Engagement and Espionage, an all-new quirky and swoon-worthy romantic comedy featuring fan favorites Jenn and Cletus Winston from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid is available now!
Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!
But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most "fowl" need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.
Sabotage!
Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?
'Engagement and Espionage' is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid's Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after 'Beard Science,' Winston Brothers #3.
MY REVIEW:
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Five Stars for Cletus ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid is the first book in a new series spinoff from the amazingly and deservedly popular Winston Brothers books. This series is a bit of a change from the original Winston stories, as this is a Cozy Mystery. Also – I have to say it - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you read Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3) before you read this book. You don’t have to, of course, but you will thank me later. If you haven’t read Beard Science, you’re seriously missing out anyway, because...Cletus. Back to my point, this book picks up the threads of time (and characters) shortly after the events of Beard Science, and I want you to receive maximum enjoyment from this cozy, sexy, snarky mischievous, mysteriously clever book.
Before I go any farther, I have to get this out…OH HOW I’VE MISSED CLETUS WINSTON!! I didn’t think I could love him any more, but as usual, Penny has shown me the way. Thank Science for Cletus.
Engagement and Espionage is a well-plotted mystery with excellent pacing and a sneaky keen eye for detail. Since there IS mystery here, I’m being extra careful not to give anything away with my review! Suffice to say that there are plenty of twists and turns on this wild, witty, somewhat hilarious, truly enjoyable ride. The mystery aspect of this book was woven so flawlessly into the romance between Cletus and Jenn – the action, puzzles and hilarious dialogue kept the pages turning!
You’re hooked into this story from the first page, falling right back into the relationships between Cletus and Jenn, Jenn and her mother, the Winston clan...heck, the whole of Green Valley! The small town aspect plays such a great part in all of the books set in the Pennyverse – each of those million little connections working to tie together the threads of the story (and of all those stories yet to come!).
One of my favorite things about the Winstons & their loves is how truly real they are. You’re not looking at an airbrushed, cookie-cutter group of heroes/heroines in Green Valley. The residents are varied, devious, colorful, and deep - and I love them for it. Cletus and Jenn are smart, sneaky, and oh-so-much fun. I was fully invested in seeing Cletus and Jenn work through some of their internal and interpersonal barriers and come through it all with so much love and strength. This book gives us a chance to view their personalities and their relationship from a bit of a different angle while they deal with the current state of mystery and intrigue in town. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans await then in the next installment!
Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3auZzqI Apple Books: https://apple.co/33ONMAK Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/engagementespionage Nook: https://bit.ly/3dvV8hf Kobo: https://bit.ly/2wxWreY Google Play: https://bit.ly/3aqIT3h
Add ENGAGEMENT AND ESPIONAGE to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2UoVpea
Excerpt:
“Don’t stop.” She reached for my belt again, this time completely undoing it, the button of my pants, and my zipper at world-record speed. Her phone buzzed. Then it chimed. Then it buzzed and chimed two more times. Then it rang again. Reba. Cursing, Jenn pulled the phone from her pocket, once again her face illuminated, murderous rage in her eyes. Her finger moved to the power off button. She blinked, hesitating. Her eyes widened, her body stiffened, and she gasped. “Cletus!” Something about her tone, like she was horrified, and maybe a little afraid, cut through the heavy haze of lust inertia, and my hands stilled. Shaking myself, it took me a few moments to realize she was showing me the phone screen, and another few to bring the content of the text messages into focus. Momma: Jennifer Anne Sylvester, pick up your phone. If you’re with Cletus, I need his help. Please. Momma: ALL THE CHICKENS AND ROOSTERS ARE DEAD! PICK UP YOUR DAMN PHONE! Momma: I’m calling you in a second, pick up the phone. Mr. Badcock’s chickens are dead. All of them. I got here and he’s running around, deranged, yelling about his dead chickens! I called the police and they’re on their way. Please, please, please pick up the phone! At some point, I must’ve taken the phone from Jenn and stepped away, because I glanced up upon reading the messages for the third time, finding the phone in my hand and Jenn fixing her skirt. “This is nuts.” Her big eyes searched mine imploringly. “Who could have done this?” I shook my head, having not yet managed to fully shift head gears—you know, from that head to the one on my neck—and my gaze dropped to the wet patch on the front of her dress just visible in the swath of light. My erection throbbed. So we’re . . . not having sex? “Why? Why would they do it? And WHO?” She snatched her phone back, her tone bewildered, distracted, and distraught. She was distraught because of the dead chickens, like any normal person would be. I was distraught also, but my distress had nothing to do with farm animals. “We have to go.” Jenn grabbed my hand and began walking toward the direction of the hall. Meanwhile, it took me until her hand found the door handle to realize my zipper and belt were still undone. “This is crazy.” She paused as I zipped up, her tone halting and distracted. “Poor Mr. Badcock. And those poor chickens.” A sound of distress escaped her throat. “This is terrible.” It was terrible. And I was going to hell. Because all I could think was, Talk about a cock block.Meet Penny Reid: Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Connect with Penny:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/ Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD Twitter: @ReidRomance Mailing List: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/ www.pennyreid.ninja
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