Apples Should Be Red

by Penny Watson

Award of Excellence finalist (2015 CoRWA)
DABWAHA finalist (2015)
"Best Romance Novels in 2014" list at About.com
Recommended Read at Romance Novel News

Recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner:

Start with 62-year old politically incorrect, chain-smoking, hard-cussing curmudgeon.

Add 59-year old sexually-repressed know-it-all in pearls.

Throw in a beer can-turkey, a battle for horticultural supremacy, and nudist next-door neighbor.

Serve on paper plates, garnished with garden gnome.

Tastes like happily ever after.



Penny Watson presents an over-fifty romantic comedy novella. 21,000 words. Story includes copious profanity and botanical references.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Humor, Thanksgiving, Fiction

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2014

About the author

PENNY WATSON is a dachshund-lover, botanist, and award-winning author of quirky fiction. Titles include THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES, LUMBERJACK IN LOVE, APPLES SHOULD BE RED (finalist for the CoRWA Award of Excellence), and A TASTE OF HEAVEN (winner of 2016 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award).

She lives in Rhode Island with her Filipino-American family.

See updates at www.pennyromance.com.

Reviews

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please Vote!!! APPLES SHOULD BE RED is nominated for the 2015 #DABWAHA

http://dabwaha.com/2015/03/22/round-2...

Voting starts March 22nd at Noon EST / March 22nd 9 AM PST, If you loved it as much as I did, please vote.

4.5 -- 'Age is just an F'N number' -- Romantic Stars

Ooooh, this was such a fun story! An older couple at opposite ends of the social spectrum find a sweet love and a second chance for real happiness. I smiled through the entire damn book, and now I want to cuss like an F'N sailor thanks to Tom!! :-)



Tom Jenkins is an anti-social 62-year old widower with a foul mouth and a pension for solitude, beer, cigarettes, and working in his vegetable garden. He has been bamboozled into hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, and to make matters worse his daughter-in-law's up-tight mom, Beverly Anderson, is showing up a few days early to prepare the damn dinner.

Beverly Anderson is a pearl-clutching 59-year old widow who loves social clubs, flower gardens, and everything organized. This year, she is in charge of making Thanksgiving dinner at Tom's house. Will there be enough wine to get through it?



Surprisingly, nothing goes as planned. The crazy neighbors invade, the dinner preparations are late, the garden gnome is missing, and Tom says Thanksgiving dinner will be served on paper plates! GASP! But good things happen too. And as these two find common bonds relaxing in the garden or on the porch steps, Bev learns to loosen up and live in the moment while Tom finds a soft spot he didn't know he had.

“Are you going to cuss like that in front of the children?”

He shrugged. “I’ll try not to.”

“It’s disrespectful.”

He nodded a couple of times. “Okay. Fair enough. I’ll try to clean up my language. Happy?”

“Not even close.”

He barked out a laugh. “You have a wicked sense of humor, Bev. Who knew?”

This was such a sweet and sexy (yes, I said sexy!) romance. I have seen older couple romances as secondary characters in many books, but I can't recall any book where they were the main couple. I hope this author starts a new trend and we get more books like this, as I found it so enjoyable.

Oh, and about that debate over who wins? Lets call this one a tie. They both F'N win.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that the story is about senior citizens for a change.^^ Both widows-Beverly is 59 turning 60 and Tom is 62. Beverly’s daughter is married to Tom’s son. Due to some serious awkward twist of fate, Beverly ends up being a transient at Tom’s house a few days until thanksgiving. Their children worried they might end up killing each other, turns out they should have been worried for the opposite reason, a reason that needs to be censored in this review. Lol! What I didn’t like was how they overly acted like teenagers.

Beverly said: ”I guess I’m a late bloomer”
I said: "You think?!"

I loved that the story is very lighthearted and that it reminds the reader to let go more and shake negative things off. I liked that it tells you that anyone has a second shot at love and happiness- even grumpy old men and uptight turning 60 women. What I didn’t like is the brutal, straightforward language with lots of effin’ f-word. It was used exhaustively here, as a noun, as a verb, as an adjective affixed with the suffix “able” and as an expletive. What the effin’ fudge?!

Overall though, it was still a generally amusing read, best for anyone looking for something short, sexy, funny, definitely not YA but reads like YA. Lol. It’s also a good read for the coming thanksgiving.

Thanks to Pam’s wonderful review that made me read the book. Do check out Carol's beautiful review too.

Potential Beverly and Tom actors (Except situate them in less fancy setting and outfit)

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to choose one word to describe Apples Should Be Red by Penny Watson I would use “Delightful!” Don’t let the size of this little novella fool you. In these short 75 pages I completely fell in love with Beverly and Tom.

Beverly is 59 years old and is a widow. Her marriage, though, had been less than stellar, far less! Its Thanksgiving and due to a set of unfortunate circumstances, she is forced to stay at her daughter’s father in law, Tom’s house. She wants this Thanksgiving dinner to be perfect in every way. But things don’t always go according to plan.

Tom is 62 years old and also a widow. He is a cranky, beer drinking, cigarette smoking, foul mouthed pain in the you know what! At least that’s what Beverly thinks of him. But over the course of the few days they are forced together, they learn that perhaps old dogs CAN learn new tricks.

“I feel like I’m jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.” Tom removed the glass from Bev’s hands and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll catch you. Don’t worry.”

I just loved this little book. These two characters are (clears throat) close to my age. And I loved how they came across as sexy, loving, adventurous people willing to open themselves to a chance for something new. I highly recommend that you find the time to read this book. I can honestly say that it will put a smile on your face and make you laugh out loud like it did me.

“I guess I’m a late bloomer.”
“I sure like you blooming with me, Bev.”

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Your dad is a son-of-a-bitch. He has no social skills, hates visitors and is down-right combative when anyone tries to tell him what to do."

They’d asked Tom to host. He figured what the hell, he’d throw a bird on his grill with a beer in its ass and slide a can of cranberry onto a plate. Mrs. Anderson, Karen’s mom, would be horrified. Which made the whole decable even more appealing. She was so buttoned up …..and the ladies would clean the colossal mess he was sure to make in the kitchen

This one was really good. Older couple, now I mean OLDER COUPLE. He was 62 and she was 59. Reckon if I read about characters that are 30 years younger than me I can give those characters who are only 14 years older than me a shot too.


Tom and Beverly are widowed. Their children are married to each other, Karen and John. Beverly has to stay at Tom’s house leading up to Thanksgiving…. Beverly is prim and proper, wants everything in its place. Tom is a bit of a slob, doesn’t want to interact with neighbours, keeps his front yard in a mess to keep folks out.

APPLES SHOULD BE RED

This was a quick, enjoyable read. Great to read about “older” love for a change. There should be more authors out there writing about this “age-group”.

The colors of autumn jewels

Thanks to KarLynP, Duchess, Dorsey and Erin, whose reviews brought this one to my attention.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Senior Lovin' Stars!! Priceless Perfection!!! Way to go Penny Watson! I can't stop laughing!!

Two things I learned while reading this book:
62 is the new bad boy, and 59 is not too old to get truly and thoroughly LAID for the first time!!! Or, as Tom would say…BANGED!

Bev and Tom are not your typical romantic storybook couple, instead they are very much real and believable. Tom in many respects is socially unacceptable; he drinks and smokes too much, swears like a sailor, and is a cranky, surly man that wants nothing to do with his neighbors. But, for all his faults there is something incredibly sweet about him. Bev is a wallflower, prim and proper, set in her ways, methodical about everything she does. However, she's living right on the edge, you can feel her need to break away from the mundane, and she's practically begging to come out of her shell. Bev challenges Tom to change aspects in his life and he gives it right back. His shock and awe tactics work, and she goes toe to toe with him, he pushes her, she pushes him and they fall right into each other's arms and then on top of each other!

What ensues afterward are some awkward moments with their children, who happen to be married to each other, when they realize that their parents have been doing the horizontal mambo...it was hilarious! Even though they were somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, ultimately they just wanted their parents to be happy...it was very heartwarming and a pleasure to read.

With Penny Watson's creative storytelling and unique brand humor, Apples Should Be Red is the ideal blend of witty fun, sensuality, passion and heart! This is a book is about living, enjoying life, not just existing. It shows that for older adults life can be fun, filled with love, and adventure. Oh, and sex...let's not forget sex!

He refused to look at her. She was kneeling in her garden plot, piling up mulch. He didn’t need to look at her. He’d been watching for the last two hours. He knew exactly what she looked like.
Temptation.
He couldn’t believe how badly he wanted to spank that sexy little ass in her faded blue jeans. Squeeze it and spank it and rub it. And bang it.
He wanted to bang Beverly Anderson.
Jesus H. Christ.



*Thanks to KarLyn for the rec, this one hit the spot, big time!!*

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written February 26, 2014

4 Stars - funny about apples, a grumpy man and a stiff widow - adorable cute

Apples Should Be Red is a delightful short (m/f) gem and I enjoyed every page. Just the fact that this is a romance with two main characters over fifty makes it so worth reading for a older girl like me.


An "OA romance"?

I saw that Duchess Nicole mentioned this book as a possible "OA", Older Adults. I like that epithet. I want a lot more of the older ones in my romances. We're at least a few that are well over thirty-five who still love to read these steamy love-nonsense books. Please authors, write more stories about sexy, funny, lovely, interesting mature people. (not a story spoiler)

~**~**~**~**~**~**~

It is such a great fun to read about older, cheeky, sexy, witty men and women who have an interesting personality. These two are priceless in terms of both good and bad qualities. They were very funny and fast-mouthed as well.

“For Christ's sake, Bev. You're not that old. Late fifties isn't old. Ninety-five is old. I'm sixty-two and still sprightly.”

Tom Jenkins is an “62-year old politically incorrect, chain-smoking, hard-cussing curmudgeon”. Beverly Andersson is an “59-year old sexually-repressed, know-it-all in pearls”. Their children are married and unfortunately because of a house renovation must Bev stay with her daughters, hopelessly stubborn and rude, father-in-law Tom the days around the Thanksgiving weekend this year. Not a very good idea maybe?

~**~**~**~**~**~**~

The bickering between Tom and Bev starts right away in the driveway. But then, when the day passes, something strange happens. They might actually like each other. At least a tiny, little bit. The unexpected can happen...

‘(...) and Bev had a inkling what Eve felt like. Seduced by a plump, juicy fruit, by the touch of his hands, sweet and tart, sour and tangy.’

I actually laughed out loud, these two are so funny.
Tom is a wonderful slightly grumpy, but a sexy flirty man. He does everything he can to keep others, neighbors, acquaintances, so far ahead as possible. A good way is to have an unkempt front yard. (Right??) But then comes the neat, pedantic Bev who wants everything to be beautiful neat. - Even a front yard.

I can see them in front of me; glaring and snorting. ...And then later a gentle kiss. A tentative kiss, a hot kiss, a seductive kiss - Wow!! - This is both steamy and cute sexy.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~

As the title says; this is about the color and taste of different kind of apples ...and it's about food, flowers, pearls, plants and a garden. But also about to be older, loneliness, losses and needs. Life's important stuff.

I always like to read love-stories about opposites who find each other. I also really enjoy to read stories about not perfect people, it makes always a good romance extra hot and fresh. I got it all here.

Aaawww, these yummy sweet, a bit worn, lovebirds. Irresistible charming together.

‘She felt the brush of that touch all the way down to her polished toes, all the way to the top of her salon-perfect hair, to every fiery nerve in her body.’

Apples Should Be Red was a soothing cozy and pleasurable reading. I would love to meet Tom & Bev again. ~ Read and enjoy!


I LIKE - It's so good with some oldies and hot flirting


~~~~~~~~~~~~

See KatLynne's review, she and her lovely review inspired me.

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONLY $.99 on Amazon right now! SO WORTH IT!!

http://www.amazon.com/Apples-Should-R...

"I don't like yellow or green apples. Apples should be red."
"What? That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Penny Watson is the same author that wrote Lumberjack in Love, which seems like it came out forever ago. But it was worth the wait for her next shining little gem. She packs a lot into her short-ish books and I'm happy to give this five stars.

First off, the hero and heroine are mature adults...Bev is in her late fifties and Tom is in his early sixties. Their kids are recently married, which is how they met. Each is newly widowed, and as we find out over the course of the story, neither of their decades long marriages were exactly happy. Bev especially picked quite the douchebag husband, a spit and polished, smarmy car salesman who never lifted a finger at home, showed her any appreciation at all, and was the epitome of a philanderer.

But Bev is quite the uptight miss...always perfectly put together, perfectly poised, and on the outside, her life has been...well, perfect.

Tom's always seen her husband as the rat bastard he is though.

"And you think I had animosity toward my husband? Is that what you think? Not, I might add, that it's any of your business. And it's extremely poor manners to discuss this at the dinner table."
"You wanna talk about it on the porch?"

And now that these two have been thrown together for a few days leading up to Thanksgiving, they're forced into conversation. Regardless of what they think of each other, their personalities aren't necessarily conducive to flowing, casual friendship.

Tom is abrasive, rude and crude, loud and proud...and completely adorable.

He likes his solidarity, peace and quiet, dislikes his neighbors being neighborly (he lets his front yard go just so they can't see him sit on his front porch, haha) and his garden out back. And now, he's gained a bit of an interest in his son's mother in law.



As Bev tries to prepare a feast for Thanksgiving, Tom does his best to annoy her. Only she ends up being more titillated than annoyed. Tom's lackadaisical outlook on life is so different from what she's used to, and she can't help but change in the few short days that they are alone together. She even tries (and loves) a green apple! Of course, as Bev puts it, apples should be red...so she and Tom are both a little baffled at how their close proximity is changing their outlook on not only each other, but also themselves.

I loved this book. I loved how these two are complete opposites, but they bring out the best in each other. I loved Tom...he's a bit over the top, but he's honest about it. He's a good guy at heart.

I loved the sex...it's there, it's tasteful but still pretty hot. Who says libido decreases with age? :P I loved how Tom bolsters Bev's confidence, and in return she gives him some of her refinement.

I loved this book. If you like mature romances, or as KarlynP coined the phrase, OA (Older Adult), then this is perfection!! Funny, sexy, life lessons, short enough for one sitting.

My favorite quote:
"Perhaps I was the idiot. I stayed with him."
"No. You're not the idiot. Now you're free. What you decide to do with that...that either makes you an idiot, a coward, or someone a little bit fierce." He smiled at her. "Feeling fierce, Bev?"

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'never too old to fall in love' stars!

Yep! I loved it! Tom and Bev are great together and my only complaint? It ended. I would love to spend more time with them. Decades would be perfect!

Blurb

Recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner:

Start with sixty-two year old politically incorrect, chain-smoking, hard-cussing curmudgeon.
Add fifty-nine year old sexually-repressed know-it-all in pearls.
Throw in a beer can-turkey, a battle for horticultural supremacy, and nudist next-door neighbor.
Serve on paper plates, garnished with garden gnome.
Tastes like happily ever after.
-----------------------------


Ready...
Set...
Go!

(I love your review, ♡Karlyn P♡! I hope this book takes me out of my reading slump!)

[KatLynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny Watson, what have you done???



Your bravery knows no bounds! You have veered completely away from the norm, the tried and true, and produced one of the most unique Romantic Comedies that I’ve had the pleasure of reading; and all centered around a rare cast of MCs! That alone had me intrigued and I couldn’t wait to begin.

First we meet the polite, prim and proper fifty-nine year old widow, Beverly Anderson. She loves flower gardens, her social clubs, and organization is a must!



Next, we’re introduced to Tom Jenkins; a sixty-two year old laid back widower who doesn’t give a crap what others think of him. He’s cantankerous, likes his beer and smokes and profanity floes from his mouth like water from a spigot. He doesn’t like fancy and prefers working in his garden over socializing with the neighbors.



From the very beginning I was hooked and didn’t put this novella down until finished. I loved it all! It is very well written and flows flawlessly. The plot is unique, engaging, and by the end I was loving Tom Jenkins! As one of my friends stated, I’m hoping Penny will start a trend and we’ll have more novels like this.

Penny Watson……




Thank you KarLyn for leading me to this fun, sexy read and one that I highly recommend:)!

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

ON SALE for 99 CENTS****PLEASE PLUCK ONE OFF THE TREE AND ENJOY!**********

4 Insightful, Quick and Humorous Stars * * * *

Ok, First... Thanks Mo for directing me to this sweet little novella by Penny Watson.

Many of you who know me are aware I believe in truth in advertising... so when we became friends, I might have shared the picture you see for me is ME...at 23years... which was many, many, many years ago. The outer package may be older... but that gal you see... she is still in there; she, plus all of my life experience, is who jokes, chats and reviews here. I tell you all this to help you understand my perspective on this book.

We, of a certain age, sometimes get put on the shelf by society... maybe not as much as it use to happen... but in many cases, it still can. Advertising companies and media have a concept of what the prime demographics are... they think these specific age groups are the ones who will buy all of their products.They pitch almost all of the marketing and advertising dollars to this group.

Well, the baby boomers have broken a lot of the molds of what "older" means; they also number more than other groups before them, so their voice makes an impact in changing attitudes about aging. All of this additional information can be applied to the concept of this book.

It presents a couple with parents that are widowed. The couple has been married for 5 years meaning Tom, the father of husband and Bev, mother of the wife have interacted together over the years. They have had a type of relationship... a knowing of each other... but not in the most friendly of ways.

Tom is 62, well educated as an engineer but works as a contractor; he has no patience for bullshit of any kind. He late wife was the social one and since her passing, he has stayed happily to himself. He is cantankerous, crabby, rude and has no shame. He has watched Bev and saw how crappy her late husband treated her... he even saw the man with his girlfriend and was angered by this behavior.

Bev,59, was married for close to 40 years... right out of college and all she knew was her husband and his ways. She learned her job was to do everything for him and make things perfect.... she knew about the girlfriend in the end, turned a blind eye as she was scared to make a change.

Thanksgiving is the event coming up and due to a number of situations, Bev has to stay at Tom's house without the buffer of the married kids to keep the peace between them. There is concern Bev and Tom will end up killing each other before the holiday if left alone. After all he always pushes her buttons just to get a rise out of her and she behaves as if she has a stick up her bum... so what will happen...

The same thing if it were a younger couple...

Both of them start talking and things are revealed... Tom brakes through the uptight front Bev learned to live with and Bev softened some of Tom's rough corners...

There are some very touching moments and Tom... still knows how to get a gal stirred up... especially in the talking, prodding and loosening up...

This is a very sweet tale with some very humorous moments. It is quick, direct and works. What is important... this really wasn't insta anything... these people had known each other for quite sometime... also when you are "Older" deciding things and going for it comes quicker as there has already been lots of time gone by... so the idea of waiting does not always make sense at that stage in life.

Although this wasn't perfect... it was wonderful to see people older than 30 in a romance novel... as I can testify... us "older people" are still interested and looking... I applaud you, Penny Watson, and hope you write more with this demographic.

For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Rachel Maniacup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is surprisingly wonderful and a fun read! And I never even added this to my tbr list,because my sister AJ said on her review that this book contains a lot of effin' F word which is indeed effin' true! Oh my!

Tom, (the 62 year old male MC) may have been cussing a lot here,and is rude and grumpy and does his best to annoy Beverly (the 59 year old female MC who is prim and proper and always perfectly poised) I surprised my self by finding Tom adorable.

Tom and Beverly by the way,are the parents of John and Karen(their children who just got married).
Oh,no,no,no! There is no incest story here!(because if there is,there's no way I'm going to read this!)
Tom is John's father and Beverly is Karen's mother,who both happened to be widows.

I always thought,old adult romance is a very cute story,and I was right! What I loved about this book is how these two old MC's are completey opposite to one another yet..they seemed to be a perfect match as they bring out the best in each other.

This is my first book of Penny Watson and I can not deny that I instantly admired her writing. If not for the numerous times of the foul language that popped out here, I could have given this 5 stars. But then,this is indeed a very enjoyable Old Adult(OA)
romance and it is a quick read so I am highly recommending this to the adults..I mean,REAL ADULTS!^^

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apples Should Be Red is a perfectly written story. Penny Watson is my new favorite author!



To say that Tom Jenkins and Beverly Anderson don’t like each other is a strong understatement.

But when they are forced to stay together for a couple of days, things soon turn upside down.

I loved to follow the unfolding of their personalities, and as they begin to see something special in each other.

They add many new colors to each other’s palette (and not only in point of apples): fun, laughter, feeling heroic, friendly and free, naughty and happy.



This story was lovely, laugh-out-loud funny, heartwarming, colorful, and genuine!

Should apples really be red?

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-Made Me Grin-Stars!

Penny Watson thank you for giving me something refreshing, unique, romantic, and fun to read.

Full review to come.

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sexy Mature Fun Loving Stars!!!

Penny Watson is hilarious, I loved Lumberjack In Love and this one is just as fantastic!!

This goes to show that age is just a number. Tom is 62 and Beverly is 59 years young and not really friends although they are related by marriage and both widowed. That is where their similarities end. Tom is gruff, bold, crass, and doesn't give a rat's ass what anyone thinks of him. Bev is a people pleaser, proper, and somewhat rigid.

Due to circumstances Bev & Tom are forced to share his house during Thanksgiving....after a few days together they succeed in changing each other to suit and complement each other perfectly and Tom shows Beverly your never to old to rip each other cloths off!!!







*Thanks for the rec Karla! You know me so well I loved it!!!!

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another little gem. Thank you Mo for suggesting this one to me. I loved it. ❤

It was funny.
It was sweet.
It was endearing.
And most of all it made me laugh.

Tom and Bev will be floating around in my thoughts for a bit of time I am sure. Be it the moments they shared in the garden which were hilarious or the moments on the stoop which warmed my heart or even the moments on the living room couch that made me blush. These two were fantastic together. LOVED LOVED LOVED THEM.



Please do yourself a favor and one-click this, grab a glass of wine and go sit in your favorite spot to read. For 99 cents you cannot go wrong!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 feel good stars

“Everyone has a colorful neighborhood, Bev. You just gotta look for the colors.”

Tom and Bev are two completely different people, they are settled in their ways with their like and dislikes and that includes how they feel about each other.

Tom

“Your dad is a son-of-a-bitch. He has no social skills, hates visitors, and is down-right combative when anyone tries to tell him what to do.”

Bev

“My mom is polite to a fault, wants to please everyone, and gives advice like Dear Freakin ’ Abby .”

Two people forced to play nice for the holidays; Tom and Bev have no choice but to prepare for Thanksgiving so that they could spend a nice family holiday with their kids. Tom and Bev are widowed, having lived their lives completely different from one another. They have to find a way to compromise on how they will spend their first Thanksgiving without their significant others. Is it time to make new traditions or will the past continue to drive their actions…one thing for sure they both have a lot to learn from each other.



I honestly didn't know what to expect with Apples Should Be Red, I saw a bunch of my friends who loved it and I knew I had to read this lil’ gem for myself. Tom and Bev are parents of grown children, who happen to be married to each other, so they fall into the “older” category BUT that honestly doesn’t mean a thing; age is nothing but a number. These two were so damn cute together, they bickered, they annoyed each other but they also had moments that take you back to your first crush. It was witty and fun, and I loved every second of it.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5; 5 stars; A

Thank god for main characters who are out of diapers! Its seems very hard these days to meet characters in a love story who are older than their late teens or early twenties. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting two people who have already done a lot of living and bear the scars to prove it.

This was a short story but don't let that stop you from delving into it. The author did a great job of squeezing a complete story into 86 pages. It was really good.

[Renegade ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

I'd heard such good things about this novella that I was really looking forward to reading it. This sweet, funny and sexy story is about an older couple who have both lost their spouses and appear, at first, to have nothing in common besides the fact that their kids are married to each other.

Bev and Tom are definitely opposites at the beginning of this tale and their battles (as well as the humor, sexual tension, flirtation & chemistry) were a ton of fun. It was great watching their connection, understanding, and attraction for one another grow and develop. I enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope when it's well done. I found myself chuckling and/or laughing often because Tom can be blunt, brisk and outrageous - and it soon becomes obvious that that's just what Bev needs!

The dynamics between these two, with his cranky, often anti-social self and her perfectionist, people- pleasing 'everything must be just so' ways, sometimes cracked me up, but they also provided insight into these characters and some wisdom too...

(Oh, and the strawberry scene was funny and sweet with more than a dash of heat - I was happy for them! ;)

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I guess I’m a late bloomer.”
“I sure like you blooming with me, Bev.”

So basically...


PUHAHAHHA.

Ahem. Ok. I really dont know how to review this one. It was the first story I've ever read about the old, I mean senior citizens.



It was good?

Kinda.

Tom Jenkins’ son is married to Beverly Anderson’s daughter and their children is the only thing they have common. These two are so different, they cant stand to each other. One hates everyone, drinks, smokes and swears too much, while the other is just...really really uptight. So when through some catastrophes of termites and plumbing at the other houses in the family, Tom finds himself with the horrifying responsibility of hosting Thanksgiving and spending 3 whole days with Bev in his house,alone, every one, specially Tom and Bev, ecxepts a disaster.

“Your dad is a son-of-a-bitch. He has no social skills, hates visitors, and is down-right combative when anyone tries to tell him what to do.My mom is polite to a fault, wants to please everyone, and gives advice like Dear Freakin’ Abby. Those two are going to kill each other after spending three days together.

But guess what? Opposites attract ;)


What I Didnt Like:

>> I really liked the characters and how they changed each other but then I realized all of that change happened in 3 days? Ummm...SAY WHAAAT?




>> Also, there were times I found Tom really ...not likeable. Ok, he was being an ass ok? Dont get me wrong, both of them have a heart of gold and both of them are complex and most of the time likeable characters but... I dont buy the romance, man. It just happened. So suddenly. I know this is a novella but I just dont buy it. I'm not saying old people shouldnt get any 'action' but I feel like neither Tom or Bev really acted their age. They felt more like teenagers, to be honest.




>> The wrap up was too damn quick.


Do I recommend it?: Yes. It's a very cute and easy read but dont expect much.

[Lady Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Amazing!

Loved the characters and the story!
Tom & Bev were brilliant together!


I've said it before and I'll say it again; I wish more stories featured mature couples and the situations pertaining to them!

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun, short, sweet, sexy read. I could not get on board with Tom's voice and POV in the beginning, but it settled by the end. He was gruff - and sometimes it was just plain crude-and really pulled me out of the story. However, he was a great hero overall, and someone that came across as genuine in the end. I did struggle with his voice in other way-that it didn't feel authentic. But 2/3 through that irritation vanished. And he was forward and sweet and had some seriously swoony moves.

It was really refreshing and sweet to read about an older couple, though i wish their prior spouses weren't so demonized. Perfect Thanksgiving bridge between buddy reads. Thanks Gaufre!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, the unstoppable force (Beverly) is hurtling towards the immovable object (Tom). Tom is rough and gruff, Beverly is prim and proper and they have found themselves sharing a house for the week leading up to the holiday. As they spend time together, their antipathy to each other gives way to attraction and Tom gradually begins to rebuild Beverly's confidence which was left shattered by her cheating husband, while Beverly draws Tom who is a curmudgeonly hermit out of his shell.


Apples Should be Red is a very quick novella about an older couple falling in love. Much kudos to the author for making the stars of this book around the age of 60! It's light and fluffy and honestly great fun. Well worth a couple of bucks.



I'd been meaning to read this book since it was first released almost a year ago. What finally got me to put down my money was a tweet by the author.



With digital media things are less black and white than they've ever been. I'm a big believer in sharing books. I'll often give a book to a friend, ask them to read it and if they enjoyed it pass it on. When I was younger a group of us would sit around a record player copying each other's music onto cassettes and make the 'ultimate mixed tape'.

I know there is a world of grey and I guess people need to figure out for themselves where in the grey they sit. For me, I figure publishers and authors have been very generous to me. They have given me many thousands of dollars worth of free books. I have money so when I can I'm going to support authors who are just trying to get by in the world like everybody else. So my $2 goes to Penny Reid and I've bought copies for a few friends.

[Maggie Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll write more later but I finished last night and I just need to say that I love these characters! I love that Penny wrote about older people. It's not just twenty- and thirty-somethings who need and find romance.

[maggieandteddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars? As Tom would say, "Hell yeah!"
Excuse, me, but I didn't notice any old people in this book... ^_~
Very well written. No wasted scenes- This is HOW TO WRITE A NOVELLA. I'm very sorry that I took so long to read this. Starting over can begin at any age.

[Lisa *-* GiViNg It To YoU * LoCk StOcK & TwO SmOkiNg BaRrELs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 DeLiCiOuS StArS

Oh My GiDdY aUnT.....

Didn't I let out some raucous laughter at this little gem!!

What a refreshing fun read, thanks to Ingela's review which I adored..... I had to read this.


So you have Tom Jenkins sixty-two year old politically incorrect, chain-smoking, hard-cussing, cantankerous, flirty, dirty ol dog.

Tom Jenkins you silver fox - YOU....rrrahh!!


Mix together with our fifty ++ *cough* so not good to give away a ladies age Beverly Anderson prime and proper, sexually-repressed know-it-all in pearls.

He couldn't believe how badly he wanted to spank that sexy little ass

Thrown together as Beverley has to stay at Tom's house leading up to Thanksgiving, when their married children Karen and John are due to arrive!!

Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy this deliciously funny, romantic short read.

And at the end I smiled like a frickin Goblin *sigh*

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAY!! YAY!!! YAY!!!! 5 JUST WHAT I NEEDED STARS!!

This is a short little story of two older people finding love and laughter when they thought it would never happen to them. One cranky old curmudgeon and a straight laced, repressed woman come together to put together a thanksgiving dinner for their family and find love. This was funny, cute, sexy and completely heartwarming, I loved it!!


Feeling good, Thanks Ingela dear!

[Gaufre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful short read. It gets points for featuring an older couple. Tom is a grumpy man who keeps to himself and Bev is a high-strung domestic goddess. They get on each other's nerves and help each other too.

It is only three stars because the timeline is too short to be really believable. And I also can't believe that Tom, who has an amazing vegetable garden, would not recognize a rosemary plant.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 HUGE Stars - Keeper Shelf
This was a terrific romance that had it all, laughter, tears, passion, a cranky old man and a pearl clutching widow. I enjoyed how each character changed for the better. The icing on the cake was the over 50/over 60 factor.
I'll be reading more from Penny Watson that's for sure! I love her writing style.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever. Need I say more? I loved the old coot.

"I'm keeping her," Tom finally said with exasparation. John choked on his beer. "You're keeping her?" "That's what I said." "Does she know that you're keeping her?" "Nope. Not yet. Keep it under your hat." "No Problem. Good luck.""I don't need luck. I got daisies."

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was perfect! Hilarious, sweet and sexy with just a little tugging on the heartstrings.

You don't read many romances where the MCs are older adults with grown children. I absolutely loved the way this author spun Tom and Bev around with one another, neither of them being *at least, not completely* what the other thought. Really enjoyed reading!