A SWEET RELATIONSHIP WRAPPED IN TROPES THAT WEREN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH

This had a lot of potential to be great; Matthew gave off David Rose from Schitt's Creek vibes, Hector and Matthew had a great relationship, and the tropes of this story (enemies-to-lovers and forced-proximity) were some of my favourites. But exactly the tropes were what let it down. Because they weren't followed through to the end. They were introduced and just sort of discarded. It put a blemish on what really could have been a good yuletide romance.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Representation: Matthew suffers from anxiety. So do I. Representation is a powerful thing, especially when handled well. Matthew has nicknamed his anxiety "Krampus" in a flash of uncharacteristic whimsy. Krampus shows up whenever Matthew is overwhelmed or pressured by those around him. His panic attacks and how he handles them served as a way to make Matthew more likable and relatable as well as giving others, who also suffer from anxiety, a mirror to look in.

David Rose: I am such a fan of Schitt's Creek and one of the first things that struck me about Matthew was his similarity with David Rose. He is a rich boy suffering from anxiety who has been sent into penniless isolation in a small town. Honestly, I could only picture Matthew wearing David's signature black-and-white oversize sweaters! The similarities were a definite plus for me.

Relationship: Matthew and Hector have such a sweet and supportive relationship. It's not often that I have the pleasure of reading (or experiencing) such support, especially when it came to Matthew's panic attacks. Hector has such a calm and reassuring way about him that absolutely endeared him and their overall relationship to me.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Dude: Hector has this habit of saying dude. A lot. At first it was funny, especially with how Matthew reacted. But then it just became too much. Way too much. Sickeningly too much. Like, come on dude. Just stop.

Tropes: This book dives into two of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers and forced-proximity (the center of all my wildest Dramione fanfic fantasies...). But the this is, Janovsky doesn't see the tropes through to an end. They are introduced, but never really take form or shape. The enmity between Hector and Matthew is resolved surprisingly fast - and it even exists without any real reason to begin with. And while forced proximity could have given rise to soooo many awkward and sexy moments, they are never fully brought to life. It's attempted, but never followed through. So it was a bit disappointing.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this!! Loved the cozy holiday vibes and the sweet romance

The only negative part for me was Matthew. He never grew on me, and I was annoyed with him the entire time. I would’ve really loved this book if it had been told from Hector’s perspective because I just couldn’t stand Matthew.

I wanted to love this book so bad:( I’ve been looking forward to reading it for months!

Calling it “Schitts Creek meets Red, White, and Royal Blue” is 1000% accurate. That’s exactly what it is!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The title initially caught my eye and I knew I had to read it. It was funny, touching, emotional and a journey. I feel as though Timothy portrayed Matthew's general anxiety disorder gracefully. The dynamic between Hector and Matthew was great. I would, without a doubt, recommend this to friends this holiday season.

Trigger Warnings: Drugs, alcohol, anxiety, cursing, anxiety attacks, simultaneous masturbation, sex, lying, blackmail, divorce, therapy

Representation: Mental health: anxiety, Puerto Rican-American, Gay, Bisexual, She/they pronouns, polyamory

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince is a contemporary romance about socialite Matthew Prince, whose parents’ wealth and fame keep him in the public eye. When Matthew makes a financial mistake to earn his parents attention, he is cut off and banished to spend the holidays with his grandparents off the grid. There he has to learn some humility, as well as share a bunk bed and bathroom with his grandparents’ guest, Hector. Will this grinch remain a Scrooge or will his heart grow three sizes?

I absolutely adored this Christmas romance! I loved all of the characters and the plot line was absolutely adorable! All of these gay Hallmark-like books are making me so excited for the season and really hopeful for actually movies in the future!

I loved all of the representation in this book! Mental health has such a negative stigma but the author handled it with grace and respect. I loved how self aware Matthew is and how he actively used the lessons he learned from therapy throughout the story. Representation like this is so important and the author really did an amazing job highlighting it.

Matthew was a very fleshed out and a mature character in my opinion. He has his flaws and makes mistakes, sometimes to the tune of millions of dollars. In the beginning, he is a typical, snobby rich kid with way too much money on their hands. I loved getting to the core of who he is and seeing the world through his lens. The coping mechanisms mentioned in the book were awesome too! I also really enjoyed Hector. My only wish is that he had his own chapters or maybe another pov book!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think it’s not only a great HEA and jolly holiday tale, but an amazing read for all readers! Just be careful about some of the steam!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review

3,75/5 ⭐

Matthew Prince and a naughty boy, he’s rich, a little spoiled, loves to throws parties, and may not be on Santa’s well-behaved list. So when his parents send him to Wind River, his grandparents small town, to spend the holidays and lay low because he over indulged and bought an actual island, you can imagine he’s not so happy. He then sees himself sharing a room with Hector Martinez, his grandpa’s hot undergrad student who doesn’t really care about his expensive lifestyle or who are his parents. Now, to be back in his parents grace, he’s planing a gala to raise funds to the city with no one other than Hector.

I was really excited to read this book by the synopsis alone (although I’ve discovered after started reading that it is part of a series, I believe I didn’t miss much on that) and it was a overall a good experience.

The main couple is adorable and Janovsky made it impossible to not root for them from chapter one. Matthew is a really funny character and I think is safe to say the most real, although this reality is totally unreachable to many, and with the most development in the book. I’m a sucker for characters who discover that home is not a place, but people. And the people that Matthew chooses to be his home are the absolute best.

Although very cute and funny it also deals with General Anxiaty Disorder and the author was very caring writing this topic.

Overall I liked the story but had two issues with it: 1) it was a bit long, like even the epilogue could’ve been shorter and 2) it has so many pop culture references that at times I found it overwhelming, it makes me wonder how this story will age and if everyone who reads it will be able to connect with it at any point in time. But it doesn’t change the fact that this is a MLM rom-com, it gives a chance to teenage boys and young men to see themselves in a happy ending story, it gives hope that you’re not alone and in the end that’s what matters the most, I think.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes October 4, 2022.

This male male holiday romance follows Matthew who is a 21 year old who is cut off from his rich parents in New York and forced to spend Christmas break with his grandparents in their small Christmas town. He has to share a bunk bed with a grad student Hector. Matthew has to work with Hector to put on a Christmas fundraiser for the small town in order for Matthew to return to his rich parents’ good graces and wallets.

I enjoyed Janovsky’s second book You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince more than his debut Never Been Kissed. This wasn’t a new favorite holiday romance but it was fun and cozy for what it was. This is worth picking up this holiday season if you want a Christmas romance featuring anxiety rep, a prominent character development arc, a quaint Christmas town, some dysfunctional family drama, not a lot of steam, and a wholesome love interest.

Positives:
-Anxiety representation throughout
-MC’s character development arc from superficial to caring
-Fun small town setting and Christmas festivities
-Pacing of the relationship
-Fun side characters especially the barista and the MC’s friend from NY

Criticisms:
-I would have preferred if this was a dual perspective so we could learn more from Hector’s point of view. A lot of Hector’s development and background story was either packed in at the end or briefly squeezed in between the MC’s plot points
-Not a lot of steam

This was so cute and I love Matthew and Hector. I love seeing how their relationship developed and watching Matthew actually let Hector into his life. I don't think he should of forgiven his mom but that's just me.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I very much appreciate receiving this arc,but I am sad to say that it is not my cup of tea.

I just didn't connect with the characters. I don't think that's its a bad book. The writing is fine, but I just didn't vibe with the book.

Matthew Prince has grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth and anything he could ever want at his fingertips. But when his outrageous spending goes a little too far, his parents ship him off to spend the holidays with his grandparents in their cabin in the woods. It's bad enough that he has zero cell reception, but he also has to share a bunk bed with Hector Martinez, one of his grandfather's students who is obnoxiously handsome and has no time for Matthew's arrogance. Matthew is determined to do whatever it takes to shorten his imprisonment, even if that means taking over the event planning duties for the town's charity gala. Soon, Matthew finds himself surrounded by a little family of his own making, namely Hector, and starts to feel the ice around his heart begin to melt.

If you turned Schitt's Creek into a Hallmark movie, you would have this book. Matthew gives off such David Rose vibes that it was all I could picture. He was very entitled and pretentious, and it took me a while to warm up to him, but he grew on me by the end. His relationship with Hector started very rockily, but I liked how it developed and thought Hector did a good job grounding Matthew. Their dynamic was just very sweet if a little corny. I liked the setting and the vibe of the small town, and the plot itself was entertaining but super predictable. I don't think this will be very memorable for me, but if you're in the mood for a cute romance for the holiday season, I would still recommend it.

I had such a fun time reading this book – it was very fluffy and very cheesy and sometimes a little over-the-top, but that's pretty much what I expect from a Christmas romcom. I liked the set-up of the story and the setting was perfect for the genre.

I also enjoyed that the story had very little homophobia in it, although I think it didn't even need that little bit. I feel like the story could have made its point without it. In the first half of the book, I had some issues with the pacing as well. I wish the conversations the characters had would have had a more significant setting than they did.

The side characters were a big plus for me. Noelle in particular seemed really sweet and so did Matthew's grandparents. Would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cute queer holiday story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

“And I know I said I don’t believe good things last. […] But I believe in our good thing, and I believe in us.”-
trope: small town romance, opposite attract, christmas romancepov: 1st person pov
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rating: 4,5/5
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Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.I really loved this book, it was so cute and Matthew and Hector's relationship was so cute. I have to admit at first I didn't like Matthew and because the book is in his pov I was almost going to stop the book because of it but I continued and little by little I started to like Matthew because his personality evolved, he wasn't such a spoiled boy anymore. I also almost immediately loved Hector, I loved his vibes. I also really loved Matthew's grandparents, they were amazing. I also really liked Noelle, I loved how present she was for Matthew and just her personality (I would definitely read a book about her). Now onto the plot, I really loved the 'two people that everything opposes have to plan something together' storyline. Matthew and Hector's relationship evolution was great and wasn't forced at all. This book is perfect for people who love to read christmas romances and it was very cute, i recommend it a lot.
I will post this review on my instagram readsoflaura on September 26th
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rep: gay mc with anxiety, spanish and puerto rican bisexual li, sapphic side characters 
tw: anxiety attack
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genre: Adult Romance

Oh man I loved this one. It was so cute and definitely gave me Schitts Creek vibes with Matthew being very much David Rose, who is a fish out of water after getting cut off of his allowance, banished to his grandparents to lay low while the scandal is contained and needs to live like a normal person until after New Year’s. I really enjoyed the growth the character went through realizing the privilege he have to make mistakes, not having to worry about how he is going to pay for anything, how he should be more considerate to the people that have worked for his family for years and that he doesn’t even acknowledge as real people with feelings. The romance with Hector was really great especially because they start off on such a bad footing since Matthew is being a jerk and Hector is helping the situation. I love that Matthew finally realizes how fake his life is in New York and how trying to leverage his life for the view just keep messing everything up. He finally learns to live with his Generalized Anxiety Disorder and be himself. Just a really cute Christmas rom-com with some miscommunications as well as mostly just dislike to lovers really and a fast read.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablance and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince is just as fun as its punny title suggests. While it does pay homage to the Grinch, there are also comparisons made to Scrooge and (indirectly) David Rose of Schitt’s Creek, as the story follows a privileged, out-of-touch young man as he gets a dose of reality and finds his holiday spirit and compassion for others.

As such, the titular Matthew Prince is a somewhat unlikable character at times, being very spoiled and self-centered. But he’s also pretty entertaining, and it’s wonderful to see his growth as he grows into a better person. I also appreciate how it explores his complex relationships with his parents and how they played a role in making him who he is, without attempting to excuse his past sins. He also has generalized anxiety disorder, and I appreciate the way that is explored in the context of his life as the child of wealthy, celebrity parents.

The romance is cute, but I feel like it was secondary to Matthew’s growth. There’s a good setup there, as Hector is a “normal” person who is initially unimpressed with Matthew’s behavior. However, he didn’t get much development beyond that.

While this book doesn’t work as a romance, it’s still a pretty fun read and would make a decent addition to your holiday romance TBR, especially if you’re looking for something queer.

I was kicking my feet and smiling to myself basically the entire time while reading this adorably sweet Hallmark feel Christmas themed novel. This novel was so powerful with its diversity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and powerful representations of mental health. Matthew is a spoiled, gay, rich white boy whose parents kick him from fabulous New York City to the small town of Wind River to humble him up a bit. He has some growing up to do and reality hits him hard when he is cut off and sent to his grandparent’s house. Another twist? He has to share a room with Hector, the student of his grandfather. The whole vibe is not what Matthew expected, but can his snow frozen heart turn warm?

I loved Matthew Prince from the start but I can’t help but admit that he is so STUBBORN. At some point I wanted to kick him oh my goodness. However, his character development is phenomenal. Small towns tend to do that to you. He went from having everything to nothing at all. He has to learn that there is more to life than his credit cards and popularity. Hector seems to be the only one who can see through his crap. It satisfies yet irritates Matthew to no end. This book is enemies to lovers, and it was a heated one! The chemistry between these two is insane! They are full opposites which made it all the more fun. I fully enjoyed the heartwarming moments between these two and their spicy moments gave me all the warm feelings. The friendships that Matthew made throughout his journey made me so soft. Now I really want a small town Christmas experience.

I really appreciated the awareness around GAD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I struggle with anxiety and it felt nice to relate to a character that I can understand. I can’t say that I’ve read a book with a character with GAD, so it felt nice.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing this arc with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Javonsky comes out October 4, 2022!
When 21 year old Matthew Prince, son to mega famous fantasy author of books that turned into movies & more, takes his luxurious lifestyle & spending too far, he’s ushered off to spend the holidays with his grandparents in their cozy house in their quaint mountain town without reliable Wi-if. Unbeknownst to Matthew, his grandparents have another house guest already in the form of extremely hardworking student & always helpful, flannel-loving Hector. These two completely clash with their sharp witted retorts in their small room with bunk beds that sets off an enemies to lovers holiday season full of entertainment, redemption, healing & maybe even some love & holiday cheer along the way.
I love when a book makes me laugh out loud & this one definitely achieved that. Matthew Prince starts this book with extreme eye rollable actions, but give him a chance & the time to workshop & learn his backstory, you’ll see him put the charming back into the Prince.
The grandparents are just the epitome of what grandparents should be & made me want to give them the biggest hug. I wish they were in more of the book.
The switch from enemies to lovers was quite swift & as someone who loves a good slow burn, I wanted it to slow down a little but that’s purely a personal taste thing.
I thought the mental health struggles, specifically the representation of generalized anxiety disorder & anxiety attacks were well done. I have anxiety & suffer from anxiety attacks & I liked how this was shown, explained & the avenues to which the main character uses & learns to utilize to cope.
If you are in the mood for an opposites attract, queer love story full of Christmas movie type charm & cheer as well as personal growth & a charming redemption arc, I recommend You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky!

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains mental health struggles, specifically generalized anxiety disorder & anxiety attacks.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will post to my Instagram this week as well as Amazon after publication. I will add links once I do.

Janovsky does it again. This book has everything that you'd want in a Holiday Romance: Opposites Attract, warm cozy feels, and just the right amount of spice.

To start, Jonovsky does an amazing job introducing us to the main character, Matthew by showing us just how he speaks to his driver. He is mean, inconsiderate, and rude. Matthew Prince is a grinch. However it was easy to fall in love with him as a character as you start to learn more about his past. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Matthew's attitude and behavior are walls that he has put up to try and protect himself. It's also revealed that Matthew deals with severe anxiety, and Jonovsky does a great job at sensitively describing this experience.

Besides Matthew, the other characters in the book are funny, witty, and full of life. Jonovsky crafts a setting that I'd personally want to spend time in. Take me to Wind River! Also the cast of characters in WInd River are lively and vibrant. They keep the reader on their toes. The hate to love story feels fast, but also fits in in the Holiday Romance timeline. Noelle's side romance is fun and flirty. Matthew's Grandparents are sweet, and I wish they were in more of the book. Hector is kind, and him being a polar opposite to Matthew in every way makes the story that so much more fun to read. Their interactions are funny, heated, and always made me smile. What starts out as a combative relationship quickly turns into something more as they start to find commonalities between them. Both of them have their own baggage, but that is what made me want them to end up together in the end. They continuously challenge each other to do better.

My favorite part of this book, and Janovksy's previous book, is his ability to expertly write characters that are good at communicating with each other. Reading scenes with Hector, is like a masterclass in open and honest communication. This is one of the reasons why I will continue to come back to books that he writes.

Overall this book filled me with all of the warm and cozy holiday feels. It has everything from cookie baking, to Christmas tree decorating, to a Holiday Gala, and great spicy sex scenes. It is the perfect book to read on a cold Winter evening with a warm cup of cocoa.

This is a book that will certainly be making my "re-read" list and will be one that I will be recommending to friends!

I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did (I don't read a lot of holiday romances), but oh my gosh I adored this! It was definitely giving Schitt's Creek vibes which was amazing since that's one of my favorite shows. Matthew was an expected surprise. He can come off a bit unlikable in the first few pages, but he quickly shows his true colors and everything that's layered underneath. He's much more than his money, designer clothes, and family name. It was such a joy to get to learn the true pieces of his identity and why he became the he did. I loved the allusions to the Grinch we got in this book. It didn't feel over the top or anything like that. Matthew's heart had definitely grown three sizes by the end of the book and I was smiling really big reading this! Really my only complaints are that I wish we got a little more development with Noelle's character (she was so sweet and a good friend to Matthew when he really needed one, I just wanted more of their friendship!) and the number of "dudes" in this needs to be cut by like half. It was a running joke, but I think it still could've come across just fine with significantly fewer. But those are minor gripes. I loved this and it really put me in the holiday mood even in September :)

CW: on page panic attack

I quite enjoyed this book! I’m usually not too much into holiday romances, but this one worked.

It’s basically a modern, queer retelling of A Christmas Carol and I think it was really well done. Plus, the characters in the book (Matthew and Hector) both love A Christmas Carol, which felt a bit meta, but also pretty sweet.

For some reason I did not expect Matthew to be the POV character in this book. I think the title made me think that the book wouldn’t be from his POV, and while he was a bit much to begin with, I did end up liking him.

Some things I really liked about this book: the queer rep, the way the sex scenes were written, lots of open communication between the MCs, that Matthew’s previous relationship was poly and that this wasn’t portrayed in a negative or fetishizing way, it was just the relationship he was in. I also liked the side characters and thought they had depth.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it would recommend it if you’re looking for a cute, queer, holiday romcom.

He bought an island! That was the last straw for Matthew Prince's parents who cut off his funds and pack him off to his grandparents. He's not happy about being in the Berkshires for the holidays (so not urban) and he's not happy about sharing with Hector who his professor grandfather is mentoring. They both need funds and Matthew comes up with ideas - including taking the place of the chair of a gala. This is very much an enemies (well not enemies but...) to allies to friends to lovers with two nice characters and a good sense of humor. Janovsky doesn't overplay the fish out of water thing but Matthew is really immature. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters, a fun small town. and a light touch make this. good read.

This book has me ready for the holiday season. It’s a story you can cozy up with by the heater while the world turns to frost outside. I’m not a huge fan of winter or the holiday season but the emotional moments this book brought me through winter wonderland has me prepared. With enough hot chocolate I too can be unstoppable.

With that said, I would’ve liked more development between Mathew and his parents. It wasn’t rushed but it did feel very unfinished especially between him and his dad. There were a few other things I would’ve liked more of as well, more development with characters and the likes. Despite that this was a completely wholesome winter romance. I was here for the angst and miscommunication, two of my favorite things. Mathew came to his senses before I could shake him to see his wrongs. This book has made me want to get shipped out into the woods and find me someone who ignites Christmas cheer into my black soul.