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Book Reviews

Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

by

One hard-nosed military police officer.

One overly enthusiastic elf.

One poorly timed snowstorm.

Is it a recipe for disaster? Or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for holiday romance?

Teddy MacNally loves Christmas and everything that goes along with it. When he plays an elf for his charity’s events, he never expects to be paired with a Scrooge masquerading as Santa Claus. His new mission: make the holiday-hating soldier believe he was born to say ho-ho-ho.

Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki doesn’t do Santa, but he’s army to his blood. When his CO asks an unusual favor, Nick of course obliges. The elf to his Kris Kringle? Tempting. Too tempting—Nick’s only in town for another month, and Teddy’s too young, too cheerful and too nice for a one-night stand.

The slow, sexy make-out sessions while Teddy and Nick are alone and snowbound, though, feel like anything but a quick hookup. As a stress-free holiday fling turns into Christmas all year round, Teddy can’t imagine his life without Nick. And Nick’s days on the base may be coming to a close, but he doesn’t plan on leaving anything, or anyone, behind.

Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook: Monday November 12, 2018; Print (mmp): Tuesday November 27, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): Ebook: 288; Print (mmp): 288

Subgenre: Contemporary Romance, Male/Male Romance, Holiday Romance, Military Romance

Amazon

Carina Press

Barnes & Noble

 

“Hey, I’m happy for the company,” Teddy reassured him. “I’d just hate having to find another backup Santa because this one froze to death for not knowing the area. But just watch, by next year, you’ll be as prepared as any native.”

Nick took a spoonful of stew and swallowed before answering. “Won’t be here next year, sorry.”

“Oh. Being moved to another base?” Teddy was hit with a brief pang, which was ridiculous. The military moved people all the time, and like Charlie said, people left. No surprise here.

“No. Retiring. Last day is December 22nd.”

“Retiring? You’re only fortyish right? Isn’t that a bit young?”

“Ish.” Nick’s tone stayed bland, mouth not curving into a smile. “Forty-six. And almost thirty years of service is positively ancient in military terms. I’ve done pretty much everything an enlisted person can do—pretty rare for us to stay on after getting our twenty years of service. I’m a dinosaur at twenty-eight years in. Most of my friends left at twenty, but I was set on making sergeant major, so I stayed in.”

“So what will you do? Go back to school? Civilian law enforcement? Some new dream to chase?” Teddy leaned forward, eager to hear Nick’s big plans.

“Too old to go back to school.” Nick waved a hand dismissively. “And no dreams. All I ever wanted was to be a cop. Joined the military police because we couldn’t afford college, and I liked the idea of being in the service and still being able to be a cop. Then I set my sights on advancing. Last goal was to make sergeant major, and I did that, so no complaints.”

Teddy liked listening to Nick talk, but he was a bit disheartened by how…defeated he sounded. Like he’d battled Father Time and time had won and now he had no choice but to move on. And that was damn sad. He said he had no complaints, but Teddy could read between the lines well enough to see that Nick didn’t want to retire.

“But you can still be a cop. I bet there’s not a law enforcement agency in the country that wouldn’t be happy to have you. Hell, you could even do FBI or Secret Service—”

“Slow down, Teddy.” Nick smiled, the first one Teddy had really seen from him, this one accompanied by a subtle head shake. But Teddy could take the censure—the smile was damn worth it. Broad with both cheek and chin dimples, it took Nick from “scary giant man” to “Hollywood action star” in a single upward slant of his lips. “You sure know how to dream big. And I’ve thought about civilian law enforcement. I’ve even got the degrees they all want, but in the end, I think I’m just too old a dog to learn new tricks.”

Tis the season for Christmas stories! And for me there is no better way than with a book by one of my favorite authors.

This story deviated from her norm in that it was set in upstate NY (not the Pacific Northwest or San Diego) and it featured an Army MP (not a Navy Seal). And it was adorable.

Nick is in his last month of active duty as an Army mp before he retires. Sounds like he was pushed into retirement, but I don’t think it was ever explained why. And without giving anything away, the events surrounding the tragedy in Nick’s family was never really explained either. Small details most probably won’t notice.

Teddy runs a non-profit in his home town. A hometown that seems to be overrun by his extended family. Nick is persuaded to help Teddy and the non profit by dressing as Santa for some pictures and other events leading up to Christmas.

