Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940161777787 |
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| Publisher: | Cipher-Naught |
| Publication date: | 11/04/2019 |
| Series: | Winston Brothers Series , #7 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Sales rank: | 6,480 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Beard Necessities
4.9 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
16 reviews.
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Once again Penny delivers. It was great finally getting the back story to Billy and Claire/Scarlet's story. And how great the the entire family was in on getting them finally together. I loved the epilogue that spoke of the future family additions. Just great. Can't wait to see where Penny takes us next.
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What an ending. Fantastic final book in the Winston Brothers Series. All the feels. So so good.
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I've read all of the books in this series, and reread them all in preparation for this epic finale. I read books 6 & 7 in less than 48 hours. These books are relatable, funny, heart-wrenching, and heart-warming. After concluding the series, I can now call it my all-time favorite book series without a doubt.
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This+final+book+in+the+series+was+very+well+written+and+tied+everything++together++from+the+beginning++++Loved+the+quotes+at+the+beginning++of+each++chapter++++Loved+all+the+characters++and+their+stories+
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If there was ever a story that needed a HEA it’s this one, the tale of the love of Billy and Scarlet. Beard Necessities ticked all the boxes in what I need, want and expect from a Penny Reid romance. It was fun and hilarious, sweet and sexy, will evoque all the feelings and emotions and has the bestest epilogue I’ve read in a long, long while.
While this can absolutely be read as a stand-alone romance, it will in no way be as good a story as if you read the whole Winston Brothers series, since all of them play matchmaker to Billy and Scarlet/Claire. Also, the “prequel” – about how their story actually begins will give you a complete background as to why their relationship is the way it is at the beginning of this book.
To say their happily ever after is overdue is the understatement of the century. I loved both Scarlet/Claire and Billy individually and together. Both of them had serious issues to overcome, and even though at more that one point I was a bit exasperated with their lack of communication, I could absolutely understand where they were coming from.
I don’t want to spoil anything away, so let me just reiterate how awesome, entertaining, hilarious and hot Beard Necessities was. I loved absolutely every second of it, their romance, all the family time and all the Cletus being Cletus times. I LOVED THIS BOOK and it was the perfect ending to one of my all-time favorite series. The Winston Bearded Brother’s and their shenanigans have a permanent place in my re-reading list and I can’t wait to see what comes next for them, because this just can’t be totally over…
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
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Ever since I read Beard With Me, I've been on the edge of my seat anxious for how this next book, the final part of Billy and Scarlet's story, would go. Overall I did really like seeing Billy and Scarlet finally get together. I loved seeing all our favorite couples from the past books in this series so often and in so much of the story. Especially all the Cletus we got! It was definitely good the way that each of them realized the issues the other had and called them out about it. I like that once they'd gotten all the secrets out, or most of them, they then were pretty quick to finish sharing them, or not to make something into another of those secrets that characters always keep to "protect" the other one. Definitely the book was a page-turner for me.
Now, my problems with the book. The first part to this story, Beard With Me, was such a majorly emotional and epic story, that this one just seemed really simple and not as complex. I didn't cry like I did with the first one, or with other books in the series. I honestly got a little irritated with all the back and forth between the two as well. Although I was glad that Scarlet would not give up after the first give in between the two, even when Billy clammed up or seemed to push her away. And even though we have known several things throughout the other characters' books in the series, I feel like I needed so much more of the time we missed between the first book and this book. I need more time with Scarlet and Ben, to know how things really were. I need to know more about Billy and Scarlet's rendezvous at the hotel. I guess we don't need all that, it's not really the type of story we get from this author. It's just like how I kind of think at times I'd like to have an origin story for Bethany and Darrell Winston, but then really, since he was who he was, that wouldn't be a good HEA kind of story. So my rating isn't a 5, because it wasn't perfect. Also something I mentioned on the Facebook group recently, I'd love to see a "bible" for the Green Valley series, and know all the characters we've met and who they're related to, etc. Especially once we got all the couples' kids involved. It reminded me so much of my dad's side of my family. He was one of 5 siblings, and his oldest brother had 5 kids, and all their kids, and at parties for the longest time, I had trouble keeping straight which one belonged to which of my cousins.
It seems as if I had a lot of problems, but overall, as I said in the first paragraph above, it was a good ending. Sexy scenes were just as good as ever, and all the characters were the characters I loved from their own stories earlier in the series. I hate that this is the end of the Winston Brothers series, but am so happy for the whole SmartyPants Romance series that will give me glimpses into my favorite world of characters as well as the new Cletus and Jenn mystery series coming next year! I also have a new idea, or a way to take a story idea I had last year and maybe change it to something that I could try to get into the world myself!
And I have to add this, every time I would think or read the name of this book, my brain immediately began singing the "Bare Necessities" song from the Jungle Book original movie.
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I cannot believe the time has come to say goodbye to the Winstons. Beard Necessities is a bittersweet farewell to a truly amazing series with some of the quirkiest, lovable characters ever created. Thank goodness they get to make cameo appearances in other Smartypants Romance stories.
Although it was a sad farewell to the series it was also an uplifting and inspiring love story which desperately needed a happily ever after – Billy and Scarlet.
All of the loose ends from the series as a whole are tied up within Beard Necessities but the true focus is on Billy finding the happiness he truly deserves. With an intense love that has spanned almost two decades and a little bit of family meddling, Billy and Scarlet finally face the emotions, barriers and heartbreak between them.
While Beard in Mind gave insight into the connection and devastation between Scarlet and Billy, Beard Necessities fills in the blanks of events from Scarlet’s departure from Green Valley to the present. Including some eye-openers with regard to Scarlet’s relationship with Ben McClure.
With so much baggage accumulated between them, Scarlet and Billy have a lot of issues to work through before they can truly submit to a relationship. Maturity and the benefit of hindsight aid in their quest for happiness.
There are a lot of swoon-worthy moments between Scarlet and Billy to balance out the emotional outpouring. It is truly humbling to believe in a love so powerful that it could withstand the test of time and their own individual imperfections including Billy’s propensity to martyrdom.
I am not quite willing to let this family go and will be popping back to the homestead to visit regularly ❤ Plus I am very excited for Jenn and Cletus’ new series!!!!
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4.5 stars — This book made me LAUGH AND LAUGH AND LAUGH out loud in so many places. I seriously just love this Winston extended family, they absolutely DELIGHT me.
But it also made me ACHE so much in my heart, b/c there’s so much pain and misunderstandings and mistakes and tragedy between Billy and Scarlet. And seriously, it was so hard to watch these two struggle to get back to one another. I loved that they were both so flawed in that way, that they were holding on to things in the past and allowing that to dictate things now.
I really enjoyed Scarlet, but in part, I loved her more in Beard With Me. I loved who she is deep down inside, when she hasn’t been stomped on. She’s so delightfully scattered and silly and just great fun. She’s also fierce when she wants to be, and I loved seeing that come out of her in this book. I love that Billy always seems to bring out her protective instincts as well as her stubbornness. I also loved that Scarlet was finally getting help and therapy…I mean, gosh girl, you deserve healing.
Related to that, I actually really hate Ben, and I’m having conflicting feelings about that. Because Jethro doesn’t know, and he’s dead so what does it matter, but seriously…he was the worst.
Seeing my two views of Billy come together was pretty satisfying. In Beard With Me we get to see more of his heart, but in the rest of the series he’s so harsh…and we get to see how those two can exist together. It’s weird, because I genuinely love Billy, but my love doesn’t come easily. He’s so bitter, and harsh, and black and white about everything, which is offputting. But despite those things, he really does have a marshmallow center that is super protective of everyone he loves. I LOVED that he finally got told about some of the things he’d been hanging onto, and I loved that they penetrated his wall and he was able to finally grow.
Seriously, the chemistry between Billy and Scarlet was freaking OUT OF THIS WORLD. Like, I can’t even with it. And holy wow, Billy is a dirty boy! I LOVED that. OMG. Especially because he kept it all internal and it warred with his wanting to be gentlemanly. ROFL. So great.
I also loved that they were both so naive about relationships, and intimacy, and all of that stuff, because they never got over one another. It made them so sweet together, because their feelings were genuine, and awkward at times, and just delightful.
I LOVED having all of the Winstons in this book. I loved seeing them interact with one another, and all the different relationships that have formed — not just the couples, but the friendships between them. I loved getting to remember all the little great details of all the romances by seeing glimpses of them in their current interactions. It makes me desperately want to go back and do a binge read. Maybe next year. I think I would get a lot out of that. I loved that they bring the hilarity so easily, but they also bring heart to the story.
That epilogue was everything that is right in the world. I’m so glad I know that someone in the Sharks group is going to write out the family tree, because WOW.
