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Candy G.
What kind of man drives a bulletproof Mercedes and carries a high-powered pistol in the glove compartment along with his boyhood teddy bear? Candy G does, that’s who. Once the exclusive attorney for the most powerful drug lord in San Antonio, he turned his back on Teirso Flores and walked away. But at what price?
Moving on with his life despite the threat of Teirso’s revenge, Candy meets gorgeous, streetwise Carlos Alvarez, and thus begins a passionate love affair rife with danger, secrets, and specters from the past that just won’t let go. When truths are revealed, will the one thing that brought their worlds together be the test that strengthens their love or the knife that severs their bond forever?
Moving on with his life despite the threat of Teirso’s revenge, Candy meets gorgeous, streetwise Carlos Alvarez, and thus begins a passionate love affair rife with danger, secrets, and specters from the past that just won’t let go. When truths are revealed, will the one thing that brought their worlds together be the test that strengthens their love or the knife that severs their bond forever?
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 5, 2014
I've just read and absolutely loved Honor C by C Zampa, an author I hadn't read before and early this morning, more or less straight after reading it, I rushed over and bought this one because I got so caught up in her writing style and wanted more. WOW! What another gem of a story. I couldn't put it down and devoured it all in one go.
Candelario Gonzalez or Candy G as he's known, is an ex bad ass criminal defence lawyer who worked for but walked away from his local crime boss and drug lord, after years of defending and getting him off criminal charges. Candy is still sort of feared but respected by the community who treat him as a bit of a local hero but now he's trying to make up for his sordid past by doing good. He still represents the odd client but mainly people who he really believes to be innocent and never rich clients, his income now mainly coming from some clubs he owns.
Always in fear of repercussions from his extremely dangerous ex boss Tierso Flores, he rides around in his beloved Mercedes with a gun tucked alongside the favourite childhood teddy bear in his glove compartment and is constantly protected in his home by bodyguards. Carlos Alvarez is a young neighbourhood guy who he first sees working in his favourite restaurant and for Candy its practically love at first sight! He's totally taken with this gorgeous young man and it seems feelings are mutual. Cue some awesome ST!
They finally act on the simmering attraction and its combustible but then Carlos disappears mysteriously and Candy is left thinking that he'll never see his young lover again. However months later Carlos calls for help out of the blue and the two of them reunite, the explanation for his disappearance is a shock to Candy but the chemistry and sexual tension between them is so palpable there's no way they can resist giving their relationship another try. You can almost touch the passion they share, its so thick and in this case of insta love, I didn't even question them falling for each other so fast because what they have is hot, heavy and tangible. They get back together and before long are finally living happily in a pretty solid relationship. But...
Like in all of these dramatic stories, things are not as they seem, so you just know this idyllic period can't last forever and of course as the plot twists and turns, stuff hits the fan and the two of them are not only put in danger of losing each other romantically but are also in danger of losing their lives.
I was gripped from start to finish and totally immersed in the whole exciting, sexy, roller coaster ride. Talk about on pins? I freakin' loved It!!! C Zampa I'm a total convert. Two five star reads one after the other. You can't argue with that. Recommend whole heartedly.
Candelario Gonzalez or Candy G as he's known, is an ex bad ass criminal defence lawyer who worked for but walked away from his local crime boss and drug lord, after years of defending and getting him off criminal charges. Candy is still sort of feared but respected by the community who treat him as a bit of a local hero but now he's trying to make up for his sordid past by doing good. He still represents the odd client but mainly people who he really believes to be innocent and never rich clients, his income now mainly coming from some clubs he owns.
Always in fear of repercussions from his extremely dangerous ex boss Tierso Flores, he rides around in his beloved Mercedes with a gun tucked alongside the favourite childhood teddy bear in his glove compartment and is constantly protected in his home by bodyguards. Carlos Alvarez is a young neighbourhood guy who he first sees working in his favourite restaurant and for Candy its practically love at first sight! He's totally taken with this gorgeous young man and it seems feelings are mutual. Cue some awesome ST!
They finally act on the simmering attraction and its combustible but then Carlos disappears mysteriously and Candy is left thinking that he'll never see his young lover again. However months later Carlos calls for help out of the blue and the two of them reunite, the explanation for his disappearance is a shock to Candy but the chemistry and sexual tension between them is so palpable there's no way they can resist giving their relationship another try. You can almost touch the passion they share, its so thick and in this case of insta love, I didn't even question them falling for each other so fast because what they have is hot, heavy and tangible. They get back together and before long are finally living happily in a pretty solid relationship. But...
Like in all of these dramatic stories, things are not as they seem, so you just know this idyllic period can't last forever and of course as the plot twists and turns, stuff hits the fan and the two of them are not only put in danger of losing each other romantically but are also in danger of losing their lives.
I was gripped from start to finish and totally immersed in the whole exciting, sexy, roller coaster ride. Talk about on pins? I freakin' loved It!!! C Zampa I'm a total convert. Two five star reads one after the other. You can't argue with that. Recommend whole heartedly.
November 7, 2011
Candy G is a lawyer, well respected in the community, hot, gay and single. He is also the former legal representative of one of the most feared crime lords of the city. No longer able to live with defending a guilty man, Candy looks forward to a new life but also over his shoulder - one doesn't leave that kind of life without wondering is a bullet has your name on it.
Carlos works two jobs, is a budding artist, and has his eye set on Candy G. Though there is an age difference, a life experience difference, a power difference, Carlos wants Candy for his own.
Can these two very different men come together and create something special together, or will Candy's past come between them. Or will it be Carlos' past that tears them apart?
Carol Zampa has built two very interesting characters here. Both have lots of secrets to hide, have a tough exterior, are die hard romantics, and ultimately want that special man to complete their lives. Candy especially is an intriguing man - a gay Hispanic man who overcame his past in the drug infested area of town to become a successful, attractive and powerful man. Yet his tender heart has been broken once, and he is afraid to give it again. When he does, he reacts as most men would - he guards it fiercely and realizes he may only have one last heartbreak in him.
And Carlos - he comes on like gangbusters, but is really a vulnerable young man who is certain he has found his soul mate in spite of his secrets. Following his ups and downs, the reader is drawn in and wonders, what makes him tick.
I really liked this book a lot. Ms. Zampa has a great feel for what drives her men, and shows us how they interact, not just telling us. Her tone is sweet but strong, and I look forward to her next project.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Tom
Carlos works two jobs, is a budding artist, and has his eye set on Candy G. Though there is an age difference, a life experience difference, a power difference, Carlos wants Candy for his own.
Can these two very different men come together and create something special together, or will Candy's past come between them. Or will it be Carlos' past that tears them apart?
Carol Zampa has built two very interesting characters here. Both have lots of secrets to hide, have a tough exterior, are die hard romantics, and ultimately want that special man to complete their lives. Candy especially is an intriguing man - a gay Hispanic man who overcame his past in the drug infested area of town to become a successful, attractive and powerful man. Yet his tender heart has been broken once, and he is afraid to give it again. When he does, he reacts as most men would - he guards it fiercely and realizes he may only have one last heartbreak in him.
And Carlos - he comes on like gangbusters, but is really a vulnerable young man who is certain he has found his soul mate in spite of his secrets. Following his ups and downs, the reader is drawn in and wonders, what makes him tick.
I really liked this book a lot. Ms. Zampa has a great feel for what drives her men, and shows us how they interact, not just telling us. Her tone is sweet but strong, and I look forward to her next project.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Tom
September 4, 2015
Escaping from your past can be difficult – but nothing is as hard as getting out of a life of crime. Candy faces that situation in this heart-wrenching story of a man who finally tries to do the right thing, only to find out that no matter how much he wants to forget, the past and his former boss will never let him go.
Candy fascinated me from the beginning. He used to be poor, comes from the barrio, and took a way out when Teirso Flores, a powerful drug lord, offers him an opportunity. At that point in life nothing seems as terrible to Candy as remaining poor. Candy becomes Teirso’s lawyer and gets him out of more legal trouble than most people can imagine. But Candy has his own set of values, and harming children is not something he can support. With a superhuman effort he walks away from Teirso and makes a life for himself. That life includes meeting and falling in love with Carlos, a young man who reminds Candy of himself in many ways. There is only one problem. Teirso is not ready to let him go, and Candy realizes the fight is not over.
Carlos has a few secrets of his own. He wants to be an artist, but has to work two jobs to survive. At first he sees only Candy’s outer layer – the power, the status, and the success of a lawyer. Carlos falls for Candy hook, line, and sinker – wanting him to be the soulmate he has always hoped he would find. Despite the difference in their age and where they are in their lives, Carlos knows he loves Candy – only to be shocked when things begin to happen that make Candy push him away.
If you like your heroes to be badass and just a little crooked, even if they are trying to be on the straight-and-narrow now, if you want to know about two men who come from very similar backgrounds and are both trying to free themselves from those restraints, and if you’re looking for a read that is as emotionally intense and suspenseful as it is heart-wrenching and hot, then you will probably like this novel.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Candy fascinated me from the beginning. He used to be poor, comes from the barrio, and took a way out when Teirso Flores, a powerful drug lord, offers him an opportunity. At that point in life nothing seems as terrible to Candy as remaining poor. Candy becomes Teirso’s lawyer and gets him out of more legal trouble than most people can imagine. But Candy has his own set of values, and harming children is not something he can support. With a superhuman effort he walks away from Teirso and makes a life for himself. That life includes meeting and falling in love with Carlos, a young man who reminds Candy of himself in many ways. There is only one problem. Teirso is not ready to let him go, and Candy realizes the fight is not over.
