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Live and Let Grow
Read for FREE in Penny's Newsletter!
Alice is in love with her best friend. Now all she needs to do is tell him.
Best buds Milo Manganiello and Alice Hooper have been the one constant in each other’s lives for over fifteen years. The charismatic and compassionate physics professor was there when Alice got married, and he was there ten years later when she got divorced. Likewise, the candid and kind computer science professor has always been there for Milo. She babysits his apartment and plethora of houseplants when he’s traveling and they share breakfast together every day he’s in town. Alice wasn’t always in love with Milo, but the feeling has grown, and when Milo returns from his latest globe-trotting adventure, Alice decides it’s time to spill the seeds.
Does Alice have the grit to confess? And will feelings take root? Or is hers a love destined never to bloom?
‘Live And Let Grow’ is a 14k word (short) contemporary romance of long-suffering unrequited love and can be read as a standalone.
Alice is in love with her best friend. Now all she needs to do is tell him.
Best buds Milo Manganiello and Alice Hooper have been the one constant in each other’s lives for over fifteen years. The charismatic and compassionate physics professor was there when Alice got married, and he was there ten years later when she got divorced. Likewise, the candid and kind computer science professor has always been there for Milo. She babysits his apartment and plethora of houseplants when he’s traveling and they share breakfast together every day he’s in town. Alice wasn’t always in love with Milo, but the feeling has grown, and when Milo returns from his latest globe-trotting adventure, Alice decides it’s time to spill the seeds.
Does Alice have the grit to confess? And will feelings take root? Or is hers a love destined never to bloom?
‘Live And Let Grow’ is a 14k word (short) contemporary romance of long-suffering unrequited love and can be read as a standalone.
75 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2021
118 people are currently reading
1699 people want to read
About the author
Penny Reid
97 books22.5k followersSign up for the newsletter of awesome: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
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Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
FOLLOW PENNY:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyreidwriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reidromance
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews
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August 3, 2021
Read for FREE in Penny's Newsletter: https://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/
It’s here!! ‘Live and Let Grow’ is now ALIVE on ebook and print!! You may recall…this is my 14k word short story featuring the friends-to-lovers romance between Milo Manganiello (yep, Nico’s brother) and his best friend Alice. Talk about some major pining, people. This one is short but sweet…with some spice thrown in. I hope you enjoy it because I enjoyed writing these two!!!
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Audiobook: https://pennyreid.ninja/audiobook/liv...
**BLURB**
Alice is in love with her best friend. Now all she needs to do is tell him.
Best buds Milo Manganiello and Alice Hooper have been the one constant in each other’s lives for over fifteen years. The charismatic and compassionate physics professor was there when Alice got married, and he was there ten years later when she got divorced. Likewise, the candid and kind computer science professor has always been there for Milo. She babysits his apartment and plethora of houseplants when he’s traveling and they share breakfast together every day he’s in town. Alice wasn’t always in love with Milo, but the feeling has grown, and when Milo returns from his latest globe-trotting adventure, Alice decides it’s time to spill the seeds.
Does Alice have the grit to confess? And will feelings take root? Or is hers a love destined never to bloom?
‘Live And Let Grow’ is a 14k word (short) contemporary romance of long-suffering unrequited love and can be read as a standalone.
September 20, 2021
“I adore you. I think about you all the time. Being with no one, it hasn't been a hardship because I'd rather have a part of you then a whole of someone else. I’m in love with you and I want us to be together. I want you to give me a chance.”
september 2021 update :
3.75 stars.
UGH!!! I WISH THIS WAS FULL LENGTH! Alice and Milo were so cuute and the angst? the jealousy trope? UGHH deserved a novel!
april 2021 :
i'm a simple gal, whatever penny reid writes, i read!
April 18, 2022
This was a cute best-friends-to-lovers novella. Milo and Alice have been friends ever since college where they met and had instant chemistry (too bad she was already dating someone.) Alice later married and divorced her college boyfriend, and now it’s 15 years later and they’ve been dancing around the possibility of something more for years, neither making a move out of fear of wrecking the friendship. As with all of Penny Reid’s novels, this was delightfully quirky with wonderful characters.
April 30, 2021
Just finished the audiobook and I loved how short and sweet this friends-to lovers was. You can, however, read this completely for free on Penny's newsletter. She will launch them one chapter at a time.
