Book Review: Darn Knit All by Evie Mitchell

‘Darn Knit All’ by Evie Mitchell is the third book in her All Access Series: a romance series that puts a spotlight on showcasing relationships starring people with an array of disabilities. This book, which was released in 2024, the best part of three years after its predecessor, the amazing ‘Love Flushed’ has been highly anticipated by her followers and I was so excited to finally get to read it. I wanted to get my hands on it from the second I finished ‘Love Flushed’ so to finally get to read Mai Sakamoto and Theo Garrett’s love story was immediately worth the wait.

‘Darn Knit All’ was a powerful representation of falling in love with your best friend; after knowing each other for years through mutual friends, Mai Sakamoto and Theo Garrett start talking in the fallout of Frankie and Jay’s wedding. A wedding that takes place in the epilogue of ‘Knot My type’. I adored how the events of the first book inadvertently spurred on the second and third books in the series, and loved how the events of the second and third book happen simultaneously, even though the primary timelines are separate.

After being friends for years, Mai Sakamoto, a demisexual small-town fashion designer extraordinaire and proficient baker, and chaotic bisexual free-spirited Theo Garrett, Lincoln’s younger twin brother, find themselves in a predicament, after Theo signs Mai up for a TV design show to help spearhead her career, and prove how much he believes in her. Only to have failed to read the fine print, and not realise that the show was specifically for couples. Desperate to ensure she still gets to have the opportunity to flourish, Theo agrees to be Mai’s fake boyfriend for the show, only for both of them to be scuppered by the intensity of long-buried feelings.

I absolutely enjoyed the scenario and forced proximity elements of this book, it was distinctly different to the first two books of the series, and focused on a variety of different issues that can come with accessibility; for one, Theo is an amputee and Mai struggles with anxiety, so they both have battles to fight, both encounter ignorance and ableism on the daily, and in the close-quarters competition setting, this increased tenfold.

Something I did like that Mitchell maintained a level of focus on was the level of physical and emotional intimacy and vulnerability that Mai and Theo share. While it is established early on in the story that Lincoln is aware of how he can help Theo manage his pain, he is reluctant to express the extent to which it can impact him, yet after a few days alone with Mai at the show, he allows her to massage his leg, and help ease the aches, and tension from over-exerting himself on his prosthetic leg.

Through the lens of a romance novel, Mitchell was able to highlight an element of life as a disabled person that able-bodied people may overlook; like how even with a prosthetic leg, an amputee can and will encounter issues with over exertion. Furthermore, during the challenges in the competition, Mai and Theo use their knowledge of what would help with accessibility, to ensure that disabled people are not excluded from high fashion circles. I liked how, despite Mai being the figurehead at the helm during the competition, Theo’s contributions were incredibly valuable and essential in helping them proceed to the next round multiple times, because it demonstrated that even without being an expert in sewing, he was able to help a lot with his positive attitude and joy and enthusiasm.

I loved this book and how much care went into the story, and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series, which, will likely follow Mai’s brother, Ren, and Flo, a hopeless romantic who Ren has been in love with for ages. I’m so excited for it! Truly, I am at Mitchell’s mercy, her command of character and storytelling is fantastic.