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
Order now: https://smarturl.it/candyheartskindle
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:
Facebook Group: https://smarturl.it/ErinMcLellansFBGroup
Newsletter: https://smarturl.it/mclellannewsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emclellanwrites
Website: https://www.erinmclellan.com
Website: https://smarturl.it/erinmclellan
