[Anthology Review] Eye Candy & Java Factory Candy Corn Coffee

Eye Candy is a sexy, fun, and sometimes a little spooky collection of Halloween novellas from a very impressive list of five bestselling authors.

Book Info

Title: Eye Candy
Series: Standalone Halloween Anthology
Author: Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel, Tara Sivec
Publication date: September 5th 2017
Page Count: 660 pages
Age Range: Adult (blood, death, explicit sexual scenes, kink)
How I got my hot little hands on it: received a review copy
Publisher’s page: St. Martin’s Press/Swerve

A frightfully good time! Dive into these Halloween novellas from bestselling authors Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec. Featuring stories set in the worlds of their popular series.

Tijan’s Fallen Crest crew are back for a weekend of mischief that takes a sinister turn; all four couples from J. Daniels’ Alabama Summer series gear up for Halloween in their own sexy ways, with a special surprise at the end; Helena Hunting’s characters from Shacking Up plan a Halloween gala that features a few ghouls and witches; Bella Jewel brings the chills and thrills in her suspenseful take on Halloween night; and Tara Sivec gathers the Holiday family together one last time as they try to make this ghostly holiday one to remember—or one they’d rather forget…

Cozy up with a mug of hot cider on a dark night and fall under the spell of this Halloween anthology!

My Review

I was expecting Eye Candy to be a collection of spicy Halloween stories, and it is more or less, but there were some fun spooky surprises thrown in that kept me on my toes a bit. Most of the novella-length stories are set in the authors’ various bestselling series – none of which I have ever read. But the good news is that means I can tell you as a fresh new reader that you don’t have to know anything about any of these series to enjoy the Halloween stories within.

Fallen Crest Nightmare – Tijan, 80 pgs

“The characters of the popular Fallen Crest series are back together for a night of mischief! Sam, Mason, and the rest of the gang enter a Halloween-themed weekend with pumpkin carving, a girls’ night out, and a terrifying haunted house, but the weekend takes a turn into something far more sinister….”

Starts out college girls just wanting to forget their troubles and have a fun Halloween weekend of costumes, pumpkins, and parties and ends up going full-on bloody slasher fic.

Spice level: 3/5 – semi-explicit, but super brief

Spooky level: 4

So Much More – J. Daniels, 80 pgs

“All four couples from the Alabama Summer series—Ben and Mia, Luke and Tessa, Beth and Reed, and CJ and Riley—come together on Halloween night in this thrilling addition to the series. Between unexpected surprises, haunted mazes, sexy stolen moments, and good old-fashioned trick-or-treating, this Halloween promises shocks, thrills, and happiness for the beloved Alabama Summer crew.”

Four couples in loooove spending Halloween together. All four couples are in various relationship stages: married with children, married and expecting, married, and dating. The spookest this gets is when one couple goes to an over-the-top scary haunted maze for Halloween. The spiciest this gets is one couple having explicitly kinky sex in a supply closet (there’s rope and a belt involved).

Spice Level: 5/5 – explicit

Spooky Level: 1

Getting Down – Helena Hunting, 160 pgs

“Ruby Scott’s favorite holiday is here, all she needs is a moderately good excuse to throw a party. With the help of her best friend Amalie–and Amalie’s fiance’s budget–the two of them throw a Halloween-inspired fundraiser. But no event goes off without a couple hitches...”

There is zero spooky here, but plenty of spice and just a really good story. I was hooked from the first page and disappointed when it ended (kind of abruptly, guess you have to read the actual series to know how things turn out).

Spice Level: 5/5 – multiple explicit scenes

Spooky Level: 0

Unsafe Haven – Bella Jewel, 96 pgs

“After escaping an abusive boyfriend, Jade finally feels like her life is coming around: She works at a safe haven for people who’ve had similar experiences, and there’s a gorgeous handyman, Oliver, whom she can’t stop thinking about. But at Sanctuary’s Halloween party, eerie things start happening and they are starting to feel real. Is this an elaborate Halloween prank, or has Jade’s past come back to haunt her?”

I’m on the fence about this one. On the one hand, I liked the soft-spoken, shy Jade and her inner strength in starting over after an abusive relationship. On the other hand, Oliver is a walking red flag. He starts off shy and quiet, but quickly becomes kind of domineering and says things like “Don’t care if you’re an electrics expert. You’re a lady. It ain’t your job, sweetheart.” when Jade goes to check for a tripped breaker when the power goes out (she swoons at being called sweetheart) and “You have this softness about you that so many women lack. It’s like it’s been smashed out of them now.” – what an odd thing to say to an abuse survivor. Anyway, things get scary when partygoers get trapped inside a Halloween party in pitch blackness and it gets worse before it gets better.

Spice Level: 3 – explicit heavy petting

Spooky Level: 2

The Pumpkin Was Stuffed – Tara Sivec, 80 pgs

“The Holiday family is together one last time for Halloween! As Sam and Noel prepare for their upcoming life with a new baby, their crazy family and friends pull out all the tricks and treats and jack-o’-lanterns to make sure this ghostly holiday is one to remember…or, like the last few holidays they’ve celebrated together, one they’d rather forget.”

This farcical comedy is so absurdly ridiculous that it definitely feels like the trick part of trick-or-treat. If you like over-the-top humor, this is the one for you. I think the chapter titles tell you all you need to know about what to expect with this story: “Everyone Loves Clowns”, “Babies Do Not Go In Ovens”, “Apple-Butter Lube”, “It’s So Tingly”, “The Baby Knows”, “Phteven”, “Smell These Pills”, “Butthole Meat”, “Hung Stocking”, “I’m in Mother-Forking Labor!”, and “Stupid Man”.

Spice Level: 2 – one, non-explicit scene that I wish I hadn’t read

Spook Level: 0

Let’s Talk Coffee

It’s only appropriate to pair Eye Candy with some classic Halloween candy flavored coffee. Java Factory Candy Corn Coffee is flavored with the subtle taste of marshmallows and vanilla for a sweet Halloween treat.