Review: Neaderthal Seeks Human and Neaderthal Marries Human by Penny Reid | (Knitting in the City Books 1 and 1.5)

NEANDERTHAL MARRIES HUMAN

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 to make her an offer she can't refuse.

New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reid’s debut novel!
★ AAR top 100 romances of all time ★

Neanderthal Seeks Human is book #1 in the Knitting in the City series. Each book is a standalone, full length (110k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the misadventures and exploits of seven friends in Chicago, all members of the same knitting group.

NEANDERTHAL MARRIES HUMAN

There are three things you should know about Quinn Sullivan: 1) He is madly in love with Janie Morris, 2) He’s not above playing dirty to get what (or who) he wants, and 3) He doesn’t know how to knit.

After just five months of dating Janie, Quinn—former Wendell and unapologetic autocrat—is ready to propose marriage. In fact, he’s more than ready. If it were up to Quinn, he would efficiently propose, marry, and beget Janie with child all in the same day—thereby avoiding the drama and angst that accompanies the four stages of pre-matrimony: engagement, meeting the parents, bachelor/bachelorette party, and overblown, superfluous wedding day traditions.

But Janie, much to Quinn’s dismay, tosses a wrench in his efficacious endeavors and challenges him to prove his devotion by going through the matrimonial motions, no matter how minute and mundane.

Will Quinn last until the wedding day? Or will he yield to his tyrant impulses?

This book is not a standalone. It is the sequel to ‘Neanderthal Seeks Human,’ and is book #1.5 in the Knitting in the City series.

MY REVIEW(S)

Neanderthal Seeks Human

The story opens with Janie Morrison having a really bad day, including a wardrobe malfunction and termination of employment. The only (possible) bright spot in her day is being escorted out of the building by Quinn Sullivan, a security guard she's been admiring from afar for months. 

Quinn helps her get a job at his company. Yes, his company, not just the company he works for. Owing to the fact that he 'worked' a security guard at her former company, it takes weeks before Janie realises Quinn is THE boss. It was a little odd, because there were obvious hints and (although Quinn didn't hit her over the head with the info), he also didn't intentionally keep it from her. Still, I found the boss/employee dynamics a tad problematic.

Janie had several quirks that made her odd and interesting. Her tendency to drop trivia at odd moments made me laugh in some parts, and Quinn seemed to love it. I liked her girlfriends and the whole idea of the knitting club. 

This is a lighthearted story with some drama thrown in for good measure. I found the writing and the story enjoyable. The story was told entirely from Janie's POV and I felt like I didn't get to know Quinn enough. This opinion was solidified when I got to the epilogue, which was in Quinn's POV. 

Neanderthal Marries Human

This is a sequel to Neanderthal Seeks Human, set about five months after the events of book one. As you may have guessed from the title, this is pretty much a wedding romance story. Despite the happy ending in the previous book, Quinn is convinced he has to make a case for marriage. He comes up with an elaborate plan to get her to say yes. I'm on the fence about the proposal scene. There are sweet parts to it, but some aspects made me uncomfortable. I'd definitely have problems with it in real life.

Anyway, it turns out Quinn was right. Practical as ever, Janie's first instinct is to say no (for now). It's too early to think about marriage, since their love hasn't been life-tested. Her plan to rectify it in the short space of time to their wedding is interesting to say the least. Definitely something Janie would do.

We find out more about Quinn and his family in this story, which is nice. There's an even mix of humour, and drama, with themes of friendship, family, broken trust and reconciliation in the midst of wedding planning. This is more of an extended HEA for Janie and Quinn. It's sweet without being too heavy on romantic conflict.

If you enjoyed book 1, you'll enjoy this.