I received this book as an advanced readers copy through NetGalley and this one just did not hit the mark for me. I didn’t like Kat and didn’t enjoy the friends to lovers trope here when I normally do. I kept saying please don’t instead of wanting them to be together. I couldn’t get past her liking one brother but insisting she was going to date the other one as Mr. Right and Mick just being ok with it and going along with it for so long, it made me cringe my way through most of the book. I liked the hedgehog and I liked Mick’s sister but this plot just wasn’t for me.

A Mr. Wrong so wrong for her, he's perfectly right!

After her latest disappointing breakup, Kat has convinced herself that she has to stop choosing guys she's viscerally attracted to, because they always end up being Mr. Wrong. So when she meets Mick and the same feelings, the same attraction, the same fireworks start to crackle and spark she is determined to keep him firmly in the Friend Zone so she doesn't risk making the same mistake yet again. His dependable, responsible, solid-as-a-rock older brother, Joe, however, just might be the kind of guy she's supposed to go for.

Mick knows there's something special between the two of them, but if friendship is all she'll allow him, he'll take it. Even if it kills him to be her wingman. I really adored the growth of their friendship, the way they worked together to make both their career goals come true, the way she gradually became part of his family. The story did drag a bit in the middle as Kat just couldn't let go of her conviction that Mick wasn't the kind of guy she could keep, even when he was proving to be everything she wanted on her list.

To say they eventually "fell" for each other isn't doing the story justice - they really don't have any problem falling, it's just the recovering from the various injuries resulting from the many falls that they end up focusing on. This gives the story a slapstick feel, adding a lot of fun to their attempts at seduction and romance.

I did enjoy the HEA, though I think they took a little too long to get there. I really enjoyed Mick's family, especially his sister, and I hope the author continues writing about the O'Sullivan family. If you enjoy contemporary romantic comedies, you're going to love this one. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I read about 25% of the book and nothing really happened. There was so much seemingly unnecessary background info that took up the first quarter of the book that I have zero idea where this plot was going. There was nothing really grabbing my attention and I can’t push myself to keep reading, especially because its in 3rd pov

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want a slow-burn holiday rom-com about a flower shop manager and a funeral director? Do you like your rom-coms to feature family dynamics?

Pre-reading:
Def picked this bucket rom-com for the hedgehog on the cover.

Thick of it:
I will never get tired of rom-coms’ bonkers openings.

Inventorying does not look like a real word.

I don’t know, I understand not telling her until he has a callback. It’s embarrassing to constantly be like oh, I went out for this and failed.

If you’ve been dating for six months you’d better watch his pet. What kind of guy has a hedgehog though? I’m not saying red flag, but I’m not not saying red flag. Yellow flag?

It’s giving Pushing Daisies, and I love it.

I had never heard of Malort, and now this is the second romcom in a row talking about it. Universe funny.

Rom-coms love to make a bitch hungry.

Oh granny, please don’t die. (She’s safe, don’t worry.)

A Polish girl and an Irish boy? Very me.

They’re cute. I like this one.

Shut up, he’s so cute. I’m such a sucker every time for the princess nickname.

This is such a good slow burn.

Funerals make everyone horny.

Bestie, you just licked her to orgasm. Friendship has sailed.

Oh, the Polish grandma face is very real.

I also love a Christmas snow.

This book is so stinkin' cute.

You know, I assumed it was an egg chair, but I did google Papasan to make sure.

I love them.

How dare. How dare you fade to black, book.

Oh my god, why are rom-com men such fucking idiots? You’re the psych major, you fucking dummy. Oh my goddddd. Hi, I am like so invested in these terrible children.

I don’t know, call me toxic, but I want a little pushback and fighting for me too. Like obviously if it’s like a dead-set boundary, respect that, but there should be some pushback if it really matters.

Post-reading:
This book is an adorable holiday rom-com. Wish it was smuttier, but I’m a horrible little perv. The characters feel real and emotionally mature. The dialogue has enough banter to keep it zippy. It’s a slow burn of a romance that keeps the tension. It is a bucket rom-com, but it’s a good bucket rom-com. There might be a smidge too much about the hedgehog, and it relies heavily on the miscommunication trope, but isn’t that what you want in a cheesy rom-com anyway? The couple exists outside of their romance with each other, and the family dynamic in the book is fun and well done.

Who should read this:
Rom-com lovers
Holiday rom-com lovers
Rom-coms with family dynamics fans

Do I want to reread this:
No, I think I’ll remember it, but I would recommend it to others.

Similar books:
* Book Lovers by Emily Henry-family dynamics rom-com
* I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella-failed relationship leads to true love rom-com
* Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee-friends to lovers trope
* A Guide to Just Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan-friends to lovers trope
* Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter-friends to lovers trope

f you are wondering if you should read this book- I say yes, you should!

I will admit, I picked this up on a whim purely because I saw that a Hedgehog was part of the story. But I ended up loving this book and plan on getting it the day it comes out in 2023. This story follows Kat, a florist in Chicago who can't find Mr. Right. She's a rom-com movie lover who always thought she would find her man before the rest of her friend group. Instead, she discovers that her friends have paired up and are moving forward while she is stuck. After a breakup that ends in the acquisition of a Hedgehog, Kat vows off her standard type of men and dreams of Mr. Right. Enter Mich- absolutely her type, so he must be Mr. Wrong. But he just might lead her to Mr. Right.

Mich is the third wheel in his family business. While he tries to fit in with the funeral parlor business, he just seems to have no solid purpose. After a meet ugly with Kat, maybe a new friendship might turn his life around. If the fact she thinks his straight-laced brother if Mr. Right doesn't kill him first.

Overall, this book is full of shenanigans from start to finish. Despite that, I found that the story and its characters were all fleshed out and authentic. I laughed, cried, and truly felt the inspiration from older rom-coms. I will say the drama was surprisingly low from what I expected. It ran on the slow burn side and wasn't super spicy, but the tension and the authentic friends-to-lovers dynamic was completely worth it. I will admit, this started as a 4-star review, but as I'm writing it and thinking back on it, I changed it to a 5-star. I just really enjoyed this book. My one complaint is that this is the first book that I read, and I could tell that the friends had fleshed out romances that I had missed. But that just means I need to go back and read the first two now...

Well this was just a cozy, fun read. Kat is lovely and, okay, maybe a little cliche in chasing love. Mick is sweet and sexy and has his own tender spots to work through. The cast of supporting characters round out a lovely group of people you just want to hang out with and get to know. By the time Kat and Mick finally figure out what they need, you just can’t help but want to pull them in for a group hug and not let them go until they just admit it, already! Lol.

I DNFed this book at 20% not for bad reason it was just because I was not liking the writing style. That is a me problem and I knew that if I kept reading it I was just going to hate it and it wasn't going to help anyone so I decided to stop reading it. This review is not to tell you to not pick up the book it is just to tell you that I didn't like the writing style.

I loved this fun rom-com.
I loved all of the characters, the Irish and polish culture representations.
The whole family dynamic was so cute and wholesome. Mick and Kat where so cute in their own ways, both of them kind of wanting the same things but each missing their cues and giving off mixed signals. I’m a fan of friends to lovers tropes. I loved the whole florist and funeral home dynamic it made for an interesting setting and interactions. The cute grandmas, and all the yummy food talk.
I loved this book a lot.

This book was adorable. It's a slow burn, friends to lovers masterpiece about Florist Kat and Funeral Home co-owner, Mick. After a hilarious meet cute, Kat and Mick become fast friends and boy do they have phenomenal chemistry. But things keep cropping up to keep them firmly in the friends zone: like a kiss that leads to a head injury, "comfort" orgasms interrupted by toppling papasan chairs, and Kat's ridiculous quest for "Mr. Right" that blinds her from the man right in front of her. Throw in some karaoke, realistic friendships and family dynamics, a foul mouthed cockatoo, an adorable hedgehog and so many funeral home jokes, and you have yourself a hilarious and swoony novel.

Such a sweet rom com read. First off, I loved the range of characters in the book. I was immediately drawn to Kat and Mick's chemistry which kept me hanging on through the entire book. I'm a person that loves the back and forth of character perspective, getting both sides of the story. This is my first read of Melonie Johnson's and there will definitely be more!

I couldn't connect to the writing or either of the main characters. The dynamic of Kat going for Mick's brother's Joe knowing that we're meant to root for Kat and Mick was challenging for me. I did enjoy some of the side characters, especially Mary-Kate.

