Ninja at First Sight: An Origin Story (Knitting in the City)

Knitting in the City

By: Penny Reid

Narrated by: Em Eldridge

Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the USA TODAY best-selling author of Truth or Beard.

What do a cynical former Marine and a sheltered former Olympic contender have in common?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

He has a girlfriend, and she's never been kissed.

He's sullenly sarcastic, and she's earnestly empathetic.

He can't stop thinking about her.

She knows she should keep her distance.

Nevertheless, when opposites attract, the results may be unexpected, but they're also undeniably magnetic.

Ninja at First Sight is a stand-alone, prequel novella (for book five of the Knitting in the City Series, Happily Ever Ninja).

©2016 Penny Reid (P)2016 Penny Reid

Penny Reid is a Master!

What made the experience of listening to Ninja at First Sight: An Origin Story (Knitting in the City) the most enjoyable?

Honestly, Penny Reid is a master story teller. Contemporary romance is littered with tropes, and that doesn't bother me, but I love that Penny Reid doesn't use them. She always surprises me.

What did you like best about this story?

Favorite moment.
Thinking to myself, 'Oh no, she's about to (Spoiler)' and discovering I was completely wrong.

What does Em Eldridge bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She's a good narrator. I didn't really notice her to be honest and that's about the highest praise I can give. When the narrator disappears and it's just you and the story.

Unnecessary snippet; a teaser?

Any additional comments?

I am a fan of Penny Reid's, although I prefer her Knitting in the City books to her other books. I was looking forward to reading another episode of that series even though it was a novella. What this turns out to be is a prequel to an upcoming book. I'm not sure why it was published except to be a teaser, or perhaps to bring a bit more income to the author. (I do support authors being able to earn a good living.) However I felt that this short book was really unnecessary. If this backstory is necessary to the upcoming novel, a skillful author will work it in to the story line; if not, leave it on your computer.

I think the best books are written quite tightly; they don't require prologues or epilogues. A good story evokes all kinds of questions in the readers' minds but doesn't have the need to answer every single one, up to the number of children and grandchildren the heroine has, for instance. The best books leave us with lots to think but do complete the essential story arc. Penny Reid writes contemporary romance, a genre which is often sneered at, although romance readers know that the best romances are as good as books in any other genre. That said, we romance readers still deserve the best writing, and many romance authors really do deliver, and Penny Reid is an author who can meet very high standards.

So why does this little novella exist? It's not particularly well-done or interesting. If it's a teaser for an upcoming novel, we shouldn't have to pay for it. If it's essential to that novel, it should be included in that novel. It certainly wasn't worth my time and money.

I also wish, once again, to request that readers for books are chosen more carefully. I think that actors or whomever it is who wants to narrate books should get voice training. Em Eldridge doesn't do a very good job differentiating between different characters; her male voice(s) are not believable. In addition, she has a regional accent which she should work to eradicate. In particular, she substitutes short i's for short e's, i.e. pin instead of pen. She is a somewhat sloppy narrator as well, and it makes the heroine less believable as the intelligent, talented young woman she is supposed to be.

This is a book that lovers of fan fiction might enjoy; for me it was a disappointment.

Liked this!

I really liked getting to know Fiona and Greg! Learning about her childhood and how she met Greg in college gave added background to her. I hope to read more in next books.

Bad Geography

Great story, love the series. Seriously need to learn the Geography of Iowa. Chicago is a 5 hour drive from Cornell, and Cornell is a 4 hour drive from Ames.

Fun and Witty!

Ohhh why did I wait so long to listen to this! It was witty and funny and just downright fantastic. What I love is how Penny can make a serious topic and give it balance with fun and humor. Greg might just give Cletus a run for his favorite place in my heart. That accent lord be! The narration in this is 100% the best and I want MORE!

Fiona’s beginning

This prequel is how Fiona and Greg got their start. They met in college and he wasn’t very nice to her or to anyone for that matter. It’s part of his sparkling personality :p I look forward to Fiona’s full novel up next. This was good to have a background of those two.

Good

A good back story to the next book. I am looking forward to reading what comes next!

Fall in love all over again

Cant help to feel the feelings of destiny and love for these characters. The beginnings of heartstrings bonding. The humor of life. Listen to it. Laugh with it. Fall in love with them. I did.

good

i really enjoyed this excellent story. definitely want to read more stories by penny reid.

So Cute

Fiona and Greg are so cute. I wasn't expecting this particular origin story. I thought we would see more of how she become an agent and the flashbacks of how they met, but this surpassed my expectations. Outstanding.