Review and Giveaway: Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid Series: Winston Brothers #5
Published by Cipher-Naught on 30th July 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 350
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Buy on Amazon US, Buy on Amazon UK, Buy on Kobo, Buy on itunes
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWall Street Journal BestsellerUSA Today Bestseller
Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak
Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.
Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .
Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.
But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .
Dr. Strange Beard is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a stand-alone, and is the fifth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Winston Brothers series.
Roscoe Winston is the quieter youngest brother of the Winston brothers. The sweet and thoughtful Veterinarian. All the winston brothers are different from each other but what makes Roscoe different from the rest is his ability to retain memories and conversations. This has caused him a lot of grief over the years and contributed a lot to his personality.
Simone Payton is the opposite of Roscoe. She’s an undercover FBI. She’s more of the get going type, full of life. Doesn’t mean she isn’t vulnerable just that she’s also strong and independent. And she’s back in town!
This book falls under the unrequited love and friends to lovers trope. Simone and Roscoe were childhood best friend and she was his first love. Simone for her part had no idea why one day Roscoe just stopped talking to her. That hurt a lot because while she might not have been in love with Roscoe but she had loved him and they had been inseparable for years before he stopped talking to her.
Roscoe and Simone are both a bit guarded when they meet again after 10 years. They both don’t want to want to be hurt. Roscoe would go out of his way to avoid her earlier but chance makes it possible for them to be at the same place and time
Simone and Roscoe were utterly adorable together!! They both start as being unsure of each other because of overnight Simone was abandoned by her best friend and how for Roscoe seeing Simone only makes him hurt and bring memories to the fore front he can’t ever forget. But slowly you start to see them build their friendship and then more. You see how much they both mean to each other and of course theres that very sizzling chemistry and attraction towards each other they don’t know what to do about.
I loved Roscoe, he’s my 2nd favourite brother after Cletus, he’s just so soft and sweet. He’s one of those genuinely good and nice guys who just cares a lot. And while he’s memory gave him trouble, it also made him a very amazing character. His love for Simone was another thing that I adored, it was so pure. He knew she was the one and it just never changed for him.
He and Simone really reminded me of Barry and Iris from The Flash because of he too had loved Iris from their childhood and how utterly perfect they Barry and Iris and Roscoe and Simone were for each other. They are just so sweet and their book is just as lovely as them.
The book also touches on some of the deeper and controversial topics that the world is going through and people should be made more aware. It doesn’t take away from the book at all, just makes the book more real and I think Penny did a good job at it.
I do wish the that Roscoe had talk to his brothers about his eidetic memory because they just seemed unaware of how much it was a part of Roscoe and why he was the way he was.
They are both such great characters! I loved their love!!! The humour, the family both the paytons and the winstons were great! The sweet and lovely (and the very passionate) romance between Roscoe and Simone was beautifully written and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Only Billy’s book is left and I’ll be really be sad to finish this series, the Winston brothers is such an amazing series. Billy’s book has been a long time coming, I wonder how Billy and Claire will get their HEA. I’m really excited to see what Penny does with them.
Final verdict: A fantastic addition to the Winston Brothers series!!
“Simone, this is not one of our adventures from when we were kids. This is not finding Blithe Tanner’s cat. These men are murderers, drug dealers, thieves.”
“I know.” Boy oh boy, did I know. I didn’t want to be here anymore than he did. I was frightened. Yet allowing Roscoe to be taken on his own hadn’t been an option. “I can handle myself, and I can provide backup for you, if you need it.”
Roscoe gripped my shoulders. “Nothing can happen to you, do you understand?” His words were emphatic, his gaze disoriented, desolate, frantic. “If anything happens to you, I’ll . . .” He swallowed, apparently unable to finish the sentence.
My heart twisted to see him like this. I wished there were some way to show him what I could do, what I was capable of, so he would stop seeing me as a liability.
Well, why can’t you?
“Huh.”
Now there was a thought.
Stepping out of his grip, I walked backward to the other side of the room and took a deep breath. “Okay. Come at me.”
He blinked. “What?”
“I want you to come at me.”
“Simone,” he seethed.
“Come at me, bro.” I did that little movement with my fingers, my palm turned upwards. “Come at me or I’ll start singing again.”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Fine.”Frustrating. “I’ll come at you.”
He stood there, features set, looking raw.
Moving quickly forward, staying light on my feet, I faked right and then went left, hooking him behind the back of his leg, catching his arm to twist behind his back, and sending him to the ground—face-first—with a thud.
I winced as he grunted, my knee at the base of his spine, his arm restrained behind his back. “Sorry! But you wouldn’t listen to me.” Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
Roscoe’s back and shoulders rose and fell with an expansive breath, like he was about to respond, but in the next moment he’d spun his legs to the right, leveraged my knee on his back to throw me off-balance, and slipped his wrist from my hold.
In my defense, my grip had been lax as I was purposefully trying not to injure him.
The next thing I knew, Roscoe had me pinned to the ground, air knocked out of me, him hovering above, and my gun digging into my ribs beneath my shirt. He’d been careful to subdue my legs, likely so he wouldn’t end up with a bruised ballsack.
His stare more probing than angry—which I took as a good sign—he said, “I didn’t teach you that. Where’d you learn that?”
Even though I was still coughing, I smiled and rasped, “Since college, take judo.”
He nodded faintly, his eyes moving between mine, looking concerned. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Endeavoring to catch my breath, I said, “I took it easy on you because I didn’t want to hurt you either, but I’m an asset, not a liability.”
“You’re definitely an asset.” Roscoe frowned, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “And a distraction,” he said, his voice rough.
“I’m a distraction?” I asked, my words still breathy.
I bucked, but he held me fast.
“Yes. . .” His stare turned inward. “You are most definitely a distraction.”
Even though I’d had plenty of time to recover and we’d been holding still for close to a minute, I was still breathing hard. This might have been because of my lingering irritation. Or, maybe it was because the length of Roscoe’s lean body was lying on mine. He held my hands on either side of my head, our faces even, his mouth just inches away.
Was it insane that I hoped he kissed me?
Yes?
No?
Let’s go with no.
He gave me his eyes again and I saw something there, a battle. He looked undecided, at war with himself, straining against something I couldn’t see.
“Roscoe?” I whispered.
Roscoe closed his eyes, and I thought he was going to let me go, but in the next second his lips descended, capturing my mouth in a tender kiss.
I moaned.
I kissed him back.
That’s what one does when Roscoe Winston kisses one. Moan and kiss. Repeat. Because not doing so would be a travesty.
His hold on my hands slacked, his fingers seeking and threading with mine. He settled his hips between my legs, his form relaxing. The weight of him was different now, warmer somehow. At least I felt warm. I also felt cherished as his tongue sought mine, again tenderly, stroking, causing my abdomen to twist and tighten into delicious knots.
He broke the kiss and a protest died on my lips as his mouth trailed down my jaw to the sensitive skin of my neck, sucking, licking, savoring me. What had felt warm and cherishing heated, and my hips tilted reflexively as he nibbled on my ear, cradling his rapidly growing erection.
We both gasped as his hips rocked in an answering yet inelegant movement. It felt perfect and essential in the moment.
“Oh God.” His hot breath spilled against my jaw, a ragged sigh. “What are we doing?”
“I don’t know, but don’t stop.”
About Penny Reid
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).
By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.
