Neanderthal Seeks Human

Knitting in the City #1

by Penny Reid

This is a previously-published edition - ASIN: B00BUWA58E

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Humor, Fiction, Adult

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2013

About the author

Sign up for the newsletter of awesome: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

FOLLOW PENNY:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyreidwriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reidromance
Instagram:www.instagram.com/reidromance


Just Released:
October 20, 2022: Folk Around and Find Out, Good Folk: Modern Folktales, Book 2

Upcoming Releases:
December 13, 2022: Drama King, Three Kings Series, Book 2

Currently Working On:
2023: Pride and Dad Jokes, Ideal Man, Book 1

Reviews

[Amy Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't review books I don't like. I'm an author and I think there should be some professional courtesy among authors. If you don't like a book and you write books, especially in the Indie community, it is always better to just politely say nothing at all. I know when other authors rate my books poorly and write a critical review it always ticks me off and, frankly, feels a little suspect. Sorry. Just my opinion. SO! Having said that, please believe me when I say, this book rocked and I have no ulterior motive or reason to review it other than I really, really enjoyed it.

For me, it was everything I enjoy in a book.

I read some reviews of this one before posting my own and I was stunned at some of of the criticisms. First criticism? "It was awkward."

Um. Yeah. It was. It was supposed to be! The heroine is incredibly awkward and cheesy and dorky and she KNITS for hell-sake. And she says the most unbelievably brilliant, yet unimportant, things. And they are FUNNY! Which brings me to another criticism of the book.

"There was a lot of irrelevant information."

HA HA HA! I'm dying here. YES! There was! The character is a female Alex Trebek without the gravitas and the poise (and the grey hair, etc.)And she was so freaking lovable and endearing. And the stuff this author knows! I was blown away by the attention to factoids and details that for me raise books from "I could read this in a coma and still grasp it" to "Holy crap this is awesome." I like the meat in a book, the stuff that makes the characters real and the story original. And this book has that in spades. And Quinn was sexy. He just was, people. My heart got a little squishy when I typed that. Okay. Back to my point.

And finally, this. "I was lost and confused for most of the book. I skimmed most of it."

Seriously, if you're going to skim a book, don't complain about not understanding what's going on. o_0 That seems like a given to me.

Do I seem a little cranky? Well, I kind of am. I know every book isn't for everyone, but this book was incredibly well-written, intelligent, funny, and just GOOD. And I like good books to get good reviews.

That's all. So I'm adding mine to the mix. Plus - I've gifted this book to a handful of my personal friends, one who has a son dying of cancer. She needed a good laugh. And she got one. She contacted me yesterday, thanked me profusely, and said she was "rolling with laughter."

Enough said.

[Penny Reid]

★★NOW LIVE IN KU★★
It's finally here! I am so flipping excited for you all to read this historical romance re-imagining of Neanderthal Seeks Human! ‘Neanderthal Seeks Duchess’ by Laney Hatcher is available in Kindle Unlimited now!

★★⁣⁣Grab your copy TODAY!★★⁣⁣
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3h0HoOb
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ByTl7t
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3I0hWo6
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3H4csre
Audiobook: Coming this summer!
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/33Yj8cQ

**AUDIOBOOK LINKS**
Audible*iTunes*Authors Direct*Kobo*Nook*Google Play

**EBOOK LINKS**
Amazon US*Amazon UK*Amazon AU*Amazon CA
Apple Books*Google Play*Kobo*B&N*Smashwords

Buy a Signed Paperback Copy from Penny's Store

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

The thing I HATE about romance books on Goodreads is they always receive this insanely high star rating that is not at all accurate (50 Shades)! It makes me soooo mad!




No, wait, let me calm down and go over the things I liked:
1. It wasn't too bad insta-love which was unusual for how cheesy this whole novel actually was.
2. The protagonist could have been interesting. In a way she was very unique and different.
3. Okay...well I guess that was all I got.

Things I hated:
1. The writing was awful. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, weird phrasing, strange metaphors... it was all bad.
2. The plot was ludicrous. Janie literally ended up with a man just like her ex-boyfriend. The reasons they broke up were exactly WHY she liked the new fellow. Am I missing something here?
3.The conversations were often so awkward I cringed. Is it always necessary to make your two leads so dumb that they always misunderstand what the other means, and follow that up with some unnecessary angst!
4.Dude was too controlling! Cannot. stand. that. It is not romantic, believe me.
5. Was this written in present tense or past because I'm not sure the author knew?

I started highlighting stuff that made me laugh out loud about halfway through. I will include it below for anyone who wants a good giggle:
I didn’t understand men. They made no sense and behave erratically.

Marie shook her head, “Four weeks is long enough. People have fallen head over heels in less time than that.”

Really? Do most people fall completely in love with strangers?


That is an exception...not the norm.

The combined pressure of performing at the client meeting and proving I deserved to work at Cypher Systems along with the thought of seeing Quinn for the first time in a week, now as ‘the Boss’, caused my stomach to became like the hair trapped in bubblegum- heinous, untenable knots.



GROSS.

Abruptly, he wrapped the long fingers of one hand around my neck and, before I could think or react, he dragged his mouth over mine then ransacked.

His tenderness- of his voice, touch- filled me with the acute need to invade the silence. Such an awkward sentence.

My half laugh was involuntary, immediate, as were my words, “God, Quinn, you have no idea how permanent I’d like this to be. I’d like us to be twinkies and cockroaches, death and taxes. But I-”



WTF?

“Seriously, big guy, you just need to make like a shepherd and get the flock out of here.” Sandra crossed her arms over her chest, her voice low with warning.



Such an enormous amount of cheesiness. I don't think there was a single character I wouldn't have wanted to hit in the face five minutes after meeting them.


I swear, the next time Janie’s hot boyfriend saves ya’all from neck tattooed goons, ya’all better wait till I’m done with my shift or else I’m gunna be pissed.” Just sloppy.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ‘by the mighty power of Thor’ stars!!!



Neanderthal Seeks Human really is a smart romance. Smart, funny, sexy and all around wonderful! I listened to this on audio and towards the end found myself doing extra housework and keeping busy just so I could finish it! It was one of those addictive reads I didn’t want to put down!

Janie Morris is one of those heroines you want to be BFF’s with. She’s quirky, intelligent, hilarious and just so fantastically random. Janie has been having a rough time. All within a day she’s broken it off with her boyfriend, lost her apartment, and got downsized from her job. The only upside of all this is that Quinn ‘Sir McHotpants’ Sullivan, security guard, gets to watch it all. Quinn is that guy Janie ogles at work. He’s sexy, strong and he just gets to her.

After Janie gets laid off, she goes out with a friend only to run into him again. Quinn. They fall into this friendship of sorts. Janie is still awkward as all get out, but Quinn finds it endearing.



Janie isn’t one of those girls whose heart flutters when she sees a guy. Never has been. But with Quinn, things are different. She feels different around him. When Janie starts working at a new job, with guess who- Quinn, things get a little tricky.

Quinn is a wonderful character. I loved how he appreciated Janie for who she was. There was a twist or two with him that readers will catch on to quick, but Janie overlooks. She is so taken by this man. He does things to her, makes her feel things she's never felt before.



I loved watching Janie and Quinn’s relationship grow. I loved all the humor, the laugh out loud moments. I especially loved how relatable Janie was. I also feel a little smarter after reading. Like I have all these random facts in my head now.

If you’re looking for a fun and feel good read that will make you laugh and smile nonstop with a fantastic heroine and a sexy alpha hero, this is the book for you. The writing was smart, the characters endearing, and it was just so entertaining! I can’t wait to continue on with this series, and I’m especially glad there is another Janie and Quinn book! I’m not ready to let go of these two!

“God, Quinn, you have no idea how permanent I’d like this to be. I’d like us to be Twinkies and cockroaches, death and taxes.”

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 64% : This kind of book reminds me why I barely read chick-lit anymore. I mean, I could probably finish it, but then my Kindle would be in a great deal of peril I guess. I can't do this.



Exceptionally my list review won't be positive, as in, it's more everything that I DON'T want to find in my romance than anything else.

I certainly don't want a so-called special snow-flake as an heroine with whom I enter in OH COME ON territory right away.

► She thinks she's not attractive, while she obviously IS : "You're beautiful, even if you don't believe it. A lot of guys, and, I mean, a lot of guys, like the big boobs, small waist, big butt, long legs, amazon woman thing you have going on."



► She RAMBLES - think verbal diarrhea and maybe Quinn thinks it's cute, I mean, GOOD FOR YOU MAN, but personally I found it obnoxious and I just wanted for her to shut the hell up. So, yes, she knows a lot of random facts and it's supposed to mean that she's clever and all, and I guess that it's meant for me, normal girl, to relate or something but really? She is exhausting, and border condescending at times.

"Did the real world actually exist if everyone only interacted via cell phones? Would Angry Birds one day become my reality? Was I the unsuspecting pig or the exploding bird? These Descartes-based musings rarely made me popular at parties."

OH COME ON. Cut the shit, would you? They're by no means "Descartes-based musings". You want Descartes?



Muse on this, Jani.

Perhaps I'm not enough clear of why I think she's not that clever : it's because for me we need to look beyond the academic or non-academic knowledge - someone literate isn't necessarily clever, and the contrary is also true. I graduated in Literature in College and knew a great deal of people who thought they were clever because they were full of quotes, and thought it was okay to belittle my coworkers at McDonald's because some of them didn't go to college. I HATE THAT SHIT. First it's incredibly pedant and secondly it's just not true.

Now, excuse me, but someone who doesn't realize that she's dating her fucking BOSS during WEEKS makes me lose patience. I mean FOR REAL.



Not to mention a passage where she and her friend are offered drinks by a stranger in a bar (by stranger I mean that they don't even SEE him), and decide to drink them "dutifully"after the barman tells them that he would be in trouble if they didn't. FOR FUCK SAKE. I mean GHB, anyone?



► She puts labels on people (and she glorifies it), and more than that, she slut-shames. This passage particularly infuriated me :

"See the plastic-looking ones on the purple lily pad? I would call a group like that a latex of ladies, with the word latex being the collective noun. And those cages, with the monkeys and the couples - I would call them collectively a vulgar of cages, with the word vulgar being the collective noun."
He lifted his hand to get the bartender's attention as he spoke. "I would switch them. I would call the cages a latex of cages and the women a vulgar of women."

ISN'T IT BLOODY WONDERFUL?



► She is finding excuses for her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her, and expresses how she should have see it coming because HEY GUYS! He was too good to be true. Like a guy can't be attractive, wealthy, interesting and trust-worthy. I find this kind of comments unbelievably insulting for all the faithful guys out there.

► Her ex-boyfriend was incredibly controlling, and she was (understandably) tired of it so what does she do? She finds another control prick. I'm sorry, Quinn isn't a bad guy and is yummy, I guess, but he IS controlling on many occasions. Example?

"I picked up the menu to make a hurried selection, but for the second time in our short acquaintance, Quinn did that thing you see in movies but don't ever experience in real life : Without asking for my opinion, he ordered for me."

Is that just me? I would HATE this. This is not romantic. Someone who cares about you cares about WHAT YOU WANT. That and the fact that sorry, but glares don't appeal to me one bit. Therefore I'm not saying Quinn is a HUGE asshole, but as I couldn't stand rambling judgmental Janie I would have needed an adorable and swoon-worthy male-lead to make me want to finish. He wasn't.

PS : I guess it's not my kind of humor because I never ever laughed. Except if you count the "OMG what did I just read I can't believe it" kind of laughs.



For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming And Hilarious

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. 'Neanderthal Seeks Human' was a sweet, laugh-out-loud, romance. I was smiling like a loon while I listened to this story during my daily commute. I'm sure the other drivers thought I was off my rocker.

Right from the start, I felt like I had been pulled into Janie's orbit. She isn't your typical heroine. In fact, she's kind of weird...but in a totally endearing way. Always rambling on about some little known, and often irrelevant, fact, she definitely had her share of quirks.

When Janie catches her boyfriend cheating on her, she promptly dumps him and heads to work. Only, she finds out that she's being mysteriously fired. So, the story starts with her "worst day ever". I immediately identified with Janie and her horrible luck. Who hasn't had a day like that?

To top it off, she's escorted out of the building by the ultra-sexy security guard that she'd spent the last several months secretly crushing on, Quinn. Despite having an audience for her mortification, she managed to draw his interest...and sympathy. He hooks her up with a job at his company and helps her get back on her feet.

Of course, things are not exactly what they appear to be. As Janie and Quinn's relationship starts to get serious, some truths come to light that threaten to ruin everything. Meanwhile, Janie's crazy sister is wreaking havoc and her cheating ex-boyfriend is determined to work his way back into her life. There is plenty of drama to keep this story entertaining.

Overall, I thought this was a fun, lighthearted read/listen. The Audible narration was well-done. The characters were endearing and easy to relate to. Quinn was a hot, quiet, Alpha. What's not to love? Sure, it was a bit predictable, but I didn't care. This story was a good time and a great way to pass some time.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars*

I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer over here, but with all the hype with this story, I was just expecting... more.

