Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Out of the Blue #1

Sweet as Sugar

Rate this book
My life is basically perfect.

I own and work a bar by the ocean, I’m surrounded by my closest friends, and I have gorgeous men at my fingertips everywhere I turn.

After a messy betrayal and breakup in college, I’ve spent the last ten years keeping all my relationships purely physical and stick to a simple set of rules:

I never sleep with the same man twice.

I never spend the entire night with someone.

I never kiss. Anyone. Ever.

I never let feelings get in the way.

As long as I follow the rules, I’m good.

Everything’s fine—until my best friend’s younger brother moves in with me.

Beau comes into my life like a delicate little bomb and blows all my rules to oblivion.

He’s the most honest, sincere person I’ve ever met, and I’m not prepared for the things he makes me feel.

Those blushes? Those freckles? All those shy glances and the way he trips over his words?

I’m completely doomed—because Beau is as sweet as sugar and one taste will never be enough.

Sweet as Sugar is an MM romance with low angst and high fluff. It’s set in a small beach town and features a very shy MC covered in freckles and an extremely outgoing, sometimes lonely MC that loves to wear silky, lacy things. It’s has the sweetest HEA and is the first book in Out of the Blue, a series of interconnected standalones. Only intended for mature readers ages 18 and up.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2026

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Lyla Dane

9 books242 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
112 (41%)
4 stars
97 (36%)
3 stars
46 (17%)
2 stars
9 (3%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
Profile Image for Whitney.
350 reviews433 followers
May 2, 2026
Beau + Lea (Leander) 🖤
Brothers best friend | Introvert & Extrovert | Roomates | Hurt comfort

Sappy melty gooey sweetness

...

“You’re more important than you think you are.”

“That was so fucking brave of you, sweetheart. I’m so, so proud of you.”

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

“Fuck, you’re like a dream come true. Are you sure you want to be doing this? With me?”

...


⚠️ potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists






Tropes/content:
Lingerie
Brothers best friend
Introvert + extrovert
Bar owner + tech nerd
Roomates
Freckles
Size difference (Lea is taller and bigger)
Hurt comfort
Super shy MC
Virgin
First times
First time saying he's gay out loud
Beau hears Lea masturbating through the wall and gets himself off to it
Lea burns himself with coffee and Beau bandages him
Forehead kisses
Lots of casual touching
Carries him to the bathroom then rubs his back while he pukes
Calls him good boy when he breathes after panicking
Helps him get home and Lea stays per Beau's request, they wake up cuddling
Rubs sunscreen on each other
Beau's first time seeing the ocean
Beau cant swim and steps off a shelf into the ocean and goes under flailing around, Lea grabs him and ends up stomping out of the ocean terrified with an embarassed Beau clinging to him, arms and legs wrapped around him
Up until this point Lea thinks Beau is straight and they haven't kissed or vocalized their interest in each other
Reassurances that Beau isn't a burden and that he's important and cared for and valued
Lea's sister comes over and he's lied to her saying he has a serious boyfriend to make his family back off. So when she stops by unnannounced she assumes it's Beau. Which leads them to fake dating
Praise both sexual and otherwise
Good boy
Lea comes in his pants while giving Beau head the first time
Uncut
Frotting
Light spanking
Hand job in the ocean
Topping from the bottom
Crying after sex
Smaller top
Teaches him to swim
A blushing blusher who blushes
Nipple play
Baby, babe, sweetheart, sugar
Strict roles
Low angst
Slow burn - first kiss around 50%
Taming a fuckboy
Epilogue 2 years later - they're engaged, Beau meets all of Lea's family and they act out a teacher student fantasy


Warnings/icks:
Mention of parent dying of dementia
Lea leaves a bar with a man but it shifts scenes to him storming out because his boundary is no kissing and the guy tried it anyway. They didnt have sex. This is in chapter two. Lea and Beau have met but thats it.
Skin burn on hand
SA from a woman to Beau while he's drunk at the bar. She starts trying to put her hands down his pants but its stopped
Vomitting from intoxication
Past abuse from a parent
Fainting after sex
Childhood trauma - Beau's mom was trash, she's dead now but scars remain



Extra notes:
Shae (Beau's brother) left when they were little because he wanted to kill himself and needed to get away from their abusive mom. He lets Beau know this around 90%. Until then Beau held resentment towards his brother for leaving him.

Shae first finds out about them by walking in on Lea on top of Beau. He actually gets aggressive and goes to rip Lea off of his brother thinking that he's taking advantage of him. Apologies are made and everyone is good.
Profile Image for Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included).
780 reviews392 followers
May 20, 2026
Tropes: opposites attract, best friend's brother, roommates, forced proximity, fake dating
Feels: 2.5/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: mild toys (solo), lingerie, praise
Angst: low
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: abusive and bigoted mother who was homophobic and an alcoholic, off page death of that mother due to early onset Alzheimer's, attempted sexual assault, past suicidal ideation in a minor character
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: the same day Lea met and hit on Beau, Lea went home with another guy but left mid hook up when that guy crossed one of his boundaries. It's implied that Lea wasn't with anyone else after that.

3.5 stars

Beau is 25, and he was raised by an abusive and homophobic mother. His older brother Shea left home over 10 years ago because he's queer and his homophobic mother was driving him to suicidal thoughts, and they haven't had much of a relationship since. Beau was stuck with his mom, and he's painfully introverted. His mom has died and he has moved to Shea's town to get reacquainted with him. Shea is out of town a lot for work, so he's not very present. Shea sets Beau up to stay with Shea's best friend Lea. Beau instantly has a crush on Lea that gets deeper as he gets to know him.

Lea is 30 and the definition of an extrovert. He owns and runs a bar with another very close friend of his. He was burned back in college by his high school / college boyfriend Lyle cheating on him, and he's giving up on love. He is the king of meaningless hookups, it's kind of implied that he's been coping with his traumas by burying himself in sex. But he won't be vulnerable to anyone, he won't even kiss anyone. He finds Beau sweet, adorable/sexy, kind hearted. Beau is painfully innocent, he's been so far in the closet because of his mother, he's never dated anyone, he's a complete virgin.

Lea told his family he was dating someone to get them off his back, so when his sister Judy comes to visit and stays at his place, Beau and Lea pretend they are in a relationship. Which quickly turns into them no longer being able to hide that they are attracted to each other and they act on it. But Lea is afraid to love and not ready, and he pushes Beau away, but not for long, he can't help reeling him back in.

This book was decent. There were some elements about it that I liked. Beau was a good man, a pure soul. The mmcs liked each other for good reasons before they loved each other.

But I think the author chose to wait too long before starting anything up between the mmcs and created a painful dynamic for the first half of the book. They were basically strangers rooming together for the first 45% of the book, they didn't acknowledge any mutual attraction before then. And it's one thing to have a slow burn book, I can enjoy that, but that was a really wrong choice for this particular couple. They spent far too long in painfully awkward social situations. Rather than wishing for them to be together, I spent that whole 45% of the book thinking their relationship is so stiff and they would both be more relaxed and better off elsewhere. They kept making each other uncomfortable and apologizing to each other profusely. It's so painful to watch two people so uncomfortable around each other for so long. I much prefer when the other person is someone that you feel comfortable around, someone who is your safe place, who you understand and can communicate well with. They got there eventually, but it was painful to get there.

Also it gave me the ick that Beau was as inexperienced as he was and Lea was so into being his first and not wanting him to be with anyone else. I always hate seeing innocence fetishized in any way. It just gives off predatory vibes even if that's not who the character is. And long before Lea fell in love with Beau, Lea admitted to being selfish, that he was just using and enjoying Beau while he could, knowing that it was going to hurt Beau but that he was too selfish to help himself. And I believed it, and I didn't find it admirable.


Some notable moments:

"A satisfying sense of triumph coursed through me, and I squeezed his hips, unable to stop myself from kissing him just above his ear. “G-good morning,” he said softly. He was so, so warm, and I wanted to drag him back to the room and demand he cuddle me. When I heard the click of a camera, I whipped around to find Judy grinning with her phone pointed at us. I’d completely forgotten she was here. “I swear to god if you send that to the family group chat I’m going to smother you in your sleep,” I warned, starting toward her. She grinned like an asshole as she dodged my attempts to grab her phone. “Oh no, my finger slipped,” she cackled."

"An overwhelming sense of tenderness for him spread rapidly through my chest, and before I could stop myself, I palmed the nape of his neck and kissed him right above his left ear. Maybe lingered a few seconds longer than necessary. Oh, but it was worth it just to hear him gasp. He glanced at me in disbelief. “Sorry,” I whispered, just for his ears. “I couldn’t help it, you just looked so cute.” His cheeks darkened to a deep crimson and all I wanted to do was press my own cheek against his and let it burn me."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Profile Image for ❀ Jess .
914 reviews105 followers
Read
May 1, 2026
No rating because I skimmed most of this.
I'm sure everyone will love this, i'm always the outlier😂
Profile Image for handy.hannahbookishrecs.
234 reviews280 followers
May 9, 2026
This was such a sweet fluffy MM romance. There were some emotional aspects as well that I really liked. I think this one was a great palette cleanser as well
Beau and Lea’a story was the feel good kind of love. Beau moves in with his brother and roommate Lea after his mother’s passing. Beau is very timid and shy doesn’t like confrontation, but Lea really helps him come out of his shell and gain confidence in himself.
After a surprise visit with Lea’s sister it’s revealed that Lea lied and said he had a boyfriend and his sister thinks Beau is that boyfriend so they end up pretending to date each other so they don’t have to tell the truth and what starts out as fake dating turns into actual feelings. I really enjoyed this one it gave me all the warm fuzzies.


