Matthew Prince is in trouble. He got his heart broken and then did a spontaneous thing that his parents didn’t approve of. He bought an island. He had plans for it, but that didn’t matter to his parents. The cost of two million dollars does matter to them though, so he’s being punished. Instead of getting to spend the Christmas season in New York City, partying and looking fabulous, he’s getting all his credit cards taken away. And as if that’s not enough, he’s being sent to his grandparents’ house until the new year, despite his annual New Year’s Eve party coming up.
Matthew’s grandparents live in a small New England town, where his grandfather teaches at the local university and his grandmother runs a small used bookstore in town. And while he had spent some time with his grandparents through the years, ever since his mother’s bestselling fantasy series became a television series, they hadn’t visited as much. Everything had changed for the family since then, going to sweet family holidays to overly produced, insta-perfect holiday decorations that look good but lack heart.
But heading to his grandparents’ house, Matthew is hoping for one of those old-fashioned Christmases he enjoyed as a kid. Instead, he finds his world turned upside down again. The room he always stayed in as a kid has been turned into his grandfather’s office. And he will be staying in the basement, which had been the office. But he won’t be alone. His grandparents have a student staying with them. Hector is studying English at the university, and he’s staying with Matthew’s grandparents until he graduates.
Matthew takes his designer bags filled with designer clothes to the basement bedroom, only to be greeted with a small closet that he has to share and—horror of horrors—bunk beds. As Matthew starts to get settled in, bumping heads with Hector and trying to wrap his head around his new (although temporary) circumstances, Matthew can’t help but wonder if the punishment really fits the crime.
But as the days go by, Matthew starts to settle into the small town life a little. He talks to his grandmother, who helps ground him. He makes friends with the local barista and finds that the quieter, slower rhythm of the small town allows him to think. He thinks about the choices he’s made and comes to realize how much his anxiety has lead him to make some of those rash choices.
Matthew knows that he can’t fix everything that’s wrong with his family just because he’s saying with his grandparents for a few weeks. But if he can come up with some idea that could show them how hard he’s trying to change, then maybe his parents will let him have his own life back, and he can get back to Manhattan in time for his annual New Year’s Eve party.
And maybe, what with it being Christmas and all, maybe he can find that love can help his heart grow three sizes and lead him to the life he truly wants, instead of one that everyone expects him to have.
Timothy Janovsky’s You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince is a sweet queer holiday rom com that deals with some serious issues underneath the surface. Matthew’s mental health issues have caused him pain, and how he chosen to deal with his anxiety has created more problems. But the way that Matthew and those around him chose to celebrate Christmas with heart and humor is worthy of a holiday movie.
I really enjoyed You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince. It’s a smart, happy holiday romance with memorable characters and and an intelligent story arc. I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Mark Sanderlin, and I thought he did a really beautiful job of expressing the character of Matthew Prince. The emotion was spot-on, and he did a good job with the humor as well. If you are looking for a holiday LGBTQ+ rom com with a small-town heart, then you should consider heading to the Berkshires for the holidays, even if you have to sleep in the basement.
A copy of the audio book for You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince was provided by Dreamscape Media, with many thanks.
