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eligru's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship and Abandonment
brgntteva's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received and ARC of this book (quite some time ago, I'm sorry to say). Thank you Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group.
At first I thought it was a romance, then I realised it was more women's fiction, dived into it bearing this thought in mind and it worked.
.
The story unfolds around four adopted brothers, volatile Jesse, intense Damian, protective Lucas and sweet Noah (aka the Harlem Knights), each with his own different origin and personal baggage, all made Strong (in a figurative and literal way) by Mama Joy Strong, who runs a knitting shop in Harlem. A place which has become a shelter for every hurt child in the neighbourhood, Kerry included. When Mama Joy suddenly dies, the brothers have to figure out what to do, and Jesse and Kerry have to deal with their own path towards growing and trust and finding a purpose, and their own happiness.
Now, if I had gone towards it as a full on romance, I would have been slightly disappointed, not for a mere matter of "couple time", but because the novel is packed with family, friendship, working together and finding one's place in the world. And that's what makes it a lovely read.
I especially loved sassy Val, Kerry's best friend (what didn't come out of that mouth, I mostly lol), who always had the right perspective on everything, and I loved the brothers' dynamics, and how the whole neighbourhood was made quite vivid, what with all kids and grannies.
There was a lot of repetitive self-doubt and looping insecurity on Kerry's side and Jesse's, but the way he especially made his way through his feelings and his own skills was very well paced.
Steam level: near close door
I would love to read the stories of all the brothers.
At first I thought it was a romance, then I realised it was more women's fiction, dived into it bearing this thought in mind and it worked.
.
The story unfolds around four adopted brothers, volatile Jesse, intense Damian, protective Lucas and sweet Noah (aka the Harlem Knights), each with his own different origin and personal baggage, all made Strong (in a figurative and literal way) by Mama Joy Strong, who runs a knitting shop in Harlem. A place which has become a shelter for every hurt child in the neighbourhood, Kerry included. When Mama Joy suddenly dies, the brothers have to figure out what to do, and Jesse and Kerry have to deal with their own path towards growing and trust and finding a purpose, and their own happiness.
Now, if I had gone towards it as a full on romance, I would have been slightly disappointed, not for a mere matter of "couple time", but because the novel is packed with family, friendship, working together and finding one's place in the world. And that's what makes it a lovely read.
I especially loved sassy Val, Kerry's best friend (what didn't come out of that mouth, I mostly lol), who always had the right perspective on everything, and I loved the brothers' dynamics, and how the whole neighbourhood was made quite vivid, what with all kids and grannies.
There was a lot of repetitive self-doubt and looping insecurity on Kerry's side and Jesse's, but the way he especially made his way through his feelings and his own skills was very well paced.
Steam level: near close door
I would love to read the stories of all the brothers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Grief
teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A friend read this book last year and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give it a read. I had very little interest in this book from the beginning. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it? What got to me was I think it would have been better in first person, rather than third person narrative. It is down as romance, and definitely a slow burn. So much so that I would say the majority of it was not romance at all, and only slightly started to pick up within the last 100 pages or so and then ended abruptly. The first part really focuses on grief of losing a loved one. For me, it was just an okay book, if that. Looking back, I wished I'd DNF'd because there are tons of other books that I would be like to be reading over this one. Luckily it was a fairly quick read and a library book at that. So i only wasted a short amount of time on it. I know this sounds harsh, but it is not necessarily a reflection of the book itself. I do know that others will enjoy this one much more than I do, but it is not personally one I will be openly recommending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Grief
colettesjourney's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really loved the concept of this book! Men knitting? Hell yes! And I love that there was a family dynamic with the brothers that seemed completely right!
I think there were just some pieces that didn't work for me. Mainly, I had a hard time grasping who the characters were. In the beginning of the book, you're introduced to them and are told about them based on how they see each other and the brothers. And that's fine. It was more tell than show, but I can live with that. Where it got confusing was when most od the characters started to do things that were seemingly out of character from how we had been introduced to them... it kept throwing me off? The only ones who stayed true to their character throughout were Lucas, Noah, and Val - side characters. Jesse and Kerry were kind of all over the place and I have no idea what happened with Damian because there was no explanation at all for the difference in behaviour or how everyone viewed him and acted around him.
Overall though, it was a cute quick read!
I think there were just some pieces that didn't work for me. Mainly, I had a hard time grasping who the characters were. In the beginning of the book, you're introduced to them and are told about them based on how they see each other and the brothers. And that's fine. It was more tell than show, but I can live with that. Where it got confusing was when most od the characters started to do things that were seemingly out of character from how we had been introduced to them... it kept throwing me off? The only ones who stayed true to their character throughout were Lucas, Noah, and Val - side characters. Jesse and Kerry were kind of all over the place and I have no idea what happened with Damian because there was no explanation at all for the difference in behaviour or how everyone viewed him and acted around him.
Overall though, it was a cute quick read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexism, and Grief
lauren_the_bookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What more can I girl ask for in a romance novel than a hot guy who knits?!? Also a woman who believes in her friend, even when it looks like he might fail. I loved the relationship Kerry had with the brothers, especially the way she kept them on their toes and told them how it is. There were parts where I wanted them to get their acts together and get a move on with the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death
llamareads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’ve read books by this author before and enjoyed them and this blurb sounded right up my alley. Four hot adopted brothers? A knitting shop in Harlem? Yes, please! Unfortunately, while those parts lived up to my expectations, some of the book didn’t.
Jesse is the youngest of four brothers – most of them not biologically related – adopted by Mama Joy. Kerry’s been a fixture of Mama Joy’s knitting shop for years, so while Jesse and Kerry were never really friends, they’ve known each other forever. After Mama Joy’s death, Kerry expects that the brothers will close down the shop. No one expects Jesse to step up and insist on running the store, perhaps not even Jesse himself – and certainly no one expects Kerry to volunteer to show him the ropes. Kerry’s always had a thing for Jesse, but even she realizes that getting involved with the neighborhood playboy is a bad idea.
There was a lot I liked about the book, though I think at times it read more like women’s fiction than romance. I liked the realistic relationships between the brothers. They’re each dealing with Mama Joy’s death in their own ways, and they each interact with each other and Kerry as individuals. I loved the relationship between Kerry and her best friend Val, and I liked Kerry’s love for both her job at the community center and her work at the knitting shop. I’m a sucker for sweet caregivers, and that’s definitely Kerry to a T.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a lot of pages are spent establishing Jesse as an aimless playboy and I never felt like he had the time to overcome that stereotype. Even with the knitting shop, besides a Pinterest board and some painting, it felt like most of the work was done by Kerry (with her social media skills). While I love a good slow burn romance, the relationship between Jesse and Kerry seemed to get to the “I want them but this is a bad idea” stage and then stalled. Jesse couldn’t seem to decide whether he wanted to treat Kerry as a bratty little sister, someone he was romantically interested in, or his maid. He started making some progress towards the end of the book, but then the book ended abruptly right after the big gesture.
What I disliked the most though was that there’s a definite “not like other girls” thread going through the story. It’s especially noticeable in regards to Jesse’s latest flame, Erika, who’s pilloried for everything from drinking too much to being too forward to having nail art that’s not conducive to knitting. On a personal pet peeve level, there’s a couple of mentions of Kerry’s vibrator (she specifically packs it when she moves in to Mama Joy’s place, and it’s even mentioned what drawer she hides it in). Look, it’s like Chekhov’s gun – if you’re going to mention it that many times, I expect to see it in action at some point!
Overall, while there were high points, the hero (and by extension the romance) just didn’t work for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
Jesse is the youngest of four brothers – most of them not biologically related – adopted by Mama Joy. Kerry’s been a fixture of Mama Joy’s knitting shop for years, so while Jesse and Kerry were never really friends, they’ve known each other forever. After Mama Joy’s death, Kerry expects that the brothers will close down the shop. No one expects Jesse to step up and insist on running the store, perhaps not even Jesse himself – and certainly no one expects Kerry to volunteer to show him the ropes. Kerry’s always had a thing for Jesse, but even she realizes that getting involved with the neighborhood playboy is a bad idea.
There was a lot I liked about the book, though I think at times it read more like women’s fiction than romance. I liked the realistic relationships between the brothers. They’re each dealing with Mama Joy’s death in their own ways, and they each interact with each other and Kerry as individuals. I loved the relationship between Kerry and her best friend Val, and I liked Kerry’s love for both her job at the community center and her work at the knitting shop. I’m a sucker for sweet caregivers, and that’s definitely Kerry to a T.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a lot of pages are spent establishing Jesse as an aimless playboy and I never felt like he had the time to overcome that stereotype. Even with the knitting shop, besides a Pinterest board and some painting, it felt like most of the work was done by Kerry (with her social media skills). While I love a good slow burn romance, the relationship between Jesse and Kerry seemed to get to the “I want them but this is a bad idea” stage and then stalled. Jesse couldn’t seem to decide whether he wanted to treat Kerry as a bratty little sister, someone he was romantically interested in, or his maid. He started making some progress towards the end of the book, but then the book ended abruptly right after the big gesture.
What I disliked the most though was that there’s a definite “not like other girls” thread going through the story. It’s especially noticeable in regards to Jesse’s latest flame, Erika, who’s pilloried for everything from drinking too much to being too forward to having nail art that’s not conducive to knitting. On a personal pet peeve level, there’s a couple of mentions of Kerry’s vibrator (she specifically packs it when she moves in to Mama Joy’s place, and it’s even mentioned what drawer she hides it in). Look, it’s like Chekhov’s gun – if you’re going to mention it that many times, I expect to see it in action at some point!
Overall, while there were high points, the hero (and by extension the romance) just didn’t work for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Grief
Minor: Death