Grin and Beard It (26 in 2026 #19)

Author: Penny Reid Title: Grin and Beard It Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Date Published: 03/21/2016

Read Dates: 09/03/2026- 09/04/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grin and Beard It is a dual POV opposites attract romance. Sienna has made a household name for herself as a screenwriter and actress, and her career has been all go, little rest since it took off a few years ago. Arriving in Tennessee for her next film, she is forced to take a bit of a break when she winds up lost! Park Ranger Jethro comes to her rescue and, to her delight, doesn’t recognize her, allowing Sienna to indulge in a fun flirtation where she can let her guard down. Jethro has spent the last five years keeping his head down, minding his own business, and staying out of trouble to make up for some regretful choices from his youth. But he’s drawn to Sienna, and even when he finds out who she is, he can’t help flirting back and imagining the possibilities. Her fame and his secrets create obstacles, and the two have to decide if this is fun for now or possibly forever!

I was already introduced to Jethro and Sienna since I read book three already, but I loved getting their story. Their flirting and banter was so much fun! I loved that Jethro owned his past mistakes; he didn’t try to sugarcoat them or pass the blame and instead confronted them and worked to make amends with both words and actions. I loved that Sienna was driven and committed to breaking down barriers for other women, but also willing to take stock of what she really wanted and what would make her happy. The two of them together were fantastic!

Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna.

But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often.

Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart?