Five written reviews on this audiobook's listing come from four different countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Italy, which is a wider international spread than most romance audiobooks pull together in one place. That reach says something about how far Penny Reid's Winston Brothers series has traveled, and it's worth knowing before diving into the specifics of Dr. Strange Beard itself.
What Penny Reid Delivers
Roscoe Winston hasn't gotten over Simone Payton in the decade since she broke his heart, and Simone, according to the synopsis, would "also like some answers" about why he vanished from her life without explanation. A chance encounter throws them back together, and what follows is enemies-adjacent, unfinished-business romance with a horse-racing backdrop and, per the title, an actual doctor with an actual strange beard. Chris Brinkley narrates, and one detail worth flagging up front: this listing's own series position marker lists Dr. Strange Beard as the eighth entry in Winston Brothers, while the synopsis text itself describes it as "the fifth audiobook in the USA Today best-selling Winston Brothers series." Those two numbers don't agree, and nothing else on the listing explains the gap, so take either figure with some caution if series position matters to your buying decision. The synopsis leans hard into wordplay for its framing too, opening with "Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak!" as a tagline before settling into the actual plot mechanics, which gives you a reasonable preview of the tone: playful on the surface, with genuine emotional stakes underneath the puns.
Jaime Collins opens the review column with clear enthusiasm, describing "Mrs. Reid" as having "the unique ability to make us see the world in a different light with each book she writes," and calling this entry "a carefully crafted, one of a kind, INCREDIBLE and PECULIAR architecture of words." That same review mentions having followed "Penny Reid's story-telling since her very first book," and name-checks a friend, Roxie, described as "a new recruit and fangirl of the Winston brothers."
What Penny Reid Gets Right
Vic's review zeroes in on what makes Roscoe work as a character specifically: "I loved Roscoe's portrayal especially, somehow his quirk does not overpower who he is and his personality, which is a feat considering how peculiar his condition is." That's a useful preview of the tone here, a hero whose particular quirks are played for both comedy and genuine characterization rather than one at the expense of the other, an approach that treats his condition as texture rather than a punchline the story keeps returning to. The synopsis backs this up with Simone's own voice, insisting she's let go of the past, "totally, totally has," and is "definitely not still thinking about Roscoe," a repetition that telegraphs exactly the opposite to anyone paying attention. Vic also credits Reid's dialogue directly, noting "the witty dialogue" as a recurring pleasure across her books generally, not just this installment.
Peasel's review, posted from Canada, describes the emotional register as distinct from the series' usual comedic energy: "It wasn't belly laugh funny like some of the others in the series, but it just seemed to hit the right tone for the characters and their story." That reviewer lists off the emotional range on display, "regret, missed chances, nostalgia, lust, love, anger, and fear," and calls the result "another triumph" for the author. Ellie's review, from Australia, adds a specific point of comparison inside the series itself, expecting nothing could top "Cletus and Jennifer's book" as a prior high point, only for this entry to manage it anyway, and admits to missing how compelling Roscoe was as a character the first time through, prompting an urge to reread the earlier books with him specifically in mind.
Where Penny Reid Loses Some Ground
Bookworm8619blog offers the one genuinely mixed take in the column, landing at "3,75 sort of disappointed stars" and describing a struggle that reviewer hadn't experienced with Reid's other books before: "it took me a while to finish it, and that never happened before with one of Penny's books." That's worth taking seriously precisely because it comes from an established fan rather than a first-time reader with no baseline for comparison. Vic's otherwise glowing review includes a similar, smaller caveat, describing the resolution as "a bit rushed" and "lacking a substantial amount of angst," while explicitly framing that as a matter of personal taste rather than a flaw in execution.
Numbers-wise, 4.4 is displayed here from 4 counted votes, and that particular decimal simply isn't reachable from four whole-star scores under standard rounding, a gap the listing doesn't explain. The page also carries five written reviews against that same counter of four, one more small inconsistency worth knowing about rather than something I can resolve for you. Between the series-number contradiction and this counter mismatch, this particular listing carries more small data quirks than most, worth keeping in mind even though none of them reflect on the actual writing or narration inside the recording itself.
Who Should Pick Up Dr. Strange Beard
Existing Winston Brothers readers are the clear primary audience, especially anyone who, like Ellie, already has favorites among the earlier sibling pairings and wants to see how Roscoe's turn compares. Nothing structurally prevents a newcomer from starting here, since the synopsis lays out Roscoe and Simone's history from scratch, but you'd be missing the accumulated affection for this family that clearly drives most of the enthusiasm in the review column. Skip it if bookworm8619blog's pacing complaint worries you more than four other largely glowing reviews reassure you, or if a rushed resolution, per Vic, would bother you more than everything leading up to it delights you. For listeners already invested in this series, spread as it clearly is across several countries and years of readership, this is a confident, characterful entry worth the time.
- Read by: Chris Brinkley narrates this Winston Brothers entry, carrying Roscoe's quirky, peculiar-condition-driven voice through a decade-old reunion plot.
- At its heart: second-chance romance, forgiveness after disappearance, a character's quirk played for both comedy and depth
- Vibe: Warm and emotionally specific, less broadly comedic than earlier series entries
- Short version: A rewarding entry for established series fans, with one credible dissenting voice worth reading before you commit.
Questions Listeners Ask
What's the total runtime of the Dr. Strange Beard audiobook?
This Cipher-Naught production, released in November 2018, clocks in at 12 hours and 39 minutes with Chris Brinkley narrating. That covers Roscoe and Simone's reunion a decade after their falling out, including the horse-racing subplot woven throughout their unfinished business together.
Do any reviewers have real criticisms of this audiobook?
Yes. Bookworm8619blog describes taking unusually long to finish it compared to other Penny Reid titles, landing at roughly 3.75 stars out of five, and Vic separately notes the resolution feels a bit rushed and light on angst. Both reviews remain otherwise positive about the book overall.
