Title: Hex and Candy
Series: Strange Bedfellows: Book One
Author: Ashlyn Kane
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 214 Pages
Category: Parnormal
At a Glance: I’m just going to say it, I adored this clever little romance, and I am so excited to see how things plays out in future installments.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: True love’s kiss can break the curse. But then what?
Cole Alpin runs a small-town candy store. He visits his grandmother twice a week. And sometimes he breaks curses.
Leo Ericson’s curse is obvious right away, spiderwebbing across his very nice body. Though something about it worries Cole, he agrees to help—with little idea of what he’s getting into.
Leo is a serial monogamist, but his vampire ex has taken dating off the table with his nasty spell, and Leo needs Cole’s companionship as much as his help. When the hex proves to be only the beginning of his problems, Leo seeks refuge at Cole’s place. Too bad magic prevents him from finding refuge in Cole’s arms.
Cole’s never had a boyfriend, so how can he recognize true love? And there’s still the matter of the one responsible for their troubles in the first place….
Review: Life can be messy when you date a vampire. Leo Ericson finds that out the hard way when he breaks up with his diner club boyfriend and ends up sporting a curse that won’t allow him to have sex or even flirt with another man. So, pushing down his disbelief, he seeks out somebody to break the curse, and that leads him to, of all places, the local candy store.
Cole Alpin came to his powers late in life; in fact, so late that his grandmother and family doubted he would ever have any. Now, he has gotten fairly good at sighting and breaking hexes, but there is something off about the hex binding Leo. It’s pretty strong, for one, stronger than Cole thinks a vamp could manage. The two men must spend time together in order for Cole to weaken the bonds of the curse so that it can eventually, hopefully, be broken. With Cole being a real virgin when it comes to finding love, and Leo is a guy who doesn’t really like to date around, the atmosphere is ripe for these two to find romance in each other’s arms…if only Cole could break that darn curse.
I’m just going to say it, I adored this clever little romance by Ashlyn Kane. Hex and Candy is clever, humorous, captivating and an absolute feel good novel. I must say that I loved both main characters equally. Cole was that typical guy who saw little special about himself and doubted he would ever find someone to love. Not only did he barely come into his powers, later than most, but they weren’t all that strong and he often feels like he is a disappointment to most of his friends and family, particularly his grandmother, whom he loves and most wants to impress.
Leo is truly adrift. He wants a boyfriend, but he’s not willing to settle for just anyone. More importantly, he craves companionship—a man he can be friends and lovers with—and is struggling big time to discover that the paranormal world actually exists and is all around him. Leo and Cole are just perfect for each other, even though they don’t necessarily see it right away. There is definite lust that, of course, cannot be acted on, but the feelings of love are slow to be discovered. When they are, this novel takes on a whole new shine. These two guys are simply lovely together, and the story never borders on sappy but just genuinely makes you smile.
Hex And Candy marks the start of a new series by Ashlyn Kane, and I am so excited to see how things plays out in future installments. We delve into the paranormal genre with this sweetly playful romance and I, for one, was loathe to leave it at novel’s end. I highly recommend this story to you.
You can buy Hex and Candy here:
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