Thrifty Thursday is a challenge hosted by Anne @ Books of My Heart. The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point). My goal is to read 12 books this year, and review one each month. This months book was:
A Kindle freebie on August 8, 2021 (still a Kindle freebie as of writing this post)
AND (Because I got it for free twice!)
A paperback freebie from Book Bonanza July 2022 ($9.99 paperback on Amazon as of writing this post)
Just Folking Around by Penny Reid Series: Good Folk: Modern Folktales, #0.5, #0.5
Published by Cipher-Naught on June 23, 2021
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Pages: 68
Format: eBook, Paperback
Source: Amazon Freebie, Book Conference
Goodreads
One night? No strings? A sexy game of chess? No problem.
If you've never read a Penny Reid book before, this is the place to start! An all new series starter snack from the author of the WINSTON BROTHERS and KNITTING IN THE CITY series. . .
Raquel Ezra loves to fish. With so many fish in the sea, she’s never had a problem baiting the hook or reeling them in. Raquel is a good actress, she can be anyone’s fantasy for a single night as long as they agree to be hers. Which is why she doesn’t think twice about spending an evening in nowhere Tennessee with a smokin’ hot, well-mannered, and intriguing sheriff’s deputy by the name of Jackson James.
Except, when the time comes, Raquel discovers that reality might just be better than any fantasy, and maybe she’s not ready to release this catch.
JUST FOLKING AROUND is a 16k words, contemporary romance, a complete standalone, and is the prequel to TOTALLY FOLKED, book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.
My top thoughts:
Well for a novella this was fucking fantastic. Too bad I now realize that I need to go back and read the whole Winston Brothers series, which I see Just Folking Around and the subsequent series is actually a spin off from. Oh and turns out the Winston Brothers is a spin off of Knitting in the City. Yes, I could probably read this just fine without that background, but I don’t want to. I have a feeling that the couple getting married – this novella starts at a wedding – are a couple from one of the Winston Brothers books. And yeah, I want all that background, especially since Penny Reid is a delight to read.
What I liked/didn’t like:
On the plus, if those books are anything like this novella, it really will not be a hardship. I’ve been told how great Penny Reid is for quite some time and I’ve really truly meant to read her books, but you know how many books I own and haven’t read, to be reading books I don’t own? Well, all that changed when I read Homecoming King and I am officially Penny Reid hooked. She’s damn consistent in that her books (that I’ve read thus far) are hilarious. And I do love the characters.
Somehow this novella, though, managed to pack so much sexyness into a quick read. We’re talking fire, get the water hose because wowza! And also I feel like I understand so much about these characters – Raquel Ezra, uber confident hollywood starlet with a vulnerable side she’s not willing to face, and the deputy – kind and sees right through that confidence to the vulnerability and is ready to safegaurd her if she will just let him. I mean, I don’t know if that’s EXACTLY how this will play out becuase it’s a novella and I really have to read the next book to know, but that’s what I’m hoping for based on this greatness I just read.
And all that, from a freebie (twice!!)
I’ve got a few freebies smattered from among the original and some of the spinoffs, too. I’m so glad you loved it. I still need to try her stuff.
I haven’t read anything from this author but this sounds delightful.
I’ve read a few of the Winston series (& a few of her other books). They’re always pretty light and witty.
Karen @For What It’s Worth
Everything Penny Reid is a delight. yes I would start at the beginning probably. But I know both Knitting in the City and Winston Bros have had freebies so check if you grabbed those. I read them in ebook format and only recently tried some of the audios. Thanks for participating and don’t forget to link up!
“fire, get the water hose” hahahaha I feel like I definitely need to read this now 😂