REVIEW: Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid

Grin and Beard It: Penny Reid uses her deft hand (and heart and mind) to create a story of family, love and laughter in this latest entry in the Winston Brothers series. This time we get Jethro, a reformed man. Though he started out with a rocky background, emulating his biker father by treating women and possessions poorly, he has come back into the fold. For the last three years he’s worked hard to rebuild his reputation and his place as the elder brother in the family. He works full time as a park ranger, and hasn’t been in any relationships since leaving the biker lifestyle. When he meets Sienna, a wayward woman lost on the trails near his home, he does his gallant duty and escorts her to her cabin home for the next several weeks. Unknown to him at first, Sienna is a world famous comedienne, movie star and writer, and she’s come to this small town in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee to film her latest project. They are an unlikely pair, but true love knows no bounds. Will it be enough to bond them together permanently?

This story was delightful! I am never quite sure what I’m going to get with a Penny Reid book, except that I know it will give me ‘all the feels’ and this one does that, in a mostly lighthearted and humorous manner. Which isn’t to say that there sometimes aren’t more serious emotions to deal with, but in this story they are done in a way that makes it very low angst and definitely more on the hopeful and lighthearted side.

Jethro’s been keeping to his work, and spending time with family and friends since leaving his biker ways behind him. He still has a fractious relationship with his younger brother Billy, who hasn’t forgiven him for things that happened in the past. But the rest of his siblings are on board with his change, and his champion these days is his brother Cletus, himself a very unique character. Cletus gets lots of screen time here (his story will be out next) and his support of Jethro is a key part of Jethro feeling better about himself. He still sometimes feels guilty over things that happened, but he’s doing better at accepting that it takes time to change, and time for people to believe that the changes are permanent. He comes across as a gentle man, a big bear hug type of guy (ironically, his job involves trapping and transporting bears ), and a man with a heart.

Sienna is a funny, friendly woman – with a poor sense of direction that results in a rescue by Jethro more than once. She’s here to film a movie and work on a script and trying hard to avoid her ex-boyfriend (who is unfortunately on the set with her). She’s known for her sense of humour, and for being a plus sized woman (as opposed to a super skinny actress). She’s happy with herself, her looks and her talent. When she meets Jethro, and he doesn’t know who she is, she is free to be herself, and not worry about all the things that go along with fame, like men who want to take advantage of her. Jethro is a refreshing change for her, liking her for herself and not her fame.

When Jethro finds out who Sienna really is, and just how famous she is, it sets up the conflict for the rest of the story. He considers himself a plain spoken, normal guy and worries about his past and how it could impact Sienna’s career. Similarly, Sienna worries that the paparazzi will ruin the beautiful town and countryside where Jethro lives. Though these issues affect how they deal with each other, it doesn’t stop the attraction between them, and the deep seated ‘want’ that they are both experiencing – to be with each other no matter the outcome. There are some sexy scenes between them too, showing just how compatible they are. Jethro knows that Sienna’s time in Tennessee is limited and when the movie is finished filming, Sienna will go back to her California life, leaving him behind. But life has surprises in store for them both, and lucky for us, things work out to give us a wonderful happy ending for the couple.

I enjoyed every minute of this delightful romance, with its unique brand of humour and Penny Reid antics. If you love a good romantic comedy, you will enjoy this story!
 

Book Info:

Publication: May 31 2016 | Self Published | The Winston Brothers #2

Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna.

But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often.

Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart?