Mechanic Benji Holiday is so over Valentine’s Day and men who don’t get him. A weekend getaway with friends to escape the holiday hubbub is exactly what he needs. But William O’Dare-a stern and silent nightclub owner with “Be My Valentine” practically stamped on his forehead-throws a wrench into Benji’s plans. William has spent years focused on his career, and it has cost him friendships and … love. Inexperienced in the business of romance, he’s on the hunt for the perfect partner, and he’s armed with specific criteria to guide him. But William didn’t expect a hunky mechanic wrapped in satin and lace to show up on his doorstep. Unable to resist their attraction, Benji and William agree to be secret fake valentines for the weekend, but secrets have a way of getting out. William gets struck by Cupid’s arrow, and as the weekend winds down, he doesn’t want fake or secret. He wants Benji to be his valentine for real and for keeps. Candy Hearts is a male/male Valentine’s Day novella featuring a house party power outage, meddling friends and siblings, naughty lingerie and naughtier toys, homemade Valentine’s Day cards, and a happily ever after.
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Set at a Valentine’s weekend house party with the power out, it’s a sexy, opposites-attract, age-gap romance. The toys! The lingerie! The FEELS!
4 stars – It was really good
Mechanic Benji Holiday is over Valentine’s Day and relationships. A weekend getaway with friends seems like the perfect escape but William O’Dare throws a wrench in those plans. Unable to resist the attraction between them they agree to be fake valentines for the weekend but one weekend isn’t enough.
This was a really cute Valentine’s story about two people who have struggled with relationships. William and Benji were just so adorable together. I adored their relationship and how they really cared about making sure their needs and wants were being met. Both of these characters were surprisingly fragile in their own ways but they grew stronger together.
As a book I picked up on a whim, this was a great surprise. I loved the characters and all the emotion and intimacy between them. I am totally going to read the rest of this series now because I want to see how the rest of their friends fall in love.
This 200 page novella blew all of my expectations out of the water. I was expecting a sweet little story, maybe a little heat here and there. The heat level and chemistry are off the charts. Like woah! But it also has an interesting, engaging, and satisfying story and a lovely romance.
I highly recommend this and it can be read as a stand-alone (this was a new-to-me author).
Valentines and lingerie and sex toys, oh my!
This is the perfect Valentine’s Day book! The characters jumped off the page, grabbed me, and wouldn’t let me go. There are good friends, an intervention, a sassy sister, mis-cues, and sexy lingerie. Love it!
Benji’s sister talks him into a weekend party not celebrating Valentine’s Day. Too bad she didn’t tell him the time had changed. When William answers the door in his pajamas, he is shocked to see Benji on his doorstep. After all, with the power outage, he had to push the party off a day. But with a roaring fire, they manage to generate enough heat to keep warm. Hot really. William is a workaholic, owner of three clubs. Lonely, distant, he is in awe of mechanic, Benji and his sexy lingerie.
Join William and Benji as they explore each other, and Benji’s toys. Cheer as William reconnects with friends he has neglected. What starts out as fake, quickly becomes real. Can HEA be far behind? You will love this book!
This book contains adult themes and language, mm sex and is intended for mature readers only.
This was a terrific book. I loved William and Benji from the beginning. They were different in many ways; but they were a perfect match in sexual desires, as well as in their hearts and dreams of the future.I haven’t read book one, but this worked great as a standalone for me. I loved how well the author combined the very sweet and intensely sexy elements of Benji and William’s weekend into a base for the future. I cared about these men and felt very invested in their relationship. I will definitely be revisiting this one. I loved it!
What I Think: This tale starts on its feet and takes off running, dragging us along and I could never have imagined the erotic ride I was in for. The moment these 2 met was the worst meet-cute ever, but, damn, did they more than make up for it, once more, making me see things differently and rearrange my prudish mind.
Oh, I can’t tell who I love more. Will with his outer stuck up nature until he unleashes it the sexy beast underneath, or Benjy who leaves me speechless. The best way would be to say he’s a really big kitty with a heart of gold and who needs so much nurturing because his road to self-respect has been a rough one. I’ve always loved size kink and this tale has me looking at the 6-footer girls around me with renewed interest.
And then I was drenched with an amazing torrent of erotica that was already love before they even knew it. Sex is often used in the real world to solidify a relationship or know if it’s going to happen which totally sucks for those of us who just can’t do casual sex. But the lovemaking in this tale becomes a means through which they strip each other down to their most primal and intimate, learning more about each other than a series of ten dates might have allowed.
Never have loved ones been more unwelcome as even I wanted to scream in frustration at the height of the rose petal thing. And these 2 have communication on lock down. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to anyone ever. Just think about it. How many times have you been filled up with someone and they still wanted to listen to you talk about deeply personal and emotional stuff? This has joined my list of things to do even as I know the idea of it is absolutely terrifying.
Then Benjy melted William and I into ooey-gooey puddles of ‘want more’. That he’s so naturally himself, the opposite to William’s workaholic nature, rugged to William’s debonair self, and yet, so sweet made me want to almost cry for joy at how perfectly this puzzle fits.
And oh, these friendships make me ache with loneliness. I’ve been content being a lone wolf my whole life but I’m suddenly realizing it’s mostly because I was certain I’d never find friends who’d be ready to give what I’m capable of and why bother with less? But the friendships in this tale made me hurt so bad because, dammit, we all need friends like these.
I received several new lessons in this tale. First, I actually went online to see what all that male lingerie looks like and was surprised that it was all so beautiful! I’m still trying to understand what it is about it that is so sweet yet hot. Then, I received a whole new education in sex toys. Sex toys are taken to a whole new level in this tale making me wonder if they’re this used by the rest of the world too, adding intimacy and stoking pleasure higher instead of removing from the intimacy which is what I’ve always believed. Aaarrgghh, apparently another reason I’m not getting any. This tale had me wondering if sex toys can really bring this level of intimacy when they’re mostly to be self-pleasing but now it won’t leave my mind. Or my browsing history. Purely for research, I assure you!
Verdict? A comfort keeper of a fairytale that will drown you in longing and wanting. Be brave and dive in!
As fun and sweet as the title, this book shares characters with the first book in the So Over the Holiday series, Stocking Stuffers, which is MF. I had no problem following the story and loved how Benji and William fit together.
I’m a fan of Erin McLellan’s writing anyway, and give me a man in lingerie just about any day. It’s a quick read and lots of fun.
*I received an arc of this book.*
4 1/2 Stars
Candy Hearts is the first I’ve read by this author.
I enjoyed this tremendously. All the characters are interesting and supportive of the storyline. William and Benji are good, strong men who have come to the point in their lives where they are unwilling to tread through BS to get to the good stuff. I like that.
I was invested in these two guys from start to finish. The bow chica wow wow storyline is sexy and fun, yet heartwarming underneath.
Seeing them open themselves up to “more” during, and maybe in spite of, their faux romance is lovely and touching. I did worry for Benji and William at different points, but the author pulled them through the tough times and gave a believable and satisfactory HEA.
I will read more by this author.
I’ve had a MONDAY so I’m gonna tell you guys about this book tomorrow but go #oneclick now if you like 😉
Clearly, I am enthusiastic about this story LOL It’s not the next Great American Novel but it’s not supposed to be. It is exactly what it is supposed to be. A little escape for a reader. It’s not unrealistic but it is definitely fiction LOL I loved the cuteness that surrounded the story at all time. It is 100% sexually driven and *fans self* I enjoyed that very very much! And believe it or not, it had some depth! It’s a shortish story so I tend to not expect much in that department but it was there! Well done!
I think this is a great quickie read that’ sexually charged with a whole lot of heart!
Benji is over with dating guys. Despite his “manly” job as a mechanic, despite his size as a big guy, Benji is a romantic at heart, and romance doesn’t like him, so Benji decides to quit love. He agrees to join his sisters and their friends for a holiday escape in the cabin of a friend of them William.
Candy Heart by Erin McLellan is my first book by this author. I loved it, I really loved it.
Benji is a big guy with a “manly” job who inside is a real sweetheart. Benji also has little secrets, thing that his past lovers didn’t really accept from him. Benji is over with this, he wants to be seen, to be truly seen for who he really is.
William is a workaholic and he realized how lonely he was. Benji’s arrival opens opportunities for William that he doesn’t dare to dream of. But when Benji expose himself, the real him, in front of William, he can only open for him too.
I loved them so much, they were super hoooooooooot, sexy, funny and touching. I loved Benji, I loved this duality between who he really is and who people assume he is. I love when an author twists the neck of the clichés. That’s exactly what she did here, and I can only ask for more.
Go for this book, it will make you smile and swoon.
This was a HOT quick read that I devoured in one afternoon! I Loved Benji and his love for lacy, silky, sexy undergarments as well as sex toys, and he was the perfect opposite of William which made things so interesting. William is a total workaholic and he’s finally realized that he’s at a place in his life where he feels comfortable enough to step back a bit from his business and start dating, what he doesn’t expect is for the perfect person to knock on his door during a power outage.
If you have read the first book, STOCKING STUFFERS, then you have met Benji because that book was about his sister Sasha and he made a few appearances in it, if you haven’t no worries because this can be read as a standalone. I loved Benji in that book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on his, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait to long. Benji is a people pleaser and always conforms himself to fit the mold of what others want him to be but now he is taking control of his own life and not letting others dictate how he should act.
William is about 8-10 years older then Benji, and a bit stuffy but I guess that’s what happens when you’re all work and no play. This Valentine’s Day William is having a bunch of his longtime friends over for the weekend and Sasha invited Benji to join them. Things don’t go according to plan because he looses power at his lake house, but you know sometimes the best times are not planned at all!
If you are looking for a HOT MM read that will get you into the holiday mood or just get you in the mood 😉 I would recommend you grab a copy of this book, cozy up in front of a fire with a glass of wine and enjoy.
Happy Reading!!!
I highlighted the holy heck out of this freaking amazing book.
Eloquent, I know, but damn. Erin McLellan’s Candy Hearts sent me into a sugar high with how much I loved it! My recommendation? Read it.
I can be more than one thing.
Benji never receives the call that the V-Day party has been postponed, so he finds himself standing in front of a stranger’s house greeting the hot as hell, bespectacled, older man of the house in question with no electricity, Benji’s lack of filter, and a hot and heavy attraction that turns into becoming fake valentines.
The setup is spectacular, and delightfully awkward, and while I’m not usually into stories with an insta-love feel, this one just worked hella good.
Benji is jaded by love, used to becoming who past boyfriends wanted him to be. He’s a big guy and a mechanic, but he loves compliments, and dressing in sexy lingerie, and cracking wise. The weekend may just be the perfect opportunity for Benji to be himself with William.
The things these two brought out in each other, and how they open up and use sex as this playing field to more…This is erotic romance that uses the bedroom humor and the bedroom eyes and the bedroom exploration to its fullest and delivers the perfect segue to emotional connection.
William, meanwhile, is a self-proclaimed work-a-holic, but he’s ready to settle down and he makes a list of what he thinks he wants. Enter Benji with his forward ways and his bright personality and his undeniable courage…
But would they fit together in the long term?
There’s an age gap between them, lots of lingerie and sex talk and sex toys, but it’s the sweetness and the comfort and the slow building of trust, too, that held me enamored until the last page.
This should be your valentine’s day date. As Benji would say, make this book your cuddle hostage.
5 stars!
William and Benji were so adorably cute you couldn’t help but push for their happily ever after. These two dating disasters ended up finding love in a cabin with no power a couple days before Valentine’s Day. With their quirky personalities, the two learned to love and trust their own instincts when it came to love. This was a cute, fun and steamy Valentine’s Day Read!
Sweet but oh so hot!
Candy Hearts is the first book I’ve read by Erin McLellan and what a great introduction to her writing. This book was all kinds of steamy, sexy, hot and yet really sweet. Both Benji and William have confidence problems and neither of them is really looking for a relationship.
Benji is a really great character (so is William) and I love all of his quirks and how unapologetic he is about what he likes. While he’s kept his love of naughty lingerie mostly to himself, he opens up to William about that and a lot of other things.
William is a self-confessed workaholic who is finally realizing what that has cost him in terms of friends and relationships. I loved how taken he was with Benji and how accepting of who Benji is and what he likes.
The heat between these two guys nearly set my ereader on fire. There are a few snags along the way in their budding relationship but this book is mostly low angst with a lot of sexy time. I loved that the author gave us an epilogue so we know how they are doing down the road.
While Candy Hearts is the second book in the So Over the Holidays series it can easily be read as a standalone. I missed the first book and wasn’t a bit lost while reading this one.
A copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
Just did not grab me
3-3.5stars
The main romance between successful businessman William and younger mechanic Benji was fine, though their thoughts about why it could not go anywhere became repetitive. But I found the story slow and the inclusion of the army of friends just did not help, in fact it held their story back. Yes, there is plenty of steam alternated with romantic moments, but this story just did not do anything for me. And the sweet and carb overloads began to make me nauseous.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Fake valentines. Secret kinky fake valentines! I had a lot of fun reading Candy Hearts. Benji and William are both men with a stretch of bad relationships. Benji is tired of faking, and so done with pretending to be someone else for the sake of his boyfriends. But with William he doesn’t have to. William accepts him.
William and Benji are smoking hot together. And the chemistry is off the charts. Benji is so amazing! A big strong mechanic who loves lingerie? A study in contrast! William and Benji have this sort of amazing connection that can’t be described. They way the opened up to each other was beautiful!
This is my first Erin McLellan book and I totally loved it. If you want a hot and sweet Valentine’s Day read, I’d totally recommend this one!!
*ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Older man/younger man romantic comedy…done so well!
Benji Holiday is 24yo, a car mechanic, buff and surprisingly likes to wear under his coveralls the laciest, sweetest lingerie! We met his sister Sasha in STOCKING STUFFERS which was another great book. Benji has been invited for the first time to a non-Valentine’s Day event that his sister and her friends enjoy every year. Wires get crossed and Benji shows up earlier than the rest.
William O’Dare is a 35yo multi-club owner, wealthy but not happy with his life. He is also pansexual and has had partners of various stripes. When he meets Benji, he is kind of put off b/c Benji arrived early, not knowing of a problem. What happens next is priceless. They concoct a plan to be each other’s pretend Valentine but when things between them begin to change, can they go with it?
Loved when these two men shared their true feelings…at separate times. Very touching! Great ending. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through A Novel Take PR and it is highly recommended for readers who like STEAMY M/M romance with an HEA.
A lake house, a group of friends, and an invitation to a V-Day Sucks Weekend Party, which Benji, utterly disillusioned by love, gladly accepted. Only, once arrived at said lake house, to find it completely in the dark with none of the other guests, just the gruff, stern and just Benji’s type owner. So, with William equally attracted to Benji, all by themselves in a scarcely illuminated house, what are the two men supposed to do to pass the time? Well, why not pretend to be fake valentines? All the sex possible included, of course, and just until the others arrive.
If it were possible, I’m convinced my kindle would of caught fire because of how hot a chemistry Benji and William had together. With toys and sexy lingerie coming into play, the hotness skyrocketed. The book might of slightly bordered erotica if it weren’t for the emotional connection slowly developing between the protagonists. Because while pretending to be fake valentines, they showed their true selves to one another, allowing vulnerabilities and dreams to be seen. They certainly never expected to just click together, to discover they’re such a perfect fit for each other.
Candy Hearts was the awesome blend of romance and scorching passion, and I can’t recommend it enough.