Beard Science
by Penny Reid
Winston Brothers #3
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Humor, Romance
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play | Smashwords
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.'
My review:
5 Banana Cake Stars!
Oh my goodness, I love Cletus! Getting inside his head was delightful, and I adored how his mind worked! So many good lines.....
"I only had time for twenty-four people (tops) in my life, and I already had six siblings. Twenty-four people was an average of two birthdays a month. Ain’t nobody got time for more than two birthday celebrations a month."
"My well-ordered world was in chaos, undone by a short woman baker."
Beard Science is my first Penny Reid book, and I'm pondering WHY? Why have I not discovered her magic before? Trust that this will soon be rectified, because I will be tearing through the series and getting to know the other brothers and their ladies better.
But I still think eccentric Cletus will be my fave of the bunch. I'm a sucker for cleverness, and Cletus is nothing if not insanely clever. I also love a slow burn romance, and this certainly fit the bill. Cletus and Jennifer are suited for each other, even if Cletus doesn't at first think so.
“I’d been grumbling and grimacing since she’d arrived. Now was not a convenient time to have met my life partner. I had too much to do, too many irons in the fire.”
“My heart was a danger to itself and to me because Jennifer Sylvester and I were not suited… things would be complicated between us. I couldn’t abide complicated... I wanted predictable, and she’d never ceased to surprise me. Together we would not be perfectly pragmatic. We would be impressively impractical.”
I still have a smile on my face thinking about Cletus, and I finished this book over a week ago. Guess it's time for a re-read. :-)
Excerpt:
“So Cletus told me I needed to change one thing every day.
He wasn’t specific about what I should change, just that I should decide on the
one thing myself.”
Billy nodded.
I continued. “At first I didn’t see the purpose, but—do you know?—Cletus was right. Something as trivial as paining my nails a different color made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to.”
Billy smiled.
I continued. “Cletus also said-”
Billy cleared his throat. “Do you go to the jam session much? I think I’ve only seen you here a handful of times.”
“I don’t, actually. I’d like to, but Saturdays are busy. I’m usually making special orders on Friday night. I’ve heard you sing a few times, though. You should do it more often, you have such a nice voice.”
Billy smiled again, his eyes sliding to me then away. “Thank you.”
“And Cletus is amazing on the banjo. Last year he did a folksy version of Thriller, during Halloween. It was spectacular.”
Billy sighed.
Billy nodded.
I continued. “At first I didn’t see the purpose, but—do you know?—Cletus was right. Something as trivial as paining my nails a different color made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to.”
Billy smiled.
I continued. “Cletus also said-”
Billy cleared his throat. “Do you go to the jam session much? I think I’ve only seen you here a handful of times.”
“I don’t, actually. I’d like to, but Saturdays are busy. I’m usually making special orders on Friday night. I’ve heard you sing a few times, though. You should do it more often, you have such a nice voice.”
Billy smiled again, his eyes sliding to me then away. “Thank you.”
“And Cletus is amazing on the banjo. Last year he did a folksy version of Thriller, during Halloween. It was spectacular.”
Billy sighed.
Conversation was surprisingly easy with Billy Winston, once
I stopped being afraid of saying the wrong thing. Instead of worrying, I just
said whatever I wanted. He wasn’t a big talker, other than asking me questions,
so I filled the silence. Sometimes what I said made him laugh. Sometimes it
made him nod. Sometimes it made him cough.
But usually whatever I said made him smile. And that was nice. He was nice.
He pulled his truck into the community center lot and it was clear the jam session was already in full swing. The evening was chilly, so folks were dressed in coats.
I pulled my shawl over my shoulders and Billy opened my door, helping me from the car. I slipped my fingers back into the crook of his elbow while trying to suppress a new, and more powerful, flutter of excitement as we approached the community center.
I wondered if Cletus would be there. I wondered what he would think of my dress, and my hair in a bun, and my purposefully minimal makeup, and my nail polish. Even though I was nervous, I grinned at the thought.
“What are you smiling about?” Billy asked, giving me the side eye.
“I’m nervous,” I answered honestly, feeling breathless, then asked before I could catch myself, “Do you think Cletus is here?”
Billy’s mouth tugged to the side and he studied my face. “I’m sure he is. Why?”
“I wonder what he’ll think of my dress,” I admitted excitedly.
Billy chuckled and shook his head.
“What? What is it?” I pressed, searching his profile for a sign as to why he was laughing.
He pulled us to a stop and faced me. “Since this is a practice date, do you want me to give you a tip?”
I nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. All tips are welcome.”
“Okay. Here goes,” he gathered large breath, like he was bracing himself, and said, “When you’re on a date with a man, it’s probably best not to bring up a different man.”
My lips parted as my face fell. “I’m sorry. I keep talking about your brother.”
“No, no. It’s fine.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “This is a practice, no need to apologize. I’m not upset. But if this were a real date, you bringing up Cletus and wondering what he’s going to think of your dress would definitely rub me the wrong way. If I’m on a date, I want that woman to be thinking only of me. Does that make sense?”
I nodded, because it did make sense. “Just like, I probably wouldn’t like it—if this were a real date—if you kept bringing up other woman.”
“That’s right.” He moved my hand back to his arm. “You’ll want to keep the conversation about the two of you.”
I considered things as we walked. “Thank you, Billy.”
“For what?” He opened the double door for me, placing his hand on the small of my back to usher me inside. The entryway was full of people, but I hardly noticed them.
“Thanks for doing this, and for the tip. Thanks for sacrificing your Friday night.”
Billy covered my fingers on his arm with his hand. “It’s not a sacrifice, Jennifer.”
“Well, it can’t be pleasant.”
He grinned again and gave me an incredulous look.
“What? What did I do this time? Do you have more tips?” I needed to know. I hoped he filled the whole night with tips, so I would be an expert when the time came for a real date.
Billy’s grin faded as his piercing blue eyes moved over my face. If he’d done this just last week I think I would’ve fainted on the spot, mortified and terrified and assured of my own failure.
But so much had changed in a week. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. I was changing, becoming braver. So I met his glacial eyes straight on and lifted my eyebrows encouragingly.
“You can tell me, whatever it is,” I whispered earnestly, stepping closer. “Like I said, all tips welcome.”
Finally, he said, “You have no idea how gorgeous you are, do you?”
I gaped at him, because that was not what I’d expected him to say.
But usually whatever I said made him smile. And that was nice. He was nice.
He pulled his truck into the community center lot and it was clear the jam session was already in full swing. The evening was chilly, so folks were dressed in coats.
I pulled my shawl over my shoulders and Billy opened my door, helping me from the car. I slipped my fingers back into the crook of his elbow while trying to suppress a new, and more powerful, flutter of excitement as we approached the community center.
I wondered if Cletus would be there. I wondered what he would think of my dress, and my hair in a bun, and my purposefully minimal makeup, and my nail polish. Even though I was nervous, I grinned at the thought.
“What are you smiling about?” Billy asked, giving me the side eye.
“I’m nervous,” I answered honestly, feeling breathless, then asked before I could catch myself, “Do you think Cletus is here?”
Billy’s mouth tugged to the side and he studied my face. “I’m sure he is. Why?”
“I wonder what he’ll think of my dress,” I admitted excitedly.
Billy chuckled and shook his head.
“What? What is it?” I pressed, searching his profile for a sign as to why he was laughing.
He pulled us to a stop and faced me. “Since this is a practice date, do you want me to give you a tip?”
I nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. All tips are welcome.”
“Okay. Here goes,” he gathered large breath, like he was bracing himself, and said, “When you’re on a date with a man, it’s probably best not to bring up a different man.”
My lips parted as my face fell. “I’m sorry. I keep talking about your brother.”
“No, no. It’s fine.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “This is a practice, no need to apologize. I’m not upset. But if this were a real date, you bringing up Cletus and wondering what he’s going to think of your dress would definitely rub me the wrong way. If I’m on a date, I want that woman to be thinking only of me. Does that make sense?”
I nodded, because it did make sense. “Just like, I probably wouldn’t like it—if this were a real date—if you kept bringing up other woman.”
“That’s right.” He moved my hand back to his arm. “You’ll want to keep the conversation about the two of you.”
I considered things as we walked. “Thank you, Billy.”
“For what?” He opened the double door for me, placing his hand on the small of my back to usher me inside. The entryway was full of people, but I hardly noticed them.
“Thanks for doing this, and for the tip. Thanks for sacrificing your Friday night.”
Billy covered my fingers on his arm with his hand. “It’s not a sacrifice, Jennifer.”
“Well, it can’t be pleasant.”
He grinned again and gave me an incredulous look.
“What? What did I do this time? Do you have more tips?” I needed to know. I hoped he filled the whole night with tips, so I would be an expert when the time came for a real date.
Billy’s grin faded as his piercing blue eyes moved over my face. If he’d done this just last week I think I would’ve fainted on the spot, mortified and terrified and assured of my own failure.
But so much had changed in a week. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. I was changing, becoming braver. So I met his glacial eyes straight on and lifted my eyebrows encouragingly.
“You can tell me, whatever it is,” I whispered earnestly, stepping closer. “Like I said, all tips welcome.”
Finally, he said, “You have no idea how gorgeous you are, do you?”
I gaped at him, because that was not what I’d expected him to say.
But before I could recover, a stern voice to my left
interjected. “She has no idea whatsoever.”
I turned and found Cletus standing at my shoulder. Startled, I stumbled a step to the side so I could see him better. What I found surprised me.
His jaw was clenched.
His mouth was curved into a frown.
And Cletus’ eyes, a dangerous and fiery blue, were narrowed on his brother.
I turned and found Cletus standing at my shoulder. Startled, I stumbled a step to the side so I could see him better. What I found surprised me.
His jaw was clenched.
His mouth was curved into a frown.
And Cletus’ eyes, a dangerous and fiery blue, were narrowed on his brother.
About Penny Reid
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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