Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
This review is from 2018 and is kept here for reference. Check the link for updates.
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- Stars
- ★★★★★
- Heat
- Molten
- Genre
- ContemporaryHumor
- Series
- Part of a Series, Standalone
Recommendation
So first of all, Penny Reid is freakishly smart…like next level brainpower people! That being said, to write a story like this, you not only need to be intellectually bright, but you need to have an exceptionally high EQ (emotional intelligence) as well. Writing mixed race romance is rarely done well and even more rarely done with the social and cultural awareness and sensitivity demonstrated in this story. I applaud Penny for taking the time and care to make sure it was done right. So second of all, Penny’s stories of MFing funny! Her characters are quirky, witty, smart, endearing and downright lovable. Thirdly, from someone with an above average memory, I related to the the emotion of our dear Roscoe Winston and his ongoing struggle to compartmentalize his life as to not have to relive the pain of his past over and over. This book had it all, angst, adventure, history, love and it packed so much more heat than the others in this series…like seriously, phone sex scene… hachacha #onehandedreading ya’ll!!! If you’re a Penny Reid fan, this is a must read…if you’re not yet, get on that ASAP! Your brain will thank you, I promise.
Excerpts
"Wouldn't it be great if folks everywhere were used to listening – really listening – to people who didn't look like them? Instead of discounting a voice because it doesn't come from a mouth and face that resembles theirs, what if they got used to valuing those voices? The only way people learn and change – I believe – is by practicing. So that means we need to give them more opportunities to practice listening. We need more voices like mine speaking to folks like Officer Strickland."
In the battle between two bullshitters, the one who cares about the outcome will always lose to the one who doesn't care at all.
"I want to bite you," he whispered roughly against my neck, sucking my earlobe between his lips. " Taste every part of you. I want you everywhere."
Publisher synopsis
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 Winston 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.
Review published August 4, 2018