You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince
Ratings21
Average rating3.8
This is cute but for whatever reason I couldn't concentrate on it so I'm setting it to the side for now.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
I feel like this was almost... David Rose fan fic, although Matthew Prince was slightly less funny and likeable, and his family didn't lose everything.
There was a big spotlight on anxiety, which I found nice to see highlighted, however it felt almost like it was too much in the spotlight. It detracted from the story at moments.
Overall a nice holiday read.
A cute Christmas romcom. Definitely agree with their choice of best Christmas Carol movie, 100%.
Now that I am just starting my awakening into literary romances between boys lately, I surprised myself when it occurred to me that I'd never thought to look for a story set at Christmas time, as much as I love it. So I did a more or less exhaustive search and came across this book that sounded like just what I was looking for. And just as I was starting to run into some clichés and thinking that the book, while satisfying, wasn't going to offer me any more, I found myself surprised again. As for the way it is written, it is a pleasure to read, the dialogues flow, the characters almost draw themselves and the text has some parts worth memorizing and integrating into one's own experience.
It also doesn't feel like events are rushed towards the end, and it doesn't make you wait until the last ten pages to see the romance culminate (thank you). It offers you sweetness, warmth -lots of warmth- and a little, but important, room for reflection.
No doubt Timothy Janovsky has a new fan among his followers.
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.
Audiobook: the narrator was a great choice for this audiobook. They did a wonderful job bringing Matthew's character to life and telling this story.
Story: The main character, Matthew Prince, reminds me of David Rose. The rich, whiney spoiled kid who cares about labels and is now in humble settings. He even finds his Patrick. While the main character is whiney in the beginning, it wasn't annoying.
I loved everything about this book. The characters are lovable, the Christmas references and the story itself is cute. One thing I didn't like was Hector constantly saying “dude”. While this is addressed in the story, it is said more than needed. However, it wasn't enough for me to turn the book off.
This is a great book to add to your Holiday TBR!
This story has LGBTQIA+ representation and general anxiety disorder representation.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.