Sneaking Candy (Entangled Embrace)

by Lisa Burstein

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Am I the only one who finds it simultaneously awesome and extremely awkward to read about bookish things? While I really liked Sneaky Candy, I had trouble settling into it, since self-published erotica is just a huge thing right now. It felt kind of gimmicky, but then again, I loved this backstage look into one of the writers, even if she is fictional. Candice is a creative writing graduate student by day, working on her craft of literary fiction, and Candy Sloane, erotica writer by night. She keeps Candy well hidden so she doesn't ruin her chances at earning her PhD, but of course, all secrets surface sometime.

This review is probably going to come across as more negative than I want, but there are several things about Sneaky Candy that bothered me. But they weren't enough to make me dislike the book as a whole. It was fun reading from the perspective of a writer, but it seemed like Candice being a writer was taken a bit too far. She points out every single double entendre and pun that she uses with little asides. It seemed like a cute idea the first and second time, but after that it got frustrating. I am capable of understanding without them being explained every time. Also, the sex scenes (which there are a few) are just random metaphors like waves crashing and whatnot. I could probably never have sex with a writer.

I also wasn't a fan of the romance. There's a semi love triangle, but not really, yet kind of. I actually found this really interesting. At the beginning of Sneaky Candy we learn that Candice was almost kissed by her arrogant, but super hot and young professor. Things between them are kind of tense and awkward. Then Candice has a crush on a barista, James, who turns out to be a student in a class she's TAing for, which makes him off limits. Of course, they still jump into bed together, then avoid each other for awhile, but then Candice says they can have a strictly physical relationship. Turns out James isn't that kind of guy. Eventually they agree to be "more" but they still only ever have sex. Not that there's anything wrong with consenting adults having a sexual relationship, but it goes against what James said he wanted. Plus, I felt more chemistry between Candice and her professor even though he's a total tool.

I did really like how the author examined this battle between literary works and "fluff" (Candice's word, not mine). I absolutely hate how self-published books and erotica and romance in general are looked down upon, especially in the face of literary fiction. One is not better than the other; they're just different. They have different goals and different audiences. Candice struggles with this, since she yearns for approval of her literary writing, but she also thrives on the reviews for her erotic fiction. When either one is insulted, she takes it just as hard, since they're both a part of her. She takes her Candy persona very seriously, even if the rest of the literary world doesn't.

Sneaky Candy is a really fun addition to the New Adult genre despite all of my complaints. I found it unique and refreshing, even if it took me a bit to get into it because it's so true to real life. My favorite part was Candice accepting herself as a writer, and not feeling like she has to hide something she's good at. I just wish the romance had been stronger, since that's usually my favorite part of most novels.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.