5 “Shiterhozen” “BonerGate” “Zing.” “Wait, wait…”
I have found exceptional bliss…and it’s called getting lost in a Penny Reid book. I am basically devouring the books in the Knitting in the City Series as fast as I can...but don’t get me wrong, I’m savoring them, enjoying the freak out of myself and loving every second the gloriousness that is contained within these magical pages but…Jesus on a cupcake, they just keep getting more and more amazing and un-put-down-able…I simply cannot help myself. First it was Quinn & Janie in Neanderthal Seeks Human & Neanderthal Marries Human …and then it was Elizabeth and Nico in Friends Without Benefits …and now…Sandra and Alex – just GAH! I cannot even begin to describe the wonderous and lovely things that I just experienced, but I’m going to try. So…million dollar question, do you have to read the other books in the series? Technically…no. Each book (with the exception of Neanderthal Marries Human) can be read as a standalone…and you can read each one independently and understand everything that is going on…it never gets confusing. But I will say that as I read each book in the series in order, it makes me love and appreciate the relationships and the friendships…there is a build and part of the amazingness of this series is the friendship that the group of women has, which is getting exponentially more fabulous as the series continues.
Sandra Elise Fielding…oooh this girl is my jam! I love the freaking heck out of her…I swear, if I got together with Sandra and Elizabeth, we could do some mega damage. I was flat out addicted to her personality…she’s a psychiatrist but I feel like she is a ninja psychiatrist. Like…you would never be able to tell from the outside that she was…she’s super fun, loves to drink and wears the most awesome shirts ever…but once you start to have a conversation with her, it’s like her innate ‘psychiatrist-ness’ comes out and it’s kind of bad ass. She’s a natural helper…a fixer…and it’s just such a part of who she is, she doesn’t even realize she is doing it until she’s done. The only bad thing about this….is the negative affect it’s having on her love life…it’s hard to find the man of your dreams when all the men you date have more issues than Cosmo. That’s what’s so perfect about Alex…he was right under her nose the whole time…
‘Alex’s lips drifted to my ear, and his hot breath against my neck elicited goose bumps. “Remember that I’ve been watching you for over two years. You are the most exquisitely beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And I’ll never say that you’re pretty, because that word is pathetically inadequate.”’
Alexander Greene…this. Mother. Loving. Kid. I can’t with how amazing he is…I didn’t know he was going to be that perfect…I was unprepared….I mean I know Penny always delivers amazing hero’s…hello - exhibit a.) Qunn “McHotpants” Sullivan…the “grumpy, hot, stoic wizard” - all the amazingness. Then you have exhibit b.) Nico “The Face” Manganiello…the Italian stallion that rocked my freaking face off…I’m pretty sure I’ll never recover from him speaking Italian but I digress. So…yeah, based on those two dreamboats alone, the standard was set pretty high…but Alex took it to a whole other level. First of all…he’s a sexy nerd personified and I cannot be held responsible for the way I drool over a sexy nerd. It’s not my fault, I swear. Then he has this whole strong, silent, broody thing going on and at first, I was intrigued and then it started to drive me insane and then all of a sudden I didn’t care anymore because slowly but surely he started letting Sandra (and therefore me!) in and holy bejesus…I was a lost cause. He left her a couple of notes…and oh-my-GAWD…I need all of his notes. Every single one of them…his words are unforgettable...they made my heart stop every time. With Alex, he takes guarded to a whole other level so letting people in even a little bit is like a true miracle (and this is like better than turning water into wine kind of miracle – and I’m a self professed wino!). Every little detail that he let loose, no matter how minute, was like pure gold….and every single one of them made me fall deeper in love with him.
‘“I know it might be weird and premature at this point, but I don’t want to put time and effort into a relationship that isn’t going to ultimately meet my requirements.”
“What are the requirements?”
“Partnership, respect, honesty, kindness, communication, commitment, monogamy, children, humor, intellectual conversation, and — hopefully — impressive sexual congress à la der Rüssel.”
“Der Rüssel?” he echoed, fighting back a smile. He watched me for a long moment, his expression incredulous and thoughtful; then, very suddenly, he stepped forward. Alex lifted his hands to my face, cradled my cheeks, and pressed his lips to mine. His mouth was worshipful, reverent, and sinful at once. I melted against him because his body was becoming my true north.’
Alex and Sandra are…one of the most least likely couples ever created. They’re completely illogical and yet the thought of them not being together is the equivalent of saying gravity shouldn’t exist…it does not compute. She’s all openness and working out issues and he’s locked up tighter than Fort Knox with no desire to fix anything…and yet, they’re the epitome of ying and yang…when you snap them together, everything melts away, nothing matters and it’s sunshine and rainbows. What Alex and Sandra have is more than special, it redefines it…it’s all consuming…passion and chemistry meets pure chaos with a dash of what the freak – but trust me, it’s a really good what the freak – I know that’s going to sound crazy but, that’s kind of perfect for Alex and Sandra. The fact that there are so many things fighting against them…tearing them apart…it tore me to bits…especially because it does take a hot minute to put all the pieces together….and even at the end there are a lot of things that aren’t perfect – and yet that makes it more perfect. I am usually all about ironing out all the details and having things be just ‘so’ (which is why I loved the crap out of Sandra – I loved her ‘fixing’ nature!) but with Sandra and Alex…they’re perfect even with the imperfections…the imperfections made them better…and it was never going to change how they feel and what they have together.
‘I didn’t know how to respond to that.
Before I could, he said, “I think of us as perfectly matched.”
“How can that possibly be true?”
“Because you’re youthful and fun, and yet level - headed and practical. You are an optimist. If anything, you remind me that I’m still young, that my life isn’t over. And I trust you. You feel like a beginning to me.”
“Oh…Alex.” I couldn’t help it; his words both broke my heart and made it sing. Perhaps it was singing brokenly. I took his face in my hands and let my thumbs trace his cheeks. “You say the nicest things.”
“No, I don’t.” He stepped closer, one of his hands caressed my neck and slipped upward into my hair. His fingers gripped my short locks and tugged my head back and down, forcing my chin up. His tone was distant, aloof , almost cold, though his words made me feel hot all over. “I never say anything nice. I just want you more than I want the easiness and comfort of numbness. You make me want things, Sandra.’”
Penny Reid is a magical wizard of words and I love every single one of them. I am not joking, I cannot think of one thing I dislike about her writing….it’s so smart – beyond smart, I feel smarter when I’m reading her books! She’s not afraid of big words – heck, I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve had to use the dictionary feature on my kindle a few times while reading her books. She effortlessly weaves in topics that normally make my head want to explode, like math and bitcoins and global currency and miraculously makes it interesting and engaging and I’m entranced. I also love that she can incorporate knitting yarns and patterns effortlessly into basically anything the character is thinking or talking about…and for these characters and this series, it works perfectly – I’m actually considering learning how to knit so I can understand what they’re talking about. #EnviousNonKnitter These characters are beyond addictive – they’re the definition of why I read series books…and the friendship that these group of women have is so close to stealing the show from the romance between the couples – in fact, I think that’s why the guys are so absolutely amazing, because they have steep competition. The humor is witty and sarcastic and dry and just on point every single time….the flow of the story is effortless…clearly, cause like I said, I can’t read them fast enough – it just completely pour into my brain and my imagination has a blast. I could totally go on for hours and hours…I’m a freakin Knitting Addict and I’m not even sorry about it!
‘I looked at him, lost in him, found in him. He was my remarkable, extraordinary, unbelievable Alex. Despite what he thought, he wasn’t broken. His missing pieces provided a home for my heart. And I knew — no matter what the future held — that life was good.’
Its official…I love Penny’s endings so much…and that’s saying something because I never ever want books to end – but I look forward to hers. I am almost programmed to prepare myself for last minute drama...sometimes it is good and amazing and I love what it adds to the story and sometimes it is bad and drama for the sake of drama and I just kind of grit my teeth and get through it. I N-E-V-E-R have had that happen with a Penny book. This is the 10th Penny Reid book that I have read (including 3 books that she co-authored) and I didn’t even know it was possible to love endings this much. I’m always thinking as I read, my imagination constantly comes up with all the different possibilities with how the story could go, what the characters might do…and Penny never fails to surprise me in the best possible ways. She never goes with the overdramatic, she never does what is expected – she is so incredibly logical and thoughtful in what she creates with these characters and it flows so naturally and perfectly…and thus I am stuck loving the end (just hating that it’s over). And I once again loooooove that the epilogue is from the guy’s POV…and once again I need EVERYTHING in Alex’s POV….just oh my freaking goodness…his brain is all the yas! I’m sooooooo excited about the next book in the series - Beauty and the Mustache! It’s Ashley’s book and actually….I got hooked on Penny’s writing because of one of Ashley’s brothers. The first Penny Reid book I read was Truth or Beard…which is a spin off of this series. After I realized how utterly fantabulous Penny was and what I had been missing out on, I knew I had to read the Knitting in the City Series – so I was already half in love with Ashley to begin with and I’m beyond thrilled to finally get her story! #WinstonsRule #ILoveKnitters
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
More like Love Hacked: A May/December Romance (Knitting in the City Book 3)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Loading...
Popular Highlights in this book
It is the burden of the optimist to live a life not knowing why others can’t see the beautiful light within themselves.Highlighted by 701 Kindle readers- Kummerspeck, of course, being the German word for emotional weight gain; literally translated, it means grief bacon.Highlighted by 638 Kindle readers
- Sometimes I applied mascara before crying just to heighten the experience.Highlighted by 394 Kindle readers
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Top reviews from other countries
BR41
As near perfect as it gets: hypnotically fascinating, unputdownable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2017