Review: Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Ried

Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this is my favorite of the Knitting in the City books to date. I loved getting to know the new characters. Ashley was always present in the other books, but she was never in the spotlight like Janie, Sandra, and Elizabeth. This is such a whimsical series, but this installment is a bit sad and sobering, but with a happy ending and a sweet romance.

The book starts out with Ashley, a spitfire of a character, giving who she thinks is one of her 6 brothers a "purple nurple" because they are revving a car engine early in the morning and she's only had a few hours of sleep. Much to her embarrassment, she's twisted the nipple of the attractive Federal Game Warden Drew who looks like a Viking marauder per Ashley's description. Ashley has flown home to Tennessee from Chicago to visit her ailing mother. Turns out her mother is terminally ill with cancer and only has a few weeks to live, and Drew has been entrusted with her mother's estate and medical care for several reasons that are revealed later in the book. This does not sit well with Ashley but she deals. Being a nurse practitioner and the only daughter, Ashely is determined to make every minute count with her mother.  Ashley is willing to sacrifice her personal wants and needs to ensure her mother's last minutes on earth are as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Drew is determined to make every moment count with Ashley as he is instantly attracted to her, but has zero expectations of a relationship with her as he knows her life is in Chicago. He makes her shower, eat, have philosophical debates, sleep, and repair the damaged relationships with her brothers.  He has become like another son to Mrs. Winston and a brother to the rest of the boys. He's handsome, quiet, and broody, but full of deep feelings. He's one of the good ones and Ashely eventually figures that out. Their romance slowly takes shape and smoulders for quite a while. It almost took too long to develop and for them to admit that they were in love.

I loved the addition of the whimsical Winston Brothers, and now that I know there is a spinoff series with the bearded brood I can't wait to read about them and their antics. The book is filled with the comical appearances of the Chicago knitting group.

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