Synopsis
‘Ninja at First Sight’ is a prequel standalone novella for Knitting in the City book 5, ‘Happily Ever Ninja’.
‘Ninja at First Sight’ is 40k words.
This novalla is the expanded origin story for Greg and Fiona. The first 16k words of this novella are from the short scenes included in ‘Scenes from the City’, which is no longer for sale.
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. He aches for her when they are apart, and is insatiable when they are together. 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.
When all is said and done, can Greg handle this new version of his wife? Will his irrepressible cantankerousness push her away? Or can the couple find a way forward without either being forced to step back into the shadows?
*** ARCS kindly provided by Penny Reid for an honest review. ***
Ninja At First Sight
*** This review is a plethora of my love for Greg and Fiona, so you are warned.***
I did it, I said out loud “Holy s**t” in a crowded train when I read the end of ‘Ninja At First Sight’. Everyone was looking at me like a crazy weirdo … Anyway thanks Penny for this novella , but you’re just evil! (For the record, there’s no cliffy)
Yep, this is an unbiased review from a Penny Reid’s fan … Get ready for some ramblings because only 40K words sent me to cloud nine!
I don’t know how to start my review, I have so many things to tell you, how much this novella got a way straight to my heart, how much I loved it. (I read it already three times in a row, totally insane)
This is the story of Greg and Fiona, at the beginning … How they met and fell in love. Just EPIC literally!
For a short moment, I was living vicariously through their story. For the ones who read the series (Knitting In The City), Greg and Fiona are the married couple, with the kids, and I wanted to read all their first moments.
First encounter … It was love at first sight to me … Greg, abrasive, sarcastic, tortured, engaging and fascinating.
Fiona was the quiet and observer girl, fascinated by socialisation. Living apart from people made her just at odds with their interactions.
I was ready for something EPIC and it didn’t disappoint, my face still hurt from smiling! Their story made my heart race, the thrilling of reading how they fell in love was fascinating and captivating.
Then Penny Reid decided to pull out the big guns, I realized that when I saw that I highlighted an entire page, I couldn’t even stop. How can each moment be so memorable, that the feeling of leaving them makes me so sad??
It was just perfection, so real that even after reading it three times, I haven’t gotten over it yet. This book totally worked for me, 5 stars aren’t just enough. Perfect blend of sarcasm, romance, laugh and realism … Just like that!
I was saying that I needed my fix of Penny’s writing and I was served … with a big book hangover! Well done, dear evil overlord!!
Happily Ever Ninja
Where do I start??? I really don’t know, I have so much things to say and I apologize in advance for my unstructured review.
I met Fiona and got some glimpse of Greg in the other books of The Knitting in The City series, when the other characters found their match, they were already married.
I was intrigued to read their story and to see how they meet and fall in love. I’ve got a taste in the novella, Ninja At First Sight, and I was served AGAIN with a book hangover and I couldn’t them out of my head.
Then, Happily Ever Ninja happened, and I was hooked, utterly captivated by this odd book.
For the fifth story, it was very different from the others, mainly for the characters background and the action part.
Reading about their lives as a married couple, that everyone was referring to as the strongest one in the outside but slightly fractured on the inside was interesting. Two kids and a husband who was always on the run due to his job, Fiona might be a ninja but sometimes it was too overwhelming. Asking for help is not an option, and in a certain way, I could relate to her situation, or the way she handled things.
Greg, on the other hand was trying to provide the best for his family, even it was sometimes clumsy. I loved every side of this man, rough, sarcastic and desperately, unconditionally in love with Fiona.
His harshness could be surprising at times, mixing with the need to be needed by his wife.
He kinda put her on a pedestal, and I think that fact she went through a lot when she was younger, learning to be independent and also about her former job was giving him some pressure and increased the gap between them.
Surprisingly, the “action” part was good but not very my favorite, I was searching for deep, scorching feelings and I found it in Fiona and Greg’s story and I wasn’t disappointed. It addicted a plus to the story.
Speaking about the action part, I wanted to see how Fiona lead to this way, and not glimpse of her telling her secret to her husband and then see her in action. It was really weird. She’s bad ass and nailed at her former job but it couldn’t be connected to this part so much. this wasn’t keeping my attention.
Surprisingly there was a lot of unsaid things, and I wasn’t picturing their relationship this way. Also some reserved from a couple that I was seeing like unbreakable, but with a lot of scars and a gap increasing through the years.
Love comes with hard work and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Sorry, Penny, my review comes a little late, I know but I was trying to find the right words and once again, I’m rambling.
Anyway, I really loved it and Greg and Fiona’s story was just memorable.
*** My rating ***
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