Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book is difficult to review. It was like it was allllmost where it needed to be, but it was a little boring overall, and some of the dialogue was so hard to read without feeling annoyed. How many times can a person say "Dude!"? Apparently many, many times!

I love rom-coms but I didn't feel much of a spark between Matthew and Hector, and Matthew was so irritating in the beginning that I don't think there was enough that led up to a believable redemption.

I think some people will like this but it was missing that snappy spark that I love most in rom-coms!

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is a scroogy, holiday rom-com that is absolutely wonderful! Matthew Prince is a 21 year old New Yorker, who's parents send him to spend the holidays with his grandparents after he caused another PR nightmare by buying an island without consulting them. Matthew has been cut off from social media and his spending ways and is in a small town that barely has internet! When the town gala may need to be cancel, Matthew and Hector (the boarder at his grandparents house) decide to plan it and help out the town. What you get is some holiday cheer, some romance and a whole lot of self discovery in this cute Christmas rom-com.

When we start the book, and for the first few chapters I found Matthew insufferable. He was so whiny, and intitled. Once we got to know him, see the masks he had up and him grow, he became someone that I could tolerate, and begin to root for. This is a humorous, and heart-felt book that focuses on figuring out how you fit in and where you belong.

The book has a great set of supporting characters from love interest Hector, new friends Noelle and Siena and Matthew's grandparents. They are all wonderful people with their own characteristics that make them unique and people you care about. Matthew's parents are also big characters in the book, even if they aren't around much, as they have impacted so much of Matthew's life and beliefs about himself and others.

The romance was cute, and Matthew's personal growth was pretty amazing. Adding to that the Christmas and winter backdrop, I found this a fun, quick read. One of my favourite parts in this book was the queer and mental health rep. They were both done so well and added to the story without feeling "forced". I loved the descriptions of anxiety by Matthew The author captured anxiety so well and in such a way that it was believable and you could almost feel it when Matthew was experiencing it.

Overall, this was a great winter read, that the author managed to write as a rom-com with heavier topics as well. This book has a surprising amount of depth and I look forward to picking up more of Timothy's books in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is like the queer, Christmas version of It Happened One Summer and these things did not save it.

I can handle shallow characterizations in a romance book because we all know that’s not why we’re picking them up, but the little good in this book did not save it from the bad.

This was a well written and pleasant Christmas rom com. I really enjoyed reading about Matthew and his anxiety, and I loved the angst from the romance. But oh my god Hector's dialogue. The first half I found him hard to read, like his voice wasn't consistent. Do 20 year-olds really say "dude" so much? By the end, I was just phoning it in when reading his dialogue and skipped the word dude so I didn't explode.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Is there anything Timothy Janovsky CAN NOT DO? His second book (“You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince”) is a magical rendition of a Scrooge-like main character, with an LGBTQ twist. This book screams “Hallmark” and I loved the slow fall between Matthew and Hector is delightful and perfect for the holiday season.

Loved the queer romance paired with Christmas. I also thought the title was one of the best I’ve seen! So much fun, loved every minute.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first because I found the main character so off-putting (which I know was the point!), but after a few chapters in, I really enjoyed his growth and how he embraced his community and himself. The romance was very sweet and the story was full of holiday magic!

This was such a cute story and I absolutely loved it. This would honestly be the perfect Hallmark movie! Usually I would find main characters like Matthew to be immature and kind of annoying, but I actually really liked him. Timothy Janovsky made him such a likable character, which made me want to keep reading. The writing was great and at times, I couldn't put the book down. The story was super cute and I loved the character development, especially from Matthew. His relationship with Hector was the cutest thing ever and made the book truly special. I can't wait to read more from Timothy Janovsky! I absolutely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful, heartfelt Hallmark romcom- Christmas theme centered on sweet-swoon-lighthearted queer romance story with powerful mental health representation and inspirational self growth messages!

Normally I barely stand with spoiled, immature and unlikable heroes but there’s something unique about Matthew Prince: you find yourself empathize with him, patiently watch how his character evolves!

Matthew seems like having all: money, popularity, reputation till he gets involved into a PR disaster ( he thought buying an island was a great idea) his family sends him small town to live with his grandparents, disconnecting him with outside world as a punishment!

Matthew has to share his room with Hector: the student of his grandfather!

Enemies to lovers vibes slowly turns into friends to lovers when two of them team up for a fundraising event!

I learned so much about GAD ( generalized anxiety disorder). I loved the chemistry between characters. Pacing was captivating and fast! I didn’t want it end!

Overall: it’s such a lovely, heartwarming holiday queer romance! I recommend it to all romance lovers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is a fun holiday romcom - that will 100% make this holiday season that much warmer for many - but it also deals with a few more serious topics that elevated it to the next level. Our protagonist, Matthew Prince, is a spoiled rich kid, tumbling from one scandale to the next, unsure of what he wants to do with his life, until one mistake too many makes his parents "banish" him to his grandparents and a sleepy town of Wind River in order to protect their family reputation.
And to make things worse? Matthew now has to share his BEDROOM with a Wind River student who is living with his grandparents to save up on lodging, Hector. Matthew and Hector's relationship starts on the wrong foot and despite the attraction simmering between them, any sort of friendship is out of the question. That is, until Matthew decides to help organize a holiday fundraiser and gets Hector to help him. As their event planning goes further and further, the two start to grow close and Matthew realizes that his "live fast, don't think" kind of lifestyle might be the cause of all his woes, from fraught family relationships to mental health struggles. And that maybe, just maybe living on the downlow will help him find both his purpose - and his home.

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is the type of story that is perfect for the holidays - filled with love and hope, while also showing that life is not always perfect, but that doesn't mean you are broken or can't be helped. As Matthew deals with his mental health struggles (specifically anxiety) and trying to find some sort of purpose in life, we dive deeper into his psyche and his "former" life - from everything that shaped him to his "downfall". I loved getting to know Matthew and uncover layers hidden under the "selfish rich boy" persona. I believe we got to glimpse the real Matthew very early on, mostly because of his mental health struggles that helped us comprehend how he understood and processed the world and I really loved that! Mental health representation - GOOD mental health representation - is still sometimes lacking in mainstream book publishing, but I am glad to see that You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince, is another book that portrays these struggles with sensitivity, understanding, and love. I am ALWAYS here for books with great mental health rep!

I also loved seeing Matthew and Hector grow closer - from their initial almost enemies status to grudging understanding and later love, it simply all made SENSE. Their relationship is far from perfect, but it contains so much love and it shows how much communication and owning up for your mistakes can mean for a relationship. These two are just instant OTP material.

So, don't forget to pick up this beauty when it comes out for some holiday cheer mixed with an amazing love story, great friendships, and wonderful representation of GAD. I can assure you, it'll make this holiday season that much sweeter for you!

So delightful! This book has been described as a mix between Schitt’s Creek and a Hallmark Christmas movie, and I’d have to agree. It was funny and heartwarming, Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC.

This book was extremely cute and felt very Hallmark Holiday-esque. I really enjoyed the exploration of GAD and how that may present differently in different people. I also enjoyed Matthew’s interactions with the townspeople especially Noelle. The importance of meaningful relations (platonic, familial and romantic) were stressed throughout the entirety of the book and I very much enjoyed it. I also loved Matthew and Hector’s dynamic and I truly believed in their romance.

The book fell a little short with the whole “spoiled rich boy learns how the other half lives”. Although being set in 2021/2, the MC seemed extremely dated and this plot line felt a bit tired. He was rude, babyish and downright idiotic at times which was not cute at all. I also didn’t enjoy the mother’s redemption arc because was she did was quite cruel, especially towards her own son.

All in all, it was a cute, light read that I would recommend to others.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Not long after requesting this I realized it was MM. It is something that is difficult for me to read about in novels and I apologize for that. Real world is different, but reading about it just doesn't bring joy to me. I tried to read this the best I could and keep an open mind but sadly it just wasn't for me. I liked the idea of where the story was going and what was happening but I just couldn't love it like I wanted to. Providing an honest review because it wasn't that it was bad, just wasn't a book for me.

This coming of age rom com has just the right mix of naughty and sweet to be a holiday treat perfect for everyone on your HEA reading gift list. The subtle and accurate inclusion of mental health awareness lends it depth and only adds to the fees. Grab this on for yourself and a couple to gift.

a super sweet story! i especially loved matthew's character growth as the story progressed and i thought that it was done in a very real way. a very fun holiday romance!

Ahhh darling!
Such a cute Christmasy queer romance!
Very Hallmark- big city boy gets sent to a small town to learn a lesson but really finds his heart in small town hottie while planning a town gala.
I loved it. The characters were so fun and the sarcasm was excellent!

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an eARC

What would your well-off parents do if you bought an island on a whim?
A - they would cut up your cards but help you to launch an ambitious project there
or
B - they would cut your cards and send you to Wind River, where your grandparents live and there is no mobile phone signal?
The latter is what happens to the main character of the book, Matthew Prince, who is forced to stay in his grandparents' house against his will. Unbeknownst to him, he has to share a room with his grandpa's student, who is temporary living there.
The plot is both clever and intriguing, which keeps you desperately turning the pages to see what happens next. What is more, the book explores the theme of generalised anxiety disorders (GADs), which I consider important to be discussed. When it comes to the characters of this book, most of them are well drawn and throughout the story you can see their personal growth. However, I felt sorely disappointed with the Latin representation in this novel: there is a growing number of non Latin authors who include Latin characters in their books that are badly portrayed. In this case, it felt like Janovsky did some research into Puerto Rico's most famous dishes and decided to include it along with a sentence in Spanish to make Hector's character Latin. As a consequence, I wish Hector were not Latin since it wouldn't have felt like a forced inclusion (that's the reason why I didn't give the book five stars).
All in all, I tremendously enjoyed this novel.
Were you to give holiday books a chance, look no further. It's highly likely that anyone would be delighted to get a copy of this unputdownable book.

**I received an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review**

So here's the thing: this started out really fun and I definitely enjoyed reading the book. I got Schitt's Creek vibes from Matthew and I was there for it.
And then I got bored and completely lost interest halfway through the book. The plot was just too slow for me.
Matthew was an interesting character. I wouldn't say I really liked him at any point of the book, but I liked his character development, especially how he started taking responsibility at the end of the book.
I also have to compliment the author for the way he made Matthew tackle difficult conversations e.g. the one with his parents. It's refreshing to see a character just state their feelings and deal with conflicts like an actual adult.
Now, about the romance: I didn't feel it. It was lacklustre and I honestly didn't care about the love interest at all (I've forgotten his name already because he was such a bland character). Which is kind of bad when I'm reading a romance novel.
Overall I can definitely see a lot of people loving this book, but for me personally it fell a little flat.

I'd like to thank the publishers for allowing me to read this Advanced Review Copy. I'll start off by saying I'm probably not target audience for this book, since I'm generally not a fan of fish-out-of-water stories or 'lifestyles of the rich and famous.' The point-of-view character was a very tough hang for me through most of the book. His behaviour and attitudes were enough to make even this die-hard moderate want to 'eat the rich'. But, of course, the distance he has to travel makes his redemption all the more welcome and impressive. And, I think that those who enjoy these types of stories and characters more than I do, will absolutely love it.

I appreciated how the story dealt with GAD and the empathy with which it treated Matthew's mother even after she did the 'very bad thing'.

I will post a guardedly favorable review focusing on the 'right' audience on my blog closer to the publication date.

7/10 for me, but I think it could be higher for the right audience

This book was so good! I was a little unsure of how much I was going to enjoy it at first because the main character was such a terrible person that I honestly hated reading about, but this became an absolutely delightful read. I loved watching the main pairing go from barely tolerating each other to having a really meaningful relationship. Janovsky did a fantastic job of developing both of their characters and showing how Matthew grows from being a spoiled brat to finding a completely on-brand, Matthew Prince way to help others. I loved the representation of his anxiety disorder, and I found his way of coping with anxiety attacks completely charming, if a bit ridiculous at first. I highly recommend if you’re into riches to rags, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, Christmas queer romance.