I listened to Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson on audio. While I don’t know how to knit with needles, I went through a long phase of making hats, headbands, and scarves on knitting looms.
I’m also a recovering yarn addict! So I was really looking forward to checking out this new series set in a yarn shop featuring men who knit.
This romance fits a couple of my reading goals for 2021. Kwana Jackson is an author of color I haven’t read before. This is her first book published under that name but she’s written several romantic series as K.M. Jackson.
The Rundown
When beloved Mama Joy, owner of Harlem Knitting Shop, passes away suddenly her four adopted sons are left to decide the future of the store. Jesse Strong, the youngest son with an aimless womanizing reputation, is as surprised as his brothers to find he’s determined to keep the shop open.
He enlists the help of Kerry Fuller, a part-time employee who grew up in the shop and looked up to Mama Joy far more than her own troubled mother. Jesse and Kerry have some embarrassing run ins and butt heads while they struggle to keep the store afloat and revamp the business.
Kerry, who is still recovering from a childhood crush on the player Jesse, tries to keep herself from falling for him again. Their time spent together makes Jesse start to see Kerry in a new light and consider whether he can be the man for her.
Rating and Review
Rating: 2 stars
Steam Level: 2
I was really looking forward to this book and I was sadly so disappointed! Honestly I probably would have DNF it about halfway through if I’d had another romance book lined up.
I don’t think it was an issue with the audiobook experience this time. There were a number of things in this story that just didn’t work for me.
An unlikable hero and heroine
Jesse Strong was sleeping with other women for at least half of the book. In my opinion, that didn’t feel very romantic or make him a very likeable hero. Also the fact that his one flaw was his bad reputation, earned not for sleeping around, but for treating his partners poorly didn’t work for me.
I really dislike the boys will be boys attitude. Jesse came across as a dirtbag and there was no emotional depth behind why he might be flawed in that way to make him sympathetic either. Much of Jesse’s story line felt immature including his apology tour to past lovers to help the business.
Then Kerry, our heroine, is just in the wings basically being trampled on while she waits for him to get it together. She wasn’t quite a doormat but there was very little to her personality or to explain why she would put up with Jesse’s behavior.
Too much telling, not enough action
I think my main issue with this book was the writing seemed to be all telling and very little showing. It made all the characters feel flat. There didn’t seem to be very much actively happening in the story.
As a result, none of the connections between characters felt believable or authentic. Jesse and Kerry fell in love after one steamy kiss and hook up. Suddenly he was totally reformed and committed to her. Yet they still couldn’t communicate or get into their emotions.
Even the family connections didn’t feel real
I was especially bummed when the interactions between the brothers fell flat. Large families with a bunch of sibling dynamics are one of my favorite reading experiences. There was a little of teasing among the brothers, mostly immature surrounding Kerry, but it didn’t seem like there was any genuine love between them.
I can’t even recall all the brothers’ names. I was hoping for more development with the secondary characters since I thought this was going to be a series.
On top of those disappoints there was very little knitting or crafting. The end also felt incredibly rushed with over the top dramatic dialogue that didn’t fit Jesse’s persona.
Have you read Real Men Knit? What are your favorite crafty romances?
