When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop.
Romance Grade: 3.5 Fiction Grade: 4.5
Mama Joy adopted 4 boys and raised them in New York above a knitting store. She had a habit of taking young kids under her wing and helping mold them, which is how Kerry was folded into the family. Now, Mama Joy has passed and Jesse doesn’t want the store to close, but can’t keep it open without Kerry’s help.
The premise of this book drew me in instantly. I love families that choose each other rather then are born together. The brothers relationship made the book. All 4 boys are very distinct characters, but I want to know all about them. They have their differences and they argue just like brothers, but in the end, you know they would be there for each other in a heartbeat.
Jesse and Kerry have known each other for what seems like forever. Their friendship may have been more obligatory then close, but they were still friends. I liked that they were friends without the awkward accompaniment of sexual tension. While Kerry had always had a minor crush on Jesse, it was minor and she never let it get in the way.
The only downfall for me was the actual romance. I never felt the sexual chemistry between them. Ultimately, I can believe in the relationship working, because I believed in the friendship between them. I just couldn’t believe in the overwhelming chemistry causing them to wake up to their feelings for one another.
You might be wondering about the whole split grade situation. This book is technically a romance, but I suppose it comes down to expectations. If you are expecting a romance you may be disappointed, whereas if you are expecting a story about a family working through their grief and keeping a legacy alive, you will be quite happy.
Bottom line: A great family story, worth reading!
Lori Carroll
Latest posts by Lori Carroll (see all)
- The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris by Marc Petitjean - November 20, 2021
- Mushroom Wanderland by Jess Starwood - September 21, 2021
- Fresh by Margot Wood - August 3, 2021