first thing that you need to know is that this is not one of those sequels that you can pick up and get the gist of the narrative thus far. You need to start at the beginning with the first book to fully appreciate the journey thus far. 

For everyone else: Patrick is back and better than ever! This time, he’s in Europe, shepherding around Maisie and Grant while they all process their complicated feelings about Patrick’s brother/the kids’ father remarrying. It’s been five years since the kids lost their mom and Patrick lost his best friend, but it still feels too soon. 

Yes, there are some heartwarming and poignant moments, but overall, this book is zany and fun. The wit is razor sharp, and it’s so fast paced that it almost seems better suited to audiobook (or screen!) because the timing is so crucial for the jokes. Even with reading, when one can “rewind” and re-read, the jokes are landing at blink-or-you’ll-miss-it speed. And that’s actually the beauty of the narrative as a whole because you’ll be in the midst of some sort of zany caper and then they’ll hit you with something super poignant. 

I would absolutely recommend The Guncle Abroad. Patrick is a flawed protagonist, but he knows he’s flawed and he owns his flaws– as long as they aren’t related to aging– haha. Patrick is also one of the most hilarious protagonists of all time, so that balances out the flaws. Sequels often fail to live up to the original, but this book matches the frenetic energy of the first book. If anything, taking Patrick out of Palm Springs and dropping him in Europe, home to the City of Love and the Sound of Music. This is definitely one of those books that I end up owning in physical form, e-book, and audiobook.  

I received a digital ARC of this book from Penguin/NetGalley.