To say Nick and Teddy are polar opposites is putting it mildly. Nick is super grumpy, minimalistic, isn’t close to his family and doesn’t care about the holidays. And he much prefers sun and surf to snow and ice. Teddy is a do-gooder, perpetually happy, is ridiculously close to his family and adores the holidays.

I loved Teddy’s confidence. He puts himself out there with Nick and when he is turned down he doesn’t get all mopey and feeling sorry for himself. He just continues on. The way he slowly insinuated himself into Nick’s life as a friend was super cute.

And then they did get together and wow. That would melt the snow on the roof.

I appreciated that the book included Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve in the story line. It was a fairly happy, low angst book with all of the holiday and family feels.

4 Pieces of Candy

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series include the #OutOfUniform, #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat, #RainbowCove and #PerfectHarmony series.

To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Connect with Annabeth Albert:


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The Husband Gambit by L.A. Witt: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Marry me for 1 year. Payment: $1.2 million.

Hayden Somerset is convinced the ad is a joke, but he responds anyway because, hello, $1.2 million. He’s broke, living in a tiny apartment with two roommates, and exhausted from praying his ancient car survives just one more week. His skyrocketing rent and crushing student loans aren’t helping either. At this point, there isn’t much Hayden wouldn’t do for that kind of cash.

The ad isn’t a joke. Jesse Ambrose is absolutely serious. His father, the charismatic patriarch of a powerful Hollywood dynasty, has his eye on politics, and he’s counting on California’s liberals and progressives to elect him. But Jesse knows what his father believes when cameras and voters aren’t around. As the election looms, he’ll do anything to force the man’s hand and show the public who Isaac Ambrose really is.

Anything, including marrying a stranger so his father will make good on his promise to disown Jesse if he ever takes a husband.

Now he just has to wait for his father to take the bait… and try not to accidentally fall in love with his fake husband.

Length: 95,000 words approx.

Cover Design: L.A. Witt

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This book was so fun!

I am a big fan of LA Witt and she has never written a book like this (at least that I have read) and it was so welcome. It was filled with humor, but nothing forced, no stupid jokes. Hayden is just a funny person. And that is who he is.

Hayden is a typical struggling actor in LA. With a master’s degree in theater arts. So a well education struggling actor. He shares a 2 bedroom apartment with his 2 best friends who are also struggling, just not to be actors. The three of them together count every dime and pinch every penny just to make it every month. I really loved how the 3 guys pooled all of their resources. It wasn’t just that this one had his share of the rent and that one didn’t. So when Hayden sees a random odd ad for someone to be a husband for a year and to get paid $100k a month to do it, he had to find out more.

Jesse is a semi anonymous son of a famous producer and comes from a long line of Hollywood royalty. But now his father is flirting with running for governor. And Jesse wants to stop him. Because on the outside he seems like a liberal progressive. But really he is a racist homophobe. Jesse is willing to give up his inheritance, his monthly stipend and his family in order to out his father as the bigot he is. Step 1- get a husband.

I think what I loved a lot about this book- besides the humor- is that neither guy is a jerk in any way. They seemed to become almost instant friends and that shows. And even though there was some sexual tension, it wasn’t in your face. In fact, it seems like the two men didn’t even realize it until they kissed at their wedding.

So while this trope has been around forever and will never go away, this particular telling was my favorite. I genuinely cared about these guys, the main story line didn’t get lost between sex scenes and all of the supporting characters did what they were meant to- they supported the story.

Even with the racist, homophobic father and the threat of losing everything, it was still fairly lighthearted. And I really enjoyed it.

November 15 – Cdawgz Reads, On Top Down Under, Two Chicks Obsessed, Gay Book Reviews, Xtreme Delusions, OMG Reads, November 17 – Henna Loves Books, Open Mind For A Different View, Urban Smoothie Read, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, November 19 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, November 21 – Love Unchained, V’s Reads, Mainely Stories, November 23 – Momma Says: to Read or Not To Read, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bonkers About Books, Engaging Secrets, MM Good Book Reviews, November 26 – Jim’s Reading Room, Making It Happen, November 28 – Megan’s Media Melange, November 30 – Mirrigold – Mutterings & Musings, Lillian Francis, Valerie Ullmer, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Southern Babes Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Wicked Reads

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com
E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter: @GallagherWitt
Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

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Confessions: The Princess, The Prick and The Priest by Ella Frank: New Release Review and Excerpt

by

Everyone said our love wouldn’t work.
That it was too hard, too complicated, too messy.
Oh how I enjoy proving everyone wrong.

