Love Hacked

Purchased and read this book as soon as it was available on Nook. I'm officially addicted to this series! From page one it was hard to put this book down. The friends in the knitting group are each interesting, funny, quirky, smart, etc! Really enjoy getting a full story with a steamy romance. The whole idea of the pairing of Sandra and Alex was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed getting carried away into their story. I loved how Alex wraps his story up in the end. I must say that I liked him more before though. The voice/mindset is completely in line for who he would be, but I liked him more through Sandra's eyes. Really enjoyed his story. When will the second book in the series be available on Nook?! I'm not sure that I can wait - may need to buy the hard copy on Amazon!

It is true, the book was awesome. Dry humor is something that seems to be a dying breed these days. But Sandra takes the cake. She is the best friend I never had. Sad, but true. If a woman can just have a normal conversation with a man and leave him crying during the date..well Bravo. Quick comebacks and great shirts for each occasion. I loved actually reading about people that scored above a 1300 on their SAT Scores. And about Alex, hot damn. Genius never sounded so sexy before. If any of the nerds in high school looked like him and was the computer genius of the world when I went, I would have gladly signed myself up for some overachieving AP courses! Alex is by far the most secretive guy. Good reasons yes. Paranoid, absolutely. But when you read the book, you will find out why he sneaks around like a man on a bad acid trip. So...my review? Forget reading this and buy the book! Penny is smart, witty and entertaining all rolled into one author. Great characters, interesting plots, and Original. I rate the book a 4.8. Book is muy bueno.

I love this series so freaking much! Per usual with Penny Reid, I laughed out loud. It was so delightfully nerdy and I'm downright startled by how much I learned about bitcoins. This is one unusual romance novel, that's for sure. I loved how good Sandra and Alex were for each other, even when they were fumbling their way through the obstacles that kept on interfering. I especially loved how Alex refused to let Sandra use her professional background on him, that he was determined she take him as he was, even if he remained a broken soul. Plus, he called her out in the best of ways! Sandra seems like a pretty classic Enneagram Type Two, a natural in her job as a pediatric psychiatrist that her dates don't stand a chance. Until Alex. Let's talk about Alex for a moment. He's not the typical hero and I appreciated how Penny brought him to life. He kept me on edge, just as he was keeping Sandra in the dark on his past, as well as his current troubles. But as he opened up to Sandra more and began to experience having someone care about him, it was beautiful! I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling as I read the last few chapters.

I loved this book. In fact I love the entire series. Perfect blend of angst and humor.

A wonderful read with intelligent, personable characters you can care about.

I'm really enjoying this series!

Quite wonferful

This is definitely my favorite of the 5 Knitting in the City books out so far. I am bummed to have to wait until the fall for the next one. One of the things I like best about this series is the friendships.

One of The Most Unique Rom Coms I’ve Read-- Love Hacked was an exceptional book. Alex is an original type of alpha male. He’s a waiter but has a secret side he could use to his advantage, but he doesn’t. Instead, his suspicious behavior will keep you on your toes as the humor and intelligence radiates between he and Sandra, a psychologist who makes all her dates cry. Sandra is the epitome of alpha female if there ever was one. I loved how her words did not match her actions on her dates, and the confusion in the lack of her body language made for great comedic fodder throughout the book. She loves to stay in control and I admired that about her, because her smarts and self-control were apparent from the start. Don’t be fooled, though! Her controlling outward nature is opposite of her resistance in her intimacies with Alex. Both of them nurture a fun and sizzling friendship as Sandra unfolds what her mysterious friend is hiding. Her response to his doubt is beyond sweet. I recommend this book for those who want to laugh, love nerdy characters, and who enjoy a sweet romance with a touch of steam and suspense.

This was miserably hard to put down and I will miss Sandra and Alex very much...so much. This story is completely hysterical, sweet, smart and one of the best books I've ever read. I highly recommend it.

It's hilarious how weeks after I've read this book, I'm still struggling to find the right words to describe how I feel without this book.  I guess the easiest place would be to start with the cover.  I don't know about you, but I love it!  It's definitely one of the most original covers I've seen. I just love the juxtaposition of technology, the coffee mug, and the bright red seen in the dress, slippers, and lipstick.  Everything comes together nicely and give you a great idea about what the book will be about. Penny Reid certainly knows how to write.  She's given us Sandra who can't seem to get out of her dating slump, whom I couldn't help but love.  She's funny, really funny.  Then you've got the mysterious Alex, who is not just eye candy, in the form of her favorite waiter at the restaurant she takes all of her doomed first dates to.  The two of them have lots of zing and play off each other beautifully. I like how Sandra tried to refrain from using her psychotherapist woo-woo on Alex and how Alex was blunt and forthright with her. I think the aspect I was most taken aback by, in a good way of course, was the technology aspect.  I really want to mention it, but since it's not mentioned in the blurb, I won't say anything here and ruin the surprise for you.  Now I know nothing really about what's gotten Alex into trouble, but I really liked how Penny explained everything, so I was able to understand what I was going on. This book truly is a "smarter romance".  It's more realistic and yet fantasy like at the same time.  There are the usual shenanigans by the knitting group, but since I love those ladies, it's great.  There's a scene outside the restaurant with all of them and Alex that both cracked me up and had me cheering.  That's one group of women whose bad side I would not want to get on!  For a story that will keep you hooked, definitely pick up Love Hacked or any of the other books in this series.  And you can read any of them on their own, but TRUST me, you're going to want to read them all!  

Another wonderful romantic, mystery, fun and quirky book!  I loved it!! I can't wait for the next book!! Highly recommend the entire series!!

~Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog Sandra has a really bad habit and no matter what she does she just can’t seem to kick it. She makes all her first dates cry then proceeds to add them to her squadron of male friends, but not before recommending them a good shrink. Her only solace is that the restaurant she takes her dates to has fantastic butter chicken, of course that isn’t the only thing that makes her drool, her waiter Alex has her staring just as hungrily. After one date and one drink too many mixed with a certain red dress Sandra finally gets to see if Alex tastes as good as he looks… I think I may have finally found a cure for the cold; Love Hacked by Penny Reid. Okay, maybe not a cure, but it definitely made me feel a lot better, I was so busy laughing (and coughing) and day dreaming when reading this book that I forgot to keep feeling sorry for myself and in general being pathetic and bugging everyone around me, I don’t suffer in dignified silence when feeling ill, which is unfortunate for everyone around me! What had me riveted to this book was, surprisingly, not the hero Alex, although he was adorably delicious all by himself, but was the heroine Sandra. Penny Reid has a knack for writing heroines that are quirky, funny and feisty and Sandra ticked all those boxes, I wanted her to have her HEA and eagerly jumped abroad the Love Hacked express to ensure that she found it. She even overshadowed the hero, which is rare, normally when I look back at a book it is the hero that I will remember, not so in this case, she had me at “Wookie costume of shame”. But, that doesn’t mean didn’t love Alex, I did, he was slightly odd, extremely sexy and had the good sense to fall for Sandra. Perfect day dream material. Together they also had fantastic chemistry and as they were both slightly off kilter they bounced off each other really well. And then we have the sexual tension, by the time they actually got down to some dirty monkey business I was ready to dive into the book and rip Alex’s clothes off! Love Hacked was well written, with a great cast of characters and is packed full or funny moments, romantic moments, sexy times and friendship, I now can’t wait for the other gals in the knitting group to find their HEAs. With each book we see more of their individual personalities and it just leaves me impatiently waiting for the next book in the series. In conclusion, Penny Reid needs to write faster! * ARC provided by author

I just recently read Loved Hacked by Penny Reid, and one of the absolutely best things about this book is that it is based in my lovely hometown Chicago. Woo hoo! On the first page, she had me at hello when she mentioned Cubs tickets (although I am Sox fan). Anywho, back to the book…… The main attraction: Sandra and Alex make an unusual pairing. First, there was the age gap. Secondly, there was his job as a waiter, and hers as a psychiatrist. (OMG! I sound like a snob right? But really, when I first found out that Alex was a waiter, I thought, “you’ve got to be kidding. There has to be a catch!” And guess what, there was!) Thirdly, she was a man-eater. And even with all of that, I found this coupling to be simply adorable; I loved them together. It was their idiosyncrasies, their personality quirks that made them work for me. They complimented each other just like your partner should. The supporting cast: This was my first time meeting the rest of the Knitting Crew because I didn’t know it was a series. (P.S. This was book #3 in the Knitting in the City Series. To see the rest, click here!) The dolls that made up this crew were exquisite, a cornucopia of love, respect, and friendship. I loved their group because it reminded me of me and my bookworms.   And the Bookworm Oscar for My Favorite Character in the book goes to……Alex. He was so mysterious. So Jack Sparrow! He reminds me of Rusty from Ocean’s Twelve when he said, “Look, it’s not in my nature to be mysterious. But I can’t talk about it, and I can’t talk about why.” 

The third installment of the Knitting in the City series may just be the best one yet.  These funny, quirky, original romances are loosely connected but can be read stand-alone.  Everybody knows someone like Sandra.  She is the fix-it girl.  The one who’s shoulder you can cry on.  The one who has never met a stranger. Sandra goes on a lot of first dates but few second ones as she knows what she wants or thinks she does.  Alex is not even on her radar except he is.  Alex is the hot, younger guy with the made for sex voice that is the server at her favorite restaurant and not the type of guy she usually dates.  He has witnessed her disastrous string of first dates.  They are so wrong for each other but so right.  I loved this story.  Alex and Sandra made my heart go pitty pat.   I received an ARC from the author in return for a fair and honest review.  Go buy this book and the ones before it.  You can’t go wrong.  

This was an interesting book. The plot was orginal and out there enough to grab my attention. As always, I love the knitting group. The girls proved once again why they are best friends. I also loved Alex. He was mysterious in a very sexy way. But he also had a vulnerable and lonely side that at times broke my heart. His backstory kept me guessing the whole time. I gave this book 3 stars because it stared out very slow for me. I found myself skimming the first 1/3 of the book hoping that it would pick up. I'm glad that I kept reading because it did pick up and completely grabbed my attention. I would recommend reading this book.

When I got this ARC I literally did a happy dance. Nobody should be subjected to that, I promise you, but when you get an ARC from Penny Reid there really isn't any other way to respond. I've dubbed myself her "stalker" because I'm constantly on the lookout for anything she posts across social media. The first two books in the Knitting in the City series, Neanderthal Seeks Human and Friends Without Benefits, are among my all-time favorite books and so I couldn't wait to dive right into book three. I cannot explain how badly I want to be one of the women in this knitting club. I just want to be a part of their world. In a sense I feel like they are already my friends because they are just written that well. Penny Reid writes the quirkiest, most intelligent characters around. I spend half the time laughing out loud and the other half Googling while reading these. I feel my brain expanding a little with each book. I love the men, don't get me wrong, but the women tend to overshadow them in each book so far. They are strong, intelligent, funny and they all know exactly who they are and don't pretend to be something different. They are also very loyal to each other and the bond they share extends far beyond their Tuesdays nights. I love that each of the characters stories are so different from one another but they all intertwine.   Love Hacked was,by far, the most complex of all the stories. Alex was sort of an enigma to me. He was hard to figure out. One minute he seemed so insecure and vulnerable and the next he was all alpha male and self-assured; I found this combination to be extremely hot. I love that he didn't beat around the bush about his feelings with Sandra and that when things got steamy, oh did they get steamy. Then there was Sandra and the way she dealt with the whole situation with Alex. Once she felt like he was trustworthy she never waivered in that trust for him. She's brilliant and amazing and I think I fell in love with her quicker than Alex did. I love that she has a t-shirt for every occasion and the constant Star Wars references were the best. I love that with each book we get to revisit all the characters and see how much they care for one another and will always have each others back. I love that Nico has been included in Tuesday nights and that the men seem to be becoming friends, even with Quinn as mysterious and grumpy as he can be. I really can't say enough about this series. If you haven't read any of them I highly suggest you go out and buy them at once. Penny Reid coins the funniest words in each book, I've started a list, and I find myself using them often as soon as I'm done reading. You don't want to miss out on the fun! Here's just a taste of what to expect: "Well, I can't help it. He gives me the zings in my things."  "What does that mean?" "I feel like I have wings." "Maybe you're drinking too much Redbull." "No. It's lady quiverings." "Listen, Doctor Seuss, I don't care if looking at him makes you want sing. Look all you want. Just don't...do anything else." *I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit, I have some serious envy for the ladies of the Knitting in the City series. When I was pregnant with my daughter I attempted to learn how to knit. I actually made it almost through a whole scarf, but as I often do with hobbies, it fell to the wayside. Now I’m seriously regretting that because apparently sexy, smart women with the ability to produce knit goods lure in hotties like there’s no tomorrow. I may have to take it back up. In the third novel in the series we are introduced to Sandra who is a psychiatrist. As such, she often over-analyzes prospective mates in an effort to avoid getting hurt. Who wouldn’t, right? It would be so easy, you’d think, to know that the relationship wouldn’t work based upon your ability to see past someone’s fronts. It also has it’d downsides, as Sandra is going on three years of first dates and no action. Most of her dates have resulted in their tears and another male friend to add to her shelf of would-be love interests. At the start, she’s on yet another date with yet another suitor who she reduces to tears. She’s at her wits end to find her one and only. Enter Alex, third on her Spank Naughty list, and the waiter at the restaurant where she takes her dates. As usual, he was dressed in all black. If you went for rough edges, chip on the shoulder, effortlessly sensual, young and dangerous with the build of an Olympic swimmer, which I usually did not, he fit the bill and caught the fish-hook, line, sinker, sexy. She’s admired him from afar and I don’t blame her. I’d admire him from a-close if I had the opportunity. At the conclusion of her date, Alex does something that knocks her knickers off…he kisses her. “Sandra, what do you say? I think it’s well past time you had a kiss.” They end up going on a date together, one that is as interesting as it is weird. The sexual tension between these two is palpable, as is the mystery that surrounds him. She’s known Alex for years, as she’s frequented the restaurant where he works for quite some time, but she knows next to nothing about him. Her interest only sharpens the more the cloak-and-dagger routine continues. Who exactly is this man that intrigues and turns her on like no other? I like that the male characters in this series have a more subtle intensity. They are strong and certainly don’t lack on some of the alpha characteristics, but I wouldn’t qualify them as jerks. Instead, they’re realistically sweet and I wouldn’t mind having one or two of my own. Alexander Greene is no exception. He’s a very intense and secretive person and I was dying to know just what he was hiding. I was turning the pages like a madwoman trying to piece together the puzzle, one that surprised me in the end on various levels. Reid was able to pen the mysterious air quite perfectly, with little clues that gave just enough of a hint, but didn’t spell out the whole story. Kudos to her for that. He wanted me. I wanted him. This was a frightening and thrilling prospect because when I pushed him, he pushed back. The romance between the two was very romantic-comedy sweet. Alex was very much a tortured hero, but not in the dramatic way that so many are these days. He was genuinely concerned for Sandra, but he didn’t want her pity or psychoanalyzing. He wanted her love, without qualifications. As someone whose basic instinct is to care and “fix” others it was challenging for Sandra to take Alex as he is, without wanting to change him. I particularly liked how everything tied together in the end, which gave me a new found appreciation for the story as a whole. The comedy, as always, was directly on point. There were a few times the humor was a tad “off” for me, but the majority of the time I was laughing-out-loud, which I normally find myself doing with any Reid read. ha! I highly recommend this series for those looking for a laugh with a sweet romance and real characters. And I mean real characters. This whole series is on my re-read list because it is that enjoyable. You cannot go wrong with Love Hacked. 4.5 stars!