I was excited to read this, and while I did enjoy it, it wasn't my favorite. It seemed to lag and the characters often ended up rambling more than doing and saying anything useful. Still, it was a fun read and a nice change.

I loved this book! A combination of my favorite interests. I was rooting for them the whole time and was so glad there weren't any really bad obstacles.

I really wanted to like this book. It has a lot of elements that I like: the knitting and the knitting store, strong characters and conflict.
But the amount of rambling and internal dialogue bogged down the plot so completely, it sometimes was hard to pick up the trail again.

In the end, this story wasn't a good fit for me.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

I really like the premise (and title) of this book. I just found the execution to be a bit lacking for my taste. Too many times multiple paragraphs were taken to explain and re-explain the feelings of the protagonists. I also felt like it was never explained how the tens of thousands of dollars were made (and in a very short time) that were necessary to get the shop out of debt. The author hinted at the protagonists having many good ideas for making viable changes, but the few that were at all fleshed out wouldn't seem to be able to make that big a dent in the debt.

I'm sure that this book will work just fine for some audiences. The author has it nicely set up to allow for books about the other three brothers, for any who would like to see the story continue. It's just not for me.

This was an interesting premise, but it fell a little flat for me. Four brothers take over their adoptive mother’s yarn shop after her death, and one of one the brothers falls in love with his childhood friend/employee of the shop.

Parts of the story were cute, but I wanted more feeling and depth from the characters. The ending was a bit of a let down too. It seems like a setup for a series, so I’ll probably give the next one a chance.

I loved the idea of reading this book but struggled with the reality of it. The characters had no depth for me and as much as I was dying to, I could not connect with any of them. This one may find it's readers, but they don't include me.

This was such a sweet surprise! I had not heard of this book but got preapproved, and thought I'd give it a try. This was an absolute delight. I feel like I fell into this world so quickly. The setting of a yarn shop made it feel so colorful and sunshine-y. Jesse and Kerry were a nice slow burn, and I loved watching them admit their feelings for each other. I loved pretty much every single Strong Brother, I'm excited to see if they get romances too!

Well dang. Loved the premise, the setting, the family, the extended cast of characters, the representation, and THAT COVER. Sadly, the writing just didn't do it for me. It was in serious danger of being a DNF. I wish it had a chance at a good developmental edit so it could meet its 5-star potential!

When Mama Joy unexpectedly dies, leaving her Harlem knitting shop and brownstone in the hands of her four adopted sons, Jesse (the youngest) is determined to prove his worth and keep it open. Lucky for him, their girl-next-door family friend, Kerry, is willing to help. But Kerry is on her own quest to prove herself, a quest that may demand she distance herself from the shop and from Jesse. How and when will they discover their mutual long-standing crush? How and when will they discover a way to save the shop?

It was definitely the how and when that let me down. The pacing seemed really off (I don't think we got to see a real man knit until like 17 chapters in!). The writing structure also seemed unrefined and repetitive, the characters underdeveloped, and even the dialogue, which had cute, snappy moments, was inconsistent and hard to follow at times. Especially in the first half, we spent far too much time moping around in our main characters' heads. Yes, they had just experienced a significant loss, so yes, it made sense for them to be sad and introspective, but it didn't make sense for readers to be that fogged for that long.

If you like diverse, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers stories that heavily feature family dynamics and include main characters (a strong female lead! a sensitive male lead!) that challenge each other, then perhaps you'll be able to overlook some of the writing issues and enjoy this one far more than I did. Plus, there are three more hot Harlem brothers to write into a series and yes, #WeNeedDiverseRomance.

Content notes: foster care system, death in family, objectifying language, off-screen drug overdose, absent parents

Real Men Knit is a story about community. The love and care those that are committed to Strong Knits have for the brothers trying to save the shop comes through loud and clear. The work done at the community center with children and the encouragement given to a young boy being bullied becasue he likes to knit was touching. The romance between Jesse and Kerry is very much in the background for most of the book. When it does come to fruition right at the end it's so fast I felt like I was missing out. But for all the other good things this story accomplishes with it's varied characters it was worth the read for me.

I really loved the premise of this book (so here for a focus on family, neighborhood dynamics, and subverting some gender norms with yarn) but the execution was very clunky. The pacing was all over the place, with so much time spent building up to reopening the store and Jesse and Kerry getting together and then no time at all to enjoy either of those things before it was over. The structure of switching between third person POVs of Kerry and Jesse in the same chapters with no distinct separation was also often confusing, since their voices were not as different as perhaps they should have been. Overall I'd still be into another book if this became a series, the author left herself three hot brothers to focus on in a sequel and I did like the world she created here.

A sweet romance that takes place in Harlem while trying to keep a beloved knitting shop open once the owner dies, leaving her four foster boys in charge.

As a former small biz owner, I wanted to love this book so hard. But I didn’t.

Mama Joy and her knitting shop were the heart of her Harlem community but she died. Can her four adopted sons and the young women she mentored keep her legacy alive? Or will they be forced to sell the store?

I loved the premise of knitting bringing a community and the brothers together. It was great to see men, especially alpha male types, doing something like knitting.

Ultimately, the writing style just didn’t capture me. It felt flat and repetitive. Because I loved the premise, if Kwana Jackson writes another Strong brother book, I’ll definitely give it a try.

This was delightful addition to the #WeNeedDiverseRomance movement! I hope we get a follow up with the other Strong Brothers.

I also liked that all the brothers knitted. And it showed a representation of men doing something "girly" that actually made them better versus detracted from their manliness.

The love story was fine, but I felt this was just as much a story about family and carrying on a legacy.

I read this one over the weekend (2/27 to 3/1) and am heartbroken that I didn't love it. I think it was a personal preference for me that made me not connect, but I found it had so little dialogue that it felt heavy and boring in a lot of places. The structure of the storytelling made me feel like I was being read at and not too and I just couldn't get that feeling to go away. I can see how it will appeal to others and I loved the diverse cast and the setting of a neighborhood in Harlem, but the rest is what I struggled with. Just another case of not every book is for everyone.

Real Men Knit started off very strong: gripping intrigue, nice chemistry between the characters, and fun and unique setting. However, the pacing became a real problem for me. So much time was spent discussing the living situation when Kerry moved in with Jesse. A little banter is fine, but it seemed to go on for pages. The actual romance didn't actualize until 75% into the story and by then it felt too late, and a little underwhelming. Overall, a strong setting and plot that ended up feeling very slow and boring at times.

I really think there are some great story ideas here but the book needs more editing. Mama Joy runs a knitting shop in Harlem. When she dies suddenly her community, her 4 adopted sons & her co-worker who is very much like a daughter to her are mourning her loss while trying to keep her shop open. There's romance, family dynamics, community support but the character development could use some work. I really hope there are some re-writes because I think there's potential there!

This is a love story. This might not sound shocking but the subject of the love for most of this book is a deceased woman. Mama Joy adopted four boys when they were almost lost in the cracks of society. Through her love, they were able to grow up to be well rounded adults. She owned a knitting shop where she spread the love through the neighbor, especially with Kerry who she employs to work in the store.

When the book opens Mama Joy is dead and has left a hole in everyone's hearts. In order to preserve her memory, Jesse decides to fight to keep the shop open with Kerry helping him. The romance is between Jesse and Kerry. The romance was fine but most of the heart went into Mama Joy and the shop. I wish Mama Joy was dead but then we wouldn't have a book.

Since there are three other single brothers, I'm sure that there will be more to this series. I'm looking forward to it.

This was a ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

This review is based on eARC of Real Men Knit.

Jesse grew up in Mama Joy's yarn shop in Harlem along with his three foster/adopted brothers. Kerry grew up there, too, but more as a latchkey kid. Now in their late 20's, Jesse and his brothers have just inherited the shop after Mama Joy's unexpected death, and Kerry is there to teach Jesse the ropes of the yarn business. When an accident makes Kerry's apartment building temporarily uninhabitable, Jesse asks her to stay with him in the residence above Strong Knits. With proximity comes sex, but Kerry refuses to let herself fall for Jesse and his player ways. Little does Kerry know, Jesse has long harbored a crush on Kerry. Can they get their act together and communicate so that they can have a Happily Ever After?

Real Men Knit has a good premise. I love when gender norms are inverted, and I was looking forward to seeing how it plays out in regards to Jesse, Kerry, and knitting. But while I was pleased with that aspect, the romance falls flat. I never find myself rooting for Jesse, Kerry, or their relationship. There's too much rumination from them. And with third-person limited omniscient narration with the switch from Kerry to Jesse happening abruptly, it was sometimes hard to discern whether it was Kerry or Jesse thinking. And if I can't tell the difference between two such drastic characters, there is something wrong with the narrative voice of the characters. It all felt too detached. Perhaps if the story were told with first-person narration, these problems would be fixed. Additionally, the pacing of the story is inconsistent. At times, a single day would be chapters long. At other times, it would suddenly be several weeks later-- in the same chapter.

Lastly, the numerous typos (it had a lot, even for an ARC) were distracting. There were also some syntax/grammar issues that made it feel like not enough attention was paid to it-- whether that attention was the author or the copy editor, I couldn't say. Hopefully, these are fixed by the time it is published in May.

A lot of these problems can be fixed with a good red pen, and I hope Jackson gets it from her editor. This book has promise, but only if a lot more attention is paid to it before it is published.

Oh boy this one isn't for me. It was marketed as a romance novel but I didn't appreciate the fact that the main male character did a one night stand after admitting to himself that he had an attraction for the female character. To top it off, nothing happened till 80% in and that's when they finally went for it! The brothers were also so confusing they're jerks. The main female character is also a wallflower but she's treated like crap because of it? Last time I checked that when you're not that "special" it's not emphasized by people targeting you.

I wanted to like this book, but it suffers from a bad case of Not Like Other Girls. I don't object to sexually experienced heroes in romance, but Jesse didn't seem to respect any of his former partners (he was making fun of Erika with Kerry the morning after sleeping with her!!! Like if you don't like the person you just spent the night with or value her feelings enough to not mock her TO HER FACE IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS, that's a bit of a red flag for future partners) and even when his brothers tell him not to mess it up with Kerry, there's this unspoken assumption that it's not okay to treat this specific woman badly because she is part of their family and therefore a person in their eyes, but it was okay that Jesse treated all his other partners badly because THOSE women aren't important. It really bothered me, and even when Jesse starts his apology tour to all his exes that he treated like garbage, it doesn't come across as personal growth or genuine repentance for how he affected THEM, only recognition of how his reputation is now affecting him, the shop, and Kerry. I did enjoy the bits about the neighborhood community, and definitely the knitting -- I wish there had been more of them!