[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
When Mama Joy passed away, her legacy was far bigger than her knitting shop, Strong Knits, in Harlem. There were her sons – Damian, Lucas, Noah and Jesse – all adopted out of the foster care system. There was Kerry, the young woman Mama Joy mentored as she worked in the shop. Kerry had just finished her degree in art therapy. She had been working part time at the yarn shop while she waited for a full time position in her field. Then there were the neighborhood kids like Errol. Mama Joy had made a difference in so many lives.
That’s why Jesse wants to keep the shop open. Strong Knits was Mama Joy’s dream. His older brothers have their own lives. They are ready to put those memories behind them. But this shop – and their home above it – isn’t something Jesse is ready to give up. Unfortunately, Jesse’s track record for employment and general follow through isn’t great. His brothers are reluctant to keep the shop open with Jesse in charge.
But Kerry offers to help him. She can’t believe the words actually came out of her mouth. Maybe it was her long time crush on Jesse. Or her devotion to Mama Joy. Maybe it was her gratitude for all Mama Joy and the shop meant to her. Whatever it was, Kerry has now locked her future to the store and to Jesse for the time being, come what may.
Review
There’s a lot to love about a book with confident male characters who knit and feel no shame over it! This made me want to take up knitting – and I’ve tried before with disastrous results.
I got a huge kick out of the Strong brothers. Luke and Noah are my favorites of the four. Jesse grew on me over time here. I especially loved the relationship he starts building with Errol. I can’t tell right now if this is going to be a series, but if it is, I’d like to see more from that relationship in the future.
While I enjoyed the characters in this as well as the save-the-store thread of the book, I was frustrated by the pacing. At the halfway point I felt like there had been a whole like of talking and overthinking, but not nearly enough action. There was no real plan for the store at that point, and no one was really doing anything, but they talked a lot about how urgent it was to save the shop. I think I would have liked more time for the events in the last 1/3 of the book – which were an absolute delight! The end felt rushed for me. I wanted time to linger over the more satisfying parts of the book.
Fans of contemporary romance should check this out. Readers on the hunt for romance books with non-white characters should bump this one up on their reading lists, too. The Strong brothers have the potential for some excellent stories! (Language, sexual references)