I kind of liked the first book on this series, Eye Candy, and I really really liked the second, Arm Candy, but this one? This one I loved.

THE POSITIVE:
♥ The writing. This was my favorite in terms of writing too. I loved Dax and Becca’s voices. The book is told in dual POV, and their voices complement each other amazingly.

♥ I loved both Becca and Dax. They’re such great characters. I loved that Becca was kind of lost, and so was Dax, but they had amazing chemistry, and they accepted each other completely. I loved it.

♥ The plot (and the romance) and the pace. The pace was fast, in terms of writing, and the romance too, but somehow it didn’t feel rushed to me. The two take their time, and I really enjoyed the personal development, as well as the development of their relationship.

THE NEGATIVE:
♦ I wanted to see a bit more of the gang.

♦ I wish the epilogue had been a little further away in time. Just because… (talk to me if you’ve read it).

received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book. My heart started strumming and my eyes started to tear up in Chapter 26 but I had to plow ahead and get to the Happily Ever After (if there was going to be one?!?!)
This is one of those books that I had to fight with my hubby and kids to leave me alone so that I could find out what was going to happen next. I will definitely add Lemmon's other books to my "to be read" list!

Dax is the owner of 2 bars (working on his 3rd) and is in dire need of a holiday. So he decides that 2 weeks in the middle of nowhere where he can fish, drink beer and do a whole lot of nothing sounds like the perfect vacation. And then he meets Becca ... the cabin owner`s sister who is a spitfire but only sees herself as a failure. When the sparks fly between them, they agree that a one night stand would scratch the itch they have for each other. The next day when they are still itchy for each other, they extend it to a fling for the 2 weeks that Dax will be vacationing there and that when he leaves, they will say goodbye.

This book is HOT HOT HOT! Ms. Lemmon sure knows how to write a sex scene! You can just feel the chemistry that she has created between Dax and Becca ... you will cheer for them, you will cry for them and have every emotion in between. This is the best book of the series! I highly recommend you read this swoon worthy story.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of Random House - Loveswept through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Jessica Lemmon gets that and that's what makes her stories so precious. She fights for the underdog and that's a role we all can relate to. In love, in life and heart, we've all walked a mile in those shoes. Becca is the ultimate long shot. She has a sweet heart, but is a bit clueless when it comes to life. As her world is falling apart, she manages to fall in love, with the one man who can either bring her to her knees or make all her dreams come true. Dax is no hero. He's just a man with a lot on his plate and no room in his heart. Can a loner and a free spirit find love in the middle of nowhere? Man Candy is an addiction that will live on long after the last page is devoured.

Man Candy by Jessica Lemmon
Real Love #3

Great characters
Good story
Fun Read

When I began reading my first thought was – “Oh no – first person” – but as I read a bit further the flow and story took over and it didn’t bother me at all knowing what Becca and Dax were thinking and feeling as they narrated in present tense. I am still not sure why Becca was so insecure in some ways and yet so very secure in others BUT perhaps that is part of what made her so special and also so attractive to Dax. Now Dax…what a hunk and a half he was! Talk about a book boyfriend that was worth every line he appeared on and the ones that had me thinking about him while he was not explicitly in the picture! Man Candy indeed!

I have not read any other books by this author but after reading this one am more than a little interested in finding out what happened in books one and two of this series and will keep my eyes open for other titles she has written or will write in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Loveswept for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

This was a highly entertaining romance between Dax, a bar owner on vacation, and Becca, a free-spirit who is still trying to figure out what to do with her life, but in the meantime she's working at her brother's resort. Dax meets Becca in the resort's bar/restaurant, and their instant chemistry leads to a hot and steamy one-night-stand. But Dax has two weeks to spend at this resort, and they both keep running out of excuses to stop seeing each other. Feelings start to grow, but that only makes things more confusing, not less.

I loved the carefully developed, multi-layered characters here. None of them, not the main leads nor the secondary characters, behave exactly as you'd expect them to, which adds an unexpected layer of authenticity to the story. The angst and emotional turmoil they deal with is honestly expressed, and as the story is told in both POV we're given insight into the hearts and minds of both Dax and Becca. This is a brilliantly-written journey of the heart, and it's the kind of story that stays with you long after the book is read. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I love the way Jessica Lemmon tells a story. Each book is so very real and every character is someone you would want to know in real life. Man Candy was no different.

Dax and Becca are instantly attracted to each other while they meet at a hotel in the wilderness. Him on vacation, her working there with her family. Dax’s plan of laying low is shot when mother nature decides that these two characters would enjoy enjoy other’s company.

Dax and Becca are fire together, the sex is sultry, their banter is fun. Yet, they both seem to be running from a past that just keeps catching up.

I loved the conflict with family, tension between the two characters and self doubt as it is something we all struggle with in one way or another. Another wonderful book by Jessica Lemmon.

4,75 Stars

We're in th mountains of Tennesse. Becca's brother runs a 'resort' with cabins and a restaurant/bar - which is where Becca works at the moment. She also lives in her brother's and sister-in-law's place until she gets on her feet again. But she's not really good at making plans and making decisions about where her life will/should take her next.

Then she meets him. Sexy lumberjack-ish looking Dax. He rented one of the remote cabins to get lost for a bit. His dad died a while back and he had to be there for his mom for a few months, but he needs some time for himself now.

What should've been a one-night stand turns into co-habitation for the unforseeable future, because of the rain all roads are flooded!

Have those two slightly broken and lost people finally found the one person they were not really looking for, but who would be so perfect for them?

They have! And it was adorable to witness.
There's this mega sparkage between those two and we have some immediate sexy times. Phew!☺

And then they live together and they have nothing much better to do than sexing and talking. So they talk. About life, their hopes and dreams...

And Dax helps Becca discover a passion for something... can she really make a career of something she loves doing??? Read it to find out if and how those two will fight for their HEA!!

Adorable romance. Very sexy and cute and finally-grow-up-and-find-yourself-ish ☺ I really enjoyed reading it! I liked the whole atmosphere of the place and the people in it.

Forced proximity books are fun. The idea that 2 people who would not have been attracted to one another (or who would have been possibly attracted but not acted on it) are put into a situation where they are not able to ignore one another, well, this appeals to me.


Dax and Becca are attracted to one another. He is a guest at the wilderness retreat hotel where Becca works. He is supposed to be in one of the cabins that is far away, and is planning to be camping...so they should not have any time with one another. But, life (and nature) intervene and we get a really hot romance.

I love the characters Jessica Lemmon writes. How real and compelling they are, and how much they seem like the kind of people you would want to know. This makes them easy to read about, and makes them characters it is easy to invest in. And, how fun this is.

The romance is hot, the sex is steamy, the characters are at time funny and charming. Becca's brother is frustrating, her family bond interesting, her relationship with her coworkers adds depth without overshadowing the Dax and Becca romance.

This book is a part of the "Real Love" series...and that is how it feels. You think they will be ok, that they will work out in the long run. And, this is hard. You need tension and conflict in order for the story to be interesting. Too much tension and you doubt that you are reading about a couple who is in it for the long haul...not enough, and you feel like you are reading about 2 characters who are not invested in the relationship. The balance in this title is excellent and the story is enjoyable.

I recommend this book.

Jessica Lemmon continues her Real Love series with this tale of gorgeous and easy going bar owner Dax Vaughn and witty adventurer Becca Stone. Dax is looking for some time alone in the mountains following his father’s death, but on his first night at Grand Lark Retreat he meets the quirky, fun and caring Becca who got fired in front of everyone by her brother.

Leave it to Dax to cheer her up and after a scorching night together, they don’t expect to see each other… much. Due to a torrential downpour though they’re practically trapped together and their one night stand turns into intimate conversations accompanied by delicious meals Dax wants to buy from her for his bars, hikes and camping for two. But Dax’’s vacation has an end date on which he’ll go back home. Wanting to have more with her even knowing she’s not one to put down roots he offers Becca a job, leaving her to decide if she’ll willing to overcome her fear of commitment.

Dax and Becca are striking character types. They’re both strong, independent and down to earth, easily relateable and wholly congruent with the series title “Real Love.” Sparks fly between these two lonely souls within the first few pages, but their emotional bond grows throughout the story. I loved hanging out with them while they hung out.

Dax is an irresistible alpha male hero who’s made my book boyfriend list. He was sexy, sweet, thoughtful, commanding, deliciously persuasive, understanding and encouraging.

Surrounding the central couple, Lemmon creates interesting secondary characters that help explain Becca’s resistance to commitment and for those of us who’ve read the earlier books in the series can catch up with the previous characters.

All in all, this is sweet, charming and sexy tale the Lemmondops – Jessica’s fan group – and contemporary romance lovers alike will enjoy.

Man Candy is book #3 of the Real Love series by Jessica Lemmon. It is standalone romantic comedy. Told from both points of view and has a happy ending.

Man Candy (Real Love, #3) by Jessica Lemmon This is the third book in the Real Love series ..I loved EYE CANDY and ARM CANDY ...and wow did I ever love the HOT, SEXY love story of Dax and Becca...a one night stand turned into a two week stand ...and after all the feels ...laughs and some tears a HEA.. I was lucky to read this book on #NetGalley and I recommend it and the first two. Can't wait for more from Jessica Lemmon.

While taking a vacation from his life, Dax Vaughn is looking forward to spending time alone in a quiet and secluded cabin in the woods. But, on his first night at Grand Lake Retreat he meets one intriguing bartender... whom he hits it off with right away. 

Becca Stone is a wanderer. Her latest adventure ended and she has since returned back home and is working for her brother at Grand Lark Retreat. While she enjoys her job, she can't help feeling like she is still waiting to find what she really wants in life. Luckily for her, a temporary distraction just happens to be staying at her place of work...

What starts as a one night stand isn't so easily forgotten when Dax and Becca are in such a close proximity while he is staying at Grand Lark. What would be the harm in extending their one night for a little longer... 

This was a good read! I really liked Dax. Although he wasn't looking to find someone while on vacation, he recognizes pretty early on that his feelings for Becca might be deeper than just the fling they agreed on. He is sweet, and thoughtful, and helps her to stand up for herself a little and maybe even find a path to her purpose in life.

Becca was a little flighty, and while it was understandable that her brother was hard on her, I really disliked him for treating her badly a lot. But, with support from Dax she changes direction a little, and in turn she and her family work through some of their issues.

Dax and Becca start out with a seriously sexy fling, but will these two people at such different places in their lives ever be more than just hot sex...

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

4.5 Stars!
Man Candy was my favorite book in the Real Love series by Jessica Lemmon. It was so fresh and funny. I adored Becca and Dax. Dax especially. There was something about the strong, almost silent guy. I loved his clipped responses and his maturity throughout the book.The only thing I could have done without with was part of the epilogue. I won't say what, but it just didn't fit for me. Otherwise, Man Candy was one of those perfect contemporary romance reads.

3.5 Just What Our Characters Needed Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
I am relatively new to Jessica Lemmon but with this series I have been converted. Each of the books are complete but also link the characters so we are interested to see what each story will bring...and I love those types of books.

In Man Candy, we are given Dax... the grumpy bar owner from the past books. He has had a rain cloud over his head and finally decides to take some time off and go camping. He is using the excuse of his pal camping out on his couch... recovering from a break up... to leave his businesses. Dax has become extremely successful in the bar industry...and has been working all of his projects himself.

Dax has picked this specific camping/hotel type of place because if offers a specific type of camping...cabins that are near woods. It offers the more hotel like cabins for families who want to have a real bed, bathroom and access to bar/diner...but close enough to Nature to feel like they can enjoy the great outdoors. There are also a few cabins that are closer to the actual woods...Dax made sure he had a reservation for the most isolated, away from families and the main buildings.

The weather was not the best with rain pouring down. Dax is relaxing at the bar; he had checked in and was just getting something to eat before going to his cabin. Everything was quiet and laid back... not many there when in came a whirl of energy talking a mile a minute of how she knew she was late but had a good reason...Dax watches how the bartender proceeds to rip the woman a new one and fires her on the spot...Which is ignored by the woman...

Becca knows she has worked her brother's last nerve... arriving on time seems to be an impossibility for her...and he has warned her over and over again...But he is her brother and she has been doing an excellent job working his reservations and front office for the campground. At least she knows she has because her brother is an ass when it comes to admitting Becca knows what she is doing... too many years of her past actions...

Oh Well, Becca knows if she just keeps working he will have to relent, right...after all she is staying at his house...Becca is just so frustrated...life has not turned out the way she planned. She was going to make a name for herself on Broadway...Yeah... loving dancing and being able to move and groove turned out not to be enough...She realized although she had ability... the level needed to "really make it in the city that never sleeps" was not hers...So she started to flitting from place to place circling back to her brother's. Now she is in a holding pattern... not sure what she is going to do next...

Although the hot guy at the bar is someone to consider... Yeah... he has all those muscles shadowed through the thermal he has on... and his eyes keep meeting hers whenever she looks his way...And after the Bad News is delivered the cabin he reserved away from everything... has a road that is washed out from the rain that has turned into a storm...He now has to be in a cabin close to the main house...

Becca and Dax flirt and when he needs to be shown where he is to stay... Becca offers to take him there...And these two end up Going There ... Big time...

