Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Candy Man
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 118 pages
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 house-sitting 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.
REVIEW:
Oh God….I friggin LOVE Amy Lane!!! This book broke my heart wide open, and then filled it with kittens, puppies, candy, and most importantly love! It was so perfect!!!!
“Just because I want it doesn’t mean I know how to have it…”
Adam is the epitome of hard knocks. He left the military after 8 years of service, his childhood was hell, he loses his grant money for college after his car breaks down and he doesn’t make it to class. He honestly feels like he doesn’t deserve anything good, because nothing good ever happened to him. He decides he needs a new start so he takes his cousin up on the offer to house sit for him. Making himself at home in his cousins house while taking care of his cousins cat and dog, Adam decides he needs a job.
Darrin owns the local candy shop. He employs a cast of loveable characters and has a “sense” that Adam belongs there so he hires him immediately. There’s some out of this world stuff that happens when Darrin picks up Pixi Sticks. I found myself utterly enthralled during these scenes. Darrin was such a great addition to this story.
Finn is the local deli shop owner’s son. When I think of Finn, I think of life. Finn is full of life and love. Finn and Adam connect immediately. The attraction was immediate and I want to say that love was very close behind.
“Right now you and me are—we’re a sketch. And we could be a real great picture someday, with ink and oils or watercolor, and hell, we may even be a movie.”
True to Amy Lane fashion some miscommunication happens along with massive amounts of self loathing and pain which leads to Adam pushing Finn away. The best thing about Finn is he doesn’t know the meaning of the word, no. Finn lives in a world of yes, of possibilities, of dreams coming true, of open whole hearts so he doesn’t allow Adam to push him away for long.
Watching Adam heal through his art, the pets, the candy store, and most importantly Finn was magical. I loved every single bit of this story and the author has a gift of making the reader want more. I want more of Adam and Finn. I want to know more about Darrin and his employees. I want to know more about Rico and Ezra. There has to be more of this amazing little world and I want to read all about it.
This book quintessentially is the reason why Amy Lane is one of my most favorite authors. This story does not disappoint. A must read for lovers of Amy Lane books.
RATING: 
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