Category: Reviews
Sushi Bowls, Smoothies and Scandal. Yum!
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
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Beard Necessities by @reidromance â€ïž9/10 â€ïž you know the book is good when you read it in a day…
This series is like a warm hug. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I watch Sweet Home Alabama for the 100th time. The Winston family are such a loving bunch and Billyâs story is what the entire series builds towards. The unrequited love of Claire McClure and Billy Winston, a second chance romance for these childhood sweethearts that never seem to get the timing right.
I adored this book, and the entire series, but Billyâs story in particular has such heartbreak that when he and Claire finally have their time itâs so dang satisfying. We finally get to hear the inner workings of the stoic Billy, and his quite scandalous thoughts about Claire. Penny Reid has such a great balance of humour, steam and emotion. This is one series I wouldnât hesitate to recommend. Do yourself a favour and introduce yourself to the Winstonâs.
đ Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren đ
đWicked Sexy Liar by @christinalauren đ
And just like that Iâm done the series đ© I loved each and every book from the Wild Seasons storyline and Luke & Londonâs story was such a sweet ending to it all. *Even better was the short story for Not-Joe/Dylan and Perry at the end, such a great addition!
Anyway Luke and London are the two that are on the outskirts of the âgroup that went to Vegasâ. London being Lolaâs roommate and Luke being Miaâs ex, and childhood friend of Lola and Harlow. Ever since his breakup with Mia, Luke has been quite the ladies man. Never really caring about anyone in particular. Until he meets London.
After letting him call her Logan for the entire first night they get together, London knows Luke is only good for a one night fling. That is until one night becomes two and then three and soon enough her perception of him starts to change from lothario to genuine nice guy. He realizes he needs to prove himself to London and show that heâs boyfriend material, but can he shake off his roster of ladies once and for all?
While I really enjoyed this one, I can safely say my favourite book of the series was Dirty Rowdy Thing. Iâm giving this one an 8/10. These books do not disappoint!
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
đ„ Office romance đ„ Enemies to Lovers đ„ FULL STEAM AHEAD đ„ But very little plot…
Holy moly this @christinalauren is spicy!! This is definitely the most scandalous of their books that Iâve read so far…
Bennett Ryan is a perfectionist young mogul at his fatherâs company, while Chloe Mills is his hardworking assistant who hates his guts. In fact the feeling is mutual. That is, until the tension boils over turning into hate sex which turns into something more…?
To be honest this relationship seemed super unhealthy, there is minimal plot, they barely have a full conversation with each other throughout the whole book and every other page is a sex scene…but I couldnât stop reading! If you can set aside the rediculousness of it all, it is a quick, steamy read with some pure hatred thrown in for fun. Iâm giving this one a 6.5/10 overall but a 9/10 on the steam factorđ„
Baking Me Crazy đȘ by Karla Sorensen
Baking Me Crazy by @karla_sorensen
I am officially obsessed with Penny Reidâs Green Valley universe. Baking Me Crazy is the first of the Donner Bakery canon that takes place in the same town as the Winston Brothers (the bakery is the home of the Banana Cake Queen).
The men in Leviâs family have been known to be cursed with love at first sight and when they fall they fall for life. When Levi met Joss thatâs exactly what happened, but she just wanted to be friends. Five years of friendship later Levi is as in love with her as ever, but Joss is starting to fall for her physical trainer. Levi suddenly realizes heâs got to act now or lose his girl before heâs even had her.
I really enjoyed that the story was told with the female lead being in a wheelchair. I feel like it was so well written you begin to understand her perspective in a small town and the difficulties she faces in the world of romance.
Iâm not usually a fan of the âpining for the best friendâ trope, it can sometimes feel a bit pathetic or awkward to me. I did like it in this case because it was not only really romantic, but if felt like while he was the one pining, he was also super confident and she was awkward and uncomfortable, almost evening it out?! Anyway I really enjoyed this one and canât wait to read the next in the series. Iâm giving this sweet read a 7/10!
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
The Happy Ever After Playlist by @authorabbyjimenez đ¶ 9/10Â
This story was so sweet!! It was such a funny and easy read, Abbyâs characters are always so charming and relatable. Abby’s writing is like reading texts from a best friend, her stories are always laugh out loud funny but can also touch on emotional topics without going overboard. After reading the Friend Zone, Sloanâs story of losing her fiancĂ© really stuck with me, and I immediately felt like she deserves a happy ending. So when I found out the next book was giving Sloan her shot at love I was all in. In the Happy Ever After Playlist we get to know Sloan and see her finally get back out there, finding herself again. After a chance encounter rescuing a doggo named Tucker and eventually meeting his handsome owner Jason, who seems to be a notorious flirt.
Now the question is will Jason (a famous musician) stick around for good or will Sloan have to deal with losing another love?
I loved all the flirty banter from Jason, their sexy chemistry was fun to read from the beginning. FYI some absolute gem out there created the playlist (each chapter has a song) on Spotify so you can listen to the songs as you read! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1tsC0rNPk4Q4lymo4ek83S?si=TFq3F28NQyKv3OhK3vjfhg
Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub @grandcentralpubÂ
Dr.Strange Beard đŸ by Penny Reid
Dr.Strange Beard by Penny Reid, the Winston Brothers series book 5. đŸ
When I found out this book jumps ahead 5 years from book 4 I realized how invested I am in the Winston Brothers. I was genuinely distraught.. BROTHER A GOT MARRIED?!? BROTHER B HAS KIDS NOW?? BROTHER C IS WITH SOMEONE NEW?! WTH! I felt like I missed out on these moments with them, which is when I had to remind myself that theyâre fictional characters…
ANYWAY this is Roscoeâs story, the youngest Winston who was raised by his mama and his brothers, has an eidetic memory and is a veterinarian (instant swoon). Heâs only ever had eyes for his childhood friend Simone, who told him sheâd never love him back, and thanks to his crazy good memory relives the moment over and over again.
Simone is back in her hometown as an undercover agent and her assignment is to get close to Roscoe again. I liked how different this one was from the other books in the series, each brother is an independent character with their own uniqueness which makes every story interesting to read. Plus a childhood romance is always a winner in my book.
But Cletus is still my favourite lol. Iâm giving this one a 8/10 đ¶
Beard In Mind by Penny Reid
Yesterday was #booksharksHollyDays challenge Day 4! Share what your #currentlyreading next to pretty wrapped presents đ
Not sure how pretty my wrapping job is, but Iâm almost finished Beard In Mind by @reidromance and thought Iâd share âșïž
I canât express enough how happy this series makes me. I wasnât aware I needed these Winston Brothers until now.
This one follows Beau the delightfully charming and kind to a fault, red-headed twin of Duane from book 1. I liked the overlap between this book and the last (Cletusâ story) as we get to see both sides. Seeing Beau start to understand Shelly not as the ice woman she seems, but for the complex and beautiful person who is trying to work through her struggles with her mental health. Shellyâs OCD is a big part of the story and was so interesting to learn more about. I liked that Beau wasnât necessarily trying to âsave herâ but was just there for her, loving her for who she is and appreciating her skills and what makes her special.
I really enjoyed this one, and Iâm giving it an 8/10. But Cletus is still my favourite.
The Bromance Book Club đ by Lyssa Kay Adams
The Bromance Book Club by @lyssakayadams was definitely a #bookstagrammademedoit but Iâm not mad about it đ 8/10
I love how original this story was. Following Thea and Gavin as they work on their troubled marriage. It was funny, forward thinking and touched on some important issues like toxic masculinity, the orgasm gap, etc. It did seem to portray everything as Gavinâs fault throughout but I liked that the conclusion delves into this. Thea lost herself and at the same time didnât express to her husband that she was unsatisfied in bed and in life. He definitely should have noticed and made her happiness a priority but I think it takes two to communicate!
This book was a breath of fresh air, heartwarming and funny. I loved the guys in the book club, and the parts from the book their reading. Mack is the man!! I thought it was really well written and would definitely recommend it! Have you read this one?
I’ve recently seen some sneak previews of Lyssa Kay Adams next instalment for this series, called Undercover Bromance and it follows Mack (YAASS) as he tries to warm the icy exterior of Thea’s sister Liv! It sounds like a perfect match đ
Beard Science by Penny Reid
Beard Science by @reidromance 9.8/10 đ
NEW FAVOURITE BOOK ALERT!!!
Okay, this book!!! Cletus is my favourite Winston Brother and I was dying to read his story. This was, in my opinion, a perfect romance novel. I absolutely loved this book and finished it in a day. This series is so funny and heartwarming and the characters are insanely lovable. This was definitely the best of the series (that Iâve read) so far.
Cletus is hysterical, brilliant and sneaky with a penchant for scheming. Jennifer has only ever been known in their small town as the Banana Cake Queen đ a simpleton who does whatever her Mama tells her. Cletus thought he knew everything about everyone and nothing ever surprised him, until Jennifer had a plan of her own that forced Cletus to really see her.
Jennifer is the coolest! You root for her to find her courage and stand up for herself the whole way through and Cletus helping her do that without doing it for her was so satisfying. I seriously love when the characters donât realize theyâre falling for each other, sometimes itâs a bit over the top, but Cletusâ sudden realization was awesome. Iâm hooked on this series!
The Romance Reader 