Review: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Title: Truth or Beard
By: Penny Reid
My Copy: Amazon.com
The BookWhisperer's Rating: 

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-headed heart is she willing to risk?

Dear Penny, you are quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  Please keep this up and we will have a beautiful friendship.  Sincerely, Miranda

*I don’t know if I can’t contain myself not to give a few things away (nothing big) but just be warned…this might have teeny, tiny spoilers*

Loved, Loved, LOVED Duane Winston and Jessica James to the umpteenth power. Jessica’s fascination with Beau, and in one moment her inability to tell the difference between Duane and Beau, sends her into a love spiral with Duane (the more surly twin.) While Jessica wants what she wants, basically Duane, Duane wants to court Jessica, knowing that she deserves the best.  They are both amazing individuals who, when together, become the greatest, most amazing couple ever. Oh, yes, and they are super adorable together.  You know, the icing on the cake kind of adorable.

Truth or Beard has such a wonderful, romantic story flowing through its pages but the romance is not all this book brings to the table.  Duane finds that he has a slight problem with the town’s bikers.  The have some information that could incriminate one of his brothers.  And Jessica longs to travel the world, but is not financially equip to do so.  However, with their shared loved for each other (and knowing that their relationship has an expiration date), they fall anyway.  But drop is not a smooth hill down to loveville…it has many bumps.

This book is a fantastic story that has very witty moments, a beautiful love story, and some dangerous action.  I hadn’t even finished the book and I found myself looking forward to the other stories revolving around the Winston brothers, especially Cletus (he is my favorite so far.)

The one thing that I will say (and give major props to) about Reid’s characters is that so far there has never been a miscommunication moment.  You know those books where the guy will say something and the girl will misinterpret it, or they will shut down and not say how they feel to spare the other (or themselves?)  I have yet to find that in Reid’s writing.  It is a huge breath of fresh air for me.  I love that both Duane and Jessica flat out told each other what they were thinking.  There was no hiding, no sugarcoating, just pure truth. 

Crazy, amazing book.  Cramazing.  You should definitely read it and read Reid’s other books as well.