I received both of the following books from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Title: Like Candy
Author: Debra Doxer
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: July 28, 2015
Description:
Revenge is sweet, just like candy.
Candy Seaborne knows she’s badass. She takes after her father, an assassin and possibly a spy, although he won’t admit to either. She idolizes him. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps. But first, she has to finish high school.
Biding her time, waiting for real life to begin, Candy craves drama and isn’t above manufacturing some. If you’re a classmate who wronged her or a boyfriend who cheated, watch your back. She’s no pushover, and revenge may be her favorite pastime.
Jonah Bryson is the senior class heartthrob who breaks all the stereotypes. He’s a jock, but he isn’t the typical player. He’s moody and antisocial. No girl has gotten anywhere with him since his last girlfriend broke his heart.
Candy sees Jonah as a challenge and the perfect distraction. But she may be in over her head because unlike everyone else, Jonah isn’t buying her tough act. He sees the lost, lonely girl inside. He sees too much. When he looks at her that way, she wants to let her guard down and be vulnerable. But that’s the last thing she should do because her father’s world is spilling over into hers, and life is about to get real much sooner than Candy expected.
Title: Sweet Liar
Author: Debra Doxer
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Candy Seaborne knows she’s badass. She takes after her father, an assassin and possibly a spy, although he won’t admit to either. She idolizes him. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps. But first, she has to finish high school.
Biding her time, waiting for real life to begin, Candy craves drama and isn’t above manufacturing some. If you’re a classmate who wronged her or a boyfriend who cheated, watch your back. She’s no pushover, and revenge may be her favorite pastime.
Jonah Bryson is the senior class heartthrob who breaks all the stereotypes. He’s a jock, but he isn’t the typical player. He’s moody and antisocial. No girl has gotten anywhere with him since his last girlfriend broke his heart.
Candy sees Jonah as a challenge and the perfect distraction. But she may be in over her head because unlike everyone else, Jonah isn’t buying her tough act. He sees the lost, lonely girl inside. He sees too much. When he looks at her that way, she wants to let her guard down and be vulnerable. But that’s the last thing she should do because her father’s world is spilling over into hers, and life is about to get real much sooner than Candy expected.
Review:
There was a lot to like about this story. The premise is fun and innovative and a bit over the top which made this book seem like it was going to be a lot of fun. I can honestly say that come elements were fun. I liked that she thought her dad was an assassin and wanted to follow in his footsteps.
The elements of her fathers secrets and life were entertaining. However, they didn't really come into play until mid-book which would typically be fine if I didn't feel like the first half was very sluggish.
I also had a difficult time connecting with Candy. I get that at times we all want payback for the people who have wronged us but I really felt like a lot of her actions weren't justified. She was a little more cut-throat than I expected. She spent a lot of time justifying her actions but I didn't always see the reasoning behind them and often thought she had a bit of a cruel side. I also felt like she was childish and assumed too much.
The romance with Jonah was a win for me. I thought their scenes and interactions were great and that he was a very swoon worthy lead. The mysterious subplot was also something that I couldn't help but love.
Overall, I thought it was a fun story with a few slow parts and a generally unlikable main character. Hopefully she has some redeeming qualities and we will get to see more of that in book 2 in the series.
Title: Sweet Liar
Author: Debra Doxer
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Description
Sometimes lies are sweeter than the truth.
Beauty is alluring; it can disguise the ugliness beneath. But scarred beauty is even more potent to a girl who vowed never to let her heart be broken again. It was an easy vow for Candy to keep until she met Jonah, an arrogant boy with a face that would be too perfect if not for the scar that marred the skin beside his eye.
That imperfect boy earned her trust and won her heart, but the ties that bind people together are fragile, especially when lies are told. Trust is also fragile, and once broken, doesn’t heal like a heart. Trust has to be earned again, and Jonah desperately wants Candy’s trust back.
But Candy has more than Jonah to worry about. Her father is in trouble, and she intends to help him whether he likes it or not. People tell her he’s a bad man, and that may be true, but he’s not all bad. Deep down, she understands his brand of badness because she’s so much like him.
When Candy finally learns the truth, she’ll have to grow up fast, let go of old grievances, and realize that being vulnerable doesn’t make her weak. In fact, opening herself up may be the very thing that makes her whole again.
Beauty is alluring; it can disguise the ugliness beneath. But scarred beauty is even more potent to a girl who vowed never to let her heart be broken again. It was an easy vow for Candy to keep until she met Jonah, an arrogant boy with a face that would be too perfect if not for the scar that marred the skin beside his eye.
That imperfect boy earned her trust and won her heart, but the ties that bind people together are fragile, especially when lies are told. Trust is also fragile, and once broken, doesn’t heal like a heart. Trust has to be earned again, and Jonah desperately wants Candy’s trust back.
But Candy has more than Jonah to worry about. Her father is in trouble, and she intends to help him whether he likes it or not. People tell her he’s a bad man, and that may be true, but he’s not all bad. Deep down, she understands his brand of badness because she’s so much like him.
When Candy finally learns the truth, she’ll have to grow up fast, let go of old grievances, and realize that being vulnerable doesn’t make her weak. In fact, opening herself up may be the very thing that makes her whole again.
Review:
Good and bad things to talk about when it comes to book 2 in the "Candy" series.
Some good elements include that there was A LOT of character development. I almost didn't hate the main character anymore.
There were A LOT of secrets revealed which is exactly what a reader would want out of the second (final?) book in a series.
Some negatives include that it dragged on. Much like the first book this book have a period of lull and when I am reading like YA romance that is the exact opposite of what I want. I should be able to fly through this in one sitting while being entertained throughout.
I still didn't love this and so this entire series just kind of rates as "meh" for me.
I am happy to have read it because the elements I enjoyed (the romance) were fun to read but I don't think I would have picked this up on my own.
My Overall Rating:
3 out of 5
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