Let me start by prefacing: I have read almost every single book Penny Reid has put out and all of the Winston Brothers series that has so far been released. I have seen these characters grow right in front of my eyes. This is to say that I have a special place in my heart for Billy and Claire/Scarlet. I literally stayed up until midnight waiting for the ebook to be delivered, just so that I could start reading as soon as possible. If you have read the series, whether that be all five books or just a few, the contents of Beard With Me are not a surprise. In fact, I commend Reid on her ability to make old information, just as impactful and painful. And boy, I think I cried for a solid fifty percent of this book. But that’s okay, because I grinned and laughed with the characters for the other fifty percent.

“I wasn’t mature for my age, I was old for my age. And I supposed the same could be said for Billy.
In this way, we had a lot in common.” -Scarlet, Beard With Me

Trauma is a pretty big theme in this novel. It could be because I already knew what would happen in the end, but it’s almost like the entire novel has this depressive weight over the characters head. Like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. I think one of the reasons Scarlet and Billy’s story is so tragic is because I know this doesn’t end in an HEA. They had so much on their shoulders at such a young age, you may want to shake your head and say go tell someone, talk to Scarlet, do SOMETHING, but it’s hard to imagine anyone having to make the decisions that were put in their lap.

Reading the backstory of Billy and Scarlet gave them color and personality. It’s really hard for me to think of them outside of the other books. But I will, nonetheless, try my best not to compare these characters to postBwM. I will say, however, that their character progression from beginning to end feels well-planned, and natural.

I felt like the world building was especially fantastic in this book. It had continuity with the other books. I would say my only qualm on this novel is the pace of the ending. It would be inaccurate to say that it felt rushed. However, a lot happens in just the last quarter of the novel. I could see how someone could get confused, and I wonder if pacing could have been just a little slower.

At any rate, I really enjoyed reading Beard with Me. Reid was correct in saying that this is not a romance. It certainly had a different feel than the other Winston novels. Though it is an intense story, I would say it is very rereadable. In fact, I plan to reread it right now. 

November can’t come soon enough.