Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid
Knitting in the City #4
Publication Date: August 28, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, R
Synopsis
There are three things you need to know about Ashley Winston: 1) She has six brothers and they all have beards, 2) She is a reader, and 3) She knows how to knit.
Former beauty queen, Ashley Winston’s preferred coping strategy is escapism. She escaped her Tennessee small town, loathsome father, and six brothers eight years ago. Now she escapes life daily via her Amazon kindle one-click addiction. However, when a family tragedy forces her to return home, Ashley can’t escape the notice of Drew Runous— local Game Warden, bear wrestler, philosopher, and everyone’s favorite guy. Drew’s irksome philosophizing in particular makes Ashley want to run for the skyscrapers, especially since he can’t seem to keep his exasperating opinions— or his soulful poetry, steadfast support, and delightful hands— to himself. Pretty soon the girl who wanted nothing more than the escape of the big city finds she’s lost her heart in small town Tennessee.
This is a full-length novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the fourth book in the ‘Knitting in the City’ series.
My Review of Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid
“What is hillbilly charades?” Janie perked up. Sandra provided a definition that was only mildly offensive. “It’s where the players have to be drunk on moonshine and are only allowed to give hints by playing different tempos on a banjo.”
I will say that since meeting Ms. Reid at Book Bash this year, I’ve been stalking her. Only in the nicest way possible. 😉 That being said, Beauty and the Mustache is the first book of Ms. Reid’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Although, now that I’ve finished it I’m already finding myself adding more of this series to my Kindle. I can’t seem to get enough of these characters that she has created. Ashley and Drew are both dynamic characters with strong personalities. All of Ashley’s brothers are awesome characters all on their own. Throughout my reading of Beauty and the Mustache, I felt like I was sitting there in their family living room watching the characters interact.
Absolutely, hands-down the wittiest, funniest, and most heartfelt book I’ve read this year. Big ugly cry tears for a scene similar to something I’ve experienced myself. Laugh out loud moments that I couldn’t make up if I tried, but Penny Reid nailed it. And last, but not least, swooning – lots of swooning. So much swooning that I had to get over my big ugly cry just so I could watch this romance unfold. Drew, the Viking-like god and frequent quoter of Nietzsche is not at all what he seems. He’s so much more and he’s currently perched in my number one book boyfriend spot.
Angst. Yes, there is angst. Yes, there are those damn tears. It all comes down to family and what the character considers home. Penny Reid creates a story of love, friendship, and family. This wonderfully written and beautifully executed story is an addition to the Knitting in the City series and I, for one, am off to buy more of the series. I cannot wait to meet more of her awesome characters.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Stars
- Drew as a BBF: ★ ★ ★ ★
- Hotness Level: ★ ★ ★
- Swoon Level: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Also in the Series
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Giveaway
About the Author
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).
By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.
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Yes, this is a lovely book. It is amazing how quickly she gets us wrapped up in the characters.