Dr. Strange Beard (Winston Brothers Series) Paperback – August 14, 2018

I hate to be the person to brag but, I FREAKING KNEW THIS BOOK WOULD BE AMAZING!!! I feel like Roscoe has been the forgotten brother in this series. But from book one, he’s always been the one that intrigued me the most. I just had the feeling that there was so much more to him than what we originally knew. And while everyone has been excited for Billy’s book or letting the other Winston Brothers claim their hearts, I’ve just been sitting (not so) patiently, just waiting for Roscoe.And oh man.This book.THIS FREAKING BOOK!.I don’t even know what I expected from this book but it met every single one of those unknown expectations and surpassed everything my mind could have even conjured for it. I’m just going to give it to you straight: Dr. Strange Beard is my favorite book in this series. And possibly my favorite book that Penny Reid has written to date. I really didn’t think that was possible because I love Drew and Cletus’s books (not to mention her countless other amazing books outside of this series) something fierce but the way this book made me feel throughout reading, the way I’m feeling right now just tells me that I read something special. I know without a doubt in my mind I’ll be rereading this book asap. I’m already debating if I should go back after I get some rest and start all over again from the beginning. And as someone with a TBR pile taller than the Empire State Building, rereading is a freaking privilege and not something I do often. Heck, most books I'll read once and I’m ok with not reading again. But there’s no way I’m going too long without visiting Simone and Roscoe again.It’s so hard to talk about this book without spoiling anything! I want to explain the plot but then I also feel like telling you anything, even the smallest clues would be a huge spoiler and could possibly hinder your reading experience so I’m going to keep it as vague as possible.As we know from the previous books, Simone and Roscoe were childhood best friends but then one day when they were sixteen, they stopped talking and avoided each other at all cost. No one really knows what happened except that while you used to see them joint to the hip (there were never Simone without Roscoe, and vice versa) now you’d never seen them within 100 feet of each other. Now 10 years later, Roscoe and Simone are both 26 and because of…circumstances, they can no longer avoid each other.That’s all I’m going to say on the plot. But trust me, this book will surprise you in all the best ways. I kept thinking that I knew what had happened, and what would happen throughout this book and over and over this book surprised me. The amount of times I gasped out loud and was kept repeating, “OMG I CAN’T” (can’t what, you may ask? I have no idea lol. I can’t breathe, I can’t believe this, I can’t read anymore because my hurt is bursting from my chest, I can’t believe that the kind of love that Simone and Roscoe have actually exists and that I’m witnessing it, etc. honestly take your pick because I felt every single one of those emotions and more) is insane. I love Simone and Roscoe soooo much. If there is one thing that I kept thinking throughout reading this book, it was that. I love Simone and how strong, funny and amazing she is. I could relate to her in so many ways and she surprised me because the way she thought, or her feelings on certain things were so similar to my own unsaid thoughts (and often things I felt but never knew how to articulate) that it left me feeling shocked and connected to her in a way I don’t often feel to characters. And then there’s Roscoe. Sweet, amazing, soulful Roscoe who owns my heart and soul. I love EVERYTHING about him. But most importantly I love how he loves Simone. I want a guy like Roscoe so bad. To think that there is someone out there who could love and cherish me the way he love Simone, honestly my heart hurts just thinking about them.I’m really, really glad that this book was 100% focused on Simone and Roscoe because I was initially worried that the rest of the gang would take away from their book but that didn’t happen at all. We definitely got so many great scenes with the rest of the gang and I love catching up with them all and seeing where they were at now in life but I liked that their scenes didn't take away from the romance but rather worked perfectly into the book.There are only two things that are minor concerns about the book:1. The fact that the book is over and now I won’t get to read more about Simone and Roscoe. (I’m not ready to move on from them. I am desperate for more of them. Please oh please let them get their own spin off series like Cletus and Jennifer or even a small novella, hell I’ll even take bonus scene. Ugh just anything!! Because I love them so much and I want to read about them forever and ever)2. The time jump was a tad confusing at times. The way that random events were just dropped casually and then not really even explained was kind of jarring because I’d be SHOOK, jaw on the ground and then the dialogue just continued like nothing happened and I’m literally, like “?!?!?!?!”. And then I got confused because it felt like I was supposed to just know this stuff and I started wondering if this stuff had been mentioned in the previous books and I just forgot but the fact that some stuff was really shocking, like literal bomb drops, I feel there’s no way I’d forget them. I have a feeling these will be things that are clarified in future books but they definitely threw me for a loop when I first read it, considering how things were last left off in the previous books.I’m so happy that this book more than lived up to my expectations and I’m so happy that Penny wrote Roscoe and Simone’s story. Fans of this series, you will not be disappointed! In fact, I think Roscoe’s book is going to take quite a few of you by surprise and have you wondering how you could have ever brushed the youngest Winston brother to the side in the first place.Job well done by this author and a top favorite for the year for me!!EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK!!

Ah, Dr. Strange Beard. Aka Roscoe. Let me back up. Ah, Penny Reid. Probably my favorite author and the Winstons are one of my all time favorite series.That being said, this book is maybe by least favorite. I still enjoyed it a lot. A lot, a lot. But I just didn't absolutely love it. The time hop at the beginning, which I was expecting, just felt awkward. For a lot of the book I just felt I was missing something even though I wasn't. I guess I love these characters so much and think of them as my fictional family that missing out on five years just felt wrong. I totally understand why the author did it and I agree it was needed. I mostly got over it the more I read but it still just never felt quite right.The only other problem was that I didn't connect as well to Roscoe and Simone (mostly Roscoe) as I have with the other characters in the series. Roscoe is amazing, so sweet, so caring, and totally imperfect. He's a bit more spoiled than his siblings and being the youngest has a much different outlook on his family than we've seen before. So while I really did love him, I just didn't connect as well. Simone was a little easier, especially the more I read. She's got an amazing mind and her inner monologues were great. The reality of how she felt about Roscoe was fun as we watch her struggle and then finally realize she loves him.All the glimpses of the other characters were very special moments. For previous fans, you can see who has kids and kinda catch up with what's been going on. There are some real shockers around a few family members that will lead directly into either Billy's book or Cletus and Jenn's cozy mystery series. A few smaller/side storylines are left open for this purpose, including the parts about *gag* Darrell *gag*. Cause yeah, he plays an integral role in this book.I've seen this being marked as a stand alone and to be honest, I completely disagree. While technically Roscoe and Simone's story begins and ends here, there is a long backstory which builds more and more as the series goes on. This book is definitely NOT where you want to start the series. If you don't want to read them all, at least start with Beard Science and read from there. Although I 200% starting with Beauty and the Mustache and then reading all the books in order.Dr. Strange Beard has a lot of tension, a fair amount of angst (I did cry a bit around the end), some danger, and since it's Penny, some laughs as well. This book felt more serious than some of the others but the author's signature charm and style is still abundant. If you've loved the series, this is definitely a must read. Even if you don't love it as much as the others, you'll get some valuable info leading into Billy's books and catch up with your favorite family!

Roscoe loved Simone when he was sixteen and ten years later she was still the woman of his dreams. When she told him even at that age that she didnt believe in love he knew he had to get away from her and he led an almost solitary life since. Roscoe was a gentle man, determined to stay away from Simone when she returned to their small town. It hurt seeing her and when she pursued him he was at a loss. Daisy was FBI and she had to get him to meet with his father who was a known criminal. When he found out he thought he walked away. Fantastic read and a page turner.

There’s something really special in the way Penny Reid writes her stories. These aren’t just any typical romance novels by any stretch of the imagination. It’s like any subject she touches on is well thought out and researched and you can feel safe in the knowledge of her due diligence to treat them with dignity and respect. I noticed it with Jenn and Cletus, Beau and Shelley and now Roscoe and Simone. Technically ALL of her books are this way, but these particular stories touch on pretty serious issues beautifully. I can’t wait to see what she does with the last brother Billy’s story.

There is always something delightful in her stories, from the quirky but not over the top characters to the witty dialogue. Dr. Strange Beard is no exception, and I enjoyed it from start to finish.I loved Roscoe’s portrayal especially - somehow his quirk does not overpower who he is and his personality, which is a feat considering how peculiar his condition is.The resolution might just be a bit rushed to me, or lacking a substantial amount of angst, but that’s a matter of taste, not execution: it is written in the same precise but witty style as the rest of the book.I’m waiting for the next one already!

It is difficult for me to rate any book in this series, because since Beauty and the mustache, I love every single one of the characters Penny Reid has created in this gorgeous Pennyverse in Green Valley, Tennessee, so you know that when you pick up one of the book in this series, you're not getting just a romance; you're getting to peek at a whole town, with its good and bad things, good and not so good people, and there a lot of not so good people around here.I struggled a little with the start (therefore the 4,75 stars), but I'm not sure if it was my eagerness for reading it that held me back, but don't worry it passes soon, and the end is SO worth it.So, we get to know a little more of Roscoe, the youngest of the Winston brothers. We knew he was handsome, charming, and a veterinarian. He had a best friend when he was a child, Simone Payton, who broke his heart. In this book we also get to know that he has an excellent memory, and he can recall conversations and memories from many years back as if they had happened a few minutes ago. Which can be a blessing, but also a curse, because he doesn't need, nor want, new memories from Simone.After Simone broke Roscoe's heart so many years ago, he has made the impossible to avoid her at all costs, and he did a good job until she comes back to Green Valley to work in her mom's diner (though no one knows the real reason why she does so). Now he must decide if he gives up on his sweet treats and avoid her, or if he learns to live with Simone back in his life. But he's spared to take that decision, because Simone jumps right into his life when Darrell Winston, his father, who was thought to be in prison, appears right in front of him before the diner and she comes out to apparently say hi to him.From there, we follow Simone, and I love how Penny Reid touches the issue of racism from Simone's point of view; her encounters with a racist law officer, her feelings when a white person comes into her defense, and how white people can help when they are witnessing an act of racism.We also see Simone trying not to fall in love with Roscoe again, and how her real mission in Green Valley can affect it. If you have already read other book in this series, you know about the biker gang, Darrell Winston and what they are capable of.The thing I like most in this book? It's not only Roscoe (he's delicious), nor Simone (I love her strenght and her vulnerability) or their romance (and I really loved it). It's all the surprises that had me shouting WTF out loud at 2.30 am when I read the first time I read the book. I may or may have not startled my upstairs neighbour.Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to block my schedule for next easter, because nothing is going to stop me from reading Billy and Claire's book.

As a fan of the Winston Brother series, this book was impatiently wanted. And it didn't disappoint. There was some difficult times, some very emotional times, but mostly I had a good time.When you love a series, it's not only the characters of the current book that you're interested in, but nearly most of them. So in the beginning, I found it hard to concentrate on Roscoe and Simone. But as the book progress, you discover two characters with the kind of personalities I really love in Penny's book : smart, special, alluring and unique, and you fall under the spell all over again. Also of note, a little more action and danger than usual, but it was to be expected.In the end, Dr Strange Beard is a book to be read and re-read, with enough depth to give you something new to contemplate at each and every read. And who doesn't like to go back to backwoods Tennessee and partake on some small town relationships updates, MC drama and beautiful, bearded scenery?