Carlos has a few secrets of his own. He wants to be an artist, but has to work two jobs to survive. At first he sees only Candy’s outer layer – the power, the status, and the success of a lawyer. Carlos falls for Candy hook, line, and sinker – wanting him to be the soulmate he has always hoped he would find. Despite the difference in their age and where they are in their lives, Carlos knows he loves Candy – only to be shocked when things begin to happen that make Candy push him away.
If you like your heroes to be badass and just a little crooked, even if they are trying to be on the straight-and-narrow now, if you want to know about two men who come from very similar backgrounds and are both trying to free themselves from those restraints, and if you’re looking for a read that is as emotionally intense and suspenseful as it is heart-wrenching and hot, then you will probably like this novel.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 27, 2022
Huzzah! Not the most enlightened response to a book ever, but so what?
Rarely does it happen that I actually believe the author has really written her
heroes into a corner they will not get out of. I honestly thought this was going
to be a bittersweet ending and no one told me. Then I thought....no, you didn't....
Now, you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out what the hell I'm talking about.
I will say this: Carlos is a complicated man. In a simple, honest and open sort of way.
You can see that what's on the surface is like the facade, the fancy cover foe
what's really there. But you can't see what's really there. You just know it's more than what you're being allowed to see.
I know, the book is written from Candy's POV and that's the character you're meant to get to know. But Carlos. Oh, Carlos. How this author has revealed him through all the things Candy doesn't know or refuses to see about him. Masterful. Something to aspire to.
And I should mention, as well, I could just roll around in this author's prose for days. She just picks an image out of the air and gives it shape and colour and depth and life with so few, perfect words. And not just one or two lucky turns of phrase, which even I manage once in a while ;) I mean consistently, I'll read this again because I know there are delicious things in there I missed the first time through.
Rarely does it happen that I actually believe the author has really written her
heroes into a corner they will not get out of. I honestly thought this was going
to be a bittersweet ending and no one told me. Then I thought....no, you didn't....
Now, you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out what the hell I'm talking about.
I will say this: Carlos is a complicated man. In a simple, honest and open sort of way.
You can see that what's on the surface is like the facade, the fancy cover foe
what's really there. But you can't see what's really there. You just know it's more than what you're being allowed to see.
I know, the book is written from Candy's POV and that's the character you're meant to get to know. But Carlos. Oh, Carlos. How this author has revealed him through all the things Candy doesn't know or refuses to see about him. Masterful. Something to aspire to.
And I should mention, as well, I could just roll around in this author's prose for days. She just picks an image out of the air and gives it shape and colour and depth and life with so few, perfect words. And not just one or two lucky turns of phrase, which even I manage once in a while ;) I mean consistently, I'll read this again because I know there are delicious things in there I missed the first time through.
October 12, 2015
Let me start by saying there were 28 episodes of crying in this book. 28!!! I would have been better off making this book a drinking game. If I would have taken a shot every time one of them (or their friends) cried I would have been sloshed at about the 25% mark and it would have been easier to finish.
This was insta-love and over the top emotions and it was really, really not my thing.
**and since I'm already being negative let me just comment on how horrible I find the cover. The guy looks like a teenage boy. It makes me feel dirty.......and not in a good way.
This was insta-love and over the top emotions and it was really, really not my thing.
**and since I'm already being negative let me just comment on how horrible I find the cover. The guy looks like a teenage boy. It makes me feel dirty.......and not in a good way.
October 1, 2013
Sex was hot
The I love you's to soon for me
The sex was hot
The sex was hot
Dios Mio
The I love you's to soon for me
The sex was hot
The sex was hot
Dios Mio
January 17, 2012
Candy G.
By C. Zampa
URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
ISBN: 978-1-61581-826-6
Genre: M/M, Novellas, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: HOT
Reviewer: The one and Only Silver Pixie
Book Summery
What kind of man drives a bulletproof Mercedes and carries a high-powered pistol in the glove compartment along with his boyhood teddy bear? Candy G does, that’s who. Once the exclusive attorney for the most powerful drug lord in San Antonio, he turned his back on Teirso Flores and walked away. But at what price?
Moving on with his life despite the threat of Teirso’s revenge, Candy meets gorgeous, streetwise Carlos Alvarez, and thus begins a passionate love affair rife with danger, secrets, and specters from the past that just won’t let go. When truths are revealed, will the one thing that brought their worlds together be the test that strengthens their love or the knife that severs their bond forever?
What happens when a Mexican bad ass meets his match in a young fellow with a cocky attitude? You get Candy and Carlos. From the moment I started reading this book I was hooked. OMFG Candy is dangerous bad assed and a romantic at heart. When he first sets eyes on Carlos at his favorite restaurant, and after a year of cat and mouse games they hook up and Candy is smitten. He wants his cocky little street urchin in his home in his bed and at his side. Despite the danger it could bring them both. Carlos warms Candy’s heart even more when he turns him down flat when after one Magical night together Candy asks Carlos to move in with him. A frantic text message the next day sets Candy into a whirl wind when Carlos disappears for a month only to reappear on the other end of a phone conversation.
Secrets, drugs and possive drug lords threaten our lovers at every turn. Each page leaves you want to choke the life out of each of them and wanting to cuddle them close in the next. Candy G was the hardest hitting, sexy, novel I have read in a long time and honestly I have to Say C. Zampa is a writer I want to get to know better and read more of.
As many of you know I don’t often stray from the known realm of writers that I know and love. However I had the chance to befriend C. Zampa on Facebook and I offered to read this book and review it for her. I was pleasantly surprised and she has gained another loyal follower after this one novel. I hope she has more novels planned for Carlos and Candy because I can honestly say I would LOVE to see more of these characters. If any of her other books are even half as sexy and exciting I am sure I am going to need more time in my day for reading.
On Silver’s Erect Peni Scale of 1-10 I have to Give Candy G a 10 erect Peni!!! Candy is Dark Dangerous and heartwarming all at the same time. C. Zampa can write them hot deep and meaningful.
On my Scale of Sell the kids and By Now or it can wait till Pay day this is another Novel I have to say that you need to pack up your child (furry or not) SELL YOUR CHILD AND GET THIS BOOK!!!!!
I want to say again that I am thankful I took a chance on this new writer (well NEW to me) and I look forward to more books in the future from her.
By C. Zampa
URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
ISBN: 978-1-61581-826-6
Genre: M/M, Novellas, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: HOT
Reviewer: The one and Only Silver Pixie
Book Summery
What kind of man drives a bulletproof Mercedes and carries a high-powered pistol in the glove compartment along with his boyhood teddy bear? Candy G does, that’s who. Once the exclusive attorney for the most powerful drug lord in San Antonio, he turned his back on Teirso Flores and walked away. But at what price?
Moving on with his life despite the threat of Teirso’s revenge, Candy meets gorgeous, streetwise Carlos Alvarez, and thus begins a passionate love affair rife with danger, secrets, and specters from the past that just won’t let go. When truths are revealed, will the one thing that brought their worlds together be the test that strengthens their love or the knife that severs their bond forever?
What happens when a Mexican bad ass meets his match in a young fellow with a cocky attitude? You get Candy and Carlos. From the moment I started reading this book I was hooked. OMFG Candy is dangerous bad assed and a romantic at heart. When he first sets eyes on Carlos at his favorite restaurant, and after a year of cat and mouse games they hook up and Candy is smitten. He wants his cocky little street urchin in his home in his bed and at his side. Despite the danger it could bring them both. Carlos warms Candy’s heart even more when he turns him down flat when after one Magical night together Candy asks Carlos to move in with him. A frantic text message the next day sets Candy into a whirl wind when Carlos disappears for a month only to reappear on the other end of a phone conversation.
Secrets, drugs and possive drug lords threaten our lovers at every turn. Each page leaves you want to choke the life out of each of them and wanting to cuddle them close in the next. Candy G was the hardest hitting, sexy, novel I have read in a long time and honestly I have to Say C. Zampa is a writer I want to get to know better and read more of.
As many of you know I don’t often stray from the known realm of writers that I know and love. However I had the chance to befriend C. Zampa on Facebook and I offered to read this book and review it for her. I was pleasantly surprised and she has gained another loyal follower after this one novel. I hope she has more novels planned for Carlos and Candy because I can honestly say I would LOVE to see more of these characters. If any of her other books are even half as sexy and exciting I am sure I am going to need more time in my day for reading.
On Silver’s Erect Peni Scale of 1-10 I have to Give Candy G a 10 erect Peni!!! Candy is Dark Dangerous and heartwarming all at the same time. C. Zampa can write them hot deep and meaningful.
On my Scale of Sell the kids and By Now or it can wait till Pay day this is another Novel I have to say that you need to pack up your child (furry or not) SELL YOUR CHILD AND GET THIS BOOK!!!!!
I want to say again that I am thankful I took a chance on this new writer (well NEW to me) and I look forward to more books in the future from her.
March 8, 2011
As an author, CANDY G is exactly the kind of story you can only dream of writing. And as a reader, it’s not one you ever expect to see coming.
It’s that good. That compelling.
Oh, you can plan for the story. You can anticipate the plot. But what no one will anticipate is the power of the words. And saying C. Zampa’s CANDY G is powerful is an understatement.
The story centers around Candelario Gonzalez, an attorney who made a name for himself first by defending a notorious drug lord, then by walking away from him. CANDY G is wealthy and an imposing presence on the local streets; the mere sight of him sends gang members scattering. In one scene, residents scurry into their dilapidated homes to cower with the rats when the sleek bulletproof Mercedes glides down the trash-infested streets. It’s a telling example of how Candy finds himself a victim of his own reputation, his isolation a melting pot circumstance of those who fear him and others who want him for what he is, not who.
The he meets Carlos Alvarez.
Candy and Carlos have spent months admiring one another from afar, and the passion ignited when these two men finally join proximities is tangible. Zampa manages to pour such vivid heartfelt emotion into every exchange that you feel your own heart beating in cadence with Candy’s. You find yourself looking into the eyes of the man whose essence has captured a piece of Candy’s soul, pulling the whole time for this to be something real, for these two to finally have happiness. But alas, it’s not always that easy, is it?
Candy has a past, and Carlos has a secret. And the fallout? You’ll never see it coming.
CANDY G is a story marked with gripping emotion – the love sensual and strong, the intimacy so intense you almost feel at times like you should back out of the room to give these two some privacy. But do that and you’ll regret it, because the sex is not only beautifully written – marked with a great deal of feeling and less focus on that other f-word – but smoking hot.
Zampa’s writing style is unforgettable, the words filled with a poignancy readers seldom find – particularly in stories of an erotic nature. To read CANDY G is to be emotionally invested, and by the time the painful truth comes out there’s a deep ache with it. The impact of this story – inescapable, extraordinary – is one you’ll want to carry with you, the last line lingering long after the page is closed.
I was first in line to buy this one, and I’ll be there for the next. C. Zampa’s ability to coax meaning and beauty from the same mere words the rest of us use is incomparable.
Not surprisingly, so is CANDY G.
It’s that good. That compelling.
Oh, you can plan for the story. You can anticipate the plot. But what no one will anticipate is the power of the words. And saying C. Zampa’s CANDY G is powerful is an understatement.
The story centers around Candelario Gonzalez, an attorney who made a name for himself first by defending a notorious drug lord, then by walking away from him. CANDY G is wealthy and an imposing presence on the local streets; the mere sight of him sends gang members scattering. In one scene, residents scurry into their dilapidated homes to cower with the rats when the sleek bulletproof Mercedes glides down the trash-infested streets. It’s a telling example of how Candy finds himself a victim of his own reputation, his isolation a melting pot circumstance of those who fear him and others who want him for what he is, not who.
The he meets Carlos Alvarez.
Candy and Carlos have spent months admiring one another from afar, and the passion ignited when these two men finally join proximities is tangible. Zampa manages to pour such vivid heartfelt emotion into every exchange that you feel your own heart beating in cadence with Candy’s. You find yourself looking into the eyes of the man whose essence has captured a piece of Candy’s soul, pulling the whole time for this to be something real, for these two to finally have happiness. But alas, it’s not always that easy, is it?
Candy has a past, and Carlos has a secret. And the fallout? You’ll never see it coming.
CANDY G is a story marked with gripping emotion – the love sensual and strong, the intimacy so intense you almost feel at times like you should back out of the room to give these two some privacy. But do that and you’ll regret it, because the sex is not only beautifully written – marked with a great deal of feeling and less focus on that other f-word – but smoking hot.
Zampa’s writing style is unforgettable, the words filled with a poignancy readers seldom find – particularly in stories of an erotic nature. To read CANDY G is to be emotionally invested, and by the time the painful truth comes out there’s a deep ache with it. The impact of this story – inescapable, extraordinary – is one you’ll want to carry with you, the last line lingering long after the page is closed.
I was first in line to buy this one, and I’ll be there for the next. C. Zampa’s ability to coax meaning and beauty from the same mere words the rest of us use is incomparable.
Not surprisingly, so is CANDY G.
August 13, 2016
This one is a bit difficult to rate, because over-all it gave me a good feeling, a very nice ending and all that.
It was sexy too, (not mind-blowing for me, personally - but it was quite yum).
It's also sweet and I liked the instalove and especially the twist, which again, I did not see coming.
Really, the story is good - I liked the "romantic tough-guy meets the innocent street kid who just isn't really what he thinks he is" theme.
To be honest though the writing kinda sometimes put me off a little, I didn't connect with Candy and even less with Carlos since there was no way to get to know him :( Also, all in all there was just too much sap. Usually I am big on romance and mush and those I love you's but it just kind of felt out of place here for some reason.
I found it rather sad that we don't get to see proper feelings and background from Carlos, and he was just a tad whiny and needy. His childish behavior felt a bit off - esp. with the revelation after half the book.
Oh and the constant Spanish kinda turned me off. I get they're Latino, Mexican - I just found it rather irritating to have a Spanish endearment or more in every second sentence :(
Nevertheless it was a good read and I'm glad I didn't give up halfway.
It was sexy too, (not mind-blowing for me, personally - but it was quite yum).
It's also sweet and I liked the instalove and especially the twist, which again, I did not see coming.
Really, the story is good - I liked the "romantic tough-guy meets the innocent street kid who just isn't really what he thinks he is" theme.
To be honest though the writing kinda sometimes put me off a little, I didn't connect with Candy and even less with Carlos since there was no way to get to know him :( Also, all in all there was just too much sap. Usually I am big on romance and mush and those I love you's but it just kind of felt out of place here for some reason.
I found it rather sad that we don't get to see proper feelings and background from Carlos, and he was just a tad whiny and needy. His childish behavior felt a bit off - esp. with the revelation after half the book.
Oh and the constant Spanish kinda turned me off. I get they're Latino, Mexican - I just found it rather irritating to have a Spanish endearment or more in every second sentence :(
Nevertheless it was a good read and I'm glad I didn't give up halfway.
August 30, 2011
I really enjoyed Zampa's character, Candy G—a truly inspired name for an inspired character. A barrio boy made good doing wrong (or helping the bad guy do wrong), who has finally come to realize there's a bottom he can't, won't, sink below. He cuts his ties to the underworld, he lives in danger, and he remains aloof until... Yeah, you guessed it, he meets that man he just can't forget. (The only 'glitch' I found with this book is finding it difficult to fit this young man, Carlos into his occupation. I'll say no more, because to do so would amount to a spoiler, and it was minimal—didn't even change my 5-star rating.) Bottom line, Candy G is used to getting what he wants, but in this case that may or may not be two different things. On the way to finding out which, I enjoyed a truly good read. I'd definitely read more by this author.
April 11, 2011
C. Zampa has such a vivid way with words and builds such believable characters. I was hooked from the start and stayed enthralled with the way character’s vulnerability is woven with a strength that is only enhanced by this. Zampa has a unique understanding of the inner conflicts that sometimes surpasses reason or contradicts each other. I am glad to have found such a talented wordsmith and cannot wait for C. Zampa’s next release
August 16, 2013
Thank you, C. Zampa, for a beautiful, emotional read. It was superb--amazing MCs, terrific writing. Candy G. touched my heart.
September 10, 2017
Wow. Badass tough guy (who turned his life around when the crime boss he worked to defend crossed a line) meets streetwise kid (who not only worships him, but may even remind him of his younger self) – let the fun begin! I loved this suspenseful story and its MCs who are tough on the outside but vulnerable under the surface. I will most definitely be looking for more by this new to me author!
March 11, 2011
The M/M genre has been blessed with a talented new voice in C. Zampa. Her first published work shows an author with a deep understanding of romance in general but an even deeper understanding of the male psyche. Love is love and it knows no boundaries. Characterization for the two main protagonists simply shined. I loved the way Candy G could be soft and hard, forgiving and vengeful all at the same time, and the way he KNEW, just KNEW he wanted Carlos and nothing was going to stop him. The vulnerability of these two lovers and how Ms. Zampa shared that vulnerability with readers was incredible. Candy G is an amazingly well-written novella with a great plot. The sexy scenes will knock your socks off and leave you begging for more. Ms. Zampa knows how to write it hot and she knows how to make it all MALE. I look forward to reading more of her work.
January 19, 2013
Candy used to be the lawyer of a drug lord but he has turned his back and walked away. His life is constantly in danger - he drives a bullet-proof car and has armed men and guard dogs protecting his home. The sparks are there between Candy and Carlos from the first moment they meet. After one night together, Carlos disappears from Candy's life until he receives a phone call in the middle of the night asking for help. The relationship between the two men develops very quickly but is nonetheless very intricate. The build-up and pace of the story appear to be deceptively slow until all of a sudden - wham! I wish this book could have been longer, not because I don't think it works at this length but just because I wanted to spend more time with Candy and Carlos.
June 27, 2011
This was a love story, and for some reason, I was expecting action/mystery/suspense with romance on the side. Since I read the whole story expecting something else, it didn't work too well for me.
I didn't really click with the characters, either. Candy seemed to blow too hot, then too cold... Carlos stayed mostly mysterious and suspicious for most of the story. Jesse was a sidekick/best friend.
It was an okay story. Neither too bad nor too great. 2.5 stars.
I didn't really click with the characters, either. Candy seemed to blow too hot, then too cold... Carlos stayed mostly mysterious and suspicious for most of the story. Jesse was a sidekick/best friend.
It was an okay story. Neither too bad nor too great. 2.5 stars.
June 7, 2013
Great read.
August 12, 2024
1.5 stars
The first half of this book was either sex, anticipating sex, or a mutual admiration society. Just because you have one person talking about what he knows about the other person doesn’t make it showing and not telling.
There really wasn’t much of a plot. Mostly it was someone in trouble or disappearing or not explaining something. Candy would ask Carlos to explain something and then a couple of minutes later wouldn’t let him. One thing was never explained:
The dialog is clunky, wooden. Even the text isn’t smooth, like it was translated from Spanish poorly. On a light note, though, my Duolingo Spanish is actually helping! I understood most of what they say to each other! Which just tells me the author has as little Spanish as I do.
All in all, I feel this was formulaic and boring and the plot an afterthought.
The first half of this book was either sex, anticipating sex, or a mutual admiration society. Just because you have one person talking about what he knows about the other person doesn’t make it showing and not telling.
There really wasn’t much of a plot. Mostly it was someone in trouble or disappearing or not explaining something. Candy would ask Carlos to explain something and then a couple of minutes later wouldn’t let him. One thing was never explained:
The dialog is clunky, wooden. Even the text isn’t smooth, like it was translated from Spanish poorly. On a light note, though, my Duolingo Spanish is actually helping! I understood most of what they say to each other! Which just tells me the author has as little Spanish as I do.
All in all, I feel this was formulaic and boring and the plot an afterthought.
September 26, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
It was easy to caught up as this book opened with Candy leaving his position and then meeting Carlos. Everywhere Candy goes people know him and cater to him even though he doesn’t ask for it. When Candy sees Carlos he is absolutely struck by him. There is the physical attraction and then there is almost a nostalgic feeling that Candy has for his younger days. The sexual attraction, intensity, and tension between Candy and Carlos is well written, moves thorough the pages, and compels you to keep reading. We also get clear dual POV, which is always a favorite of mine. There is also a third POV of Candy’s friend Jesse which definitely added to the story.
I enjoyed the author’s style of writing and there was some engaging prose. At the end, however, there were areas that I questioned and other areas that I would have liked to see more of to better complement the story. The attraction and initial dance these guys did around each other was intensely written. When they got together, the intimate scenes were brief and did not have the same intensity to match the attraction that was shown. There were many times that the story would get us just close enough and then would pull back time and again, which broke the emotional connection built. Candy was also supposed to be this lawyer to a big time criminal, yet he was overwhelmed to have this beautiful boy in his bed and was moved to tears easily more than once. So if you are looking for a real bad Alpha guy, he might not be it.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
It was easy to caught up as this book opened with Candy leaving his position and then meeting Carlos. Everywhere Candy goes people know him and cater to him even though he doesn’t ask for it. When Candy sees Carlos he is absolutely struck by him. There is the physical attraction and then there is almost a nostalgic feeling that Candy has for his younger days. The sexual attraction, intensity, and tension between Candy and Carlos is well written, moves thorough the pages, and compels you to keep reading. We also get clear dual POV, which is always a favorite of mine. There is also a third POV of Candy’s friend Jesse which definitely added to the story.
I enjoyed the author’s style of writing and there was some engaging prose. At the end, however, there were areas that I questioned and other areas that I would have liked to see more of to better complement the story. The attraction and initial dance these guys did around each other was intensely written. When they got together, the intimate scenes were brief and did not have the same intensity to match the attraction that was shown. There were many times that the story would get us just close enough and then would pull back time and again, which broke the emotional connection built. Candy was also supposed to be this lawyer to a big time criminal, yet he was overwhelmed to have this beautiful boy in his bed and was moved to tears easily more than once. So if you are looking for a real bad Alpha guy, he might not be it.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
December 30, 2015
Original review on Molly Lolly
Four and a half stars!
Oh my gosh. This book is wonderful. It’s powerful and emotional and so dang amazing. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it. Candy comes off as this bad boy that doesn’t give a crap to those in the community. But that’s just a mask he uses so people don’t see who he truly is. There are a handful of people in his life that get to see the true him and he has a hard time letting Carlos in. But Carlos can read him. Carlos can see behind the mask and it so beautiful watching these two find their way together. That twist in the middle where Candy learns something specific about Carlos that coincides with his past coming back to haunt him (I SO WANT TO TELL YOU! But I won’t, you have to read it yourself to see!). Oh man it hurt so much to watch that explosion. I was so scared through those chapters that they weren’t going to make it out together and with their relationship intact. The ending was so perfect. They have their happily ever after and you just know they’re going to make it no matter what life shoves their way. But those two scenes from Jesse’s point of view. Holy moly mind BLOWN! I so didn’t see that coming. My heart hurts for Jesse. I really want a sequel of some kind. I’d love to see more Candy and Carlos. But I also want Jesse to have a story.
Four and a half stars!
Oh my gosh. This book is wonderful. It’s powerful and emotional and so dang amazing. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it. Candy comes off as this bad boy that doesn’t give a crap to those in the community. But that’s just a mask he uses so people don’t see who he truly is. There are a handful of people in his life that get to see the true him and he has a hard time letting Carlos in. But Carlos can read him. Carlos can see behind the mask and it so beautiful watching these two find their way together. That twist in the middle where Candy learns something specific about Carlos that coincides with his past coming back to haunt him (I SO WANT TO TELL YOU! But I won’t, you have to read it yourself to see!). Oh man it hurt so much to watch that explosion. I was so scared through those chapters that they weren’t going to make it out together and with their relationship intact. The ending was so perfect. They have their happily ever after and you just know they’re going to make it no matter what life shoves their way. But those two scenes from Jesse’s point of view. Holy moly mind BLOWN! I so didn’t see that coming. My heart hurts for Jesse. I really want a sequel of some kind. I’d love to see more Candy and Carlos. But I also want Jesse to have a story.
April 19, 2012
My main problem with the story was the dialogue - Latin American men (even gay ones) rarely call each other chico or muchacho so often. Having grown up in a house with a Hispanic family, I've heard how the men speak to each other and usually it's a lot more rough than that. I understand that the author wanted to make it as authentic as possible by integrating some Spanish into their dialogue, but occasionally it felt forced. I probably feel this way simply because I grew up in that atmosphere and I know what to listen for.
But I *did* love the story between Candelario and Carlos, and I did NOT see the twists at the end, which really made me happy. I don't like being able to guess what happens in a book - that makes it boring and predictable, and Candy G was neither. I loved that Carlos made Candelario more vulnerable, more human. Watching (reading) them together was very sweet, and a pleasure to do so. I think that C. Zampa has a lot of potential and a big future ahead of her and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
But I *did* love the story between Candelario and Carlos, and I did NOT see the twists at the end, which really made me happy. I don't like being able to guess what happens in a book - that makes it boring and predictable, and Candy G was neither. I loved that Carlos made Candelario more vulnerable, more human. Watching (reading) them together was very sweet, and a pleasure to do so. I think that C. Zampa has a lot of potential and a big future ahead of her and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
January 23, 2012
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book because I didn't hear anything about it prior to picking it up.
Candy G is a high-powered attorney that worked for drug lord Teirso Flores. Tired of selling his soul, Candy G walks away and tries to help out his local community as much as he can, and makes a name for himself among the local people. He bumps into Carlos Alvarez a waiter at his favorite restaurant and the only man he will allow to detail his mercedes. Candy finds that he wants to protect and take in the young man, but will the threat of leaving Flores allow Candy G to live a normal life?
While this story was predictable in the conflict that arises as well as the outcome, I still enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. I thought the cover models were well-depicted and looked very much the way the characters were described in the book, which made it easy for me to visualize the characters. This book was a little short, but it was a good read.
Candy G is a high-powered attorney that worked for drug lord Teirso Flores. Tired of selling his soul, Candy G walks away and tries to help out his local community as much as he can, and makes a name for himself among the local people. He bumps into Carlos Alvarez a waiter at his favorite restaurant and the only man he will allow to detail his mercedes. Candy finds that he wants to protect and take in the young man, but will the threat of leaving Flores allow Candy G to live a normal life?
While this story was predictable in the conflict that arises as well as the outcome, I still enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. I thought the cover models were well-depicted and looked very much the way the characters were described in the book, which made it easy for me to visualize the characters. This book was a little short, but it was a good read.
October 23, 2015
4.5 Stars
I was given this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
First let me say this is my first book by this author and I was completely surprised. This author was able to weave a story so good that I couldn’t put the book down. The author was able to bring two men together that I would never have believed that they could make it work. Both men had some serious issues in their past and the author was able to make me believe that they belonged together. Don’t get me wrong they certainly and to work for it. That made for a very intense book. Will definitely read more books by this author and would highly recommend this to everyone.
I was given this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
First let me say this is my first book by this author and I was completely surprised. This author was able to weave a story so good that I couldn’t put the book down. The author was able to bring two men together that I would never have believed that they could make it work. Both men had some serious issues in their past and the author was able to make me believe that they belonged together. Don’t get me wrong they certainly and to work for it. That made for a very intense book. Will definitely read more books by this author and would highly recommend this to everyone.
July 18, 2011
3.5stars Please know this is a first person story. Although and really enjoy the concept and could appreciate everything Candy was going through. As most readers know this is the least likable format for a romance. The one true thing a book can do is get you inside the thoughts and feelings of your characters. But with first person you can really only get involved in one persons point of view.
March 20, 2011
This is the kind of book you you want to have around when the spin doctors are in full gear. candy g comes across real. If you want too taste,feel,smell, C Zampa can deliver. I have not seen this author before and I hope not the last .This is fiction the way you want to read it, raw no prisoners no apologies. Tag this because when the next book comes you may not be able to get a copy.
June 21, 2012
3.5
I really enjoyed it, but would have liked it more if I'd better seen/felt the love between Candy and Carlos. I had to keep reminding myself they'd been building something for a year in the backstory, because I just didn't see sufficient explanation for why they loved each other in the present. Then again, they each swore they loved at first sight, and I'm not a big believer in insta-love.
I really enjoyed it, but would have liked it more if I'd better seen/felt the love between Candy and Carlos. I had to keep reminding myself they'd been building something for a year in the backstory, because I just didn't see sufficient explanation for why they loved each other in the present. Then again, they each swore they loved at first sight, and I'm not a big believer in insta-love.
June 19, 2014
I read this with 2 very dear friends and sometimes that makes books even better! I LOVED Carlos and Candy! Truly they were so awesome. Even though I got a toothache from the sweetness I have to say C. Zampa made it work! Her writing was gorgeous and her visuals were perfection! Loved it!
May 5, 2011
2.5 stars.
April 21, 2011
t'was a good book. a little too slow to begin and then very fast and good and then again going down slow. but still good to read !
November 25, 2013
This book was Mas Chingon!
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