Sometimes, people are just so darn talented that I wonder how it’s possible. Penny Reid is one of those authors. She’s written so many books and each one has amazing, different, and complex characters. It’s easy to fall in love with them. Many of her books are written from both the hero and heroines perspectives on a chapter by chapter basis. She also doesn’t hesitate to create main characters that aren’t typical of the romance genre. She does it with care, understanding, and it really feels like, as the reader, that you know and understand them as people and not as a diagnosis. And they still manage to be like lava – hot and melts everything in their path!
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Penny Reid, Superstar Author of Smart Romance Novels
Penny Reid writes smart romance novels. Consent and condoms are strongly featured in every book, which I appreciate. On top of it, she’s a prolific writer. She’s a superstar author and you’ll be hooked, too.
One of my favorite things about her writing (so far) is that all of the books exist in the same universe. Though she has different series and you can read any series without reading the others first, some characters appear in multiple books in another series.
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Series Included in Pennyverse
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Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City Series)
I bought this book along with its companion, Neanderthal Marries Human, on a whim when it was on sale. I didn’t know I was about to enter into an author crush. It’s the first book in the Knitting in the City series and it’s starring Janie Morris and the incredibly hot, stoic Quinn Sullivan. I gobbled up their story voraciously and then tore greedily in the next book.
Janie Morris loses to her job and apartment on the same day. To her mortification, Sir McHotpants (the guy she lusts after at work aka Quinn Sullivan), is there to witness the whole thing. Then, he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Janie is a great character. She’s extra tall and quirky. Her quirkiness is made worse when she’s nervous: She volunteers too much trivial information. I couldn’t help falling in like-like with her and her amazing friends. Luckily, we get to read their stories, too.
Actually, as quickly as humanly possible, I devoured this series. Then, I started reading her other books in the series. Eventually, I died a little with each crushing blow to the heroines and rose again like a phoenix as love prevailed between our incredible heroines and the hot, intelligent, and sexy heroes.
I recommend this amazing series to anyone (click below to order):
I recommend reading this series in order and waiting to start the Winston brothers series until after reading Beauty and the Mustache.
Hypothesis
I ended up reading books 4, 5, and 6 of this series before reading the first three. You can can do that and not miss out on anything in the series. However, you do have to either start with book 1 or book 4 for that section of the series to really make sense. It’s kind of like Star Wars in that way.
This series just might be my favorite of Penny Reid’s books, but it’s a close call. I love the characters and their intelligence, while envying their youth and ability to shine. These are all about younger people, mostly college aged or just after. They are starting their adult lives. It’s completely different than the other series’ Ms. Reid has written and she still has complex, interesting characters, with whom I can’t help but find endearing.
If you aren’t sure where to start, this is a great place!
Winston Brothers Series
When you’re heading into a series about seven family members, it might be easy to make them all seem a little too much alike. In this case, that’s not an issue. We start with the story of Duane, twin to Beau. Jessica James has been in love with Beau for as long as she can remember. However, she despises Duane (the dark and brooding twin), convinced that he returns the sentiment.
Until one sexy encounter that involves making out with Beau, errrr Duane, changes Jessica’s tune. Or at least, confuses the heck out of her!
There is so much to love in this book and in the whole series. From Cletus’s smart schemes to Billy’s desire to care for his family above himself, I fell in love with this family and the mess that is their lives.
A Super Cool Thing About Pennyverse
Penny Reid opened up her universe in 2017 to other authors to write about side characters or brand new characters who exist. The authors are vetted and also mentored during their writing process. I haven’t delved yet into the expanded universe, but as I’ve read all of Penny Reid’s books to date, I have complete confidence that the authors included in the expanded universe will not be a disappointment.
⇒ Check out another great romance author, Avery Flynn!
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of her wonderful books, so start with the one that appeals to you the most!
I’m simplifying Penny Reid’s books far too much. I don’t know how to explain the complex characters and depth of emotions without giving away a plot twist. Sure, yes, romances have happy endings. It’s a given and it’s why I am reading them so voraciously in lock down life. But there’s more. It’s like Penny Reid is giving us pieces of her soul, ever so slowly. Each book is part of that puzzle and must be consumed.
I don’t want to leave and when I’m in the middle of the book, I simply can’t. When she ends a book on a cliffhanger, I’m first in line for the next book. I cannot live without knowing the fate of my new bestie in the book.
I’m a fan of Penny Reid’s writing and I want to be like her when I grow up. Never mind that I’m probably older. She has some of the most consistent writing quality I’ve had the luck to read, even with a huge number of books being published in the past 6 years (she has an average of 5 books published per year).
I recommended buying her books right now and indulging into her intelligent romantic universe to your heart’s content. As for me, I’ll be rereading all of her books!
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