First things first…. If you don’t get excited about this book just because of it’s title, we can’t be friends lol I didn’t actually think this was going to be a retelling of the Grinch, but when I realized it was sort of a loose re-telling, I was ecstatic. It’s actually my second favorite Christmas story (second only to A Christmas Carol) because of the way he changes his mind at the end. So of course, when I saw it on Netgalley, I immediately grabbed it. And I LOVED it!

When this opens, Matthew is a real grinch. He’s spoiled and used to name brands and everyone bending to his will. When he’s sent to his grandma’s place in the middle of nowhere, he is completely lost. This was the best part to me for some reason lol I LOVED the little sleepy town where everything and everyone put me in a holidaze. With the snow and the cookies and just everything. It was really cute. I knew I liked it when I kept talking about it to my husband. Wishing I could visit the inn at least once. I just knew the quiet and the cold and the decorations and the bunk beds would have been some of the quiet I need lol

Then there’s the freaking romance. I have to admit, I didn’t think he deserved him in the beginning, but I didn’t want to judge him too fast because I knew there was something underneath it all that made him act like this. And of course there was. But he even admitted he was acting like a brat. so he knew what he was doing, and I just couldn’t deal with that. But somewhere during the story, I started to fall for the two of them together. Don’t ask me when it was. (Had to be after the okay to do the gala when he started acting like a normal human again lol) But I liked the way they balanced each other out. One of them had little and wanted to give everyone else it all and the other had it all for themselves and wanted more. Until they got together. And as I said before, I LOVE that small heart change. And because it was someone close to them, it was even more special for him to see the light.

The writing style was also pretty great. I laughed, I cried, and when the mental health (anxiety focused) came into the story, I was cheering him on. And I love how committed he was to the Christmas theme. I’ve read quite a few Christmas romances so far this year, and alot of them have mentioned the holidays or that they’ve seen decoration, etc. but not all of them have actually been focused on them if that makes sense. But this one did and I was glad for it.

Backdooring this, I’m not LGBTQ+ so I won’t speak on the representation, but I will say something on the anxiety. We are not a monolith, so I understand that not all my experiences will be theirs. With that being said, I did see a lot of myself in Matthew. His spirals for one made me think to myself, “Am I also like this?” Because geesh. It was so real. I recognized some of the signs before he even admitted he had it. Definitely felt like looking into a mirror when I was first figuring things out. But if you also have trouble managing your anxiety, maybe be careful reading this. Give yourself some grace and take some breaks.

The narrator they picked was PERFECT for this book. When I started thinking of what I might think he would sound like, it was just like this. Even his voice for grandma was cute! And although I wasn’t a fan of his voice for some of the other characters, it didn’t stop the fact that he was perfect for the main character. I think that matters more than anything.

This loose re-telling was really cute and left me in such a good mood after finishing it. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been since I heard about it. And I’m glad I got to experience it in time for the holidays. You should pick it up too.

I found it hard to rate this one. For most of this book I was really bored. I just wasn't all that interested in what was happening. I didn't really feel an attachment to any of the characters and just didn't really feel the romantic chemistry between our lead and our love interest. However, I do think the way this book dealt with our main character's anxiety and mental health was really well done and honeslty made me tear up a little. I also quite liked the ending. I thought the third act conflict and the way it was resolved was really well done, and that's typically the part of romance books I don't really like all that much. I also thought this wasn't a christmas-y as I wanted. I mean, look at this cover I wanted all the Christmas-y and wintery goodness but sadly enough, I was left a bit hungry on that aspect. So yeah, overall I just don't think this one that's going to stick with me for long. However, I do recommend you to check this out if you were already interested in it because I think it has some great mental health representation.

Listen, I loved Schitt's Creek too. But the sheer amount of contemporary romances that came out since the show's end, that mimic Schitt's Creek, is getting completely annoying.

Do you know why Schitt's Creek worked? Because it had never been done before. Writing spoiled rich kids who are awful and self-absorbed and then slowly making us love them? New and fresh! But now at least 8-10 romances from major publishers are writing this and it just isn't new. This author just replaced "Ew, David!" with "Dude" and it is not quirky or funny, it's just overdone.

If EVERY SINGLE REVIEW says "it reminds me of Schitt's Creek", then you've got a problem with your book. I might have really liked this had it been my first Schitt's-esque read of the past 2 years. But it's legitimately the 8th and I'm really over it.

And, when you decide to try and write "spoiled rich kid evolves", you always run the risk of not being able to turn your audience. This is the same reason why remakes of Jane Austen's Emma pretty much always fail. Sadly, Matthew Prince never won me over.

I wish this book had worked for me, but it just didn't.

DNF at 65%

If you're into Schitt's Creek and Christmas, this book is for you! This was a fun holiday lgbtq romance read, and I'm honored to have been given the opportunity to read it from NetGalley. There's a little bit of spice, some great banter, and some great character growth.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity

This book was holiday rom com perfection. It was sweet, light, and full of so much heart! Not to mention that it gave me major Schitt’s Creek vibes! If you’re looking for a sweet, quick read to get you in the holiday spirit, then this is the book for you.

Matthew Prince, a rich Manhattan socialite, finds himself cut off from his funds after an impulsive island purchase. Tired of his antics, Matthew’s parents send him to his grandparents for the holidays. Matthew thinks that he’s in for a low-key few weeks until he realizes that he’s not the only one crashing at his grandparents house for the holidays. To Matthew’s surprise Hector Martinez, a gorgeous English lit student, ends up being his reluctant roommate.

This book was just SO much fun. Matthew and Hector had the whole enemies to lovers trope going on for a quick minute before they warmed up to one another. I love small town romances so it’s no surprise that this one hit all of the marks for me.

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute holiday title, and will get you into the holiday spirit. Matthew reminds me of David in Schitt’s Creek.

Funnily enough, this is not the first queer holiday book I read this year with an entitled main character going to a small town where their family lives after a snafu, and decides to help the town hold an event to help the local businesses in order to restore their reputation but finds growth and romance in someone with a penchant for woodcutting.

I liked this one more.

👍
+ The main character is reminiscent of David from Schitt’s Creek. Comes off as very entitled and quite terrible at the beginning but then you start to see his heart and why he became the way he is, and he starts letting people in.
+ I loved the chemistry between the two characters. I was rooting for them the whole way, though at the beginning it was difficult to see how they were going to recover from their
+ I really appreciated the anxiety rep in the book, everything from the author’s note from the beginning to how the MC was dealing with his anxiety felt very thoughtful.
+ Loved many of the side characters. Even the ones that weren’t great to begin with, I liked that most of them had kind of an arc to being less terrible.
+ Great holiday read with small town setting and the power of holidays and small town communities in changing people’s perspectives and priorities.

👎
- Why dude? The love interest Hector is a ”dudemeister” as in he calls everyone dude. More importantly he calls Matthew dude. Even after they get sexual/romantic. All. The. Time! There are 80 instances of dude in my copy of the book. Why?!

Overall rating: 4.3⭐

Thank you very much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the eARC!

2.5 stars.

I really wanted to like this one. I fell in love with the name, then the cover, and then the description. A queer Hallmark romcom in book form? YES PLEASE. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

To be clear, this isn't a bad book. There were moments that took my breath away and some of the writing was absolutely gorgeous. I also appreciated that the author foresaw potential critiques (e.g. insta-love & community, "dude," etc) and offered explanations that made sense within the story. The flirtiness and the steam was fun. Hector, the grandparents, and Noelle the bestie (that'[s her name right?) - honestly the cast of characters was delightful and in many moments I was way more interested in them as individuals and their relationships than Matthew and Hector. OH and I also loved that the town was a magical place free of -isms and how casually diverse the cast of characters was becuase HELL YEAH I wanna live in that world. Plus it was acknowledged as something that'd been worked towards.

Things that bugged me, in no particular order: (over)use of the word "dude" (even if it was explained), the insta-love and insta-community, confusing (to me) writing choices (some phrasing just squicked me out), confusing spice (definitely a few moments of "HUH, WHAT?" ... and I'm a sex educator), the way the third act breakup went down (I was SO annoyed that he made the choice he did), the resolution with Matthew's parents (it felt inadequate to me after all his parents put him through), and Matthew's arc. He grows, but he still felt like end of season 1 David Rose versus David who marries Patrick David.

It's also worth noting that over the last few years, I moved away from reading about super privileged folks. I appreciated that we saw Matthew acknowledge and deepen his understanding of his positionality, but I still spent most of the book rolling my eyes and longing for it to be over. To be honest, if this wasn't an ARC, I would have DNFed it pretty early on.

I think this one will not only work for but also delight most readers. And, for me, I think I need to stay away from any books that are inspired by or reminiscent of Schitt's going forward.

CN: emotional neglect, forced coming out, shitty parents,
Sex tags: kissing, hand sex, oral sex, anal sex.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh, this was fun! Matthew Prince has grown up in privilege in many ones and…. Perhaps neglected in others. It’s not until he makes a huge blunder by buying an island (yes, an entire island) that he is sent off to his grandparents to stay out of the limelight until damage blows over.

Here, for the first time in his life, Matthew is accepted for who he is and not how much money he has or what the latest fashion trend he might be wearing. As soon as he arrived, he meets Hector who is also staying with his grandparents and whoa … do they not get along. It’s quite spectacular.

I really enjoyed the writing - the character development is great. In particular, I thought the author did a fantastic job of capturing the growth and change in Matthew! He went from a character I really disliked to someone I admired quite a bit… a lovely transition. Hector made a more slight journey, but he was likeable from the start.

I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for an authentic queer romance… especially if you enjoy all the warm fuzzies of holiday traditions. This book is a lovely, heart warming hug for the soul!

Rich & spoiled Matthew Prince finds himself shipped off to spend the holidays with his grandparents in their small town. Next thing he knows, he can't stay in his usual room there, AND he has a roommate who he cannot get along with. Forced to work together to plan the town's charity gala, can they put aside their differences and enjoy the other's company?

If you enjoyed Janovsky's debut, Never Been Kissed, and you like holiday rom coms, then this is the book for you!

Now I have to say, holiday stories aren't really my thing. I had hoped that after loving Never Been Kissed so much, and now being a fan of Janovsky's writing, I might come to really enjoy this one too, but that's not entirely the case.

I did appreciate the writing style, the thought, and the flow of this book, as Janovsky does not disappoint in these areas. And they were good. This is a very well written book. And yes, I did enjoy the paralells to Schitt's Creek (rich boy falls for local town boy), even if this comparison is overdone (it's still true). But the one thing holding me back was the holiday stuff. I've never been big on all of this, so it's not my favorite in books either. But my dislike for it does not impact my ability to recognize how well done the book is and recommend it to all you holiday rom com lovers out there!

So despite it not being a book for me, there were still many aspects of it that I did enjoy, and I will just be cautious in who I recommend it to (mainly those who read lots of holiday books).

rep: gay MC, bi SC, sapphic SC, Latine SC

CW: panic attacks, classism, alcohol

Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience

4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience

3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience

2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others

1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone

I liked this one! It reminds me of In the Event of Love by Courney Kae, but the gay version instead of the lesbian version. I love the play on words in the title as well. I wouldn't say Matthew is as mean as the title makes him out to be, but if I had to compare him to a version of the grinch, I'd say he was more like the 2018 version than any other version. He certainly doesn't aim to make other people's lives miserable, but he's about as snappy and doesn't like Christmas for similar reasons as 2018 Grinch.

3 stars

If you have been yearning for a Hallmark Christmas romance with a LGBT+ lead couple, look no further than Janovsky's sophomore novel You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince. This book has all of the classic tropes as your favorite made-for-TV movies: big city vs. small town, a grump who needs to discover the true meaning of Christmas, a meddling community, and the ultimate discovery of the true meaning of Christmas.

While I did enjoy the book for its representation and its familiar Hallmark qualities, I found myself wishing that the book had gone a bit deeper in several aspects. For a book with a title that screams enemies-to-lovers, we lose that tension fairly early on in the book as Matthew and Hector's antagonistic relationship is resolved at about the 25% mark. This, combined with the fact that we only get Matthew's perspective, made the romance feel a bit rushed and I found myself constantly wishing that we could get Hector's perspective to round out the story. In addition, I felt like the various side characters that contribute to Matthew's change of heart really disappear for a lot of the book and I was being told about their impact on our main character versus actually having it actually shown through the book.

Despite my qualms about the execution of the book itself, I could not be more over the moon about the fact that LGBT+ couples are finally getting the Hallmark love stories that they deserve!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I tried, Lord I tried. I started reading, put it down, picked it back up. And I just can not finish this book. Matthew was an brat with bratty friends and maybe he grew and changed and figured his crap out but I could not make it to that. I just can not stand entitled characters that can not accept responsibility. Hector can do better.