This book is described as a "smart romance," when in reality it is simply the typical trope of the billionaire/millionaire player guy with baggage who doesn't want to settle down for anyone but makes an exception for his special snowflake, who happens to be a naive, virgin-esk young girl. (aka, Fifty Shades of Grey) And Jane is too tall (!) with too big of a butt and boobs that are too big (!), but doesn't realize she is attractive at all... of course.

I'm not saying that this book is bad, because it isn't, but it isn't anything out of the ordinary, even including putting a geeky, socially EXTREMELY unaware girl as the MC. I couldn't understand how she didn't pick up on her security guard actually being the big boss. No one could be that dense, especially after the 100s of clues.

My main issue is that this story dragged on and on. I listened as an audiobook, which was nicely narrated, and I felt like nothing happened! It is a loooong audiobook, over 14 hours, and I literally couldn't take it anymore at about 10 hours. It was too much, too much of a TSTL female MC and the bossy male MC that I've seen before. It felt like it needed to be edited down by 100 pages (or 4 hours) to be cohesive and well-paced, and it felt VERY self-pubbed to me.

I guess I'm just not seeing what everyone else did. Sure, I enjoyed when Jane spouted some obscure facts and was entertained by her oddities, but that can only take a book so far.

[chan ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

an impressive debut, but not an impressive novel otherwise

if you're looking for a book that has the same effect as say, binge watching episodes of new girl, i think you're in the right place. if you're looking for a life changing, swoon worthy romance... i'd look elsewhere.

this was a perfectly acceptable office romance with a quirky heroine and stoic hero. which now that i think of it... is the set up for most office romances. and i think that was my main issue with the book. it was well written, if a bit verbose (like seriously should have been cut down by 150 pages verbose), but it was just... unoriginal. not bad, just boring.

and life is too short for boring. unless you need something to soothe you to sleep via audio, which i might actually recommend.

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 long winded stars



Mild Spoilers ahead

(note to self I tried to do a reread and still didn't get into it like I hoped!)

I really thought I would like Neanderthal Seeks Human more than I did. All my friends loved it and here I am again the minority, because I really didn't get into this read. I read some reviews that said this book was so funny, but I didn't laugh, not once. I kept wondering if I was reading the same books as everyone else. It's not that I hated the book, because I didn't. I sat after reading this book for 12 hours to try to figure out why I just didn't connect to this book and I only thing I can think of is it's too long winded. See when I started the book I really liked Janie. I thought she was cute, quirky, and different. About halfway through the book though her constant purple prose interior monologue started to get annoying. Then I got bored. On top of that I never got a good feel for Quinn as he was hard to read. We never got his pov, and had to learn about him through Janie who was socially awkward. I never got to see any real depth to Quinn. Still it wasn't a bad read and I think if the book was shorter or it had dual pov, maybe a few less Janie mind rants and I would have enjoyed it much more.

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny is an amazing author and while NSH isn't her best work, it's still fun and easy to read. Deducted a star bc I really dislike fade-to-black sex scenes and this book had FOUR!

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH a fun read. Funny, funny, funny, with a side of nerdy humor and a few little twists that keep the story interesting, it was hard to put down.


Janie is one of the quirkiest and most unforgettable characters. She's super smart but not socially savvy. She loves designer heels and has a constant run of trivial facts running through her overactive brain that she ends up spouting when she's nervous. The book starts out on the worst day in her recent memory, the day she catches her longtime live in boyfriend cheating, realizes that she's actually not very upset about it, which is upsetting, she loses her job, and to top it all off, she's out of toilet paper. After an embarrassing escort out of her office building by the super sexy "Sir McHotpants" (Quinn) security guard and random limo ride home, it's official.

Worst.
Day.
Ever.

But it seems that one good thing DID come from that awful day...she caught the attention of Sir McHotpants, and he seems determined to either take care of her, or buddy up to her, or be something...more.

"It felt like we were becoming friends or, at least, friendly. I didn't see him as just a delicious piece of man meat any more. I saw him as Quinn; pushy, intelligent, frustrating, sexy Quinn who liked to tease me and thought I was smart and talented."

Quinn is quite the enigma, and while the twist that follows him around just waiting to jump out at you is fairly obvious to the reader, Janie remains oblivious. Oblivious and smitten, but so gun-shy and down on herself and her rambling mouth that she lets her insecurities get in the way of a relationship. Especially because Quinn is just so utterly delicious.

"If we were in Victorian England I would have called him dashing; but, since we lived in the 21st Century I would have to settle for the wordier GQ model hot.."

Janie has quite the group of crazy friends. They like to get together in their knitting group...although Janie doesn't knit, and really, this is the only time knitting is involved in any way shape or form. I was somewhat put off by the knitting in the title, because...uh, who knits any more? And who wants to read about it? Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the story. This group of women is just a bunch of zany friends. They gossip, they talk men and fashion and fun.

"You all remember McHotpants, the security guard? Well, Janie and I saw him at that new club where the naked ladies dance with the monkeys, his name is Quinn, and she went home with him after being drugged. they had breakfast together Saturday and he got her the interview for her new job."
It was like throwing Hustler magazines at sex addicts."

The friends see Janie as most friends do: a wonderful, beautiful woman deserving of someone equally special. And this is Janie and Quinn's journey...it's crazy and nerdy, full of inane facts that you will likely never use in real life, but seriously...this was so much fun. I'd compare it to Alice Clayton or Belle Aurora but without the sexy times. My biggeest complaint is the lack of steam. I can do without a ton of description, but I can't do without sex. And for me, it was such a glaring miss...I felt the loss, as if there was just a gap in the story. The language outside of the bedroom and the light sexual focus of the characters led me to believe that there would be more, and sadly, there wasn't. So that's where the lack of five stars comes from.

I most definitely recommend this to anyone who's in the mood for lighthearted and fun romance, a self contained love story with room for series growth.

A huge thanks to my friendly Other for the rec!

[Belle Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I told Penny that I was reading her book, *chuckles* she flipped out! And I really have NO IDEA why! She was all "This might not be the book for you. She is very awkward and nerdy. Don't feel bad if you don't like it..."

*Insert hysterical laughter here*

Seriously! WHAT A FREAKING GREAT BOOK!!! This was not a 4.5 star read for me...It was a straight out 5!

I'll tell you exactly what I liked about this book.
Firstly, Janie. How on earth can you not fall in love with this lady??!
She reminded me somewhat of the woman, main character from the series BONES. She's just FULL of random facts and knowledge, which not only was intriguing but she decided to pull the randomness out at the most awkward times which led to me having to set my kindle down to LAUGH MY ASS OFF!!!
Secondly, Quinn. Regardless of how he comes across, he is an alpha. He is protective and loyal, and best of all, SWEET! What a sweetheart! Swoon!
Thirdly, the writing. Penny has a way with words. I found myself re-reading sentences just to take them in further because this book is just SPECIAL. It's seriously on my all-time faves list now.
You know sometimes authors fill a book with sex and write their story around that. Sometimes its necessary. In this book, it was not. There was very little steam in this book but mountains of sexual tension, which for me, is just as satisfying.

In short, Love Love LOVED this book! I will re-read it.
Can't wait to get onto the next one!

Belle x

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 **Hotty McHotpants** STARS

“Men should come with manuals, subtitles, and reset buttons.”

I'm still smiling. So adorable and cute and funny and weird. A really fantastic read or listen if you will. I did a little mix of ebook and audiobook here and it was delightful. The narrator had an amazing voice and I really enjoyed listening to her. I actually lost quite a few hours over the last two days being sucked into Janie's world and I don't regret one second of it.

Neanderthal Seeks Human was my very first full Penny Reid book. I know that's crazy, right? Well, I read The Hooker and the Hermit before, but that was co-authored with Ms. Cosway. In any case I'm really pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the rest in the Knitting in the City series.

Let's talk story...

“She said I owned the clothes of a radiologist and the shoes of an OBGYN; which is like the medical doctor equivalent of saying that I dressed like a librarian with a propensity of fuckmeboots.”

Janie Morris has the worst day of her life. She broke up with her boyfriend after he cheated on her. Her heels broke on the way to work. The outfit is ruined by spilled coffee. She just got fired from her job and then on top of that Mr. Hotty McHotpants decides it's the right day to talk to her for the first time. It's all a nightmare, really.

Janie is the epitome of quirkiness and has an extreme case of foot in mouth syndrome. She is highly intelligent, but equipped with barely any social skills. Anytime she tries to talk to a man it ends up with a verbal diarrhoea, and not just any old kind of rambling. No, Janie is a special girl with a very exceptional brain. She knows things, random things and she likes to share. Especially when she is nervous.

I have to say, she takes some getting used to. I'm sure there are people who find her annoying and can't stand her unusual kind of crazy, but I fell in love with her very early on. Not going to lie, there were times when I wanted to strangle her, but then she did something so sweet that I just fell hard all over again.

“My brain finds you more interesting than all the really interesting trivial facts I could be contemplating or researching at present.”

Quinn Sullivan. Mmmmh... What can I tell you about Sir McHotpants? He is very yummy to look at. Obviously. Janie catches his eye as he works in her office building as an afternoon security guard and on that faithful day she gets laid off Mr. McHotpants escorts her out of the building. After that, well let's just say their paths cross again and again. *wink wink*

Quinn is the silent stoic type. Very little words, but his actions speak volumes. He is kind, considerate and has the patience of a saint, but he is also very much in control, with a dash of dominance on the side. I really, really liked him.

And the two together? Magical.

“I wondered what steps I could take to remove the word ‘moisture’ or even ‘moist’ from the English language; I really hated the way it sounded and always went out of my way to avoid saying it. I also really didn’t like the word slacks.”

Neanderthal Seeks Human is one of those books where you should carefully consider your preferences before you pick it up. Are you in the mood for cuteness overflow? Are you willing to hear endless rants, witness ridiculous misunderstandings and sugar sweet chick-flick goodness? Then go right ahead and get on it. If any of those things make your teeth ache stay far away from it. Just FYI.

It's a feel good read through and through. Light, funny, sweet. What else do you want?

Oh, I know...did I mention Janie has a posse of knitting girlfriends? Well, they all play a significant role and the ladies get books of their own. Next stop Friends Without Benefits, but first the Neanderthal Marries Human. I'm going to be stuck in chick flick heaven for a while. Send help. ;D

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sir Handsome McHotpants

This was a fun read. Some LOL moments. A quirky, nerdy, shy girl and a sexy, hot alpha male.

You are beautiful even if you don’t believe it

Some misunderstandings along the way.

THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT CHICAGO ... (THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, MIRJANA)


A great bunch of friends

It means my brain finds you more interesting than all the really interesting trivial facts I could be contemplating or researching at present

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Smart romance my ass.



Too fucking cheesy.

I've started reading this out of boredom but ended up feeling even more bored. How the hell that happened? The only highlight of my day was seeing Avengers Age of Ultron with my friends but even that cant cure what what this book causing: TOTAL BOREDOOM.

The book starts with insta lust, continues with insta lust and oh there's also a bit of insta-love going on. Even worse; the main character is one of the most cluelesst, naive and annoying heroines I've seen.

Every time she thinks something or opens her mouth to talk I wanted to bang my head to the wall. She is a TSTL heroine. She's too fucking clueless ok? Use your brain woman, use your fucking brain!!



The story starts with the heroine losing her job. The security guard she had a crush on aka McHotpants, assists her out of the building. She never asks why, stupidly tries to justify it. The McHotpants, aka Quinn arranges her a limousine so she can go home but she never asks why, just tries to stupidly justify it. Goes to a club with a friend, gets drunk, Quinn who is also there tells her to not go to the Canopy room and never come to club alone. She never asks why and never even tries to justify it this time. She doesnt listen, goes to the room and gets drugged, wakes up in Quinn's house and believes in whatever the hell he says and she never even asks herself why.

WTF?

SEE THE PATERN?

THIS GIRL IS FUCKING RETARDED.



She is completely blind to the obvious. Here is what a 'normal' people would have thought if they were in her shoes.

1) Why the fuck would a security guard would accompany you when you are leaving the building? (It's not like you did something horrible to lose your job. You did nothing.)

2) Why the fuck would a company that fired you would send you home in a limousine?

3) Why the fuck you dont question Quinn? EVER? IS SOMETHING WRONG WİTH YOUR BRAİN? How did Quinn know you were up in the Canopy room? Or did he? Did he go up there to get you or did he just happen to go up there? And is that why he was suddenly like ‘you need to leave’ when he found out the Canopy room people bought you drinks? He must have known the people up there were shady. And- furthermore- since you suspect that you were slipped something, what is to be done about it?

My reaction would have been immediately asking these questions to myself, then to Quinn to figure out what the fuck was going on. Her reaction? Nothing for a long time but then (after like days!!!) she thinks;

“At some point I would need to ask Quinn if he’d arranged the limo that took me home those weeks ago or if Vincent’s presence tonight was merely a fluke.”

YOU THINK?!

What. The. Hell. The Limusine thing happens in like like 3% in but she is capable of finally thinking about this at 30% of the book (before that, it never even comes to her mind) finally asks him that at 38% but never truly gets the answer because she is too fucking stupid.

4) What the fuck is Quinn's job?

First she thinks he is a security guard. Then she doesnt. Then she is not sure what it is. Sh never fucking truly wonders about it FOR A LONG TIME. And keeps seeing this guy.

And it's obvious ok? People call him Mr. Sullivan or Sir. At one point she thinks one of the ground staff was going to salute. Ooo I wonder why? ASK YOURSELF WHYYY!

Also, why would a security guard would do inspection of the site’s media-server facility huh?

TOO MANY FUCKING CLUES.

5) What’s up with his reaction to the guy in the park? He completely overreacted but do you ask yourself why? NO.

He puts guards on you but do you ask why? NO.

She says she is too flustered to question him.

THIS GIRL.



She nearly gets raped (because she was drugged) and it doesnt faze her. She doesnt ask any of those questions I mentioned to Quinn. Hell, she doesnt even ask those questions to herself. She never tries to find out the truth. She is never bothered with it. NOTHING FAZES HER.



Then here comes other fucking stupid 'coincidences’

Quinn gets her a new job. Knows her boss. Calls her boss by name. Acts like he's the boss where she works...cause you know HE IS HER FUCKING BOSS. Or his boss's boss. Whatever.

And it's not a spoiler because from the first page it was too fucking obvious Quinn wasnt a security guard. This girl. This girl doesnt realize the truth until 58% in but even for that somebody had to spell it out for her.


I’m not a security guard I am your boss. 5 seconds. It would have taken 5 seconds. But noooo. It doesnt get resolved in until too fucking late.

Other isssues:

1)

“Elizabeth, where she’d continued to insist that Quinn was interested in me and I continued to find the assertion ridiculous; and, therefore, faced with such a man speaking to me in such a way I was wholly unprepared.”

She consistently thinks he is out of her league. She even insults herself. More than once.

Most of the book, she is like 'Ohh why would Quinn like me. I’m like so weird.'


As you can see, Janie is too negative about herself as well as quite clueless.

He tells he is going to a business trip but she thinks he is avoiding him. Then she thinks ‘Why would he continue to text if he was trying to avoid me?’ *rolls eyes* Umm maybe he is not?

This girl is not capable of a rational thought.

2) The reason why she broke up with her ex was ;

(1-)he cheated on her and

(2-)he was rich and he was obsessed with taking care of her but she wanted to be financially independent

The guy she dates next is even more richer, more controlling and loves taking care of her. Soooo..principles can change if the guy is hot I guess right?

3) Quinn was too damn controlling ok? And not in I'm-arrogant-but-in-a-sexy-way way. He came off as a jerk to me. He ordered food/drinks without asking, he bought a house for her without asking, he does this thoughtfull stuff for her but without asking. And the worst part; Janie is too oblivious to see his faults. She is too fucking naive and Quinn definitely is taking advantage of her naivete.

Plus, the misunderstandings between them both were insane and unbelievable, it's as if they were speaking different languages.

4)This girl cant function without her friends. The only time her brain works is when she gets together with them. One of her friends points out how weird a situation is and only then she realizes the sitiation or how she should really feel. Because most of the book Janie doesnt react, she doesnt think trough, she is just there. She is even more useless than a plant.

“Although I tended to obsess about topics like the English vernacular, the height of the average Brazil nut tree, and international date standards, I had a habit of ignoring important details like who drugged me and how did I feel about blacking out only to wake up mostly naked in a strange apartment with seven pieces of furniture.”

This is my problem with her. She NEVER truly feels the weight of her recklessness and truly understands how dangerous of a situation she'd been in. Not until her friends tells her and even then she still doesnt get it.



5)This Quinn guy;

-Uses his position to get her a job

-Uses his position to buy her a cellphone

-Uses his position to spend time with her

-Uses uses uses..I know Janie is so fucking clueless but it takes like 5 seconds to say ‘NO’ or ask ‘WHY?’. The guy turnes her into a brouhaha of chaos simply by glancing in her direction. It's too fucking embrassing.

OVERALL:I did skip a lot of stuff because the book is filled with awkward sentences and quirky, weird dailogue and quirky and unnecsarily too long paragraphs. I'm fine with awkwardness but oh boy this girl's awkwardness was too damn uncomfortable.

Smart romance my ass.

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 really cute stars!!!

“She said I owned the clothes of a radiologist and the shoes of an OBGYN; which is like the medical doctor equivalent of saying that I dressed like a librarian with a propensity of fuckmeboots.”



This is my second Penny Reid book and it was a lot of fun! I had originally only read The Hooker and the Hermit, and now it's very clear to me who wrote what in that book now that I've read books by both authors.

Neanderthal Seeks Human is about Janie who just broke up with her boyfriend, spilled coffee on herself, broke her shoes and got fired from her job. She is escorted out of her office building by a security guard also know to her (privately) as McHotPants. Janie is a bit socially awkward, she has a tendency to spew out random facts at the drop of a hat. But Janie is really smart, and a bit aloof as to how pretty she is. A series of chance meetings with McHotPants aka Quinn, lands Janie a new job. And that's all I will say for now...



I really liked Quinn as a hero. He wasn't the most decisive guy, but he seemed to really like Janie for who she was and was genuinely interested in all of her random factoids. It also took him forever to show Janie he liked her, but to be fair, she was oblivious to many things throughout the book. And I liked that about Janie, because quite honestly, it made her relatable (to me, because I am super oblivious quite a bit of the time as well).

“I decided, as I succumbed to sleep, that men should come with manuals, subtitles, and reset buttons.”

This book had fairly low angst and no over the top drama, which many of you enjoy. The one thing it really needed though was a little bit more steam and a little less fade to black.

At times I found myself laughing out loud in places I shouldn't have. There is a very funny knitting group meeting near the end that I could not stop laughing at and had to set my kindle down before I dropped it. I also spent a lot of time reading this when I should have been doing grad work, so it's highly addictive too.

Give it a chance! It's a great read for when you don't know what to read next :)

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Fluffy and Warm Stars!

Describe what I felt about this book in one sentence it’s pretty easy:



Okay.
So, Janie had a pretty bad day. She lost her job, her home and found out her long-time boyfriend is a cheater. So yeah, not a sunny day for her.
Enters Quinn. He got her an interview and she has now a new job, a new house… a new friendship with Quinn.
But somehow along the way that friendship starts to grow into something more and is time to bring back the secrets, fears and ghosts from the past: and both of them have a great deal of them.
Luckily Janie has her knit group to support her, and believe me, balls of yarn were never funnier!



Rating: 5 Stars.
Storyline: Not completely original and unexpected, but don’t let that stop you. This is an amazing reading that will leave with warm feelings in your stomach (in a good way!). Not to mention you will have a good laugh with it. Definitely, a series to follow.
Writing Style: First person, female POV. Amazingly written and addictive. You will not put it down. My only complaint? It needed a longer epilogue!
Character Development: I loved Janie. Even with all insecurities she is probably one of my favorite heroines ever. She is funny, and sweetly weird and I loved her sense of humor. Not to mention all the random things she says are awesome. Quinn is a perfect alpha-male and I love him. No, seriously, LOVE HIM! That’s all.
I loved the supportive characters, I can’t wait to read Elizabeth’s story.
Steam: Mild. And that’s the only bad thing about this book. It lacked steam, all the steamy parts were shortened. :(
HEA: Yes.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Just Great...No...Really, It Is Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free, DON'T UNRAVEL, IT'S FREE!!!!
In the past, when I have been emotionally taken by the writing of an author... I have written blatant love letters to them. If I felt indulgent, I would do that now... I would write and talk about how much I love this story, the author, and call it a day.

But, this time I will attempt to talk about the intense feelings and realizations I had while reading this book.

I will set the stage by mentioning this was not my first experience with Penny Reid and The Knitting in the City series. Earlier this year I read blind her book, Loved Hacked. It was part of this series and I was able to enjoy all of it without feeling as if I had missed something from the previous books. If you are curious, this was my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Penny Reid takes people we know we have met, observed, and wondered about... the ones who catch your eye or ear while you are living your life. They are the ones you sometimes randomly think about... they are going about their business... and something intrigues us... we wonder after observing them what will happen after we move on... we saw them do something clever or heard a snippet of a conversation that lent itself to make you think and ponder...

She creates friendships; meaty, close relationships between women who are so there for each other, it is sometimes overwhelming in the strength of it all. Even the smallest character has thought behind it. Little seeds have been tenderly planted to flourish and grow in later entries.

But there is a couple of really special accomplishments that struck me... Ms. Reid created in Janie a character many have tried to do; the quirky, pseudo innocent/slightly experienced gal... who is uncomfortable in male-female interactions, etc...

No, Penny writes of a real woman who has those parts of her personality but had to learn coping mechanisms to survive a childhood that would have destroyed most. She learned her "designated place" in the family and still was able to excel with the brilliance she was endowed.... not using it by lording over others or being overly confident... instead she used it culling information and facts she found compelling... things to think and focus on when her life became too much. This became her escape valve... releasing all her tension but causing some awkward conversations... With those who learned and understood her... it became endearing.

Janie's mind runs so fast with much being analyzed through a filter of wonder ... it is fascinating... just reading all of the intellectual property slipped in during her conversations would give Jeopardy winners a run for their money. But with all this happening... we never feel talked down to; we never feel it is not part of her... it rings true and we would understand if we were her friend.

This brings me to the love interest, Quinn...He is not perfect... but he is perfect for Janie. Oh, who am I kidding... he is perfect- but not in an icky over the top way... he is confident yet in his desire for Janie... he must figure her out and work for her. He finds her surprising, strong, and challenging in ways he has never experienced..... and he wants to be a better man for her.
He has all of the strong "alpha" feelings for her... yet he is smart enough... able to see there are important things she needs in order for them to come together the way he wants. He is willing to do whatever it will take to make this work and it is a first for him. The chemistry is everything- it is sweet- steamy - hot - dizzy and loving... but not explicit... it doesn't need to be.

Penny presents some very interesting moral and ethical discussions for us to take away.... she also gives us things which have happened to all of us... and voices all of the same thoughts we had during these times... we see pieces of ourselves in Janie...

There is a love story; a mystery of sorts and this introduction to this group of people you would kill to have as friends in your life.

Well, I tried not to do the "Wendy love letter to the author" review... but when you adore something as much as I did this... I am thinking it is ok to fail...

The great news is this was the first in the series and the following books have been equally great. Lucky you, you get to read all of them one right after the other...

Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City, #1) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Neanderthal Marries Human (Knitting in the City #1.5)
Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City #2)
Love Hacked (Knitting in the City, #3) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Beauty and the Mustache (Knitting in the City, #4; Winston Brothers, #0.5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Happily Ever Ninja (Knitting in the City, #5) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dating-ish (Knitting in the City, #6) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Marriage of Inconvenience (Knitting in the City #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➦Super late to the party here but, ever since reading the 6th book in this series and loving it, I've decided to finally get through all of the installments. So yeah, here I go, 4 years too late. lol


➦One thing I do notice with Penny Reid is her love for quirky and somewhat socially awkward characters. They are, of course, endearing and totally hilarious. This heroine here is like a walking talking encyclopedia and doesn't fail to recite interesting, albeit totally useless to the subject at hand facts whenever she is put in a socially uncomfortable situations.


➦I loved the beginning of the book but the further I kept reading the more I realized that this book is too chick lit for me. I was left mildly unsatisfied by about 70% in and proceeded to lose complete interest by 80. Now, it ain't a bad book. I just felt like there needed to be more romance on top of all the ott humor. And I wouldn't have minded more steam. Ok, who are we kidding? I just wanted to read about Sir McHotpants' big dick.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was definitely a little more on the "chick-lit" side of the romance spectrum than I typically prefer; but I knew that going in, so I really can't complain.

Already stalking the next book in the series, because I'm on a Reid roll...

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding out what your favorite author likes to read is like getting a sneak peek into their brain. When I saw Amy Harmon sharing her love for this book I knew I had to read it. I love when authors endorse books.



Oy vey! Janie is having the "Worst. Day. Ever. It was, no pun intended, an extremely sh*tty day." Her boyfriend cheated on her, she lost her job and now she's stuck in the bathroom with no toilet paper. Our nerdy girl is down on her luck. And to top it off our hero- Sir McHotpants escorts her out of the building after being fired. Janie's closest friend and her knitting group are there to console her through this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Our heroine is nerdy and awkward at best. She has a pension for sprouting off useless facts about random things at the most inappropriate times. "I couldn't help myself as the words tumbled out. It was a sickness." She's a combo of Cher from Clueless, Amy from Big Bang Theory and Betty from Ugly Betty all rolled into one.

Here's what that combo looks like->


Janie has decided for any future guys she wants them to be 'smart, funny sweet, nice to his family, good looking in an adorkable kind of way.'

Meet Sir Handsome McHotpants aka Quinn. Quinn is an enigma to Janie. Just when she thinks she has "labeled" him he does something that surprises her and changes her image of him.

Our quirky heroine and our handsome hero add for a fun enjoyable summer read!

SERIES:

Can be read as standalones. Each following book is secondary characters from the first book. To find out when more will be released click here.

Novella:

(#1.5)

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neanderthal Seeks Human is a witty romance story about Janie Morris and Quinn McHotpants Sullivan.

We first meet Janie on the worst day of her life, it began with her finding out her fiancé cheated on her, breaking her heel on the way to work, getting fired from her job and worst of all: running out of toilet paper in her former companies restroom. If all this happened to me I would be devastated but listening to Janie recount her horrible day had me laughing out loud at how funny she is.



On this day, the worse day of her life, she is escorted from the building by Sir McHotpants himself - the guy she has been staring at from afar. Janie learns that Sir McHotpants real name is Quinn and is surprised by the level of care and concern he shows to her. After talking with Janie and realizing how incredibly smart she is, Quinn refers Janie for a job at the security company.

Quinn and Janie begin to build a friendship, it was so fun to see these two people who are both so different communicate. Janie is someone who says exactly whats on her mind and Quinn is the quite brooding type. Janie just ended a long relationship and Quinn doesn’t date, he prefers mutually beneficial relationships. While Janie doesn’t judge that type of relationship, she refuses to be in one herself.



Watching these two together was addictive.I loved seeing how they worked together and wanted each other to be happy and have peace in the relationship. Both of them were selfless, not one gave more then the other.

"God, Quinn, you have no idea how permanent I’d like this to be. I’d like us to be twinkies and cockroaches, death and taxes."

See Janie isn’t like most people you meet, she is crazy smart and is full of facts. She also has a problem with randomly sharing these facts, so throughout the story Janie would work in a fact. I loved how despite Janie being different then most girls, Quinn was completely enthralled with her. Every time she spoke he was dying to hear what she had to say, it was so endearing.

"You know, he is really crazy about you; not crazy like your sister Jem crazy, but trying-to-become-a-better-person crazy.”

When I finished this one I was just so impressed that Penny Reid even knew all these crazy facts to be able incorporate them in the story, it just made me even more impressed with her. This is my second book I have read by Ms. Reid, since I read The Beauty and the Mustache out of order, and I must say the more I read the more I love. Her writing is so smart, witty, and addictive. Not to mention how good she is at creating diverse characters and I am not saying that lightly. Her characters are completely unique and eccentric, and I have loved all the ones I have met!



I highly recommend this story. I cannot even begin to describe how much I love Ms. Reid’s writing, if you are looking for something unique, quirky and fun this is the book for you.

"…about my worst day ever, which actually turned into one of the best days ever because it was the first time I talked to you and looked you in the eye.”

Sidenote: I did listen to the audio version of this book and narration was great. The narrator was able to execute both parts and read with emotion.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently on sale!
Amazon US * Amazon UK



Neanderthal Seeks Human is a sweet and humorous story about two characters that are complete opposites and very unique in their own way. I honestly don't think I've read a book before where a Hero was as silent as Quinn, but it worked for his character. And even though there wasn't a ton of dialogue with him I still felt like I knew him really well. Without a lot of words and fanfare Quinn let Janie know how much he wanted her ans how much he cared for her. Though at first Janie was too stuck in her own head to even notice.

Janie was a quirky and lighthearted heroine, and I really liked reading about her and getting a glimpse at how her mind worked. She was constancy stating trivial facts that I actually found really interesting and I loved that character trait. She also had the tendency to never stop talking but I loved seeing her with Quinn and how he wasn't turned off by her word-vomit. Instead he found her adorable, and it made me happy sigh more than once.

Janie and Quinn were overall a very cute couple and I have a feeling they may remain my favorite couple from this series even after I read the other books. If you haven't read this book yet, trust me you don't want this just sitting on your TBR.

[S.M. West · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "You've made me fearless."
"And you've make me a good guy." STARS

Yes, I do declare that I love Penny Reid. This is my third book that I've read by Penny and I must say, I am totally captivated and smiling like a dork as I read her books. Even the sad, dangerous or angry moments!

Janie Morris is quirky, dorky, awkward and simply adorable!

"Everything about her was unexpected and unique. She was my bright light of eccentricity in a very predictable and ordinary world. She made everything interesting or funny."



Quinn Sullivan is sexy, controlled, careful and hot!

"My problem is that I miss the obvious; your problem is that you pay too much attention to it."



I thoroughly enjoyed this one and her knitting crew were hilarious! Looking forward to more of these gals.



I found myself riddled with uncontrollable chuckling as I read the ramblings of Janie! Priceless.



For instance, her thoughts on how she feels about Mr. Quinn McHotPants Sullivan:



Loved the Epilogue in Quinn's POV. Left me wanting more!! And that's exactly what I'm going to do, diving into Neanderthal Marries Human

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this is a self-conscious pile of pretension. And the painful part is how the only way the author can think to depict "smart" is by vomiting irrelevant facts all over the place. I mean, this is a woman who signs exit papers without reading them, goes back into an avant-garde bar after being warned shady hot-shots are targeting her, and misreads every interest cue thrown her way. I mean, it's one thing to misinterpret social cues. It's quite another when the misreads all break the same way—i.e. for maximum embarrassment/drama for the protagonist. Add the special-snowflake of an obviously gorgeous woman considering herself ugly because she's "different from the other girls" and I just can't...

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not being perfect is a good thing...

This is the kind of story that I can re-read over and over and over again; it just never gets old. The characters are original, quirky and so very interesting, they make me want to stop and think about life and all the weird and wonderful stuff in it. Janie is the kind of character that I would love to meet and spend time with. I'm a bit of an over-thinker, but Janie takes it to another level. I'm envious of her ability to remember all the little titbits that she shares. I absolutely loved that Quinn appreciated her knowledge and never wanted her to hold back what she's thinking.

There are so many parts of Neanderthal Seeks Human where I tell myself *remember this, it's a cracker* but of course, by the end, I've forgotten them all. I do remember the feelings of delight and satisfaction, though, so that's just as good. If I could name one section that left me the most satisfied, it would have to be when they're discussing how not being perfect is a good thing. To be honest, I completely agree. I think my hubby is perfect for me but I know he's far from perfect and I'm sure he thinks the same about me. Life would be pretty damn boring if we were all perfect.

Anyways...if you haven't tried a wee bit of Penny Reid magic yet, I highly recommend starting with this one. You can't go wrong with reading or listening as the narrator does an awesome job.

I can't help myself, I'm going to listen to Neanderthal Marries Human next.

