This was delightful addition to the #WeNeedDiverseRomance movement! I hope we get a follow up with the other Strong Brothers.

I also liked that all the brothers knitted. And it showed a representation of men doing something "girly" that actually made them better versus detracted from their manliness.

The love story was fine, but I felt this was just as much a story about family and carrying on a legacy.

I read this one over the weekend (2/27 to 3/1) and am heartbroken that I didn't love it. I think it was a personal preference for me that made me not connect, but I found it had so little dialogue that it felt heavy and boring in a lot of places. The structure of the storytelling made me feel like I was being read at and not too and I just couldn't get that feeling to go away. I can see how it will appeal to others and I loved the diverse cast and the setting of a neighborhood in Harlem, but the rest is what I struggled with. Just another case of not every book is for everyone.

Real Men Knit started off very strong: gripping intrigue, nice chemistry between the characters, and fun and unique setting. However, the pacing became a real problem for me. So much time was spent discussing the living situation when Kerry moved in with Jesse. A little banter is fine, but it seemed to go on for pages. The actual romance didn't actualize until 75% into the story and by then it felt too late, and a little underwhelming. Overall, a strong setting and plot that ended up feeling very slow and boring at times.

I really think there are some great story ideas here but the book needs more editing. Mama Joy runs a knitting shop in Harlem. When she dies suddenly her community, her 4 adopted sons & her co-worker who is very much like a daughter to her are mourning her loss while trying to keep her shop open. There's romance, family dynamics, community support but the character development could use some work. I really hope there are some re-writes because I think there's potential there!

This is a love story. This might not sound shocking but the subject of the love for most of this book is a deceased woman. Mama Joy adopted four boys when they were almost lost in the cracks of society. Through her love, they were able to grow up to be well rounded adults. She owned a knitting shop where she spread the love through the neighbor, especially with Kerry who she employs to work in the store.

When the book opens Mama Joy is dead and has left a hole in everyone's hearts. In order to preserve her memory, Jesse decides to fight to keep the shop open with Kerry helping him. The romance is between Jesse and Kerry. The romance was fine but most of the heart went into Mama Joy and the shop. I wish Mama Joy was dead but then we wouldn't have a book.

Since there are three other single brothers, I'm sure that there will be more to this series. I'm looking forward to it.

This was a ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

This review is based on eARC of Real Men Knit.

Jesse grew up in Mama Joy's yarn shop in Harlem along with his three foster/adopted brothers. Kerry grew up there, too, but more as a latchkey kid. Now in their late 20's, Jesse and his brothers have just inherited the shop after Mama Joy's unexpected death, and Kerry is there to teach Jesse the ropes of the yarn business. When an accident makes Kerry's apartment building temporarily uninhabitable, Jesse asks her to stay with him in the residence above Strong Knits. With proximity comes sex, but Kerry refuses to let herself fall for Jesse and his player ways. Little does Kerry know, Jesse has long harbored a crush on Kerry. Can they get their act together and communicate so that they can have a Happily Ever After?

Real Men Knit has a good premise. I love when gender norms are inverted, and I was looking forward to seeing how it plays out in regards to Jesse, Kerry, and knitting. But while I was pleased with that aspect, the romance falls flat. I never find myself rooting for Jesse, Kerry, or their relationship. There's too much rumination from them. And with third-person limited omniscient narration with the switch from Kerry to Jesse happening abruptly, it was sometimes hard to discern whether it was Kerry or Jesse thinking. And if I can't tell the difference between two such drastic characters, there is something wrong with the narrative voice of the characters. It all felt too detached. Perhaps if the story were told with first-person narration, these problems would be fixed. Additionally, the pacing of the story is inconsistent. At times, a single day would be chapters long. At other times, it would suddenly be several weeks later-- in the same chapter.

Lastly, the numerous typos (it had a lot, even for an ARC) were distracting. There were also some syntax/grammar issues that made it feel like not enough attention was paid to it-- whether that attention was the author or the copy editor, I couldn't say. Hopefully, these are fixed by the time it is published in May.

A lot of these problems can be fixed with a good red pen, and I hope Jackson gets it from her editor. This book has promise, but only if a lot more attention is paid to it before it is published.

Oh boy this one isn't for me. It was marketed as a romance novel but I didn't appreciate the fact that the main male character did a one night stand after admitting to himself that he had an attraction for the female character. To top it off, nothing happened till 80% in and that's when they finally went for it! The brothers were also so confusing they're jerks. The main female character is also a wallflower but she's treated like crap because of it? Last time I checked that when you're not that "special" it's not emphasized by people targeting you.

I wanted to like this book, but it suffers from a bad case of Not Like Other Girls. I don't object to sexually experienced heroes in romance, but Jesse didn't seem to respect any of his former partners (he was making fun of Erika with Kerry the morning after sleeping with her!!! Like if you don't like the person you just spent the night with or value her feelings enough to not mock her TO HER FACE IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS, that's a bit of a red flag for future partners) and even when his brothers tell him not to mess it up with Kerry, there's this unspoken assumption that it's not okay to treat this specific woman badly because she is part of their family and therefore a person in their eyes, but it was okay that Jesse treated all his other partners badly because THOSE women aren't important. It really bothered me, and even when Jesse starts his apology tour to all his exes that he treated like garbage, it doesn't come across as personal growth or genuine repentance for how he affected THEM, only recognition of how his reputation is now affecting him, the shop, and Kerry. I did enjoy the bits about the neighborhood community, and definitely the knitting -- I wish there had been more of them!

This is a story of family, and loyalty, and finding a way to break free from the designated family roles. Jesse is the designated screw up and ladies man of the Strong brothers, but after his mother dies he struggles to break free of that role to change his life and save the family business. Kerry's role is good girl that is always there to lend a helping hand and the neighborhood has her life planned out, but she isn't sure that is the life she wants. Can Jesse and Kerry break free of everyone's expectations and create their own life's? Will the life include each other? And will the Strong brother's be able to save their mother's store?

Real Men Knit is a gentle romance about finding one’s feet and one’s purpose after loss. Jesse is one of the four adopted sons of Mama Joy, who owned a knitting shop in Harlem that was the centre of the local community. Kerry was a foster niece of sorts - her mother was around and doing her best, but she grew up in and around the shop and went to work there when she finished school and while she was studying. She now works part time in a community centre but helps out at the shop in her spare time, and so when Jesse decides he wants to try to keep the shop going, she naturally volunteers to help him. Add in an explosion and burst main at her apartment that leaves her with nowhere to live except, and you have the perfect set up for a forced proximity romance in which childhood friends can become something more.
There was a lot to love here. I’m a sucker for romances where we see groups of brothers or sisters interacting in the background - the mix of affection and competitiveness/jostling to be in charge is always fun. And the combination of flirtiness and protectiveness from Jesse’s brothers towards Kerry is adorable (as is the way they are clearly doing this to wind him up, and he is the only one, including Kerry, who doesn’t see it). I also adored all the Hot Manly Men Doing Knitting bits, and their support and affirmation of a young boy from Kerry’s youth centre who enjoys knitting and is getting bullied about it.
Kerry herself is lovely, too - a warm, generous woman who wants to be to others what Mama Joy was to her, but who nonetheless draws the line at being a mother (or indeed, sister) figure to the Strong family.
The romance was quite sweet, and the attraction between Jesse and Kerry was well-written. My only complaint was that they both had a tendency to assume the other couldn’t possibly really love them, and reacting accordingly - a sensible conversation could have solved this, though I realise they were both coming from a place of self-protective insecurity.
All in all, a charming, sweet book, and I’ll keep an eye out for the rest of the series.

I really wanted to like this book but was very disappointed. The premise is great, and I liked the main characters. At the same time, I felt like minor characters and some subplots added nothing and I'm not sure why they were even included.

Not so horrible that I absolutely couldn't finish it, but not nearly good enough to keep me reading when other holds and ARCs are coming in.

The narration and especially the dialogue feel clunky and unnatural.

The main characters are interesting, but fully a quarter of the way into the book it's still all set-up and reminiscing and backstory. Nothing is happening.

Recommended primarily for mid- to large public libraries where other African American romance authors circulate very well.

Knitting and romance novels are two of my very favorite things and this book combines the two so well. I am new-ish to contemporary romances, and confess that I need to be a bit more diverse in my romance reading, so this book was a wonderful foray into both.

The characters were well written and jumped right off the pages. While you get dropped right into the mix of the Strong brothers, you feel like you know this group right away (and they quickly steal your heart!). Our heroine Kerry is as delightful as she is determined and headstrong. You can't help cheering for these two to get their happily ever after.

The Harlem setting, the diverse characters and the ever-present knitting made this a truly engaging read. I definitely read it in basically one sitting because it was too good to put down. I really hope this becomes a series. I want to read more from this author and would love to find out what happens to the love lives of the other Strong brothers.

A funny, unexpectedly emotional romance, whose hero and heroine have both chemistry and issues galore. A delightful supporting cast, plenty of family drama, and just enough knitting talk. Strong Knits is in excellent hands, as are the Strong Brothers themselves.

Oh crap, I think I sent this off without filling in the review part. My bad. I clicked.

I did not finish this book, but the topic appealed to me. I love knitting, I love romance novels. I usually go for flaky easy-reads because I have a toddler and no time to really dig into literature at this time. This book was really well written, the emotion was real and heart-wrenching (I just lost my Grams, so I'm a little sentimental right now) but I couldn't connect with the characters very well and couldn't empathize or really dig in and stay in. That, please believe me, is definitely an "it's not you, it's me" scenario that's true in this case. My apologies!!

I love an author who can write a book that can cover bigger issues while also making it light-hearted instead of heartbreaking. This book was a treat - I really enjoyed following Kerry and Jesse. I just enjoyed Jesse to be honest. Penny Reid had a knitting series that I ADORED so when I heard about this book, I had to swipe it up as fast as I could. I was not disappointed in the slightest.

I loved this book! It was very cute and fun to read about the knitting groups and how this shop helped its community. This is a book about personal growth and how to go on with life after the death of a loved one. The romance reflected the theme of growth as Jesse and Kerry learn more about themselves and what they want to do with their lives.

A fun contemporary that made me want to pick up my own yarn and needles. Her descriptions of Harlem transported me there and the cast of characters, especially the Old Knitting Gang, were fantastic. I can’t wait for the next books and the brothers’ stories.

I love the premise of this book, I love the Strong brothers, and I especially love Kerry! Jesse and Kerry are perfect for each other, and their romance gave me all the feels! This story has it all...love, romance, friendship, family, community, and some sexy times! I’m already obsessed with a couple of other characters I think need to be together in a future book!

Kerry Fuller has offered to help Jesse Strong and his brothers keep Strong Knits open after Mama Joy's death. Jesse has a reputation as a love-em and leave-em sort of guy. Kerry has had a crush on him forever. When her apartment is ruined by an explosion, Jesse offers her a room at his house. Sparks fly as they ready the store for a grand reopening. The interaction between the brothers with opposite personalities is an added plus to this story.