But, GAH, I need more from Milo and Alice! Here's to hoping this is just the prequel novella to their full-length romance. There were so many unanswered questions.
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But, GAH, I need more from Milo and Alice! Here's to hoping this is just the prequel novella to their full-length romance. There were so many unanswered questions.
See all my reviews here
Bookstagram
May 31, 2021
“Live and Let Grow” is an audible freebee for me. It’s a very short story about two professors who skirt the issue of romantic attraction. It’s billed as a “14K word contemporary romance of long-suffering unrequited love”. It’s an excellent story of two people to dance around their feelings for each other, giving mixed signals resulting in many misinterpretations and misunderstandings. It’s a cute story. If you are older (like me), it will take you back to those awkward days of dating and attraction…..so happy that’s over LOL!
May 10, 2021
Yikes! I love the majority of Penny Reid's stories and was very excited for this book when I heard about it. Unfortunately, this one was a definite miss for me. The amount of misunderstandings, general distrust, and lack of communication in a story about a 15 year old friendship, seemed excessively forced. I was left cringing through most of the story and by the end I had stopped liking the heroine all together. When a person grows up with a sister who is terrible at giving advice, one would think that the person in question would have caught on by adulthood and not still be following said advice like gospel. All in all I think was a great concept but not a great delivery.
September 15, 2021
Una historia corta de uno de los hermanos Manganiello, Milo (btw mi gato se llama así ) y de su mejor amiga Alice y si sé lo que están pensando ahí va está Dude con otro Friends to Lovers yo siempre estoy en busca de un buen Friends to Lovers que me enamore.
Esta historia me dio mucho el vibe de Love Rosie demasiados años de amistad, nunca se dio el momento para estar juntos, casamientos en el proceso, cuando pasa eso me frustra porque siento que se desperdicia mucho tiempo.
Pero a pesar de eso me gustó su amistad y lo lindos que eran juntos y que era un libro coro y pronto pudimos tenerlos juntos declarando su amor y viendo felices para siempre.
Esta historia me dio mucho el vibe de Love Rosie demasiados años de amistad, nunca se dio el momento para estar juntos, casamientos en el proceso, cuando pasa eso me frustra porque siento que se desperdicia mucho tiempo.
Pero a pesar de eso me gustó su amistad y lo lindos que eran juntos y que era un libro coro y pronto pudimos tenerlos juntos declarando su amor y viendo felices para siempre.
April 25, 2024
Alice and Milo take center stage in this friends to lovers novella about two professors who met in college and have remained a constant in each other’s lives ever since. After fifteen years of friendship, both are ready for more, but neither are sure how to approach the subject.
There’s some less than bright actions in this book. *sighs* I think that’s a requisite move in romance novels to some degree, is it to stretch the word count? These are college professors though, is it too much to expect to see the bar set higher.
There’s not a lot of page time with both main characters together. The reader is teased with their interactions and the build up works in the book’s favor.
Penny Reid walks a tight rope balancing quirky characters with a touch of steam to bring romance to life. 💗
There’s some less than bright actions in this book. *sighs* I think that’s a requisite move in romance novels to some degree, is it to stretch the word count? These are college professors though, is it too much to expect to see the bar set higher.
There’s not a lot of page time with both main characters together. The reader is teased with their interactions and the build up works in the book’s favor.
Penny Reid walks a tight rope balancing quirky characters with a touch of steam to bring romance to life. 💗
August 3, 2021
Just finished the audio book and loved it!! Fiona and Joe nailed it narrating this one. Still looking forward to reading it each month in Penny’s newsletter, but at least the anticipation won’t kill me.
Alice and Milo are my favorite clueless best friends ever!! ❤️
Alice and Milo are my favorite clueless best friends ever!! ❤️
November 24, 2022
It's Penny Reid. Need I say more?
April 29, 2021
So dang cute! I was giving myself a reading break for the rest of the month since I already over met my goal for the month, but then my favourite author dropped this unexpectedly and I had to dive in.
I love friends to lovers and Milo and Alice were the epitome of adorable. I loved how both were so shy to admit their feelings, but I really loved how Milo was willing to wait for Alice.
As always with quick little snippets like this, we all want more, but this was such an unexpected treat.
I love friends to lovers and Milo and Alice were the epitome of adorable. I loved how both were so shy to admit their feelings, but I really loved how Milo was willing to wait for Alice.
As always with quick little snippets like this, we all want more, but this was such an unexpected treat.