This was an enjoyable romance with enough of a plot to keep things rolling for quite some time as the main characters figured their relationship out and figured out their feelings for each other. I will admit that it started out slower than I would have liked and Mick and Kat didn't grow on me as characters right away. I think I was in the wrong mindset for romance - I have been these days - but I persevered because it was well written with some interesting characters thrown in. After the initial 30 or so pages, though I was glad I had kept reading. The last Melonie Johnson I read just didn't do anything for me, so I was expecting to be a bit disappointed, and in the end, this book was a pleasant break from what I was expecting of her writing. The characters are enjoyable. It's not just Mick and Kat at the centre - I mean they are but the other folks around them get good page time - and while there is some quirkiness it's not too much.

Having owned two hedgehogs myself, I did have a few moments where I was skeptical that Johnson had really done her research. They are adorable. They aren't always balls of puff. But they do startle easy even when you are holding them and when that happens they are like holding a ball of needles pointy side out. And they do have an irritant in their quills which is no fun. I had a hedgehog who was very social and calm to the point where she would sleep on my belly, but even then, she had her moments.

Ok. But I digress. The book was fun. JoJo entertained me because who doesn't love a book with a hedgehog as a pet?! And the romance built up over time and through genuine interactions of the main characters.

This was a wonderful read! Light, funny, really quite enjoyable.

Too Wrong to Be Right is a fun story that follows Kat, a hopeful flower shop owner, as she makes a list of qualities after a breakup of her perfect Mr. Right. On the same day as the break-up, she meets lovable Mick O'Sullivan, who helps run his family funeral business with his siblings, who does not meet any of the requirements of her newly created list. They form a fast friendship and had some really cute and silly moments throughout the whole story leading up to their HEA.

PROS: I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two MCs. I always enjoy a friends to lovers trope. Loved the detailing of Chicago and the culture there. It was a light easy read and the addition of the animals and their personalities was a cute add in.

CONS: The only downfall I saw, was I wished Mick would of shared his insecurities about his brother and their past. I think that would of helped Kat understand it wasn't about her.

Overall, if you are a fan of rom-coms, friends to lovers trope, you should definitely add this to your list. This was my first Melonie Johnson read and I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more from her. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy.

OMG - the hedgehog and the funeral home and I REALLY want a cockatoo now. What a quirky, and yet SO realistic read. I loved everything about it!

5/5 stars
Thanks to the publisher for the early review copy.

Right after yet another break up with another bad boyfriend, Kat ends up delivering flowers to a funeral home. There she meets Mick and slowly forms a friendship with him. But Mick doesn't match her idea of a good boyfriend, so instead she sets her sight on his brother Joe. Add in some obvious chemistry between Mick and Kat, a funny cockatoo, a break-up hedgehog, and some great side characters and you got this book.

I definitely recommend this book and I don't think I have anything to criticize

Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me.

I love a strangers to friends to lovers romance trope as much as the next girlie. But, the decisions made my our MC Kat in this, just didn't quite sit right with me.

As an aspiring flower shop owner, Kat is recovering from a bad breakup and trying to revamp her life. Swearing off guys and her 'type' she vows to find Mr. Right. When she meets Mick, there is instant chemistry, however, Mick just so happens to be her 'old' type.

So naturally, Kat decides not to date him and instead pursue his brother. That created a very strange dynamic for this book that never quite got me on board. The writing was fine and it was an easy romance read, but just nothing that I would ever read again.

Too Wrong to Be Right is set to be published on February 28, 2023. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so dang cute. I adored everything about the FMC and the MC. I loved the side characters. The chemistry was top notch. The banter was perfect. Also, as someone going into the mortuary science field I had an extra appreciation for their respective fields of work. This is the type of book that can easily become a comfort read. I will be recommending it to everyone.

I really enjoyed this book! I adored Mary-Kate, but all the characters were really fleshed out and had their own personalities and stories that just shone through. JoJo is hilarious and is the real MC.

This had the right concept but the execution wasn’t there for me. We see Kat in this constant search of finding her “Mr. Right.” When the right one was introduced early in the book and she chose to pursue his brother it threw me off. It became a tedious pursuit at that point, which did end up with them being together then breaking up *spoiler alert*. I saw that coming.

I really wish the author would’ve went another route with this one. The story was drawn out for no reason and if I condensed down with the same plot and comedic relief it would’ve got 4 stars at least from me.

Very cute, and love the background setting for a different twist on a meet-cute. The miscommunication trope at the end wasn’t my favorite but I enjoyed Mick and Kat’s banter and their friendship before a relationship.