Let's be real... I skipped ahead to J. Daniels section! I loved reading about the Bama crew-- each couple had their own private scene so unique to them that lead to all of them partying together. I wish I could have gotten a whole book of their Halloween!

Absolutely loved the novellas from J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, and Tijan! As a fan of the authors series, these short stories were such a fun treat!

Downloaded without realizing it contains characters from series/stories I haven't read yet, and I do not want spoilers so I have not read it, so I technically don't have an opinion/rating, but one is needed for this section.

What a fabulous collection of books. I really enjoyed reading them.

My review: I didn’t much like the Tijan story, which was the first thing I’ve read by her, but the rest of this anthology was solid and very enjoyable. The best story by far was Helena Hunting’s, and I’m keen to read more with these characters. I think I’ll also have to check out the other writers in the collection, too, whom I haven’t read before.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 4/5

Eye Candy Anthology

So Much More by J Daniels ~ 5 Stars
So Much More is a definite must read for all of you Alabama Summer Series fans. Daniels gives us an update on all the happenings of our favorite couples with this little glimpse into their world. There was excitement, quite a few laugh out loud moments, some tears, plenty of sweet, and of course, a decent amount of steam. I absolutely loved catching up with this crew. I was impressed with how much substance Daniels was able to include in such a short story. I can't wait to see where she takes these characters next and I'm desperate to see how certain aspects play out.

The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec ~ 5 Stars
I totally woke my husband and one of my children while reading this. Noel and Sam are about to be parents and with another holiday fast approaching, who knows what catastrophes lie ahead. Being back with the Stockings and Holidays was a non-stop laugh riot. This novella was a perfect fit for this couple and series. I'm not sure if Sivec has plans to write more of these two (or other characters within the series) but I'm all over it if she does.

I must say I'm very happy with all of the short stories in the Eye Candy Anthology. For me I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to follow most of them as I had only read J. Daniels Alabama Summer series prior. I don't feel that you necessarily need to have read all previous books.

These were all super reads to get you into the Halloween mode. Of course J Daniels So Much More was extra special for me as it meant I got a little glimpse into the lives of the characters & OMG Nolan's chapter was so sweet & amazing. Love that little dude.

After reading these I really know that I have some new authors that I will definitely be reading. This is a nice introduction for readers looking to discover some new authors.

All the authors did an amazing job providing us with Spooktacular reads!!!!

I am not an Anthology person at all!!! Ask my blog partner. I HATE them!!! The only reason that I wanted to read and review Eye Candy is because I love all of these authors and I needed their stories in my life!!

I am so glad that I took the chance with this one. Each and every author delivered. I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Eye Candy. It was the perfect fall treat!

I loved every story in this book. It would help to read the rest of the series to better understand what's happening and know the background a little better.

I wish I had read books by all the authors in this anthology. Sadly, I've only read J. Daniels work SO FAR. I definitely plan on getting to know these other amazing authors soon. Since I haven't read the books by Tijan, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec, I decided to just jump right in to SO MUCH MORE by J. Daniels.

You know that feeling when you've been away from your family or close friends and then you finally get together and it's like no time has passed. Everything feels perfect and like that missing puzzle piece is finally back in place? That's what reading this novella was like for me. It was like coming home from a long vacation!

I absolutely loved everything about this short story and wished that I could have had more. More of these characters that I had missed so much. It gets me even more excited about the next (and final?) book in the Alabama Summer Series, SAY I'M YOURS. Each chapter followed a different couple and gave us a taste of where everyone is at in life at this moment. They made me giggle, they made my teary and it was just plain fun.

To summarize: This novella was everything I hoped it would be and more. SO MUCH MORE (see what I did there, ha!). If you've read the Alabama Summer books you'll love this story. I highly recommend it. The last chapter was just freaking adorable and gave me hope for more to come! I have hopes and dreams that someday we will get a spin off series about the second gen Bama Kids.

I couldnt finish it I started with the first book and just didnt like it one bit . I will eventually get to Tara Sivec and Bella Jewel because I love them and their stories but for now its a No

So Much More novella
5☆
I was so excited to jump back into the Bama world!!! We got something from every couple that was meaningful. There was sweet, sexy, and funny all throughout. I loved that there was really good story in this novella, it had a few emotional points for a lot of couples. This definitely made me miss this group!!

Getting Down novella
5☆
This novella has me dying for Hooking Up! It is a fantastic bridge to it and has pov from Amie. It really shows how much of a loser Armstrong is! I got angry for her! Bane and Ruby are hilarious as always, of course with plenty of sexy! So good!

