My review of Beard Necessities by Penny Reid - Book 7 of the Winston Brothers series (and the LAST one, sob...).
The Scarlet & Billy story – Second Half
Beard Necessities by
Penny Reid is Part 2 of Billy & Scarlet’s twisty path to
happiness. I don’t want to make my review 100 pages long, which is
hard to do as this Book 7 also COMPLETES the Winston Brothers series.
It’s a yay/nay moment to be sure, as you can’t help but become
invested in the characters, their world, and their drama. I wanted to
note that this book is contemporary/literary fiction, NOT a romance
novel. As Penny said, it’s a love story, but if you’re looking
for the fluff and fun of a traditional romance novel, this is not it.
It IS a stand-alone novel, and can be read as such, although you may
get more out of it (and love and understanding of the characters and
their quirks if you read the whole series). I don’t enjoy reviews
with massive spoilers, so I’m trying to keep details to myself, but
still provide a solid (general) overview.
So, yes. This book
gives us the end of an era and the culmination of the HEA that Billy
& Claire/Scarlet deserve. It was a long, long time in coming.
Their path was winding and awkward and a little bit painful at times.
It’s true! Yes, Beard with Me was hard. Billy’s second-chance at
love put us through the emotional wringer, but it’s definitely
worth it in the end. I’ve been reading this series since very near
to the beginning (as in, I think Book 2 had just come out when I
discovered them), so I’ve been waiting for this for AGES. I admit,
I was worried. The end of a series…it’s a challenge, and
expectations are high. Talk about buildup!
One of my favorite
things about the characters throughout this series is that they feel
very real. You’re not looking at an airbrushed, cookie-cutter group
of heroes/heroines. These are flawed, varied, devious, distinct,
colorful, and deep, and I love them for it. This story, and indeed
the conclusion to the entire Winston world is all that I was hoping
for/expecting, and more. One thing I particularly enjoyed here was
seeing the peeks into the lives of all the Winston siblings.
Especially Cletus. Thank science for Cletus!
For this book, we’re
taken out of Tennessee and whisked across the Atlantic to Italy.
While some of the interactions between Billy and Scarlet were painful
- as you’re yelling in your head “YOU GUYS”, the chemistry is
incredible and the dialogue and trueness-to-character (yes I made
that up) is just what we have come to expect from the brilliant mind
of Penny Reid. I was right there with the rest of the clan feeling
frustrated and wanting to see these two to get their act together
already. I love how the whole group came together to make Billy the
priority, after all his years of being the rock for everyone else.
You will laugh, but you will also cry. At least I did. Granted, I
always cry. But that’s ok! It means the author has done her job and
you are FEELING it.
I’m grateful for
the gift of the Winston family & the privilege of reading their
stories.
BEARD
NECESSITIES is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, and can be
read as a stand-alone, but it’s probably best read after books 0.5,
2, 3, 5, and 6 of the Winston Brothers series.
Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2oeQbUM
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2nytE4S
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/BeardNec
Nook: http://bit.ly/2m48E5O
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ny6b3X
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2nwim1a
Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2odegLz
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2mHnbEH
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for a signed paperback set of the entire Winston Brothers
Series!
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