Bananapants by Penny Reid: My Book Review of the Bonkers Romcom

Check out my latest book review of Bananapants by Penny Reid for my thoughts on this bonkers romcom that has fantastic mental health representation. Read it and then join me in the She Reads Romance Books Book Club to chat about Bananapants this September 2024!

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Bananapants: September 2024 Book of the Month – She Reads Romance Books Book Club

Be sure to join the She Reads Romance Books Book Club as we are reading Bananapants as our September 2024 book selection. We will meet on Zoom on September 17 to discuss this bonkers romcom and meet again on Zoom with the author, Penny Reid, for our Author Q&A Chat on September 23. Don’t miss it. Join today!

Bananapants Summary:

Ava Archer misses her best childhood friend most especially during the month of April. Ask any tax attorney, it’s a lonely, grueling time of year. Luckily, Ava has just received a surprising and delectably absurd offer from her posh doppelgänger at work.

She must pretend to be the aforementioned posh co-worker for one night at an extremely fancy party; a party so fancy, there exists absolutely no chance anyone will recognize her or suspect her ruse. . .

Desmond (Des) Sullivan is a thief. And not the heart-of-gold kind. He’s the steal-from-the-rich-and-give-to-the-also-rich-so-he-can-get-paid kind. He does, however, have one firm rule: never steal what the target can’t afford to lose.

After a brutal falling out with his father, Desmond hasn’t returned to Chicago in over ten years. But when a good friend is swindled and something priceless is stolen, Desmond must return home, both as himself and his thieving alter ego.

Infiltrate a dangerous secret society of the world’s most elite billionaires while leveraging his estranged father’s resources and not blowing his cover? Sure. No problem. Or it wouldn’t be a problem if Ava Archer hadn’t just walked into the room, wearing a ridiculous wig, speaking with a preposterous accent, and pretending (badly) to be someone she’s not.

Bananapants: My Review

Oh Penny Reid….you once again provide a masterpiece that makes me think and swoon all at once!

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Penny Reid fan. She’s probably the first indie romance author that I binge-read her entire catalog of books because I just fell so hard for her writing, her stories of “smart romance” and the characters she creates.

I’ve always said that one of the reasons I love reading romance is because I learn so much from authors and the storylines they create and Penny is someone that I’ve learned A LOT from in reading her books and Bananapants is no exception.

I should say that I was beyond excited to read this first and foremost because I knew we’d get some cameos from some of our favorite characters in her Knitting in the City series because the parents of the main characters are from that series. I was soooo ready to see Janie and Quinn Sullivan as parents plus I just love Fiona!! Like LOVE her so that’s really all I needed to hear besides the fact that Penny was writing it.

That being said, this can absolutely be read as a standalone. She does a great job placing other characters but you don’t really need to have read that series before diving into this one (though you should circle back to it because it’s amazing).

So while I loved this tie-in with the Knitting in the City series, I truly appreciated this book for the mental health representation it offered with the focus on ADHD and primarily bipolar 1 and its impact on someone’s family life and relationships.

In the Author’s Note, Penny shares that her daughter who has bipolar 1 was instrumental in helping her with Des’ character. While she rightly states that everyone’s experience with a mental health condition is different, I felt like I was getting a picture of someone who has struggled with this condition that is accurate or at least from a place of wanting to showcase it as authentically as possible.

Des and Ava were childhood best friends before Des essentially ghosted Ava at age 15 after some serious struggles before finally getting his diagnosis as bipolar 1 (see trigger warnings). They have not spoken for ten years until he returns to Chicago “as a spy/thief” set out to right a wrong and help a friend who got stuck in a shady business deal. Des and Ava come face to face at a fancy singles event that forces them to re-enter each others’ lives, deal with the ramifications of their “friend break-up” and potentially start something new.

The “bonkers” nature of Des and Ava’s reconnection is something I’ve come to expect from Penny – it was funny, quirky and yet had this serious reason behind why Des was there in the first place. This aspect to the story, Des being a thief and helping a friend, weaved its way in and out of the plotline but the ultimate focus of this story is really coming to understand Des and his struggle with his illness and how it’s kept him from dating and exploring anything more than a one-night stand.

Sure Ava had her own issues but this was all about Des’ story in my mind and Penny creates it beautifully even heartbreakingly so at times when he’s talking about his past episodes and the strained relationship with his father, Quinn.

What truly stood out to me in this book was not only Des’ struggle but triumph in managing his mental illness but also the love that everyone in his life had for him. The scene with Fiona brought me to tears.

This is not your typical romcom but I don’t expect that from Penny which is why I love her work. If you’re interested in a well-written book that explores bipolar 1 and its impact on relationships, then I highly recommend this book. Grab it and then come discuss it with us in the She Reads Romance Books Book Club!

More Books By Penny:

• Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend
• Folk Around and Find Out
• Beard With Me
• Beard Necessities

Related Book Lists:

• Best Romance Books Featuring Mental Illness
• Romance Heroes With Wounded Hearts
• Best Friends to Lovers Romance Books

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