Swooning for YOU'RE A MEAN ONE MATTHEW PRINCE!

This was my first read by this author and I'm excited to read more by Janovsky. It was heartwarming and such a sweet romance between Matthew Prince, who happens to own a whole island, and tends to fall in the rich spoiled category.

I loved the lgbtq+ rep, and thought it was such a cute holiday romance for the season.

*many thanks to Dreamscape Media for the gifted copy and audiobook for review

It is incredibly difficult to find it in myself to care about the struggles of a rich kid spending daddy’s (and mommy’s) money and having to then learn that there is more to life than frivolous parties and fake friends.

I did not like Matthew Prince, I did not care about his “struggles,” and I do not care that he bought an island on a whim and had to learn that is not an okay, normal thing to do. He was a very hateable character and boy did I dislike him. And don’t even get me started on Hector. Every time he said “bro,” I wanted to crawl into the book and blow him up.

This story had absolutely nothing original to it. It was very obviously lifted from a handful of popular shows, movies, and stories, and the author did not bring enough of a twist or new angle to make it okay. I am happy to have left this book in 2022.

It was a cute read but I didn’t really enjoy the characters themselves. They were hard to like.
I was glad I gave it a try though as an audiobook, I’m not sure I would have finished it otherwise.

I was not a fan of this I found Matthew prince unlikable in most ways and was not a fan of how the story progressed. Overall this wasn’t what I hoped it would be

Honestly, I have no words.

Timothy Janovsky is becoming my new favorite author and is an automatic buy for me!!

Loved loved loved this holiday treat!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this delicious book!!

A delightful and heartwarming romance! Perfect for fans of Red White and Royal Blue or the romance between Patrick and David from Schitt's Creek.

I was really hoping for a better sophomore novel from Timothy Janovsky, who I met a few months ago and is incredibly funny and charming, but Matthew Prince just didn't hit the spot that it seemingly promised it would. At least not in the first half of the book, which is all I could get through despite my effort to give the author a second chance.
While all the characters were, for the most part, likable and funny, something about the writing just didn't click for me. I kept hoping to get lost in the story and the romance, but it just wasn't happening. I loved Matthew's entire "thing". even if it was at times cringey, which I'm sure was intentional. Hector was a sweetheart but I just couldn't get myself to really care about him. I could blame it on this being a single POV romance, but I've read others where this isn't the issue.
Bee got on my every last nerve, as she was surely meant to and I am glad to not have to see (or hear) anymore from her.

𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃𝘀𝗸𝘆

Matthew Prince is spoiled, rich and the new owner of an island.  But this is too much for Matthew’s parents and they ship him off to his grandparents to lay low while they fix his massive PR mistake.  Will Matthew get the reality check he needs? Or, will living with his grandparents make Matthew even more miserable?
 
-LGBTQ+ representation
-Many funny parts
-A lot of holiday vibes
 
Four stars for You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince.  I think the number of times I read “dude” really got to me. 
 

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wish I had read the full description. Not entirely a book I would pick (royals) so ended up DNFing since it couldn't hold my attention.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

When this book starts out, it’s almost like a holiday take on Schitts creek. Our main character, Matthew Prince is a New York socialite, who just bought an island with his parents money. His punishment is to be shipped off to the country to stay with his grandparents who don’t come from money and won’t take it, to keep his spending habits under wraps. Matthew Prince very much echoes David from Schitts creek: that rich preppy fish out of water type person. However, I like David! Matthew Prince is really hard to like for the first half of this book. He has the spoiled rich kid complex, and it’s annoying. He also goes out of their way to point out that it’s his parents’ actions that have made him the way he is and all of his actions have been to get their attention. That may be the case, but it doesn’t mean it’s enjoyable to read. I really do like the love interest Hector in this male/male romance and I do think they make a cute couple. Once again, it feels resoundingly like shits creek. This doesn’t feel new or fresh. And while the title goes with the story, the Muppets Christmas, Carol comes up frequently. This does feel more like a retelling of a Christmas Carol then it does the Grinch. Matthew at one point in time does call himself the grinch but I guess you can see his heart growing or maybe it’s just his eyes are opened but… I just wanted to like this one more than I did. It’s very choppy. I love the town I love the grandparents. I love the side characters. I just really do not like Matthew prince. I do eventually feel for him and I’m happy for him, but he’s just so not for me.

This is a love story, it does work, however, it feels extremely Y a. There is nothing wrong with YA romance. I happen to really like them but this does not feel right. Why a romance? I am glad the author repetitively reminded you that they are both in their early 20s because one’s graduating college and the other one hasn’t been to school except for they the few months at New York University. This book is steamy, it’s not spicy. I think if the author wants to write steam and spice, they need to read more of it. The action in this book was bland more like a humidifier than an actual steam. I give the author credit for trying, but they need a bit more practice. Overall, this was a fun book and maybe I would like it if Hallmark turned it into a movie but right now it feels more like a Netflix holiday movie then a Hallmark one.

My Review: I saw the title and cover of this book and knew I had to read it for Advent Reads this year. While it looks and sounds like it is inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I didn't get much of that vibe from it, I definitely got more of A Christmas Carol Scrooge vibe. I did listen to the audiobook version and I did really enjoy the narration of this book. It did read a bit young for what I was expecting, it is categorized as a New Adult romance but the main character acted much younger and the writing fit more YA style. Janovsky definitely did a great job of making Matthew Prince into an unlikable character with a redemption arc. I adored Hector and found him to be a perfect character for a holiday romance story. It definitely is a nice M/M Hallmark style romance story.

My Rating: This was an enjoyable story once you get past the younger style of writing and immature character. I liked the character growth and the setting of the story. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

HA wow I did not think I was going to find this book as funny as I did! honestly I bumped it up a star just because of how many times I laughed. I think this was such a cute story and I highly recommend for this time of year. READ IT

After Matthew Prince buys an island on a whim, his parents cut off his money and send him to his grandparents’ house for the holidays. A city boy through and through, Matthew is not happy to be stuck in his grandparents’ small town, especially when he learns he will be sharing bunk beds – bunk beds! – with a local college student, Hector Martinez. Neither Hector nor Matthew are impressed by the others’ beliefs and actions, no matter how attractive they might find each other. When the charity gala loses its coordinator weeks before Christmas, Matthew steps up to fill the role with the hopes of getting back into his parents’ good graces and going back to the city early. As he and Hector plan the party, could Matthew find a little holiday spirit…and possibly love with Hector?

I know the premise of the story is how horrible Matthew is before the small town (and small town boy) change his heart, but the first part of this was hard to read because of just how selfish he was. I like my characters to be a little more realistic. I did like the inclusivity of a character with GAD; that is when we really started to see Matthew more as a person. The grandparents were my favorite part of the story. I preferred the first book in the series, Never Been Kissed, to this one, but I look forward to reading the third book!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Song: You’re a Mean One Mr Grinch (I had to!!!)

Okkay I got some low key Schitts Creek vibes from this (lost fortune not Dan Levy as Matthew Prince) after a mixed bag of reviews I was very skeptical. I actually really enjoyed this. At first the narration felt whiny and I wasn’t feeling it but I’m so glad I carried on.

Hector grew on me rapidly because he was pretty judgy for a guy who only wears flannel in the beginning >> soon realized he was a teddy bear in fleece and we were a-okay!

A cute one! Would recommend 🥰

After loving Janovsky's debut novel, Never Been Kissed, and seeing this book compared to Schitt's Creek, I was beyond excited to read You're A Mean One, Matthew Prince. However, I think I went in with expectations that were too high. Matthew, the protagonist, was super unlikeable. This is partially on purpose, but his "redemption" throughout the book wasn't enough for me. The novel itself was just okay and I am hoping the author's next book brings back the magic that can be found in his debut.

I was super excited to receive this one because I love reading holiday themed books in December. I received the physical book first so I read the majority of it that way. About 75% of my way into the story, I switched to listening to the audiobook. I must say this was a cute holiday read that I had fun listening/reading to. I did expect a little more from the story because while it was fun it just kept going and going. But yet, nothing was really happening? Also, I hate one of the tropes that takes place in this story but due to spoilers won’t say which one. Overall, I thought it was just okay but I recommend you give it a try for yourself!

Thank you so much @sourcebookscasa & @dreamscape_media for the gifted copies. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✨ Review ✨ You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky; Narrated by Mark Sanderlin

If Tessa Bailey's It Happened One Summer emulates the voice of Alexis perfectly, this book brings David Rose's voice to life. Matthew Prince, obsessed with clothes, parties, and his privileged life, arrives in the small town where his grandparents live. Not only is he confined in this hellish separation from the big city, he must also share a room with Hector Martinez, a down-on-his-luck student his grandparents took in. Matthew takes on planning a local charity gala as a way to try to convince his parents to let him flee from his small town prison, but along the way begins to find some of the charms of this small town he's found himself stuck in.

Matthew Prince is hella hard to like for the first part of this book because he's such a stuck up brat, but increasingly, I became invested in him (especially once I began to see him as a David Rose type of figure. The growing relationship between Hector and Matthew was fun to watch, and Matthew's personal, familial, and friendship growths were also a joy to observe.

My only complaint about this book is that the 21-year-old characters just felt young to me, and so it felt like a steamier YA book in some ways. I think this is a me problem though and not a book problem.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m contemporary romance (bi representation)
Location: small town NorthEast
Reminds me of: David Rose in Schitt's Creek
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ grinchy party boy who finds a heart
⭕️ small town romances
⭕️ family DrAmA
⭕️ David Rose

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and #netgalley for an advanced listening-copy of this book!

I enjoyed this one. Im a sucker for Holiday romances and this one did not disappoint. Matthew had so much character growth in the book. Hector brings out the best in him. The romance was so sweet. The narrator did a great job. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed You're a Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky! It's one of those books where the main character is pretty insufferable at the beginning but grows throughout the story. If you can't stand rich, entitled main characters, this one might be a struggle for you, especially at the beginning, but the payoff was worth it for me! This book definitely gave me Hallmark Christmas movie vibes with the small town setting and the Grinchy main character. The anxiety rep and the theme of giving back to the community both really stood out to me and made this a worthwhile holiday read! I'll definitely be reading Janovsky's debut novel after enjoying this one!

This was such a fun, heartfelt holiday read! I loved the characters (especially Matthew’s character arc), LGBTQ+ and anxiety rep, and the small town setting. The only things missing for me was that it wasn’t dual POV and the overuse of “dude” (but honestly it was endearing). 4.5/5 Stars

Fave quote: You’re never too old for a Christmas miracle!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy.