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Beard Science: A Small Town Romantic Comedy (Winston Brothers Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Penny Reid (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 7,966 ratings
*Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for Best Romance *
*Amazon Top 10 Romances of 2016*
*AAR Top 10 Romances of All Time*

From the NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, & USA TODAY bestselling series.

Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need?

Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate.

And desperate times call for Cletus Winston.

Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So... what’s a maniacal mastermind to do?

Likely, the last thing you expect.

Beard Science is book #1 in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series and Book #3 in the WInston Brothers series. Each book is a standalone, full length (110k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the romantic exploits and adventures of one of the six Winston Brothers.
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  1. Book 3 of 12
    Winston Brothers
  2. Print length
    568 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    11 Oct. 2016
  5. File size
    4.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 12 books in this series.

In this series (12 books)

Kindle Edition
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  1. “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.”
    Highlighted by 2,197 Kindle readers
  2. “You want to know what you are to me? Fine. You’re my beginning, middle, and end.”
    Highlighted by 1,091 Kindle readers
  3. Bullshit was the adult version of Santa Claus. For reasons I’ll never comprehend, the general population seemed to enjoy wallowing, spouting, and believing in bullshit.
    Highlighted by 678 Kindle readers
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Product description

Review

“This book is bone achingly sweet, and had me laughing out loud in places in true Penny Reid form.”
–Heroes and Heartbreakers

“Penny Reid’s Beard Science is awkwardly and wonderfully odd, and no carefully selected combination of adjectives can adequately communicate the mind-bending deliciousness of this thoroughly enjoyable book.”
–All About Romance

About the Author

Penny Reid is the USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LOX4U9I
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cipher-Naught (11 Oct. 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 568 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 7,966 ratings

About the author

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Penny Reid

Penny Reid

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Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.

FOLLOW PENNY:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyreidwriter

Twitter: www.twitter.com/reidromance

Instagram: www.instagram.com/reidromance

Just Released:

October 20th, 2022: Folk Around and Find Out, Good Folk: Modern Folktales, Book 2

Upcoming Releases:

December 13th, 2022: Drama King, Three Kings Series, Book 2

Currently Working On:

2023: Pride and Dad Jokes, Ideal Man, Book 1

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
7,966 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this romantic comedy for its complex characters, particularly Cletus, and find it well-written with humor. The story features a lively romance that is heart-warming and utterly captivating, with one customer specifically praising the Jess and Cletus storyline. Customers appreciate the book's intelligence, describing it as clever and sneaky, while also noting its beautiful presentation.

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26 customers mention ‘Character development’26 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly noting Cletus as a complex character, and one customer mentions how the heroine blossoms throughout the story.

"...for my tastes, but the conniving, clever, funny, adorable Cletus Winston is freaking awesome and you'd have to be nuts to not to be someone as great..." Read more

"...beautiful sentences, or how she is able to give her characters true and unique voices but a poet in the way she can read, describe and celebrate..." Read more

"...Interesting characters and plots. Author still includes characters from other novels which keeps the continuity of the series. Enjoyed" Read more

"...Penny Reid is a master storyteller and Cletus and Jennifer the most incredible characters...." Read more

25 customers mention ‘Humor’25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous and well-written, with one customer particularly enjoying Cletus and Jenn's story.

"...beard is a bit too unruly for my tastes, but the conniving, clever, funny, adorable Cletus Winston is freaking awesome and you'd have to be nuts to..." Read more

"...Not only in how she employs words to bring forth beautiful sentences, or how she is able to give her characters true and unique voices but a poet..." Read more

"...Definitely smarter than Cletus. Character-driven wonderful story. Funny too. Thank you Penny - can't recommend this highly enough...." Read more

"...This is a truly lovely book. It made me laugh and it made me cry...." Read more

23 customers mention ‘Romance’23 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, describing it as heart-warming, utterly captivating, and joyful.

"...Although he isn't as mysterious anymore he's still oh so mindblowingly wondrous to read about. And so was Jennifer...." Read more

"...This is the incredible and unique love story between seemingly perfect reigning ‘Banana Cake Queen’, who looks like she stepped out of the fifties..." Read more

"...Beard Science is a glorious book. It's bold, beautiful and utterly captivating. Go read it now!" Read more

"...and what ensues is a robust, lively romance that appeals to my sweet tooth and my harm warming sentiments...." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Story quality’19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with several mentioning they love Penny's writing, and one customer particularly appreciates the narrative about Jess and Cletus.

"...That's how good Reid's writing is and that's why she's my favourite...." Read more

"...Oh my good lord this book is brilliant. Penny Reid is a master storyteller and Cletus and Jennifer the most incredible characters...." Read more

"I love Penny's writing and I love her books and characters...." Read more

"It was a nice story and I liked the way Jenn's character developed as she learnt to stand up for herself...." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Intelligence’16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence, describing it as clever and quirky.

"...his beard is a bit too unruly for my tastes, but the conniving, clever, funny, adorable Cletus Winston is freaking awesome and you'd have to be nuts..." Read more

"...thought possible and realising that people are complicated and diverse and miraculous and it’s about celebrating how different we can be and basking..." Read more

"Really good series of family tales. Interesting characters and plots...." Read more

"...too - Cinderella-enslaved as a baking-savant for her parents and yet clever, watchful, and maybe even smarter than Cletus...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Beauty’6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful, with one mentioning they love the cover and title.

"...Beard Science is a glorious book. It's bold, beautiful and utterly captivating. Go read it now!" Read more

"...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...." Read more

"...Jennifer, the Banana Cake Queen has been oppressed her whole life. Beautiful, but constantly put down by her over-bearing, controlling parents, she..." Read more

"...Looking forward to more from these gorgeous brothers." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Jane
    5.0 out of 5 stars Every book she writes I devour and almost definitely I'm going to love the words she has written down
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I have no idea how Penny Reid does it. Every book she writes I devour and almost definitely I'm going to love the words she has written down. Her heroes and heroines are not your usual heroes and heroines and while I enjoy your typical romance quite often as well, Reid's romance is in a class of its own. Truly. The stories grip my attention and if I didn't have my phone screech at my at certain points during the day (e.g. make lunch or light a fire so that the house wouldn't be freezing), I don't think I would have even noticed anything around me. That's how good Reid's writing is and that's why she's my favourite.

    I have wanted to read about Cletus since Reid introduced us to him in Beauty and Mustache and I have to admit that she didn't disappoint me in the slightest. If anything, she even surpassed my expectations and hopes for Cletus and his love interest. Although he isn't as mysterious anymore he's still oh so mindblowingly wondrous to read about. And so was Jennifer.

    When Penny dropped the bomb that Cletus wouldn't get together with Quinn's sister Shelly as hinted at the end of Grin and Beard It (and in a newsletter or two), but rather with Jennifer - the queen of banana cakes, I was actually a bit flabbergasted as I really thought that Cletus and Shelly would make a lot of sense. But I don't think so anymore. It isn't because Shelly's not awesome - she still is - but Cletus and our little blackmailing Banana Cake Queen actually make a lot more sense as these two make me gush and they're oh so right for one another.

    I am actually kind of cheating with this reading challenge point because I would literally like to be as awesomeballs as Cletus Winston. I don't think I would like to be him per se because his beard is a bit too unruly for my tastes, but the conniving, clever, funny, adorable Cletus Winston is freaking awesome and you'd have to be nuts to not to be someone as great as him.

    If you haven't read Penny Reid yet, what on Earth are you still waiting for? Go grab a book and be prepared to fall in love. :)
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  • Nicole McCurdy (Emerald Book Reviews)
    5.0 out of 5 stars ’ This is the incredible and unique love story between seemingly perfect reigning ‘Banana Cake Queen’
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Beard Science (Winston Brothers book #3) by Penny Reid

    5* review by Nicole McC @ emerald book reviews
    (If you make it aaaaall the way to the end of this review....jaysus, I totally commend you <3.)

    Discovery. It’s the key word for this story. The mere definition of the word is ‘to find unexpectedly’...

    Would it be deemed slightly strange if I quoted from a nineteen-eighties John Hughes movie for this book review? Because to me, the Winston family and in particular this masterpiece of a book named Beard Science, are the embodiment of it.
    ‘You see us as you want to see us-in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess….and a criminal.’

    This is the incredible and unique love story between seemingly perfect reigning ‘Banana Cake Queen’, who looks like she stepped out of the fifties Jennifer Sylvester and slightly socially-awkward odd-ball eccentric with an awesome beard Cletus Winston. But it isn’t your conventional, one dimensional love story, sure there is this spectacular, steal-your-breath, leave-ya-grinning, melt-your-knickers-off romance and tension from our hero Cletus and our heroine Jenn, but Beard Science also has the wonderful message of simply learning to love yourself first. You have to make peace with the person you are before you can truly be happy and that is what Jenn and Cletus manage to do, defying the odds and overcoming adversity. They are so special, intelligent, overlooked and misunderstood by almost everyone but they get one another, and sure it takes some hilarious moments, a little blackmail and time to reach that point, but it’s the solid build up that gives this story so much comedy, heartbreak, sadness and insight and heart. The other element that elevates this book up to my ‘Forever list’ is the Winston brood, individually and as a unit. To have such a supportive and loving family at your back but that knows when you need your a$$ kicked is simply golden, add in the brilliant witty one-liners and banter between the brothers and you have a book destined for great things.

    ‘“I know. Her kindness doesn’t make her weak, it makes her strong.”
    “She’ll forgive you.”
    I huffed a humourless laugh and shook my head. “She shouldn’t. She should hate me, plot my demise.”
    “But she won’t. And that’s why you two belong together. You’re looking for a key to your cage? Well, that woman is it.”

    Author Penny Reid was someone I had heard about on the periphery of social media about a year ago but it wasn’t until March of this year that I decided to give her books a whirl and after having devoured everything she has written inside seven months, I can hand-on-heart declare that she is a poet. Not only in how she employs words to bring forth beautiful sentences, or how she is able to give her characters true and unique voices but a poet in the way she can read, describe and celebrate people. Her books are smart, they’re distinctive and idiosyncratic and they will inevitably touch you, soul deep because each and every character manages to resonate with readers, our personal struggles, how we perceive ourselves and the ugliness that oftentimes worms its way into our lives.

    This book is all about connecting soul deep to someone you never thought possible and realising that people are complicated and diverse and miraculous and it’s about celebrating how different we can be and basking in the heat, the sweet passion and the delicate nature of a new and first love and Jenn and Cletus will forever be a part of my ‘Banished to an island but you can only take one book…’ essentials. You will need this book in your life, so go forth and embrace your weird!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Frances
    4.0 out of 5 stars Review
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Really good series of family tales. Interesting characters and plots. Author still includes characters from other novels which keeps the continuity of the series. Enjoyed
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Paragraphs and Petticoats
    5.0 out of 5 stars OMG - I Loved this book!
    Reviewed in Canada on 3 August 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Beard Science by Penny Reid (Audiobook)
    Narrated by: Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley
    Series: Winston Brothers #3

    5 OMG!! Stars. I LOVED THIS BOOK! It has one of my favourite plot types: the man helping to find a husband for the girl, but falls for the girl he's helping! Ugh, Love it! And to have that man be Cletus Winston, man oh man, Jennifer is one lucky lady! He is funny, sweet, caring, a bad boy when needed, gentlemanly, hard working and just about any other ideal a woman could want in a guy!

    Now, I liked Cletus in the other books, but he really shined in this one! I also loved how Jennifer just kinda showed up, was all of a sudden in his life - which I think took him by surprise, and we know how Cletus feels about “all the girls coming to his yard…” haha!

    Jennifer was a bit of a pushover at the beginning of the story - but I loved watching her blossom into her true self. She was genuine and a hard worker. At first, I thought she was an unlikely match for Cletus, but then you get them together and the sparks FLY! At times I would just be standing in the middle of the room, staring off into nothingness, listening to their interactions..(and burning my lunch till it was unrecognizable - setting off the smoke detector…twice. Darn that Cletus!) So worth it though!!

    Honestly, I am sure this book would be great a read in any form, but these narrators: Joy Nash, and Chris Brinkley, really brought this book to life! Their voices were performances were perfection! I am already planning a reread soon! If you haven’t picked up this series, YOU SHOULD! I highly Recommend it!

    ~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
    Customer image
    Paragraphs and Petticoats
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    OMG - I Loved this book!

    Reviewed in Canada on 3 August 2018
    Beard Science by Penny Reid (Audiobook)
    Narrated by: Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley
    Series: Winston Brothers #3

    5 OMG!! Stars. I LOVED THIS BOOK! It has one of my favourite plot types: the man helping to find a husband for the girl, but falls for the girl he's helping! Ugh, Love it! And to have that man be Cletus Winston, man oh man, Jennifer is one lucky lady! He is funny, sweet, caring, a bad boy when needed, gentlemanly, hard working and just about any other ideal a woman could want in a guy!

    Now, I liked Cletus in the other books, but he really shined in this one! I also loved how Jennifer just kinda showed up, was all of a sudden in his life - which I think took him by surprise, and we know how Cletus feels about “all the girls coming to his yard…” haha!

    Jennifer was a bit of a pushover at the beginning of the story - but I loved watching her blossom into her true self. She was genuine and a hard worker. At first, I thought she was an unlikely match for Cletus, but then you get them together and the sparks FLY! At times I would just be standing in the middle of the room, staring off into nothingness, listening to their interactions..(and burning my lunch till it was unrecognizable - setting off the smoke detector…twice. Darn that Cletus!) So worth it though!!

    Honestly, I am sure this book would be great a read in any form, but these narrators: Joy Nash, and Chris Brinkley, really brought this book to life! Their voices were performances were perfection! I am already planning a reread soon! If you haven’t picked up this series, YOU SHOULD! I highly Recommend it!

    ~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
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  • Natalja Warkentin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Winston Brothers
    Reviewed in Germany on 28 January 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Ich liebe diese Reihe, ich bin total verliebt in dieses kleine Städtchen & diesen wundervollen Männer & Frauen.
    Cletus ist einfach so besonders, genau wie Jennifer!
    Deckel meets Topf, oder Topf meets Deckel wie auch immer, die beiden sind einfach besonders!
    Und ich möchte mehr von ihnen, von diesen sehr cleveren individuellen Menschen!
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
    Reviewed in India on 8 June 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Penny Reid always takes you on a emotional roller coaster ride with her books. You can't put the book down once you start it.

    Jennifer is called Banana Cake Queen, as she won a Cake contest, when she was 16, n fm then every year. But she is still controlled by her parents even after she is 22 years old. People criticize her, but she tries to take them as compliments. But people don't know that she is a people watcher n has a backbone.

    Cletus, is looked at like a simpleton by people. But they don't know that he wantedly cultivated that look, n he can blackmail people to do his wishes as he knows a lot about the people around him, but doesn't take action until he wants something from them.

    Cletus helps Jennifer to take a stand in her life n face people n conquer her fears. But in the meanwhile he falls in love with her n changes himself to give his family and her to take decisions on their own, instead of trying to manage their lives. He learns to give value to others opinion and not to overtake their lives.
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  • Sita the Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Death of a Penny Reid-er
    Reviewed in Australia on 11 October 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book KILLED.

    It KILLED me!

    Is has ruined me for all other books . . . for now. :)

    Cletus is a much loved character since we were introduced to the Winston clan (you can read this before reading the others, but I recommend reading the other books first - they're worth reading!) by Penny Reid. Her fans have been raving about him. I was sceptical especially as we start learning more about him in previous stories. His siblings describe him as sneaky, manipulative, revenge seeking know-it-all. And he hides all of that by appearing to the outside world as a simple bumpkin. And while I picked up he was wise and loved his family I couldn't help but wonder how could this guy be a book hero? How can give up all the show and pretense and find that special person who's meant to be his?

    And then Jennifer comes along. I love her. I adore her. And I understand her so well. She's awkward, clever and a little beat down.

    Jenn and Cletus together - Wow! What a pair. They were sweet, they were sneaky and they love so deeply. And they changed, so much, and yet they stayed the same.

    But what I loved even more were the rest of the Winston clan. All of them together. I wish they were real. I wish I lived next door to them. They were funny, kind, loving, a little sneaky as well.

    This book has it all. If you're looking for funny, intrigue, the FEELS, a touch of angst (but not too much, personally I hate angst but this only had a teeny, tiny amount which was perfect) and a HEA so stunning you're just sitting there in a warm bubble of happiness this is the book for you!
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  • Claudia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Me encanta
    Reviewed in Spain on 9 April 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Mi libro favorito de la serie
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