Happily Ever Ninja: Knitting in the City, Book 5 Audiobook – Unabridged

I cried reading this story. I've never cried reading a Penny Reid book before, but this one made me bawl. Her descriptions on the trials and rewards of marriage struck such a chord with me that I've been left in a state of utter introspection. Greg and Fiona make me want to be a better wife. And Penny Reid has blown me away with insights that I never before considered. This book was magic, and adventure, and romance, and witty humor. I would definitely recommend this book to others. After all... if they don't learn about it from me, they'll just find out about it on the streets.

I happen to be crazy for this author. If you have happened upon any of my earlier reviews, I guess you do know that. I don't anticipate ever not buying and devouring a new novel by Penny Reid. In fact, I have read all of her heretofore published books a minimum of 4 times. That much love, I have. Happily Ever Ninja is the latest book in the Knitting in the City series. Our main character is Fiona Archer...Ninja. She is both a secret and an obvious Ninja. Anyone who has read the previous novels in this series was beyond excited (crazy excited) for Fiona's book.

There was the obvious distinction of this story revolving around a married couple, not a newly unfolding romance. Something new for the kids. Something a bit like a unicorn among a herd of mustangs in the world of romance. For those of us who are married, not in a newly unfolding romance, this concept was greatly intriguing. What? A love book about married people? Realllllllllllly... Yep. Really. And not a gratuitous or patronizing kind of love story. Of course not! This is a Penny Reid story! There was a plot that involved lots of action and high drama. There was also a depth of emotion, honest to goodness thoughts and feelings.

In marriage, we go through "seasons" of activity and change. The increase in our responsibilities with mortgages and car payments, navigating insurance and career-building, CHILDREN...these things cause us to continually re-negotiate our relationship. There really is no way to imagine or form a plan for the changes that occur within ourselves, individually, and what impact that will have on our coupledom. That has a direct impact on how we connect to this person with whom we are most attached. There are so many more emotions that develop over the course of a marriage than that initial attraction/passion. Self-discovery really never ends!

And so, here was Fiona, at a "crossroad season" in her marriage. The author did not minimize that fact at any point during the book. She actually demonstrated how that emotional state effected Fiona's reactions and actions to all of the other things that came her way. What the thought process was doing to her rationale, was so real and so true. I will not go further in the telling of this particular aspect of the story. It needs to be "experienced". I will say that upon finishing the book, I had to wait several days before I could put any words down for a review. I experienced a feeling not unlike that of waking from a dream and still feeling the fear, anger, anxiety that was generated by whatever was taking place in that dream. When that happens, I am agitated all day, dealing with things THAT NEVER HAPPENED! The thing is...much of what happened inside Fiona in Happily Ever Ninja, HAS HAPPENED inside me. That is the level of tremendous skill this author has. That. No, I am not a super-secret agent, by the way. In case you were thinking, maybe. ;)

We are introduced or re-introduced, as the case may be, to the atrocities that occur in Nigeria with the oil corporations. There is light shone upon the political and environmental nightmare that exists in this region of the world. I was aware of this horrible fact, but learned a few things while reading the book. This story line made the book feel a little Ludlum-y. I loved it! It was thrilling and intriguing and eye-opening. And, hello Greg, you sexy-smart-kicking ass man! I can't even. This man's snark and strength are to me what the promise of Milk Bones are to my Labradors. There may or may not be some tongue-hanging, tail-wagging, and drooling involved. There is.

What the author did was truly awesome and admirable. She built a story that was a mixture of self-rediscovery/re-imagining, action, and LOVE. Yes, it was a love story. Upon further reflection, it truly did unfold as newly unfolding romance of sorts. Fiona and Greg re-evaluated and found a way to begin their Tomorrow Marriage. Their love story is tangible in its honesty. They are like a seasoned cast iron skillet...better and better after fire and over time. It was beautiful and I will re-read this book at least 4 times.

As ever, I am grateful to have discovered this talented author. Thank you, Talented Author! <3

I really struggled with this book as I loved the prequel but in this book, God I really got annoyed with the hero. I thought he was a very insensitive, needy, disrespectful bully. I felt like yelling for the heroine to scream her frustrations out. I felt most of the book was spent him marginalizing her and her making excuses for it.

Once she did decide to say something, it was so brief and apparently miraculously he has changed in two weeks vs a decade of being a certain way.

I really loved this couple in the prequel but in this I just couldn't stand them. The heroine just didn't stand up for herself and the hero barely did the bare minimum to build anything new. U kept praying for the hero to redeem himself but he didn't. Spare me the crap about his smile, see him for what he is..which is a selfish a$$.

And the plot, I mean it was beyond ridiculous! Stick to a simple story!

Sorry but I walked away very frustrated and angry with this book as Fiona was a complete doormat!!

My Darling Reader,

I feel I must prepare you for this book. If you purchased this book I will make the ninja leap that you've read the books preceding this. I would further brace yourself for the hard beautiful truths of a long term relationship. I love how marriage is put on the exam table, warts and all. I felt terrified (my chewed cuticles will evidence this), my dishes all sat to "soak", and my dinner was burned as I just read one more chapter.

Greg and Fiona will hit you in all the feels, will leave you pleased you are well read, and might make you yearn (or yarn) to know more about the oil Industry and their practices, how the CIA works, and make you want to dust off a cartwheel from your youth.

I've found something identifiable in each of our knitting circle humans, but Fiona and Greg felt so tangible. More so than anyone else. I want to put them on my Christmas card list.

Well done, Penny (and Mr. Penny)

There are so many reasons to enjoy books by Penny Reid. They engage your emotions - drawing you into their world. I find myself laughing at the characters while sympathizing with them. Every woman I know would love to be loved and cherished by Greg. I buy every book I can find by Penny Reid. Her writing is fun, intelligent, and well written. I read a book a day and have never understood why so many authors seem to be okay with poor grammar and slight evidence of proof reading. If you are looking for a book that will lift your spirits and make you laugh out loud, this is for you.

On reading some of the other reviews I had to think hard on this one but in the end the humour, the mixture of personalities that form the knitting group and how they stick together, and Fiona and Greg won me over. They have a great marriage but not without a price and sometimes that price is one where behaviours are hurtful, stupid even but the lesson for us as people as well as readers, is that we need to discuss with our respective partners in order to work it out. We need to listen and hear what is actually being said. This is what the book offers, a chance to be angry at, confused by, humbled by the love that is ever present but sometimes tangled in emotions that are not pretty or rational depending on the person and how they see the world.

I loved reading this book because it moves fast, it deals with real problems under the guise of fiction and Penny Reid writes well. Do you need more?