Title: Dating-ish
By: Penny Reid
Series: Knitting in the City #6
My Copy: Ebook from Author
The BookWhisperer's Rating:
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris:
1) She’s fed up with online dating,
2) She’s so fed up, she’s willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and
3) She knows how to knit.
After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of human kind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men. With the help of her friends, she quickly identifies a few possibilities:
Need a cuddle? Use a professional cuddler. Need affirmation? Get yourself a life coach. Need an orgasm? Try orgasm meditation! Why does she need the hassle of a romantic partner when she can meet all her needs with paid services?
But then her irritating date resurfaces. And he’s not at all the person she thought he was. And he suggests a different—and crazier—solution to her dilemma . . .
As everyone knows (or will soon come to realize), traditional relations between humans are a thing of the past. Robots are our future. And if robots are our future, then why do we need other people at all?
I can't! I can't even begin to tell you my love for Penny Reid but I'm going to try really hard while not trying to sound like a stalker.
Let's talk about who she is as a person. I have befriended her on Facebook and Instagram and getting to know someone through their posts really does shed some light on the individual. #allthesweetestthings This woman posts all the sweetest things in life, about life, and around life. Then adding to my adoration for Penny is the fact that I met Penny last month. I MET HER! (Side note: It was so glorious. I was just getting over the stomach flu and was 99% sure I was going to die but the only thing that kept me alive was knowing that I was going to see Penny so I pushed through and continued to live.) To say that her posts are the sweetest does nothing to compare to how sweet and kind and funny she is in real life. I flat out told her that I was there to just meet her; that it was my only goal. Penny was so kind to tell me how much she appreciated that but that there were many authors that I should check out and then she proceeded to list them all. Seriously everyone, she is a gem!
Now on to the book:
I am going to admit that there were a few characters in the Knitting in the City line up that I was excited about when their books came out (now let me clarify, I wanted to read them all but there were some that I just knew I would love tremendously) and Marie really wasn't one of them. Don't ask why...I don't know but I will say that within the first chapter I realized how idiotic I was and that Marie was definitely someone I was excited about from there on out. As a journalist and a single lady searching for love, Marie is keeping herself busy by chasing the story and online dating. However, after a peculiar run in with an online date who turns out to know Fiona, Marie starts digging into Matt's story, both professionally and personally. This brings all sorts of hidden secrets to light.
After finding out why Matt is dating online, what his real job is, and his goal is, Marie decides to bargain with him and weasel her way into his study. This is where all the adorableness happens. Even though everything starts out friendly, Marie and Matt become cuter and more deserving for each other every time they are together. However, what I was really surprised with was the reaction when Marie and Matt realize something is there but that nothing can grow out of it until Matt realizes his worth.
"I refuse to have you question your value. In doing so, you insult me. If you want to be with me, you're going to have to find a way to accept that you're not just worthy of great love, and you don't just deserve great love..." I pressed a kiss to his mouth, and then whispered against his lips, "You must demand it."
How absolutely beautiful and true! It is something that I need to remind myself as I am searching for my great love.
Breaking it all down, I feel like Penny's readers can learn life lessons (and, of course, random fact, especially if Janie is around). Every time I crack open one of her books, it really ends up speaking to my soul. And never, ever has she treated her readers like dummies. Every book is written to enlighten each reader and water his or her mind so that it can bloom.
Dating-ish, an all new standalone from the USA Today bestselling Knitting in the City romantic comedy series by Penny Reid is available now!
'Dating-ish' can be read as a standalone, is a full length 100k word novel, and is book #6 in the Knitting in the City Series.
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris: 1) She's fed up with online dating, 2) She's so fed up, she's willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and 3) She knows how to knit.
After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of humankind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men. With the help of her friends, she quickly identifies a few possibilities:
Need a cuddle? Use a professional cuddler. Need affirmation? Get yourself a life coach. Need an orgasm? Try orgasm meditation! Why does she need the hassle of a romantic partner when she can meet all her needs with paid services?
But then her irritating date resurfaces. And he's not at all the person she thought he was. And he suggests a different--and crazier--solution to her dilemma . . .
As everyone knows (or will soon come to realize), traditional relations between humans are a thing of the past. Robots are our future. And if robots are our future, then why do we need other people at all?
Excerpt:
He was quiet for bit, we both were, and I felt myself relax more and more. His palm took a detour every so often, dutifully skipping my hip and sliding along my side, and then back to my leg. Soon, I was so relaxed I felt drowsy.
I felt fingers in my hair, moving the mass away from my neck with treasuring strokes just before Matt nuzzled the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to scatter over my skin.
“Mmm.” I smiled. “Hey. Jared said no tickling.” My voice sounded sleepy.
“Does this tickle?” Matt asked softly, nuzzling me again. I felt the brush of his lips—not a kiss, a brush—paired with hot breath against the bare skin of my neck and a zing shot straight down my spine, making my toes curl and a sudden hot ache twist in my lower belly.
Oh no.
I knew that ache. I hadn’t felt it because of another person’s touch in
quite a long time. Nevertheless, no one ever forgets
that ache.
My back arched instinctively, my bottom pressing back against his crotch, and I stiffened. I felt my nipples harden, strain beneath the cotton of my bra. I was now fully awake. No longer drowsy.
Nope.
Not even a little.
Matt stiffened, too. His movements abruptly ceasing.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked, alarm coating his words, and in the next moment his hand was suspended in the air above me. “Did I touch something I shouldn’t?”
I exhaled a short, nervous laugh, gripped by the urge to sit up.
“No. No. You didn’t.” I moved to the edge of the bed, righting myself, away from Matt, needing distance. “I’m good.” I gathered a silent breath and released it slowly because my pulse was racing.
Crap, Marie. Get a grip. It’s Matt Simmons. Professor Matt. The big kid. Why are you reacting this way?
“Did I . . .” These initial words were hesitant, and a moment of silence stretched before he continued, his tone comically teasing as he finished his thought. “Did I
arouse you?”
I snorted, shaking my head, laughing at his silly tone. Turning at the waist to peer at him over my shoulder, Matt was grinning at me, twisting a make-believe mustache between his thumb and forefinger.
But then he stopped.
“I did, didn’t I?” he pushed, his hand dropping. He looked pleased, if not a little amazed.
I sighed, feeling a smidge embarrassed, and nodded. “Actually, yes. That’s a sensitive spot for most women.”
“The back of your neck?” He lifted himself to one elbow, his eyes darting to my neck with keen interest.
“My neck in general, actually.”
“Huh.” Matt frowned thoughtfully. “Where else?”
I pressed my lips together and gave him an incredulous look. “I’m not telling you that.”
“Why not?”
“Matt.”
“What if I needed it for research reasons?”
“Matt.”
“What if I told you it was part of our questionnaire?” He tossed his legs over the side of the bed and stood, walking around to my side and offering me his hand. “You should give me a schematic of your body with the erogenous zones circled and rated.”
“Let me guess, you want them rated on a ten-point scale,” I deadpanned as I accepted his hand, stood, and stepped away to gain some distance and straighten my shirt.
He shrugged, crossing his arms, stalking after me. “Or exponential. I was going to say a Likert scale, but a logarithmic scale works, too.”
Chuckling, appreciative of his attempt to diffuse my embarrassment and awkwardness with the joke, I realized Matt Simmons wasn’t a bad guy. He might even be a good guy, just a little . . . peculiar.
And wants to replace romantic relationships with robots. Best not forget that detail.
Yeah, he’d make an interesting friend.
“Thanks.” I gave him a small smile.
“For what?” His eyes moved between mine.
“For the cuddle. Thanks for the cuddle, Matt.”
“Anytime, Marie.” He grinned down at me, his eyes dancing as he leaned forward and whispered, “Anytime.”
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Meet Penny Reid:
Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Connect with Penny:
Twitter: @ReidRomance
