Too Wrong To Be Right by Melonie Johnson

Kat Kowalski is over dating a**holes. When her boyfriend Tad (BLAH) dumped her to move out of the country to host a dating show and left his pet hedgehog with Kat, she knew she has to start re-evaluating her dating life. However, when she meets Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home, she immediately was attracted to him which means she has to stay away from him. Mick’s brother Joe however is the perfect person for her to date based on her new dating list! Can she go through to dating Joe when Mick is constantly on her mind?

This was a sweet rom-com! There were times I wanted to shake Kat on her decision-making but realizing what she’s been through, I can understand why she made the choices she made. Most of the problems seem self-imposed which made me really anxious reading it lol

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

This book felt lackluster and never really captured my attention. The writing felt stilted and some of the interactions disingenuous. I really wish I would have enjoyed this one after liking the first in the series.

2.5/5⭐️

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, Kat is on a mission to find Mr. Right and she creates a list of qualities her Mr. Right would have. She ends up meeting Mick and they have instant chemistry but Kat’s taste in men hasn’t worked in the past. Kat chooses to be just friends with Mick but of course this doesn’t go exactly as planned.

To start, the cover for this was so cute and colorful! I liked the premise for this book and the way our two main characters meet was quite fun to read. However I found myself not understanding Kat’s choices throughout the story. I wanted to like this one more and there were cute parts but I feel like I spent more than half of book wanting to talk some sense into Kat. I did find myself enjoying the authors writing style though so I’m sure I’ll check out more books by her in the future.

Where to begin with this romance. First off, Kate was was a toxic character who was all over the place emotionally and a bit bratty. Then, there's Mick, a licensed counselor, who doesn't call her out on behavior and then goes along with her dating his brother. He's smarter than this! And finally, she's hot so she gets a pass on all her issues. NO

I honestly don't want Mick to date her, he deserves better!! Too Wrong to be Right is the correct title for a story that doesn't work. The best part of the book is JoJo, the adorable hedgehog and the foul mouth bird.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy of this novel.

There were so many individual elements of this book that I really liked. From the adorably fun, scene-stealing sidekicks (aka Jojo the hedgehog, and Seamus the cockatoo), to Babcia’s kolakies, witty banter, and even a glimmer of found family, there were a lot of things to love. But for some reason it just didn’t come together for me.

“The real reason she’s hadn’t made more progress on her plans was simple. She was afraid. Afraid to take risks. Afraid to fail.”

Within the first scene of the story we see our FMC, Kat, being left by her boyfriend (of six months)…and leaving her with his (now her) pet hedgehog, Jojo. And it just so happens that her breakup coincides with her weekly girls night, where her two “besties” announce big steps in their relationships. Kat decided enough is enough and that clearly falling in lust with a guy was not going to lead her to her HEA, and makes a list of things she thinks that her Mr. Right should have (aka basically the opposite of everything she’s ever been attracted to).

Kat felt so real and her struggles and insecurities were displayed well. But despite that, I just struggled to really feel for her. She had some redeeming moments towards the middle of the book and I was starting to soften to her. However, her actions during the third act really negated all of that for me. I am not a fan of playing games or “testing” someone. Kay should have been a relatable character but her inability to handle her emotions/struggles or even communicate with some maturity made it hard.

“‘Hi,’ he said, trying to go for casual. Not an easy feat considering his heart was currently tapping out an Irish step dance in his chest.”

Mick on the other hand was a sweet, sensitive guy, who was just trying to figure out where he belonged in the world. But I couldn’t understand why, with the way she treated him, he basically trailed after Kat.
Kat and Mick had great chemistry together. Witty banter, an instant connection. Even the steamier scenes they were able to joke and laugh, proving they connected well. But I was never rooting for them.

I also struggled with the overall pace and subplot lines. I felt like some scenes/moments seemed to drag, and then other times (seemingly more important), would catch me off guard and feel very rushed. For me, there was too much subplot going on and it was distracting from the main plot, affecting the overall pace. The brothers in a love triangle could have been a fun plot, but I wish it had been developed and focused on a bit more!

All of that to say, I did think it was a cute read. Jojo and Seamus were absolute scene-stealers and I could read an entire book focused on either (both?) of them! I also loved Kat’s family backstory, and how despite everything she was super close with her Babcia, and how the O’Sullivan family really embraced her. I’m a sucker for a found-family trope and it was done really well here.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was super invested in this book for the first about 30%, and then I just sort got tired of the characters and the plot.

Read this one if you like:
❤️ Romances
👩🏼 Unlikable MC’s
🤩 Perfect Partner Lists

This one was challenging as the female main character was hard to like, and in romances I really want to love both main characters, so the fact I didn’t was hard for me to be invested in their story.

I loved the evolution of moving Mick from the friend zone to seeing him as a potential partner even though he didn’t seem to match her “perfect man” list of qualities she was looking for.

If you love stories of love being more than a resume of what makes a perfect partner, I highly recommend checking this one out! Thank you to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher (St. Martin's Press ) in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely adore my other read I read from this author and this book is no different. The characters were great and the dynamic was amazing!! In enjoyed the side characters and the fact that we get to see Kat's life as she is Polish so you get the slang or the language usage intertwined with the story. I loved that she is a florist and Mick's family own and run a funeral home. It's sounds so ironic and I love it! I enjoyed her venture for Mr. Right when it is pretty obvious who it is from the start. But at the same time it wasn't too draggy and very wrapped together. I said before that I would read from this author again and I still stand by that statement!!

Thanks again to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for the honest reviews and honest I shall be!!

Who knew you could find your new best friend and potential mate at a funeral parlor? Well, that is what happens to Kat and Mick (and maybe Joe). When Kat drops off an arrangement from her floral shop, she meets Mick it is the start of something special, but what that is takes a while to figure out. Mick’s brother Joe likes Kat, Kat might like Joe, Kat can’t pick the right guys, and Mick could be right but what if he is the wrong one?

I love books with dual POV, friends first, AND guy falls first. Mick has puts Kat first every time, even though he might not get the girl. This book had such great banter and humor. The family scenes were written so well and there was such a great sense closeness between the characters. Even though the siblings argued, they were there for each other. This was a slow burn but it was so worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4/5 ⭐️

Kat is a douchebag serial dater but is determined to find her Mr. Right. Not trusting her own instincts, she makes a list of qualities she wants for “the one”. Like a true romantic comedy, the question is: Has the one been in front of her all along?

I!! LOVE!! THIS!! BOOK!! This checks most of the boxes for me. Kat is very lovable character. She isn’t like a lot of main romance character where she plays dumb to her own faults. She’s self aware, a dreamer, and cares about the people she loves fiercely. Mick is selfless through and through and gives off “he falls first” vibes so you’ll definitely like this if you enjoy that trope. Mick’s irish family is also so interesting, I could literally read a book all about them!

Honestly the only drawbacks for me were that there were multiple spelling errors, punctuation errors, and there was even a sentence that wasn’t finished. Hopefully that will all be fixed before release day!

Thank you to Netgalley, Melonie Johnson, and St. Martin’s Griffin for allowing me to read this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

This book will be available starting February 28.

It is the cutest story. I had a hard time putting this book down. It has a memorable cast of characters. The two main characters, Kat Kowalski and Mick O’Sullivan, are proud of their Polish and Irish heritages. You will laugh with them and want to tell them to just tell each other how they feel!

This is a strangers to friends to lovers book. Kat and Mick have a cute meet that develops into a friendship. It takes both of them a while to take that next step to lovers. Neither wants to jeopardize their friendship. It takes a while, but both learn to speak up and go after what you want.

“I think when you love someone, you love them in spite of their flaws, but at the same time, it’s their flaws that make you love them even more. It makes them real. Makes them yours.”

“As long as I am with you, nothing could ever be wrong.”

I want the recipe for Babcia’s kolackies!

Loved:
-Chicago setting, Kat’s soon to be insta-famous hedgehog, and Mick’s foul-mouthed bird
-A meet-cute gone horribly wrong (a dead body was involved!)
-Mick was willing to ignore what he wanted if it meant Kat was truly happy
-Mick’s entire family was lovely, esp his parents with the Morticia & Gomez vibes. I could relate to the Irish-ness of the O’Sullivan family.
-The writing was easy and kept it fresh with alternating Kat and Mick’s POV

Could've done without:
-The miscommunication with a third act breakup trope
-Kat. Her insecurities were overwhelming, she was too desperate to find “Mr. Right” instead of working on herself and getting to the root of her issues.
-Also it was hard to believe that she went to business school, but couldn’t understand the concept of a rent to own agreement.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
My review is posted on Instagram & Goodreads, linked below

This book was very good and I get the sense that it will become popular. I love the character dynamics between our female heroine and the surrounding characters. I liked the friends to lovers trope which is something I don’t really pick up often. The banter between our two main characters was great and I enjoyed reading and having a small glimmer into the past. The only thing that was not my favorite the clear miscommunication or the main characters not being able to say their feelings, and this happens twice in the book. Overall though it was very good.
https://redheadreadsalot.blogspot.com/2023/02/too-wrong-to-be-right-by-melonie.html

Humorous, sweet, and light!

Too Wrong to Be Right is a charming, heartfelt romance that mixes the hardworking, hesitant Kat who, after her most recent breakup, is determined to stop picking men based on attraction but rather a list of qualities she’s sure will help her find the one, and the dependable, patient Mick who will put his ever-growing feelings aside to help his new friend find the man of her dreams even though he secretly wishes it was him.

The prose is smooth and tender. The characters are quirky, fun-loving, and supportive. And the plot is a comical, heartwarming blend of instant attraction, witty banter, palpable chemistry, friendship, family, light drama, unconditional love, and scene-stealing pets.

Overall, Too Wrong to Be Right is a cute, adorable, entertaining tale by Johnson that was a true delight to read with its amusing characters, 90s rom-com references, happy-ever-after ending, and characters I couldn’t help but root for.

After getting out of a bad relationship, Kat makes a list of qualities that her perfect partner would have. In a weird meet-cute, she stumbles into Mick in his family’s funeral home and there is instant chemistry there- but unlike his brother Joe, Mick doesn’t check off all the boxes on her list of the perfect partner. Will she choose the person who meets the list or the person she has the best time with?

This was not a favourite read for me unfortunately. I really didn’t enjoy Kat as a character- I found her immature and selfish. I was cringing reading the scenes where she was complaining about her friends having partners! I am also really not a fan of the list of qualities in a perfect person plot element and found the Joe-Mick brother love triangle to be a very strange dynamic.

What I liked:
-the parrot
-family relationships
-the characters of the grandmas
-Mick’s character development

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy!

"Too Wrong to Be Right" is a slow burn friends to lovers romance book.
The story follows Kat, a constantly unlucky in love gal who determines that she's dating the wrong kind of man. In an effort to look beyond physical attraction, and looks, when finding a partner she sets her sights for a "Mr. Right” who will meet a different set of criteria. During her search she meets Joe, someone she has an instant attraction to but puts in the friendzone because she's afraid of falling into old habits.
"Too Wrong to Be Right" is a slow, quiet read, even lackluster at times. It’s very detail oriented, sometimes too much, and often takes awhile to get to the point. The story sort of moisy's on with no "big" moment(s) or major tribulations, which sometimes you need as a reader. There is however, a big focus on the characters' grandparents, which is nice, but on one occasion whilst in the midst of a sexual encounter together, the characters talk about their grandmothers, which frankly was pretty weird and mood killerish.
Melonie Johnson does a good job with character inclusion in “Too Wrong to Be Right”. Honorable character mentions include JoJo the hedgehog and Seamus the cockatoo who find room for laughs. Johnson also had me googling the recipe for a traditional Polish dessert called Kolache…and now I can’t stop thinking about making this treat!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book!
“Too Wrong To Be Right” is out February 28th 2023. Go check it out!
*Posted to GoodReads on 2/20/2023

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ I think when you love someone, you love them in spite of their flaws, but at the same time, it's their flaws that make you love them even more. It makes them real. Makes them yours.❞

❓ #QOTD What bad streak do you need to break? ❓

🦇 After another crappy boyfriend dumps her (and grants her the honor of babysitting his pet hedgehog as a consultation prize), florist Kat Kowalski is ready to break her bad streak. Eager to ignore the instincts that leave her swooning over a series of Mr. Wrong's, she's prepared to hold out for the perfect Mr. Right. On day one, she crashes into Mick O'Sullivan (who literally sweeps Kat off her feet) at his family's funeral home. Despite their instant chemistry, Kat propositions Mick: into forming a business partnership AND a friendship. How long until Kat sees that Mr. Right is right in front of her?

💜 Melonie Johnson's writing captivates you from the first ridiculous, rom-com-approved sentence and carries you to the last page. She develops real, raw characters in Kat and Mick, who struggle with real internal conflicts that motivate their actions from day one. There's an immediate chemistry between Kat and Mick, even if Kat wants to deny it, that carries through their friendship. The secondary characters (from Kat's work friends to Mick's family, to both their adorable, sassy grandmothers) all play their role in Kat and Mick's decision-making, too. The real beauty of this novel is the friendship between Mick and Kat, which is as realistic and wholesome as it is funny and adorably entertaining.

Loved the:
🌼 Witty (and sometimes punny) banter
🦜 Adorable Jojo & salty Seamus
🌸 Mental health awareness
🦔 Situational comedy

🦇 However, Kat becomes a little too obsessed with love over starting and expanding her business. When love doesn't work, she reroutes her focus, using work as a distraction, when the situation with Mick only distracts her from work. There are multiple times when Mick helps Kat recognize what she's feeling in the moment and coaxes Kat to express herself, proving his ability to read and empathize with her. Despite knowing her so well, he's entirely too blind to her feelings for him, in a way that's not entirely believable (I understand that she would become his blindspot, but still). Then there's the matter of Kat and Joe. Kat convinces herself that Mick's brother is her Mr. Right, but the entire situation seems a little heartless of Kat. It was almost too painfully cringy to read.

🦇 Recommended for anyone in need of a laugh-out-loud rom-com. This book is perfect if you're in the mood for a friends-to-lovers slow-burn while cuddled up on the couch (or your papasan!).

Tropes
🌼 Friends to Lovers
🦜 Laugh Out Loud Funny
🌸 Dual POV
🦔 Everyone Can See It

🦇 Major thanks to @thewritinglush, @stmartinspress, and @smpromance for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

#2wrong2bright #TooWrongtobeRight

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Melonie Johnson for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

First, can we talk about the cover?! It is absolutely adorable! Second, this book was good, but I just couldn't connect with Kat. I tried, but I just couldn't. I did love the banter though. While reading I also laughed, which is always a plus. This is one that I will recommend.

The cutest RomCom I’ve read in a while. Let’s be honest I did judge the book by its cover and I’m happy I wasn’t fooled. I throughly enjoyed the story and found myself laughing at some points.

this was so angsty and for what???? when the mfc and the mmc have the PERFECT meet cute there’s chemistry inmediately and that should’ve been it, but instead their angst is milked the entire time because they “simply can’t be together” for “very important reasons” and it just felt so drawn out and ridiculous. plus the third act conflict was so abrupt. i would still check out her first novel tho