So yeah. Great conclusion. So satisfying. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
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4.5 stars--BEARD NECESSITIES is the seventh full-length instalment in Penny Reid’s contemporary, adult WINSTON BROTHERS romance series focusing on the Winston siblings of Green Valley, East Tennessee. This is thirty-four year old, Congressman Billy Winston, and thirty-two year old, country singer Claire McClure’s (aka Scarlet St. Claire) story line. BEARD NECESSITIES can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading book six BEARD WITH ME for some of the history between Billy and Scarlet. The author recommends reading books 0.5, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the Winston Brothers series to learn more of the backstory involving our leading couple, and their warring families.
SOME BACKGROUND: At the age of sixteen, Billy Winston was beaten within inches of his life by the Iron Wraiths MC but Scarlet St. Claire would never know the truth until eighteen years later, a truth that would reveal how much Billy was willing to risk to save the life of the young woman he loved.
Told from three first person perspectives including Cletus, Billy and Scarlet BEARD NECESSITIES follows the rekindling romance and relationship between Billy Winston, and Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Eighteen years earlier Billy and Scarlet’s world imploded when following years of abuse at the hands of her father, Scarlet walks out of Billy’s life, and into the arms of someone else. Fast forward to present day wherein, Scarlet, now known as country singer Claire McClure, would join the Winston clan in Italy, a family get together organized, in effort, to bring Billy and Scarlet back together. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Billy and Scarlet, and the potential fall-out as secrets and lies threaten to tear them apart, once again.
Congressman Billy Winston is considering running for Tennessee state senator but struggles with a family history that could threaten everything and more. With his brother Roscoe recovering from an attack; and Billy recovering from donating bone-marrow, the family heads to Italy for Billy’s health, and to push together two people who haven’t stopped loving one another for close to twenty years.
The relationship between Scarlet and Billy is acrimonious and antagonistic. Years of secrets and lies have destroyed any semblance of a happily ever after; their love for one another hidden behind layers of heart break, pain, betrayal and mistrust. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including all of the Winston siblings and their spouses, as well as Duane Winston’s in-laws Sheriff and Mrs. James.
BEARD NECESSITIES is a story of family, betrayal, secrets and lies; of revenge and hate; second chances and a happily ever after. Penny Reid pulls the Winston family together in an effort to reconcile estranged brothers, and lovers, and in doing so, reveals a complicated past between our leading couple. The premise is sensitive, inviting and engaging; the characters are sassy, dynamic and animated; the second chance romance is tender and emotional.
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***5 ‘Winston Clan’ Stars***
I hated to hear that this would be the last Winston Brothers book, even though I know full well that we aren’t truly saying good-bye to them and this world, but it still made me a little sad regardless. So to say I was excited and wary all at once isn’t all that hard to believe. But once I did, I was all in and I absolutely LOVED it.
But not necessarily because of Billy and Scarlett.
I know. This one is their HEA and my focus should have been on their journey to their HEA, and it was. But there was no escaping how happy is made me to witness the Winston Clan coming together for a cause (Billy and Scarlett obviously) and giving me all that goodness that makes up their family.
So my rating is like 60/40 Winston Clan/Billy and Scarlett when you break it down.
But considering this is about Billy and Scarlett’s HEA, let me give you my thoughts on them. These two broke my heart even as they made my eyes hurt from all the rolling they did as they stumbled their way back to each other because they were their own worst enemies. There are just waaayyy too many examples of how difficult they made it for themselves and each other for me to even get into (at least without spoiling it for you if you have yet to pick the book up) but needless to say. These two needed help in the worst way to get over themselves. But even as I growled at them, I couldn’t deny that they were exactly what the other needed and was definitely rooting for them to get it together and finally grab hold of their happiness in the end.
As for the Winston Clan as a whole. Everything they did in this was like catnip for me. I loved watching them interact and just seeing how they’ve all evolved was so much fun...and that epilogue?? Gold. Pure gold!
Beard Necessities was a great finale to a series that I love. I could definitely go on verbal vomit binge about it, but I think I’ve done that enough already.
But one random thing I will mention is that I got way too happy when the Coop in Figline was mentioned because I shopped there many times while I was in Italy with my family earlier this summer and each time it was an experience. And I will say that having visited many of the places mentioned in the book definitely made the story that much more fun for me in the end.
~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
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This is the way you end a series. Billy's book may be last but by no means does it have any less of an emotional impact as all the other books. Billy and Claire have both gone through so much of an emotional roller coaster and fight so hard to get past each obstacle that appears before them with every part of their being. It makes the finish line so much more satisfying to see when Billy and Claire have to fight so hard and almost give up in their journey to find happiness and closure in their lives. It is so good to see their journey guided by their family and friends. It is definitely a bittersweet feeling to see it all end, but you know that for these characters the journey will continue on in some way that keeps you tied to them for life.
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4.5 stars! Feelings, all of the feelings. I LOVE a broody man. The broodier the better and Billy was that man. I loved learning the backstory of all of the things that transpired between Beard with Me and this book. There was so much heartache and so much love. I feel like neither of them could really just come out and say all of the things they needed to say and that is sad because they wasted so many years. Just when Billy has given up on Scarlet, his family steps in and makes sure they see what is right in front of them.
I loved Cletus and his intervention into their lives for the sake of everyone's happiness. I loved learning about what happened when Scarlet left and was with Ben even if those things were hard to hear/read. I always knew Ben wasn't who he made himself out to be, but he really wasn't a great person. I hate that there were so many lies and untold truths between Billy and Scarlet and that is what kept them apart from each other for so long. This book was lighter than Beard with Me but heavier than other parts of the series. It gave me butterflies and it also warmed my heart. These two finally have their HEA and it took long enough!
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This was a wonderful way to end this series. I was waiting to read this story for a long time, and this author did not disappoint as usual.
It is a must read. I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
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I can totally feel the waves of emotions wafting off of Claire and Billy in the first beginning scene they're together. So raw, and broken these two are and I'm glad we saw how they got back together. I just wished maybe there was something a tiny bit more by the very end, like something for me feels missing? I can't 100% point it out. This was still a good read and conclusion to the series. I can't wait for the cozy mysteries now.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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I am going to admit, I was apprehensive when I saw this book on my Kindle. I knew it was Billy and Scarlet's story and I was excited to finally read it. But I was also sad because I knew that this was the end....the bittersweet end of the Winston Brothers novels...
Reading Scarlet and Billy's story was like coming home again. Being welcomed into the amazing Winston family. Whether it was it Green Valley, Tuscany, Italy or Nashville. This story truly shows the meaning of your home is where your heart is. It's not the bricks and wood that make up a cabin or a house. It's the people, it's the love and that's everything.
The years of miscommunication, misunderstandings and secrets between Scarlet and Billy were just too many to count. The love that had simmered between these two was beyond amazing. A true testament to the writing genius of Ms. Reid is that even with the years separating and the anger and frustration between Scarlet and Billy, it had to be that way to make their beautiful happy ending just so much more brilliant.
I will admit when I finished reading this final story of the Winston Brothers (and sister, because Ashley is a force to be reckoned with), I got a bit weepy, a bit nostalgic and then I smiled when I realized, I didn't have to say goodbye forever. I could pick up Truth or Beard and start the magical journey all over again!
Thank you, Ms. Reid, for creating this world and this family and letting your readers be a part of it!
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Life has a way of coming full circle. For Billy and Claire – the trials and tribulations of their lives have finally brought them back into the same realm in life. Both are too stubborn to realize just how deeply their bond actually exists. The two have been dancing around each other for years, and now a little interference from the Winston’s may provide the push that these two tattered souls need.
The Winston clan is headed to Italy, and Cletus has come up with a plan to push Billy and Claire together at last. With the help of the entire Winston family, Cletus is determined to help Billy and Claire find the happiness that neither has found without the other in life. When the entire Winston family gets involved, you know things are about to get very interesting. Can Billy and Claire find their way back to one another and explore a long overdue chance at love? Only time and a little Winston antics will tell if this love story is meant to finally come to fruition.
Beard Necessities is the long awaited conclusion to Billy and Claire’s story, and it is everything that you didn’t realize you wanted for the couple!! First let me say – if you have not read the rest of the series, do NOT start with Beard Necessities. There is so much history involved in the development of this story that will only make sense if you know all of the nuances of Billy and Claire’s story.
What can I tell you about Beard Necessities that won’t spoil the nuances of the plot for readers? Simple put……this story was EPIC!!! No one deserves to find their happiness more than Billy and Claire. After all – Billy has endured more pain and suffering than anyone has ever realized (except for Cletus of course). All of the heartache, missed opportunities, and secrets that were meant to be hidden will culminate into a love story that is unexpected and worthy of the most tattered Winston soul.
Billy really is selfless and deserves happiness more than anyone. Will his future include Claire or will they uncover secrets that neither will overcome? Every single piece of the past unfolds in this story of redemption for Billy and Claire. Regardless of how you feel about these two characters…..you will discover that Penny Reid completely outperformed herself in wrapping up a series that has captivated me from the very first book!! The Winston Pennyverse is complete, and it was definitely worth the wait!!
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