Vali Erickson is the classic middle child—misunderstood, underestimated, and overlooked. He’s fine with it. Really. The overlooked part is actually serving him well during this phase of life.
He’s in Green Valley in an effort to fly under the radar and regroup after a life-altering blow to his heart and ego. The last thing he’s looking for is a woman to warm his bed until one throws him to the mat and rocks his world.
Margaret O’Neal is an only child who has led a sheltered life. She’s used to being a wallflower. Her ability to blend into the background is what allows her to maintain her anonymity as a gossip columnist for the Green Valley Ledger.
Since the Ericksons moved to town, she's never felt more inspired, especially with the newest addition. Vali Erickson is the definition of eye candy—devastatingly handsome with muscles for days—giving her plenty to report about.
The more Maggie observes, the more she finds herself wanting things she’s only read about in romance novels.
Admiring Vali from afar is good enough for her until their paths cross and she finds herself trying to stay afloat in uncharted territory—no labels, no promises, and WAY out of her comfort zone.
Will this arrangement be what finally breaks her out of her shell, or will her heart be a casualty of the Viking Invasion?
'Eye Candy' is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Fighting For Love series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Jiffy Kate is the joint pen name for Jiff Simpson and Jenny Kate Altman. They're co-writing besties who share a brain and a love of cute boys, good coffee, and fun times.
“Honey, if they run out of chairs, you can sit on my lap,” Miss Faye offers. Missy turns to Miss Faye. “Don’t make me call Mister Ralph on you!” Faye waves her threat away. “Oh, please. He’d love for someone else to put up with me for a while. I wore him out years ago!”
“We’re not joining the Mile-High Club,” she says, still watching out the window as the captain announces we’ve been cleared for takeoff. “I already peeked inside that bathroom and it’s tiny. You’re a giant Viking and I’m not small. It would never work.”
My Review:
Margaret O’Neal, a socially awkward and virginal wallflower who had never been out of the state of Tennessee finally meets her secret crush face-to-face. Vali is a sculpted, gorgeous, smart, yet emotionally wounded Viking. They each experience an instant struck-by-lightning in the solar plexus attraction, which given Vali’s temporary status in the quirky mountain community of Green Valley, Tennessee was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise, and also a challenge to his plans. I adored this sweet couple and their families. All the characters were vastly and readily likable and people I’d enjoying knowing, including the elderly yet feisty Miss Faye. The witty storylines were engaging, easy to follow, low angst, and vastly amusing entertainment. I am looking forward to brothers four and five as I am expecting great things as the Viking Invasion continues.
**NOW AVAILABLE IN KU ** It’s happening, people!! EYE CANDY by Jiffy Kate is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!!! This is the perfect opposites-attract, small town romance and we think you’re going to love it!
**BLURB** Vali Erickson is the classic middle child—misunderstood, underestimated, and overlooked. He’s fine with it. Really. The overlooked part is actually serving him well during this phase of life.
He’s in Green Valley in an effort to fly under the radar and regroup after a life-altering blow to his heart and ego. The last thing he’s looking for is a woman to warm his bed until one throws him to the mat and rocks his world.
Margaret O’Neal is an only child who has led a sheltered life. She’s used to being a wallflower. Her ability to blend into the background is what allows her to maintain her anonymity as a gossip columnist for the Green Valley Ledger.
Since the Ericksons moved to town, she’s never felt more inspired, especially with the newest addition. Vali Erickson is the definition of eye candy—devastatingly handsome with muscles for days—giving her plenty to report about.
The more Maggie observes, the more she finds herself wanting things she’s only read about in romance novels. Admiring Vali from afar is good enough for her until their paths cross and she finds herself trying to stay afloat in uncharted territory—no labels, no promises, and WAY out of her comfort zone.
Will this arrangement be what finally breaks her out of her shell, or will her heart be a casualty of the Viking Invasion?
‘Eye Candy’ is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Fighting For Love series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
** NOW AVAILABLE IN KU ** The day is FINALLY here! Eye Candy by Jiffy Kate is ALIVE and FREE in Kindle Unlimited! If you're in the market for an opposites-attract, small town romance, then do I have the book for you... .
**BLURB** Vali Erickson is the classic middle child—misunderstood, underestimated, and overlooked. He’s fine with it. Really. The overlooked part is actually serving him well during this phase of life.
He’s in Green Valley in an effort to fly under the radar and regroup after a life-altering blow to his heart and ego. The last thing he’s looking for is a woman to warm his bed until one throws him to the mat and rocks his world.
Margaret O’Neal is an only child who has led a sheltered life. She’s used to being a wallflower. Her ability to blend into the background is what allows her to maintain her anonymity as a gossip columnist for the Green Valley Ledger.
Since the Ericksons moved to town, she’s never felt more inspired, especially with the newest addition. Vali Erickson is the definition of eye candy—devastatingly handsome with muscles for days—giving her plenty to report about.
The more Maggie observes, the more she finds herself wanting things she’s only read about in romance novels. Admiring Vali from afar is good enough for her until their paths cross and she finds herself trying to stay afloat in uncharted territory—no labels, no promises, and WAY out of her comfort zone.
Will this arrangement be what finally breaks her out of her shell, or will her heart be a casualty of the Viking Invasion?
‘Eye Candy’ is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Fighting For Love series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
‘“We’re on your watch, Maggie.” he says, his voice turning gravelly. “You set the pace. Nothing happens tonight or this weekend without your approval.”
Swallowing again, I nod. “Okay.”
“So,” he says, taking three slow steps toward me and making my body tingle at his proximity. “That means you’re going to have to tell me what you want...communicate your desires...there’s nothing I won’t give you. I want you so f****** bad.”’
It’s so very rare that I can label a book as being utterly perfect in every way, from the plot to the characters to the dialogue and everything in between, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m about to do here. Eye Candy by Jiffy Kate manages to bring forth all of those positively exquisite emotions that first made me fall madly, deeply in love with romance stories. It made me feel giddy, hopeful, anticipatory and excited. It was enticing and slightly breathtaking, something that I feel was mostly due to the incredible way Jiffy Kate is able to give such real, organic and loveable personalities to their very flawed and very endearing characters. You can’t help but fall in love with them. All of them. From the heroine, to the hero every family member and friend we meet along the way. It’s like being invited into that small town setting. You live and breathe the air in the Smoky Mountains, walk those streets, enter those same locations. We’re able to do that as readers, thanks to the beautiful descriptive words and interactions from the writers.
Maggie was a darling female protagonist. She may have first come across as being reserved and a little awkward, however she had oodles of integrity and spirit in her, she was simply waiting for something or someone to come along, to spark those innate curiosities in her. I adored her. Every thing about her. She was funny, sweet, sincere and tremendously loyal - not afraid to show who she was. Innocent, not well travelled, sheltered, those things all became background noise in her life once she let herself live a little louder. It was so dazzling to watch her personality bloom and decorate the page. She is honestly one of my favourite Smartypants Romance heroines now.
Vali. Vali, Vali, Vali. I could throw a thesaurus at you and that might cover how amazing this man is. He’s so dynamic, dreamy, deep and dangerously alluring. His body, his mind, his voice, his heart. How he’s able to express himself, say what he thinks and feels, his attentiveness, how he repeatedly gets consent from Maggie before going anywhere with her - he just makes it all look so damn effortless and sexy. As it should be. And as always, with any Jiffy Kate book, you’re guaranteed some scorching hot, melt the knickers off you, intimate scenes and boy do they deliver here. They manage to balance it all wonderfully as a delicate mixture of hot dirty sex, with really romantic and heartfelt emotions melding it all together.
There are no contrived events here, no silly miscommunications that disrupt the equilibrium for the sake of throwing some drama our way at the 70% mark. Every action and word progresses the story along at a terrific pace, making Eye Candy a remarkable love story. It's sweet, swoony and sensational.
If you are in the market for a spectacularly well written romance, one that inspires hope and incites passion, through a darling heroine, a dashing hero and a family of fantastic, misfit MMA fighters, then, as a romance reader, you definitely need this book in your life. I don’t say this often about many books, but I’m going to right now - Eye Candy by Jiffy Kate is utter perfection.
I was super lucky to be an early reader for this book and it is my absolute favorite of the series so far! Fans of the Fighting for Love series (formerly part of the Donner Bakery series in the Smartypants Romance Universe) will be thrilled with all of the awesome cameos in this book. This story centers around Maggie, a self-proclaimed wallflower looking to put herself out there to experience life, and Vali, middle child of the Erickson family and spending some time in Green Valley, TN to mend some pieces of his heart that have fallen out of place. Page after page, watching these two characters find themselves and each other warmed my heart in a way that no book has in such a long time. If you're a fan of books with low angst, lots of sexy, and ALL THE FEELS...then I highly recommend making this book your next read. 💜
"5- I didn't see her coming, I wasn't expecting to find her. But, Dear God, I'm glad I did - Stars!" - Vali Erickson
"Greeting, Good People of Green Valley." - Trixie and Tess, Green Valley Ledger
Margaret O'Neal has a secret. She's the voice behind "The Green Valley Ledgers" gossip and advice column. Nobody knows her secret but two people. Her editor, Sarah, and her pen pal and confidant, Everly. Margaret would also say that she suffers from a "lack of social interaction" because her parents were older when they had her. She was homeschooled. She went to college through online courses. She works and has always worked for her parents - O'Neil Feed and Fodder Store, and she still lives at home with her parents. Writing her weekly column for the "Green Valley Ledger" allows her to transform from Maggie O'Neal, feed store employee, to Maggie O'Neal, a writer, and columnist. It's through Maggie's column that she's able to tell the good people of Green Valley about the "Viking Invasion", and that there's a new addition to Viking MMA -Vali Erickson.
Vali Erickson's reason for coming to Green Valley is to get away. He was betrayed in the most brutal of ways. He's hurt, heartbroken, and has come to his brother's MMA gym to get away, lick his wounds, ground himself, and learn to move on.
As fate would have it, Maggie and Vali end up getting to know one another. They agree to have a relationship "with no labels" because Vali doesn't know how long he'll be staying in Green Valley, and he wants to be upfront with Maggie that his move there was never meant to be permanent. Their chemistry is off the charts. Vali is Maggie's everything firsts. First relationship. First time travelling outside of Green Valley. First Love.
This is a wonderful story of Vali learning to trust and love, and Maggie learning to get off the sidelines of life and follow her dreams. When she does, she soars.
I just want to say that this is my MOST favourite story yet in the series! I totally fell for Vali and Maggie. Vali Erickson if f#@*ing Perfect, and I LOVED, LOVED Margaret (Maggie, Mags) O'Neil's character!
Amazing read and a wonderful addition to the "Fighting for Love" series!
I really enjoyed this trip back to Green Valley and into the world of Erikson’s MMA - Tennessee location. I loved revisiting the characters and relationships that were developed in Stud Muffin and Beef Cake.
Vali is the newest Viking to infiltrate the small town and he definitely moves in with baggage. Emotional baggage. Vali is coming off a heartbreak and is gun shy when it comes to relationships and Maggie is just shy-shy when it comes to members of the opposite sex. She’s been sheltered her whole life.
They have great chemistry and connection even in the most awkward of situations. The horse crop scene is still making me laugh. But most importantly, I was glad that they could be honest with each other when the time came to spill their secrets.
I loved the trip back to NOLA and was hoping that we might get a visit to Neutral Grounds or Come Again. In my mind we did. Lol. And I really want a happy ending for Everly and hope we see her again.
This was a terrific story. For me, it didn’t have the same emotional heft to it of the first two, but I loved getting to know Vali and Maggie. Totally a great read!
