Candy Man by Amy Lane

CandyManLGTitle: Candy Man
Series: N/A
Author: Amy Lane
Genre: Contemporary/ Holiday
Length: Novella (136 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 3rd, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Reviewer: Aerin
Blurb: Adam Macias has been thrown a few curve balls in his life, but losing his VA grant because his car broke down and he missed a class was the one that struck him out. One relative away from homelessness, he’s taking the bus to Sacramento, where his cousin has offered a housesitting job and a new start. He has one goal, and that’s to get his life back on track. Friends, pets, lovers? Need not apply.

Finn Stewart takes one look at Adam as he’s applying to Candy Heaven and decides he’s much too fascinating to leave alone. Finn is bright and shiny—and has never been hurt. Adam is wary of his attention from the very beginning—Finn is dangerous to every sort of peace Adam is forging, and Adam may just be too damaged to let him in at all.

But Finn is tenacious, and Adam’s new boss, Darrin, doesn’t take bullshit for an answer. Adam is going to have to ask himself, which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him? With the holidays approaching, it seems like an easy question, but Adam knows from experience that life is seldom simple, and the world seldom cooperates with hope, faith, or the plans of cats and men.

ISBN: 9781632166791

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5780

Review: I remember reading one of Amy Lane’s blogs earlier this year, where she was talking about her husband’s marathon and stopping by a candy shop afterwards. “But he was still game to stop at a candy store on the way back, so we could buy the kids green salt water taffy and pretty canvas bags for St. Patrick’s Day. Darrin was the AWESOME proprietor of Candy Haven.

When I read the author note on Candy Man I squealed and bounced around in excitement. It’s just so amazing when an author’s personal experience and the real life people they meet are the inspiration for a book. And this book was nothing short of amazing. It wasn’t as dark and angsty as most of the previous books, but I made sure to keep the tissues close by, just in case. And I only needed to use them twice. But I became an expert in reading with tears in my eyes while smiling like a lunatic, because this is what this book did to me.

Adam is a 27-year-old man who served in the army for 8 years. Life hasn’t been very kind to him, all the people he considered close disappointed him one way or another, all with the exception of his cousin Rico (we don’t meet Rico in this book but he is an amazing secondary character that we get a glimpse of through the text messages he exchanges with Adam). Adam has a lot of bad luck lately that causes him to lose his VA grant along with his job. He feels unworthy and unlovable. He’s hit rock bottom and now the only way to go is up, right?

Let me introduce you to Finn, an amazing and complex character who’s bubbly, exciting, and full of life. Finn becomes fascinated by Adam and he does everything he can to get the man all to himself. Finn is persistent and doesn’t take no for an answer; he’s determined to show Adam that real family and friends stick together, and he does just that.

Most of the plot revolves around Candy Heaven, a small candy shop owned by Darrin. Darrin is funny and I loved how supportive he was. He can see certain things in the future by reading the pixie stick (you know the powder that’s inside) which I got a real laugh out of. The secondary characters were unique and each of them was quirky in his/her own way. They’re meddling and protective and I loved the constant banter. Finn’s family also played a big role in Adam and Finn’s relationship; they were amazing. And Finn’s coming out story was as hilarious as it was unique.

And as amazing as this book was so far, Amy made it exceptional and humorous by including the homicidal cat and the balls sniffing dog. I laughed so much at those two. They managed to make the whole story brighter. “And Clopper lay on his back in the corner, drunk off of more turkey and stuffing than any dog should eat ever. Every ten minutes he’d pass a giant gas bubble that would send him barking around the room, angry at the big farting monster who had dared impose on his dreams.”

This book was amazing and if you haven’t read it yet, go do it RIGHT NOW. Recommended to all Amy Lane fans and to everyone else who loves a book full of happiness and joy and hope, seasoned with a little bit of angst.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *