Grin and Beard It (Winston Brothers, Bk. 2)
by Reid, Penny
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Overview
A slow-burn romance full of heat, humor, and heart — Penny Reid's Grin and Beard It is the story of Hollywood's favorite funny lady meeting the one man she never saw coming.
Sienna Diaz is America's sweetheart. Her movies are outgrossing Hollywood's most beautiful elite, and nobody can quite explain it — except that everyone loves Sienna. She's plus-sized, hilarious, and utterly charming on screen.
Off screen, though, she has a problem. She cannot read a map to save her life, and her sense of direction is nothing short of catastrophic. When her latest starring role takes her deep into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she finds herself hopelessly lost on the back roads of Green Valley, Tennessee — again and again.
Enter Jethro Winston. He's a Park Ranger, ridiculously handsome, and he keeps showing up to rescue her. Sienna is no stranger to good-looking men. Hollywood is full of them, and she's long since learned to keep her cool.
But Jethro isn't like the heart-throbs she's used to navigating. It's not his chiseled jaw or his perfect physique that throws her off balance. It's his southern charm. His gentlemanly manners. The way he looks at her — too long, too often, like she's actually worth looking at.
Sienna has successfully dodged every romantic trap Tinseltown has set for her. But the winding trails of Tennessee are a different kind of labyrinth entirely. And this time, she's not sure she has a map for what's waiting at the end.
"'Grin and Beard It' is a slow burn love story that made me wish for a wildlife park ranger of my very own. With heat, humor, and the best couple I've read in a long time, Penny Reid nailed the formula for a perfect romance with this beautiful, funny story." — Jessica Prince, author of the Hope Valley series
Series Information
Series Name: Winston Brothers
Series Reading Order
The Winston Brothers series features interconnected stand-alone romantic comedies, with each book focusing on a different character. While they can be enjoyed individually, a richer experience is gained by following the recommended order, especially considering the prequel nature of 'Beauty and the Mustache' and 'Beard With Me,' and the companion novel 'Beard in Hiding' which contains spoilers for other books. The series consists of nine main novels/novellas.
Prequel, Book 0.5 - Beauty and the Mustache
Book 1 - Truth or Beard
Book 2 - Grin and Beard It
Book 3 - Beard Science
Book 4 - Beard in Mind
Companion Novel, Book 4.5 - Beard in Hiding
Book 5 - Dr. Strange Beard
Prequel, Book 6 - Beard With Me
Book 7 - Beard Necessities
Reviews and Author Praise
"‘Grin and Beard It’ is a slow burn love story that made me wish for a wildlife park ranger of my very own. With heat, humor, and the best couple I've read in a long time, Penny Reid nailed the formula for a perfect romance with this beautiful, funny story.”"
— Jessica Prince, author of the Hope Valley series
Topics and Key Themes
Narrative Tropes
Slow Burn
Opposites Attract
He Falls First
Small Town Romance
Female Gaze
Key Themes
Hollywood fame versus genuine connection — being seen clearly matters more than being seen everywhere.
Body positivity as quiet confidence — Sienna's self-worth never waits for the hero's approval.
Southern charm as emotional disarmament — Jethro's gentleness undoes defenses no tabloid ever could.
Getting lost as finding yourself — repeated wrong turns lead Sienna somewhere she never planned to go.
Public persona versus private heart — the funny girl discovers vulnerability is its own kind of punchline.
Who is this book for?
Primary Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5: Spicy
Open-door romance with balance. You’ll find some on-page intimacy with moderate detail, woven into the story. A sweet spot for readers who enjoy both emotional depth and a bit of steam.
Fans of Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient will enjoy the witty banter, body-positive romance, and slow-burn chemistry between a charming small-town hero and a refreshingly self-aware heroine navigating love outside her comfort zone.
About the Author
PENNY REID is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator/publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
Similar Authors
Helen Hoang, Penny Reid, Pippa Grant
Reader FAQs
Both feature slow-burn chemistry, body-positive heroines, and witty banter, but Grin and Beard It leans more heavily into humor and Southern small-town atmosphere. Hoang's work tends toward emotional intensity; Reid's tone is warmer and more comedic throughout.
The book is written for adult readers. It carries a moderate-to-high heat level, with sexual content present. It is best suited to readers 18 and older, though older teens who regularly read adult contemporary romance will find the content within familiar territory.
The book leans predominantly toward warmth and humor. Emotional depth is present, particularly around Sienna's experience of being genuinely seen rather than performed for, but the overall register is light and comedic rather than angsty or emotionally demanding.
The book contains sexual content at a moderate-to-high level. There are no flagged instances of graphic violence or trauma. Readers sensitive to celebrity culture satire or humor around body image perceptions in Hollywood may want to be aware those themes are present.
The heroine is a plus-sized Hollywood comedian whose self-assurance never depends on the hero's validation. That combination — a genuinely funny, body-confident lead paired with a quietly chivalrous Southern hero — distinguishes the book from most small-town romance formulas.
Info
ISBN: 9781464227820
Published Date: June 10, 2025
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Language: English
Page Count: 437
Size: 8.25" l x 5.50" w x 1.25" h
Category
Fiction