Dating-ish, an all new standalone from the USA Today bestselling Knitting in the City romantic comedy series by Penny Reid is available now!
'Dating-ish' can be read as a standalone, is a full length 100k word novel, and is book #6 in the Knitting in the City Series.
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris: 1) She's fed up with online dating, 2) She's so fed up, she's willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and 3) She knows how to knit.
After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of humankind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men. With the help of her friends, she quickly identifies a few possibilities:
Need a cuddle? Use a professional cuddler. Need affirmation? Get yourself a life coach. Need an orgasm? Try orgasm meditation! Why does she need the hassle of a romantic partner when she can meet all her needs with paid services?
But then her irritating date resurfaces. And he's not at all the person she thought he was. And he suggests a different--and crazier--solution to her dilemma . . .
As everyone knows (or will soon come to realize), traditional relations between humans are a thing of the past. Robots are our future. And if robots are our future, then why do we need other people at all?
Excerpt:
He was quiet for bit, we both were, and I felt myself relax more and more. His palm took a detour every so often, dutifully skipping my hip and sliding along my side, and then back to my leg. Soon, I was so relaxed I felt drowsy. I felt fingers in my hair, moving the mass away from my neck with treasuring strokes just before Matt nuzzled the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to scatter over my skin. “Mmm.” I smiled. “Hey. Jared said no tickling.” My voice sounded sleepy. “Does this tickle?” Matt asked softly, nuzzling me again. I felt the brush of his lips—not a kiss, a brush—paired with hot breath against the bare skin of my neck and a zing shot straight down my spine, making my toes curl and a sudden hot ache twist in my lower belly. Oh no. I knew that ache. I hadn’t felt it because of another person’s touch in quite a long time. Nevertheless, no one ever forgets that ache. My back arched instinctively, my bottom pressing back against his crotch, and I stiffened. I felt my nipples harden, strain beneath the cotton of my bra. I was now fully awake. No longer drowsy. Nope. Not even a little. Matt stiffened, too. His movements abruptly ceasing. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked, alarm coating his words, and in the next moment his hand was suspended in the air above me. “Did I touch something I shouldn’t?” I exhaled a short, nervous laugh, gripped by the urge to sit up. “No. No. You didn’t.” I moved to the edge of the bed, righting myself, away from Matt, needing distance. “I’m good.” I gathered a silent breath and released it slowly because my pulse was racing. Crap, Marie. Get a grip. It’s Matt Simmons. Professor Matt. The big kid. Why are you reacting this way? “Did I . . .” These initial words were hesitant, and a moment of silence stretched before he continued, his tone comically teasing as he finished his thought. “Did I arouse you?” I snorted, shaking my head, laughing at his silly tone. Turning at the waist to peer at him over my shoulder, Matt was grinning at me, twisting a make-believe mustache between his thumb and forefinger. But then he stopped. “I did, didn’t I?” he pushed, his hand dropping. He looked pleased, if not a little amazed. I sighed, feeling a smidge embarrassed, and nodded. “Actually, yes. That’s a sensitive spot for most women.” “The back of your neck?” He lifted himself to one elbow, his eyes darting to my neck with keen interest. “My neck in general, actually.” “Huh.” Matt frowned thoughtfully. “Where else?” I pressed my lips together and gave him an incredulous look. “I’m not telling you that.” “Why not?” “Matt.” “What if I needed it for research reasons?” “Matt.” “What if I told you it was part of our questionnaire?” He tossed his legs over the side of the bed and stood, walking around to my side and offering me his hand. “You should give me a schematic of your body with the erogenous zones circled and rated.” “Let me guess, you want them rated on a ten-point scale,” I deadpanned as I accepted his hand, stood, and stepped away to gain some distance and straighten my shirt. He shrugged, crossing his arms, stalking after me. “Or exponential. I was going to say a Likert scale, but a logarithmic scale works, too.” Chuckling, appreciative of his attempt to diffuse my embarrassment and awkwardness with the joke, I realized Matt Simmons wasn’t a bad guy. He might even be a good guy, just a little . . . peculiar. And wants to replace romantic relationships with robots. Best not forget that detail. Yeah, he’d make an interesting friend. “Thanks.” I gave him a small smile. “For what?” His eyes moved between mine. “For the cuddle. Thanks for the cuddle, Matt.” “Anytime, Marie.” He grinned down at me, his eyes dancing as he leaned forward and whispered, “Anytime.”
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Caroline's Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FREAKIN’ ADORED this novel! This author NEVER disappoints.
“I’m looking for the right person.”
Marie is fed up with her dating disasters. She’s about to shut down her online dating profile when she’s notified that her perfect match has been found. Well, she can’t ignore that, can she? However, when something appears too good to be true, it generally is, so when she realises that her date is…not quite the person she saw online and, furthermore, he is not just weird but downright bizarre, she can’t get out of there soon enough.
“Now that I no longer thought of him as a psychopath, I gave myself permission to think his grin was attractive, because it was. Really attractive. Irritatingly so.”
Imagine her incredible surprise and when she crosses paths with him again and…he’s not quite the person she met on her date. In fact, as they start spending time together in the name of research, and slowly become friends, Marie starts to view him in a totally different light.
“He’d been honest about his lack of interest in a lasting relationship. I’d been honest about my lack of interest in a truncated relationship.”
Unfortunately, one pivotal comment changes the trajectory of their relationship, and she finds herself in an impossible situation. Throw in the looks, the tactility, and the words from him, and she starts to feel as confused as the blurry lines of their friendship.
This was a FABULOUS story!
“Nothing about you could ever bore me. You’re the most remarkable person I’ve met.”
Marie is a generous friend and a giving person. She has a huge capacity for caring about other people. She’s stunning, she’s sassy, and she’s smart. Add that she’s loyal and kind. All together, she doesn’t realise that she’s pretty intimidating to the opposite sex.
“Life is a struggle for relevancy.”
Matt Simmons is a geek. A HOT GEEK! Let me tell you, his beautiful brain, his physical sexiness, his nerdy humour, his ingenuous speech, and his adorably gauche manner had all my neural synapses firing on all cylinders! His words of admiration told us that he obviously adored Marie, and his actions spoke volumes about his true feelings. In his eyes, she’s a veritable goddess. My heart really melted for this guy. I just wanted to hug him tight and tell him that he was relevant, he was worthy, he was deserving. That he deserved Marie!
Finishing her books always leaves me feeling more informed than when I first started them. I thoroughly enjoy the intellect, the linguistic dexterity, the humour, the friendships, the romance, THE feels. For me, I think this is her most emotional read to date. I swear I spent most of the second half of the novel trying to swallow down the lumps in my throat. This story really pulled on my heartstrings.
By the time I finished this book, my brain had been exercised, my heart had been exercised, and my tear ducts had been exercised! This was a story that engaged me completely. Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend! Top Read 2017.
“I’m looking for the right person.”
Marie is fed up with her dating disasters. She’s about to shut down her online dating profile when she’s notified that her perfect match has been found. Well, she can’t ignore that, can she? However, when something appears too good to be true, it generally is, so when she realises that her date is…not quite the person she saw online and, furthermore, he is not just weird but downright bizarre, she can’t get out of there soon enough.
“Now that I no longer thought of him as a psychopath, I gave myself permission to think his grin was attractive, because it was. Really attractive. Irritatingly so.”
Imagine her incredible surprise and when she crosses paths with him again and…he’s not quite the person she met on her date. In fact, as they start spending time together in the name of research, and slowly become friends, Marie starts to view him in a totally different light.
“He’d been honest about his lack of interest in a lasting relationship. I’d been honest about my lack of interest in a truncated relationship.”
Unfortunately, one pivotal comment changes the trajectory of their relationship, and she finds herself in an impossible situation. Throw in the looks, the tactility, and the words from him, and she starts to feel as confused as the blurry lines of their friendship.
This was a FABULOUS story!
“Nothing about you could ever bore me. You’re the most remarkable person I’ve met.”
Marie is a generous friend and a giving person. She has a huge capacity for caring about other people. She’s stunning, she’s sassy, and she’s smart. Add that she’s loyal and kind. All together, she doesn’t realise that she’s pretty intimidating to the opposite sex.
“Life is a struggle for relevancy.”
Matt Simmons is a geek. A HOT GEEK! Let me tell you, his beautiful brain, his physical sexiness, his nerdy humour, his ingenuous speech, and his adorably gauche manner had all my neural synapses firing on all cylinders! His words of admiration told us that he obviously adored Marie, and his actions spoke volumes about his true feelings. In his eyes, she’s a veritable goddess. My heart really melted for this guy. I just wanted to hug him tight and tell him that he was relevant, he was worthy, he was deserving. That he deserved Marie!
Finishing her books always leaves me feeling more informed than when I first started them. I thoroughly enjoy the intellect, the linguistic dexterity, the humour, the friendships, the romance, THE feels. For me, I think this is her most emotional read to date. I swear I spent most of the second half of the novel trying to swallow down the lumps in my throat. This story really pulled on my heartstrings.
By the time I finished this book, my brain had been exercised, my heart had been exercised, and my tear ducts had been exercised! This was a story that engaged me completely. Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend! Top Read 2017.
Meet Penny Reid:
Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full-time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Connect with Penny:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD
Twitter: @ReidRomance
Newsletter: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/
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