Beard Science (Winston Brothers Book 3)

omgomgomg... Cletus! Review to follow. 5 furtive glances stars! Penny ninja writer- hell yes My review: I took my sweet time reading this latest Winston brother's story. I didn't want this book to end! I should say Cletus' escapades. This is expertly written in first person POV- Jennifer then Cletus. This is one book where the internal dialogue of the character plays an important role. More than one role. There were very funny thoughts, then there were very heart tugging thoughts. When people put Jennifer down, she'd say "thank you"- even her own mother and father! She'd pretend that they were "erroneously expressed compliments". Jennifer is 22 and still living with her overbearing mother and father. The first chapter is Jennifer's POV & a perfect set up for their story. Jennifer is at the police station video tapping an interview with the sheriff. Cletus just happens to be there (being stealthy!) Jenn had taped Cletus tampering with police evidence. Jenn used this to get Cletus to help her get a husband and start a family. She wants Cletus to give her lessons on how to act around a man. They couldn't be more opposite. They did have their people watching skills in common. Cletus was able to use it to his advantage. He has dirt on EVERYONE. The Winston siblings are all back-Roscoe(the youngest) not as much since he's in school. This is a book you cannot skim. I never skim- but just know that you have to pay attention or you'll miss some gems in this unconventional love story. Some reader/reviewers have put this as Chick-Lit. I think not. The tension is constantly simmering. I was angered by Jenn's insensitive parents. Jenn is very sweet and shy. She'd been home schooled and her parents keep a tight rein on her. Jenn is a very talented baker at her parents very successful bakery. She works long hours to make various baked goods. She's been called the Banana Cake Queen- a title that Jenn hates. Cletus doesn't want to admit his growing attraction to Jenn. Brothers Billy and Beau help with Jenn's "lessons"- at Cletus' request. I highlighted so many parts of this book, it's difficult to give examples of how funny, sweet and heart warming this story is (I also teared up at times). The author's writing is so sharp and witty. I loved how she made the main characters so clever and relatable. I normally put myself in the story as the heroine. In this case, I was like a fly on the wall. Jenn and Cletus are possibly my all time favorite H & h (next to Jamie & Claire in Outlander). Cletus does get very protective and attached to Jenn. He is hesitant to do anything about it. He previously always acted behind the scenes. He doesn't want anyone else to have Jenn. Cletus is very protective of Jenn. There's a scenes where Cletus stands up to some guys from the Iron Wraith motorcycle club. Once again, Cletus really thinks on his feet. (there's a terrific car chase). Cletus has had a grudge against a deputy sheriff, Jackson James. Cletus wanted to put itching powder in his shorts or spread leprosy via an armadillo infestation, but decided against it. Maybe next time" (!!!) location 395. See? That's why I say OMG Cletus! But don't misunderstand him. He's a very sweet and caring guy. It's just under the surface (he hides behind his beard and hair). His (only) sister Ashley said that he's her favorite brother. The other brothers & Ashley all have supporting roles in this story. There's updates on Jethro & Sienna and Duane & Jessica and Ashley & Drew. The relationship between Cletus and Jenn is allowed to develop. The steam level is mild to moderate Their romance & their chemistry is off the charts! Easily 5 stars! Great ending and great epilogue! I believe Beau's book is next.(HURRY Penny!)

I went out for drinks last night with friends. We talked about life, food and surprisingly enough…beards. See, one of the ladies has a son who had just returned from a trip with a full beard. Quite frankly, she was horrified. As a beard fan, I felt it was my duty to explain the appeal and also try to convince her that her son was actually really cool. I think her eyes just about popped out of her head when I told her that all the cool kids (I mean manly men) were growing beards. We then went off kilter while I explained to her that I was in the middle of a book and that the main character and his brothers all had beards. Look, I did my best, but I’m not sure I convinced them to convert. Jennifer bakes cakes…a lot of cakes. She even gets up a 3 o’clock in the morning to start baking and some days survives on 3 hours sleep. I myself love baking but I’m not sure I would ever want to be a professional baker. For starters, the hours would put me off. There is also the problem that while I make yummy cakes (so I've been told), they don’t look very appealing. Jennifer makes yummy cakes and they look good too. Her cakes are so good, especially her banana cake that she has become famous for them. Known as the Banana Cake Queen, has made her realise she finds her life unsatisfactory. Jennifer’s family business has grown because of her fame. Her mother and father push her to be the face of their business. The biggest problem is that Jennifer doesn’t like being in the spotlight. I hated Jennifer’s family. I really struggled with certain parts of the story when it came to the way they treated Jennifer. Her mother was controlling and at times insulting. It wasn’t unusual for Jennifer to be dressed in a yellow house dress, heels and full make-up as per her mother's wishes. While Jennifer hated it, she did it so that she didn’t disappoint her mother. The mother was bad…but the father was worse. I won’t go into all the reasons why I hated him, but any parent that goes out of their way to tell their daughter that they are stupid is dead to me. The way that her parents used Jennifer for their own gain broke my heart. My biggest struggle and the thing that made me cry the most was Jennifer’s lack of belief in herself. With Jennifer’s parents treating her so badly and the townsfolk never seeing her and only seeing the Banana Cake Queen, I wanted better for her. Changes needed to be made so Jennifer decides, when an opportunity falls in her lap, to approach the smartest and most manipulative man she knows. Cletus has a lot of irons in the fire. His family are his highest priority and he does everything he can to make their lives better. He has been hatching a plan to bring down the Iron Wraiths, a motorcycle club, and his despicable father who is a member of the club. All of Cletus’s plans have been thought out meticulously. His plans always work out exactly how he wants…until the sweet, little Banana Cake Queen decides to play his game with his rules. The sneaky little baker has him all worked out and flicks his tricks right back at him. Beard Science focuses a lot on Jennifer breaking out of her cage. The Winston brothers take her under their wing and teach her to value herself. It was a pleasure seeing Jennifer become one of the tribe. With Billy helping her with dating tips, Beau charming the socks off her and Cletus making her realise that her opinions, thoughts and concerns are valuable, Jennifer grows stronger. With little steps, Jennifer changes her looks, grows more confident in sharing her opinions and starts to do things to find her own happiness instead of pleasing others. Cletus and Jennifer’s relationship is a slow burn. We, as the readers, and those around them see the signs way before they do. The happiness they bring to each other's lives jumped off the pages. I did feel some frustration towards Cletus and his narrow-minded view. I find myself grimacing when the hero in a romance has a woman on his radar who is not the heroine. Now, my grimace doesn’t last wrong in Beard Science because I KNOW that she’s not the one. Cletus only has her on his radar because he analysed this woman and found she would be suitable because of some her qualities. The big twit. Luckily he woke up to himself and realised that his analysing wouldn’t help him when another woman makes his heart just about jump out of his chest. When it came to Jennifer, it made me want to cry every time she claimed that there didn’t need to be love, just someone who would be nice to her. The big twitette. Luckily, her heart over-ruled her logic and she realised she deserved a nice man and love. Beard Science was a long story. At times I wanted it to go faster and cut out all the mean-hearted and hurtful bits, but I know that they are needed to accept the changes and appreciate the growth of the characters. Cletus was his usual funny self but we definitely saw behind his sombre nods and learnt a little about how his mind works. I love the Winston brothers and the women who come into their lives. As the tribe grows we see them all get closer, while at the same time stepping away from each other. That one bathroom really couldn’t cope with them all. I thoroughly enjoyed Beard Science and definitely recommend it.

Beard Science by Penny Reid (Audiobook) Narrated by: Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley Series: Winston Brothers #3 5 OMG!! Stars. I LOVED THIS BOOK! It has one of my favourite plot types: the man helping to find a husband for the girl, but falls for the girl he's helping! Ugh, Love it! And to have that man be Cletus Winston, man oh man, Jennifer is one lucky lady! He is funny, sweet, caring, a bad boy when needed, gentlemanly, hard working and just about any other ideal a woman could want in a guy! Now, I liked Cletus in the other books, but he really shined in this one! I also loved how Jennifer just kinda showed up, was all of a sudden in his life - which I think took him by surprise, and we know how Cletus feels about “all the girls coming to his yard…” haha! Jennifer was a bit of a pushover at the beginning of the story - but I loved watching her blossom into her true self. She was genuine and a hard worker. At first, I thought she was an unlikely match for Cletus, but then you get them together and the sparks FLY! At times I would just be standing in the middle of the room, staring off into nothingness, listening to their interactions..(and burning my lunch till it was unrecognizable - setting off the smoke detector…twice. Darn that Cletus!) So worth it though!! Honestly, I am sure this book would be great a read in any form, but these narrators: Joy Nash, and Chris Brinkley, really brought this book to life! Their voices were performances were perfection! I am already planning a reread soon! If you haven’t picked up this series, YOU SHOULD! I highly Recommend it! ~Paragraphs and Petticoats~

Penny Reid always takes you on a emotional roller coaster ride with her books. You can't put the book down once you start it. Jennifer is called Banana Cake Queen, as she won a Cake contest, when she was 16, n fm then every year. But she is still controlled by her parents even after she is 22 years old. People criticize her, but she tries to take them as compliments. But people don't know that she is a people watcher n has a backbone. Cletus, is looked at like a simpleton by people. But they don't know that he wantedly cultivated that look, n he can blackmail people to do his wishes as he knows a lot about the people around him, but doesn't take action until he wants something from them. Cletus helps Jennifer to take a stand in her life n face people n conquer her fears. But in the meanwhile he falls in love with her n changes himself to give his family and her to take decisions on their own, instead of trying to manage their lives. He learns to give value to others opinion and not to overtake their lives.

This book KILLED. It KILLED me! Is has ruined me for all other books . . . for now. :) Cletus is a much loved character since we were introduced to the Winston clan (you can read this before reading the others, but I recommend reading the other books first - they're worth reading!) by Penny Reid. Her fans have been raving about him. I was sceptical especially as we start learning more about him in previous stories. His siblings describe him as sneaky, manipulative, revenge seeking know-it-all. And he hides all of that by appearing to the outside world as a simple bumpkin. And while I picked up he was wise and loved his family I couldn't help but wonder how could this guy be a book hero? How can give up all the show and pretense and find that special person who's meant to be his? And then Jennifer comes along. I love her. I adore her. And I understand her so well. She's awkward, clever and a little beat down. Jenn and Cletus together - Wow! What a pair. They were sweet, they were sneaky and they love so deeply. And they changed, so much, and yet they stayed the same. But what I loved even more were the rest of the Winston clan. All of them together. I wish they were real. I wish I lived next door to them. They were funny, kind, loving, a little sneaky as well. This book has it all. If you're looking for funny, intrigue, the FEELS, a touch of angst (but not too much, personally I hate angst but this only had a teeny, tiny amount which was perfect) and a HEA so stunning you're just sitting there in a warm bubble of happiness this is the book for you!

Eu adoro a série Winston Brothers e Beard Science veio complementar, com louvor, os dois livros anteriores. Penny Reid é uma expert no gênero romance-comédia. Suas histórias são, ao mesmo tempo, emotivas engraçadas, românticas, espirituosas e encantadoras. Um mistura bem dosada de personagens cuidadosamente elaborados e tramas complexas e delicadas conquistam e prendem a atenção durante todos os capítulos. Cletus é um personagem que chamou a atenção desde o primeiro livro da série (Truth or Beard): inteligente, astuto, astucioso, generoso com aqueles que ama e vingativo com quem o desagrada, desde ToB Cletus já prometia uma história de peso. E Beard Science é ainda muito mais. Com o acréscimo de Jennifer, a heroína de Beard Science, Penny compõe uma história incrível, ao mesmo tempo divertida e emocional. Não irei me deter em relatar detalhes da história para não estragar essa experiência para outros leitores. Os momentos alegres e divertidos estão presentes, como esperado, mas prepare-se para momentos de pura emoção, graças à forte carga amocional que o passado e o presente de Jenn trazem ao universo da série. Palmas para a autora que apresenta uma história sem defeitos, um romance absolutamente perfeito. Recomendadíssimo.

Beard Science is the book about the guy that sees everything and the lady that was invisible to him… until the day she forces him to notice her. It’s also about brotherhood and growing up in your own shoes. There is something warm and gracious about the way these two characters find themselves and find each other. This book never ceases to amaze me. I’ve read it many times and some of them spent a lot of time with a huge smile on my face. It will make you laugh, it will make you drop a couple of tears, it might even make you want to be part of the Winstons. Believe me, the journey will be worthy.