After some recent galley success, I have been dipping my toe into some romance. I've never been much of a romance reader, and I mostly read children's books, but this one caught my eye. I liked it, but it didn't blow me away. I will definitely recommend it at the library (whenever we eventually reopen) because it is a lovely story worth reading.

Mama Joy was the glue that held the STRONG KNITS together and when she suddenly died her four foster and adopted sons struggled with what to do with her store located in Harlem.

Jesse Strong, the youngest, was not a bad guy unless you were in love with him for most of his life. Yes, he was devoted to his adoptive mom but he was also noted for his reputation of breaking hearts in Harlem. Jesse wants to keep the store open; his brothers want to shut it down. Jesse knows how to knit but he really doesn’t know much about how to run the business so he makes an impassioned plea to his childhood friend, Kerry Fuller (who has been crushing on him her entire life) to help him run the business.

When I picked up this book I really didn’t know what I was expecting, but it didn’t take long for me to realize what a wonderful ‘love’ story this was. And I don’t mean romantic love, although that does come later. Mama Joy had so much love in her heart and she passed that all down to her sons, her neighbors, and all she met. She instilled this love and caring into her boys and it was such a joy to read how everyone wanted to pitch in in some way to help save the shop and continue on with helping to save Mama Joy’s legacy.

The more Kerry and Jesse worked together to find new ways to increase business they discovered that there was some chemistry between them that Kerry knew about but with Jesse’s reputation - could she trust. Their romance started to grow in increments of one step forward and two back but it was fun to finally watch it grow. What helped also, were Jesse’s brothers who saw more than Jesse knew leaving Jesse a bit clueless at times.

All in all – a great read – a fun read – and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I was excited for this book, but I just did not like it. The characters weren't developed and the writing was not great.

This book is delightful. Family coming together to solve a problem and continuing a legacy is just heartwarming. I want these characters to live in my community. Please tell me this will be a first in a series. I want more of this neighborhood.

I really, really wanted to like Real Men Knit, but I found the writing uneven and the character arcs underdeveloped. That said, I kept going with it, so that tells me there was enough there to keep me interested if not super impressed.

Main character Kerry is a good-girl knitter and educational assistant who has just finished her schooling and looking for work. She’s hoping she’ll land something at the community center where she’s devoted all her time, but her passion lies at Strong Knits, where she’s been working part-time since she was a pre-teen. She’s been such a fixture at the knitting and yarn shop that when the owner and her mentor Mama Joy passes away, her four sons see her as family and include her in their attempts to continue to keep the shop running. This would be great, except that Kerry has always had an unrequited crush on youngest son Jesse Strong, a playboy layabout who decides to take the reins at Strong Knits. But can they get past their own baggage?

So two things kept me interested: 1) the fact that it was about a knitting shop and guys knitting 2) the relationship between the brothers and Kerry. I feel like the romance was just okay, it was obvious where it was going, but I liked the camaraderie between the guys and Kerry and her take-no-prisoners attitude. I do wish there had been more knitting and far more explicit sex scenes (way too much fade to black), but in general, those were the takeaways for me.

Onto the negative: So. Much. Unevenness. Between the voices, which just didn’t feel clear or right for each character (I feel like we were told so many times what a person was, and then their voices would indicate otherwise), and the writing, which pitched from slightly doddering to attempting to be sexy but still feeling a bit dull, I couldn’t deal with the writing in this book. It just felt weird and lurch-y.

Add to that the very jerky character development, which went from Kerry being a “good girl” to suddenly developing a spine, to suddenly being the sexiest woman on the planet - and Jesse finding his balls only at the last last moment - argh. The ending of this book was so rushed that I was wondering how any growth actually happened. I also wondered whether they would actually continue to grow as people because the end was so unfinished. Serious head scratcher - do we have to read the next book in this series to find out?

One of my biggest pet peeves is when giant threads are just left hanging and that’s how I felt at the end of this book. Like, there were so many storylines that just kind of stopped in service to the romance. I know this is a romance, but for me, if you’re not going to lead with - and finish with - two strong characters getting together, then you’re not really doing a good job.

So overall...still readable, but I would give Real Men Knot a library borrow at most and stop if you feel like the writing is not for you. I hope others do like it, but definitely a pass for me.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Basically nothing happened in the book. I was disappointed because I was looking forward for this book.

This is a super cute romance. After his mother died unexpectedly, Jesse Strong has to figure out to make his mother's yarn store profitable fast with the help of the store's part time employee, Kerry. It's a great book that deals with healthy masculinity and strong family ties that can survive and hardship. It's a really great romance read.

I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a positive review.

As a foster/adoptive mom, I love stories about how those who had rough starts, get their forever families.
Kwana Jackson pens an amazingly gorgeous story about four brothers who inherit a knitting/yarn store from their (foster) mother after her sudden passing.
The first book of the series is about Jesse Strong and Kerry Fuller, childhood friends who find new beginnings they both have an idea of what to do with the shop.
As each tries to deal with their grief of the beloved owner’s passing, they find hope and love in each other.
With the backdrop of the knitting story and the colorful imagery, I could imagine sitting among the rows of colors and designs while talking about the days events and with good friends.
Looking forward to reading more from Ms. Jackson.

*I received this NetGalley ARC from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Real Men Knit is marketed as a multicultural romance, and I suppose it is, but it's so much more than that. This is an absolutely charming story of family, friendship, community, and finding your place in this world, and as an added bonus, we get some romance in there too. This is a completely engaging book from page one, but the characters are where it really shines. They're well rounded and interesting, and - well, real, they just feel real. Of course, that just adds another layer to an already good story, plus it's pretty easy to root for a couple when you feel like you know them. The romance here may have been between Jesse and Kerry, and I don't know if there are plans for a series or not, but I'd love to get each brother's romance in turn. The book is well written, fast-paced, and in a crazy world full of troubles, it's exactly what we need - something to leave us smiling.

“Like your favorite security blanket, brother. Like you said, it’s the four of us now.”
I read Real Men Knit last month and really liked it! It's a heart-warming story about four brothers who come together to save their adoptive mother's Knitting Shop after her unexpected death. I love stories which revolve around family members, which is why I was really excited to pick this book up. 

• What I loved : The characters of Real Men Knit were really interesting to read about. The dynamic that the four brothers shared along with their witty banter added a comedic touch to the storyline, which I really loved. I could see their bond strengthening as the book progressed, and it was honestly the best thing about the book for me. The slow-burn romance between Jessie and Kerry was enjoyable as well.

• What I disliked : The book felt too slow-paced for me at times, specially in the beginning. I wish the book was a bit shorter. :/ I wanted to know more about Noah, Damian and Lucas (the other three brothers) since the POVs shift between Kerry and Jessie. I really want the author to write a sequel, so that I can get to know more about them! 
3.75/5 🌟

This was a cute story about the youngest, out of four adoptive brothers, trying to keep his mother's knitting shop in business after her death. He enlists his childhood friend, already an employee of the shop, for help unbeknownst that she has had feelings for him in the past. Once they start spending more time together, feelings on both ends spark.

I read this in two sittings. I liked how the author focused in on how local shops can be an influence to their communities. I enjoyed the different personalities of the brothers and hope the author writes books on each of them.

Give me a complicated family dynamic, relationships formed in childhood, and crafting and New York and I’m in heaven. And thanks to Kwana Jackson’s masterful writing, this book had me with a sappy grin on my face throughout most of it. I loved the push/pull of Kerry and Jesse’s relationship, Jesse’s meddling brothers, and the support of a tight-knit community that keeps nudging them together. This book was WONDERFUL.

3 stars — I was so excited for this book. 1) Guy knitters?? Yes please! My hubby is a sexy male knitter, so I’m all over that. 2) Look at that cover! 3) #ownvoices book with main characters of colour?? WOOP!

But…well…I kinda had to push myself to finish this book, and if it hadn’t been a NetGalley ARC, I probably would have DNF’d it. It was just kind of boring. The beginning especially was a LOT of time in the characters head, with basically nothing going on, but continually going over the emotions that they were feeling with the loss of Mama Joy. So much so it sort of lost the emotional impact for me. The ARC was clearly before a final editing pass, so I had to contest with quite a few wrong word choices, and some sentences that didn’t make sense in context (perhaps a previous paragraph was removed?). So I can’t say for certain what would have made it through to the final copy…but it was probably more distracting because I wasn’t that invested in the characters.

Jesse and Kerry had some good moments, but in general they were kind of flat. Their love story was also RIDDLED with lack of communication and misunderstandings, and while I’ll handle a bit of that, it was basically their entire romance. And as a romance? This book was meh. It took forever before they started making any moves in that direction, and then they were both focused on what they thought they knew about the other, and about keeping the relationship physical only. Needless to say, I just wasn’t sucked in. While the steamy scenes weren’t explicit, there were some good moments.

What I loved most was the story surrounding how the Strong Knits store had become such an important part of the community, and wanting to continue that tradition. I loved the side story with Errol, and the subtle ways they tackled some toxic masculinity. I also mostly enjoyed the journey of Jesse discovering his passion…but only mostly because he never really figured that out for himself, and at the end it felt like he still felt he was worthless. Which was a bummer.

I learned more things through reading this book, by having to google things….I love that. And now I want a chopped cheese.

As far as other secondary characters, I expected to love the brothers more than I did. Damian was awful…and while I know there’s a backstory, I just don’t care. Lucas’s behavior was confusing. Noah was the star IMO, seriously adorable. Kerry’s friend Val was fun and spunky, but missing a bit of depth.

So yeah. I feel like with some editing and tightening up on pacing, this story would bring more. I still probably wouldn’t have loved it, but it would have prevented me wanting to DNF at least. Ah well.

This is a slow-burn, friends to lovers, found family delight that leans more towards women’s fiction than romance. Jackson created memorable characters that will stick with you for a long time. Plus, I got to learn what a chopped cheese sandwich is. I can’t wait to see which of the Strong brothers is the next to fall. Jackson is firmly on my auto-buy list.

CW: grief

Real Men Knit is a contemporary story of family, friends and romance. Mama Joy fostered four boys and eventually adopted them. They were a rambunctious group, who loved her with all their hearts. When she dies suddenly, they are thrown into turmoil. Of the four, Jesse is adrift. He has a reputation of being a lothario and doesn't have a decent job. He is adamant that he wants to try and keep Mama Joy's knitting store open. With the help of part-time employee, Kerry Fuller, they work together to keep the neighbourhood shop open and run the programs that make it a community gathering place. Kerry loved Mama Joy as much as the boys and would do anything to keep Mama Joy's dream alive. Of course, the more time Jesse and Kerry spend together, the more their emotions and feelings toward one another are stirred up.

I liked Kerry, she is strong and independent and very easy to like. She has some issues with insecurity, especially when she compares herself to the other women Jesse has shared his bed with. She does develop more of a backbone as the story progresses and I liked that. Jesse also has a lot of insecurities, especially when he compares himself to his more successful brothers. He hasn't treated women very respectfully in the past, so I was worried about Kerry and him starting a relationship. He is very caring though, and it was very evident when he was working with the children in the community, especially Errol, a young boy who was being bullied. Real Men Knit is a story about family and community. The setting of an old New York neighbourhood, the diversity aspect of this book and the idea that knitting is okay for anyone, young or old, male of female, all added to my enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed learning about Jesse and am hoping there will be more books about the other brothers and what their future holds.

I wanted to read this book because I believed it to be a romance. yet it was not much of a romance and more of a story of a family of men and their drive to keep their mother's knitting shop open after her passing. I enjoyed the relationships between the brothers for it felt real and relatable. The slow burn romance between one of the brother's and an employee at the shop who is a also a childhood friend is well done but a bit to slow for my preferred taste. The pace of the novel was slower than what I prefer and had wished it moved along differently. I would like to see more from this author for her writing is good and solid.

REAL MEN KNIT starts out slowly as the background is laid early on, and a bit more tell than show. I'm kind of ok with the slow build, as I fell in love with the shop and the setting, and all the brothers (even Damian, who has a lot more going on under the surface than we're seeing here.) I'm hoping all this groundwork was laid because the other three are getting their own stories.

This story is part romance, part contemporary women's fiction. The romance is a sloooooow burn. Author Jackson does a great job building tension between the two (maybe too much, because at some points I just wanted to smack some sense into both of them.) It's a bit of an unrequited love situation on both sides at the start, and the actual romance part DOES take a while to get to, but thankfully some forced proximity and brazenness on Kerry's part (I was hooting for her) gets things rolling.

Where this story shines is in its characters and the interactions between the brothers. The banter between them felt easy and realistic and had me laughing. The characters are complicated and a bit flawed. They both learn to stand up for themselves and what they want after going on a bit of a journey to figure out where they want to go next in life

The resolution felt a tad bit rushed and the story wraps up quickly but I get my happily ever after, so in the end, I'm satisfied.

I'm giving REAL MEN KNIT 3-1/2 stars (rounded to four for the purposes of NetGalley and Amazon ratings.) Despite the slow start to the story, I soon found myself fully invested in the story. In fact, I loved all of the Strong brothers and will be here if each of the other three brothers gets their own books.

Real Men Knit was such a joy to read! I fell in love with Jesse and want more of Kerry... I'm hoping this is the start of a new series (I'd love to hear how the rest of the Strong brothers find their Special Someone).

Definitely pushing toward women's fiction/family saga, rather than romance, Real Men Knit is a fun, flirty escape with great characters and a heartwarming story about connections and community.

As a fan of Kwana Jackson’s other pen name K.M. Jackson I’d been looking forward to her debut under this name with Berkley. The summary alone delighted me because it screams complex family dynamics and the idea of grown men trying to figure out how to run a knitting and craft business really appealed to me.
The romance between Jesse and Kerry is sweet and a bit of a slow burn but is also low angst, which honestly I needed right now. I really liked Kerry in particular and loved seeing her stand up for herself as things went on. And the Strong brothers made me sit up and say ask what is behind each of their stories exactly Ms. Jackson!?

What delighted me the most about this book was the setting and the community. It did veer slightly more towards women’s fiction than romance for me but there is a solid HEA so that’s a small quibble and one I wouldn’t argue with anyone over because I really did love this.

But this almost had a small-town in a big city feel to it because of the strong sense of community Jackson brings to this one. Which makes sense to me, as I’ve read her K.M. Jackson Sugar Lake series. The secondary characters are what made the community aspect shine so bright and honestly, one of the reasons I cannot wait for more of this series. I want to visit all of them again immediately.