Friends Without Benefits: An Unrequited Romance (Knitting in the City) Paperback – June 30, 2019

5 “Mostly always” “Freaking Nico.” “Stay with me.” “gypsy eyes” KissesOh my stars I LOVE the feelings I get when I read one of Penny Reid’s books. It’s the indescribable mesh of elation and love and I feel like I could shoot myself to the moon based off all the happiness that is in my body. I feel like the Knitting in the City Series is the best kept secret of awesomeness and while a small part of me wants to channel Gollum and keep it hidden away like it’s my very own ‘precious’, the larger part of me wants to shake everyone and be outraged that more people aren’t aware of this genius. Friends Without Benefits is the second book in the series and while technically it can be read as a standalone…I strongly recommend reading Neanderthal Seeks Human and Neanderthal Marries Human - I’m only three books in and I cannot even tell you how much more I love the series because I'm reading the books in order. Each book is building on each other, you get to know the characters and their personalities and at least so far, a lot of the events are intertwining and I simply I adore it – these are the reasons why I am a series lover!!! Plus there is a bit of a overlap with Nico and Elizabeth and Janie and Quinn - Janie and Elizabeth are besties, Nico hires Quinn because of Elizabeth, it’s all explained perfectly, but trust me, it flows much better if you’ve read the other two books. Plus, after I finished Neanderthal Marries Human I was chomping at the bit to get to Elizabeth and Nico…and good freaking LORD…they blew me away.Elizabeth Heather Finney, MD…oh my stubborn little Lizzybella, I adore the fluff out of this little spitfire. She’s all thick skin and determination mixed with just enough mush to keep her loveable and I related to her so much it was scary at times. Elizabeth suffered through some pretty severe losses when she was a teenager and it forever changed the way she handled love and relationships…I got that, I understood her need for walls and barriers and protection and if anything it made me love her more. That doesn’t mean that I sometimes didn’t wanna smack her over the head with her worsted-weight Malabrigo yarn…but of course, with only love in my heart while I did it. It takes a very strong willed and patient man to love and understand Elizabeth…and there is no better man for that job than Nico Manganiello.‘He shook his head then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “No. I want to talk to you.”My eyebrows shot upwards. I’m sure I looked as dumb as I felt. “Me?”“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “Come in. Shut the door.”Shut the door? Is he out of his mind?I didn’t move. I stood paralyzed with a Vulcan death grip on the doorknob. We stared at each other.He was waiting for me to behave like a normal human being.I was waiting for him to disappear, and this nightmare to dissolve.’Niccolò Ludvico Manganiello aka Nico Moretti aka The Face aka Freaking Nico! This man…oh Lord have mercy this man! I adored him…so much. His perfection should be studied for years. He is sexy sophistication with a magnetic personality and all put together in a deliciously yummy Italian package. And for the record, I’m with Elizabeth all the way…when that man speaks Italian, my brain turns to mush – it’s like pure sex in the form of the spoken word. Nico is such an enigmatic mix…he’s got charm and charisma for days, I mean he’s a huge star with his own cable tv show – he’s got the world in the palm of his hands…and a little blonde firecracker has his heart in the palm of hers. I never for one second doubted Nico…his intentions, his feelings, all of it was plain as day and he wore them on his sleeve when it came to Elizabeth. He might be able to put on a show for the world but he was pure and raw and the real Nico when it came to her and I thrived off of seeing him like that.‘I think I went a little insane in that moment and everything — the restaurant and everyone in it — ceased to exist.It was the kind of madness that peaks all at once. It crashes like a tidal wave, leaving no time for thought of the past or future or of consequences. I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d rather do than kiss Nico Manganiello.I wanted to kiss him for the rest of my life.I wanted to sell all of my worldly goods and spend all waking hours with his hands on my body and his mouth on mine.’My kryptonite is and always will be couples with history…and Nico and Elizabeth have enough baggage to fill a 747 and then some – and I loved every. Single. Second. Of. It. Gah!!! They were angsty perfection mixed with so much sexual tension you could cut it with a paper clip…it was magnificent combination that left me dying in the best possible ways. I lived off of the connection they had…and it went beyond the chemistry…it was this underlying current that practically vibrated. Elizabeth and Nico have a very…combative relationship…he loves to rile her up and she is easily riled up and it’s enjoyable any way you slice it.“That’s completely preposterous.”His mouth hooked higher. “You’re blinded by stubbornness.”“You’re just jealous that I’m always right.”“Not always.”“Mostly always.”“There is no such thing as mostly always. It’s either always or not always,” he said.“Well, you mostly always used to say things that made me blind with rage.”“And now?”“And now….” I allowed myself a brief moment to study him. His gaze was wary, but it betrayed interest. “ And now I feel like I’m mostly always the one saying the wrong thing .”His gypsy eyes, searched my gaze, before he whispered, “Not always.”Something I have come to love and deeply appreciate about Penny Reid’s books is the way she cultivates and develops the slow burn. Like with Friends Without Benefits….I went in and it’s very unassuming at first, it was nice and comfortable…great humor and sarcasm and then all of a sudden I’m sucked into a burning vortex of amazing angst and all of this unyielding passion between Nico and Elizabeth and I cannot even fathom the idea of putting the book down. It was witchcraft and I loved it! She has created this amazing world with the Knitting Series and with each book it continues to grow and build in my mind, like this magical kingdom with these fantastical creatures that I want to be my best friends forever and ever. So with Neanderthal Seeks Human, Penny made me fall in love with Janie first…and it was the same thing with Elizabeth. Penny’s character development is flawless on so many levels but I adore how much I love her heroines. They're quirky and unique in the most amazing ways…flawed but in incredibly loveable and relatable ways…and being that the book is told entirely from Elizabeth’s POV, loving her is insanely crucial. I was feeling every single ounce of what she was experiencing and it was majestic and powerful and I loved every moment.‘I loved it. I loved him. I loved waking up in his arms.It was like Christmas and Easter and my birthday and winning the lottery and learning that I could live inside a rainbow without the tradeoff of being a leprechaun. My mind was blown. This was real. He was real.’I kind of feel like I need to write a love letter to Penny about her endings. They’re the most magical creations that have ever existed…they deserve sonnett’s and tributes to their honor, maybe even a statue. I mean, it shouldn’t surprise me, her stories are so completely well crafted, of course the ending it going to knock it out of the park but she literally has never rushed one and I cannot get over how much I adored the way FWB ended. And speaking of, oh-em-freaking-gee…can we talk about how much I am over the moon in love with the epilogues for the books in this series. Penny switches POV’s!!! She did it with Neanderthal Seeks Human and we got Quinn’s POV…so I was really hoping she might do it again and I d-i-e-d because she did!!! I need everything from Nico’s POV…I love it so freaking much it’s not even remotely funny! Clearly I’m riding my Penny Reid high with no end in sight and I’m desperate to dive into the next Knitting in the City Book - Love Hacked …it’s Sandra!!! She was a huge support to Elizabeth so I’m über excited to see what is in store for the knitting therapist! #KnittersRule

Elizabeth Finney is a doctor who suddenly runs into a sexy TV reality star that also was her childhood friend (and person that she lost her virginity to)...Nico ManganielloThey are thrown together, by Nico's skilled manipulations, and they end up needed to see each other over a course of several weeks. (am trying not to throw out too many spoilers).Nico is still completely smitten by Elizabeth and does everything he can to get her to fall for him.She, other the other hand, does everything she can to keep from falling again for him.Nico is incredible. He is gorgeous, funny, sexy, kind, an adoring uncle, a loving son, talented, etc. Almost perfect.Elizabeth is smart, beautiful, funny and sassy. But she is commitment-phobic. She is scared (for reasons you find in the book). I didn't truly buy into the reason. I think we've all lost someone important to us, but she is now completely afraid.Nico pursues.She deflects.She rants a bit in her head. She keeps telling herself that she is going to hurt him, etc.It would be super annoying, except that she does have a few moments of clarity and she is incredibly funny. Both Nico and Elizabeth are funny and some of their conversations are laugh out loud funny.What saves me from not wanting them to end up together b/c of Elizabeth's 'issues', is that she is an amazing doctor, she is deeply a kind-hearted selfless person, Nico is super amazing, Elizabeth does have moments where you realize that the is hope for her.So the book has an evil villain, and it is realistic - meaning that you could see something like this truly happening.The book has a couple of hot sexy scenes, but it's not a big part of the book at all.There is a very nice HEA.No cliffhanger.This book is funny, sweet and a very steady ride to a happy ending.Elizabeth did get on my nerves a few times with her internal conflicts, resulting in her freaking out on Nico a few times.But she gets herself together at the end and makes it all right.This is a easy to read, no angst-y book that doesn't have major misunderstandings, nor super high drama. It's predictable, but leaves you with a happy feeling at the end.Enjoy

I think Elizabeth and Nico will be my favourites in this series, and I would have given it 5 stars if not for some of the italian sentences which had a wrong translation. Nothing major but as an italian reader I felt bad when they weren't properly translated. This said I loved it!

Ich genieße die gesamte Reihe. Es ist lustig, spannend und herzerwärmend. Nicht nur die Hauptcharaktere sind Klasse. Auch die Nebencharaktere machen Lust auf mehr.

I really enjoy Penny Reid’s writing style. Her books are fun and witty and a true delight to read. I have enjoyed all three of her works that I have read so far. Her distinct literary voice shines through in all of them, but I appreciate the fact that each book (and the characters that they contain) are unique. :-)

Really well written this series. The characters are witty and intelligent, girls and boys, with great personalities. Romantic but more than that. Not many sex scenes, not too much details, but enough to be interesting and give a look on this side of the interaction. You will love each book. This one... Oh, Nico Moretti, bad bad boy, but soooo in love with our girl. You will love him. Totally recomended, this and the rest of the series. Well, I'm in the sixth book but so far so goooood.

Penny keeps delivering funny, quirky, sweet stories. I was a little hesitant at first to read about Elizabeth, out of all the Knitting group she as my least favourite, how ridiculous is that?! I loved Janie & Quinn, but after reading Elizabeth and Nico's story, they are now my firm favourites. This book kept me 100% engrossed through every chapter, every encounter. It was one thing happening straight after the other, bam, bam, bam! This story did not slow down, it kept me intrigued all the way. I loved seeing the other characters, the whole knitting group, Nico's family were absolutely wonderful (I want all their stories too!) Whether we got Chapter 22 or not, the book was already so sexy hot, the interaction between Nico & Elizabeth was off the charts. But because we did get Chapter 22, it made it even more sizzling! This book is a must read! I'm giving it 5 big fat stars.