Tropes
Fake dating
Forced proximity
Fluffy love
Brothers best friend
Size difference
Opposites attract
Profile Image for areadsbooks.
346 reviews22 followers
May 3, 2026
sweet nervous easily flustered shy boy x sweet loving outgoing flirty confident bossy boy, brothers best friend x best friends brother and they become roommates? yup that’s it 🫴🏾 give me!

i love love loved lea and beau. how many times can i say sweet? like seriously, that’s just what they were aswell as down right filthy and lea has a mouth on him which fully explains why beau can’t catch his breath — bc babe, same.

these two are fixed into a situation where our sweet and very sheltered beau has moved into town where his older brother lives and it’s new and scary, he doesn’t have much of a relationship with his brother or at least there’s tension but inserting our baby boy Lea, he’s trusted to take care of beau and become his new roommate.

lea has a solid front he presents to the world but he guards his heart well, he’s a gentle and deeply emotional baby and i will fight anyone who’s got a bad word to say about him!! these hands will flyyyyyy

this was everything i love and more, i had so much fun reading them, it gave me all the sweet loving wholesome feels and i was kicking my feet their back and forth, the blushing, the awkwardness but filled with so much heat and tension, yupppp i loved it.

lyla dane has easily become an auto-read author for me and i am super grateful to be involved in her arc team — tyyyy for the arc and tyyyy for gifting us these angel boys

💘💘💘💘
Profile Image for Bookandmischief06.
97 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2026
Sweet As Sugar by Lyla Dane is book one in the Out of the Blue series. Lea is a man who is outgoing, extroverted and a little impulsive. He does what and who he wants when he wants, until his best friend’s brother moves to town. Beau’s upbringing was wrought with a difficult and abusive mother. He’s shy and introverted but desperate to start a new life. Maybe one where he can finally be himself. Sweet As Sugar is a MM romance with a best friend’s brother turned roommate , low angst, size difference, found family, hurt/comfort and possessive/protective MMCs.

This was such a great read. I really fell in love with both of these characters. Lea is a force but a really bubbly one. While not everything is always sunshine and rainbows for him, he leans into optimism as much as he can though his extroversion can lead to impulsiveness that can also lead to acting before thinking. This tends to get him in trouble.

Beau is a somber and somewhat angsty character. His upbringing really did a number on him and his resentments towards his brother only add to his broodiness. Lea is a breath of fresh air for Beau but he doesn’t yet trust himself enough to believe Lea could ever reciprocate those feelings.

Every character in this book was amazing. Lyla did such a great job creating side characters the reader cares about and wants more from. Lea and Beau were so sweet in how they dealt with not only their very obvious differences but the not so obvious things Beau keeps closer to his chest. The plot and character development were evenly matched and it made for a really enjoyable read. 4.75 stars
Profile Image for Julia Toth.
524 reviews12 followers
May 10, 2026
This was so sweet and fluffy and I loved every moment! I loved Beau and Lea from the moment I met them and it was great to see their relationship go from roommates to fake dating to lovers. Their meet cute was really fun and truly something to tell the grandkids about. While this is a low angst read there was still trauma and fears and I really like how those were dealt with. I loved the little things they did for each other. Beau's self esteem wasn't too high at the start, but I loved how he got more confident and courageous with Lea's praise and by letting himself feel and explore. Beau was the perfect partner for flirty and fun Lea, he had a calmness and gentleness that I feel like Lea really needed in his life.
I loved the little found family Lea has with Shea, Riley and Monroe. Their friendship is solid and I loved their banter. I'm really excited to see more of this found family and watch it grow.

If you're in the mood to see the shy younger brother mesmerized the outgoing brothers best friend with a lot of fluff, sweetness and heat then this is the book for you.
Profile Image for -`♡´-.
216 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2026
Maybe more like 3.5⭐️?

It truly was sweet as sugar.
Profile Image for Jocelyn .
456 reviews7 followers
May 16, 2026
El romance es muy lindo y me gustó la dinámica de los protagonistas solo sentí que todos los problemas en el libro se resolviendo una manera muy simple y tonta
Profile Image for Ashley.
298 reviews19 followers
May 1, 2026
If you’re a fan of Lyla then you know she is the queen. The queen of hurt/comfort and size difference is where she reigns from above! If you’re are not let me introduce you to one of my favorites, she is an automatic author for me, because her stories SLAP every single time! Sweet Sugar is a little different for her, it has all the things I love a little heart ache, a big guy and a small guy, but this one you guessed it…is just a little more sweet. These two boys are fluffy, like candy floss and I ate them up! Lea and Beau are just two babies who need each other, there is no fighting their chemistry, it’s insta-lust and love at its finest. I gobbled their story up and can’t wait to see if we will get more from this universe.
Profile Image for Sara Husser.
562 reviews7 followers
April 30, 2026
🩷🐙You're so beautiful. I've never met anyone like you, Lea. You're really special🌊💐

"It was like a Charley horse of the soul, and never did it hurt more than when I was left with only myself. It was a loneliness that was always there, waiting to find me at my most vulnerable moments."

"I was enamored with his blushes and his shy glances. He made me want to wrap my arms and legs around him and cuddle him aggressively. Like an affectionate alligator roll."

"He was like something that needed to be protected and preserved, and it was surprising how much I wanted to be the one to do those things."

"So the truth was, I didn't want him to leave. Having Beau here made me feel a little less lonely. He made my apartment worth coming back to, and that...I didn't want to let go of that."

"Lea was just a regular person, like me. A beautiful angel of a person whose smile made me feel like my lungs were collapsing."

"Why had I thought I'd ever be good enough for someone like Lea? I was just me, and he was...so much more."

"What would you wish for, Beau? If you could wish for anything. What would it be?"
"You."

"You're so beautiful. I've never met anyone like you, Lea. You're really special."