**********

First time listening to the audio of Neanderthal Seeks Human

Two things -

1. If you loved reading a story but loved the audio MORE, where do I go from here? 5 stars are the limit. Maybe we need an *To Infinity and Beyond* rating. Neanderthal Seeks Human deserves all the stars.

2. After reading my old review, I feel extremely guilty that I distracted Penny from her very important work saving the world as a researcher. Did my review push her to split her time between her family, science AND writing? Maybe, all Penny Reid fans should be thanking me. Obviously, my little review made her stop and consider my needs. Yes, I am extremely grateful that she takes the time out of her busy schedule to write. Maybe, Penny, you could do me a favour and drop me a quick line to absolve me from my guilt. It's weighing heavily on my conscience, after all. (Wink, wink...oh, the naivety of a book reviewer in 2013).

I LOVED THE AUDIO!! It was such a fun experience seeing everyone back in the beginning. It was almost like I could see Penny's notes for future books. Little sayings and character quirks that we now know more about. Everybody seems so sweet and innocent, hiding their strong personalities. I loved knowing where they were heading.

I'm keeping on with the audios for the series and I can't wait to see Nicoletta again.

****Old Review****

I started reading this book from a recommendation on Kristen Ashley addicts group. The first 10% of this book I was a little unsure if it was my style or not. Considering this is Ms Reid's first full-length novel, it was written really well. My only complaint is that there was too much internal dialogue at first. The paragraphs were really long and I started to lose interest. My husband walked in while I was reading this book and I said to him I would give it till 15% to decide.

I'm glad I did. Once I got past the too long internal dialogue at the beginning and the characters were all introduced, I really like it.

Ms Reid I know you said you like your current job and all...but maybe you could work part-time and write some more. I would definitely read more of your books and would like to hear about more of the characters in the knitting group.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 "What Did I Just Read?!" Stars

This book was hilarious... and odd... and funny... and weird... and nutty... and, well I am still wrapping my brain around it.

Let's start with the players

Janine...a.k.a. Neanderthal,...a.k.a. Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs:
Janine is a socially inept, oblivious, gullible, overly analytic moron-slash-genius. Her IQ is off the charts, but her sexual experience level is minimal and she is often clueless to what is really happening around her. She secretly is burning for the hot security guard nicknamed 'Sir Handsome McHotpants' with the deep blue eyes.

Quinn...a.k.a. Human,...a.k.a. Sir Handsome McHotpants:
Quinn is a man of little words, who tends to speak in one or two sentences TOPS. He is uber rich, beyond handsome, has sparkly teeth, and rescues damsels in distress. He doesn't date, because he is manwhore who simply doesn't need to. Women throw themselves at him. He is clueless about the dating ritual, but finds himself very intrigued with the idea once he sets eyes on the hot quirky red-head accountant Janine.

Now let's move onto the story

We meet Janine when she is having the worst day of her life. She catches her boyfriend cheating on her, loses her job and much more. Quinn comes to her rescue (as he is prone to do over and over!) and helps her find a new job working for his company. Soon, he is her boss -- only Janine is too clueless to figure out this obvious fact. (Yes, her naivety was so cute, but it was also a bit annoying!)

Quinn soon believes Janine is in danger of bad guys, and proceeds to try and rescue her a few more times while never letting Janine be the wiser. He also thwarts attempts of her ex-boyfriend Jon (with no 'h') from trying to win her back. Using very little words (because, he only speaks in very short sentences as he is a man of little words) he woos her with kisses and flattery until she agrees to date him.

Yadda, yadda, yadda... they smooch a bunch and then fall in love. Oh, and cue 'evil sister' comes for a visit.

Now my take on this book

HOLY SHIT, WHAT DID I JUST READ? Oh, I laughed alright! But I was also confused, to be honest. I wanted to love these two, and at times I really did, but the nutty relationship and her complete cluelessness took its toll on me. The romance both worked and failed for me as I didn't always feel it. I really liked her, but damn... I sometimes wondered if she was an idiot-savant because someone needed to buy this lady a CLUE!

While the jokes were hilarious, the romance aspect was a bit weak. The passion and sparks weren't flying off the pages. And the heat level was pretty low, which is a personal disappointment as I like my romances with a good dose of sexy heat.

The story was told in first-person through Janine's POV, but we get a nice epilogue from Quinn's POV. The ending really brought this book up a notch for me. It wasn't a winner for me, but I can see why so many enjoyed it.

[Sarina Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm super late to the party on this one but it's great and I'm glad I finally made the time!

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 LOVE Quinn Sir Handsome McHotpants STARS!!!!





I love my ROMCOM stories and "Neanderthal Seeks Human" had me laughing and swooning in equal measure.
Janie Morris is having a day from hell.
She just broke up with her boyfriend, after having found out he cheated on her.
The heel of her show broke off on a sewer grate.
Spilled coffee on her favorite blouse and she's just lost her job due to downsizing.
To top the day she is having, she's being escorted out of the office by the HOT security guard she had been ogling for the past month, Sir Handsome McHotpants!!


Seems like a bad day right?
Actually, her luck really starts to change from here in the BEST of ways.




McHotpants aka Quinn Sullivan, sets her up with a job interview.
It's obvious that Quinn is very much attracted to Janie, but Janie is utterly clueless.
She sees herself as this big headed Neanderthal and Quinn is one of the beautiful people who would never give her a second glance.
I loved how completely goofy she would get whenever she was alone with him.
Her ramblings were very cute and endearing.
Quinn seemed to enjoy all the little tidbits of scientific and mathematical information that Janie would ramble on to him about when she was feeling awkward around him.


I was in awkwardly shaped head Neanderthal league, and he was in the hot ninja millionaire league.



Janie gets the job at the company that Quinn set up the interview for her and come to find out later on that Quinn is the owner of said company, which will have her questioning why she got the job and will she be able to keep it if their relationship progresses or ends.



There are a great group of friends that Janie meets on a weekly basis to Knit with and they will be there for her when she needs them the most.
I loved how they were always cheering her on and how protective they were of her if they felt someone was trying to hurt her.



This story even has a bit of action and Quinn is just full of surprises.
The romance was slow to build but oh so sweet and the sexy time was very PG but it never hindered my love for the story and I still ended up swooning pretty hard over Quinn.


For the love of Thor, I was missing him even when we were in the same room together. The force of the feelings and the virtually all-consuming nature of them made me want to hide under my desk until my brain and my heart and my vagina came to a consensus.



I lost myself to him and to myself; to trust and to faith; and in that moment, I was fearless.



I'm looking forward to the remaining books in the series and have definitely added Penny to my favorite authors list. :)

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread and it was so much fun as I know how the relationship of Quinn and Janie evolves in next six books. They are weird and misfit but they gel perfectly together.