Friends without Benefits

Knitting in the City, Book 2

By: Penny Reid

Narrated by: Devra Woodward

There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Finney: 1) She suffers from severe sarcastic syndrome, especially when she's unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her like Nico Manganiello, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Elizabeth Finney is almost always right about everything: the musical merits of boy bands are undervalued by society, "benefits" with human Ken dolls are better without friendship, and the sun has set on her once-in-a-lifetime chance for true love. But when Elizabeth's plans for benefits without friendship are disarmed by the irritatingly charismatic and chauvinistic Nico Manganiello- her former nemesis- she finds herself struggling to maintain the electric fence around her heart while avoiding electrocution or, worse, falling in love.

©2013, 2014 Cipher-Naught (P)2015 Cipher-Naught

The narration is perfect but the story needs work

The first book in this series started out interesting and then started to drag with too much invented angst to be believable or fresh. Unfortunately the second book follows the same pattern. Too bad because the characters are interesting and hot. They just need a better story line to follow. I will probably not read any more of this author's books.

Very good

Lovely love story with some baggage. Good story, great emotional development, excellent narration. I highly recommend this series.

Frenemies to strangers to lovers

Would you listen to Friends without Benefits again? Why?

Oh gosh yes! I really like Ms. Woodward's performance and the voices she gave to the other ladies in the knitting group. It made them feel alive.

What did you like best about this story?

I really liked Elizabeth's skepticism about Nico's emotional declaration so soon. I would have had a very hard time believing such things too. So it's nice to see some real reactions to some otherwise extraordinary things.

Have you listened to any of Devra Woodward’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first book that I've heard that she's narrated.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are some phone conversations that really socked it to my gut later on in the book. And Epilogue #1. The emotional end of that entire scene really brings to light that you truly have no idea how someone else feels and that showing someone isn't necessarily enough for them to know.

Any additional comments?

I have loved Ms. Reid's books and Ms. Woodward has done an amazing job of bringing this particular book to life.

Wow, just wow!

I could not have loved this book more. Elizabeth was so real and Niko was the perfect book boyfriend. The narrator did a great low swoony voice for him. Yum.

Loved hearing Nico speak Italian!

I have always loved Elizabeth from Book one. She is Janie’s best dance partner and their friendship is one to be admired. But I loved to see this other side of Elizabeth coming full circle at her awakening to the concept of love. And of course Nico was a treat to be hold!