Title: Friends Without Benefits
Author: Penny Reid
Series: Knitting in the City #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 16th – 17th August 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Caped Publishing
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Nico frowned and flinched slightly.

There are three things you should know about Elizabeth Finney

1) She suffers from severe sarcastic syndrome, especially when she’s unnerved,
2) No one unnerves her like Nico Manganiello, and
3) She knows how to knit.

Elizabeth Finney is almost always right about everything: the musical merits of boy bands are undervalued by society, “benefits” with human Ken dolls are better without friendship, and the sun has set on her once-in-a-lifetime chance for true love.

But when Elizabeth’s plans for benefits without friendship are disarmed by the irritatingly charismatic and chauvinistic Nico Manganiello – her former nemesis – she finds herself struggling to maintain the electric fence around her heart while avoiding electrocution, or, worse, falling in love.

This was such a beautifully cute novel. I like the idea of people who were in love at a young age re-finding each other as adults. The fact that there is a bit more tragedy and confusion in the past just helped to add to my love of this novel. It was just seriously cute and adorable. And, even though Elizabeth’s wedding is revealed in Neanderthal Marries Human, there were enough surprises throughout that it no longer irritated me.

One such surprise / enjoyment was the scene with the proposal in it. I actually guffawed. A word that I have never applied to myself or my own actions. But here, it is completely suited and works. I actually guffawed and thought that this was a brilliant way to expand on the unconventional relationship that Elizabeth and Nico seem to have. I also like that this less than traditional relationship nicely balances the normal narrative which surrounds love, first love and that forever love which is frequently discussed in this novel.

One of the things I sometimes find difficult in romance series is that there becomes a bit of a same-same voice throughout the series. I very rarely find any which are written in the first person. Yet, Reid is able to do this seamlessly. She manages to find a way in which to write in the first person that is completely different across the novels. Or at least, the first two novels in this series. Janie and Elizabeth might be best friends, but they have completely different personalities. Which shine through brilliantly in this story. It made it all that much more difficult to put the book down…. Luckily I didn’t have all that much I had to do in the way of acting responsibly.

I found the slow unravelling of the past and the intertwining of this narrative with the present a really great narrative technique. Again, it helped to differ this from Janie’s stories even further. It also provided this sense of hope and understanding throughout the story that completely melted my heart and transported me to my happy place.

To finish of this novel, I found Epilogue I was just damned cute and gave a lovely sense of completion to the story. But then, to cap it all off, there was Epilogue II. This made me clutch my chest and give a watery smile. It was just too damn cute.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Neanderthal Marries Human
Author: Penny Reid
Series: Knitting in the City #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 6th – 10th August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Caped Publishing
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: “All I’m saying is that I could find a dozen Quinn Sullivans – handsome millionaire manwhores – but I’ve only encountered one Janie Morris.”

There are three things you should know about Quinn Sullivan

1) He is madly in love with Janie Morris,
2) He’s not above playing dirty to get what (or who) he wants,
3) He doesn’t know how to knit.

After just five months of dating Janie, Quinn – former Wendell and unapologetic autocrat – is ready to propose marriage. He’s more than ready. If it were up to Quinn, he would efficiently propose, marry, and beget Janie with child all in the same day.

But Janie, tosses a wrench in his efficacious endeavors and challenges him to prove his devotion by going through the matrimonial motions, no matter how minute and mundane.

Will Quinn last until the wedding day? Or will he yield to his tyrant impulses?

Most of the romance series that I read have the main story about a couple and then that tends to be it. Sometimes there is a bit of a follow up with a novella or short story. Or even a mention of the couple (and maybe their wedding) in a following novel in the series. But this is the first time I’ve read a full-length novel follow up to a couple getting together. And I really loved it. Plus, even though most of the time I don’t necessarily need this… I think that in the case of Janie and Quinn, it is somewhat necessary… there were just many unanswered questions and moments at the conclusion of Neanderthal Seeks Human.

One of the biggest discomforts I had on completing Neanderthal Seeks Human was the state of both Janie and Quinn’s families. Some of the issues were explained, although not necessarily the roots of these issues. But nothing at all was resolved. And, although, like all, good, realistic stories, not everything is in a neat little bow at the conclusion of this story… a lot more was resolved. And even those parts that weren’t were either accepted or moving towards being resolved. It just gave a more satisfactory ending to the story. At least for me, someone who likes things to be tied up a little neater and tidier.

I love that Quinn doesn’t think that he’s a good guy throughout this whole series (thus far). It’s nice to have a dominant male lead who doesn’t actually think that they are good… a nice difference that I immediately lapped up. I began to understand a little throughout Neanderthal Seeks Human. But it wasn’t until this novel that I started to really, truly understand the ways in which Quinn finds himself guilty. How he thinks he is truly evil. Yet, it is Janie’s unwavering faith in him that not only makes him seem like a good guy, but also helps him to become a better one. I loved that this relationship was all about both characters finding the best versions of themselves through their love for one another.

There were so many positive emotions that I felt throughout this story. But one negative was the way that Janie’s family and her final understanding of the way they felt about her. It kind of broke my heart. Yes, she’s a little off-kilter and some of the distance with her father is kind of understood. But when you find out a little bit more. And she finally accepts some of the ways in which things stand… my heart just about shattered. It was just impossible to fathom and understand. Impossible not to want to shed a tear or two (it was a damn close thing, but then Reid managed to lighten the moment with a little humour).

Whilst I loved this novel and the way it completely rounded out Janie and Quinn’s story. I definitely have some mixed feelings about the reveal of Elizabeth’s happy ending / story that was in it. Nico’s first appearance was good. But the last appearance… I got to find out the beginning and the end of their story. With none of the middle something that I certainly didn’t enjoy all that much….

Image source: Amazon