My men are smart, sexy, sophisticated—
and most of all, crazy about me.
The only problem is trying to explain
that to my big, opinionated Italian family.

But after all we’ve been through, we deserve a
happily ever after. And if there’s one
thing I know about my guys, they always
manage to have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I’m not sure why everyone dreads their thirties.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be the best decade ever ~ Robbie

 

Six Months Later…

“LOVERS, I’M HOME,” Robbie Bianchi called out to his boyfriends, as he juggled several shopping bags in one hand and kicked the front door shut behind him. He stuffed his car keys into the pocket of his shorts, and as he evened out what he was carrying, he took the stairs that led him up to the first floor of their new home.

With the same smile on his face that he’d left with that morning, Robbie headed across the hardwood floors past the dining room, and into the kitchen, where he spotted a note waiting for him: We’re upstairs, princesse. Come find us when you get home.

Robbie grinned at the messy crown drawn above the i in princesse, but then quickly did as he was told. With one hand on the steel rail, he took the stairs two at a time, and as he reached the second floor where the bedroom was located, he walked inside to find it empty except for the fish swimming around the tank that lined the wall facing their bed.

Dropping his shopping bags on the end of the mattress, Robbie headed up to the final floor, where he knew his men were waiting for him. He opened up the glass door that led to the penthouse deck, and when he stepped outside and the warm rays washed over him, Robbie took in a breath of fresh air.

Ah, he’d always loved summer. Everything about it. The sun, the smell of the freshly cut grass, and the clothes—or lack thereof—Robbie thought, as he reached for the edge of his white tank top and drew it over his head.

As he tucked it into the back of his shorts, Robbie scanned the wide deck, his eyes roaming over the wooden slat floor, the hot tub over in the corner, and the glistening water of the lap pool surrounded by the potted greenery bordering their rooftop oasis.

This space had been the final selling point with all three of them when they’d made the decision to leave the condo after what had happened there with Jimmy. It was the perfect place for Julien to relax and do his yoga, for Priest, who loved a good soak to clear his mind, and for Robbie, for whom it was all about the calm he got from finally seeing his men happy and at peace. And that was exactly how he found one of them right now. There, stretched out on one of the sun loungers, was the brand-new reason that Robbie loved summer—an almost-naked Julien Thornton.

Dressed in tight, black, barely there swim shorts that left little—okay, nothing—to the imagination, the only other thing Julien was wearing was a pair of Aviator sunglasses. His rich, olive-colored skin was glistening with water droplets as he lay sprawled out with his hands behind his head, and oh my God was he a feast for the eyes.

As Robbie walked to the end of the lounger, his eyes roamed up Julien’s toned legs to his muscular thighs, and ended at the bulge that tight material was cupping like a glove.

Oh yes, this was hands down the best part about summer now, and luckily for Robbie and Priest, tanning was a favorite pastime of their seriously sexy Frenchman.

“Bonjour, princesse.” Julien’s honey-toned voice wrapped around Robbie, informing him that he’d been caught staring. But he didn’t care—not one little bit.

“One second, please. I’m concentrating here,”Robbie said, his gaze trailing up all he could see to finally land on Julien’s face. “Now, sorry, what were you saying?”

Julien chuckled as Robbie walked alongside him. “Bonjour, princesse.”

“Oh, yes,” Robbie said, and bent down to brush a kiss across Julien’s lips. “Bonjour, Jules.”

Robbie went to straighten, but before he got too far away, Julien took hold of the back of his neck and craned up for a deeper kiss. Robbie’s lips parted, and Julien slipped his tongue inside, making Robbie’s cock jerk to attention, as he braced his hand on the back of the lounger and sank into the deliciousness that was all Julien.

*fans self*

I’m still not over the cover of this book. After the covers of the three before. I am not even one of those people who get all worked up about a cover. But DAYUM.

We’ve come to the end friends. We got Robbie’s story, Julien’s story and finally Priest’s story. Interwoven with their individual stories was the building of the relationship between the three men. What started out as ridiculously smoking hot in Robbie’s book got a little less so in each consecutive. BUT, there was also a lot of story to tell.

I will say that in book 1, Julien and Priest have this type of arrangement in their marriage because they are both dominant and while Priest is strictly a top, Julien is vers. Bringing in a third lets them both be toppy doms. And Robbie has no problem being their bottom who is on the submissive side of things. That played a big role in book 1, but less so in the next two. Finally in this book it is mentioned once. Mentioned with one sentence. Not enough for me.

