Happily Ever Ninja: A Married Romance (Knitting in the City, #5)

by Penny Reid

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. 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.

Happily Ever Ninja is book #5 in the Knitting in the City series. Each book is a standalone, full length (110k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the misadventures and exploits of seven friends in Chicago, all members of the same knitting group.

• ISBN10: 1942874162
• ISBN13: 9781942874164
• Publish Date: 19 January 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Cipher-Naught
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 268
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

I was ANGRY

This book left me with a Hulk like green tinge when I arrived at work each day. Listening on the train left me agitated, frustrated and a little overwhelmed. I would walk into work and it would take me awhile to simmer down from listening to Happily Ever Ninja. Deep breaths, constant reminders that it's "just a book" and hiding helped. I have never read or listened to a book that had me this angry.

I was angry that women have to go through childbirth. I was angry that men sometimes don't see what is right in front of their noses. I was angry that people think they know what's best and they're not always right. I was angry that sometimes wives have to fib a little to husbands to keep the peace. I was angry that pregnancy feels like you're dying. I was angry that the hero made me laugh when I wanted to join the heroine and put him in a choke-hold. I was angry that the heroine didn't scream, shout, rant and rave when she should have. I was angry that love makes you forgive too easily.

I was angry because I recognised it all.

I was angry because I could relate to it all.

I was angry because we do it all for love, peace and happiness.

In the end, the things that made me angry in the story made me love it more. I'm not alone. Penny Reid again proved to me that she's a master of real women romance. I bow down in gratitude and thanks, Ms Reid, I don't feel angry and alone anymore.

[leelu92]

Oh Penny Reid, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! You write books that are funny (actually hilarious at times), sexy and smart. At a time in my reading when I’m struggling to find something that makes feel more than just “meh”, “fine” or “good”, you continue to give me interesting and unique material to read. Thank goodness.

What I found so great about this book was the winning combination of contemporary romance and the addition of a pretty heavy suspense plot. Even with the suspense element, there was so much of this story that completely accessible to me as a mother and a spouse and I truly appreciated that.

As I began this book, I was in the tub, a place where I’m supposed to get some peace and quiet. Ha! Right?!! It’s as if I have magnets in my body, where I move, everyone in my house moves. Reading about Fiona’s struggles with being the numero uno parent all the time due to Greg’s traveling and the arguments they have that every couple has was comforting in a way. During my time reading in the tub, I listened to one of my girls try to convince my husband that she needed to bring home a frog from class during Spring Break and how kids can even keep them after they are done with them at school and can we keep one? Mind you, I have TWINS, so we are looking at hosting 2 more animals in my home. At the same time, the door to the bathroom might as well have been a revolving door because, you know, everyone needs to talk to MOM when she’s in the tub.

So, at one point, as I read and listened to the everyday hub bub of my family, this book felt that much more authentic to me. Because at the heart of this book is a very REAL issue that couples have to deal with- you have to be present mentally and physically in the relationship. Even with a relationship like Greg and Fiona’s, which has always been solid, it can only hold together so long before it starts to get cracks. Fiona begins to feel taken for granted by Greg, that she will always be there to clean up the messes he makes, to take care of all kinds of things when he is gone. And he is gone more than he is home.

She doesn’t want to feel that way but she’s had enough of single parenting and it seems that something needs to change in their family. Greg and Fiona love each other very deeply and we get little flashbacks of their relationship throughout the book, so there is a solid foundation. But what is the breaking point of a marriage?

In the midst of all of this, we get the whole Knitting gang and they are kind of Avenger like in that they all seem to have valuable skills that can be applied to the situation that Greg and Fiona have found themselves in and of course, hilarity ensues many times. At the time, I had not read books 1-3 so, I was not 100% familiar with the origin stories BUT I have since rectified that and I have read book 1 and am slowly catch up. It’s interesting, though, to go back to her first book and see the slight differences in her writing and storytelling.

Take one part contemporary romance, one part romantic suspense, add a healthy dose of Penny Reid magic and you have Happily Ever Ninja.