Well dang. Loved the premise, the setting, the family, the extended cast of characters, the representation, and THAT COVER. Sadly, the writing just didn't do it for me. It was in serious danger of being a DNF.

When Mama Joy unexpectedly dies, leaving her Harlem knitting shop and brownstone in the hands of her four adopted sons, Jesse (the youngest) is determined to prove his worth and keep it open. Lucky for him, their girl-next-door family friend, Kerry, is willing to help. But Kerry is on her own quest to prove herself, a quest that may demand she distance herself from the shop and from Jesse. How and when will they discover their mutual long-standing crush? How and when will they discover a way to save the shop?

It was definitely the how and when that let me down. The pacing seemed really off (I don't think we got to see a real man knit until like 17 chapters in!). The writing structure also seemed unrefined and repetitive, the characters underdeveloped, and even the dialogue, which had cute, snappy moments, was inconsistent and hard to follow at times. Especially in the first half, we spent far too much time moping around in our main characters' heads. Yes, they had just experienced a significant loss, so yes, it made sense for them to be sad and introspective, but it didn't make sense for readers to be that fogged for that long.

If you like diverse, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers stories that heavily feature family dynamics and include main characters that challenge each other, then perhaps you'll be able to overlook some of the writing issues and enjoy this one far more than I did. Plus, there are three more hot Harlem brothers to write into a series and yes, #WeNeedDiverseRomance.

Content notes: foster care system, death in family, objectifying language, off-screen drug overdose, absent parents