This is my first book from this author and I enjoyed it! It's a M/M romance taking place around the holidays and of course, with nods to the Grinch, I definitely needed to read it.

Things I loved:
LGBTQIA+ representation
Mental health representation
Small town vibes
Christmas
Sweet love story
Awesome secondary characters
The cutest Grandparents

This book had bits of everything that I wanted in a romance. I thought the mental health representation was well done, with the main character suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. The secondary characters and friendships that were made were perfect and you know I love a cute, small town! I loved Hector. I thought he was a genuine guy and was good for Matthew.

I'll be honest, Matthew needed to grow on me a bit. At the beginning of the story I didn't like him at all and I thought it was going to be an issue while reading. He was super entitled. But as the story went on, I understood why he was the way he was and I saw the growth in his character. He definitely became likeable as the story went on which was great.

This was a sweet story that will add some fun to your holiday reading!

An extremely cute, funny, adorable Christmas rom-com. I know it’s not even December yet, but this really got me into the festive spirit.

It has all the classic tropes, sunshine and grumpy, small town, found family, forced proximity… absolutely wonderful. Everything I wanted from a rom com after so many horror books in October!

I do find it hard for romances to hit that 5 stars though, something always doesn’t feel perfect, but this came quite close.

Timothy Janovsky has done it again! After reading the amazing "Never been kissed" I needed more books from this author because I knew I would enjoy his writing once again and guess what?! I did.

This time around we are set in (once again) a small town but with new characters that are very unique and interesting. Our main character, Matthew, is a rich kid from New York who gets sent for the holidays to his grandparents in a small town and has to share a room with a college kid, Hector, who loves to help people and work to get something, he's a total opposite to Matthew yet they are able to find some common ground and eventually lose their heads for each other.

The beginning of the book didn't move me, I had a hard time reading it because of the MC but once he starts changing I began to like him more and more, ultimately I fell in love with him just as much as I loved Hector. The character development here is great.

I'm impressed by how well Timothy Janovsky mixed a few different topics into that one book. We've got an amazing Christmassy atmosphere, which is usually a call for things to be perfect and full of love but this time around it's not all perfect. I was glad to see that the topic of mental health, especially anxiety was explored in this book a bit more.

I love seasonal romances and this one fulfilled all of my Hallmark movie dreams!!! Festive? Check. Swoon worthy? Check. Delightful? Check!!! I love seeing the uptick in queer romance and this was just a gem. Happy holidays!

I read a lot of holiday romances. They are my favorite, and this is a great one. It has enemies to lovers and forced proximity elements, along with small town vibes.

We stay in Matthew’s head the whole time, and he is a bit of a Grinch, so it took me a while to warm up to him. But once I did, it really won me over. And his love interest, Hector, is such a cinnamon roll.

The book tackles anxiety and panic attacks really well, while still including lots of moments that made me laugh out loud.

I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a great holiday read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

I loved this book! It was so sweet and funny. I adored Matthew. I related to his inner voice so much. Wonderful holiday read!

I received You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky for free by the lovely Martina at Sourcebooks Casa in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince was one of my most anticipated reads for the winter season - I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was when I received this ARC! Schitt’s Creek is one of my comfort shows so I knew that this was going to be a book I would LOVE! It is being published tomorrow in the UK and this is definitely one you’ll want to add to your festive TBR!

Our main character Matthew is definitely a spoiled prince! After an impulsive, expensive purchase he is shipped off to a small town to spend the holidays with his grandparents and their recent houseguest Hector. The tension between these two was absolutely fantastic! It’s safe to say that the first impressions did not go well but I loved how their snarky banter turned into true and undeniable feelings! The chemistry between them was fantastic!

I really enjoyed seeing how much growth Matthew goes through throughout the story and he is a character that you can’t help but love. Especially when we get to see his more vulnerable side and how he really just wants someone to genuinely care about him! The depiction of anxiety was so well done in this story and I definitely could relate to Matthew’s moments of pure panic. I loved how kind and patient Hector was with Matthew during his anxiety attacks and it made me love these characters even more!

You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince filled me with such warmth and was such a cosy read! I loved this book so much, I already want to read it again!