July 3, 2021
More, please! I absolutely loved the story and the narration. Now, I just need more.
April 7, 2023
Seeing as this was like 20 pages, I don't have much to say. Alice's sister managed to annoy me in so few words/pages which was a new record. Alice and Milo were a quick love that I liked but didn't get much time with.
The real conflict was the lack of communication and then the JUMP to the end result. Why we goin' so FAST?
It was cute but rushed.
The real conflict was the lack of communication and then the JUMP to the end result. Why we goin' so FAST?
It was cute but rushed.
May 23, 2021
A cute short, friends to lovers romance.
By chance would Milo Manganiello be related to Nico Manganiello (book 2 Friends with Benefits)?
By chance would Milo Manganiello be related to Nico Manganiello (book 2 Friends with Benefits)?
April 29, 2021
Early Audio release for a Penny Reid novella!!?? Sign me up!!! And this one is extraordinary!! Perfectly Penny in every way imaginable....swoony hero, lovable quirky heroine, and houseplants. Lots and lots of houseplants!! Joe Arden and Fiona Fischer bring this book to life so well, I loved every second of my commute to and from work today. Thanks Penny & Co for making this audio available early. 💚
August 3, 2021
GOD !!! WHY IS THIS A NOVELLA !! I WANT MORE !!
Even though this story is basically four parts , I LOVED it !
The characters are adorable and the friends to lovers trope is already my favourite but , in this story , I loved it more .
This book was addictive , entertaining and really sweet .
If you are in the mood for cute , short romance ,this one is for you .
Even though this story is basically four parts , I LOVED it !
The characters are adorable and the friends to lovers trope is already my favourite but , in this story , I loved it more .
This book was addictive , entertaining and really sweet .
If you are in the mood for cute , short romance ,this one is for you .
August 25, 2021
this had everything I dislike about friends to lovers trope
- years of mutual pining
- lack of communication
add mature characters and the fact that this si novella and I don't have much to go on with
short but not very sweet
2,5⭐
- years of mutual pining
- lack of communication
add mature characters and the fact that this si novella and I don't have much to go on with
short but not very sweet
2,5⭐
March 21, 2022
wish this was a full length book!!
June 25, 2021
This was my short and sweet audio indulgence this week.
Alice and Milo have been best friends for over 15 years. They have been there for each other through the highs and lows, their friendship has been the once constant they can count on. Milo travels a lot for his job so Alice always checks in on his apartment and waters the plants in his absence. Over the last couple of years Alice has developed feelings deeper than friendship for Milo but she is terrified of telling him, fearing it may destroy what they have.
If she could just find the courage to tell him what she wants, she may be surprised with his answer...
Alice and Milo have been best friends for over 15 years. They have been there for each other through the highs and lows, their friendship has been the once constant they can count on. Milo travels a lot for his job so Alice always checks in on his apartment and waters the plants in his absence. Over the last couple of years Alice has developed feelings deeper than friendship for Milo but she is terrified of telling him, fearing it may destroy what they have.
If she could just find the courage to tell him what she wants, she may be surprised with his answer...
May 8, 2021
Engaging story, but not a fan of the smart girl, totally dumb about relationships, takes bad advice from friend/sister/other relative who doesn't know anything, either trope. Short stories are hard, and sometimes I don't think authors quite realize how difficult they are to do well. Good effort, though I was tempted not to persist to the payoff.
June 1, 2021
Well, that just grabbed my heart, put it in a vise and the made it feel all better again!!!! What a quick sweet friends to lovers story! I love Miles & Alice soooo much. But Jackie can go jump off a bridge. Seriously! *rolls eyes so hard at Alice’s sister and her terrible advice*
May 17, 2021
So much love for penny reid. I listened to the audiobook. Great short story.
November 24, 2021
Hot professors! 15 years of friendship and mutual pining! Plants and tacos! So damn good…
Only problem?
It’s too short. More please, Penny Reid! 🙏🙏🙏
Only problem?
It’s too short. More please, Penny Reid! 🙏🙏🙏
August 4, 2021
Live and Let Grow (I love this title) is too short but so funny and cute!
Milo, our hero, is the brother of Nico (hero of Friends without Benefits) and in this family, the men are really wonderful! Milo has been friends with Alice for about 15 years. When they met, Alice had a boyfriend whom she later married and then they divorced, but for all these years Milo has been a loyal friend and a constant support. Alice has finally realized that she is in love with Milo but he has neither the time nor the inclination for a serious relationship. Whenever Milo travels, Alice takes care of all his plants.
