Winston Brothers #3
Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Cipher-Naught | October 11, 2016

Winston Brothers hopped onto my radar when I started Birdie Bookworm a year ago.  I was drawn to the interesting covers, and the bearded hero.  I’m not sure when beards became my thing, they just do it for me.  What ended up making me buy the series was everyone talking about Cletus Winston.  It seemed like every reviewer out there was raving about how Cletus Winston’s book was out, and how they just had to read Cletus Winston’s new novel.  Right off the bat I loved that his name was Cletus, because it fit with how the blogs were all talking about his strange quirkiness.  So yeah, Cletus Winston was the sole reason I started this series.  I wanted to know Cletus.

I wasn’t special.  The moment I read Truth or Beard I fell crazy in love with Cletus.  You can’t help it.  He’s so odd, but also fascinating.  I love characters who are too smart for their own good, so smart nobody understands them, and that was Cletus.  He was the funniest brother, he was the strongest brother, and he was the brother I wanted to finally fall in love.  He’s so pragmatic, more than any other character I’ve read, I knew it would be glorious and I was right.  We were ALL right!

Jenn and Cletus were absolutely perfect!  They were so amazing together that I started Beard Science in the morning of the eleventh, read at work on my breaks and lunches, and then finished the book at 1am!  I literally read all freaking day, except when I was forced to work.  I was swooning and grinning the entire time.  Jenn and Cletus were similar in all the right ways, but they were also opposites in all the ways that were necessary.  Cletus needed a partner who would humanize him a bit.  Jenn needed someone who appreciated her, and wanted her to reach her full potential, to show her it was okay to stand up for herself.

What I really couldn’t handle, in the best way possible, was how blind Cletus was when it came to his feelings for Jenn!  Normally, in the Winston family dynamics, Cletus is the first person to figure everything out.  He’s the one who sees the issues before they arise, and he helps manipulate life so everyone gets what they want.  Yet, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him, and it was just so perfect.  He couldn’t read his own heart, and when he did figure it out he was spectacular… I almost wish I hadn’t finished it so fast.  It should have been savored.

Cletus isn’t the only magic in this story.  The entire Winston clan is really special.  I love that they fight, but they love harder.  There’s nothing better than a good family, and the Winston’s are a great family.

Beau’s next, and I’m not sure he can compare to Cletus but I sure can’t wait to find out!