Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3)

Author: Penny Reid

Publication Date: October 11, 2016

Published: Cipher-Naught

Source: Indiesage PR

My Rating:

Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need? Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate. And desperate times call for Cletus Winston. Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So… what’s a maniacal mastermind to do? Likely, the last thing you expect. ‘Beard Science’ is the third book in the Winston Brothers series, is a full-length romantic comedy novel, and can be read as a standalone.

Penny has done it again with her sweet as pie, sexy as magic mike, and bearded to high heaven Winston brothers. This time we get some focus on the stand out from books one and two, Cletus. There was something about Cletus that had me wanting this book after finishing the first. He was funny, sweet, and diabolical. In Beard Science, we get all of that and more.

We also get Jennifer Sylvester or as mentioned previously, The Banana Cake Queen. Jennifer is this sheltered girl who is basically living the life that her parents are laying out for her. Kind of like a caged bird. Never experiencing anything for herself. That is until she catches the most dangerous Winston brother in something she can use as leverage. Having what she has, she can use this to finally seek the freedom she only sees in others for herself.

What I loved about this is the progression of Jennifer and Cletus. And the friendship that blossomed. This felt like a “don’t judge a book by its cover” story. Jennifer on the outside is this meek and weak girl who just bakes and does what she’s told. Cletus can shift the perception he exudes depending on the person he’s dealing with. However, both of them are more than what they seem. With the help of Cletus and his family, Jennifer finds that she is strong and can be something more. And with Cletus, we see that there are deeper rivers to be discovered.

“Because knowledge is only a cage if you dell in isolation.”

I laughed, cried (a little) and swooned all too much with this book. I think I loved Cletus the most in this. We got to see so much of what makes him tick. I loved his friendship with Jennifer. Also, I loved more Billy. The two Winston brothers that have been kind of background for me are Billy and Roscoe. I’m still waiting on more Roscoe but having Billy play a bigger role in this was amazing. Crossing my fingers for his solo book next.

Please, don’t read this as a standalone. If you haven’t read the first two books, go do that now. Go fall in love with these guys and their ladies. Then go have some banana cake and sausage.

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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