Beauty and the Mustache (Knitting in the City, #4; Winston Brothers, #0) in Sharks of Awesome

Aug 10, 2014 C.C. Wood rated it it was amazing

Okay, it's official. I love everything that Penny writes. She is now on my list of "Read everything they've ever written" authors. I have several.

Beauty and the Mustache is the story of Ashley and Drew. Only there's more than just their romance involved. This book has more serious subject matter than the other Knitting in the City books. Ashley meets Drew because she comes home to check on her mother, who suddenly stops answering her calls. Unfortunately, Ashley's mom is sick. Terminally ill, to ...more

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Aug 22, 2014 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

Penny Reid’s writing in Beauty and the Mustache has a lyrical feel to it, drawing readers in to each scene and feeling everything that the heroine goes through right along with her, and although this is only my first book in her Knitting in the City series, I know that when I have a chance to read the previous three stories, I will find the effortless beauty of her words in those as well.

Book Four is Ashley’s story, and it finds her headed back to Tennessee, her hometown, to deal with a loss she Penny Reid’s writing in Beauty and the Mustache has a lyrical feel to it, drawing readers in to each scene and feeling everything that the heroine goes through right along with her, and although this is only my first book in her Knitting in the City series, I know that when I have a chance to read the previous three stories, I will find the effortless beauty of her words in those as well.

Book Four is Ashley’s story, and it finds her headed back to Tennessee, her hometown, to deal with a loss she never saw coming and a household of strangers, her six brothers, that she hasn’t had much contact with for the past eight years. On top of that, Drew Runous, a friend of her mother and her brothers cements himself into her life by giving her what she needs when she needs it and not asking for anything in return. As Ashley works to come to terms with the reality of her mother’s situation as well as the men that her brothers have turned into, Drew never strays from her mind regardless of her need to keep her heart safe in her fictitious world of books. But the overwhelming nature of why Ashley came to Tennessee as well as her and Drew’s differing lives and the distance between them may deter them both from taking a chance that they both clearly seem to want.

Drew Runous – what a perfect last name. Not only does he ruin Ashley for any other man, but he also will ruin readers for any other book boyfriend. He is a man of few words, but what he does say speaks directly to the heart of things. He’s a philosopher, a poet, a musician, a fantastic friend, and a good man. He freely gives of his time and his shoulder when any one of the Winstons needs him, which only makes him more endearing. There are so many layers to who Drew is at his core that’s it’s hard to truly understand him without getting inside his head a bit and meandering around, but through his delicate and caring treatment of Ashley and the words expressed in his journal, readers can tell that he’s definitely the kind of man who deserves happiness and love.

Ashley is an extremely likeable heroine. Moving away from her family and stretching her wings was the best thing for her. It has allowed her to grow into her true self and become the feisty and well educated woman that she is. Readers truly understand her idiosyncrasies by getting the story from her own perspective. Her internal thoughts are entertaining, thought provoking, and heartbreaking throughout the text, but they illustrate everything she is going through by returning home and falling for her mountain man. Ashley and her knitting friends are definitely a group of people I would love to hang out with because they have each other’s back regardless of the distance.

Ashley’s brothers definitely deserve their own stories. I loved each and every one of them. They’re all so different but yet exactly the same. I can’t imagine what Ashley had to endure at their hands while she was growing up, but they definitely step up for her upon her return and show her that they too have changed in the time they have been apart.

Beauty and the Mustache truly epitomizes why I love to read. There’s just something about words strung beautifully together that makes my love for the written word expand. Whether it’s the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter from a multitude of canonical works, Drew’s beautiful poetry, or Ashley’s musings, Penny Ward’s gift for words is clearly demonstrated. Add that to how she develops her characters and what she expresses through their personalities, and readers are blessed with a captivating story about loss, love, and reality.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews) ...more

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Feb 25, 2015 Ella Janine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-boyfriend, favorites, 2015-reads, swoonfest

Originally posted at The Filipina Booknote

This book literally took my breath away. It will tug your heart and yet comfort you too. It was disease and medicine in one. It will pull you down but definitely help you rise again. It was an experience I'd love to go through again and again. Damn, see what happens when Penny Reid does her magic? (I apologize for my lame attempt in poetry-sizing this book.)

Beauty and the Mustache exceeded every expectation I had on Penny Reid. She wasn't just good in ma ...more

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Aug 05, 2014 Tonya Hodgson rated it it was amazing

I very rarely give 5 stars to a book (I also hate to write reviews) but this book is really special. I will admit that I started "Beauty and the Mustache" with a little trepidation. The author Penny Reid kept warning readers on her Facebook page this was not like her other books in the series, which I really enjoyed. She's right it's not. Some how this book is more. This book and these characters are greater than the sum of their parts. Janie and Quinn are still my favorite characters in the ser ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Julie rated it it was amazing

I love Penny Reid! At first I was in awe of her writing, of her character development, the ability to make you fall in love with & desperately want to become friends with her characters. But I felt she lacked some of the passion & sexual aspects I like to read about - I was wrong. These last two books had everything wrapped up in a beautifully written package! Ashley runs back to Tennessee to take care of her terminally ill mother, faced with her six houligan brothers who used to torment her. Sh ...more

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Aug 29, 2014 Nataly rated it it was amazing

Absolutely Beautiful!!
I almost don't have the words to express how this book made me feel. It is more than a book, it is art. This is an amazing love story not just about a man and a woman, but of family and friendships. I highly recommend it and guarantee that you will not be disappointed! ...more

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Mar 09, 2015 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: scribd, perfect-guy, lol

I love this whole series. I have read them all back to back. Normally when I do this with a series the quality goes down because all the stories tend to have a lot of similarities. That isn't happening here. Each book has it's own unique story line with characters that all have very different personalities. I never knew where each book was going and I loved that it was a surprise. Each book just keeps getting better and better.

They are all funny and rather light and fluffy. This one is a bit dar ...more

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Sep 14, 2014 melissa rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! How have I never read this author before? Now I have to start from the beginning of the series. I love the way she uses her words.

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Aug 31, 2014 Jenny added it · review of another edition

Beauty and the Beard hehe

I think I might have to read it again right away! It is my new favorite in this series. I look forward to the next installment.

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Feb 10, 2015 Jenny Vee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: part-of-a-series, favorites, reviewed, audiobook, favorite-author

I’m only going to say this once. It’s something I have never said in my entire life. This book made me LOL. That’s right folks, I said it. I laughed out loud in that spontaneous “I don’t care who is around” kind of way. Multiple times. And it garnered some sideways glances.

Penny Reid writes like my friends and I talk and that makes me love her characters even more. The Winstons and Drew Runous charm the pants right off of me. Ashley is strong and courageous before, during, and after tragedy str ...more

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Aug 21, 2014 Nickisha rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-absolute-favorites

“Everyone knows that in real life, fictionally handsome men are vacuous vessels of Satan.”

Excerpt From: Penny Reid. “Beauty and the Mustache.” iBooks.

True. Dat!

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Sep 05, 2014 Raquel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I like to highlight passages I find particularly funny, insightful, or well stated. This book was chock full of ask the types. I reread it before reading Truth or Beard and highlighted even more than I had on my first reading.

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