The synopsis calls TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHTby Melonie Johnson a “slow-burn rom-com”, and that is an apt description. For me, it started out so slow that I wasn’t sure if I was really going to get into it. We meet Kat and her coworkers at the florist shop where they all work (and where she has an apartment upstairs), and it is breezy and quippy, but almost felt like it was trying too hard to be humorous. But I know sometimes the setup of a story takes a bit to land and you have to give it some time. And then Kat goes to a funeral home to deliver some flowers and has an anxiety-ridden meet cute with Mick, and I fell for him within just a few pages.
The narrative switches back and forth between Kat’s and Mick’s POV, and I enjoyed Mick’s sections a little more than Kat’s. When Kat was at work or with her friends, or anywhere without Mick, the story was enjoyable, but I found myself much more interested when we were following Mick. Then you put Mick and Kat on the page together, and the banter was so well done between them that I literally laughed out loud several times. Not to mention the chemistry between them!
Kat has a history of dating guys who are hot but turn out to be jerks, and after her latest breakup, she’s made a list of what she wants in a man and is determined to stick to that list. Mick, with his bedhead and his casual clothes and mismatched socks, does not tick off any boxes on that list, but his more straitlaced brother Joe does. So even as Kat and Mick become good friends, she sets her sights on Joe. I understood Kat’s reasoning and her fear of falling for the wrong guy again. But Mick has got to be the most patient man on earth. He’s so intent on not losing her friendship that he’s willing to step back and let Joe have her, and at times it was frustrating, with me wanting to shake some sense into Kat.
I loved Mick’s family, which also included a sister and a very amusing cockatoo with a filthy mouth. Kat’s friends and coworkers were fun, and I loved her relationship with her grandmother, but as with Mick, I enjoyed the sections of the story more where Mick’s family were involved. Except when JoJo was around, the pet hedgehog Kat’s ex dumped on her when he dumped her. I wish there had actually been more of JoJo. I loved how Kat embraced her new role as JoJo’s person, despite the fact that JoJo was thrust on her and she felt like she didn’t have any other choice but to take her home. Her coworkers also ooh and ahh over the little hedgehog, with one taking JoJo to a friend who designs outfits for his hamster, and having a bunch of outfits made for JoJo. That I could’ve done without, as I’ve never understood people who dress up their pets. But I could certainly relate to Kat going overboard at the pet store, buying a basket full of accessories and stuff for JoJo. It is easy to spend a lot of money on treats and toys for our fur babies! I’d never really thought about hedgehogs before but JoJo was so cute that now I sorta want one.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT by Melonie Johnson. Despite the slow start, I became very engrossed and invested in the story, and I loved Kat and Mick, and loved them together. A funny, light read with plenty of depth to it. Melonie Johsnon did a good job including some slapstick humor that was not only funny but believable to the story. For the reader who enjoys watching rom-com movies, TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT is too good to pass up!
A swoony, slow-burn rom-com, Melonie Johnson's Too Wrong to Be Right features a true romantic on a mission to find her happily ever after.
After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.
Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family's funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for...