Name: Siya S's review of Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
Item: Beard Necessities
Rating: 1
Author: Siya S

Penny Reid

Billy Winston's family is going to see him happy and in love if it's the last thing they do. No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated. But you know who's tired of their separation and stubbornness? Everyone. Especially Billy Winston's family. And now they're going to do something about it. Well-meaning interference means the star-crossed lovers can't stop tripping over each other in the hills of Tuscany, the catacombs of Rome, and the waterways of Venice. Billy and Claire find themselves thrown together and at the mercy of the Winston siblings' shenanigans. But will their forced proximity bring them together? Or push them even further apart? This second-chance romance brings back the entire Winston gang, playing cupid in one last story of love, hi-jinks, and family collusion. 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.

Beard Necessities

Yulande Lindsay

Siya S

As an only child, reading an opening chapter where every single one of the Winston siblings/in-laws gathered 



... to not only discuss Billy's personal business 



but also get the audacity to brainstorm for "solutions" to his life decisions 



was, earth-shatteringly, what.the.fuck. 



Granted, Billy loved being a doormat, in fact, he loved being a doormat so much the whole Winston clan was concerned (thus, the gathering)...and then I realized HE WANTED TO DONATE A BONE MARROW TO HIS ABUSIVE FATHER???

WHAT? IS THIS AN EPISODE OF DR.PHIL?????



OK, wearing an Asian hat, I get where this sense of fucked up bond was coming from. I calmed down a bit, but then, dear.fucking.lord. His love life ... the drama with the Scarlett-turned-runaway-turned-singer-turned-Claire-turned-Ben'swife-turned-Scarlett-turned-Billy's Lover-turned-Claire (again)- turned-Ben's Widow-turned-returnee-turned-teacher-turned-Claire wasn't absurd at all. no. 



I get it. She's a nice gal no matter what confusing route she spiraling-turning to. 

Perhaps it's the introvert inside me. Perhaps it's the "personal space" looking for screen time. Perhaps it's Cletus' suffocating arrogance or Jethro's insufferable one-dimensional views on, um, everything. Either way, I'm not in the mood for that, so godspeed, fellas. 



I can't believe I used to fall head over heels over this series. These characters are ridiculous.

Nicole Cousin 

I think this is my favorite of the whole series!!!! After reading the rpevious book, looking into Billy and Scarlett's past, and my heart being wrenched from my body, stumped on it and left me dead in the middle of the dessert, this book made my heart be filled with happiness and love. 

FINALLY!!!!! Billy and Scarlett could have their happily ever after and talked about the past, let it go and move together to a future they both wanted and yearned for. 

It made me laugh so much, enjoying the family's antics (especially Cletus scheming) DELIGHTFUL!!! Always up for meddling loving family. Just seeing all the brothers and sisters interact, fills my heart of joy. 

I am insanely sad to see this series to end, but *sigh I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND NEED EVERYONE TO READ IT AND THEN SEND ME MESSAGES TO WE CAN LOVE IT TOGETHER. Thanks

Laura Antonella Miscione

So...where can I get my own Winston Brother? Love this series. I laughed, loved, yelled in frustration and cried with every page. All the feels!

Candyce Kirk

It's been quite some years since their story took place, but Claire (aka Scarlet) and Billy still haven't found their happily ever after yet. After all the heart break they felt, I was really hoping it would be everything I needed. It was and more!

Claire is a character my heart broke for in the beginning. No child should go what she should go through, but she turned out strong and is following her dream. I love how even though she does have her insecurities with many things, she's not afraid to open her mouth either. Claire really grew in this series and I'm happy how it all turned out for her. 

Billy is a tough nut to crack. He feels a lot, but won't admit it. I notice he shuts the world out and doesn't want to be bothered, but his heart wants so much more. It's a good thing he has an amazing family that wouldn't let him give up and kind of forced him to wake up, haha. Again, Billy turned out to be an amazing person, even after everything he went through. Anger could've easily changed his path, but he turned himself into a success. After Cletus, Billy is definitely a favorite Winston of mine.

On top of their amazing story, I can't forget to mention the siblings. I love how they all take it into their own hands to push Billy and Claire together even though they're both fighting it. This book brought tears to my eyes, made me laugh and I ended with a smile on my face. I think Penny Reid did an amazing job ending this series. Endings are always hard, especially when you grow to love all of the characters so much. She definitely got me with that epilogue.

I love series that takes place in small towns and big families you wish to be a part of (even if I wouldn't want to share all of their history). The Winston Brothers are a clan I won't forget very soon and will definitely revisit in the future!

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


My review for Beard Necessities could be summed up in one sentence: I can't imagine a more perfect or fitting ending for the Winston Brothers series. This book did all the things to my heart and I loved it more than I can possibly say. But, I'm darn sure gonna try. 

You know that feeling when you're reading a book and the hero and heroine are struggling to get it right? When you just want to lock them in a room together until they work out their issues (one way or another)? When you just want to smush them together and make them kiss? That's the basic premise of Beard Necessities from the perspective of the Winston clan. They'd simply had enough of Billy and Scarlet apart and had no choice but to intervene. In the most Winston ways ever, naturally. (Cletus is a national treasure, y'all.)

Beard Necessities is far lighter than (what I read of) Beard with Me, but it's not without its heavier moments. Billy and Scarlet have quite the history and most of it isn't great. It was going to take more than a little forced proximity for them to work things out. Rightfully so, to be honest. It wouldn't have felt authentic or believable without a little struggle and angst. But while this book has some heavier moments, they're nothing like those of Beard with Me. The darker parts of their history are referenced but don't happen on the page thankfully. You can breathe easier if you found that stuff as hard to read as I did.

My love for this book (and the Winston family) truly knows no bounds. I'm not going to dig too far into the storyline because you really need to experience it for yourself. I laughed and cried, swooned all over the place, and fell even more in love with every member of this wonderful family. It's hard to imagine the Winstons outside of their home in Tennessee, but the setting of Italy was absolutely perfect for this story. A fresh start deserves a beautiful backdrop, right? *sigh* It was all just wonderful, showcasing each of the characters in the best way possible. 

Series-ending books are so hard for me, especially when I've loved a series as much as I've loved the Winston Brothers. On one hand I am almost desperate to get the ending, but I also hate that it's all over. I'm not very good at giving up the characters I love. But hey, that's what rereads are for, right? You better believe I'll have an epic Winston Brothers binge one of these days. For now, I'm going to revel in the perfection that was Beard Necessities. Especially that epilogue, y'all. All the heart eyes. 😍

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Favorite Quotes:

"Billy deserves happiness, as does Claire. But these two idiots, they're too stubborn and noble to climb over the messy mountain of regret and secrets they've built between each other. So, as folks who love them both, it falls on us—all of us—to make the magic happen."

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts, and my soul was still Scarlet.

"Love sometimes means calling another person on their bullshit, even if doing so requires an awkward, uncomfortable conversation, like this one we're having right now."

"Honey, if I thought you would ever actually give yourself to me, if I could have you, really and truly have you, I'd take you. Right now. Right here."

"You can't force two people to kiss and make up, not when there's years of history and hurt between them."

Lacey

Oh, my heart. I couldn’t be happier for Billy and Claire (aka Scarlet) getting their second chance at an HEA. I loooved all the Winston family shenanigans (hello, Cletus!) and that epilogue made me SO damn happy, my heart was bursting. As bittersweet as this finale is, I couldn’t think of a lovelier ending for the Winston Brothers series, but I am also so thankful we’re getting a Cletus and Jenn series later on!

“But Scarlet,” he said my name reverently, gently, like it was a prayer he repeated often, “I didn’t need to see or touch or taste paradise to know how deeply and irrevocably I am in love with you. That hasn’t changed. That is as constant as my soul, which has been, and will always be, forever yours.”

Billy and Claire’s story has been YEARS in the making, which means years of torturous anticipation for their second chance. Penny Reid wrecked my heart in the best of ways with Beard with Me, so when this final Winston Brothers book landed on my kindle, I dove right in with no hesitation. The beginning was slow and a bit frustrating, I’m not going to lie. I was expecting Billy to be full-on pursing the love of his life, but he chose not to. I felt exactly how the rest of the Winstons did, which was wanting to smoosh Billy and Claire and force them to get back together, because we ALL know how meant to be they are.

Thankfully neither Billy nor Claire spend too much time resisting each other or the love that has always burned between them. It takes a lot communication and patience between them, but once the romance picks back up, I couldn’t put the book down! There’s decades-long worth of tension and longing, and when it explodes, it EXPLODES.

“Make no mistake, what just happened between us was momentous for me. My life and heart have been forever transformed. You are the architect and artist of my own personal paradise. Now, when I close my eyes, I won’t need to imagine what heaven feels like. I’ll know.”

Penny Reid takes us on a gorgeous journey around Italy with all of the Winstons. I loved how determined they were (particularly Cletus) to bring Billy and Claire back together, no matter what scenarios they had to come up with. Having this family all together in the Italian countryside is a total RIOT, and I’m a little devastated that their stories are over for now. But Beard Necessities was absolutely worth the wait, not just for this long-awaited couple, but for the Winston family as a whole. Each one has a love and family of their own, and I’ll be forever grateful to Penny for giving us such a lovely, unforgettable cast of characters!

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Yulande Lindsay &
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

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