Reviews

Reviews for LOVE and CANDY:

 

 

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Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After

 

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Verdict: 4.5 Adorable Stars

Praise for Elizabeth Famous and this beautifully written and refreshingly unique coming of age story! It made me feel a plethora of emotions...borderline bipolar (and I loved every moment of it).

*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*

Samantha Montclare is a high school freshman with a one track mind, get through high school and into an Ivy League school. She's a math whiz and a mediocre soccer player who keeps a low profile in an attempt to avoid all the drama that seems to surround her hormone raging female classmates. She can't seem to wrap her head around how smart girls, suddenly enter high school and get sucked into a world of drooling over guys. Sam believed she led a a pretty normal life, that is until she stumbles upon her mother's diary...revealing a secret that turns her world upside down. As if high school wasn't torture enough with its hierarchies and politics, she has to deal with having "perverted parents", finding out her father is not who she thought and now him.

Delaney Troy is the soccer star at Darcy High and the only guy to provoke any physical reaction from Samantha. What ensues is a level of stalking only a high schooler can work like a pro. He was downright gorgeously dreamy...and a whore. Del was such a hot commodity that he had the uncanny ability to juggle more than one girl...he simply was not into labeling things, feeling tied down or answering to anyone in particular. He's not your cliché smooth operator, in fact his blunt and say-it-like-it-is attitude is one of the reasons I absolutely loved this book. I was constantly fighting the urge to physically hurt him and shower him with kisses. Sam's ogling is so intense, his friends and girlfriends (awkward) take notice and make him aware. This my friends is where it gets oddly interesting. 

The dynamic between Sam & Del lies heavily on a sexual power exchange. Del enjoyed sex and Sam was more than willing to satisfy his appetite. It's not high school puppy love, just a very physical relationship with a one sided emotional aspect to it (from Sam). Samantha craves a monogamous relationship with Delaney and eventually establishes one on his terms. Everything was always on Del's terms...which kinda made me want to choke Sam sometimes. It was infuriating how submissive she was towards him, but that was part of the beauty of this story. He was an ass but I respected his gangsta. Prime example: he had Samantha on check as far as all phone calls go and never actually gave her his number (she had to get it from the caller ID). SMH, who does that?! Who puts up with such tomfoolery in the quasi-relationship they had throughout most of the book. At the very end we get treated to some truly swoon worthy hearts and flowers moments (as close as it's gonna get with Del). He redeems himself as being worthy of Sam's attentions. 

... Ok, enough of my gushing over Mr. Troy. Now onto a more serious matter...

Sam's biological father, Anton de'Medici, is a wealthy Italian playboy investment banking mogul (that's a mouthful!). Samantha was the product of a year long ménage á trois between Catherine (Sam's mom), Robert (who Sam thought to be her father) and Anton...hence the "perverted parents" label. One thing about having open minded parents is the beautiful and nurturing relationship Sam has with Catherine and Robert. Her closest confidant was her father Robert and they had nightly chats about anything and everything (how fricken cute is that?!). This however is not the case with Anton. He comes across as a having a Mr. Darcy like pompous personality. He does not want to intrude on Catherine and Robert's parenting, however we gradually see him make an effort to become acquainted with Samantha...mainly as a family friend. At the end of the day, he wants what's best for Samantha, just like her parents. 

I'm glad I had the opportunity to read and review this book because it felt real. Not many high schoolers are looking to find true love and Del was no exception. He was aware of the reaction he elicited from girls and was brutally honest about who he was and what he wanted...never making any excuses or promises. They complimented each other perfectly, Sam was constantly letting her thoughts wander to the 'what ifs' of romance, while Del gladly pumped the brakes before she got too carried away. Love & Candy was a delightful read that I highly recommend. I look forward to future works by Elizabeth Famous.

 

-Karina on Goodreads.com

Dirty Girl Book Club has reviewed LOVE and CANDY. 

"I couldn't put it down. I kept hoping Delaney would turn into the prince charming I wanted him to be, but that’s just not who he is ... [but] it was enough for Samantha."

 

-Mallory Dodge from Dirty Girls Book Club

 

Oh my God, I want to read more of this story.  I love LOVE and CANDY.  There are so many good things about it but I'll pick 2. I love the Confidence Samantha has. We often read about women and girls falling apart when they are around boys that they like, but when she was playing soccer with Delaney, she played hard instead of doing the "girlie" thing and letting her game go. Your use of dialogue was great. Especially when she is speaking to the girl in line about Delaney.

 

-I.B.

 

“Good job.  If someone said "Hey S., want to read a teenage love story with a

soccer match?" I would have said no. But you have done well to turn it into a good read. I

kept turning the page. I like the way you have artfully done the little hooks throughout.”

-S.A.

 

“Fantastic effort! The earliest scenes seem to be the strongest. You really made me interested in Samantha and where the story is going to take her and us. Good description and use of dialogue to progress the story. I could actually hear the song Sex and Candy playing in my head as Delaney approached [the girl with the lollipop]. I appreciated the twist concerning her parentage but question whether or not it might be more powerful to let the revelation actually be a part of the natural story.”

 -M.S.

 

"Better than Fifty Shades of Grey."

- Lloyd in Boston, MA

 

"A lot of good characters with personality.  The story line is rich with subplots involving the Montclare girls, who made me laugh.  The excitement was sustained all the way to the ending."

-D.R. in New York, NY

 

"It's kind of ... racy.  Not sure who I can show it to." 

-Josephine in Bel Air