Review: You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I was so excited for this book since it landed in my inbox and it did not disappoint! I loved the setting and the characters so much. Picture this as David Rose landing in Schitt’s Creek all on his own at the holidays. There’s humor, love, all the holiday vibes, and even tribute to the majestic classic that is The Muppets’ Christmas Carol.

I highly recommend this book for your holiday reading this season!

Synopsis:

“Bring a little joy to the world?

Not today, Santa.

Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He's on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents' charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?

It's bad enough he's stuck in some festive winter wonderland-it's even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who's unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.

Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior...with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can't resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince's heart grow three sizes this year.”

What I Liked:

The Setting—Ah, the Berkshires! We drive through the Berkshires to get to my hometown and I look forward to it every time. I have never read a book set there and I LOVED it.
The Holiday Vibes—The vibes are immaculate in this book. I think it would make a fantastic Netflix original holiday movie.
The Characters—I loved the Schitt’s Creek vibes with Matthew entering this small town. I really came to love Matthew and all the side characters, especially Noelle and his grandparents. Hector is a delight as well. All around, a really great cast of characters.
Anxiety Representation—As someone with anxiety, i’m always attracted to stories that represent characters authentically and I really think Janovsky captured a lot of the feelings in my head. Especially Matthew’s outburst at the end, I could really relate to that.