Release Day Review: Tart and Sweet by Amy Lane (Jaymie's Review)

Release Day Review: Tart and Sweet by Amy Lane (Jaymie's Review)

Title: Tart and Sweet

Series: Candy Man: Book Four

Author: Amy Lane

Release Date: September 5, 2016

Category: Contemporary

Pages: 220

In the Army, Robbie Chambers turned on his lover out of fear—and he hasn’t been able to live with himself since. Now he’s out of the Army but still trapped in the closet that brought on his most cowardly moment, and he starts to think he’ll never be able to fight his way free.

Until he sees Cy McVeigh. Beautiful and uninhibited, Cy is dancing on the boardwalk at Old Sac for no other reason than the moment called for it. Robbie not only joins in the dance but is smitten from the very beginning.

However, Robbie still has old business to clear up, and when he helps out a kid in need and comes face-to-face with the man he betrayed, he’s forced to come clean with himself. He can’t redeem his mistake if he’s still locked into his old patterns, and he won’t ever be worthy of Cy if he can’t earn Adam’s forgiveness. He’s going to need all the help he can get from the people at Candy Heaven in order to make things right with his past so he can have a future with Cy.

Buy it at: Dreamspinner Press

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Back home from the Army, Robbie Chambers is living unhappily in a cloud of guilt. Fear of repercussions lead him to betray the man he loves, denying their relationship and his sexuality. He'll never forgive himself for betraying Adam, but he hasn't found a way yet to climb out of the closet. When Robbie brings his girlfriend to lunch to meet his parents, he is unprepared for the entire outlook on his life to change. After one fun and free dance with a beautifully intriguing man and an eye-opening meal with his bigoted parents, Robbie decides to take a chance on living his life as the real him, instead of the man his parents expect him to be. It will take a lot for Robbie to fully embrace his new life, most of all, he'll need to make amends with his past. Even harder than that, he will have to learn to love, forgive and accept himself. It's not easy for him to do and it certainly wasn't easy for me to read. But in the end, it's all worth it. This is my first book in the Candy Man series. I have no excuse for never reading one, I love Amy Lane. So I am so glad I read Tart and Sweet although I'll definitely have to go back and read the previous books to fully understand the world these characters live in. There's a touch of paranormal fantasy and while it blends so well with the story, I was surprised by it. I would like to understand that aspect more and it's evident that I'll need to read book 1 for that. I liked Robbie quite a bit and in all honesty, I felt sad for him. I actually was brought to tears reading his story. His character totally resonated with me and I wanted good things for him. He's the perfect example of good people doing bad things. It was easy to see why he did what he did, wrong or not. I felt so sorry that he felt that was his only choice. This was a terrific book and I definitely recommend it. If you like Amy Lane I am sure you'll enjoy the visit from a couple of great characters from another of her series (don't want to spoil it). 5 Stars! ***A copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review***