Kwana Jackson

When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop, while dealing with life and love in Harlem. Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts in Harlem. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store: Jesse wants to keep the store open; his brothers want to shut it down. Jesse makes an impassioned plea to Kerry Fuller, his childhood friend who has had a crush on him her entire life, to help him figure out how to run the business. Kerry agrees to help him reinvent the store and show him the knitty-gritty of the business, but the more time they spend together, the more the chemistry builds. Kerry, knowing Jesse's history, doesn't believe this relationship will exist longer than one can knit one, purl one. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her--after all, real men knit.

Real Men Knit

Closed door romance with open door foreplay. Weird way to write it. I loved so much about it all, but the ending felt rushed. 

Amanda

It did what it set out to do. Fun and funny romp with great characters and a colourful setting. The details made everything feel authentic. Loved it.

Isabela H 

Mmmmmmmmmm it was cute? 
Honestly, I think I would have loved it if it was a movie, but as a book, it was only ok. Don't get me wrong, the concept was adorable and the two main characters were great but things were a little too cringy romcom for me to really enjoy it.

Lauren Sullivan

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[death of mother (off-page, before book starts), grief, alcohol, slut-shaming, boy is teased for knitting (hide spoiler)]

I’ve read books by this author before and enjoyed them and this blurb sounded right up my alley. Four hot adopted brothers? A knitting shop in Harlem? Yes, please! Unfortunately, while those parts lived up to my expectations, some of the book didn’t.

Jesse is the youngest of four brothers – most of them not biologically related – adopted by Mama Joy. Kerry’s been a fixture of Mama Joy’s knitting shop for years, so while Jesse and Kerry were never really friends, they’ve known each other forever. After Mama Joy’s death, Kerry expects that the brothers will close down the shop. No one expects Jesse to step up and insist on running the store, perhaps not even Jesse himself – and certainly no one expects Kerry to volunteer to show him the ropes. Kerry’s always had a thing for Jesse, but even she realizes that getting involved with the neighborhood playboy is a bad idea.

There was a lot I liked about the book, though I think at times it read more like women’s fiction than romance. I liked the realistic relationships between the brothers. They’re each dealing with Mama Joy’s death in their own ways, and they each interact with each other and Kerry as individuals. I loved the relationship between Kerry and her best friend Val, and I liked Kerry’s love for both her job at the community center and her work at the knitting shop. I’m a sucker for sweet caregivers, and that’s definitely Kerry to a T.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a lot of pages are spent establishing Jesse as an aimless playboy and I never felt like he had the time to overcome that stereotype. Even with the knitting shop, besides a Pinterest board and some painting, it felt like most of the work was done by Kerry (with her social media skills). While I love a good slow burn romance, the relationship between Jesse and Kerry seemed to get to the “I want them but this is a bad idea” stage and then stalled. Jesse couldn’t seem to decide whether he wanted to treat Kerry as a bratty little sister, someone he was romantically interested in, or his maid. He started making some progress towards the end of the book, but then the book ended abruptly right after the big gesture.

What I disliked the most though was that there’s a definite “not like other girls” thread going through the story. It’s especially noticeable in regards to Jesse’s latest flame, Erika, who’s pilloried for everything from drinking too much to being too forward to having nail art that’s not conducive to knitting. On a personal pet peeve level, there’s a couple of mentions of Kerry’s vibrator (she specifically packs it when she moves in to Mama Joy’s place, and it’s even mentioned what drawer she hides it in). Look, it’s like Chekhov’s gun – if you’re going to mention it that many times, I expect to see it in action at some point!

Overall, while there were high points, the hero (and by extension the romance) just didn’t work for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Liz Whitehead

** spoiler alert **
           I thought this book was okay but lacking a sense of urgency. The boys were going to lose their home and their adopted mom’s shop and they needed to come up with a ton of money but whatever I guess? It was mentioned but it didn’t feel important at all. I think if there had been a more definite showing of time passing and emphasis on the store opening and all that I would have care more and felt more nervous.

To me Kerry and Jesse lacked chemistry. If I hadn’t read in the blurb that Kerry has a crush on Jesse I wouldn’t have known it by reading it. Everything just felt very inconsequential and a little shallow.

Amanda J 

Enjoyable read. Centered more on a story than romance, per se. I would categorize it as a "slice of life" fiction; there is no major climax or drama point. Jackson does a good job of building the world, I want to read more books about the community she has created. 
I'm usually all for less drama and enjoy easy fiction like this, especially with a side of knitting. But the book fell (and thus lost a star) into the trappings of miscommunication. Both Kerry and Jesse were intelligent, well-rounded characters, it almost seemed out of character for them not to communicate about their relationship.

Alexis 

This was an average read for me, it was quick and easy. While I liked that there was the story of the yarn store and trying to save it, I would've much rather the story focus not the romance. The romance was alright but I wanted more, it just fell a little flat for me. I wanted more chemistry of the characters. Again overall its just an okay read.

Heather Harrington

*3.5

Strong Knits has been a Harlem staple for as long as anyone can remember. When the owner and beloved, Mama Joy, unexpectedly passes away, the shop falls to her four adopted sons. While three of the sons are ready to sell, the youngest and not-so-responsible, Jesse, has other plans. He wants to keep it open in Mama Joy's honor. With money being so tight and bank loans coming due, Jesse knows he needs a miracle to pull this off. In comes Kerry Fuller, part-time employee and long-time friend. Kerry volunteers her services to help Jesse and the pair dive headlong into reinventing Strong Knits for a newer generation. The more time the pair spends together, the more they can't deny the feelings bubbling up for one another. With Jesse being a notorious player, Kerry knows whatever they have could never last, but Jesse's determined to show her he's turned over a new stitch and can be the man she needs.

I went in not knowing too much about the premise of the story, and ended up liking it more than I thought I would. I wouldn't necessarily consider this much of a romance, because that did seem to be more of a secondary feature, but more a story of family and persevering through hard times. That being said, I did enjoy Kerry and Jesse's relationship. It felt very real and natural. The family aspect is what really sold me on this though. Jesse and his four adopted brothers are all completely different, but band together in the love they have for one another and especially Mama Joy. I will say, it did take me about 50 pages before I was really invested in the story, but after that I flew through this. If you're in the mood for a nice contemporary, check this out.

Alyssa Jacunski

My first time trying Kwana Jackson's work was an absolute success! I had gone into this book seeing some mixed reviews on this, so was a little unsure going in, but ultimately, this was exactly what I wanted.

We follow Kerry Fuller and Jesse Strong who are both grieving in the wake of the death of Mama Joy, Jesse and his brothers adoptive mother. While all are hit hard, Jesse decides that the best way to carry on Mama Joy's legacy is to keep her knitting shop open. Circumstances have Kerry living in the house with Jesse and also continuing to work at the knitting shop to show him the ropes. Romance ensues from here.

I understand what people are saying with who Kerry ends up with. However, I did feel like Jesse did grow as a character throughout the story. I also don't think that Kerry settled or went with the wrong brother. Her being with any of the other three wouldn't have felt right based on the context of the story and all of the other dynamics. I sincerely hope we get stories about each of the brothers finding love!

Trigger warnings: loss of a parent / parental figure.

Manon van Heumen

This book didn't live up to its expectations. I expected a cute romance, maybe even some rolling around in the yarn, but all I got was a mainstream romance, with mainstream characters. Entertaining, but nothing special.

Jessica 

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  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the author or publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.


There are some books out there that you dive into and are hyper-aware of the story, of the way your heart is beating, of the sounds happening outside your door. Suddenly, you're halfway done with the novel and all in your feelings. You're so, so, so aware of every little detail both on page and off. That is what my experience with Real Men Knit was like.

I could feel my heart beating in tune with Kwana Jackson's prose.

And suddenly, the story was complete.

And suddenly, I didn't know what to do with myself.

Real Men Knit was as electric as its cover lead me to believe. I think that this type of electricity is not something that will be for everyone, but it was a definite yes for me. Jackson writes in a way that is stubbornly real, hypnotic, and beautifully done. There's a pulse of life to it that feels so hopeful and honest, and readers will find themselves unable to deny this.

From loss, to family, to love, Jackson doesn't skimp out on the real life elements sprinkled into this narration. And the way she ties everything together by the end is so very satisfying. Real Men Knit has the exact type of characters, and relationships, I love to see in fiction and honestly? I couldn't get enough.

Real Men Knit has this quality to it that ties into the slow-burn of its eventual romance. There was a little more emotion than I expected there to be, despite the knowledge--based on the synopsis--that there would be emotions. And for me, there's a build that is gradual and hearty and so rich, and I can't praise that enough.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable read. Real Men Knit has a great heart to it--and proved to be a thoroughly engaging, and emotional, story. It is absolutely another standout this year and a total must-read.

Irin 

#booksbyblackauthors 
“Like your favorite security blanket, brother. Like you said, it’s the four of us now.”
Thanks to @prhinternational for the gifted review copy. Black authors need our support more than ever now, so make sure you buy and read their books as much as you can from now onwards. Make sure you do that even without a movement going on.
I read Real Men Knit last month and really liked it! It's a heart-warming story about four brothers who come together to save their adoptive mother's Knitting Shop after her unexpected death. I love stories which revolve around family members, which is why I was really excited to pick this book up. 

• What I loved : The characters of Real Men Knit were really interesting to read about. The dynamic that the four brothers shared along with their witty banter added a comedic touch to the storyline, which I really loved. I could see their bond strengthening as the book progressed, and it was honestly the best thing about the book for me. The slow-burn romance between Jessie and Kerry was enjoyable as well.

• What I disliked : The book felt too slow-paced for me at times, specially in the beginning. I wish the book was a bit shorter. :/ I wanted to know more about Noah, Damian and Lucas (the other three brothers) since the POVs shift between Kerry and Jessie. I really want the author to write a sequel, so that I can get to know more about them! 
3.75/5 stars from me!

Real Men Knit

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