Monday, February 10, 2020

Review Tour: Candy Hearts by Erin McLellan #Excerpt #Interview #Giveaway


Candy Hearts by Erin McLellan

Series: So Over the Holidays #2

Publisher: Erin McLellan

Release Date (ebook): Feb. 3, 2020

Length: 50k word

Subgenre: contemporary romance, holiday romance, erotic romance

Warnings: explicit sex and language


Book blurb:

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.

Praise for Candy Hearts:

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. - Michaelene, reviewer

***

I loved everything about this story and can’t wait to read more of this author’s work....although I’m worried nothing will come close to the love I have for Benji and William and all their quirks and kinks. LOVE.  - Kate Olson, reviewer

***

Erin McLellan keeps delighting me with these queer holiday romance novellas. Candy Hearts is perfect for those who maybe kind of hate to love Valentine's Day but would absolutely embrace it with their own sexy "fake Valentine". - B and her books, reviewer

Review



Fasten your seatbelts and let Benji’s charms pull you in. His sweet candy smell and unfiltered mouth.

A party to escape all Valentine's fuss, that's where Benji was going, he ended up in a big dark house with a sweet man.
William is, at first sight, a bit of a grumpy professor, buried in paperwork and books. Owner of more than one nightclub, he is a rich and busy man.
But when he becomes enthralled by Benji, a mechanic, and when he gets to know what Benji has under his clothes, William is very attentive and affectionate.

They agreed. They will have the best time together, they can practice on each other so both can get back into dating men, well... more like dating the right men, after this weekend.
And oh boooyyy did they have the best time! Exploring each other is mildly expressing what they did.
Besides all the sexiness, they have fun; delightful endearing fun.
Benji finally got the nerve to be himself, completely exposed and be himself, and being appreciated with what he loves and desires.
His heart does strange things when William worships him.

A delightful story about finding the love of your life, finding yourself, reconnecting with the world around you. There is a lot of delicious sexiness. I loved this story dearly.
The whole story is written with a positive vibe. The hurt was exceeded by all the endearing gestures. Both men were engaging and had characteristics that made them vulnerable and adorable.
A Valentines' must-read!
 


EXCERPT

Benji grabbed his duffle bag from the seat beside him. It was stuffed with what he was lovingly calling his Self-Love Boring Weekend with Sasha’s Friends and New Fiancé kit. He planned to spend the long weekend drinking, eating too much candy, and spoiling himself. He didn’t need no man. He had a bag of pretty underthings and sex toys. And those sex toys didn’t cheat on him. Or wear crappy cologne. Or roll their eyes at his reality TV obsession. Or make him feel dumb and young and wrong.
He knocked on the candy-pink door. After a gazillion years, the door swung open and revealed a man in flannel pajama pants, a ratty college sweatshirt, and intellectual-Daddy glasses.
They stared at each other. Benji had never seen this man in his life, which was odd. He thought he knew all of Sasha’s friends.
Benji pinned him at thirty-five to forty years old. A streak of silvery white washed through the hair pushed back from his high forehead, very Cruella de Vil realness, but the rest of his hair was a rich brown and wavy. He had a dramatic nose—a high arch and a prominent bump—that lent his otherwise blandly handsome face some character. Plus, his tortoise-shell glasses made him look like a stern librarian wet dream.
“Who are you?” the guy asked.
“Uh. Hi!” Benji held out his hand to shake. “I’m Benji Holiday. I’m here for the anti-Valentine’s Day weekend.”
The guy frowned and didn’t take Benji’s hand, which was embarrassing. “The plans changed. No one was supposed to get here until tomorrow.”
Heat flushed from the top of Benji’s head down his face and neck. “Well, you’re here.” This was Sasha’s fault.
“I own the house.”
“Why did the plans change?”
“I don’t have any power.”



 Q&A with Erin McLellan:

Book two in Erin McLellan’s phenomenal So Over the Holidays series is out on February 3 and it will feature a game of sexy Spin the Bottle, secret boyfriends, naughty toys and even naughtier lingerie combined with the magic of Valentine’s Day! Candy Hearts is already wowing readers and Erin is here to talk about the book to celebrate its release! Take it away, Erin!

Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?

One of the highlights of writing this book was being able to craft a tight queer friend group of people in their thirties. This friend group might not see each other all that often or even talk all the time, but they love each other and are there for each other. It was a joy to write.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

Benji Holiday definitely has a special place in my heart. He has a history of allowing other people, especially romantic partners, to shape who he is rather than being his authentic self. This book is about him taking that control back. He’s complicated and complex and weird. It was great fun crafting a hero worthy of him.

What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?

I already have Book 3 in the So Over the Holiday Series planned. It is titled Bottle Rocket and will be Rosie Holiday’ (the last Holiday sibling) book. Benji and William, as well as Sasha and Perry (from Stocking Stuffers) will make appearances. I’m sure Benji, Sasha, and Rosie will have an emergency brunch at some point.

About the author: Erin McLellan is the author of several contemporary romances, all of which have characters who are complex, goodhearted, and a little quirky. She likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after. Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

Connect with Erin:


1 comment:

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