Dating-ish (Knitting in the City) Paperback – May 16, 2017

Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6) by Penny Reid5 stars!!!“I’m looking for the right person.”I am fairly new to Penny Reid, was a late comer of sorts and have been an addict ever since. Having read the Winston series and some of the books in this series I can honestly say, hand on heart that this is my absolute favourite of hers so far. Penny Reid is hilarious, with witty dialogue and banter that had me laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear, but what I loved most was the articulation. Penny Reid’s style of writing is right up my alley, there is no doubt this woman is extremely clever and I love the knowledge that she expertly weaves throughout this book. The mathematic references had me smiling, the robotic side of this plot was engaging, entertaining and extremely interesting and kudos to Penny Reid, because the research she must have done was surely extensive and that showed throughout this book. But, and this is a huge but, the romance side…be still my beating heart. OMG, I loved, loved, loved it.“Marie, you are the sine to my cosine.”My eyelashes fluttered and so did my heart, but I managed to tease, “Are you saying we’ll never be on the same wavelength?”This was the ultimate in slow burn, ssssssslllllllllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww burn, but at no point in time was this boring at all. OMG, all the feels with this one. This book was so full of emotion that Penny Reid finally made me cry, whether intended or not, the character connection was so far on point that my heart bled for these characters while the shenanigans they got up to lifted me in the next breath.“I’ve never been any good at biologically motivated displays of testosterone superiority, and I wouldn’t want to waste the time of someone who requires them.”Dating-ish brings us two characters that are super nerdy (which I love), unlucky in love, they are quirky, extremely charming and hugely lovable. These two were so funny, like side-splittingly funny and yet totally endearing. The chemistry between the two was positively charged, there were protons flying all over the place, the sexy times…super super hot, I mean, combustible, but before we got to all the good stuff, Penny Reid made us work for it and I loved every single page of it.“I’m serious. Hearts are b******s that way, always looking for a g***amn window.”Things did not get off to a flying start with these two, oh no, they positively hated one and other and for some there would have been no way back. It seems though fate has other ideas and when their paths meet once again all that hate comes back to the forefront but it seems that they could both help each other professionally. Will “working” together wrinkle out their differences or is there too much water under the bridge?“You need to love yourself. Because, if you can’t love yourself, then I can’t count on your love for me.”Marie was a journalist who was sick and tired of the dating game. Online dating was the bane of her existence and shy of turning off men for life she didn’t know what to do. As the base of a new article though she has some ideas and it is the research for these articles that leads to some interesting and hilarious studies. Marie has a massive heart and soul, she wears her heart on her sleeve, will do anything for anyone and is the least unselfish person I have come across. Marie was adorable with a capital A and if anyone deserved a shot a love and a happy ever after it was her.“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 . . .You must demand it.”Matt, OMG this super geek certainly wormed his way into my heart and soul. Matt was the ultimate techie who has thrown himself into the only thing he loves…work. Matt was apathetic, showed no signs of emotion and his propensity to love was non-existent. On the outside, he seemed cold but he was a man who was just waiting to be melted, he just hadn’t met the one to do it. To say my heart broke for Matt would be an understatement, the tears that fell because of Matt were plentiful. Matt was adorable in every way, his flaws made him the man he was and gave us the story that will rank as one of my all-time favourites.“I love you, Matthew Simmons. And I don’t want anyone but you to power on my CPU.”Seriously though, this book was perfection. The banter, dialogue and character connection was on point, the laughs were plentiful, the tears were too. The love/hate in the beginning…the friendship and the more was one the best love stories I have read in a long time. The slow-burn, enticing, mesmerising and entertaining. Engaging from first to last word, Penny Reid held me hostage for hours not wanting to leave these characters alone. I will definitely be re-reading this one…a lot!! Totally and utterly loved it.

This was a single-POV slow burn, very well done and ultimately very satisfying. I like my books with plenty of spice, but even though this one kept us waiting till the last quarter before showing us some serious action, I honestly didn't mind because the characterization and pacing were excellent, and the tension was delicious throughout. One small issue: There are many characters from other novels who show up in this one. If this is your first books of the series (as it was for me, and I rarely read books in order anyway), it's a little disorienting to keep all the women and their spouses separate in your mind (there are several scenes with the whole knitting club and their men), given they are treated as fully realized characters that the reader is supposed to recognize. In that sense, this book is not 100% standalone. I probably would've appreciated it more if I'd read it in order and was already familiar with all the other characters and their stories.

I have lost count of the number of times I have read, or re-read this book, but that's exactly what Penny Reid has done to me with Dating-ish. This book is wedged so deep into my heart that I find myself thinking about it at odd moments and wanting those words crossing my lips and these characters in my head. Then I wonder, "is this what a book hangover feels like?" Going to go out on a limb to say....YES. Very, very, very much...YES.Once again Penny Reid has a given us a brilliantly delightful romance with a side of a topic that is not only current, but one that we may not fully understand. It is her gift to be able to weave subjects such as bitcoin, the Nigerian oil industry and now add in the case of Dating-ish – AI/robotics, cuddling and orgasm meditation -- into her books in ways that not only manage to educate, but also to consider the impacts to the world at large. That said, Penny does an amazing job of breaking down the impact of AI or robotics without ever making it feel as though you have walked into “a very special episode of….” or a lecture series. This book alternatively opened my eyes, as well as made me swoon.But what Dating-ish also did was give me an even deeper appreciation of the Knitting in the City series, the character and its creator. Penny Reid has designed this gorgeous mosaic of stories and characters that individually are stunning, but when considered as a whole are absolutely gorgeous. On paper, this is a group of seven friends who are connected by their weekly knit night, but in their heart and ours, they are a family. Not necessarily linked by DNA, but by love and loyalty that would have them fighting to defend each other by any means possible. As their circle expands with the addition of husbands and children, the love amongst these women grows even stronger. They are by no means perfect, but they are understanding of one another and that is something that has shown through with each reading of these books and probably why I have returned to them time and time again.Marie is the character that had me flying back to the first books in the series again, because it occurred to me that I did not give her my full attention before. In the process, I was reminded of the magic of not only this character, but also the series and its author. Marie is extraordinary in ways that we all should be -- the best kind of a friend; one who shows up without being called, in your corner in times of trouble, sorrow or joy. Marie is a human Swiss Army knife -- there is nothing she can't do. She has any number of tools and resources at her disposal that only serve to add to her supreme awesomeness. But most of all, this woman and her most amazing heart will not only leave you in absolute awe, but will leave you trying to climb in the pages to be in her company.While Dating-ish is told mostly through Marie’s POV and if there were ever a character whose voice I wanted to hear, it was Professor Matt Simmons. Even at his most frustrating, it was impossible not to adore this brilliant man. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.Marie and Matt’s dance towards love is slow and gloriously tortuous – my heart ached, literally ached for them. Their chemistry smolders and very moment in their company is absolutely divine. Even though they were seeing each other through the wrong lenses, there is never any doubt that they were a perfect match.For the record --- I still have a Dating-ish hangover and this review was written while listening to a certain song by one of my very favorite pop stars on a constant loop. #notoveritGet this book, but also read the entire Knitting in the City series. But don’t stop there – Read all of Penny Reid’s books because these communities of characters will in fact build a compound in your heart and stay forever. Happy reading!!!Laurie’s Rating: 10++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Stars.

4.5Wow, that was unexpectedly intense and so many feels. I stayed up half the night reading this, I couldn't put it down.Poor Marie is stuck in an interminable hell of t'interweb dating in her thirties. She's the quiet one from the knitting group, the observer and that really resonated with me as an introvert myself. Better still, her wry and candid observations on the body language and behaviour of people around her were warm and witty, and with just a touch of bittersweet in the way those observations colour the way she sees herself :"I missed the days when I could just smile naturally and not have to think about it."In spite of that, Marie hasn't given up, she doesn't have a lengthy shopping list for the right man , she's simply looking for "the right person" to complement her life. But, following one particularly awkward date with her 'perfect match', a weird, inquisitive man who asks lots of loopy questions and looks nothing at all like his profile pic, she resigns herself to a life with only cats and her knitting group friends for company.And then she meets Fiona's neighbour, the computer science university academic, and realises that her not so perfect match 'date' hadn't been entirely honest with her..."Actually, you're all basically the same person."Despite that less than promising start, Marie and Matt become friends, with Marie agreeing to pass on the benefit of her dating experience to aid Matt's academic research, and Marie using that research as background for a magazine article she's writing."I think, on some level, we'd all like to believe we're special. That something - be it tangible or intangible - makes each person unique."Can I just talk about the chemistry and the feels in this for a moment? Now firmly sitting in the friendzone, every look, every touch, every word they exchanged gave me the warm and fuzzies. I was desperate, absolutely desperate for them to get together, and the anticipation was quite delish. Marie decides to try everything from cuddle therapy to (ahem) dry humping in her pursuit of the truth, with Matt alongside her, getting ever so slightly growly possessive whenever anyone else shows an interest.Matt reminded me of Janey (a male version) as he's academic and analytical yet socially and emotionally naive. I loved the push and pull between the two of them and I understood why they spent so much time together. It was a genuine, authentic friendship.At the halfway point, the story took a turn I was not expecting and, I cannot lie, I was ANGRY. Proper worked up and tense. I won't say any more to avoid spoilers, but I was buddy reading with a few others and so I enjoyed a kinship with them as we all hit that point in the story and reflected on it, and pondered whether we were justified in our reaction. What it really did though was ratchet up the tension and anticipation even more. Once I reached that point, there was no way I was putting this down and going to sleep. I. Was. Gripped.I loved this. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy an intelligent, warm and witty friends to lovers story. And is it me or is the smut getting hotter? Jeez. It can be read as a standalone, but why deprive yourself of the rest of this fantastic series?

4.5* review by Nicole @ Emerald Book Reviews'"You look fine.""Fine?" I asked, glancing down at myself, doubting the dress for the first time since slipping it on earlier."You see," the muscle at his jaw ticked, "I'm not allowed to say you look delicious, or hot, or enticing, or sexy, or f***ing gorgeous, or any of the other thoughts I'm currently having. So, yes. You look fine."Dear lord in Heaven if only all real life men actually meant this when they tell us we look fine.Penny Reid is many things. Sharp, witty, intelligent, quirky, honest and wonderful, and so much of herself is in her writing, the dialogue and the characters. Her stories are on a level that anyone and everyone can connect with, whether they know binary code or not, or whether they understand the definition of what A.I. is. Her words, her characters and the feelings they battle against and towards, are the very things that bind it all together and give her readers a sense of worth. You learn through her books. You feel so much too. And isn't that the most incredible sign of a terrific writer? She hands us the tools to think and feel for ourselves.Dating-ish is a unique and very distinctive romantic comedy, it's certainly on another level of kooky and cute, but in some ways, once all of the mechanics are stripped away, it's just a girl and a guy searching for a true connection but going about it in two completely alternate routes.This is 2017, we all like to think we are people of the modern age, free thinkers, intellects, we find love through computers, or with the swipe of a phone screen, why should the idea of someone else's alternative approach to finding love be dismissed as cold or perverse or ridiculous? Well Matt and Marie embark on a quest to discover just how varied they can be.Dating-ish is at the heart of it a wonderful romance. It did take me a chapter of two to warm up to Matt, but I found in the end he was utterly amazing. The passion and fire that he has in him is intoxicating and there was no one better for him than our heroine Marie. She is fierce and independent, lovable and funny, down to earth but extraordinary and there is no cuter couple than these two.'But when Marie laughed, when her mouth curved in a perfect arch, when her eyes became the combined colours of hydrogen on the visible light spectrum, when the manifestation of happiness as perfect as music passed her lips, then time stopped.Just a little.'Dating-ish is a bit of a slow burn romance, it simmers and smoulders but erupts into a glorious blaze of romance and heat, miscommunication and liberation. Slow burns are the best. They build tension, sexual and dramatic, you're left anxious with anticipation, you smile, you laugh, you cry but you feel. If the poor hero and heroine have to go through it all, you do too.

Plot: Marie Harris has been single since her long-term relationship ended. She’s tried the online dating services, but her latest date was the worst – the oddest dude on the planet. When she is asked to co-wrote an article about replacing human relationships with paid services, she’s more than motivated to try. It also allows her to enlist the help of AI scientist, Matt Simmons – the guy who showed up on her last date and who owes her big.Initially put out that he has to show Marie his work, Prof. Matt Simmons is surprised by how easy it is to interact with her. People don’t often seem to know how to handle his directness and he doesn’t make it easy for them either. Marie takes him at face value and is genuinely interested in his work. Could be he’s found a friend at last…Why you should read it: This book. This book is good. No, it’s great! This series doesn’t disappoint. I loved Marie and Matt. They’re beautiful characters – truly, the holy grail of characters. I loved Matt’s awkwardness – he’s super smart and also super drole when he’s at ease with someone. Marie is great too – her inner monologue was both hilarious and full of pathos. The misunderstandings between the two of them were realistic and not shoe-horned in to engineer drama. The book was a slow burn (which I love) – the sexual chemistry reached boiling point and then blew up! I finished the book and immediately wanted to re-read it. I actually feel a little bereft right now.What you may not like: Not a thing, if you’re familiar with Penny Reid and her quirkiness and love it. I literally can’t think of a negative because I loved it so much.Rating: 5/5 for a smart, (I felt smarter just reading it) sexy as hell story. It’s hopeful, funny and a great chance to check in with the other characters in the series.

What can I say, I'm a slave to Ms Reid's writing. I obsessively Facebook stalk her for release date updates and the occasional sneak peak scenes and character mini-stories she gifts us with. I love all Penny's writing but the Knitting in the City books are top of the pile by far. Honestly I didn't know what to expect from Marie's story as next to Kat she is probably the character we knew the least about, although she was a slightly bigger character in Fiona's story. It was inspired to put her with a character who was also a minor part of another story (not sure if I can mention by name because...spoilers!) who I remember liking but never thought he would end up one of the protagonists in another tale. While all the usual ingredients were there this book felt different from the other KitC ones, but a good different (a very good different!). The love story was a slower...or should I say a different build. It was a true friendship that turned to love and good lord it got emotional at times - well I got emotional! All in all a triumph and highly recommended. On the off chance you're new to Penny's work and stumbled upon this review randomly I cannot stress how much you should read this series in order and learn to love these ladies (and their fellas) they way I have! Roll on Kat's story and more Winston Bros goodness!

Oh just wow. Its a roller-coaster of a ride reading Penny's books, exhilarating and breath taking.Although the book is about Maries story and is in her pov, you still have the community story in the background which makes this author my absolute favourite. I want to continue knowing about the life's of those I've previously read about in the series and now to know Abram is Maries brother, just well done Penny, well done.The story in its self is a romantic tale but as in all of her stories, it's also a source of knowledge, from advances by Nasa to Africa oil corruption and back to Nsa and bitcoins, not forgetting to highlighting the perils of making sure a man has regular check up on his vasectomy. This author covers a lot of ground and I'm so happy to have found these books.