The Pumpkin Was Stuffed novella
4.5☆
I binged the entire Holiday series so I could read this arc and The Pumpkin Was Stuffed was a great end! Noel and Sam had a sweet yet fun storyline for Halloween. I adore this family and all their crazy shenanigans!
* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a fun book because the storys arent too long so its easy to get through each story and believe me you don't want to put it down. Each story is great in its own way by great authors. I received an arc of this for my honest review

I read only two stories out of this anthology; Tijan’s Fallen Crest Nightmare and J. Daniel’s So Much More and my rating for the anthology is an average for those.

SO MUCH MORE by J. Daniels
5 STARS
Goo! I’m a pile of goo! This story was just perfection. Sweet, sexy, giddy smile on your face perfection. J. Daniels brings her entire gang back in her Alabama Summer Series, and it was GLORIOUS. Mia and Ben, Reed and Beth, CJ and Riley, and my favorite couple, Tessa and Luke all get a story here and it was like the ridiculously perfect icing on the already tasty cake. I loved this series, but getting this additional peek into these couples lives was fantastic. And then there was Nolan. OMG NOLAN! You guys! This is easily one of the most vivid, most endearing characters J has ever written to date and he’s just a kid. But oh man, he steals my heart each and every single time I read about him. And that final chapter? PERFECTION!
——————–
Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan
4 STARS
Firstly, how am I only discovering this author now? What sort of rock have I been living under? This novella was a fun and spooky bonus to the Fallen Crest series and I. Am. Hooked.

There were so many characters that I was just discovering and I had no issues keeping up. If anything, this novella just whet my appetite for more. This was a fun hybrid of Scream and NA goodness and I gobbled it right up. Then I went and immediately one-clicked the Fallen Crest High series. I feel a reading binge coming on in my very near future.

Eye Candy

Eye Candy – Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Scary Story
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Logan and Mason were their hot, protective selves and Sam is just as awesome. She is having the worst Halloween – her friends are dropping like flies and she can't seem to stop it. There is someone after her and even with everyone trying to save and protect everyone, this mystery person is getting to them.

This is a short story about the main characters in Tijan's Fallen Crest High story. It was scary, sexy, and despite knowing what you can guess when you read books like this, it was very entertaining. I loved seeing these characters again.


Kris – ☆☆☆
I've been a junkie for the Fallen Crest High characters since book one. I love Mason and Logan, they're loyal, loving, and downright jerks when they have to be. Everything you want to love in a male lead character, they have in spades. I've lost some interest in Samantha though in the past few books. She's become very secure in herself and that's great, but almost too much? She's lost any redeeming qualities that made her likable, in my opinion. I'm finding her cold and too aloof. In any case, Mason is off playing football in the NFL. Sam, Logan, and sidekicks are celebrating their last year of college at Cain U with a huge Halloween party. The girls decide to enjoy a girls’ night out on Halloween Eve (we call it Devil’s Night in Michigan) and Sam gets extremely drunk... or maybe she's been drugged? There's a strange cloaked and masked, evil entity following the entourage. All types of horrible things happen to Sam and her friends and who knows what's going on. I found the story very spacey and odd. Very choppy, never really flowing. If this was done intentionally, it was brilliant as it certainly kept me off key and off kilter and slightly freaked out. I had to skip ahead to find out what in THE heck was going on! Perfect for a short Halloween tale, but not my cup of tea! I’m a wuss.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4 stars of super spooky!

Even if you have never read the series (where have you been?), you will soon be brought up to date with the dynamics and history of the characters. That said, this dark is definitely new!

Very clever, perfect Halloween story, which is very cleverly paced and has enough twists to make you wonder, and then wonder again. It was a satisfyingly spooky tale, perfect for the time of year – and it is always good to catch up with the gang. Not enough of them really, but fun nonetheless.



Eye Candy – So Much More by J. Daniels

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
2.5 stars
M/F Romance

This was a sweet story, but unless you've read the previous book in the series, I felt that you were kind of missing the different dynamics between and among the characters. It's a very short read and it lets you look in to each couples' life, but you really do just have a glimpse. If you didn't know what or who everyone was, it would seem that it was a very truncated story. There was not a true Halloween theme for me and I found it just a kind of awkward story.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a fun, and slightly bittersweet, catch up with the gang from the Alabama Summer series. I totally loved seeing how time has been treating the couples, and the creepy is just this side of okay! Nolan is possibly the star of the whole novella for me.



Eye Candy – Getting Down by Helena Hunting

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

This was a very frustrating story for me. While it did have more of a party theme to it, the short snippets of characters we were able to see left me wanting.

I liked how Bancroft and Ruby banter back and forth and they have some great chemistry. You get to see some jealousy among them, which gives them a feeling of having a lot of passion.

Then you have Amie and Armstrong and their relationship borders on emotional abuse. Armstrong is horrible and I hated him. Not to mention that he still lets his mother run his life. I also wished that Amie was more able to stand up for herself – she essentially just took whatever was dished out.

Finally, you had Lexington. He sounded so confident and sexy, but in the end, he was just an extra character – I think we needed more from him for this story to feel more complete.

I enjoyed the relationships between dynamic and hope there is more to come from these characters, as I felt that a lot went unsaid.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This novella follows the Shacking Up book – which I have to admit I have not yet read, however I shall be rectifying that very soon! There is enough of an introduction that my lack of knowledge did not matter enough to affect my enjoyment, but I bet I would have got some of the inside jokes better if I had.

This is a very cute, sassy, and comedic little story – with some super hot interludes, which in one case definitely led to a most unfortunate double wardrobe malfunction. At least that is how it is for Bane and Ruby. Things are not so good for Amalie, but I have a feeling that Lex is going to be her salvation in future installments – I certainly hope so.



Eye Candy – Unsafe Haven by Bella Jewel

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Oliver and Jade are such a sweet couple. While you get the impression that they are both horribly shy, you know that deep down, they are looking for more in their life.

When they are helping to throw a party for abuse survivors, things begin to go wrong. I found that the scary part of the story was very entertaining and well developed. You really didn't know what to expect or who was doing them.

The romance wasn't overdone and had just the right amount of sweetness to not overtake the story. I really liked this one.


Kris – ☆☆☆
Jade comes from an abusive relationship and seeks safe haven at the community center where she's helping prepare for a Halloween party. Oliver is a big burly, sorta brooding handyman at the center and Jade has had her eye on him for a bit now. Being very shy and quiet she can’t find the moment to talk to Oliver. Somehow, they end up locked in a closet together. Scary stuff is going on in the center outside the closet door but Oliver makes Jade feel safe and secure and the two get down to a bit of "10 seconds of heaven" with a little make out moment. There's some scary stuff going on around the couple, but they find themselves safe in their "unsafe haven." It was sweet with a little scary but nothing that would keep me up at night. Quick easy read.



Eye Candy – The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Clowns (which I hate!)

Noel and Sam are such a cute couple. They have everything going for them right now. You see that Noel wants to live closer to her family, but with the Halloween holiday coming up fast and her dad's obsession with said holiday, you get to see in to the hilarity of the family.

I loved how supportive Sam was of Noel's dad, despite the craziness.

So, while there was a fantastic hilarity to this story, you also were able to see the love that the family had for each other.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

Ms. Sivec has a totally off beat and wonderful sense of humour, which suits Halloween very, very well. Anyone who has read the earlier Holidays stories will be all ready to roll on this one – if they are new to you, then be prepared for super-crazy and kooky! And be ready to want to go back and catch up too. Everyone gets their moment of glory, but really Sam is the hero of the hour (again) and his gesture of love to Noel is perfect! Mad, but hilarious!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
The Pumpkin Was Stuffed is the latest instalment in Tara Sivec's The Holidays series which follows Noel and Sam's romance. I've only read the first two books in this series but had no trouble following this story and think it could be enjoyed as a standalone.

This story is very funny. I laughed out loud over and over again. Noel's family are pretty nuts. Her crazy dad, who wins his street's holiday decorating competition every year and has competition from new unseen neighbours. Her mum continues to openly provide far too much information about her parent's sex lives and Aunt Bobbie needs to stay away from drugs. But most fun of all are Scheva and Alex, who are having a Halloween wedding that I would have loved to have attended. Noel's outfit, as chosen by Scheva, is hilarious.

Amongst all the hilarity we do get a little bit more of Noel and Sam's love story with Sam proving that he is the most amazing and romantic guy around.

I had a great time reading this book. If you are looking for a good laugh this Halloween, The Pumpkin Was Stuffed is well worth reading.

J Daniels and her five POV!!!!! It was everything I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! What a treat… I want and need more!

Helena Hunting never disappoints. I Loved Bane and Ruby in Shacking up to the point that I wanted to get a ferret!! In Getting it down, I fell more in love with them. Their story was sexy , endearing and more. I loved the fact that even though this novella had everything from the sublime to the ridiculous she still managed to have me in tears from both laughter and all the feels.

I absolutely loved this collection of stories from some of my very favorite authors.. This is a collection that with which you cannot go wrong. The authors do an amazing job of weaving a spell to capture all of the magic from their series!! I Eye Candy does it all the right way and makes you want to re-read each of the books in these series again and again.

This book was fantastic! Im a fan of all the authors found in this book but I would have to say that J. Daniels was my absolute fave! I highly recommend this book to everyone. 5 Stars!

I read Helena Hunting's short story in this anthology. And OMG! I loved it so much! I was getting ready to start her book 'Hooking Up' when I heard there was a related story here. I realzied I never read it so I rectified it right away! All I can say is READ THIS! I'm looking forward to reading a few of the other stories before Halloween!

This is a one of the best complication novellas in print to date. ! Getting to revisit some of our favorite characters and getting one more story about them, is what we all want.
Whoever' idea it was to put these authors in one book, deserves a raise.