She is determined to confess her feelings to him except that ... it is not the first time that she has made this decision but she has never been to the end, she has always changed her mind at the last minute.
Here begins the story of two excellent friends who know each other by heart, who know everything about each other ... except the most important.
Alice doesn't understand innuendo, she likes people to be direct with her and I loved that. I also loved her personality, her hesitations, her fears, her changes of decision, her sparkling character ...
Milo is an angel! He is inhumanely patient and selfless! He's also respectful, loyal, funny, intelligent, extremely sexy of course (it's in his DNA) ... In short, he's perfect!
Their friendship is superb and strong, they see each other all the time, which means that they already have more or less a married life, without the advantages ... They tell each other everything, they don't hide anything to the other, except the most important details, what a beautiful irony!
I loved the moment when they finally confess their feelings!
So yes this novela is too short because the quality of the writing, the story and the adorable characters make you want more ... But our heroes have known each other for a long time so what is happening is quite realistic, the feelings do not arrive too quickly ... We are just witnessing their eureka moment, the moment when they dare to talk about what they feel for each other.
Like a plant, their relationship grew over time, they nourished it every day with their friendship and then saw love blossom.
Milo, our hero, is the brother of Nico (hero of Friends without Benefits) and in this family, the men are really wonderful! Milo has been friends with Alice for about 15 years. When they met, Alice had a boyfriend whom she later married and then they divorced, but for all these years Milo has been a loyal friend and a constant support. Alice has finally realized that she is in love with Milo but he has neither the time nor the inclination for a serious relationship. Whenever Milo travels, Alice takes care of all his plants.
She is determined to confess her feelings to him except that ... it is not the first time that she has made this decision but she has never been to the end, she has always changed her mind at the last minute.
Here begins the story of two excellent friends who know each other by heart, who know everything about each other ... except the most important.
Alice doesn't understand innuendo, she likes people to be direct with her and I loved that. I also loved her personality, her hesitations, her fears, her changes of decision, her sparkling character ...
Milo is an angel! He is inhumanely patient and selfless! He's also respectful, loyal, funny, intelligent, extremely sexy of course (it's in his DNA) ... In short, he's perfect!
Their friendship is superb and strong, they see each other all the time, which means that they already have more or less a married life, without the advantages ... They tell each other everything, they don't hide anything to the other, except the most important details, what a beautiful irony!
I loved the moment when they finally confess their feelings!
So yes this novela is too short because the quality of the writing, the story and the adorable characters make you want more ... But our heroes have known each other for a long time so what is happening is quite realistic, the feelings do not arrive too quickly ... We are just witnessing their eureka moment, the moment when they dare to talk about what they feel for each other.
Like a plant, their relationship grew over time, they nourished it every day with their friendship and then saw love blossom.
May 17, 2021
3.5 stars. Cute for a short story!! I enjoyed it
May 7, 2021
What an absolutely sweet short story with fantastic narration on Audible. Loved the back and forth between the characters and the plot didn't feel rushed at all, which can sometimes happen in these little novellas. Such a quick listen that I finished in a day and can't wait to read (or listen) to more from Penny Reid.
August 3, 2021
This was my very first—start to finish—audiobook. Joe Arden’s voice is delightfully wonderful. I cannot begin to express how much I enjoyed his voice in my ears. Also, Fiona Fischer is equally talented with narration and I loved how she made her voice slightly gruff for Milo’s speaking parts. I loved this story, I loved the length, and I loved all the parts that legitimately made me say “awww” out loud. Alice and Milo are adorkable and sweet. This is prime time classic Penny Reid.
July 11, 2021
Penny Reid's romance in a nutshell. I don't know how it is, but every time Mrs Reid tells the love story I am thrilled. There haven't to be much plot, or even reality (I don't say it is so with this novella) but the way she speaks about characters feeling is the balm for my "girly fluttering heart". ;-)
June 2, 2022
A really cute best friends-to-lovers story! Just the palate cleanser I needed.
June 17, 2022
fast but sweet and swoony
I can’t not like a heroine programmer who knows her Lady Ada Lovelace and C++ (C# in my case) and Milo pretty much adorable!
I can’t not like a heroine programmer who knows her Lady Ada Lovelace and C++ (C# in my case) and Milo pretty much adorable!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews