βThis is Penny Reid at her finest.β — L.B. Dunbar, author
Beard With Me, an epic and breathtaking story from New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!

Series | Winston Brothers #6
Release Date | September 16, 2019
Published by Cipher-Naught
Genres | New Adult
Format | ARC
Add to TBR | ADD TO GOODREADS
Buy | Amazon
Rating |
βBeard With Meβ is the origin story of Billy Winston and Scarlet St. Claire (aka Claire McClure) and is just the beginning of their epic love story.
No one is better at surviving than Scarlet St. Claire and making the best out of circumstances beyond her control is Scarletβs specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, sheβd be the last person on earth, hermitting like a pro, singing along to her CD Walkman, and dancing like no one is watching.
Scarlet is clever, Scarlet is careful, and Scarlet is smart . . . except when it comes to Billy Winston.
No one is better at fighting than Billy Winston and raging against his circumstancesβbecause nothing is beyond his controlβis Billyβs specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, heβd be the first person on earth to lead others to safety, overcome catastrophe, or die trying.
Billy is fearless, Billy is disciplined, and Billy is honorable . . . except when it comes to Scarlet St. Claire.
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Review
I had my review written earlier this month and I’m in a much better frame of mind. I’m definitely looking forward to theirΒ happily ever after. Not much longer we have to wait.
Well… I finished and I’m not even remotely OK. I totally understand why Penny gave the warnings and it’s something NO ONE should take lightly. I honestly wish that I went in blind because there are zero words to express everything I felt throughout their origin story.
Two people who had to grow up way too quickly, to take on pain to the point that it became such a natural part of their lives. Something they felt that they HAD to do. And it shouldn’t have been like that for them and it’s just not fair… Too young, too much to endure, something you should never wish on kids.
But it highlighted another side to these two that make them who they are. They’re resilient, they have hope, and together they’d undoubtedly be unstoppable. The light to each other’s darkness.
I kind of see why Penny decided to show us the dark surrounding Claire and Billy’s story. And I won’t be able to touch on this until we get the rest of their story in Beard Necessities.
Their story isn’t sunshine and rainbows. And you’ll have so much love for these two almost instantly. I cried and my heart broke repeatedly… I was completely anxious and the amount of breaks I had to take was endless. I told myself that I wished I waited to read this story, but it was like ripping off a band-aid. It had to happen and I know that it’ll help me cherish the rest of their story to come.
There were so many moments to love, not only between them, but with the rest of the Winston family. And Mama Winston, I just want to hug and hold her forever, as well as Cletus. If you didn’t love the Winstons before, this book will definitely ensure that for eternity.
You can’t put two people through so much for nothing… I’ll wait patiently to get my hands on their happily ever after because I simply need it.
major thank you to social butterfly pr for the complimentary copy in consideration for a review. this does not affect my opinion of the book or review.
Enter the giveaway for a signed paperback set of The Winston Brothers Series!
Excerpt
*Scarlet*
βDo you want me to leave?β
Yes. That would be best, a wise voice said between my ears.
So of course I inhaled deeply and said as calmly as I could manage, βI thought we were going to go get firewood.β
βOkay. Good.β
βBut then,β I blurted, flustered and irritated with myself for not speaking wisdom, βYou should go. You canβt tell me carting firewood back and forth between your house and here is how you want to spend the last of your Thanksgiving weekend.β
βI didnβt say it was.β He began making his way up the incline.
βBut you just saidββ
βHow about we make a deal.β Billy dropped the kindling next to my little woodpile, dusting his hands off on his pants. βIβll cart the firewood, and you sing.β
βYou want me to serenade you while we carry firewood?β
He smiled, slow and easy as he walked to me and reached out his hand. On autopilot, I accepted it and allowed him to help me up.
As soon as I was standing, his gaze moved from my hairline down to my nose, lips, and then chin, saying quietly, βIβll take a serenade from you anytime.β
Thunk ka-thunk. That was my heart. It had been doing the thunk ka-thunk quite a lot around him. I ignored it, because what else could I do?
βAnd youβre not carrying the wood.β He tugged on my hand, pulling me out of my daze and past my tent.
βI will too carry wood.β Struggling to find my bearings, I stumbled after him. βI can carry logs just fine.β
βYouβll carry a log.β Billy fit his fingers between mine, pressing our palms together and grinning at me like he was waiting for me to argue and he couldnβt wait.
Snapping my mouth shut, I glared at him.
βNothing to say?β
Maintaining my glare, I walked next to him. I wasnβt being led anywhere I didnβt wish to go. Not anymore. He wasnβt talking me into anything else.
βThatβs an awfully mean look, Scarlet.β His grin grew, his brutally attractive eyes glowing happily as he peered down at me.
βWell, you deserve it. Always trying to tell me what I can and canβt do. Iβm not arguing with you about this. Iβm carrying as much wood as I want and you can take your stupid, chauvinistic opinions and shove them up your pretty-boy ass.β
Goodness. Where had that come from?
Billyβs steps faltered and his mouth fell open, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead. He stared at me, looking shocked as hell. And then in the next moment, he threw his head back and laughed. But he did not let go of me, instead bringing my knuckles to his chest as his deep, rumbly laughter filled the empty spaces between the trees, surrounding us.
Crushing me.
Yes. I was well and truly crushed as I could only watch Billy Winston laugh, desperately basking in the image of him so delighted and relaxed. I had the odd sense that his laughter also filled the empty spaces inside of me, the neglected, vacant rooms, and even a few places that felt brand-new, like heβd created them.
All that noble honesty he carried around like a boulder abruptly lifted, revealing him. Just him. Carefree and young and happy. Someone he mightβve been if his burdens hadnβt been so heavy, his responsibilities so broad.
It lasted only a minute, maybe two, maybe less, but I had the sense of being caught afterward. Billyβs laughter had receded, but heβd spun a web while Iβd been staring at him, holding his hand.
His grin became smaller and he bit his bottom lip, his gaze dropped to my mouth. βYou think Iβm pretty?β
βYou know youβre pretty,β I said, bizarrely out of breath, rattled, needing to anchor my focus to a tree beyond him and waging war against the heat climbing up my neck to my cheeks. Oddly, my eyes stung. I blinked.
His attention was still on me. I felt it, but I didnβt dare look at him. I couldnβt handle one of Billy Winstonβs intense stares right now. Heβd probably use my scattered wits to his advantage, talk me into something I shouldnβt want to do, and then Iβd be kicking myself later.
βWhatβs wrong?β he asked, his voice deep with concern, all trace of his earlier humor gone.
I huffed, trying half-heartedly to steal my hand back from him. He didnβt let it go, instead taking my tugging as a signal to step closer, filling my vision.
βScarletββ
βAre you ever going to teach me how to play the guitar?β I closed my eyes.
He didnβt answer right away, and I felt him hesitate, his mind work before he muttered, βItβs only been a week.β
A quality to his voice made me think he wasnβt answering the question Iβd asked, but rather he was reminding himself that it had only been a week since weβd struck the deal.
Was that only last week? Why does it feel like so much has changed?
Then he said, βDonβt be angry.β
βIβm not angry.β I was muddled, my head and heart hurt, I was incredibly confused, but I wasnβt angry.
The air shifted and I felt him move closer. A second later, the fingers of his free hand were at my ear, tucking my hair behind it, his fingertips lingering at my neck, sending wave after wave of goose bumps every which way. I couldnβt breathe. I couldnβt swallow. I couldnβt think. Every nerve in my body strained toward him and I didnβt understand it. What is happening?
βHave you ever been kissed, Scarlet?β