Matthew Prince is in trouble. He got his heart broken and then did a spontaneous thing that his parents didn’t approve of. He bought an island. He had plans for it, but that didn’t matter to his parents. The cost of two million dollars does matter to them though, so he’s being punished. Instead of getting to spend the Christmas season in New York City, partying and looking fabulous, he’s getting all his credit cards taken away. And as if that’s not enough, he’s being sent to his grandparents’ house until the new year, despite his annual New Year’s Eve party coming up.

Matthew’s grandparents live in a small New England town, where his grandfather teaches at the local university and his grandmother runs a small used bookstore in town. And while he had spent some time with his grandparents through the years, ever since his mother’s bestselling fantasy series became a television series, they hadn’t visited as much. Everything had changed for the family since then, going to sweet family holidays to overly produced, insta-perfect holiday decorations that look good but lack heart.

But heading to his grandparents’ house, Matthew is hoping for one of those old-fashioned Christmases he enjoyed as a kid. Instead, he finds his world turned upside down again. The room he always stayed in as a kid has been turned into his grandfather’s office. And he will be staying in the basement, which had been the office. But he won’t be alone. His grandparents have a student staying with them. Hector is studying English at the university, and he’s staying with Matthew’s grandparents until he graduates.

Matthew takes his designer bags filled with designer clothes to the basement bedroom, only to be greeted with a small closet that he has to share and—horror of horrors—bunk beds. As Matthew starts to get settled in, bumping heads with Hector and trying to wrap his head around his new (although temporary) circumstances, Matthew can’t help but wonder if the punishment really fits the crime.

But as the days go by, Matthew starts to settle into the small town life a little. He talks to his grandmother, who helps ground him. He makes friends with the local barista and finds that the quieter, slower rhythm of the small town allows him to think. He thinks about the choices he’s made and comes to realize how much his anxiety has lead him to make some of those rash choices.

Matthew knows that he can’t fix everything that’s wrong with his family just because he’s saying with his grandparents for a few weeks. But if he can come up with some idea that could show them how hard he’s trying to change, then maybe his parents will let him have his own life back, and he can get back to Manhattan in time for his annual New Year’s Eve party.

And maybe, what with it being Christmas and all, maybe he can find that love can help his heart grow three sizes and lead him to the life he truly wants, instead of one that everyone expects him to have.

Timothy Janovsky’s You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince is a sweet queer holiday rom com that deals with some serious issues underneath the surface. Matthew’s mental health issues have caused him pain, and how he chosen to deal with his anxiety has created more problems. But the way that Matthew and those around him chose to celebrate Christmas with heart and humor is worthy of a holiday movie.

I really enjoyed You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince. It’s a smart, happy holiday romance with memorable characters and and an intelligent story arc. I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Mark Sanderlin, and I thought he did a really beautiful job of expressing the character of Matthew Prince. The emotion was spot-on, and he did a good job with the humor as well. If you are looking for a holiday LGBTQ+ rom com with a small-town heart, then you should consider heading to the Berkshires for the holidays, even if you have to sleep in the basement.

A copy of the audio book for You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince was provided by Dreamscape Media, with many thanks.

I came back to this one and I have no idea why I couldn’t get through it the first time because I loved this!! It was a perfect mix of Schitt’s Creek and a Hallmark Christmas movie! I loved Matthew & Hector so much! Their transition from hating each other to confiding in each other to love was so messy but so beautiful! ♥️ Matthew was definitely hard to like in the beginning but after learning more about him, how he acted made so much sense! I loved the mental health aspect as well, I think it was portrayed in such an honest way! The miscommunication that led to the 3rd act breakup was stressful but everything surrounding it really made sense for the story! My only complaint is that Hector says dude way too much 😅 it was cute at first but then it just got really excessive lol Overall though, this was such a fun holiday romance that I’m very glad I read and I highly recommend it!! 🥰

This was a fun holiday romance featuring two opposite characters that find common ground through working together to put on a charity gala. The rich boy persona of Matthew Prince took a little while to get used to, but once Hector is able to crack through his shell, the dynamic is lovely to listen to. The narrator did a wonderful job with this one!

I received an audiobook copy of You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book. However at times I found it a bit difficult to sympathize with Matthew as he came off very entitled however he did get easier to sympathize with as the book progressed. With that said, I actually enjoyed this book as it was very much a cozy hallmark style book! The atmosphere was good and so was the pacing of the story. As such I highly recommend it if you are looking for a somewhat light hearted Christmas read.

This book is fine. Very It Happened One Summer but with gay guys at Christmas. I didn’t like the present tense writing and I didn’t like how clueless the main character is. Not really for me, but fun for someone else looking for rom coms.

Matthew Prince is a rich party boy, whose parents ignore him and the press is obsessed with. Well, one PR nightmare too many and Matthew gets shipped off to his grandparents’ house in a small town for Christmas. To make matters even worse for him, he has to share a small room with Hector Martinez, a very attractive local, who’s unimpressed with everything Matthew does. With the hope of getting back to NYC early, Matthew steps in to plan the annual charity gala for the town and Hector is quickly roped in too. Holiday magic is in the air and who knows what will happen this Christmas.

Oh my gay heart - green-light this into the gay holiday romcom of my dreams right now!

I’m actively losing my battle of holding on to spooky season and blame @philsbookcorner for it. This holiday romcom was so fun and sassy, it warmed my heart, and really started bringing out the Christmas spirit in me.

Matthew Prince is hilarious and I was living for the banter before him and Hector. The sexual tension was there and my spicy side wishes we got to see even more of their bedroom antics. The gala was such a fun way to have them work together and it made me fall in love with the way they compliment each other.

I saw the ending from a mile away, but loved every moment leading up to that airport scene! AND, I’m so here here for a realistic time jump epilogue that leave us satisfied, knowing all is well for our beloved boys. 🥰

First things first…. If you don’t get excited about this book just because of it’s title, we can’t be friends lol I didn’t actually think this was going to be a retelling of the Grinch, but when I realized it was sort of a loose re-telling, I was ecstatic. It’s actually my second favorite Christmas story (second only to A Christmas Carol) because of the way he changes his mind at the end. So of course, when I saw it on Netgalley, I immediately grabbed it. And I LOVED it!

When this opens, Matthew is a real grinch. He’s spoiled and used to name brands and everyone bending to his will. When he’s sent to his grandma’s place in the middle of nowhere, he is completely lost. This was the best part to me for some reason lol I LOVED the little sleepy town where everything and everyone put me in a holidaze. With the snow and the cookies and just everything. It was really cute. I knew I liked it when I kept talking about it to my husband. Wishing I could visit the inn at least once. I just knew the quiet and the cold and the decorations and the bunk beds would have been some of the quiet I need lol

Then there’s the freaking romance. I have to admit, I didn’t think he deserved him in the beginning, but I didn’t want to judge him too fast because I knew there was something underneath it all that made him act like this. And of course there was. But he even admitted he was acting like a brat. so he knew what he was doing, and I just couldn’t deal with that. But somewhere during the story, I started to fall for the two of them together. Don’t ask me when it was. (Had to be after the okay to do the gala when he started acting like a normal human again lol) But I liked the way they balanced each other out. One of them had little and wanted to give everyone else it all and the other had it all for themselves and wanted more. Until they got together. And as I said before, I LOVE that small heart change. And because it was someone close to them, it was even more special for him to see the light.

The writing style was also pretty great. I laughed, I cried, and when the mental health (anxiety focused) came into the story, I was cheering him on. And I love how committed he was to the Christmas theme. I’ve read quite a few Christmas romances so far this year, and alot of them have mentioned the holidays or that they’ve seen decoration, etc. but not all of them have actually been focused on them if that makes sense. But this one did and I was glad for it.

Backdooring this, I’m not LGBTQ+ so I won’t speak on the representation, but I will say something on the anxiety. We are not a monolith, so I understand that not all my experiences will be theirs. With that being said, I did see a lot of myself in Matthew. His spirals for one made me think to myself, “Am I also like this?” Because geesh. It was so real. I recognized some of the signs before he even admitted he had it. Definitely felt like looking into a mirror when I was first figuring things out. But if you also have trouble managing your anxiety, maybe be careful reading this. Give yourself some grace and take some breaks.

The narrator they picked was PERFECT for this book. When I started thinking of what I might think he would sound like, it was just like this. Even his voice for grandma was cute! And although I wasn’t a fan of his voice for some of the other characters, it didn’t stop the fact that he was perfect for the main character. I think that matters more than anything.

This loose re-telling was really cute and left me in such a good mood after finishing it. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been since I heard about it. And I’m glad I got to experience it in time for the holidays. You should pick it up too.

4.5

Thank you to Dream Scape Media and Netgalley for an ALC of this book.

When Matthew hides out from social media scandal with his grandparents for Christmas, he finds himself temporary roommates with Hector. Both from different worlds, the two butt heads immediately, until they team up to throw a Christmas charity event.

This was so cute! It was funny at times but also sweet and slow when it had to be and I absolutely loved it. I loved the relationship development. I loved the hallmark movie esque setting and plot and how deep Matthew's character went. The anxiety rep was really good and I loved how it all ended. Such an adorable holiday romcom!

Funny story- After reading this book from Netgalley, I went to buy it when it came out. I was at Barnes and Noble and couldn't find it because they had been remodelling and things were kind of all over the place. I asked for help and the employee couldn't find it either. I figured I would order it online and went to get a coffee at the starbucks. While I was ordering, another employee came up to me holding the book! They asked if I was the one looking and I said yes and was visibly excited to have gotten it. The Starbucks cashier asked what book and I told them, holding it up, I said, "It's a gay Christmas romcom!" The cashier gaped and then three other people in the cafe pivoted their heads to see what book I was holding! I think I found some fans that day.

Can't recommend this enough if you are in the mood for some adorable holiday romance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Cursing, Classism, and Abandonment

Minor: Drug use and Infidelity

I wasn’t sure I was ever going to like Matthew. With his opulent lifestyle, public spotlight and general off-putting personality, I came in disliking him from the start. This was not a man who thought about other people.

That’s what I like about the growth he experiences throughout the novel. From spoiled brat who buys an island after a breakup, to putting on the event to try and bolster his grandparents’ small community, you can see humanity start to touch his soul again.

I also really loved the mental health representation, and the use of coping strategies and therapy. Anxiety attacks are so scary, and there is support for Matthew as he experiences them, without judgement. It’s a good thing to note that the holiday season often creates feelings of anxiety for many people, and a good reminder to have in this novel.

Matthew and Hector’s reluctant relationship develops beautifully, and I loved how they both adore The Muppets Christmas Carol.

The narrator was great, and I would recommend this book - just remember, Matthew has a while to go to reach his final form when you begin!

This is a cute Christmas rom-com about Matthew Prince, who is trying to find his place in the world while being gay, struggling with a generalized anxiety disorder, and a punishment from his exorbitant spending but staying at his grandparents house for the holidays.
I felt like this was relatively predictable but still enjoyable to listen to.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Obviously I went into this book knowing I wouldn't be able to relate to the main character, who is a gay man (and also extremely rich - like spontaneously buying an island rich.) What I wasn't expecting was being able to relate to Matthew Prince in a completely different way. I think his character was the perfect representation of someone with a generalized anxiety disorder. His relationship with Hector was beautifully written, and there wasn't too much spice to the point where it took away from the storyline. Overall, it was the perfect big city to small town queer Christmas romance.

3 stars

If you have been yearning for a Hallmark Christmas romance with a LGBT+ lead couple, look no further than Janovsky's sophomore novel You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince. This book has all of the classic tropes as your favorite made-for-TV movies: big city vs. small town, a grump who needs to discover the true meaning of Christmas, a meddling community, and the ultimate discovery of the true meaning of Christmas.

While I did enjoy the book for its representation and its familiar Hallmark qualities, I found myself wishing that the book had gone a bit deeper in several aspects. For a book with a title that screams enemies-to-lovers, we lose that tension fairly early on in the book as Matthew and Hector's antagonistic relationship is resolved at about the 25% mark. This, combined with the fact that we only get Matthew's perspective, made the romance feel a bit rushed and I found myself constantly wishing that we could get Hector's perspective to round out the story. In addition, I felt like the various side characters that contribute to Matthew's change of heart really disappear for a lot of the book and I was being told about their impact on our main character versus actually having it actually shown through the book.

Despite my qualms about the execution of the book itself, I could not be more over the moon about the fact that LGBT+ couples are finally getting the Hallmark love stories that they deserve!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook for a fair and honest review!

I tried, Lord I tried. I started reading, put it down, picked it back up. And I just can not finish this book. Matthew was an brat with bratty friends and maybe he grew and changed and figured his crap out but I could not make it to that. I just can not stand entitled characters that can not accept responsibility. Hector can do better. I think the audiobook made me like it less.

I get the pun of the title but it really made no sense. Matthew Prince is an adorably entitled kid that just wants love and attention and is never mean!
I really enjoyed this book, being in Massachusetts it made it feel very familiar and it was a cute cozy story, a perfect winter read.
The book was sexy, funny and I even teared up a little, and I was very pleased with how it all wrapped up.

This was a fun and classic Hallmark style holiday listen. I'm not typically a fan of boy/boy romance, but this one caught me with the fun cover. A cute small town unexpected romance story during the Christmas holiday season this one did not disappoint. If bad guy turning out good is your cup of tea, check this story out. The narration was smooth and moved the story along perfectly, a holiday treat for all fans of romance!

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

I didn't really know what to expect going into this one, and I ended up pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story.

Matthew Prince initially got on my nerves with his arrogance and privilege. However, I ended up really enjoying his character as he reconnected with his grandparents and helped Hector plan the holiday fundraiser in his grandparents' small town. I also really enjoyed the chemistry between Matthew and Hector. There was plenty of banter and swoon worthy moments.

This is one of those stories that would make for a fantastic Hallmark movie!

I really enjoyed this book and the characters. It was a definitely a holiday book and perfect to get you ready for Christmas. I don’t think the title lined up really with the book, but it was catchy and Christmasy.

Matthew Prince is entitled and spoiled. Nothing like small town to put him in his place. He is sent to his grandparents house to learn a lesson. When he gets there he finds out he’s bunking with another house guest. Literally. Bunk beds.

This was a cute fun Christmas book with a sweet romance and an open door.

I received an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Small town holiday romance. It was a sweet and easy read. I loved the GAD rep and the character growth of our main character Matthew.

Could I have used more of...everything? Yes. But it was still a good book.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job.

My feelings about this book were up and down. The story actually gets stronger over time and by the end, I'd say it's a solid 3.5 stars. Here's the thing - the story is cute, the characters are (eventually) likable and overall, it's a fun, low-angst story. But, similar to Janovsky's first book - I found the story was more like watching a movie than reading a book. It felt formulaic (and a bit too familiar) and while I can suspend disbelief for the comedy, it was quite silly at times. I listened to the audio and when I bumped the speed up to my fastest speed, I enjoyed it much more and was eager to keep listening. And there were many things I really loved: there is a great cast of secondary characters, I totally buy the tension between the two main characters, Matthew's growth is well done (very Schitt's Creek-esque), I appreciate the casual bi-acceptance and poly acceptance, and there is solid mental health rep. If you are looking for a light cute, queer, holiday small-town romance, it's worth picking up.

I have been hearing about this book everywhere, and it has lived up to the hype! This was such a cute Christmas-y story. I loved the characters and I enjoyed listening to this story so much!