"You're not selfish. How can you be selfish when you've given me so many good feelings? You make me feel like I'm worth something. Like I matter. You keep making me feel all these things, Lea, and I just--I wish you could see what I see. Because I see you. And I never want to look anywhere else."

"My love for him was soft and all-encompassing, as quiet and gentle as he was."

"Fireworks suddenly burst over the lake. The reflection of all that colorful light made it seem like we were submerged in a kaleidoscope of pure joy. That's what I felt like every day with Lea; it was the most beautiful juxtaposition to the years before I'd ever met him."

This author is such a phenomenal writer and storyteller. Everything I have read by Lyla has been fantastic. This one was on the sweeter and more fluffier side, but it was so amazing. This also had some hurt/comfort that definitely put you in your feels. I love how this story is setting up a new world and more books to come. The side characters definitely intrigued me so much. This had some great troupes like: Brother's Best Friend, Size Difference, Found Family, Smaller Top/Bigger Bottom, Shy MC/Outgoing MC, and Short Fake Dating. The spice in this was fantastic as always 🔥🔥🔥.

This story follows Beau and Lea. Beau is moving to a new state/city as his mother just died. He is now going to move in with his brother. He ends up wandering the town and runs into a pink haired hottie. This stranger asks for his t-shirt for a wet t-shirt competition. Beau agrees and then gets flustered and leaves after the hottie flirts with him. Beau meets up with his brother Shea, who tells him he has to live with his friend Lea for the time being. Lea ends up being the pink haired hottie. These two build a friendship that grows to more pretty fast. Beau is falling hard and fast for Lea. Lea tries to create distance as he doesn't want to be in a relationship due to his past trauma. Lea fails and ends up going all in. What will happen if Lea gets cold feet again? Will Beau end up getting hurt? Will Shea approve of this new relationship between his brother and best friend?

These two were so adorable, sexy, and sweet. I love how opposite these two men were. One was an extrovert and one was an introvert. Lea is so confident, playful, loud, social, and not afraid to be himself. He's sunshine and all the bright colors. I felt so bad for how he was afraid to love again 😔. Beau is shy, timid, gentle, and polite. He's afraid to show anyone who he is and keeps to himself. He has many sides. My heart hurts for this man and what he suffered at the hands of his mother 😭😭. I loved seeing how their relationship grew from friendship to lovers. The intimacy between these two was everything. The chemistry and tension were off the charts 🥵🥵. I loved how affectionate and protective they both were with each other. I loved how Lea opened Beau up and made him more comfortable in his own skin. I loved how Beau showed Lea that not all love hurts. I loved the flower scene. Beau is too preiocus. These two were perfect for each other.

I'm really intrigued by all the side characters. My heart breaks for how Shea was raised and felt. I love how his relationship with his brother got mended and stronger. Montoe really intrigues me. As well as Riley. I do hope we get books for them all! And a shout out to Jerry the seagull 😅🤣💩 . 🩷🌊🐙🖥🌺💐🩳
Profile Image for Luminara.
200 reviews
May 21, 2026
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎶Song: Sunsetz, Cigarettes after sex
🌸Flower: Calla Lily and white carnation
🫧Fav quote: “My knight in a white T-shirt.” (you’ll get it)

📚What this book contains:
-Super shy but sweet MC that blushes like a lot
-Extremely extrovert pink haired ML
-Outgoing x quiet/shy
-LOTS of fluff
-Soft hurt/comfort
-Roommates
-Brothers best friend
-Flirty x flustered
-Freckles 😍😍😍😍
-Very small angst
-Short fake dating


🥹🥹🥹🥹This was actually so cute guys. Beau and lea were ADORABLEEEEEE. Lea was this chaotic whirlwind with pink hair that literally calls everyone baby or sugar, and Beau was a blushing freckly mess. I’m so glad this was a fluffy story because Beau was such a softie. And he melted Lea’s wall around his heart so fast.

The story started off so ridiculous I couldn’t stop laughing like I just love that first meeting with the weird t shirt thing. And then when they meet again since Lea is friends with Beau brother shea. (Seriously what are these names I noticed these names likee are so not common) And Beau is just instantly attracted and all red like a tomato. Like this guy is the king of flustered and blushing. And lea found him so adorable ONG my heartttttttttt.

The book picked up really fast with their relationship, it was slow at first since Beau was mostly locked in the room doing his computer job. While hearing Lea play with himself (seriously, not cool!!!) like Beau was so innocent.
But then it finally got to the domestic fluff and shenanigans real quick. There was so much cuddles, crying, hugs and making breakfast. I was literally SWOONING.

Lea was so sweet with just slowly bringing Beau out of his shell and making him open up. But his problems with his ex, and pushing Beau away, he really didn’t deserve that 🥲 But it was ok bc Lea could take accountability!!! And be OUT there

By like 65% there relationship was mostly settled, except with some angst. And there was a lot of smut. I found there was actually too much smut, and their relationship shut out the outside plot. So much so that the drama between Beau and his Brother wasn’t touched upon until the end of the book and it was really rushed. Or much of Beau’s and Lea’s backstory.

This book delivered with a cute fluffy romance, but the relationships with other characters were brushed upon. And sometimes their relationship moved everyone to the side. It’s like, there’s a whole world out there not just their domestic bubble
Profile Image for Lana.
236 reviews18 followers
Review of advance copy
April 19, 2026
Wow okay… where do I even BEGIN with this one 🥹💕

This book??? Absolutely stole my heart.

I’m not even kidding when I say I could not put it down — I basically read the whole thing in one sitting because I was THAT obsessed. And honestly? I haven’t read something so perfectly titled in a long time… this story was truly Sweet As Sugar 🍬✨

Lyla Dane just gets it. The way she pulls you in from the very first page and makes you feel like you’re living right alongside the characters?? Unmatched.

Beau… oh my soft, shy baby 🥺 He’s so reserved, so timid, and carrying so much. My heart ached for him. But watching him slowly come out of his shell? Watching him start to feel safe?? EVERYTHING. And then there’s Lea 😮‍🔥 Loud, confident, expressive, lingerie-loving, sunshine chaos energy wrapped in a gorgeous Cali boy. He seems like he has it all together, but when it comes to love? Yeah… not so much. And the way he just sees Beau… takes his time, gives him space, makes him feel safe in a way no one ever has before??? I WAS GONE.

Their dynamic?? Don’t even get me started. The chemistry between these two?? OFF. THE. CHARTS. 🔥 Like they were always meant to find each other. Every touch, every look, every quiet moment between them just hit.

The sweetness? The softness? The shy little moments mixed with that intense, possessive edge?? Yeah… this book had me feeling EVERYTHING 🫠💘 It’s the little things that absolutely wrecked me — the notes, the learning, the care, the way they show up for each other. Watching Beau unfold and grow into himself while Lea slowly lets his walls down??? I swear I was swooning every other page.

Also can we PLEASE talk about the found family 😭✨ Perfection. Actual perfection. I’m already attached and I NEED more — especially Monroe and Shea like hello??? I am begging for their stories immediately.

This is hands down one of my favourite Lyla Dane books. I genuinely didn’t want it to end… I could’ve read 300 more pages of Beau and Lea just being them.

If you’re in the mood for something soft, swoony, a little spicy, and guaranteed to make your heart feel all warm and fuzzy… this is 100% for you 💕

*I received a complimentary copy of this book but this is my honest and voluntary review!*
Profile Image for Bethany Chastain.
192 reviews2 followers
May 14, 2026
Beau Hart has just moved from Kansas out east to live with his brother Shea in the ocean town of Blue Harbor. Although the two brothers have been semi-estranged for years, the death of their mother has allowed them to get close again.

The sheltered, uneasy, and anxious Beau falls apart when he finds out he'll be staying with Shea's best friend Lea while Shea is away for work. Why? Because Lea is the most outgoing, beautiful, captivating person Beau has ever met...and Beau has been hiding his sexuality from everyone.

As the two men spend more time together, it becomes obvious that there's something between them. Something special. Something worth risking everything for.

Okay sorry for the quick synopsis but I have to talk about THIS BOOK. Lyla said that it's a fluffy and cheesy book but I was sitting here with tears in my eyes the ENTIRE TIME because it grabbed my heart and would not let go. I'm not a happy crier, guys. But these two? My God.

I honestly went from thinking "Beau is so fragile it's kind of annoying" to "I will absolutely murder anyone who even looks at Beau sideways." There has never been an MC in the history of time who is more GOOD, more earnest, more special, and it's exactly what Lea needs but fears he doesn't deserve. And Lea has some baggage and some insecurities he covers with bravado, but at his heart he's incredible as well.

Can we talk about the spice? Jesus H Christ on a bike. 🥵 Transcendent. Beautiful. Hot. Electric. Plentiful. I'm running out of adjectives. It wasn't smut for smut's sake. It was perfectly done to advance their incredible relationship and show their level of trust in each other.

The found family aspect? Everything. I'm so glad Lyla dusted off this series and we're going to get more because it's SO GOOD. I've read a Lyla book a while ago and loved it, but then never read another one because apparently I'm a big stupid idiot. But MAN, this one is special.

If you read one book in May, let it be this one.
Profile Image for Jen.
92 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 17, 2026
"I want to be with you in every way a man can be with the man he loves. I want to wake up every morning in your arms and fall asleep every night feeling your heart beat. Forever."

Beau is looking for a fresh start following the death of his mother.  Moving to reconnect with his estranged brother, Shea, is the best way he knows to begin to stand on his own and not continue to drown in the scars his mother left in him.  Lea is the life of the party, he owns a bar, loves Hawaiian shirts and having no strings attached hook-ups with the hot men of Blue Harbor and hanging with his best friends.
When his best friend's brother needs a place to stay, Lea offers his spare room.  What Lea doesn't expect is his best friend's brother to break down the walls he has carefully crafted around his heart with his shy smiles and beautiful freckles.
Oh this book!!  I fell in love with Lea and Beau instantly.  Lea is the sweetest man!! He is so caring and protective of Beau.  And Beau I just want to hug. Beau has always made himself small from the abuse his mother had inflicted on him, to see Lea helping him become his authentic self - it is so beautiful.  And Lea trying to protect his broken heart from ever getting attached to another person, thinking he is unlovable is heartbreaking - then along comes Beau showing him he is worth all the love, it is everything!
This is a swoon worthy book full of heartache, strength, courage and most importantly love.  Lea and Beau will guarantee you fall not only in love with them, but their amazing friends and siblings.  Cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series!!
Profile Image for Jordy - Hard Earned and Slow Burn HEAs.
236 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 29, 2026
4.5 stars of sugary sweetness

What happens when the shy, reserved, coder dude has to come and stay with the hot, confident, bar owner (and his brother's best friend to boot). A whole lot of chemistry, a whole lot of green flags and a whole lot of sweetness. That's what.

This book was the perfect palate cleanser for me. I had just read something super angsty and I had another super angsty read lined up, but I wanted something lighter, swoonier, fluffier, to read in between the two so I didn't fall into a black hole of despair and this delivered on all levels.

Beau was so dang sweet. The guy had no idea the effect he has on people, how they perceive him or how endearing he is. He is covered in freckles and flushes as red as a tomato at the slightest compliment or praise - especially if that praise is coming for Lea.

Lea is out, proud, hot and single as a pringle. He agrees to letting his best friends younger brother stay with him because he's that kind of guy - always willing to help out a friend, nice, caring, considerate etc. He does not expect to feel an immediate connection when the cute as a button younger brother shows up and he does his absolute best not to cross any boundaries because.. it's his friends younger brother, who he thinks is straight, but as we ALL know - it never quite works out that way.

Once these two sort of bumble their way through that initial attraction and lines start to blur things start to cross and the fire ignites... all bets were off. These boys fall hard and they fall fast. It was, again, very sweet and swoony. The perfect read when you need something quick, with minimal angst but still a hard earned HEA.

Check content warnings as usual just in case and then thank me later.

ARC received from author. This is my full and honest review of this book.
Profile Image for Shyandmoodreader.
349 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 26, 2026
✨ ARC Review ✨

This was an especially sweet and so so perfect that it makes your teeth ache (and your heart 🥹) like you actually have ingested so much sugar!

Lea & Beau's entire situationship and watching them fall into one another and become friends and .. more 👀 is absolutely perfect and was so amazing!

Lyla Dane has a way of weaving such a story that you're whole soul gets invested in it's characters. Beau is an absolute sweetheart and I love him so much 💜 I just want to wrap him in a protective blanket and keep him safe forever 🫶. Thankfully Lea realizes how amazing he is and becomes his protector, and helps build his confidence up. Lea is also such a fun character! He is 💯 unapologetically himself, as he should be, because he is absolutely hilarious and so so sweet in his own way 🥰.

Words can't fully describe how much I love these characters, and even the side characters! I am so so invested in them and can't wait for future books in this series 😈. This is the perfect culmination of found family, finding love in the most unexpected places, and healing 🥹😍. As with all of Lyla's books there's definitely some hurt/comfort and some broken boy vibes but this is definitely more comfort then it is hurt and is just... Perfect 😉.

If you love your books sweet and so spicy, some seriously hilarious characters and side characters and stories about finding and accepting yourself then this book is definitely up your alley 💯.
Profile Image for Liz.
63 reviews6 followers
April 30, 2026
5 ⭐️
3🌶️

Lyla Dane remains one of my absolute favorite storytellers and she has hit it out of the park again with Sweet as Sugar! I was so excited about the found family aspect as it’s one of my favorites and I was not disappointed. Add to that roommates, self-acceptance, opposites attract, and best friend’s brother and you have the makings of a fantastic book!

At first glance, Lea seems like the quintessential playboy, but I love how quickly we’re introduced to his inner nature. He is playful, unserious, and hilarious; he is also kind, emotional, and cares so deeply for those around him. I also love a Consent King and Lea fits this mold perfectly!

And Beau…sweet, shy, earnest Beau. He is seriously one of the sweetest characters and I absolutely love the tenderness he brings to Lea’s life. One of the best aspects of his development is watching him accept and love himself while finding safety in the world around him.

These two together are the perfect combination and the way they compliment each other’s personalities is so well done. While this book is definitely spicy and fun, we don’t get a kiss until about halfway through the book which allowed for so much emotional connection. There is so much depth that makes it a story that will stick with me for quite some time.

This is the first book of a new series Out of the Blue and I cannot wait to see what Lyla has in store for the rest of the group!
Profile Image for Bee.
1,156 reviews225 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
March 31, 2026
I feel really really lucky to be a beta reader for Lyla. When I discovered her books last year, she quickly became one of my top favorite authors ever. She’s just so so talented and her stories never fail to make me drown in all the feels. Now, Sweet as Sugar is a bit more low angst than her usual books, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as amazing.

Sweet as Sugar is just so very sweet, it almost gave me a sugar high. It touched my heart in the most wonderful way. Lea is a fun, vibrant character who has some demons he needs to slay, and I loved the road he took to get to a good place, even if it wasn’t smooth sailing. Beau is a very different character, more reserved and shy. He’s been through A LOT and my heart ached for him. It was so beautiful watching him grow and find himself in this book. And their romance? Ugh, it was everything.

There’s also a cast of side characters that I’m very eager to see more off. I hope Shea, Riley and Monroe each get their own story eventually because I’m not ready to say goodbye to this cute beach town just yet.

Sweet as Sugar is a heartachingly beautiful low angst story with plenty of emotional depth. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, and the content warnings don’t steer you away from it, please please please check it out when you can!
Profile Image for asa.
187 reviews11 followers
April 17, 2026
Gosh this book is ADORABLE. New comfort read unlocked, it's so warm and fuzzy and made my heart happy. This is a lot sweeter and fluffier than some of Lyla's other books, but rest assured it has loads of that delicious hurt/comfort I've come to expect from her. I'm already craving more from this world, and so dearly hope this series continues!

Beau is just the sweetest cutest thing. He starts off so shy, always getting embarrassed and flustered, and it was so precious to watch him slowly come out of his shell. After a chaotic meet-cute with a boardwalk hottie, he arrives at his new apartment only to find out the aforementioned hottie is not only his brother's best friend, but his new roommate. Cue: pining, yearning, and SO MUCH tension.

Lea is basically sunshine personified. I could not get enough of how much he dotes on Beau, how gentle he is with him, I mean c'mon the little notes?! Teaching him to swim?! Truly the title says it all. It was so, so lovely watching the two of them begin to let each other in and build each other up as they both try to heal from their pasts.

I'll be eagerly awaiting more from the Out of the Blue universe, a lot of the side characters caught my attention, and I need more! I love to see Lyla bringing a different energy than her previous books; I continue to be pleasantly surprised while still provided the content I know and love from her.
Profile Image for VicReads.
1,678 reviews48 followers
Review of advance copy
April 29, 2026
𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚛

𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

5/5 ⭐️

↓↓
Oh my babies 🥺😫 I love Beau and Lea so much. They are both just the absolute sweetest.

Oh sweet and shy Beau. My heart 😭 He was just so damn cute. He was shy and out of his element at first but I loved watching him gain that confidence in himself to finally let his true self shine and let me tell you, his true self.. so lovable!!

Lea is absolutely hilarious. He is so unapologetically himself but has some trauma from a past relationship and keeps his heart a bit guarded. Beau comes in to his life and completely obliterates everything he thought he knew about love.

These two together. Perfection.
They allowed each other to be vulnerable, open and sincere. I loved watching both of them slowly heal a part of themselves and fall in love.

I loved their friend group soooo much. I need a book for all of them. Monroe where he finds his happy ever after and lives his life with no regrets. Riley where he has an awakening 🫣 and more on Shea and learn what happened to him during his summer research.

I really can't wait to see what comes next!!

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙴𝚇𝙿𝙴𝙲𝚃
☀️roommates
🏖️brother's best friend/best friend's brother
☀️shy x outgoing
🏖️smaller top x bigger bottom
☀️possessive/protective
🏖️size difference
☀️hurt/comfort
🏖️found family
☀️fake dating (for about 3 seconds)
🏖️flirty x flustered
☀️only one bed
🏖️opposites attract
Profile Image for Mal.
641 reviews59 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 26, 2026
Oh Lyla Dane! How do you write sweet and swoony with so much depth. This was so much lower on the angst scale than I’m used to from you (usually you make me sob and copious amounts of tissue is consumed) but it lacked none of the deep emotional swoony connection between the two characters. There is so much backstory and hurt and trauma these two get over and heal from in this story and it’s so so touching and yet I wouldn’t term it as painful or high angst.

Even when Lea is being stubborn - I don’t blame him, specially when he calls Beau sugar - I am definitely second hand swooning there every single time. He is pure sunshine. I love how ebullient he is. And Beau is the blushiest of blushers gosh he is so shy and so sweet. So unbearably unprotected and authentic and genuine.

Oh and their connection is like fire, that slow burn build up, that gentle fall into their connection - watching them come out of their respective shells was amazinggggg

I loved the first kiss and the I love you’s - that’s usually my favourite parts and they were both top tier perfection

I don’t know what happened with Shea when he came back, I’m excited about his story and Riley and Monroe’s too please.

Judy deserves a reward for the fake dating no matter how much chaos she brings 😂
Profile Image for 369Pages.
804 reviews60 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 15, 2026
4.75⭐️
This book was deliiiiiightful!
The story follows Beau, whose abusive mother had just passed, and therefore is moving from a homophobic environment to the openness of California. He’s going to be staying with his brother’s friend, and their meet-cute is fun, adorable and hilarious!

This book has amazing characters and fun tropes:
-a super-introverted, closeted country boy who’s great with computers and so, so sincere
-a lively, older, and expressive extrovert Cali boy who is so confident in himself in every way, but has a hard time with relationships
-friend’s brother
-roommates
-opposites attract
-lingerie

This book was honestly excellent, which is exactly what I expect from this author. The characters were unique and wonderful, and I genuinely loved them and wanted to be their friends. Both were complex. And their chemistry was FANTASTIC with a dynamic that doesn’t seem like recycled ones I feel like I’ve read over and over. They were fresh, sweet, and soooo lovable.

This story did have some heavy topics, but my overall feel reading it was just so happy. It made me smile so many times because it was so adorable.

Do NOT miss this one. ❤️😍
Profile Image for MJ.
33 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 28, 2026
✨ARC REVIEW✨

Rating: 3.75/5⭐ (rounded up)
Spice: 3/5🌶️

WHAT TO EXPECT:
☀️roommates
🏖️brother's best friend/best friend's brother
🌊shy x outgoing
☀️power bottom
🏖️smaller top x bigger bottom
🌊possessive/protective
☀️size difference
🏖️hurt/comfort
🌊found family
☀️fake dating (for about 3 seconds)
🏖️flirty x flustered
🌊only one bed
🌞opposites attract

I loved Lea. He was unapologetically himself: a bright, warm, big-hearted softie. I like how he looked out for Beau and the sweet little post-it notes he left him.

Beau’s innocence came off a little babyish to me. I liked it better when he took moments to be more firm in his stance, in bed or out, like readying himself to make Lea hear him out.

I enjoyed their dynamic, as I usually do with Lyla Dane’s MCs. This author definitely has a way of writing couples that just really work. The chemistry is sizzling and the romance is sweet.

This book also had the added plus of the found family trope, which I love! I’m really excited to read the side characters’ stories, especially Beau’s brother, Shea!

**I received an ARC and this is my honest review.**
Profile Image for Marquess Han.
44 reviews160 followers
April 29, 2026
God this was exactly what I needed!
Brother’s best friend is one of my favourite tropes and Lyla knocked this one out of the park!

Forced proximity ✅
Low angst ✅
Amazing spice ✅
Coastal town vibes ✅
Found family ✅
Size difference ✅

Lea, lace wearing cutie pie. He was such a breath of fresh air to read, unapologetically himself and real. I loved his take on life and his fear for vulnerability and opening your heart again felt authentic and relatable on all fronts. He’s someone you want in your corner to make you laugh and smile at any points in the day.

Beau, sheltered sweetheart. I just wanted to give him a big hug. He didn’t have the easiest upbringing and he was unable to be who he wanted to be. He’s sheltered, and anxious but he finally got to come out of his shell when he meets beautiful Lea and boy did he come out of it. He learned how to stick up for himself and love Lea with no boundaries. Absolutely adored his character and most importantly adored these two together.

They brought out the best in each other and were both so sweet together.

Lyla is an auto buy author for me and extremely grateful that I got the ARC for this.

💛💛
Profile Image for Emma Capella.
Author 1 book32 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 10, 2026
Sweet Sugar by Lyla Dane was exactly that—sweet like sugar, with the sweetest MMCs, like our shy boy Beau and the friendly, joyful Lea. I devoured this book in one sitting, as always, Lyla’s characters hooked me immediately.

I loved how their feelings for one another are the catalyst for their healing. Those feelings feel so pure, as both of them are insistent on the other not changing. They’re constantly uplifting one another, each finding the other perfect, and both are so protective of each other.

This story was a wonderful balance of hurt/comfort, well-saturated with honey-sweet interactions between these roommates-turned-lovers. As a big fan of found family, I also found the friend group to be fantastic, and I hope we get to hear their stories too, because I have so many questions about our grumpy Monroe, human sunshine Riley, and big brother Shae.

If you havent read Lylas books I highly recommend going through their backlog while you're waiting for Sweet Sugar's release!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ashley Webb.
291 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 19, 2026
This book was pleasantly surprising. The first chapter or so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get into, I put my down went to the store, came back and started again and I’m glad I did.
Beau moves across the country to be with his brother Shea, and on the day that he arrives he runs into “the most beautiful man” he’s ever seen. There’s definitely instant attraction between him and Lea.
They have an interesting exchange and when Lea isn’t looking Beau dips. Little does he know Lea is his brother’s best friend and the person he’ll be living with.
I think both of these characters had a bit of insta-lust, it’s hard to say who fell first. I’d say probably Beau but I think Lea fell harder, even though he fought his feelings with everything he had.
Both characters were pretty likable and they had amazing chemistry.
I am curious to see how (if we get a series) the rest of the books play out. Super curious about Shea.

*arc review*
23 reviews
May 6, 2026
sweet like sugar is right!

This story was so sweet it gave me a toothache in the very best way. I usually read more angsty books, especially from Lyla Dane but this was just what I needed, sometimes you need some fluffy, sweet love. It wasn’t done cheesy, it was the perfect amount of sweet while having just enough real life conflict to balance it out. One thing that always gets me is the brothers bestfriend trope mixed with the hurt/comfort. You couldn’t not fall in love with shy, scared, innocent Beau and self assured, loud and proud Lea. Their characters were such a polar opposite yet that’s why they fit so well together, they balanced each other out perfectly! It was nice to read about two characters who are kind and gentle with each other. If you want a tooth-achingly sweet romance with banter, softness and love that will make you kick your feet, this is it! I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series!
Profile Image for Kata.
196 reviews5 followers
April 29, 2026
Okay, where do I even begin? This book… ahh, it completely stole my heart.
I’m not kidding when I say I genuinely wished I didn’t have to work, just so I wouldn’t have had to put it down for even a second.

Beau, this sweet boy 🥺 he’s so reserved, so shy, and carrying so much, yet getting to watch him slowly come out of his shell? That was everything.
And then there’s Lea. Loud, confident, expressive, sunshine chaos energy. At first, he seems like someone who totally has it all together, but when it comes to love, we quickly realize… no, he absolutely does not.

Their dynamic is incredible. They were simply meant to find each other. Every touch, every glance, every single quiet little moment screamed it.

If you feel like you need a soft, melty, slightly spicy story to warm your heart, this is 100% for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews