Beard in Mind by Penny Reid

Beard in Mind (Winston Brothers, #4)

by Penny Reid

All's fair in love and auto maintenance.

Beau Winston is the nicest, most accommodating guy in the world. Usually.

Handsome as the devil and twice as charismatic, Beau lives a charmed life as everyone's favorite Winston Brother. But since his twin decided to leave town, and his other brother hired a stunning human-porcupine hybrid as a replacement mechanic for their auto shop, Beau Winston's charmed life has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Shelly Sullivan is not nice and is never accommodating. Ever.

She mumbles to herself, but won't respond when asked a question. She glares at everyone, especially babies. She won't shake hands with or touch another person, but has no problems cuddling with a dog. And her damn parrot speaks only in curse words.

Beau wants her gone. He wants her out of his auto shop, out of Tennessee, and out of his life. The only problem is, learning why this porcupine wears her coat of spikes opens a Pandora's box of complexity-exquisite, tempting, heartbreaking complexity-and Beau Winston soon discovers being nice and accommodating might mean missing out on what matters most.

Reviewed by leelu92 on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5 stars
Ohhhh my. I've just spent the last two weeks in Tennessee with the Winston Brothers. I binge read the last three books in the series and once again, Penny Reid is my hero.

I'll admit that in the first few chapters, I wasn't sure if this book was going to work for me because of Shelly.  But knowing Penny Reid, I resolved to hang on because Reid always makes her books worth the time.  Shelly is harsh and difficult to handle at times, her personality, the way she relates to others is detached and sullen at times.

Beau, on the other hand, is Mister Charm. He's easy on the eyes and knows he can charm his way into or out of any situation.  He and Shelly are complete polar opposites so of course, he cannot stand her.

The tipping point is that we learn why Shelly is the way she is.  Seeing how Beau handles it is the heart and soul of this book.  As funny and entertaining as the Winston family is, Beau's care and understanding of Shelly and her needs are why I loved it so much.  Once he figured her out and how to help her, he knew he wanted her in his life and he didn't budge on his devotion to her.  Shelly in her own right, helped Beau work through his issues and she too was just as devoted to him.

Penny Reid's books are not meant to read fast or skimmed, they are meant to be savored. They are dense and layered and every book possesses unforgettable characters and storylines. So, I implore you, if you haven't read this series, please don't miss it. It's intelligent, hilarious, swoon worthy and completely unique in its own lovely way. (Especially Beard in Mind!)

*Review copy provided.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 August, 2017: Finished reading
  • 14 August, 2017: Reviewed