Review: Beard with Me by Penny Reid

Beard with Me by Penny Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My heart is broken. This is the origin story fans of this series have been patiently waiting for. We finally learn what pushed Billy and Scarlet/Claire apart. Fans of the series will tell you that Billy is the most enigmatic of the brothers and his relationship with Scarlet who we all know as Claire in present times is so frustrating. He keeps mostly to himself and doesn't let anyone in. Claire is friendly and caring unless it comes to Billy then she is cold. No one knows what happened between them, but you know something is there. This book takes place when they are teenagers, she is 14 and he is 16. I would have liked it a bit more had she been a bit older, that was really my only issue with this book. She is faced with far too much for such a young person. There were several more mature situations that while handled beautifully, would have in my opinion made a bit more sense if they both were a 2 years older. Her story is tragic from beginning to end. She leaves home to live on her own because she is tired of living under the rule of her father, notorious motorcycle gang leader Razor. She hides herself and her singing talents from everyone so word doesn't get back to him that she needs him.

I loved that we got to see all of the Winston's as youngsters, especially Cletus. This book is fairly somber, but Cletus gives it the much needed comic relief it needs at just the right moments. It gives you a glimpse of them prior to their own books when they are adults. This also gives you the side of Billy that we've only barely begun to see in the rest of the Winston books. We see the burden he carries for taking care and protecting his family and those he cares for. Mixed with that he is also just trying to be a teenage boy that has some fun and takes something for himself.

I adored this and could not put it down. I've been waiting for this story for years, and I can't wait for the next book Beard Necessities to come out in November so we can see how it ends. Despite being tragic, this has all of the witty banter I've come to expect from Penny Reid interwoven with moments of humor. It has so many characters that you can't help but love. If you haven't read the Winston Brothers series yet, this is a great place to start but you can really start with any of the books. This brought so much clarity to Billy and Claire's story, Claire and Ben's story, and a few other situations that came up throughout the series that have been mentioned here and there. This is one of those books that is a bit overwhelming, but in a good way.

I was provided an advanced reader copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published on September 16, 2019.

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