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

My very favorite thing about Penny's female leads is that they are all uniquely interesting, smart, and funny. I think Fiona just became my favorite.This real life romance focused on a couple that has been married for 14 years and wholly resonated with me. It so perfectly captured how you can simultaneously want to cut and kiss your husband.Plus crazy ninja hijinks and badassery. It's a must read.

I cried reading this story. I've never cried reading a Penny Reid book before, but this one made me bawl. Her descriptions on the trials and rewards of marriage struck such a chord with me that I've been left in a state of utter introspection. Greg and Fiona make me want to be a better wife. And Penny Reid has blown me away with insights that I never before considered. This book was magic, and adventure, and romance, and witty humor. I would definitely recommend this book to others. After all... if they don't learn about it from me, they'll just find out about it on the streets.

I happen to be crazy for this author. If you have happened upon any of my earlier reviews, I guess you do know that. I don't anticipate ever not buying and devouring a new novel by Penny Reid. In fact, I have read all of her heretofore published books a minimum of 4 times. That much love, I have. Happily Ever Ninja is the latest book in the Knitting in the City series. Our main character is Fiona Archer...Ninja. She is both a secret and an obvious Ninja. Anyone who has read the previous novels in this series was beyond excited (crazy excited) for Fiona's book.There was the obvious distinction of this story revolving around a married couple, not a newly unfolding romance. Something new for the kids. Something a bit like a unicorn among a herd of mustangs in the world of romance. For those of us who are married, not in a newly unfolding romance, this concept was greatly intriguing. What? A love book about married people? Realllllllllllly... Yep. Really. And not a gratuitous or patronizing kind of love story. Of course not! This is a Penny Reid story! There was a plot that involved lots of action and high drama. There was also a depth of emotion, honest to goodness thoughts and feelings.In marriage, we go through "seasons" of activity and change. The increase in our responsibilities with mortgages and car payments, navigating insurance and career-building, CHILDREN...these things cause us to continually re-negotiate our relationship. There really is no way to imagine or form a plan for the changes that occur within ourselves, individually, and what impact that will have on our coupledom. That has a direct impact on how we connect to this person with whom we are most attached. There are so many more emotions that develop over the course of a marriage than that initial attraction/passion. Self-discovery really never ends!And so, here was Fiona, at a "crossroad season" in her marriage. The author did not minimize that fact at any point during the book. She actually demonstrated how that emotional state effected Fiona's reactions and actions to all of the other things that came her way. What the thought process was doing to her rationale, was so real and so true. I will not go further in the telling of this particular aspect of the story. It needs to be "experienced". I will say that upon finishing the book, I had to wait several days before I could put any words down for a review. I experienced a feeling not unlike that of waking from a dream and still feeling the fear, anger, anxiety that was generated by whatever was taking place in that dream. When that happens, I am agitated all day, dealing with things THAT NEVER HAPPENED! The thing is...much of what happened inside Fiona in Happily Ever Ninja, HAS HAPPENED inside me. That is the level of tremendous skill this author has. That. No, I am not a super-secret agent, by the way. In case you were thinking, maybe. ;)We are introduced or re-introduced, as the case may be, to the atrocities that occur in Nigeria with the oil corporations. There is light shone upon the political and environmental nightmare that exists in this region of the world. I was aware of this horrible fact, but learned a few things while reading the book. This story line made the book feel a little Ludlum-y. I loved it! It was thrilling and intriguing and eye-opening. And, hello Greg, you sexy-smart-kicking ass man! I can't even. This man's snark and strength are to me what the promise of Milk Bones are to my Labradors. There may or may not be some tongue-hanging, tail-wagging, and drooling involved. There is.What the author did was truly awesome and admirable. She built a story that was a mixture of self-rediscovery/re-imagining, action, and LOVE. Yes, it was a love story. Upon further reflection, it truly did unfold as newly unfolding romance of sorts. Fiona and Greg re-evaluated and found a way to begin their Tomorrow Marriage. Their love story is tangible in its honesty. They are like a seasoned cast iron skillet...better and better after fire and over time. It was beautiful and I will re-read this book at least 4 times.As ever, I am grateful to have discovered this talented author. Thank you, Talented Author! <3

There are so many reasons to enjoy books by Penny Reid. They engage your emotions - drawing you into their world. I find myself laughing at the characters while sympathizing with them. Every woman I know would love to be loved and cherished by Greg. I buy every book I can find by Penny Reid. Her writing is fun, intelligent, and well written. I read a book a day and have never understood why so many authors seem to be okay with poor grammar and slight evidence of proof reading. If you are looking for a book that will lift your spirits and make you laugh out loud, this is for you.

5 swoon-worthy Stars for Greg and FionaTheir story encompasses the antithesis of any "normal" romance.1. They're already married and have been for years.2. They rarely live together yet are raising 2 children.3. Greg has a moral stance on everything from soccer to the global environmental responsibility. Fiona just wants her kids to have a "normal" childhood.Normal or not, their story drew me right in and didn't let go.You can't help but love how Fiona deals with the challenges that life throws her. She's ex-CIA and all around badass. I want to be Fiona when I grow up!Greg is serious, funny, witty and completely offensive. And he can always make Fiona laugh.This book make me laugh out loud and occasionally cry while I was doing it.Thank you Penny Reid. You did it again!

Love Penny Reid's books, and this one is no exception. Loved the realistic perspective on what married life is like, the juggling, the compromises, the irritation & desire to give your partner a good swift kick at times. Have to say I did not like Greg as much as I thought I would. He's a bit selfish & thoughtless, & makes Fiona's life harder than it needs to be as a result - not appealing characteristics in a man. He's also clever, obviously loves Fiona, & can be a delightful smartass. There was a lot more action in this book than expected, in fact it would make a good action movie. Not what I expected, but it works. Penny Reid, you have a delightful turn of mind.

I have loved every single book Penny Reid has written, but this is easily my favourite so far. I fell in love with Fiona and Greg during their chapters in 'Scenes in the City' and this book has just cemented them as two of my all time favourite book characters. Greg is hilarious and unapologetically sarcastic, and manages to defuse any situation with humour. Fiona is super mom, super wife, and super ninja. Couldn't get enough of them, and wished the book would never end.

Why you should read it: I have been waiting ever so patiently for a new Penny Reid release and wasn’t disappointed. Her books are always quirky, well-observed and downright funny, but this one really took me on a journey I did not see coming! I was expecting a domestic story about a heroine who is in danger of fading away under the daily grind of drudgery. Instead, I got taken on a mission to another continent, which included danger and adventure along the way. At the same time, we got a clear picture of a marriage in trouble – the fact that marriage can’t thrive on love alone. It takes WORK. It was smart and I found myself identifying with some of the issues in the book.What you might not enjoy: Greg is hard work – he is so convinced that he’s right all the time that I wanted to thump him! For such an intelligent man, he can’t see what’s in front of him. His wife is struggling and he isn’t helping the situation. That’s the point of the story: he’s partly to blame, but so is Fiona – the two of them need to make changes if their relationship is to survive. It was a very thought-provoking read.Rating: 4/5 – for a smart, real look at a marriage under the microscope – it kept me guessing and by the end of all the drama, I felt an immense sense of relief!Love was never enough, not without mutual respect and a great deal of drudgery and effort. And even then, it wasn’t enough. Wanting each other, being open to change, pushing each other to improve and grow – for the better – working to deserve each other, was the key.

I wonder when I'll be old and wise enough to understand that it's near impossible to put a new Penny Reid book down even when I start it at 9 PM and would actually have to study for an exam (or any other obligation) I have the next day? In a way I hope that this day will never come because that would mean that Ms Reid's writing wouldn't be up to the standard it is today.The author said that this one will be different from any other book you've ever read, different from any other book she has ever written and all in all, kind of odd. She was correct. Oh, how right she was. It is all of that but at the same time it's everything you actually look for in a romance novel. And then something extra as well.Frankly, this book is a bit odd because it's about a couple who has been together for a really long time and the book isn't about how one of them gets sick or dies or cheats or simply falls out of love. This book is about a couple whose love story is an example for all of us. It shows us how it is still possible to be in love with your partner after nearly 20 years together, how your everyday squabbles do exist and how you actually have to work (a bit) that your relationship would work.

As with all Penny's books once I start reading I can't stop. I really enjoyed this story because it was different. It showed that marriage is not perfect but it was still romantic, funny, emotional and had a lot of adventure and excitement it it too!

A fabulously entertaining book; full of action, laugh out loud moments, wonderful characters and a reflection on how love is a constant work in progress.

Greg and Fiona are two of my favourite characters from Knitting in the City. Their marriage and all the everyday turmoil that be dealt with within it felt real. The sarcasim and clever comebacks had me laughing.