So normally this is not the type of book I would reach for. I don’t really read holiday themed books and I don't think I've ever watched a Hallmark movie in my life, let alone a Christmas one. However, I really enjoyed the author's previous book, Never Been Kissed, and Schitt's Creek is one of my favorite shows, so I decided to give this a shot. I'm so happy I did!

Matthew is a spoiled rich boy who's sent to his grandparents house for a month to avoid a PR nightmare after he impulsively buys an island, which he is less than pleased about. He's even less pleased when he learns one of his grandfather's students, Hector, is living with them, so they'll be sharing a room for the duration of his stay. Despite an antagonistic start, the two eventually team up to plan the town's charity gala. For Matthew, it's a chance to prove to his parents he's matured and get to come home early. For Hector, it's a chance to go home and see his family for the holidays, as Matthew agrees to buy his plane ticket in exchange for his help. Cue feelings!

This book was so fun. Matthew is as obnoxious and unbearable as you would expect him to be in the beginning of the novel. However, he begins to grow very quickly. Partially from being surrounded by decent, normal people who encourage and expect better behavior from him, but also because at his core he isn’t a bad person. I really felt for him once we dived a little further into his history, as well as his mental health issues. I thought the GAD representation was overall handled very well, and I’m happy that Hector was respectful and helpful, even when he and Matthew were at their most antagonistic.

As for Hector, I thought he was a great love interest and a good foil character for Matthew. He was kind and funny, but not too “perfect” or bland the way love interests can be sometimes. He was a character that could very much stand on his own, and I appreciate getting to learn so much about his own history and family even though they didn’t play much of a role in the plot itself.

The side characters were overall likable, and I thought the prep for the charity gala was quite fun to follow! I wish I could see some inspo pictures or sketches for it because based on the description it sounded very well done and pretty. I also appreciated that, despite the many ways Matthew’s parents had failed him, he was still willing to sympathize and try to make their relationship work once they did as well. I can’t say I would have done the same, but good for him!

All in all, a fun holiday read!

When a rich and spoiled young man is exiled to spend the holiday with his grandparents in a small town he’s about to find the the holiday spirit and it doesn’t hurt that there’s a super cute but snarky guy staying at his grandparents house too.. Matthew Prince is from a wealthy family, his parents barely remember he exists and he’s constantly being watched by the press, so in an attempt to impress his parents that goes horribly wrong Matthew is cut off and sent to lay low while his parents do some PR recovery. Matthew finds himself stranded in a charming small town with barely any internet, no money on him, and time to just re-evaluate his thoughts and actions. Along the way is Hector Martinez, a extremely good looking local who is unimpressed by Matthew and gets under his skin. Matthew can’t stand the holidays but with nothing to do and the charity gala needing a coordinator Matthew offers to help in hopes of being able to go home early on good behavior... except he has to have Hector as his maddening- plus one. Matthew might be a Grinch but the charming of the holiday season and the warm town might just be what makes his heart grow three times bigger. This is definitely a Schitt’s Creek-esque story, and Matthew definitely gave off David vibes. Yes Matthew was a bit obnoxious and rude and pretty unbearable at the beginning but after reading about his circumstances and issues, he grows on you, especially as you get to see him open up. This was a cute Christmas rom-com and Hector was a great love interest.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book so much! The rep of generalised anxiety disorder was well done in my opinion because I recognised so much of myself in Matthew. He tries his best, he doesn't always manage it, but he tries and sometimes it comes out rude and people misunderstands hik, but sometimes he is like that on purpose. He needed a sort of reset, to see who he was and who cared about him and his wellbeing. He needed to put his life abd privilege in perspective and see who he wanted to be.
I loved Matthew and I loved Hector, and I loved them together. They started as sort of enemies but we know that can't last, right? I really liked how their relationship changed and flourish and how love wasn't the solution to all his problems but something amazing he wanted to cherish.
The side characters of the little town were all great, too! Made me want to live there!

wasn’t really feeling a connection to matthew. i liked hector more, which makes sense given the similarities to schitt’s creek - i liked the small town beau (patrick) more than the rich newcomer (david) there, too. in general, it just took me a while to get through, but i did like the growth/how things settled in the end.

#netgalley

It’s Christmas in July and this queer romcom was delightfully festive!

Matthew Prince, after purchasing a literal island, is sent away from his glamorous, big city life to his grandparents small town of Wind River. His parents sent him away to avoid a potential PR nightmare that this purchase could be. Upon arriving, Matthew finds out that he won’t be the only guest for the holidays - Hector, a student at the local college, is currently living there so that he can continue to go to school. Matthew and Hector get off on the wrong foot, but slowly come together to support the small town.

Matthew is the picture of the out of touch rich kid. I keep seeing comparisons to David Rose and yeeeah. Accurate! He suffers from anxiety and has a method for controlling it: he plans imaginary events in his head. This translates to real life both in the small business gala and to previous parties he’d mentioned planning. Hector, in the other hand, is hard working and is staying with Mathew’s grandparents so that he can continue to attend college. If not for their generosity he would’ve had to return home and give up on his schooling. Hector and Matthew are literally opposites attract. When they first meet they have nothing but animosity towards each other. It was nice to see them thaw out towards each other and move from enemies to something more~

The description of Wind River is amazing. It reads just like a Hallmark Christmas movie, truly! I could clearly see it all playing out in my head and it was giving me all the warm holiday fuzzies! The conflict in the third act of the book was amazingly laid out and, while I’m mad at specific people for how it all tangled up, the resolution was good and the payoff felt right.

I do think the book was just on this side of too long. I felt that my attention waned a bit around the 40-50% mark. I wish the plot was a bit more sped up, but overall it was good.

I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a book delivering on the holiday feels with a queer couple who has a mutual love of the Muppet Christmas Carol. Obviously these two have great taste in Christmas movies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Timothy Janovsky delivers another delightful queer rom-com with You're A Mean One, Matthew Prince. This book is humorous, heartfelt, sincere, and festive. It takes its character development seriously and delivers a charming story that balances holiday cheer with a story of romance and family dynamics that contains both depth and sincerity.

Matthew Prince is a wealthy, 21-year old New York City socialite whose parents send him to visit his grandparents for Christmas in small-town Massachusetts after he makes a large purchase (a whole island) without consulting them. I was a little concerned at first that Matthew would be just a bit too pompous to feel relatable. And he was, for maybe the first two or three chapters, but his heart and his struggles are quickly made apparent and I found him fully likable by the time I was a quarter into the book. Matthew suffers from anxiety attacks, and I found the description of these to be realistic to my own experience, although other readers may feel differently. This book does contain on=page descriptions of anxiety attacks, however, they are handled sensitively by the author, in my opinion.

This book thrives with a great cast of supporting characters, including Matthew's love interest, Hector, their friends Noelle and Siena, and Matthew's Grandparents. Matthew's parents provide significant plot points for the story, and while they are a part of the main conflict, they come across as nuanced, flawed characters, not simply villains. While I found Matthew's personal growth and the plot of the story and the romance to be the most interesting factors, the Christmas/winter backdrop is definitely present and will get you into the holiday spirit.

Overall, this was a delightful read that managed to convey happy holiday vibes while also covering heavier topics and providing a plot that felt genuine and important. If you're a fan of hallmark Christmas movies and have ever wished they were more queer, this is the book for you, but you'll also get a surprising amount of depth and heart along with your good times and Christmas vibes.

Schitt's Creek meets Christmas!

Ok here's the setup, imagine a young David Rose but instead of an actress, his mother is a YA author with a beloved series. Our David Rose, aka Matthew Prince, struggles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, a deep desire to seek out human connection, and his family's ever-present PR fixer who views him as more of a prop for his parents' lives than as a human being.

After a bad break-up, our protagonist makes a ludicrous purchase that could cause a media stir. So instead of this David Rose like character traveling with his whole family to a small town, he is sent by his parents (and their wicked PR fixer) to stay with his mother's parents in a small town in Western Massachusets to lay low and "learn his lesson" Arriving in hot pink designer pants and with a major chip on his shoulder, Matthew discovers that his grandparents have a local English major staying in their guest room and he is expected to share bunk beds him.

This was a fun, fast read that gave me some of the Schitt's Creek warm fuzzies I have missed since the show ended. The only thing that I can really complain about is an over abundance of the word "dude" that didn't always flow naturally from our love interest. Definitely worth picking up this holiday season!

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this amazing book!!

I want to start by applauding Timothy because this was so perfect and it made my heart burst with joy
As soon as you start the book Timothy highlights Matthew’s flaws while managing to make him impossible to hate.
I wasn’t expecting to relate to him this much when I read the blurb (privileged , spoiled and rich?) but he ended up becoming one of my favorite characters

Hector and Matthew had so much chemistry and it was so fun seeing them grow and change together. Their moments of vulnerability with each were so beautiful it made want to cry

Even the smallest moments in the book were heartwarming! The scenes with Matthew’s grandparents were so precious and I loved how accepting and kind they were

Lastly What I loved most about this book was the anxiety rep. In a lot of the romance or rom-coms I’ve read, sometimes when the character struggles with something like anxiety/insomnia/etc it just randomly disappears when the love interest shows up. I loved seeing how Matthew dealt with his anxiety and I love how it wasn’t brushed off

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump!

Matthew Prince is the definition of spoiled. His very rich parents money funds every whim that Matthew has. When Matthew buys an island, his parents cut him off and send him to live with his grandparents and not the rich grandparents

This is Christmas rom/com perfection!! Matthew is a spoiled brat, but so lovable at the same time. His being forced to give up his lavish lifestyle to live in this small town with no cell service gave me all of the Schitt’s Creek vibes. I love the slow burn of Matthew and Hector’s relationship. My heart just aches for them all the way through. I had to put down my Kindle a few time so that I’d stop yelling at them to get their heads in the game. The ending was great and not to fairy tale love story. It was more realistic, more attainable. My favorite scene was Matthew and Hector baking cookies, beat the butter is right up there with fold in the cheese. The mental health rep was done well. We saw him struggle, cope, accept, and get help dealing with his anxiety.