Y'all...I did that little scream you do when a book you have been dying to read lands on your Kindle...Yesss Eye Candy made me scream!!! Oh and of course the excitement continued all the way through until that very last page...Talk about my new fav couple By Jiffy Kate!!! 💜
Soo the Studmuffin standalone alone Series continues in EyeCandy by the magnificent duo Jiffy Kate. 💜
Of course you wanna read each book in this series because you will see glimpses of characters from other books (which I freaking love...I need those updates y'all!! Lol) each book makes you fall in love with Studmuffin books even more. I always get those feels while reading Jiffy Kate's books...Sooo Swoonworthy!! Their men are HAWT!!!
Wait until y'all meet the next Erickson brother...Dayummn he is delicious and he will definitely be your next BBF!! Well..wait a minute...I claimed him..I'm not sharing!! Haha
So get ready...Eye Candy releases February 18th and will be available on KU. Fyi if you haven't read the first 2..you have plenty of time to go read now and enjoy these Erickson brothers as much as me!! 🍬🍭
Jiffy Kate with another absolute WIN! I did not know what to expect with Vali Erickson, but I should have known this story would be absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Cue all the happy tears.
“Even in her innocence, there’s an underlying air of confidence.”
In addition to Vali- the swoony Erickson brother (which let’s face it- after the first two books in this series, readers have to come to expect that trademark Erickson charm), Maggie was a delightful surprise of a heroine! I loved her sweet innocence. It was endearing and so very honest. She wasn’t ashamed or proud of her life’s inexperience, it just was a part of her story. I like that there are no apologies when she says what she thinks and feels and she’s just comfortable in her skin. Maggie doesn’t rush things right away and our hero of course absolutely respects and encourages her setting the pace. Shes quirky and a little clumsy and I adored that she was routinely stunned stupid by Vali.
“Why are you still standing by the stairs? Have you been there the entire time I was in the shower?” “Well, yes, I have. What do you expect? You yanked me up here, kissed me stupid and then left. I don’t even know what day it is anymore!”
Honestly, I was expecting a huge conflict angstfest at some point due to our hero’s past and the nature of the heroines job and I was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t come. The book surprised me a couple times when it could have gone different directions. (Sidebar- A nod to Penny Reid with the lemon drop was *perfection*.)
I love love loved catching up with Cage and Tempest and Gunnar and Frankie. There are *major* life wins in each couple’s life and I felt so much joy and pride for these book characters I adore. (That sounds ridiculous, but I feel like only other readers could relate to that feeling.)
The last few chapters had my smiling like a loon and I’ll admit to happy tears along the way. What a lovely addition to the Viking MMA series. The intermingling of Jiffy Kate’s French Quarter series was brilliant, my interest was absolutely piqued, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
That was nothing short of fabulous! Maggie and Vali are the sweetest couple. Right down to the first kisses which actually gave me butterflies. These two are breath-taking together. To say I love the Erickson brothers would be an understatement. And Jiffy Kate's writes the steamy scenes like none other. What I really liked was Maggie is all kinds of awkward, but also amazing. She spoke her mind, too. This story is definitely going to be on my reread list. Vali is one hunk of a gorgeous man and first-rate book boyfriend material. Eye Candy is a worthy addition to the Fighting for Love series. Fabulous!! 5 stars
Vali Erickson just might be edging Cage out as my favorite Erickson brother!
The chemistry in this book is beyond scorching. I will never be able to look at jam the same way again!
I really loved Maggie’s back story. She definitely has had a sheltered upbringing, but she’s awkwardly smart and funny. Her relationship with the Viking MMA ladies is #girlsquadgoals.
Vali and Maggie really help each other grow their own strengths and desires through their relationship. They give each other confidence.
This book was has low angst, and lots of chemistry. These characters have an open communication relationship that as a reader you can’t help but root for.
Let me ask you a question. Do you as a reader literally open a book and find yourself falling into the character's world and letting them surround you? Let me share with you that it is the most wonderful feeling for me as a reader. Thank you Jiffy Kate for taking me there with Maggie and Vali's story. I absolutely fell in love with Maggie and Vali. They were sweet, romantic, had the right amount of smolder and yes they complimented one another in every way. This couple wasn't looking for that special someone or for love but fate had other plans for them . They also had a wonderfully funny and charismatic supporting cast!!! I am loving this entire series by this wonderful writing duo!! ~~Michele McMullen ~~
Another great book by my favorite writing duo! I loved the two previous books in this Fighting for Love series but I think Eye Candy is my favorite so far. The sweet story of Vali, (the middle Erickson son who is usually unnoticed and has been hurt by love in the worst way) and Maggie (the shy, quiet, innocent, only-child) is definitely one that not only brought back memories of those first-love belly flutters but it also re-kindled those butterflies of finally finding someone who truly “gets” you and only wants to make you happy. I was so afraid that these two wouldn’t get their HEA. As always, with any Jiffy Kate book, this one was filled with sass, steam and sweet, sweet love! I can’t get enough Jiffy Kate!
I loved this book, it made me so giddy and happy. I loved the characters and story so much. I seriously can’t stop smiling.
Can I have my very own Vali Erickson, please and thank you. Dear lord that Viking left me a swoony mess. He’s so thoughtful, caring, considerate, loyal, family oriented, and oh so amazing. I absolutely loved him.
Maggie was such a wonderful character. She’s sweet, innocent, and just adorable. I really liked seeing her come out of her shell and it was great to see her come alive.
Maggie and Vali were so incredibly amazing together. The chemistry between them was electric. They definitely brought the heat and let me tell you, it was at high level. I adored them and just loved them together.
Eye Candy was a delightful read. I really enjoyed the cameos of the other Erickson brothers and of other previous characters. I relished the fact that this book wasn’t filled with drama or angst and that was refreshing. What can I say? This was another terrific addition to the Fighting for Love series (previously the Donner Bakery series)
I don't know what is about MMA fighters that are so hot but Jiffy Kate they get it. They totally get it. This is such a good book. I loved every word of it. Maybe I wanna move to Green Valley and get an Erickson of my own hahaha. Seriously, the love story of Maggie and Vali is really good. Its a fun loving sexy storyline, it also has growth for both characters.
Maggie is a true Green Valley local. Born and raised in that small town, she was even home schooled. She is sheltered beyond reason and she is dying for some excitement and something new. Enters Vali Erickson, the middle brother to the Erickson clan.
Vali wasn't looking for love or fun in Green Valley. He was there to help out his brothers and he was also running from his old life in Dallas. But when Maggie walks into the gym, all bets were off. She was everything he never new he wanted in a woman. She was perfect to him from her voice to her smile. When these to get together.... girl is pure fire.
I don't wanna go into much more detail. I will just say read this book, you will NOT be disappointed.
This story is so romantic, sweet and swoony! That is...right up until we are hit with a dose of angst that gets the heart racing in another way. I completely fell in love with Maggie and Vali and I didn’t want their story to end. I loved catching up with the rest of the Erickson clan and their significant others and I can’t wait to see who will be the next Viking to descend on Green Valley.
“Sometimes the second chance is better than the first time ever dreamed of being.”
Sometimes you just need a feel good book to make your day. This would be mine for the moment. As we’ve followed the Erickson boys around Green Valley we’ve come to love them and their women. Vali is the middle child and healing his broken heart when he falls for Green Valley, and a special lady. I really enjoyed his sense of humor and how he gets on with the frisky flirting from the older women. Maggie is a sheltered soul with an inner explorer ready to burst. The two of them had great banter, and when all couples get together it’s tons of laughs. Each of the boys get their own story so you can pick up any book and enjoy. I was thrilled to get an early copy and wrote my review voluntarily.
Eye Candy by Jiffy Kate is book three in her Fighting for Love Series and is set in the Green Valley world of P. Reid. Vali Erickson is one of the five brothers, new in Green Valley, Tennessee / Donner Bakery . He works at the family's gym, most of the brothers are mma fighters, but Vali only wants a fresh start. Maggie O'Neal works at the family feed story, grew up sheltered, and never really left Green Valley. But she keeps a secret close, a secret that intrigues Vali. Meet the other family members, her loved ones and settle in for an entertaining read, 4,5 stars.
I devoured this book much like the residents of Green Valley devour the muffins from Donner Bakery... in one sitting. This book is fun and uplifting, has a group of characters that are relatable, and includes several swoony Vikings! A must read!
Y'all, this was probably my favorite one in the series so far.
Vali and Maggie end up an amazing pair!
Vali, the middle brother in the Erickson clan, has come to Green Valley in the hopes of moving on from a bad relationship in Dallas and to help his brothers with their new gym.
Maggie, only child to over protective parents and owners of O'Neal Feed and Fodder, she has lived a somewhat sheltered life.
When Maggie and Vali officially meet sparks fly and their story really begins! They are perfect for each other and you will be rooting for them the entire story!!
It's Vali's turn to find his special someone and...well, things are a tiny bit complicated by the short-term nature of his stay in Green Valley. He knows he's going to return to Dallas eventually and he's not looking for love. Or a hook-up. Or anything really, other than getting on his feet again after a betrayal he really didn't see coming.
Basically, Maggie's awkward sweetness blindsides him and he finds himself seeking her out again and again.
On Maggie's end, she's smitten with the middle Erickson brother well before he ever speaks to her. Which leads to some of that endearing awkwardness when they come face to face and BOOM suddenly she has Vali ensnared in her web. I joke. It's really her unfettered honesty and inability to hide her reactions to anything that ensnares him. He likes that about her. A lot.
But again, he's not planning on staying and her roots are deep in the town. Which means they have a few things to figure out before they can have their HEA. In the end, it takes a family trip, a little heartache, and more than a little soul searching before they find their happy place. *thumbs up* all around.
Fans of Jiffy Kate are sure to enjoy this low-angst contemporary romance.
When the story starts, Vali Erickson is hiding out in Green Valley helping out his brothers Cage and Gunnar at Viking MMA while he works through (or perhaps avoids) some emotional baggage. Maggie is an observer, and Vali doesn't actually do a great job of hiding. When the two officially meet, their chemistry is undeniable. I would have enjoyed a bit more depth to their relationship, but as it's written, this is an easy-to-read story about two people who aren't looking for love but certainly find it.
Past Jiffy Kate characters are featured heavily in this third installment in the Fighting For Love series. While based in Green Valley, the characters travel to another of the authors' favorite places: New Orleans.
Eye Candy is an enjoyable romance between a young man who ran away after a sentimental disappointment and a young woman who was too much sheltered and who dreams of being more confidant and free. We met the Erickson family in the previous books. Vali is closed to his brothers and their girlfriends. He knows he's good looking, he looks like a viking like his brothers, but what happened with his ex-girlfriend made him less confidant. I liked the family dynamics. The men are super closed and they consider the girlfriends of the others like their sisters. I liked Vali's reaction to his ex's lies. It shows his values. I was not a fan of their mother though. She asks Vali to meet his ex and talk to her in front of Maggie, his new girlfriend (the first time she meets her). Maggie is an innocent and virgin young woman who's been homeschooled and who works and lives with her parents. She has a secret, she writes anonymously for The Green Valley Ledger, something i appreciated because it shows another side of her but sadly... She only writes about how handsome the Erickson brothers are. She had a big crush on Vali before meeting him. I wanted to see Maggie "blooming" not just with her new man and leave her parents' house to live on her own. I didn't really liked she stressed out when she passed her curfew. She's an adult not a little girl. Finally her parents were understanding and i felt like she was the one who needed to be protected by them, to be sheltered. For maybe too long, Vali and Maggie just admire themselves from afar, they're just attracted by their looks and i was disappointed to see they didn't talk more together. They're like teenagers, full of hormones, always turn on by little nothing. "I bet you taste better than this fifty-dollar steak i'm getting ready to order." = seriously ? who says that ? and who is turn on by that ? They are cute yes, but their love is a bit superficial. Like i've said, this novel is easy to read and quite enjoyable but it felt more like a shallow love story between teenagers in high school.
