Beard Science: Winston Brothers, Book 3

Man, I love Cletus. Going into this book I had high expectations. Not only because of how much I’ve come to enjoy the character of Cletus throughout this series, but because I’ve heard so many great things about this book it was a bit pumped up in my mind. This gave me a bit of worry because how could it possibly live up to my hopes? And, truth be told, the first few chapters even gave me pause. Was this story really going to be what I wanted it to be? The answer is YES.While I’m still in love with Cletus and enjoyed getting to know the more vulnerable side of the guy, Jennifer’s journey really sealed the deal for me. This was one of those books where I wanted to crawl into the pages and give a character a hug. Her parents are awful! Just when you think you heard the worst of it, a few chapters later something else is revealed. The fact that Jennifer, even after starting to come into her own and shed her chains, cannot see how terrible her parents are is written so well. When you’re in it you just can’t see it for what it truly is, and that comes across here. Seeing Jennifer bloom was delightful.As much as I love Cletus, he can be his own worse enemy. That literal mind of his gets in the way. It’s not that he can’t think outside the box, it seems that’s the only way Cletus can think. But outside of the box or not, he needs things to be orderly and he must always be in control of the narrative. Yeah, love doesn’t work like that. Jennifer and Cletus are a match meant to be. She may be the one who seems to need more, but that’s not the case. He needs her just as much.This family is fantastic. They are the most open and joyful bunch, even the grumps among them. I am getting more and more intrigued with Billy. He stands alone in many ways when it comes to the Winston family. Yet he’s always there to lend an ear or a shoulder and he gives surprisingly great advice. He seems to often be a calming presence to his brothers and sister. I think I’m anticipating his HEA more than I anticipated this one.Oh, and one more thing in case you didn’t know. There is a spin-off series for Cletus and Jenn! It sounds like a lot of fun and hijinx. The first in that series, Engagement and Espionage, wasn’t published until years after this book so I have to look into reading order to know for sure, but I think it comes after the end of this series.

I keep trying to review this book, only to come up with- astounding speachlessness.Mind you this is not because I don't have anything to say. NOT at all. I don't know where to start, nor do I know how to write this review without it become a rampling fangirling mess...So after a ridiculous amount of trials, that all completely failed. I have decided to go about this the scientific way. I am a scientist after all. I shall structure this properly. Go about it very scholarly. Add my fangirling at the end AND most importantly: I will try and keep my rambling to an absolute minimumOkay here it goes:ReviewCRITICALLYstory line 4StarsA slow smoldering (and o boy does it smolder!) romance between two unlikely love matches, who discover that sometimes what you think is the right thing for you, isn't really what you really want or need.It's quirky, swooning and fabulous cute & fluffy with a good splash of real and lots of heart. Just like we all have gotten to expect from Reidwriting style 5StarsI have read everything Reid has published so far. And I find myself re-reading her novels, which if you know me, you know MEANS something. I rarely re-read. Too many books on my TBR. I not only re-read Reids books, I adore them. That should be enough of an explanations, that I utterly adore her writing style. It's funny, clever and to the point. Yet it also beautiful, sensual and moving. Beard Science is one of her best to date, in my opinion, when it comes to prose.character building 4.5 StarsNow. I will try really hard to remind objective. Which is really hard, when you feel like you actually know all the characters, when they feel so real. That in itself, tell you how I feel about the character building, I guess.Cletus was one of my favorite characters, right from his first appearance in Beauty and the Mustache. I completely and utterly fell in love with him from the get go. So I started this book feeling divided. Because I had this HUGE expectations. First I couldn't wait to read Cletus' story but what if he wouldn't live up to my expectations?! After I finished I felt divided because, Cletus' story was over. BUT Reid managed to not only meet my expectations, nope, she exceeded fare beyond them.Cletus, who was a little bit of an enigma, but to whom I felt kinship somehow, now feels real, I feel like I understand him, the different layers that make him tick and yet to my utter delight, he still is a little bit of an enigma. Just like a real close friend would be. Reid's character building here is basically genius.Jennifer has very little in common with me. Except our mutual love of baking (small batches, and her love in the food theory came straight out of my heart!!). Otherwise I found myself watching her with interest, getting to know a her, exploring who she was and who she became. I really couldn't relate to her relationship with her parents. BUT and here, comes again, why I love this book so much, while her character is alien to mine, I like her, I care for her and in the end absolutely adored her. I enjoyed discovering who she was and watch her grow.As I said I couldn't relate to her relationship with her parents. And here is my biggest complaint about the book. And when I say biggest it's the only thing I didn't like much while I was reading. I found the parents too much. I felt like it was exaggerated. I couldn't believe that there were people out there, who treated family like that... and yet I love where Reid went with them. I reconciled myself that while a bit strong, it has aspects that could be real. Then I ended up reading so many readers review, where they said, they had similar issues like Jen. THIS just breaks my heart. I love how Reid responded to it. AND I found myself realising that I was wrong. Just lucky enough to have been surrounded by people who accepted who I was and supported me in my choices.The support cast is awesome sauce. Though I wish there was more of the rest of the Winstons. Because really.. I adore the entire bunch!EMOTIONALLY 5 StarsI am moved and excited - yet astounded by this novel. I found myself pondering over it on many occasions since I read it. When I finished it I was sad, because I didn't want it to end. Yet I am excited about Billy's story, can't wait to get my hands on it. And then again I am worried about one of my series coming soon to an end... it will be too soon.Straight after reading I rated this 4.5 Stars... yet a couple of weeks in.. it is 5 stars. Because as time progressed I discovered how much I really love it, how deeply it touched me... and how amazing this really is. I will not go into my feeling of kinship for Cletus, or how much I adore Duane.. how I feel kinda ridiculous about how much I care about them. How well written they all are.. But rather let me try and explain how much I have to come to admire Reid. I honestly have a total girl crush on her. She is not only a talented story teller, she is witty and clever- and she does geeky beyond well! -but she also has insight and heart. If I had any stalker tendencies.. I'd totally become her main stalker. The good news is she is in luck, I ain't a stalker, I just fangirl. And I promised to keep that at a minimum. (I am trying!) So I will just say, this book is the reason to why I love romance books. This book epitomises why Reid is not only one of my favorite authors but is someone I greatly admire. I love how she supports girl power and encourages individuality. Which is evident in her Facebook group and while I'm at it, I love the Sharks of awesome!OVERALLOne of the best releases in 2016.It's fun, swoony cute & fluffy. One of those books you can't put down and leaves you happy, yet wanting more.One of my favorite books. ever.SO 5STARS

I've enjoyed other titles in this series, but Cletus's story is - as many Penny Reid fans agree - a fan favorite.Cletus is loyal, earnest, devious, and well-intentioned - the Winston brother who looms larger that life with the way he cleverly (and chronically) meddles in other people's affairs and exacts revenge for slights big and small.It was hard to envision what sort of love interest would be able to catch his eye, but Jennifer pulled it off admirably. I really enjoyed the way she continually surprised Cletus and kept him on his toes. I also loved how they played off each other, and guided each other toward real emotional growth.On the surface, these novels are light, well-paced rom-coms with quirky characters inhabiting an immersive world. However, they also contain surprising emotional depth, and for me, that is the secret sauce that will keep me reading this series.Reasons I enjoyed this book:Entertaining; Funny; Great world building; Happily Ever After; Original; Page-turner; Romantic; Steamy; Wonderful characters!

Cletus Winston has a problem. It's not the biker gang that has blighted his family's life. It's not the small town sheriff that keeps pulling him over. It's not his five unruly brothers that can't seem to stay out of trouble. It's not his various nemeses discovering his nefarious revenge plans. No. Cletus Winston is being blackmailed by the most unlikely foe; the reigning Banana Cake Queen.Jennifer Sylvester never puts a foot wrong. She wears what her mother wants, does what her father tells her, and works eighty hour weeks at the family bakery for a salary and benefits package of absolute zero. Despite speaking four languages and having a brain sharper than a tack, she's been moulded into a fifties Stepford wife and everyone treats her like a simpleton. With her freedom under lock and key and her confidence in the toilet, she's desperate to make a change. Accidentally filming Cletus Winston doing something extremely illegal, spurs her into action. She's been watching him for years and knows that if anyone can help her, it's the most devious of all the Winston brothers.Oh my good lord this book is brilliant. Penny Reid is a master storyteller and Cletus and Jennifer the most incredible characters. Being inside Cletus's mind and thought processes is hilarious on the one hand and heart-wrenching on the other. His realisation that he has understood Jennifer so utterly wrong is beautiful, and how he seeks to help her discover who she truly is took my breath away. One of the most amazing things about this story for me is that Cletus focuses on who Jenn is, rather than what she looks like. Her value is her personality, not the manufactured appearance forced on her by her parents for their own financial gain.Penny Reid's books are not all sweetness and light. They deal with dark issues and people who behave abhorrently. The way Jenn is treated by her closest family was often extremely difficult to read and I was so relieved when I got my happy ending for all the relevant story strands. Beard Science is a glorious book. It's bold, beautiful and utterly captivating. Go read it now!

"You want to know what you are to me? Fine. You’re my beginning, middle, and end.”WHY DID I NOT START THIS BOOK EARLIER AHH!!!! This book is Amazing, with a capital A!! We first meet Cletus in book number one "Truth or Beard". He is the third oldest brother and is famous in Green Valley for his sausage (yes an actual sausage, get your mind out of the gutter haha) and this sneakiness. As Jennifer pointed out "Cletus Winston was the sneakiest, most manipulative, most powerful and as far as I'm concerned, the most Dangerous man in Eastern Tennessee".I absolutely love Cletus Winston, I loved him from book one when he introduced us to his famous sausage. We see a different level to Cletus, within this book his walls come down and we see a more vulnerable side to him as he helps Jennifer. Jennifer is the Banana cake queen, she is known for her delicious banana cake and her "costumes". Living a very sheltered life Jennifer needs to break free from her parents. The only person she can think of to help her with this situation is Cletus Winston.The audiobook is also amazing.“Stay away from the normals, the small-minded people who fill their brains with small-minded pursuits, who blend in and keep up with the Joneses. Those people will tear you down and make you boring. Instead, surround yourself with the weirds. With the misfits, oddballs, and outcasts. Because the normals, bless their hearts, have no idea how to have fun.”

Like many, I've been anticipating Cletus' book since meeting him in book one and Beard Science did not disappoint, in fact, it is the highlight of the series so far. Needless to say I love the cover and title.I thought I knew Cletus quite well but I found there was so much more to know about him. I'd never seen vulnerable, out of control Cletus before and it was such fun and quite lovely to see him this way. It would easy for any heroine to be overshadowed by the huge personality that is Cletus but even the initial, quiet and silent Jennifer was able to punch though the bearded spotlight. I liked and then grew to love Jennifer and her transformation. The only painful process being the constant longing for cakes; as I read it over six days, that's six days of needing cake.The storyline had substance, the chemistry was subtle for a while until it simmered to boiling point. These two were magical together and I enjoyed the restraint and freedom both. There was a most emotional scene between the brothers and sister that had me misting up. I love this family who I'm coming to know quite well and I definitely want more.

Cletus is the intelligent, wickedly scheming and manipulative brother hidden behind a bearded mask, straight talking and careful nods of the head. Jennifer is the Banana Cake Queen of East Tennessee. She has led a very sheltered life and is generally ignored by people. Consequently she has been an observer, rather than a participator, of life. She is therefore well aware of Cletus's underhand schemes and blackmailing. When she inadvertently films him removing evidence from the sheriff's office she decides to blackmail him to help her find a husband.As he gets to know Jennifer, Cletus discovers there's a whole lot more to her than anyone realised and that they have a lot in common, including 'verbing'. Cletus and his relationship with Jennifer, aided by Billy and Beau, and his growing realisation that he's falling in love is very entertaining.

I have read other books in this series and enjoyed them but I got through the first chapter in this and deleted it. I could not stand the female main character and could not relate to her in any way shape or form. Doormat is the word that comes to mind. It was so painful to read about someone this badly trampled that I couldn’t go any further. I suspect there will be a metamorphosis during the book but I couldn’t bring myself to go through that journey. Not for me but you may like it if you like that kind of thing.