If you are a fan of Hallmark-like, or ABC Family/Freeform, Christmas movies this is perfection.

The opportunity to read this perfect little queer holiday story was just the present I needed for Christmas in July! I absolutely adored reading about Matthew Prince as he is banished from his comfortable life in New York City to spend the holidays at his grandparent’s cabin in a small town.

Matthew give total David Rose vibes as he schemes ways to get back to his fabulous socialite life. After realizing leaving won’t be so easy, he teams up with Hector, a college student staying with his grandparents, to plan the town’s annual Christmas Gala.

Reluctantly, Matthew begins to give in to the Christmas cheer that seems to pour from the town, all while getting closer to Hector. By the night of the gala, he starts to think that his old life isn’t what it was all cracked up to be, but will a misunderstanding bring this new life grinding to a halt?

If you’re looking for a fun and heartfelt Christmas rom-com this holiday season, make sure that You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince is on the top of your list!

The cutest, cheesiest Christmas book. I loved everything about this book and can't wait to gift it to friends and family for Christmas
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was darling! I really loved Matthews internal dialogue, you are able to see how much growth he makes as a character through it. The relationship between Matthew and Hector was so sweet, I was rooting for them the whole time. It was extra cheesy, but in a way that we expect all hallmark Christmas movies to be.

I enjoyed this—it was super fun and fast paced. I loved the banter between Hector and Matthew. They were such polar opposites, yet the chemistry was palpable. There is definitely a need for more LGBT rom coms in the NA genre like this one.

The characters were not perfect, they had their own struggles and obstacles they had to overcome before they came to the realization that they are better together than apart.

I’m so happy with how everything wrapped up at the end. It was such an enjoyable romance and I cannot wait to recommend this to my friends!.

I knew I was going to love this as soon as I saw the dedication page read, “The Ed to my Taylor.” It certainly did not disappoint and provided all of the holiday cheer I come to expect from a holiday rom com!

Matthew Prince is from a well-off family and after the less than ideal impulse purchase of an island his parents have sent him to live in the small town where his grandparents reside and are also hosting a local struggling college student, Hector (who is Puerto Rican).

Hector and Matthew get off to a tense start due to perception and biases but then quickly start growing close and helping each other out when things start to grow more intense.

While Matthew’s relationship with Hector is blossoming he’s also getting to know himself away from affluence and labels, befriending other folks in the town and finding out his true desires and who his friends are all whilst dealing with some bad anxiety attacks set off by stressful situations due to his generalized anxiety disorder (and oh man did they feel true to my experience with anxiety).

I think this is the perfect queer rom com to put on your TBR for the feelings of love, togetherness, holiday cheer, queer love and the love and acceptance of yourself!

5 twinkling stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for providing me an ARC of this book.

Okay, maybe buying an island in pursuit of turning it into a destination music festival was a bad idea. I mean, Matthew thinks it was an investment but his parents are... less than pleased. The optics don't look great for their "brand" as an elite family in NYC. As such, Matthew's parents decide the best course of action is a total social media blackout -- including sending him to live with his grandparents for the holiday season in their charming small town for a few weeks during the holidays. Matthew Prince lost most of his holiday spirit years ago when Christmas became more about photo-ops at lavish parties, but after meeting the university student staying with his grandparents... he may be willing to rethink this whole sentimentality thing. All the while, Matthew is working to keep his anxiety under control to protect his carefully curated image, but Hector has a way of making him feel at home.

First off, this book has one of the best opening sequences I've read in a long time. Just the absurdity of a person buying an entire island and being absolutely remorseless about it made me laugh so hard. This book is such a cute holiday romcom. The perfect combination of fluffy romance, incredible banter, and showing the realities of navigating the world and relationships with an anxiety disorder.

I was a little skeptical that this book may lean too far into the whole "rich guy learns how to be a decent human" trope, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth that the author brings to all of the characters, including Matthew, even from the beginning. I also really appreciated the GAD represenation and the positive therapy experience that Matthew has closer to the end of the book. Lots of people don't have much of a basis for positive experiences with therapists and what therapy for anxiety looks like, so I enjoyed having that scene and showing Matthew's progress.

I'm giving this book 4 stars and I'll be sure to revisit it during the holiday season!

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is totally swoon worthy. I love love loveddd this book. I haven't flown through a book this fast in a long time. I normally have a hard time getting into Christmas books in the summer but this book is so funny and charming I was hooked immediately. This might be the perfect Christmas rom-com! Matthew is handsome, rich and kinda of a jerk. His parents cut him off and send him to spend Christmas with his grandparents. He's pretty miserable and wants out of this tiny town. Then he meets Hector who he also does not like but the two are forced to be around each other and eventually sparks fly. You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is full of holiday cheer, witty dialogue and a sweet romance. I loved it!