Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
Real Men Knit, book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

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.

A guy, a girl, the yarn shop and a romance. What can go wrong?

This is my first book by Kwana Jackson and I’m glad I picked it up. The writing was crisp, and I felt like I was right there with the characters. It was a quick read and while there was drama, it wasn’t overly complicated. There was a lot of misunderstanding, which is relatable, and I liked that.

Kerry is headstrong and she won’t back down. I liked her as the strong heroine. She’s a good foil for Jesse. Then there’s Jesse. He thinks he’s a screw-up, but he’s just got to find his direction. He’s a player, to a degree, too. I liked the pairing between these two characters, but it took a long time for me to feel the romance between them. That might have been just me and others might feel the romance sizzles the pages.

I liked how the author made the guys knitters. They’re adopted brothers and all different, but still have their strengths. Their individual personalities did show through. I liked that the author normalized guys as crafters, too.

If you’re looking for a great book about boys who knit, then this is the one for you.