Thursday, February 4, 2016

Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid Review + Giveaway


~*SYNOPSIS*~


There are three things you need to know about Fiona Archer… I would tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.



But I can tell you that Fiona’s husband—the always irrepressible and often cantankerous Greg Archer—is desperately in love with his wife. He aches for her when they are apart, and is insatiable when they are together. Yet as the years pass, Greg has begun to suspect that Fiona is a ninja. A ninja mom. A ninja wife. A ninja friend. After fourteen years of marriage, Greg is trying not to panic. Because Fiona’s talent for blending in is starting to resemble fading away.



However, when unexpected events mean Fiona must take center stage to keep her family safe, her response stuns everyone—Greg most of all. It seems like Greg’s wish has come true.



Except… not.



When all is said and done, can Greg handle this new version of his wife? Will his irrepressible cantankerousness push her away? Or can the couple find a way forward without either being forced to step back into the shadows?


This is a full length, 100k word novel, and is the 5th book in the Knitting in the City Series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone except book #1.5

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~*TEASER*~
~*EXCERPT*~

“What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” He unbuttoned his pants and unzipped them.

Perhaps it didn’t make any sense, but I didn’t want Greg to see me naked. Not when I was still furious with him. Not when he was angry with me. Even though we’d been together for eighteen years, married for fourteen, and made two children together, when we were arguing I didn’t like the vulnerability of bare skin.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” I sat forward in the tub, hiding my nakedness. “We haven’t talked through everything yet. I’m angry with you, and I know you’re still upset with me.”

He shrugged. “Then we’ll have angry intercourse.”

“We’re not having intercourse.”

“Then I’ll give you angry cunnilingus.”

Damn him, but that made me laugh.

Greg’s eyebrows bounced once on his forehead and he grinned, his pants falling to the ground.

“I don’t want any of your angry oral sex, thank you very much.” I crossed my arms over my chest, endeavoring to keep my expression stern . . . and failing.

“Of course you do. Angry oral sex is the best kind of oral sex. And we are so rarely angry with each other. We should take advantage of this opportunity.” His thumbs hooked into his boxers with the intent of pulling them down.

“Do not take off your boxers.”

Greg didn’t remove his boxers, but he didn’t withdraw the threat of his thumbs either. “You know, I’ve heard it’s a good idea to fight while naked. I think I read that in a very important medical text book written by Albert Einstein’s cousin, Dr. Olga Einstein.”

~*REVIEW BY ELYSSA*~
Fallers, as you well know, I love all things odd and quirky. I like the books that are offbeat, funny, and full of heroines that are just as strange, geeky, and different as the people I surround myself with in real life. That's why I love Penny Reid. Her characters are strong, multifaceted, and have personalities that are strong and varied. Happily Ever Ninja (Knitting in the City series, vol. 5) is absolutely no different. I'm giving it four leaves!

Now here's the thing. This story was wonderful. Without giving too much away, there's action, adventure, modern swashbuckling, and true love. Our hero and heroine are Greg and Fiona Archer, have been married for quite some time now. They have two children. They love each other--they belong to each other. Despite the fact that Greg's job as an engineer keeps him away from home for months at a time, their connection hasn't waned--though each feels lonely without the other at times, it works for them. At least, until Greg gets kidnapped.

That's right. Greg gets kidnapped. Except, in the world of Penny Reid, that's kind of okay because Fiona is ex-CIA. What results from this is one of the most delightful adventure novels I've ever read (and that's saying a lot, because when I was in high school I went through a phase where I tried to read every novel Michael Crichton ever wrote). I'm not kidding. This is a love story... but also at its heart is an adventure. Maybe that's a metaphor for love. An adventure.

Furthermore, Greg Archer is the best man ever. I realize that I say every time I review a Penny Reid book (plus some others--my heart is fickle). I'm not exaggerating this time. Greg is wry, sardonic, dry, and kind of an asshole. He's also sweet, loyal, and so deeply in love with his wife he can't think straight (which occasionally gets him in trouble--with his wife).

I think the only thing I truly didn't like about this novel was that I couldn't relate to it. I have no idea what a be like marriage should or could be like.That's not true--it's not that I didn't like it. It's that I couldn't comprehend it, and I don't like not being able to comprehend things.And I've never been in love, which makes the glorious, sweeping forever-and-ever-married love hard to contemplate. I can't understand why Fiona and Greg do what they do--I understand that it's motivated by love... but I also don't understand. I don't know what it's like to put what you want aside for someone else--I don't know how it feels to be so terrified of losing someone that I endanger myself to keep them safe. There's no way in with this book--there's no holding back, and no way in. You understand or you don't.

So here's my advice: buy Happily Ever Ninja. If you never been in love, learn about it
and read a damn good adventure story.  If you've been in love, or if you're married, commiserate. But, as always, fall in love with a Penny Reid novel. Just do it.


~*ABOUT THE AUTHOR*~

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).
By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories. 
~*GIVEAWAY*~

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