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Review

4 “alert level red” stars!

Penny Reid has written another fantastically hysterical story for the Knitting in the City series. From the moment I knew there was something happening between Elizabeth and Nico in Neanderthal Marries Human, I couldn’t wait to get my hand on this book!!

We first meet Elizabeth Finney in Neanderthal Seeks Human as the best friend and roommate of the heroine, Janie. As an Emergency Room physician, Elizabeth is serious about her job but throws in humor to make working in the intense ER bearable. She also loves to knit…a lot! She is sweet, fun, and sarcastic, and has an interesting take on relationships and love. She fears falling in love after losing her first love and never gives anyone more than a casual hook-up. She is content with her life even if she isn’t always happy. Then, her life gets tossed upside down when a new patient arrives at her hospital.

Nico Manganiello is sex-on-a- stick. He’s got his own comedy show and is a well-known celebrity. When they run into each other again after years apart it is apparent that the intense connection is still strong. They have a past that ended in heartbreak and, refusing to hurt Nico again, she vows to be his friend and nothing more. Being friends without benefits proves difficult when he’s all she can think about. Nico is not ready to give up on Elizabeth and so a hilarious journey to find a second chance at love begins.

I knew I would love Elizabeth when we first met her. She is a wonderful friend and has such a big heart. She is smart, witty, clever, and can be so stubborn, which in turn makes her do and say hilarious things. She can’t help what pops into her head and I couldn’t stop from laughing-out-loud at all the rambling in her head.

Everything about him at the moment made my internal organ bleed hearts and flowers and puppies and kittens and hot chocolate and hot apple cider and red wine and campfires and Star Trek and yarn – my favorite things.

It’s not easy to change long accepted ideas about love and life, and Elizabeth had a lot of growing to do before she could truly be happy. I loved the way her character was written and that her growth took time and wasn’t rushed, I just wished she didn’t push Nico away as much as she did while ignoring her obvious feelings.

I adored Nico. Adored him I tell you!!! I loved his overall personality and all the sweetness he had inside him. I admired his honesty and ability to say how he felt without holding back. He is all sweet, swoony, and sexy wrapped up in a package and truthfully, I don’t have a clue how Elizabeth resisted him as long as she did. Nico’s confession was honest and vulnerable and I loved it. His persistence and passion made me warm and gooey inside and I am so glad that he didn’t give up.

“I don’t want to be fair! I’m not interested in being nice! You’re right. I’m playing games with you, and I’m playing dirty because I want you, I need you – I need to be with you, to hear your voice, your laugh, to hold you, to touch you…”

I just knew that he and Elizabeth would be perfect together, and they were!! I loved watching their story play out. From friends to enemies, to the reconnection as friends, and then to the beautiful love that should have bloomed when they were younger but instead exploded when they were older. *Get a fan ready when you read Chapter 22 — Open-Door Love Scene because it is HOT!*

The epic banter is comical and the sexual tension is off the charts. Nico and Elizabeth have great chemistry which is intensified the more Elizabeth resists the pull she feels towards him. All the sizzling tension between them creates a delicious buildup to the romance that made me desperate for them to just take that chance.

This book was not all fun and games though and there were serious moments that tugged at my heart. The heavy times in this story were made lighter with just the right amount of humor, which did not downplay all the sadness, rather it made you smile through the pain.

As with the other books in this series, the side characters were fantastic. We get to see all the ladies of the knitting group making me eager to get my hands on their books, as well as more Janie and Quinn, and new characters like Nico’s neice, Angelica and his mom, Rose.

I have to give a shout out to all the music in the book. I love that humor that was put behind Elizabeth’s taste in music as well as the music that meant something to Nico. I loved the mixed CD and thought it was a clever play made by Nico.

In true Penny Reid style, this book combines humor and heart with light and dark moments creating a well-rounded rom com. Another must read!!

*Note: I listened to the audio version and it was wonderful! The narrator does a great job switching between characters and I highly recommend it!

 

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Knitting in the City series

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