Beard Science: A Small Town Romantic Comedy

It has been so long since I've read one of Ms. Reid's books that I forgot just how funny they can be! I won't lie to you, Beard Science is the first book in the Winston Brothers series that I have read, but I can say without any doubt that I will be reading the other brothers' books. Beard Science was seriously beyond amazing and I can't tell you how much I loved reading it! Jennifer made me laugh from the moment I met her, she kept me laughing the whole through her story, and I'm so fond of her, I totally want her to my best friend. Jennifer is so sweet and kind and down-to-earth. She doesn't have a mean bone anywhere in her body and while she's a little shy and in her shell in the beginning, she really becomes quite her own strong, independent person that I promise you, you will love. It is impossible not to love Jennifer - she's wonderful, genuine, and has a heart of gold. And Cletus - I absolutely loved that man! He's so hilarious with all his quirks, scores and tallies, and mischievousness. Cletus is so smart, he's matter-of-fact, he's a thinker, a planner, and a little bit c*cky-confident. I loved his meddling ways, his vindictiveness, his brain, and most of all, the way he felt about Jennifer. It might take awhile for him to figure that she's his woman, but once he does, he utterly devoted and completely in love with her. Cletus is sweet, peculiar, unique, amazing, and so much more and I just can't do him justice here, but let me tell you - you need, need, need to meet him in all his glory! Beard Science was hysterical, there were times when it got a couple of chuckles out of me and there were moments where it made me throw my head back and laugh and laugh and laugh. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's mostly a light, easy read, there were definitely parts that made my heart ache and brought tears to my eyes. It's amusing and entertaining and silly, but it's also full of beauty, depth, and wisdom. It was truly an incredible read for me and I'm very excited to read about the rest of the crew, although it's hard to imagine that any of them could take Cletus and Jennifer's spot as my favorite - I did love it so! Beard Science can be read as a standalone, it's told from Cletus and Jennifer's POV, and they do get their happily-ever-after!

5 stars — Well would you look at that!! I LOVED this one!! Which surprised the heck out of me, b/c I was uncertain about Cletus in the previous books…he seemed…sociopathic in some ways. Just too smart for his own good, and I was wondering how I was going to fall in love with him, you know? But you guys!!! I did!! Maybe it helped that I wasn’t as in love with him going into this book, so I had lower expectations. I don’t know. But whatever it was, I’m just so happy. And the thing is, it wasn’t just Cletus!! I am so in love with Jennifer!! She was just such a Lenore character…not in that she was like me necessarily, but in that she is the type of heroine I gravitate towards. Someone who is kind, beautiful inside and out, but a bit of an outcast, and soooooo vulnerable. She just hit me right in my heart you guys. Her story was so rich, b/c I loved her right from the start, and I just grew to love her more as I saw her metamorphosize into who she was supposed to be…and no spellcheck, I don’t care that metamorphosize isn’t a word…I’m just going to write it again and again to piss you off. *screech* OK, back on track. I seriously leeched onto Jennifer right from her cameo in Grin & Beard It (which I’d forgotten about, so maybe it was a good idea that I accidentally reread it). I loved everything about her. I felt how damaged she was from her parents, and how hard it was to break free from that, especially when she had no support outside her family. I LOVED how smart and quirky she was, but it was accessible. I loved how kind and sweet she was! I loved when she could surprise the heck out of people with her hidden sass. And I loved how she got to Cletus, and helped him to maintain his quirks, but with less sociopathy. My one gripe with Cletus is that, for the life of me, I can’t picture him in my head. There’s so much to him, I just can’t settle on anything, you know? Not that that actually matters. He was a really intriguing hero. It was hard being in his head at first, b/c I figured out why he kind of scared me…for the same reason as Jennifer. Because I think he took so much hurt from his childhood and bottled it up when he decided he could no longer outwardly lose his temper, and he hid it deep inside…and turned it sneaky. I can honestly see how that happened. It’s like an unintended side effect of trying to keep his temper under control. I do wish we’d learned more about the incident he was talking with Billy about…but perhaps we will learn more in Billy’s book? Or in the novella? I hope so. Curious Lenore is curious. I LOVED how fiercely loyal he was to his family…and how much he loved them and wanted to (in his own twisted way) protect them and do right by them. He had so much going on in that big brain of his, I can imagine it would be hard to keep it occupied. In the end, I loved the way Jennifer and Cletus came together. I loved that it didn’t start that way, but that it quickly grew that way as they got to know each other, even if they resisted. I didn’t even mind the resistance, b/c it fit their characters. And I loved how Jennifer brought balance and thoughtfulness to Cletus. And I loved how Cletus helped Jennifer to realize how strong she already was, she just needed to tap into it. I loved that they complemented each other. And I loved their chemistry. Don’t judge me, but I wasn’t expecting the steam to be so steamy!! Sometimes I find it hard to imagine quirky geniuseseses in a sexy light, but that’s my fault. Which is funny, b/c I’m no dummy, and I enjoy the sexy times. Oops, TMI. And OMG, so many good times with secondary characters!! From the Winstons, to their other halves, it was just so awesome!! Billy and Beau in particular had some swoony moments, making it harder and harder to wait for Billy’s book. Seriously, whose idea was it to have his book be last? Diabolical.

~**~5 ‘Cletus and Jenn forever’ Stars~**~ If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It had EVERYTHING I could have hoped for Cletus and the woman who would bring him to his knees, which if you are a true #TeamCletus follower you know that it would not be an easy feat. Beard Science is sweet, sassy and filled with so many Cletus-isms, and Jenn-isms as well, that my heart is all kinds of twitterpatted-swoony over it. I admit to being of two minds when it was announced that Beard Science would be Cletus Winston’s book. I was all kinds of squee-happy because I’ve absolutely adored Cletus since first meeting him in Truth or Beard, but I was also worried because I ADORE Cletus and didn’t want that to change. But I had nothing to worry about. I’m not sure what comes above adoration, but that’s where he is on my list of book boyfriends. I loved getting an up close and personal look into what makes him tick and it was brilliant. The best way to sum him up is to use Jenn’s own words “Pathologically intelligent and oppressively handsome” and then add a huge and generous heart to the mix. Jenn aka The Banana Cake Queen surprised me, but in the best of ways. I loved seeing the two sides of her. One side was the suffocatingly obedient daughter who didn’t appear to single thought or motivation that wasn’t her own and believe me I cringed at what she put up with, but on the other side of the coin there was the “watcher” and that woman was pretty damn interesting. I loved how honestly she saw people and what was going on around her, and except for one instance, never used anything for personal gain. I started to adore her when she put her blackmail plan into motion and that feeling grew as she started to evolve and become the woman she wanted to be, because that woman was pretty damn remarkable. From start to finish Cletus and Jenn’s road to their HEA was a great ride. Fun, funny, heart wrenching, frustrating, philosophical, sweet and sexy. They may have started off on rocky ground, which is understandable considering the whole blackmailing thing, I loved how they went from strangers to friends to more and didn’t even realize it, though everyone else around them did ~ at least most of them. I loved how they could read each other and yet keep each other on their toes at the same time. Their interactions were fun, easy and honest. Their story is more on the sweet side of the spectrum, but there is a good dose of smexy and it was perfect for them. And then there are the rest of the Winston clan and those they allow into their lives. I absolutely enjoyed how they all came together to help Jenn and annoy Cletus while still being helpful. While Cletus will always be my favorite, I loved getting to know about Billy and Beau a little better and can’t wait to get my hands on their books! ***Copy received from IndieSage PR and reviewed voluntarily***