I loved this book. I highly recommend it. I had a mother like the main character totally obsessed with looks. I went through the same things she did.

3/5 stars

I've never been a huge fan of romance books where the whole book takes place in a 24 hour period, as I feel that it doesn't give the reader enough time or information to let them truly fall in love along with the characters. So it went with Words on Candy Hearts.

Pros:

The premise was good and the writing held up well.

The book was quite funny, if at some points it veered towards the absurd, I laughed aloud more than once while reading it.

Cons:

All the side characters felt contrived and unbelievable, especially both of the main characters parents.

The book is based in New York, but for some strange reason used very British sounding terminology at the beginning of the book, that then dropped off around the 30% mark.

Altogether, it wasn't a bad read, but it also won't make it onto my reread shelf.

My favorite type of romances always includes witty banter and a bonus when it’s told from both female and male perspective. Growing up, how we view love is often shaped by our parents - so when we get two very opposing views, it makes for a fun love story! I would recommend this for a fun summer read.

I thought this one was just okay. I love how the story is told by alternating between the two main characters, but I wasn't a fan of the flow of the story. It felt rushed and too contrived to be realistic.

Clara and Ian end up spending a day together after a series of crazy events force them to depend on each other. Both of them have their own relationship baggage and insecurities which they carry with them throughout the story.

Candy Hearts had its cute and sweet moments, but the nearly constant bickering banter and speedy-quick feelings didn't jive for me.

Words on Candy Hearts
#romcom #romance #giftedbook
This is a quick read, full of banter and humor. It started with a train wreck of events that were silly but you just couldn't look away. Stirred into the lightness was a touch of emotional baggage, losing loved ones, and finding your worth regardless of how others perceive you. As far as the setting, most of the entire book takes place in a car, over a 14 hour time span. The parents in the book were pretty cringy and crude but I don't think they were suppose to be liked that much. (A little 🌶🌶 with open door scenes just fyi. )

Thank you to GetRed PR Books and the publisher for including me on the book tour for Words on Candy Hearts and the advanced reading copy of the book.

Words on Candy Hearts was very funny, with quite a few laugh out loud moments! The book takes place over a 24-hour period and is a very quick case of mistaken identity / instalove trope. However, it wasn't too over-the-top instalove-y which I appreciate. Even though they hadn't known each other for long, it felt like the feelings were genuine.

3.5 starts. Some of the language used throughout was outdated/ableist, otherwise I would have rated it higher.

Highly entertaining be quick read! I loved that I could laugh through this book and there was also som serious discussions as well. This was the first I’ve read by this author but there will be more in the near future.

Clara is having a rough couple of weeks. After being dumped by her loser boyfriend just before their wedding, a night out to blow off steam ends with her accidentally passing out in a stranger's car. A series of misadventures push her and Ian, the owner of that car, into an extended time together where they learn that though they both have lead somewhat unconventional lives, they may just understand each other.

Not only was this a fun, and funny, romcom, it also had some interesting things to say about the nature of love and self-determination. I love that Clara's mom was unapologetically herself and was appreciated for it. While there was nice chemistry, and some PG-13ish steam, I liked the focus on how love and intimacy can make us feel safe, seen, and valued. While I understand we live in a world that can be incredibly image-obsessed, I did find the focus on Clara's "excess weight" to be a little problematic (especially as the text explicitly states she's all of 137 pounds). It sort of gets called out, but the message is a little more "Noooo....you're not fat!" than "all bodies are worthy of care and respect."

Still, this is an engaging story with heart. Pick this up for sweetness and some laughs!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I don’t remember the last time a book made me laugh this much. Clara and Ian begin with the opposite of a meet cute (a meet ugly?) and the situation just gets worse from there. Insecurities and misunderstandings lead to a story with the perfect combination of heart and humor. Taking place over the course of a single day, this book is the best example of Insta-love I think I’ve ever read. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a quick and light-hearted read.

I'm not usually a super fan of insta-love, but there is just something about this book that had me hooked. It is a witty, rom-com that had me loving both main characters right from the start. They both acknowledge that growing up they didn't have the best examples for a healthy, loving relationship but they also haven't entirely given up on the ideal that true love, not based on wealth or looks is out there for them.

One of the best parts of this book for me, may seem like the smallest but I felt it was the most truthful thing about love that I too believe in. Clara mentions that Ian is handsome, but not drop dead gorgeous when she first meets him but... as she gets to know him, she finds him more and more attractive and her view on his outward appearance is enhanced by what he is like on the inside.

So it wasn't love at first sight, but it was a quick fall. I enjoyed this immensely and I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you Rhapsodic Press and GetRedPR for this charming, perfect summery beach read. I read this in one day on my beach vacation and it was a great way to enjoy the very hot days where a little more rest and indoor time was a good action plan. The story is funny, has a deft light touch that keeps the pace fast but without sacrificing fun character and narrative development, and the humor was most welcome as a way to break up my love for thrillers and heavy themes in recent reads. I definitely recommend Words on Candy Hearts for the many readers like me who want to have a quick escapist light read in the summer or just for a rainy, or too hot, weekend afternoon.
Thank you again Rhapsodic Press for the ebook copy!

This rom-com had me literally laughing out loud and finished in two days!

Clara and Ian find themselves thrown together into a 24-hour road trip after a series of mishaps and while the cynic in me knows it to be completely improbable, the romantic in me was here for all of it. So much so that I actually finished this quick read in two days! The chapters were super short, moving the pace of the story quickly as it switched back and forth in perspective making it easier for me to keep rationalizing reading “just one more chapter.”

We meet Clara and Ian each having dinner with their mom and dad (respectively) on the Upper West Side of NYC. With similar-looking cars and way too much alcohol in her system, Clara mistakes Ian‘s car for her own and Ian returns to find a strange woman asleep at the wheel of his car. From there, hilarity ensues. The misunderstandings on both sides were slightly outlandish, but so endearing and funny from the reader’s perspective, knowing what one person meant and how it was easily being misconstrued.

Words on Candy Hearts was cute and I could totally see this as a Hallmark movie. It’s the perfect romance addition to your summer TBR and a quick read that’s great for meeting those reading goals!

This book was a little bonkers in the best way - I definitely laughed out loud at some of the mis-undestandings between Clara and Ian. I also enjoyed that the majority of the book took place over the course of one day - that's not something I see very often.

Clara Zapata, 28, has recently been dumped by her fiancé just before their wedding because she gained 15 pounds. Clara has been working hard to become an Ornithologist. She and her mother, 49, are out having drinks as she explains to her daughter that to men, her body is more importance than her intelligence. So, always go for the man with the money.

Leaving the bar with a lot of alcohol in her system, Clara mistakenly gets in another person’s car instead of her own. That’s when she meets the owner, Ian Dunning, whose gold-digging girlfriend dumped him some time ago. The two of them end up chatting and they set off on a road trip as Clara gives him a ride home.

Ian is the son of a wealthy billionaire but Clara doesn’t know that. They just enjoy chatting about their problems with their love problems. As the day wears on, they continue together as they dodge the paparazzi while munching on Clara’s wedding cupcakes with candy hearts on them.

There is so much laugh-out-loud humor in this book. There is also some serious and enlightening discussions between Clara and Ian that showed their deepest emotions. Their parents also add so much humor. Her Mom is the best and I want to be just like her when I grow up! Sit back and have some good laughs.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Words on Candy Hearts by Augusta Reilly was a delightful read. I don’t think I have ever read a book that takes place in the span of less than 24 hours. Ian and Clara meet when she falls asleep in his car thinking it was hers. There is a lot of ridiculousness that happens over the next 14 hours.

Clara and Ian are basically the only two people in the book. There are scenes with Clara’s mom, who is a hilarious side character, and Ian’s dad along with some other minor people but the focus is really just on them and the relationship that they build.

I would definitely recommend this read that is pretty quick to get through.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rhapsodic Press, and Augusta Reilly for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I certainly enjoyed this story! It was such a fun and hilarious plot! I loved the characters, the situations, and the writing!

Clara, the daughter of a gold-digger who has just been dumped and is starting to feel that her mom's ways with men might just be the right choice.

Ian, heir to money, is tired of his string of gold-digging women, and has decided he's done trying to find love.

When the paths of Ian and Clara cross, there's some hilarious moments, a few miscommunications, some self-reflection, and maybe just a bit of romance!

I enjoyed the dual POV for this story. It was really nice to see Clara and Ian's perspectives. I liked both characters, and I really wanted them to find love. There's some forced proximity for readers that enjoy that trope.

I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a light, quick read!

Thank you, NetGalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is hilarious and is a romance at the heart of the story. It's told from two points of view and it's perfectly done, it's not confusing. Clara and Ian each have their own voice.

I love how wild Clara's mom was! She always had me laughing. I liked the polar opposites the characters were at the beginning and how everything unfolded throughout the book. The book did seem to happen quickly, over a short amount of time, but it's worth a read. A perfect summer/beach read!

Ian and Clara are interesting characters. Their banter and wit kept me captivated and interested especially during their interactions. They are both smart, strong and wounded characters. This added good dimension to the characters that Reilly used well in this story. The secondary characters add colour to the story and I found them interesting. The writing was easy to consume.

While I enjoyed this story and recommended it, there are a few story lines/plot points that were mentioned that I didn’t understand or didn’t get the closure that I wanted. I would have liked their road trip have been longer (to have gotten more of it and the characters.

This is a fun summer read, weather at the pool, the beach or the couch.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this one! It was well written and I liked the characters. The plot was great and it was a nice and fast read!

Clara and Ian’s love story was adorable. Clara is down on her luck, having just got broken up with, in a TERRIBLE way. Ian just can’t find anyone who won’t use him for his daddy’s money, since his dad is the richest man in town.

They meet in an unlikely, crazy way. And their time spent together was hilarious to read about. I love all of the paparazzi chapters, the energy was just phenomenal. They’re complete opposites, Clara and Ian. But they use an unlikely situation to fall in love.

The epilogue/One year later chapter was so sweet. Ian definitely became who I thought he would and I’m so happy that they got a happily ever after.