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Candid
Will Mia's lack of trust in love, and Marcus' conservative beliefs keep them from a chance at love, or will they get out of their own way and realize they're made for each other?
289 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2018
15 people want to read
About the author
Lexi Aidyn
5 books11 followersWriting her debut contemporary romance novel under the pen name of Lexi Aidyn, Nydia Pastoriza is a graphic designer by trade. She’s been helping other Indie Authors with marketing and design for several years and has been designing for large companies for over ten years.
Fulfilling a childhood dream, Nydia has published her first novel, Candid, the Summer of 2018.
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing or designing, she spends her free time reading, listening to music, and making memories with her family and friends.
Fulfilling a childhood dream, Nydia has published her first novel, Candid, the Summer of 2018.
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing or designing, she spends her free time reading, listening to music, and making memories with her family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 7, 2018
.Could have had someone to proofread.. Saw many errors but the story line was great. Nice to have a Love Story that wasn
Could have had someone proofread. Saw many errors but story line was good. Nice to read a book that wasn't X Rated for a change.
Could have had someone proofread. Saw many errors but story line was good. Nice to read a book that wasn't X Rated for a change.
January 26, 2019
Great find by new Author
I was looking for a new book and something a bit different. I enjoyed the mixture of light spice and sweetness. I like the feel of a good romance. You can't help but root for both Mia and Marcus. I got so caught up in their story that I shed some tears at the end. Look forward to more books by this new Author!!!
I was looking for a new book and something a bit different. I enjoyed the mixture of light spice and sweetness. I like the feel of a good romance. You can't help but root for both Mia and Marcus. I got so caught up in their story that I shed some tears at the end. Look forward to more books by this new Author!!!
May 24, 2019
This book desperately needs some editing, both for content and for grammar/typos. However, the characters were likable and the story itself is ok, just hard to get through because of all the errors and all the times that it repeats itself.
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March 25, 2019Full disclosure, I didn't finish this book. I stopped reading at page 120, which is why I'm not rating it. I do have a lot of thoughts on it though and I'll share those as well as why I stopped reading it. First, let's start with the good this book has to offer.
It's a sweet romance that follows the story of Mia, a young photographer and Marcus, a widowed dad. The two meet a corporate party Marcus' work is holding and they instantly have a connection. Marcus is still trying to heal from his wife's sudden death and his in-laws want different things for him and his girls (like to live closer to them, to be raised in a certain way, etc.). Mia is a career focused woman who isn't sure how Marcus would fit into her life and she's cautious with her heart. I like the conflict set-up here. We have characters who have contrasting wants and motivations. They desire different things.
As far as characters go, Marcus and Mia are fun Romance genre characters. I love that Mia is independent and loves her career, and I love that Marcus has a close connection to his kids. My heart breaks for him with the loss of his wife, but Mia is good for him and I root for them as a couple. I've read many romances where I didn't care if the main couple stayed together, so the fact that I'm happy they try to make it work is good. Also, Mia's mom and her relationship with her is fascinating. Her mom's passive aggressive comments and the way she subtly tries to manipulate her daughter are great characterizations and offer nuanced dialogue with multiple meanings.
The setting works well for these characters and I like that the author lives where her characters do. Aidyn paints a picture of the space Mia and Marcus inhabit, and it feels authentic.
Okay, now let's get into why I stopped reading.
Candid's main problem is craft. A large part of what makes a story work is the writing itself or the craft elements the author uses to weave an interesting tale. The grammar and mechanics of the prose were good, what this story needed was a developmental editor. The text was plagued by large sections of telling and rarely stayed 'in-scene.' In particular, there was a scene where Mia and Marcus go out with Mia's friends and the narrative tells the reader that they're having a good time, but doesn't delve into much conversation or fun happenings. We just have to take Marcus thinking he's starting to have fun as proof. This scene had such potential to be funny, awkward, and entertaining, but unfortunately the narrative didn't take the time to explore it.
Several chapters started with a recap of the past few days, catching the reader up on what has happened since the last chapter ended. While this moves the story forward, it makes me feel like I've missed key moments of connection between Marcus and Mia or times that would develop side characters into interesting plot points. Marcus's in-laws come into town, but the readers don't see his interaction with them until much later and then it's in short snippets (I assume later in the book we'd see more of it, but I wish that it happened sooner).
The dialogue often focused on small talk or informational dumping of someone's past. Dialogue should create tension and reveal character development in a natural way that feels as if real people are talking. It should enthrall the reader and give them insights into the inner workings of a character (or purposefully withhold it). As a writer, I struggle with this myself. The characters would often list their work schedule and plans for the day; this is something that should be told to readers and largely passed over. In romance, readers are there to devour banter, flirting, and deep conversation. We want to swoon, and we can't swoon over schedules.
Lexi Aidyn is on the beginning of her writing journey and she should keep writing, because it's clear that she has buckets of potential. She should read some books on craft and find beta readers/critique partners who will help shape her skill. Writing is incredibly difficult and the only way to get better is to practice and to study those writers we admire. I wish her the best of luck!
It's a sweet romance that follows the story of Mia, a young photographer and Marcus, a widowed dad. The two meet a corporate party Marcus' work is holding and they instantly have a connection. Marcus is still trying to heal from his wife's sudden death and his in-laws want different things for him and his girls (like to live closer to them, to be raised in a certain way, etc.). Mia is a career focused woman who isn't sure how Marcus would fit into her life and she's cautious with her heart. I like the conflict set-up here. We have characters who have contrasting wants and motivations. They desire different things.
As far as characters go, Marcus and Mia are fun Romance genre characters. I love that Mia is independent and loves her career, and I love that Marcus has a close connection to his kids. My heart breaks for him with the loss of his wife, but Mia is good for him and I root for them as a couple. I've read many romances where I didn't care if the main couple stayed together, so the fact that I'm happy they try to make it work is good. Also, Mia's mom and her relationship with her is fascinating. Her mom's passive aggressive comments and the way she subtly tries to manipulate her daughter are great characterizations and offer nuanced dialogue with multiple meanings.
The setting works well for these characters and I like that the author lives where her characters do. Aidyn paints a picture of the space Mia and Marcus inhabit, and it feels authentic.
Okay, now let's get into why I stopped reading.
Candid's main problem is craft. A large part of what makes a story work is the writing itself or the craft elements the author uses to weave an interesting tale. The grammar and mechanics of the prose were good, what this story needed was a developmental editor. The text was plagued by large sections of telling and rarely stayed 'in-scene.' In particular, there was a scene where Mia and Marcus go out with Mia's friends and the narrative tells the reader that they're having a good time, but doesn't delve into much conversation or fun happenings. We just have to take Marcus thinking he's starting to have fun as proof. This scene had such potential to be funny, awkward, and entertaining, but unfortunately the narrative didn't take the time to explore it.
Several chapters started with a recap of the past few days, catching the reader up on what has happened since the last chapter ended. While this moves the story forward, it makes me feel like I've missed key moments of connection between Marcus and Mia or times that would develop side characters into interesting plot points. Marcus's in-laws come into town, but the readers don't see his interaction with them until much later and then it's in short snippets (I assume later in the book we'd see more of it, but I wish that it happened sooner).
The dialogue often focused on small talk or informational dumping of someone's past. Dialogue should create tension and reveal character development in a natural way that feels as if real people are talking. It should enthrall the reader and give them insights into the inner workings of a character (or purposefully withhold it). As a writer, I struggle with this myself. The characters would often list their work schedule and plans for the day; this is something that should be told to readers and largely passed over. In romance, readers are there to devour banter, flirting, and deep conversation. We want to swoon, and we can't swoon over schedules.
Lexi Aidyn is on the beginning of her writing journey and she should keep writing, because it's clear that she has buckets of potential. She should read some books on craft and find beta readers/critique partners who will help shape her skill. Writing is incredibly difficult and the only way to get better is to practice and to study those writers we admire. I wish her the best of luck!
June 26, 2022
The good:
This dual point of view sotryline was cute! Mia is a young photographer who is hired to take pictures at an event. While there, she meets Marcus - a widower who is new to the company. We learn about their pasts and their presents and see these two form a relationship that neither one expected to happen. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline. Some aspects made me a little crazy.. but the controlling in-laws / parents is something that happens in real life, so I can't be too upset at those parts. I wish the book told us more about how they end up.
The bad:
There are some grammatical / spelling errors throughout the book. The author should (at a minimum) maybe get feedback from ARC / BETA readers to help with those errors before releasing the book to the public. They aren't terrible, but they should be corrected.
I do think it is a well written book and have already recommended it to a friend.
This dual point of view sotryline was cute! Mia is a young photographer who is hired to take pictures at an event. While there, she meets Marcus - a widower who is new to the company. We learn about their pasts and their presents and see these two form a relationship that neither one expected to happen. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline. Some aspects made me a little crazy.. but the controlling in-laws / parents is something that happens in real life, so I can't be too upset at those parts. I wish the book told us more about how they end up.
The bad:
There are some grammatical / spelling errors throughout the book. The author should (at a minimum) maybe get feedback from ARC / BETA readers to help with those errors before releasing the book to the public. They aren't terrible, but they should be corrected.
I do think it is a well written book and have already recommended it to a friend.
August 5, 2018
If I had Known...
Ms Aidyn needs to find an editor to assist with her books before trying to foist any more of them off on the public. Seriously. So agonizing to try to read. Poorly written. I hung in there until the bitter end though because I hoped the story would shine through. Had I known this was a faith based novel, I wouldn't have bothered. Too, too sweet. I prefer my romances to be richer and perhaps more raw. I remember the early days of Harlequin Romances, and Ms Aidyn should make a trip back to the 70's for an education in that type of nuanced romance. For me, been there and happy in this century.
Ms Aidyn needs to find an editor to assist with her books before trying to foist any more of them off on the public. Seriously. So agonizing to try to read. Poorly written. I hung in there until the bitter end though because I hoped the story would shine through. Had I known this was a faith based novel, I wouldn't have bothered. Too, too sweet. I prefer my romances to be richer and perhaps more raw. I remember the early days of Harlequin Romances, and Ms Aidyn should make a trip back to the 70's for an education in that type of nuanced romance. For me, been there and happy in this century.
June 2, 2019
I spent almost all afternoon reading this story and it did not disappoint! Mia's directness (which would explain the play on words with the title, given her profession in this story too) was refreshing and Marcus' current lifestyle (I don't want to say and give away a spoiler for anyone) added a realistic yet unexpected twist to their romance.
December 1, 2025
This story beautifully captures the challenges of moving on after loss. Marcus’s devotion to his daughters is heartwarming, and Mia’s skepticism about love adds a relatable tension. I enjoyed how their connection felt both real and hopeful. Looking forward to seeing how they navigate their doubts.
September 22, 2018
The love story of Marcus and Mia is a feel good that is no longer seen today. It’s sweet and what a love story should be it’s sweet and beyond the physical!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews