REAL MEN KNIT

When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans for what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop....

Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secret. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brothers to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the “knitty-gritty” of the business, and together they make plans to reinvent Strong Knits for a new generation.

But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe their relationship can last longer than she can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always. After all, real men knit. 

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Berkley Penguin Group

Contemporary Romance

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

Real Men Knit is the first book about the Strong brothers in what I hope is the first book in a series. Real Men Knits centers around the Strong Knits neighborhood knitting store which was run by the Strong brothers' adoptive mom Mama Joy, and around the youngest of the 4 brothers, Jesse. Jesse is a bit of a playboy and hasn't ever really shown that he is on the path to settling down or even really having a career in mind. So when Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, the brothers are all surprised when Jesse wants to make a go of keeping the store open.

Enter Kerry Fuller, who has worked part-time in the knitting shop for years and doesn't want to see it close any more than Jesse, and offers up her assistance to help Jesse get the store back up and running. Kerry has had a crush of Jesse since they were kids, even though each of the Strong brothers has always seen her as more of a little sister. I loved that Jesse finally started seeing Kerry as an attractive woman the more time they spent together. I loved the slow burn of this relationship, and the fact they really became real friends first. I got the feeling while they had always been in each other's lives, they hadn't really been friends until they started working to save Strong Knits. Jesse seemed to be so laid back when we first meet him, so I understood his brothers all questioning his dedication to getting the shop up and running and back in the black. I loved how much he grew over the course of the story from basically a playboy to a real business man. He had such wonderful ideas for the store, and I loved that Kerry not only believed in him, but helped him make them a reality. I also loved that Kerry didn't lose herself in helping out Jesse. She stayed true to herself and her own goals, yet made the adjustments needed to have Jesse in her life. 

I really loved the relationship between the 4 brothers. Damian is a total control freak, Lucas seems to need some measure of control, yet not as much as Damian. I felt like Noah and Jesse were more the laid back of the 4 brothers. I loved how they picked on each other as all siblings do, yet had each other's backs when needed. I also felt like them coming together to save Strong Knits helped them to grow closer to one another.

Real Men Knits was a very enjoyable story. I will say that I ended up loving Kerry and Jesse as a couple, and feel like they were on a good path to their very own HEA. I loved while Strong Knits is in Harlem, yet the entire area felt almost like a small town. I loved how everyone in the neighborhood seemed to take care of their own, and that especially included keeping Strong Knits going. Real Men Knits was filled with humor, love, and redemption, and I really can't wait to read more books about all the Strong brothers. 

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

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