There was nothing shocking in this final installment. No more skeletons in the closet, families are introduced, no drama, no angst. It was a nice, tidy wrap up to their story. I could have done with a bit of drama. A bit more of working out how the three of them work, but no.

I will say I have never read a menage book where it was so obvious how much these three men loved each other AND how equal they were with their love for each other. That should have been hard to do being that Priest and Julien were not only an established couple- they were married. But it was effortless here.

There are a couple more nit picky things (seriously, Julien almost never seems to work. Chef owners of an enormously popular and new restaurant work 80 hours a week), but, like I said, nit picky.

This is a must read if you read the first three. All four are worth it.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

.

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

Connect with Ella:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllaFrank2012

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellafrank1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-frank

Stay up to date with Ella by joining her mailing list:  www.bit.ly/1hEYtgn

Join Booke & Ella’s Naughty Umbrella: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas/

Website: https://www.ellafrank.com/portfolio

Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt: New Release Review

by

A queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, except no one has to bury their gays.

A decades-old family rivalry is reaching a boiling point as the patriarchs vie for a seat in Congress. Democrat vs Republican, Muslim vs Christian, Hashmi vs Swain — the Midwestern town of Arbor Hills is one spark away from an explosion of violence. So when two men find themselves irresistibly drawn together at a party, only to discover they were born on opposite sides of a bloody battle line, Matthew Swain and Rabi Hashmi know they should leave well enough alone.

The pull between them is magnetic, though, and it’s too strong to ignore. Unable to resist, they meet again in secret. Generations of hatred can’t temper the passionate love growing between them, but two men falling for each other in the middle of a war zone can’t hold back the inevitable clash.

And when decades of political, religious, and personal strife finally come to a head, there will be blood.

Word count: 59,800; page count: 237

Amazon

Riptide Books

Wow. This book was brutal and heart breaking and still gave me hope.

How these 2 guys didn’t know who each other were already, I’ll never know. I am also going to let that slide because the rest of the book was just so good.

This book is filled with racism and homophobia and Islamaphobia. Just so you know. There are passages that are just vicious. Dialogue that is just so mean you can’t imagine people saying it. But they do, everyday.

This modern, gay retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Political adversaries, Rabi and Matthew’s fathers are running against east other for political office. And it is the bible thumping, super conservative white guy versus the Muslim, leftist liberal. The discord between the families goes back 1 or 2 generations. It’s ugly. It’s also very topical.

There was still a lot of focus on Rabi and Matthew and their blooming romance. It was so sweet. So romantic. It was a bit swoony. When they are found out though, it is really, really ugly. I don’t understand hate like that. Hate because someone is a different color, different religion, different sexuality. And it is so real. I think that is what gut punched me the most. Knowing that these people are out there with their vile hate.

I’m sure you all know how Romeo and Juliet ends. But no so with Rabi and Matthew. Because as the author says, too many gays have died. Time for them to live.

Fire and Agate by Andrew Grey: Release Day Review

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When Chris Anducci is moved off jail duty and into the sheriff’s office, he doesn’t expect his first assignment to be protecting a witness against a human trafficking ring. Knowing the new sheriff doesn’t abide screwups, Chris reluctantly agrees to work the case.

Pavle Kasun has spent the last four years of his life at the mercy of others. When an opportunity presented itself, he took it, resulting in his rescue. Now the safe houses he’s placed in are being threatened and he needs protection if he is to have any sort of chance at a life.

Chris opens his home to Pavle, but he doesn’t expect Pavle and his story to get under his skin… and stay there. Soon they discover they have more in common than either of them thought. Slowly Pavle comes out of his shell and Chris finds someone who touches his heart. But as the men looking for Pavle close in, they will stop at nothing to get him out of the way. But even if Chris can keep him safe, he might not be able to protect his heart if Pavle moves back home.

Title: Fire and Agate
Series: Carlisle Deputies: Book 3
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Pages: 193

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

 

I love this series and all the guys we’ve met so far.

I don’t think anyone will top Donald, Carter and little Alex for me, but Pavle and Chris are a very close second…. In this one, we get Chris’ POV, which I’m grateful for, because I don’t think I could’ve handled all of the things that Pavle had gone through, being brought to America four years ago and sold into sex slavery….which is a very real thing in our country and I can’t believe it isn’t talked about more. While it’s true that women and children are more likely to be victims, boys and men aren’t safe either… as is proof with Pavle.