---> I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Who knew Green Valley had room for another family of sweet, gorgeous brothers? I am loving these Texan Vikings. Their love for each other brings a tear to my eye every time. Their love and patience for their women warms me inside out (all over)! Warning: I wanted a doughnut or breakfast bread while reading
Okay, okay, okay....I received this book as an ARC and am giving my honest review. Explaining now, I won’t go into a whole lot of detail, I HATE coming across a review that tells me everything I would prefer to read.
WIN!!!! Jiffy Kate pulled off another fantastic book. TOTAL POWERHOUSE!
Now, here comes the word I am going to use for this book...DARLING. A big hunk of sweetness. It is that perfect book for devouring, it left this feeling of being soft and content afterwards. It’s gentle, rolls along easily and is what I like from my Jiffy Kate books. It checked almost every Jiffy Kate box on my list.
What was happening was a tender love story neither character was looking for. It was about two real feeling adults going into a relationship with eyes wide open. SO, it falls into a rare category. It was a little warm on the love scenes, there was a good communication with the characters once that initial meeting took place and a little bit of pining between them and there was a lot of past character continuation. Well, Hello there Cletus and The Banana Cake Queen!
I went back before beginning Eye Candy and re-read the Fighting for Love series Stud Muffin and Beef Cake (also a part of the Donner Bakery series) to refresh my memory and the ONLY thing that kept me from giving this a total 5 stars was because it didn’t hit as hard as Stud Muffin did, however it ranks high for past character story extension in the FFL series.
What the book lacked for me was a little heartbreak (not sure if that is the word I want to use here moodiness might be a better word). There was one part of the book that could have added a touch of jealousy to the male character but I have to remind myself this group of books just don’t all fall along those lines. Stud Muffin had the hotness, Beef Cake had some big angst and this one needed the warm-hearted burn after such a story. These story plots for this series will hit every note for each brother, (at least I am hoping that is the direction JK intends to take them, each brother deserves his own story and the potential is phenomenal...Hint hint). So I can only hope each book will hit a different emotion or situation.
Jiffy Kate has a style of writing that never follows a trope, I LOVE that.
I needed this story, I needed the warmth, I needed the sweetness, I needed the emotion, I needed the connection between Maggie and Vali, I needed the past characters to still be present, I need more and I need it now!
Always enjoy the chance to go back to Green Valley and check in with the Erickson family!
The latest member of the Erickson clan to infiltrate Green Valley is Vali, the middle child who ran from Dallas trying to mend his broken heart. His recent bad breakup left him questioning himself and his capacity for relationships moving forward. That is until Maggie O’Neal appears at Viking MMA one Friday afternoon. Maggie is an observer, living a sheltered life but itching for more. She just needed someone to pull her out of her routine and introduce her to all the possibilities and experiences out there. Their connection came at the perfect time for both of them.
Maggie’s naivety and lack of experience were really endearing (reminded me of Jennifer Sylvester!) and Vali’s patience with her and his constant reassurance that she was the one in control made me love him even more. Neither were looking for a relationship (even if they didn’t label it), but ended up falling for each other in the same sweet way the other Tennessee Ericksons have also fell.
I was really nervous that Chloe was going to come back with a big reveal to pull Vali and Maggie apart, but was really happy with how everything turned out. These two really understand each other, know all of their secrets and help each other to do new and exciting things.
Loved that Cage & Tempest (Stud Muffin) and Gunnar & Frankie (Beef Cake) were all such integral parts of the story and we got the added benefit of seeing how their relationships have progressed. My biggest hang up with this book is that, by including so much from the previous books in this series, it made me compare Eye Candy to them. This book, Vali and Maggie were great, but their story was definitely less emotional than the others and a lot more straightforward.