I fell in love with Penny Reid's nerdtastic humor through the Knitting in the City series, and my adoration continued with the Elements of Chemistry and the Rugby series. Therefore, I was very excited when I heard about The Winston Brothers, and I can affirm, that I was not disappointed.
This book had many of the trademarks of Reid's other books, however, there was something different. I could not put my finger on it, but it was a little bit of a departure from her prior books. This is not a bad thing as the book still had all those things I love: the nerdy humor, fun-fantastic characters, awesome secondary characters, warmth, and heart. Penny knows how to build a community you want to be part of, and she has done so again with The Winston Brothers.
This book introduces us to the fine Winston family as it tells the story of Jessica and Duane. So many things to love about their story! I loved their history. These two have known each other for a lifetime. They shared a history and many fond memories. Duane has longed for Jess since his teens, and that whole connection made my heart pitter-patter.
He was so dreamy, and I'd forgotten how much I disliked the word dreamy.
Jess was a fun heroine, with many interesting facets, but the real star in my heart was Duane. He was so complicated, but so straightforward. You knew what you what getting, but then you got more than you expected. He was so virile, but had the most tender heart. He was introspective, yet honest. I adored how he went after Jess, and he said so many swoon worthy things.
"But what about your dreams?"
"You're it."
It wasn't just the moments between Duane and Jessica that ingrained Duane in my heart. His interactions from the beginning showed what an amazing fella he was. Trick or treating with a little girl, his interactions with his brothers and sister, his love for his momma, his yearning for Jessica. All of this showed what an incredible man Duane was.
My momma once told me, you don't need to be pushed in order to fall. I don't think you'll need to do much pushing, Jessica.
Overall: Penny with a twist that only led to even greater enjoyment, and a series that I am looking forward to.