I really wanted to love this book. after enjoying the first in this series, Real Men Knit. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. While I appreciate that the author had to set up the back story and develop the characters, I felt like there was too much time spent with the characters not actually interacting and the character development could have been more subtle- less tell me and more show me. I did like the story and the MMC, but I struggled to connect to the FMC. That may be my own bias and experience talking, but I just felt like I couldn't relate to her. I ended up just skimming the last half of the book because I wasn't enjoying it but did not want to DNF it.

If you're looking for a book that has a sexy firefighter, a knitting store, and a laundromat run by a divorce finding her way - dive in.

A story about family, friendship, and finding the strength to follow your heart. A world of fiber, needles, and what happens when you Knit 1, and Purl 2. The characters have great arcs and the plot moves at a solid pace.

When Syd Harris returns to her hometown in order to survive a messy divorce will she find the strength to follow her heart? If Lucas Strong can prove he's trustworthy and willing to fight for her, he might discover what was there all along.

Is it possible to get a second chance with the one woman who stole your heart all those years ago?This story has heat, heart, and a whole lot of fun. Make it your next book adventure and you'll find a love of knitting, hope, and an author who delivers a satisfying read each and every time.

I thought this was a really cute book. This is the second book in the Real Men Knit series. You can read it as a stand-alone, but it makes more sense as part of the series. This is a single mom romance, and it felt very honest and real. I recommend checking the series out!

Sexy fireman Lucas can't decide how he feels when his high school crush and the girl-next-door (and single mom) Sydney moves back into the laundromat next door.

This is the second book in the Real Men Knit series, and I like reading about the Strong brothers. This was good, but I enjoyed the first book more.

I loved this book, second in the series. This group of brothers and their knitting shop and the cast of characters in their world, make me happy.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don’t think this series is for me. I wasn’t a fan of the first book but wanted to give the author another shot. I liked the concept of the plot, second chance romance has a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I was not invested in the couples relationship in the current timeline. There were many flashbacks/discussion of the "old days" but not much development in their new relationship.

This was such a phenomenal follow up to Real Men Knit, a must purchase for libraries with Contemporary Romance Readership

This was probably not for me. I couldn't get into the story.

Syd is someone who I didn't warm up to easily. I felt bad for her and what she went through however she isn't taking a stand for what she wants.

Lucas is sweet and gets messed up because of Syd. I don't know if she understands he has emotions.

There was always tension and hatred between MCs. Being a romance book, I felt the chemistry was less. They had backstory and Lucas always loved Syd but somehow the story didn't develop. It talked more about the past.

The conversations between brothers were good. The relationship between Syd and her daughter was good. Just for some bits good it has me giving it a 3. I am not sure what more to say about this one. It was miscommunication or looks like editing issue too.

This was my first by the author. I will probably try other book since I heard the first one was good.

Knot Again is a sweet, smart contemporary romance about how true love can find you when you least expect it. Communication problems make this one a little hard to recommend without mild reservations but it’s still worth a read.

Lucas Strong is a fireman searching for a little bit of tranquility. He posed for the FDNY’s annual beefcake calendar in an attempt at promoting his family’s knitting store, Strong Knits, but now realizes that was a huge mistake, because it’s made him the most eligible bachelor in the city. To attain a sense of peace, he starts knitting in the solace of a twenty-four-hour laundromat near his apartment building.

One day a curious young girl approaches him, wanting to learn more about the process of knitting. He and the kid, Remi, hit it off, and he quickly learns that he knows her mother – Sydney Harris-Hughes - whom he crushed on hard in their school days.

For a while, Sydney was doing well in Washington DC as a glamorous wife. Unfortunately, her marriage fell apart due to her seemingly-perfect husband’s philandering and she’s moved home to Harlem to help take care of Scrubs, her grandpa’s laundromat and to otherwise help him out.

Both Sydney and Lucas are soaked in regret – Lucas wished he’d had the nerve to ask Sydney out earlier (he’s always believed he’s not good enough for her) and he’s grappling with his guilt over the deaths of his moms and is also in the middle of reforming his relationship with his brothers. Sydney has some obvious issues with her own mom – a bit of a pushy social climber - and the gossip surrounding her divorce, and is learning how to be independent. Can they overcome their misgivings and find love?

There are some plusses and minuses to the spell Jackson weaves here. Lucas Strong is one of the most swoonworthy heroes of the year, and I enjoyed his conflicted nature and introversion very much. Sydney, too, is extremely likable and watching her battle for her own sense of self-worth is a treat. It’s understandable that she’d want more time to figure out how to be single – that part of their slow coming together, I understood. But they spend too much time beating themselves up over the past, and that really bogs the narrative down in the early chapters. They need to just talk, and the big discussions feel as though they aren’t lingered over for as long as I’d have liked them to be.

But on the plus side, the strong atmosphere of the book is perfectly New York – specifically of Harlem. Everything feels lived-in and real. That’s the most beautiful pat of Knot Again. Even with the flow of the novel standing in their way sometimes, Sydney and Lucas get their chance at a second true love – and doesn’t everyone deserve that much?

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Thank you Berkley Romance for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for review consideration.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

TW: infidelity, divorce, mentions of death, loss of a loved one

This was my first read by author Kwana Jackson, however Knot Again is the second book in the Real Men Knot series. These books are a series of interconnected standalones and I’m anticipating we will have four books as there are four brothers. To be clear this is not a Black romance, as it features a Black American female lead, Sydney Harris, and a Korean American love interest, Lucas Strong.

I was rooting for this book from the start, because I love to see Black women happy and in love. However, overall I was a bit disappointed by this one and continuously felt myself wanting more. The majority of Sydney and Lucas’ relationship dynamic was rooted in the past, which was necessary to an extent to provide context into the feelings that shared and hid in high school. However, there was not enough current development. It’s great that they had crushes on each other as teenagers, but now they’re in their thirties I need more than flashbacks to show how and why they are attracted to and like each other. The romance felt shallow and underdeveloped, which hurt this story as it is a romance novel.

Also, yes, we did get to explore Lucas and his career as a firefighter, but outside of his relationship with his brothers I never really connected to his character. I feel like I would've enjoyed his story separately from the romance, but I did not like him as the love interest which tainted my view of him as a character.

Recently, I’ve been reading more stories where there are kids involved and I did enjoy the mother-daughter relationship between Sydney and her daughter and how that was a parallel to her relationship with her own mother. It was also nice to see a woman reflect on her previous relationship, how she morphed and changed herself into someone she didn’t recognize and accepted a semblance of “love” or “affection” when it was truly veiled manipulation and narcissism. This book had good dynamics, presenting relationships between parents and their children (both kids and adults), brothers, best friends, and our relationships with our communities. I respected that, I enjoyed that, but I wasn’t reading this book for that I was reading this for the romance, so while other areas were stronger I am going to stick with a three star rating for this one.

I love Kwana Jackson's heroes! There's just something about how she writes them that makes me adore them and root for them throughout! I really loved this book and these characters and following their journey to HEA!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I was excited to have The Strong Boys back in my life and their equally “strong” women, however, Knot Again didn’t quite pack the same magic for me that Real Men Knit did. I enjoyed Lucas & Sydney’s romance, but never truly felt invested in their relationship.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

The 2nd book in the Real Men Knit Series and I loved it just as much as the first!
The heat definitely picked up in book two between firefighter Lucas and divorcee Sydney, with this relationship that never was back in high school. Neither of them expressed their feelings in the past, although both knew they they were strong.
The majority of the book took place in Sydney's family laundromat and Strong Knits and it was the perfect unison.

I LOVE a good foster story. As a former foster child I am drawn to stories that show the children have a good path forward after their rocky beginning. This series has given us that.

As for the romance aspect. Meh. It's ok. I liked that the brothers are carrying on their mother's legacy knitting/yarn shop. Men who knit. Yes, please.

I found myself growing bored and just wanting to complete the story. This felt a lot like the first story in the series with just different details.

Knot Again is the second book in the Real Men Knit series and it is a second chance at romance story. I'm a big fan of second chance stories!

The storyline in Knot Again had potential but somehow missed their mark on the development of the romance and their connection between the characters. The story spent too much time reminiscing of the past on both characters. I wish it had given me the feels like the first book in this series, but I’m invested in reading more to see the other two brothers get their stories.

Real Men Knit was a three star read for me, and sadly so was the sequel. I was hoping to enjoy this one a bit more but if it wasn't for the loveable characters I would have likely DNFed. I don't think I'll be continuing with this series.

Reading this one brought me back to learn to knit from my grandma as a little kid. Not sure I could do it anymore but I'm glad I have the memories of her teaching me!

Knot Again by Kwana Jackson is the second book in the Real Men Knit Series.

Lucas is a firefighter who helps at his families knitting shop. He's described as an all around boy scout. After being featured as Mr. November in a firefighter calendar he's suddenly facing extra attention he never wanted.

Sidney is running away from a bad marriage and leaving behind a life of money and relative comfort. She's back home to help her grandpa run his laundromat across the street from the knitting shop.

Lucas and Sidney always had a thing for each other in high school, but neither was ever willing to make a move. Now all these years later, back across the street from one another, can they get over themselves and their baggage to finally make a go of it?

I'd classify this as a bit second chance romance, but the first chance wasn't super clear so it never really feel like they had that big spark back then. It also felt a little enemies to lovers with them trying to steer clear of one another and the animosity for whatever failed to happen back in high school.

Thank you @berkleypub
@berittalksbooks @dg_reads for hosting this #berkleywritesstrongwomen #berkleybuddyreads and the opportunity to read a digital galley of this one.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook. And thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for including me on this buddy read.

This is the second installment of the Real Men Knit series. I like the idea of the series and really enjoyed the first book. This book focuses on Lucas, the firefighter and Sydney, the girl he had his eyes on when they were younger. Sydney is now back in town after her marriage falls apart and she’s trying to establish a new life and take care of her ailing grandfather.

The reconnection between the two main characters was a slow burn and they spend a lot of time in their own heads rather than communicating with each other. This lack of communication was puzzling considering there wasn’t much conflict. Not my favorite, but overall it was still a sweet story. I wish there was more sizzle and catchy dialogue like the first book.

3.5 stars – Rounding to 4 for Goodreads

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. I enjoyed this book. It was a nice light romance that kept me entertained. It wasn't the most amazing romance I've read but I will definitely recommend to my romance readers.

This story has: a hero firefighter, a second chance romance, flashbacks and drama. What more could you ask for?! The second book in this series did not disappoint and I found myself really immersed in this story.

Thank you #Netgalley for providing me with an early read of #KnotAgain