Neanderthal seeks Human by Penny Reid (Knitting in the City #1)
Contemporary Romance
March 13, 2013
Self Published

Reviewed by May

“Did you have hot elevator eye sex? Is that why you’re the shade of my red sweater right now?”

Janie is having the worst day ever. After finding out that her boyfriend cheated on her (and dumping his ass) she is fired from her job that very day. Oh wait, but it gets worse because not only is she now homeless and without a job, but she finds herself being escorted from the building by the hunky new security guard that she and her friends have nicknamed Sir Handsome McHotpants.

Humiliated but not defeated, Janie moves in with her best friend and begins the job hunt. Little does she know that Sir Handsome (aka Quinn) has noticed that she likes to watch him at work and he’s just as into her. Now Janie is looking at a new job with Quinn’s company, and the chance at a new and amazing relationship too. Can she handle it? Will Quinn run away from Janie’s brand of crazy?

This book was an incredibly cute, funny, and enjoyable read. Starting with Janie, it was nice to read about a heroine who doesn’t have everything together and who isn’t smooth and that doesn’t know just what to do or how to see that the man in the elevator with her is most definitely interested. Janie is smart – in fact one of my favorite things about her is that when she’s nervous she starts spouting random facts and information. She is very distant from most people outside of her close friends, and I could see why. While she just broke up with her longtime boyfriend, it is clear that she considered it a relationship of convenience, not a love match. I mean, here is how she feels about sex at this point:

“It’s like having someone else pick your nose or floss your teeth. It requires a lot of coordination and planning….

What a hassle. I think bacteria have the right idea; humans should procreate via binary fission.”

Of course she’s re-thinking her stance on sex as she is so drawn to Sir Handsome (Quinn) and can’t help but think about how much she might enjoy being with him. I liked that she ends up working with Quinn, which gives them time together and lets them get to know each other too. Janie is very good at her job (accountant) so when Quinn hires her yes, he wants her nearby, but really he sees that she is capable, great in fact at what she does, and he happens to need someone with her skill set.

Speaking of skills, I loved the conversations between these two. Neither one is especially smooth with the other, and it was laugh out loud funny quite frequently. I loved the conversation where Quinn is explaining he’s never really dated someone and Janie is explaining that she knows, and why this will be a friend-zone type relationship.

“A Wendell is a man who is extremely good looking and who is great in bed. Wendells do not have exclusive relationships – i.e. they do not date – but rather hook up with many women at once. I have no judgment for Wendells – in fact I applaud their stamina and ability to provide excellent service to so many women at once. It seems like a very efficient and generous use of resources.”

Oh but being Janie, she’s of course wondering about logistics.

“What percentage of females in Chicago are ready to have sex with you right now? What happens if one of them needs to travel? Do they have a phone tree? Is there a coverage plan or backup plan for emergencies?”

“Is there entry criteria? An established search committee? An interview process? Skills test? What kind of radius do you require? Do you have one circling the block now? Do you always keep one nearby? Was there one at the restaurant? The bar maybe?”

What really made Quinn a great lead in this is that I got the feeling he wasn’t sleeping around because of fear of commitment, but rather a girl he was so interested in that he wanted to just be dating her hadn’t come along. One of my favorite things about this story is how he really has to pursue Janie, court her, and make a real effort for her to even acknowledge that he is interested in her romantically. He texts her jokes and really puts effort into making it clear that he wants to be dating her. It’s really sweet – and a detail I wish more romance authors would put effort into!

I also adored Janie’s strong female friendships shown in this book. Despite limited time on-page each lady left an impression and added to this story. Advice, a shoulder to lean on, companionship, and of course good times – these ladies have a really great thing going and I loved reading about it. Janie also develops a great work friendship, which helped show just how friendly and outgoing she can be, and what a genuinely nice person she is.

So what didn’t work for me? There were a few parts of the plot including Janie’s sister and her ex-boyfriend that didn’t satisfy, that I felt could have been finished off a bit better. It also bothered me that it took Janie so long to figure out that Quinn is the owner, not just a security guard for the company. She is so intelligent, I really don’t think she would have not seen it sooner and I felt like it might have advanced the plot, but it hurt her as a character. Also I want to note that the author is now having this book professionally edited, but the typos and errors I noticed weren’t distracting or bad enough to bother my reading experience.

Overall this is an adorable fluffy cloud of a fun contemporary romance. It made me giggle multiple times, and it was a delight to read. It reminded me of the good old days when contemporary romance could be funny and free of dark angst and deep drama. Sometimes, a girl just needs Sir Handsome Mc Hotpants to roll up and make her day and in this case the price is right. I’m so glad that I picked this book up- it really made my day.

Grade: A-

Recent Reviews:
Ellie Reads Fiction – 4/5
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