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beckyrendon's review
5.0
Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan
Award for best Halloween costume ever..goes to Tijan!
Seriously though, holy $hit! Tijan got my heart racing and freaking the fu©k out! I started trying to remember the last time certain characters interacted. Well played Tijan, well played. I wasn't sure I wanted to cry or turn lights on (as I read in a pitch black room).
I had no idea that Tijan could be scary. I will never doubt her again.
So Much More J. Daniels
If you love the Bama boys, you no doubt will be head over heels for this. It's a swoon, sigh, giggle, repeat story. It also inspires a complete re-read of the series, just warning you.
Getting Down by Helena Hunting
If this cast of characters, survives Halloween i am buying everyone e of the books involved. I am a fan of Ms. Hunting. From principals to hockey players, I love her me but her women are my favorite. Quirky, feisty, sassy and sexy all in their own ways...what's not to love. Oh and sexy men in even sexier costumes. Yes, Getting Down should be on the top of your list...
Unsafe Haven By Bella Jewel
Halloween isn't for the faint of heart, especially when Bella Jewel has a say in it. Dark and dangerous with enough tension to light a closet on fire. Watch out...you never know who's coming for you.
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec
Oh dear, oh my gosh, holy shiitake! These people are crazy. I had never read Ms. Sivec before but now I need popcorn some drinks. Ban Aunt Bobbie and I might just make it through the series with my clothes on. Lol, these people make deranged a positive adjective. Just wow!
Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha
Award for best Halloween costume ever..goes to Tijan!
Seriously though, holy $hit! Tijan got my heart racing and freaking the fu©k out! I started trying to remember the last time certain characters interacted. Well played Tijan, well played. I wasn't sure I wanted to cry or turn lights on (as I read in a pitch black room).
I had no idea that Tijan could be scary. I will never doubt her again.
So Much More J. Daniels
If you love the Bama boys, you no doubt will be head over heels for this. It's a swoon, sigh, giggle, repeat story. It also inspires a complete re-read of the series, just warning you.
Getting Down by Helena Hunting
If this cast of characters, survives Halloween i am buying everyone e of the books involved. I am a fan of Ms. Hunting. From principals to hockey players, I love her me but her women are my favorite. Quirky, feisty, sassy and sexy all in their own ways...what's not to love. Oh and sexy men in even sexier costumes. Yes, Getting Down should be on the top of your list...
Unsafe Haven By Bella Jewel
Halloween isn't for the faint of heart, especially when Bella Jewel has a say in it. Dark and dangerous with enough tension to light a closet on fire. Watch out...you never know who's coming for you.
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec
Oh dear, oh my gosh, holy shiitake! These people are crazy. I had never read Ms. Sivec before but now I need popcorn some drinks. Ban Aunt Bobbie and I might just make it through the series with my clothes on. Lol, these people make deranged a positive adjective. Just wow!
Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha
readfrenzy's review
4.0
Eye Candy is an entertaining Halloween themed anthology. This review covers So Much More by J. Daniels, Getting Down by Helena Hunting, and The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec.
So Much More by J. Daniels
It’s been awhile since I’ve read most of the books in the Alabama Summer series, so it was nice to be reminded of how much I love those Bama Boys. The novella takes place on Halloween, and each chapter is about a different couple and written from the man’s point of view.
There seems to be a common theme: each man realizing he hasn’t shown his woman the depth of his love. There are many tender moments, but a heck of a lot of laughs as well. It’s difficult to pick which story is my favorite, but the gathering of all the characters at the big Halloween party is a hilarious highlight. This was a joy to read.
***
Getting Down by Helena Hunting
You don’t need to have read Helena Hunting’s Shacking Up to sit back and enjoy this short story, but it certainly appeased my appetite for more Ruby and Bane. Their relationship may be a bit too oversexed for me here, but they are the complete opposite of Amalie and her uptight fiancé, Armstrong.
Amalie is Ruby’s best friend, and the story follows them planning a Halloween ball for the rich and snooty. I love their friendship. Ruby is quirkier than ever, even as she deals with small cracks in Bane’s armor of self-assurance. Meanwhile, Amalie tries to suppress her bad girl nature to meet Armstrong’s boring expectations.
There’s humor galore in each chapter, and I get the feeling we’ve only touched the surface of Amie and Armstrong’s screwed up relationship. She really does deserve her own story. Lucky for us, she’s getting one! My pump is well primed for more of Amie’s adventures in Hooking Up.
***
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec
Jump aboard the crazy train for a one-way trip to visit Noel’s certifiably insane family. Noel’s dad is obsessed with winning the yearly Halloween house decorating contest at any cost. Noel’s mom can’t stop talking about her sex life. Noel’s best friend is a bridezilla planning a Holloween-themed wedding. Flamboyant Aunt Bobbie is full of pill-popping, booze-induced antics. Meanwhile, Noel and Sam are expecting their first child.
The humor is way over the top, but as long as you’re prepared for that and are simply looking for a fun read, this novella will fit the bill.
So Much More by J. Daniels
It’s been awhile since I’ve read most of the books in the Alabama Summer series, so it was nice to be reminded of how much I love those Bama Boys. The novella takes place on Halloween, and each chapter is about a different couple and written from the man’s point of view.
There seems to be a common theme: each man realizing he hasn’t shown his woman the depth of his love. There are many tender moments, but a heck of a lot of laughs as well. It’s difficult to pick which story is my favorite, but the gathering of all the characters at the big Halloween party is a hilarious highlight. This was a joy to read.
***
Getting Down by Helena Hunting
You don’t need to have read Helena Hunting’s Shacking Up to sit back and enjoy this short story, but it certainly appeased my appetite for more Ruby and Bane. Their relationship may be a bit too oversexed for me here, but they are the complete opposite of Amalie and her uptight fiancé, Armstrong.
Amalie is Ruby’s best friend, and the story follows them planning a Halloween ball for the rich and snooty. I love their friendship. Ruby is quirkier than ever, even as she deals with small cracks in Bane’s armor of self-assurance. Meanwhile, Amalie tries to suppress her bad girl nature to meet Armstrong’s boring expectations.
There’s humor galore in each chapter, and I get the feeling we’ve only touched the surface of Amie and Armstrong’s screwed up relationship. She really does deserve her own story. Lucky for us, she’s getting one! My pump is well primed for more of Amie’s adventures in Hooking Up.
***
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec
Jump aboard the crazy train for a one-way trip to visit Noel’s certifiably insane family. Noel’s dad is obsessed with winning the yearly Halloween house decorating contest at any cost. Noel’s mom can’t stop talking about her sex life. Noel’s best friend is a bridezilla planning a Holloween-themed wedding. Flamboyant Aunt Bobbie is full of pill-popping, booze-induced antics. Meanwhile, Noel and Sam are expecting their first child.
The humor is way over the top, but as long as you’re prepared for that and are simply looking for a fun read, this novella will fit the bill.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review
4.0
Great selection of Halloween stories. Five different authors with five different stories, some filled with frights and typical Halloween scares and some filled with sex and lust and romance. There are the dreaded clowns and the typical bachelor auctions, costumes, haunted houses and pumpkins. Overall a wonderful Halloween book filled with great characters and interesting stories. If you love Halloween this is a must read.
anasatticbookblog's review
4.0
Eye Candy by Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec
Halloween Anthology featuring characters and stories from favorite books by these authors.
I was so excited to read Eye Candy! Helena Hunting and Tara Sivec are two of my favorite authors, and Tara’s Holiday Series needed a Halloween story badly. I loved J. Daniel’s Sweet Series, but I haven’t read her whole Alabama Summer Series yet (though I may now). Bella Jewel and Tijan are both at the top of my want-to-read list, so I had really high expectations for this anthology. I will review each story separately and briefly.
Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan:
I have not read Tijan before. I tried reading for 4 days, and just couldn’t push past 8%. I felt completely lost, like I was dropped right in the middle of a book. But really it was supposedly more like an epilogue to the Fallen Crest Series by Tijan. A number of people told me to stick with it, because it’s a really good, really creepy story, but my head wasn’t in the right place to push through. I may try again on Halloween.
DNF (can’t rate)
So Much More by J. Daniels
I haven’t read the whole Alabama Summer Series yet, so I did feel a little lost, but not too bad. There was LOTS of sexy in this one, and I am very interested in reading more of the series now, but it wasn’t very Halloweenie, it was more about pregnancy and hot sex.
We actually get 5 different male POV in this story, so if you have read and loved the series, you can catch up with all of your favorite characters.
Note: I actually forgot, I did listen to the first in the series, so I thought maybe it was a little familiar at the beginning, but even though I listened recently, it didn't stick with me, so this all felt new.
3.5 Stars
Getting Down by Helena Hunting
I totally loved this one! We are reunited with Bane and Ruby from Shacking Up, but the story is just as much about Amie, who will be getting her own book, Hooking Up, in November. This felt like a full story, but it does leave you excited for more.
“I can’t do that with my vagina hanging out!” I gesture wildly to my crotch.
I was laughing out loud several times. I don’t think it is necessary to have read the ones before in this case, she seems to do a good job of filling in the blanks, because I have a very poor memory. Still, since I DID read Shacking Up, I can’t truly judge that. I do think that if you plan on reading Hooking Up next, you should read this story first, as it will have a huge background for the couple in Hooking Up.
4.5 stars
Unsafe Haven by Bella Jewel
I didn’t think that this story was really related to any other of Bella’s stories, and if it is, you’d never know. I really enjoyed this sweet romance, with an exciting night of Halloween suspense.
*Note: the main couple is new, but the book is a spin off of The Watcher by Bella Jewel.
4.5 stars
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec
I am totally in love with the Holiday family and found myself laughing out loud (complete with snorts) in this perfect addition to the Holiday Series. I think if you have not read the series before, it’s a great introduction to the ridiculous crazy that comes out of Tara’s brain. Sometimes you can’t help but crack up at the silliness of it all, and that’s what makes it so special.
“You’re going to be the sexiest oven anyone has ever seen,” I whisper in her ear.
“Forget about cooking a baby. I’m going to chop off your balls and cook those instead.”
Scheva & Alex, Aunt Bobbie and her pot pills, apple butter lube, lots of clowns, and the whole Holiday family brought all the crazy, but in true Tara Sivec tradition, she brings a little sweet as well. I loved this one!
PS: Butthole Meat is now a new phrase in my house.
4.5-5 stars
The Down & Dirty:
As someone who is not an anthology lover, I still enjoyed this book. 4 of the 5 stories were really like extended epilogues to series already released, only Bella Jewel’s story was almost a total standalone. Being that these all read like epilogues, there was lots of pregnancy related stories. If I had read all of the series featured in this anthology I think it would be a must read, because I would have hated to miss Helena’s and Tara’s stories, as they are related to books I know and loved. But I don't think that this is really the best for new readers of all of these series, I think you should at least have one that you know you'll love to pick this up and make it worth it. It was TOTALLY worth it for me.
Overall Rating: 4 stars, Heat 4.5 (just from 2 stories)
Purchase Eye Candy Anthology
allibruns's review
4.0
I have to be honest and tell you that I only bought this for So Much More from J Daniels, actually I haven't even read the other series. So my review is only for So Much More. This gives more from Ben, Luke, Reed, CJ and Nolan. Ben and Mia were perfect. Reed and Beth were kinky. CJ and Riley were cute. Nolan and Ryan were adorable. Luke and Tessa, they were absolutely the best part. It reminded me just why I loved their story so much.
If you are a fan of the Alabama Summer series this is a must for you.
If you are a fan of the Alabama Summer series this is a must for you.
jaimejustreadsromance's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
I think that I would have enjoyed this anthology a lot more if I had been more familiar with the series featured in it. Having only read a couple of the authors I thought this would be a great introduction to new to me authors.
The stories were good and I'll definitely be picking up some of these authors & series to read going forward, but I can't help but suggest that if you haven't read these series before that you might not enjoy them as much as if you had.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
I think that I would have enjoyed this anthology a lot more if I had been more familiar with the series featured in it. Having only read a couple of the authors I thought this would be a great introduction to new to me authors.
The stories were good and I'll definitely be picking up some of these authors & series to read going forward, but I can't help but suggest that if you haven't read these series before that you might not enjoy them as much as if you had.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
dandi2292's review against another edition
5.0
A fun short read set around Halloween involving some of our favorite characters! I love that these authors came together and wrote these short stories for us. When we love a series ones book it's hard to let go so having little novellas is always fun to read. Plus, this book was based around Halloween so it made it ten times more fun! You also don't have to have read all the other authors or books to enjoy this one!
jj7twin's review
4.0
On a mission
Only read the short story by Helena Hunting since its in the new to me series i have to finish reading today. Loved it and it gave me a peek at what is gonna happen in the next book.
Only read the short story by Helena Hunting since its in the new to me series i have to finish reading today. Loved it and it gave me a peek at what is gonna happen in the next book.
sasha2599's review
5.0
4.5 stars for The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec!
I am a big fan of Tara Sivec's Holiday series, so I couldn't wait to read the Halloween installment of their antics. Tara's sense of humor is spot-on and the Holiday family is back with their trademark absurd antics. I was laughing out loud from the beginning, but whenever I see shouty capitals, I know I am going to choke. Absolutely choke! What a riot! I hated to read that Tara was gathering "the Holiday family together one last time"..... I need more!
**I voluntarily read an advance copy**
I am a big fan of Tara Sivec's Holiday series, so I couldn't wait to read the Halloween installment of their antics. Tara's sense of humor is spot-on and the Holiday family is back with their trademark absurd antics. I was laughing out loud from the beginning, but whenever I see shouty capitals, I know I am going to choke. Absolutely choke! What a riot! I hated to read that Tara was gathering "the Holiday family together one last time"..... I need more!
**I voluntarily read an advance copy**
smbmar's review
5.0
Tijan's story was a bit hard for me to follow for a while since I hadn't read any other stories in the series. I did think that it was a great honor movie read to start off a Halloween book.
J. Daniels book was also a bit confusing as I hadn't read anything to tie the characters together. I did find it very sweet. Nolan was a great character.
I loved Helena Hunting's story. It was hot and absolutely hysterical. I loved Ruby's costumes. I really hope that Amie drops Armstrong and gets with Lex!!!
I'm madly in love with Bella Jewel's story. It was the perfect Halloween romance. A little scary and a lot of sweetness.
Tara Sivec's story was hysterical! I loved the neighborhood decoration war. The quirky characters absolutely made this story!
Note, I received an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.
J. Daniels book was also a bit confusing as I hadn't read anything to tie the characters together. I did find it very sweet. Nolan was a great character.
I loved Helena Hunting's story. It was hot and absolutely hysterical. I loved Ruby's costumes. I really hope that Amie drops Armstrong and gets with Lex!!!
I'm madly in love with Bella Jewel's story. It was the perfect Halloween romance. A little scary and a lot of sweetness.
Tara Sivec's story was hysterical! I loved the neighborhood decoration war. The quirky characters absolutely made this story!
Note, I received an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.