You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovski
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub date: 10/4

This turned out to be an adorable holiday romance! I wasn’t sure about it at first but it really grew on me and I ended up loving Matthew in all his messy, bratty glory.

Matthew Prince is a spoiled, rich, socialite who is banished to his grandparent’s house in Massachusetts for the Christmas holiday after making a bad financial decision. When he arrives he finds out that not only does he have to sleep in his grandparent’s basement, but he’s sharing a room with a young college student, Hector, that’s also staying with them for the holidays.

Matthew’s a jerk at first but he’s quirky and funny and started to grow on me pretty much right away. His first meeting with Hector was pretty awkward but they quickly form a sweet friendship that turns into more when they volunteer to throw the town’s holiday charity event.

There is great mental health rep in the story (Matthew suffers from general anxiety disorder), and a lovely found family aspect that was endearing. I loved watching Matthew realize how capable he was on his own and finding the confidence to pursue his dreams. His transformation and newfound belief in himself was my favorite part of this heartwarming holiday tale.

Read if you love small town holiday vibes, David Rose from Schitt’s Creek, incredible LGBTQ+ representation, scenes that are both sweet and steamy and Christmas parties! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted arc. You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince is available today!

Perfect for fans of Schitt's Creek, Timothy Janovsky delivers a humorous christmas romcom that will leave you wanting to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. (Like seriously, I've never seen it but I REEEEEALLY WANT TO NOW). We follow Matthew Prince, a grinchy rich boy who's exiled to a small town after buying an island on a whim. A literal ISLAND! That's where I knew that this book wasn't going to take itself too seriously and I was in. His foil, Hector, is a gorgeous bisexual man who values hard work and literature - my heart. And throughout we get to see Matthew cope with his Generalized Anxiety Disorder. As a fellow GAD diagnosee, I felt like the ways in which he disassociated and lashed out were accurate to my own experience.

As they say, this town is full of unicorns and I loved every second of it. A queer romcom in which their queerness is never questioned nor are they hated on for it? Yes please. Get ready to plan your own Book Launch Bonanza because YaMOMP is coming out today and it will get you in the party planning mood.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

YOU'RE A MEAN ONE MATTHEW PRINCE by Timothy Janovsky is a classic Christmas romcom worthy of a Hallmark movie. The breezy, comedic prose keeps the story light, but Janovsky doesn't shy away from the poignant moments that come right on cue. The world could always use more queer romcoms, and I'm happy I got to read this one! Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca!

This storyline did not go at all the way I expected - even from the blurb! It was charming and sweet. A New Adult LGBTQ+ sort of Gossip Girl type guy (spoiled rich kid who is followed by the paps and all over social media, too rich for his own good, ignored by the parents, into all sorts of things when it comes to relationships), full of anxiety, meets down-to-earth small-town guy who just wants to get through school, make ends meet and be able to afford to go home and spend Christmas with his family.

Opposites attract in this forced proximity story, with Matthew Prince making a huge error in judgement when his throuple relationship goes south and he literally buys an island in retaliation (gotta read the book to understand that whole situation), and when his parents can't take any more of his antics, send him to his mother's home town to spend the holidays and be in complete isolation, cut off his funds and ban him from social media to learn a lesson. He gets to his Grandparent's house to discover they are boarding a guy who is attending the local college, and they are going to be roommates. The worst part? He's attractive, and bi... and even worse, he's really nice.

When the local charity gala that is going to help fund his grandparent's bookshop loses the organizer, Matthew steps in to help plan - he's nothing if not a great planner of all his lavish parties in NYC! - and believe it or not, Hector also agrees to help. Just what grumpy Matthew doesn't want or need. Now they're living together and working together, and he can't get away from the guy.

Matthew is a bit of a Scrooge (his fave Christmas movie), and a Grinch, especially with how the year has turned out, so why would Hector ever enjoy spending time together - unless Matthew sees the errors in his ways.

Very sweet, lovable characters, but definitely felt like the New Adult title it was (it was very young and characters acted extremely immature at times). I would recommend it for anyone looking for a sweet LGBTQ holiday romance, a quick and easy read, and one that is not a huge amount of angst (and low on the steam meter - not completely closed door).

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and this is my honest feedback.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the classic Hallmark Christmas movie feel, but it also had a lot of depth. It explored questions of class, family, and mental health.

I particularly liked the representation of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and that Matthew used coping mechanisms and went to therapy to manage his mental illness. It was all handled very thoughtfully and I think provided a strong glimpse into what living with GAD is like.

The bi representation was also excellent, which is always lovely to see in a queer romance. Hector is honestly such an amazing all-around character. I love how strong, smart, supportive, and sweet he is, and how Matthew and Hector bring out the best in each other.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of romcoms and Hallmark movies, or anyone looking for a strong character-driven story. The warmth of this sweet and spicy book will keep you cozy on the coldest winter nights.

My all time favorite christmas movie- The Grinch. What if you mix The Grinch and Schitts Creek? you get Matthew Prince. This book was everything i could ever hope for. The miscommunication trope actually didn’t make me want to rip my eyeballs out-crazy! A super cute, holiday romance. 10/10

What happens when The Grinch and Schidt’s Creek meet? They have Matthew Prince, who you will hate, love and end up cheering for in Timothy Janosky’s You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince.

Not only is this one of the best holiday books I’ve read this year, but this may be one of my favourite books of 2022. It’s so so so good. You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince blends themes from The Grinch and A Christmas Carol together in a lovely coming of age romance.

What happens when a rich spoiled 21 year old is banished from NYC with his bank accounts frozen and sent to live with his grandparents for a few weeks? Well, for Matthew Prince, he ends up having to share a room and a bathroom with a hunky hard working college student who doesn't like him. Hijinks, of course, ensue. Matthew is one of the most insufferable main characters I’ve read in a while. Timothy has created a masterpiece with Matthew, because I guarantee you that you will suddenly be cheering for him by mid-point in the story. Matthew’s character arc is flawless. My heart really went out for him - we see the story completely from his perspective and I think Timothy really nails that youthful, selfish stage many of us go through that is then amplified by the unlimited money and attention that Matthew receives because of his parent’s fame. All Matthew wants, however, is to be recognized for his own skills, to have love and security, and to be around people who like him for more than his name. In the small town of Wind River (which his mother left as soon as she could to follow her dreams and become a bestselling author), living with his mom’s parents who definitely are not in his tax bracket, Matthew is forced into helping plan the annual Christmas gala that unites the town. Hector, the college student who’s renting out a room that Matthew ends up having to share with him, is voluntold by Matthew’s Grandma and Gramps to help out. Their relationship develops from instant enemies, to be grudging friends to lovers as they learn about each other. Watching Matthew drop his attitude and privilege and open up about his hopes, dreams and anxiety is a lovely part of the story.

This is one of the few books where the miscommunication trope really works. I can’t give away too many details without spoiling the book, but let me tell you that when it happens I instantly went “yes, this works! Of COURSE they can’t talk this out.” Timothy nails it and the climax is one of my favourite parts of the story.

Throughout his banishment, Matthew meets people in the small town who guide him through his personal growth. These are not, however, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, but rather funny and snarky secondary characters who at first love to hate the poor little rich boy. Noelle is easily one of the funniest and grounded friends that I’d love to have in my court when the going gets tough. As Matthew works to bring the Christmas gala to life, he ends up bringing so many people of the town together and connecting them through his own trials and challenges. Two characters that are more tertiary on page are Matthew’s parents who are developed beyond the selfish people they seem to be at the beginning of the story. Their mistakes and wrongdoings are a reminder that even our parents don’t always get it right.

I loved visiting Wind River and bouncing between the small charming college town and Manhattan. The juxtaposition of the two cities is a bit jarring as it’s intended too. This book, however, lets you experience a small town Christmas and the festive season in the Big Apple as well. Readers will volley between christmas cookie baking and tree trimming in Wind River, and five star dining and christmas spectaculars in New York City. I don’t know about you, but I’ll always pick the small town and my family for christmas.

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince is the perfect christmas read for lovers of classic christmas stories and young love.

This book is the equivalent of macaroni and cheese. It’s warm, indulgent, and gooey in all the best ways. I hesitated when I realized the MC’s POV was a massively rich party boy. I was won over in the first few pages. He was charming even when he was annoying. Before I had even noticed, I was 35% in and had to force myself to stop reading to sleep. The chemistry between the leads was done so well. The author had such a deft hand with the relationship building, that I really felt invested in the story. Going from enemies to friends to lovers can be a tricky line to walk, but it was done exceptionally well here. The Christmas setting adds a warm, inviting vibe to the story that fits the overall feel of the story. Honestly, this book was exactly what I needed. A perfectly executed Rom Com overflowing with charm. This author will jump to my insta-buy list after this book. I have already bought his other book, Never Been Kissed. Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for the ARC.

I didn’t know I needed a grinchy, Schitt’s Creek inspired holiday romcom. But I did, and you need it too. This story is one that combines tropes we love with a slight twist (only-one-bunk-bed), with meaningful, powerful mental health rep. wrapped into a cozy holiday romance. Be sure to add this one to your wintery TBR!

This book was a strong three stars, but I definitely liked it more than the author's first book. This one remedied the lackluster feeling I got from the first one.
First up, our characters! Wow, Matthew really was a rich guy! You could've told me he had $10 to his name and I would call you a liar and hate you and him both. There was a lot of character development, but it sometimes still felt like he was buying loyalty and cosplaying a lower class person. The issue was just that I hate books like this about rich people because there are no stakes for them. It's not like there was a huge cost for Matthew, he was just having fun and other people were losing their businesses. I appreciated the development he went through, but it was grating on me a lot.
With the relationships, I had mixed feelings. I liked Noelle and Matthew as friends more than Hector and Matthew together because I felt like Hector and Matthew didn't have a lot of chemistry and buildup, but I didn't hate their relationship at all. This was definitely a way in which I liked this book more than Janovsky's other romance book. It wasn't the most well-developed romance of all time, but I enjoyed it.
Plot was obviously predictable as this was a Christmas romcom about a reformed rich guy, but it wasn't bad. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was good.
Overall, this isn't a book I'd immediately recommend, but it's not one I'd slander at all. This book is great for fans of cheesy romcoms and positive development.

This book was another one that was easy to fall in love with! Timothy Janovsky knows how to write queer romances that you just fall in love with! Everything was so beautifully written that you can't help but be sucked into this world and wish it were Christmas! I had such a goofy happy smile on my face while reading this, but also really felt for the characters, and I loved the balance. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

You're A Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky is exactly what it says on the tin. It's a holiday rom-com in the style of Hallmark, Lifetime, and (the author's admitted inspiration) ABC Family holiday movies. It's a Christmas cookie of a book, and there are enjoyable elements if you go in with the right expectations.

After a bad break-up and a rash financial decision, Matthew Prince's high-powered parents decide to put him on a media blackout and ship him off to his grandparents in a small town that's essentially a snowglobe come to life. He meets Hector, a student who's also staying with Matthew's grandparents and seemingly dislikes Matthew the moment they set eyes on each other. In an attempt to impress his parents and convince them to free him from his exile, he agrees to plan the town's charity Christmas party, and enlists Hector's help. The plot unfolds precisely how you imagine, and Matthew learns the expected life lessons from Hector and the spirit of the small town.

I love Christmas, and Christmas movies, and the cheesiest holiday stuff you can imagine, so this book felt right up my alley. And on paper, I can't really find anything to fault about it. It goes into Matthew's experience with generalized anxiety, and how he copes with, and I thought that was interesting and handled with care. Hector was sweet and patient and a nice love interest, even if his immediate dislike of Matthew seemed pretty thin and dissipated a little too quickly. The LGBTQ+ friendly town of Wind River with its charming residents was a nice backdrop for the story. All this was expected, but unfortunately it mostly fell flat. The characters had the potential for real depth but didn't manage to get there. The trajectory of Matthew and Hector's relationship was just choppy enough to feel off. The resolution of things followed exactly the script it was meant to — which is absolutely a good thing — but it didn't hit the satisfying notes I wanted it to. It was exactly what I expected it to be, and yet it just missed the mark.

There are no glaring problems or missteps with the book, and I think if you go in expecting the surface-level enjoyment of a Hallmark movie, there are definitely sweet moments to enjoy. I wanted to like it so much, and it was almost there, but ultimately it just wasn't it for me.

An entitled rich boy gets sent to stay with his grandparents in small town New York after a PR disaster threatens his parents' reputation in this holiday romance featuring a character rediscovering his love for the holidays. Matthew isn't looking forward to a holiday without parties or friends or NYC, but when he realizes he isn't even going to get a room to himself, he's certain this Christmas is going to be a disaster. He's been cut off and his new roommate, Hector, is judgmental and rude. But Matthew isn't exactly brining a jolly holiday spirit, either, and as he begins to reconnect with his grandparents and open up to Hector, he begins to remember all the things he used to love about the holidays. As he spends time with family and new friends and helps put on the small town's holiday fundraiser, he realizes just how unfulfilled a life he's been living. It's exactly the sort of Scrooge rediscovers the joy of Christmas story you'd hope for with a title like this. And I really loved the GAD rep and the m/m romance with a bi love interest. Plus Matthew's grandparents! I would do anything for Matthew's grandparents.

This book feels like the cute Christmas movie we have all been missing. The author has a talent for describing settings in a way that transports the reader to the page. The storytelling makes you feel every attack, every heartbreak, and every joy these characters experience. Prepare yourself to fall for these characters because each one is loveable in their personal way. I left this book wanting more of these characters and their stories. It is the perfect winter tale of Scrooge-like transformation and is bound to be a favourite for anyone who is looking to spend their holidays surrounded by stories full of tradition & LGBTQ representation. Now, to impatiently await the day it is made into the movie it deserves.

This book is really cute. I didn’t expect less, since I read the first one “Never Been Kissed” and I really love it. I enjoy this too. The characters are very real and very fragile but also so strong! The interactions between the two are ADORABLE and the rom com is absolutely perfect! However I expect a little more from Matthew growth.
Another thing I love about this book is the rep. Not only the lgbt+ rep, but also the anxiety rep. The themes of this book are really tough but also well written.
Also I really love the Christmas set, I’m a sucker for Hallmark stories!!!!
I will certainly read the next books of Timothy Janovsky!

This physically pains me but I did not love it and I wholeheartedly expected to. An entitled dude gets shuttled off to his salt of the earth grandparent's house after a series of mistakes and falls for a local man who is nice to his grandparents? Did I mention when we meet Hector he's chopping wood in a flannel? Catnip.

Unfortunately, the story had oodles of opportunity for character development for Matthew but at the end I'm afraid I still found him as unlikeable as I did at the beginning. I love when people are extra because I'm an introvert and like to see them go have a great time and live vicariously. But his extraness felt false and made the whole book feel like a shade of secondhand embarrassment because he would do embarrassing things and be privately horrified but publicly thrilled.

This had all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas special (plus a little rated R action) and I was checking them off as I went: quirky coffee shop owner, Christmas tree farm, finding the missing Christmas vibes from his life, big winter gala. I just found everyone in Matthew's NY life to be intolerable (except for Oksana and Maxim).

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

An incredibly enjoyable and hilarious romance. The enemies to lovers dynamic between Matthew and Hector was enticing and adorable. I loved Matthew's character arc from spoiled and bratty to compassionate and loving. I thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas vibes as well. Can't wait to read more from Timothy Janovsky!

About the Writing Style…

Timothy Janovsky has a very easy to read and digest writing style, with the book being descriptive enough to help visualise everything but not so much that it starts getting boring and the festive atmosphere was very very captured in the story, I enjoyed that a lot

The Plot…

The plot in itself is nothing new, with a spoiled rich boy being sent to a small town as punishment but he finds love and is humbled over a period of time, so yeah it is a old plot but the author was able to capture it very well and once I got past the beginning (around 15%) it was really fun to read.

Things really kick off when Matthew decides to organise the gala event, we see him not only come into his talent but also see how the community aspect of a small town community starts rubbing off on him and though he is kind of an insufferable brat at the start of the book he really has good character development

The romance is really adorable as well, Hector and Matthew feel an instant dislike towards each other at the start of the book but the way the book progressed that hatred to love was very done, accurately paced and really adorable.

There is also great Mental Health rep in this book with out man character Matthew suffering from a General Anxiety Disorder, and through the course of the book we see him deal with it, address it and talk about it and though it is not a lot, I did like the way the author normalised discussion of mental health amongst peers.

Moving on the characters…

Matthew, he is a complicated character and most of his personality is a consequence of his upbringing, being extremely neglected by his parents and growing up in pretty toxic upper class society, he is very much the obnoxious rich boy that we see in a lot of movies but his character growth is marvellous, through the course of the book he starts seeing the faults in himself and works on bettering himself as a person and I loved the way his story ended

Hector, he is charming guy from the start though his first interaction with our main character is not ideal and that stems from Hector’s prejudice against Matthew but it is addressed well and once he destroys the preconceived ideas he has, his and Matthew’s friendship and eventual romance thrives!

