What do a cynical former Marine and a sheltered former Olympic contender have in common?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
He has a girlfriend and she’s never been kissed.
He’s sullenly sarcastic and she’s earnestly empathetic.
He can’t stop thinking about her.
She knows she should keep her distance.
Nevertheless, when opposites attract, the results may be unexpected, but they’re also … undeniably magnetic.
‘Ninja at First Sight’ is a standalone, prequel novella (for book 5 of the Knitting in the City Series, ‘Happily Ever Ninja’) and is 40k words.
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Origin stories are my favourite! And Greg and Fiona are adorable in college, this was the perfect novella to better understand where they come from, since they are the only couple already married in the series and we couldn’t see much of them in the previous books. i loved seeing young Fiona discover the outside world and on her way to become the mama bear we know her to be. And how fun is young sarcastic and disenchanted Greg? I adored them.
This is a sweet prequel novella that should be read before Fiona’s full story if you are a Knitting in the City Junkie, of which I am. Sheltered Fiona is a freshman in college, but not at the college her mom wants her to attend. Having survived a brain tumor, she has looks at life differently than most others and it shows in her eyes. Greg has eyes only for her, much to his chagrin, since he has had the same girlfriend for a year. He sometimes says goofy things, just to get a reaction, and loves to debate. When he finds out Fiona has never been kissed, he makes it known that he wants to be her first.
(Read Jan. 2016)
5+ “I WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING” STARS!!
Penny Reid never ceases to amaze, intrigue, bewilder and astound me! How can a less than 200 page story blow me away? Never, does that happen! I am a big book, lots of detail, give me more kind of reader and my romance lovin’ mind has just been blown. Ninja at First Sight made me giggle, guffaw, slap my thigh and then turned around and had me sighing while tearing up. Each consecutive book that Penny writes JUST. GETS. BETTER!!
A sweet and wonderful little novella that gives us the beginning of Fiona and Greg that could not have been more fun and perfect. Love at first sight is basically a punch to the chest that knocks you out and starts your system up again, aligned to someone else’s. Makes you more aware of them, a touch, a look, everything is more intense and real. Like all the moments before we’re black and white, and all the ones after are in full HD with color and all the upgrades. Fiona and Greg are to be envied in every way and I cannot wait to start the rest of their story, like right now!
Sweet college romance, with some great aha moments. I swear I’m using some of the lines from this one my fav snarky one ” not tonight I have to give my fish a bath” Greg is an intelligent man who questions the world and Fiona is ready to challange his views. She is virginal, he is well practiced, instead of rushing to 3rd base he takes time to get to know her. It’s a wonderful slow romance with some thought provoking questions. I loved the ending, way to end with a BANG Ms. Reid.
I normally don’t care for novellas but from this author they are not to be missed.
A laugh out loud read. With wonderful characters and a great prelude to the next book in this amazing series.
All of Penny Reid’s books are wonderful! Read this whole series if you like intellectual humor.
Okay, I’m slow but I didn’t realize this was a prequel to Ninja Ever After, which I have yet to read. Accordingly, I was reading this as a standalone New Adult and was surprised at the ending. But as with other Penny Reid’s, the characters are multi-layered and the relationship is an aching, slow burn. I love the Fiona-Greg coupling and will definitely be reading the next in series.
Greg is witty and his sarcasm stole my heart! Simply put, I loved him. Fiona is a strong female character who isn’t afraid of a heated debate. The two are perfect for each other. The end of this novella will have you rushing to read their full story. Loved, loved!
Another great book in this wonderful series. I really enjoyed all of these books. I definitely recommend this series and this author.
I knew there was something I liked about Fiona and Greg, and this prequel to their story just confirmed it – big time.
Greg is all kinds of swoonworthy, I mean this guy doesn’t give up does he?
Smart, sexy, that accent. I loved his persistence.
Fiona – I love her as an adult, and adored her a college student. And now reading their full length story, I love what she has become.
Sweet, sexy, tender -this novella is the perfect lead in to Happily Ever Ninja.
I love Greg and Fiona. I loved getting a little look on how they came about. Greg cracks me up! He’s got great one-liners. The part with him standing outside the door saying he wants to be her first everything…girly sigh. Come on January! I seriously can not wait for their book.
Favorite Quotes:
He smelled like snow and soap and sweat – and not rank, pungent sweat. It was a sweet, masculine smell and made my internal organs try to rearrange themselves; likely the power of male pheromones at work.
He was awful. He was irreverent and offensive and abrasive, and, for some strange reason which should have alarmed me, I found him completely enchanting. Perhaps the shock value appealed to me because my entire life had been so sheltered. Or perhaps I was twisted and wrong in some way.
His tone turned mock-stern, ‘Prepare yourself. I’m going to kiss you now.’
No guy should give you tongue for your first kiss. Tongue requires practice and feels like a slimy alien creature if you’re not prepared for it, or if it’s not done properly.
He is creepy. He looks like one of the children of the corn, and take into account that we’re currently in Iowa where corn fields abound.
It’s been twenty-four hours and I’m ruined… Yes. I’ve been through all my best pornography videos this evening and nothing interests me… If you want to know the truth, I’m rather upset about it. I’ve invested quite a lot of money in the Debbie Does series, and now it’s all rubbish.
You should always be taking notes when we’re together. I’m a consistent source of how to do everything right.
I’ve been so careful, taking things slow, because I wanted to fall in love with your mind and heart first, not much it up with arms and legs and appendages.
‘I’m not good enough for you Fe. But..’ he shrugged, giving me his crooked smile, ‘no one else is either. So I might as well take you for my own.’
My Review:
I know I posted too many favorite quotes but I had even more, I always do when reading an exceptionally clever book and particularly when reading Penny Reid. Sigh, I just adore her work, it is mesmerizing. Be prepared to continue on with the second book as her writing is highly addicting and this ends in a wicked cliffhanger, but luckily, that second book is already loaded on my precious kindle or I would be foaming at the mouth right now. I am shocked and amazed but will admit that I read this book beginning to end and loved every bit of it – without realizing I was reading YA – yes, I totally fell for it. But then I would probably read anything in any genre this talented author would choose to write. Rushing off now to immediately start book 2 Happily Ever Ninja!
I almost didn’t buy this because the main character was 18 and i wasn’t sure I could relate to the story, but I ‘m so glad I did. It’s a prologue to the story of the main characters, Fiona, and Greg. Their story begins in college. You skip forward to after they get married and have kids and then the 2nd part of their story is told in another book. I haven’t read the 2nd part because I am reading the “Knitting in the City” series in order. This series is fantastic! This book is wonderful!