Q&A: Lyssa Kay Adams, Author of ‘Undercover Bromance’

Written by contributor Julia Fleur

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

We had the pleasure of chatting to author Lyssa Kay Adams about her new novel, Undercover Bromance, which focuses on another couple that was interested in her first novel last year, The Bromance Book Club. She chats about its inspiration, what she would make others read if she had her own book club, her writing, and more!

Hi Lyssa! Tell us a little about yourself!

Hello readers! Thanks so much for having me on The Nerd Daily! I think the most important thing people should know about me is that I’m a Michigander, which means I love winter, mashed potatoes, apologizing when I don’t need to, and talking to strangers at the grocery store.

What can we expect for your new release, Undercover Bromance?

Undercover Bromance takes us back to the same cast of characters from the first book, The Bromance Book Club, but focuses on a different couple—Liv and Mack. They team up to expose Liv’s boss, celebrity chef Royce Preston, after Liv catches him sexually harassing a young hostess at the restaurant. With help from the other members of the Bromance Book Club, as well as the inadvertent assistance of a crazy rooster, they get into all kinds of trouble as they seek out evidence to bring Royce down. Liv and Mack are pure fire together. All the things that made them the stand-out secondary characters of the first book are on full display in Undercover Bromance. What I loved most about writing their story was revealing all their hidden layers and vulnerabilities that ultimately make them perfect for each other, though getting them to realize it takes a lot longer.

The concept for this series is so original, what inspired you to write it? 

Like a lot of people, I was thoroughly disgusted by what we heard on the infamous Access Hollywood tape that was leaked just before the 2016 election and which captured a certain presidential candidate and TV host joking about how famous men are allowed to do whatever they want to women. I was further disgusted by the way some people tried to defend what was said: that it was just how men talk, it was “locker room talk.” I was desperate to prove that men could exist together without sexually degrading women. That their friendships could be built on respect (not just for each other, but for women) and on foundations of equality, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence. That was how the Bromance men were born. I imagined taking a group of men like my husband and his sports writer buddies and throwing them into a room with romance novels. What would that look like and sound like? What if they understood the role that modern romance novels play in the artistic and feminist expression of equality? What if they not only understood it but actively attempted to live the lessons in the books?

If you had your own book club, what three books would you make the other members read? 

I kind of like the idea of being total queen of my own book club! I think the first book I would require members to read is “For the Love of Men” by Liz Plank, a nonfiction look at how toxic masculinity strips men of the ability to be vulnerable. The second book would probably be my all-time favorite romance, “Natural Born Charmer,” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, because if you don’t think Dean Robillard is the swooniest hero ever, we can’t be friends. And the third book? Gotta go with the classic: Pride & Prejudice.

If you could use 2 adjectives to describe the two protagonists, which ones would you choose?

The two best words to describe Liv are brave and distrustful. She is absolutely fearless in some areas of her life but wary (for good reason) in others, especially matters of the heart. The two best adjectives for Mack are loyal and tender. Beneath his sarcastic, playboy façade is a heart of pure gold.

On that note, can you sort the main characters from Undercover Bromance into Hogwarts houses? 

Liv is 100 percent Gryffindor. She is brave and bold but also has a reckless streak when she goes after a cause she believes in—something you’ll see her do in Undercover Bromance. Mack has elements of both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in him because he is just as brave as Liv, but he also has deep well of kindness and loyalty in him that bleeds into wisdom. The Russian is back in this book, and I think he’s full Hufflepuff.  Royce Preston, the villain of the story, is—no surprise—straight out of Slytherin. He’s manipulative, evil, and power-hungry. 

Do you have any specific writing rituals? Do you have a particular spot, or a playlist? 

I write a lot from coffee shops. I have two that I go to regularly (so regularly that I thanked the baristas from one in the acknowledgments of my first book). I also have a home office where I do a lot of work. But no matter where I am, I have a ritual before I start writing. I listen to “Immigration Song” by Led Zeppelin. It’s my hype song and tells my brain it’s time to get those words flowing.

We know you write romances, but are there any romance authors you’ve read all books from?

Tessa Dare. I actually write down in my planner when she has a new book coming out so I can set aside time to read it as soon as it hits shelves! I think I’ve also read everything that Laura Griffin has written. I love her Tracers series.

Also, have you ever thought about writing for a different genre? If so, which?

Yes. I would love to write thrillers! In fact, the first manuscript I ever attempted to write way back in college was a crime thriller about a Secret Service agent.

Lastly, please describe Undercover Bromance in three words! 

Funny. Heartwarming. Sexy. (I hope readers agree!)

You can find Lyssa on Twitter and Instagram and also at her Facebook Reader Group!

Will you be picking up Undercover Bromance? Tell us in the comments below!