Overall this is a nice book, with great mental health rep, a very cute romance and great character development, it is quick to read and perfect for the holiday season

I would recommend this book to anyone longing for Christmas and/or looking for a cute queer romance to read

Content Warnings for You are a mean one Matthew Prince:
Parental Neglect, Gaslighting, Anxiety and Panic Attacks

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince just didn’t really work for me. First, let me just say that I’m not a big romcom/romance reader. I do enjoy romcoms sometimes, but I find that the ones that I like are self-aware and play with the tropes in the genre. This book was all formula.

Matthew Prince is a spoiled rich young adult who does something to potentially embarrass his famous parents, so they whisk him off to stay with his grandparents for a few weeks in a small town in Massachusetts to keep a lid on the story. His roommate at his grandparents’ cabin happens be ruggedly handsome, hardworking, and with a heart of gold, and well, you can fill in the blanks from there.

What I did enjoy about this book: mental health visibility, lots of diversity, and some of the side characters (namely, Noelle and Matthew’s grandparents). What I enjoyed less about this book: I never bought the premise, it was very predictable, the characters felt very flat, and it was so slow in the middle.

Regular romcom readers looking for a wintery setting will like this one. Grinchy readers like me who like less formulaic reads should steer clear.

2.5 stars

Thank you so much to Timothy Janovsky, Sourcebook and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book!

"Listen, if I'm going to sit on a man's lap, it's not going to be to tell him what I want for Christmas, okay?"

This was one of my anticipation holiday releases this year and it delivered. The title alone is so catchy and I can't help but say it in the tune of the Grinch. The cover also stands out with its bright green and similar standard Grinch design.

Matthew Prince is a self absorbed, entitled, ego driven twenty some year old who has been giving everything to him. When he impulsively bought an island with his parent's money, that was when enough was enough and they shipped him off to his grandparents house while they try to clean up the mess. Being used to the hustle and bustle of the fast life of New York City, he is now being forced to slow his pace down in the Berkshires. There he is met with Hector Martinez who is a local college student staying with his grandparents. Which is all good except Matthew will be sharing a room and gasp a bathroom with Hector. Being an only child, Matthew is not used to having a roommate or sharing anything. Matthew and Hector navigate how to live with one another and then they decide to take on working together for the annual gala.

Can they put their differences aside to make the gala a success?
Will news of his island purchase get out?
Does the forced proximity push Matthew & Hector together?

"Who knew a little snow could turn a Scrooge into a romantic?"

Matthew was meant to be an unlikeable character and compared to other characters I have read with similar characteristics, I was not turned off by his actions. I was looking forward to see how far he would go and what buttons he pushed just because it makes the redemption so much sweeter.

Hector was not perfect at the start of this book either. He did not let Matthew walk over him and gave him push back which was something Matthew was not used to. He challenged Matthew and I loved that.

The side characters were also enjoyable! I love Matthew's relationship with Noelle and I am glad he realized how superficial his prior relationships were. Even his relationship with his parents was interesting to see in the 2nd half of the book. I would have love to seen more with his father has more of the focus was on his mother. I also wish the mother would've apologized to a certain character and perhaps they did off the pages (fantasy in my head).

Timothy's creative way to describe what Matthew does to help calm himself down was brilliant. I love that Matthew comes up with these event planning ideas in his mind which then led to him figuring out what he was meant to do. I also love the different representation Timothy has in his books. It is refreshing. Even to have his parent's divorce as an adult is something you don't see often in books. I also loved all the pop culture references throughout the book (hello Deuxmoi).

One flaw that I found which is more of a Stephanie issue is some of the chapters were a little long for me. I'm a sucker for short chapters.

"Everything's more festive in an ugly Christmas sweater."

Read this if you are a fan of:
- Forced Proximity
- Enemies to Lovers
- Redemption ARC
- Big Town to Small Town
- Taylor Swift references

Timothy will be an autobuy author (not that I wasn't expecting this after his debut novel Never Been Kissed).
I am looking forward to what he has up his sleeve in his future books.

PS: Timothy don't think I missed the reference to our share love of a certain British boybander. I most certainly didn't and loved it!