When Pavle gets a note to his neighbors, he’s finally freed from captivity, and Chris is selected to keep an eye on him since someone is out to make sure he can’t testify. There’s a bit of a language barrier there, but Pavle’s English isn’t terrible. He’s picked up a bit being held in America, though originally from Serbia. He’s very untrusting at first, with very good reason, but the more Chris shows him that he’s safe, and gives him choices that he’s never had, he slowly starts trusting and opening up to Chris.

There are so many amazing people that help too; Chris’ Nanna, who also came from Serbia, once upon a time… the social worker, Marie, Briggs, who works with Chris, the Reverend and his wife and son, Red and Terry make a few appearances, and just everyone who fell in love with Pavle when meeting him. It was so easy to do. I loved loved loved watching him get comfortable and learn how to live happily. Sighhhhhhh, loved it.

Of course, being that these hot cops were there to look after Pavle, the threat is still very much out there. We don’t find out the why’s or really the who’s, but just know that justice is served with them and they get what’s coming to them. I love karmic justice and though I feel like they got off easy, I try to tell myself they’re fictional people and wishing them a slow and painful death, doesn’t reflect on me as a person LOL…. Okay, maybe it does, but I’m okay with it.

Through slowly gaining Pavle’s trust and watching him come into his own, Chris falls in love with him… cuz, of course he does, and though he’s wary about Pavle’s feelings for him are coming from the wrong place…. They aren’t, and Pavle falls in love with him too. It’s a rocky road for sure, but they get there in the end. Together.

What an awesome addition to an already awesome series. I can’t wait to see who’s next!

5 pieces of eye candy from me

Remote Access by Rinda Elliott: New Release Review

by

Blackmail turned Lane Becker into a thief at the age of fourteen.

After ten miserable years, he’s finally free. To make reparation for his crimes, Lane plans to steal back a priceless Metropolis poster and return it to its rightful owner. But to find it, he has to break into the home of Hayrick Letsen, the man who turned his life into a living nightmare. The last thing Lane expects to encounter is Letsen’s nosy but crazy-hot security guard.

Quincy Holt’s life has been ruined. He’s infamous in Oklahoma as a cop on the take, but what no one knows is that he was unofficially undercover, trying to get the goods on Letsen — the most wanted fence in the business. When that failed, he was left with no other option but to take a job as Letsen’s security guard.

Lane and Quincy are on the run from their mutual enemy while trying to right past wrongs. Neither expected a thief and a cop to have the kind of wild, off-the-charts chemistry that could very well end up breaking their hearts.

Amazon-Kindle Unlimited

 

What can I say? If Rinda Elliott writes it, I’m gonna need to read it! And this being her first solo book in several years (and with this awesome amazing cover!), I really wanted to see what came running out of that brain of hers! She did not disappoint in the least.

 

As with any book this author has a hand in, mayhem is going to ensue, and it does, almost instantly, but with a very creative twist. A (former) cop falls in love with a thief with a good heart, and they bring along a group of people who show their own big hearts, but were up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

First, I must say, DAMN, this woman can write some seriously HAAAAWWWWWWTTTTTTT sex scenes. I’m fairly certain I’ll be requesting a new kindle for Christmas this year, as she melted the thing right up. Whew!!!!!

One of the things I absolutely loved about Lane was that even though he was small, he was confident in himself, and confident in his attraction to Quincy. He flirted shamelessly with Quincy…and even the poor waiter…when they first met. He didn’t hide behind his concerns, or even question the age difference. He knew what he wanted, and he let Quincy know with certainty.

Quincy meanwhile, a good cop, who tried to make as much right as he could for the people he cared about, didn’t even try to question his feelings. He was all in…once he got past the “kid” thing. 😉 They were good together, supportive of each other, and even though they knew they would have to end their fling at some point, it was obvious they respected each other for all their talents as well as what they were trying to accomplish.

There were several twists and turns, lots of suspense, and a few gut wrenching moments as Lane dealt with the grief and guilt he would carry the rest of his life. So, finding an HEA wasn’t easy for them. Many bad things had to happen, but once they realized they could make it work, they didn’t just wrap themselves up, they brought those they loved into their fold, setting up quite a few HEA’s ahead for other characters, with little hints of what’s to come.

Oh, and the title…once you find out what it’s for…brilliant way to bring it full circle. The series name too, just love it! Fits so perfectly.

Can’t wait to see what’s next in this new series!

4.5 pieces of eye candy