Both agree no commitments, attachments... just enjoying what is happening for the night...
And Enjoy They Do...Every Which Way....

Which causes a bit of a complication because Dax is intrigued with Becca and Becca is someone who is a runner...This is a story of a man who see all the potential in a woman who can be mature and able ... and then also a bit skittish and young...

Dax is willing to show Becca through his actions and care for her... there could be a way for Becca to discover her talents in cooking and recipes...He also sees the treasure she is...She just needs to see it herself.

Loved Dax...Becca needed to find herself and understand all that was happening with her brother's family. The brother also needed to see Becca as more then the little sis....

Lemmon has created a fun/easy series. Hot sexy times with some understanding of how we are all more then we seem...

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Oh, I am in the Mood...
The Mood for a Man full of just what a Man should be...
Ms. Lemmon... Have you answered my Prayers...
I cannot wait to see!
●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
Jessica Lemmon, What Have You Done Now....
You have teased us...
Taunted us...
And Yes, made us very interested....
In the Man of the Hour, Dax...

Well, Dax may have met his match....
This Becca was supposed to be one night...
Only this Becca has turned out to be more...

The Only Question is How Much More....

Man Candy (Real Love, #3)-January 9th 2018

Eye Candy (Real Love, #1) by Jessica Lemmon Eye Candy (Real Love, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Arm Candy (Real Love, #2) by Jessica Lemmon Arm Candy (Real Love, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

With this holiday season kicking my behind, I have fallen behind on my TBR list. I tend to read in the order that I got them but the beginning of November, that all went down the drain. I reorganized my TBR pile and started with books with reviews that were due yesterday and worked my way up. Man Candy, because of its publication date, was moved down the list. I ended up kicking myself because I put off reading a good book.

Man Candy is Dax’s book. Dax is the owner of McGreevy’s, the bar where the main characters worked or hung out at in the previous two books. Dax’s father had died and Dax was coming back from the funeral and helping his mother. Dax figured that he needed a vacation. He made reservations at a resort in the mountains of Tennessee. Unfortunately, when he showed up, it was raining. And this rain wasn’t ordinary rain. There were floods everywhere and people in the lower lying areas were being told to evacuate. It is at the Grand Lark that he met Becca, the owner’s sister. He actually walked in on Tad firing Becca for being late. Not that Becca listened. There were sparks between Dax and Becca from the get-go. What was supposed to be a one night stand turned into two nights, three nights and so on. What ends up happening is a typical romance novel. That didn’t ruin it for me because sometimes, you need that.

I felt so bad for Dax. He was still grieving over his father’s death. So he decided to take a 2-week vacation. Hey, I would have done the same. He needed time to process his father’s death and grieve on his terms. He also needed time to plan his next move on the new bar he was opening. So a vacation in Tennessee was perfect. He wasn’t expecting to fall for Becca as fast as he did.

I loved Becca. I liked that she was so noncommittal towards things. She lived life to the fullest and didn’t know what the next day would bring. She wasn’t looking for a relationship when she met Dax. She didn’t do relationships. Only sex. Which was awesome. She made it very clear to Dax the first night they were together. Except it didn’t exactly end up that way. I also liked that she had a hidden talent and the author chose to make it a large part of the plot.

The sex between Dax and Becca was hot. Smoking hot. Scorching the pages hot. They were like bunnies after the first time they had sex. They did it everywhere.

Man Candy is told from an alternating 1st person perspective. You get the story from both Dax and Becca’s perspectives. I liked seeing how Dax saw Becca and how Becca saw Dax.

The end of Man Candy was a tear jerker. I cried along with Becca when Dax did what he did. I also did a fist pump when Becca agreed to what she agreed to. The epilogue, though, was awesome. I love reading about the characters after everything has ended with the main story.

Man Candy is a fast-paced, sexual romance. The characters are likable. The plot is good and the sex is hot, hot, hot. This is a book that I would recommend to people who like graphic sexual situations. This is a book that I would read again.

Will I reread: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, Sex, and some mild violence

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Man Candy.

All opinions stated in Man Candy are mine

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Jessica Lemmon's Man Candy was a good book. The beginning was a little slow and began to pick up towards the end. I loved the idea of of Dax and Becca being stranded in a cabin for a couple of days due to an ongoing storm that made the roads impassible. I did not get the related connection to the other two books in the series until the end of the book. Dax is the owner of the bar Grace manages from Arm Candy. Dax owns a couple of bars/restaurants and is looking to get away on a short secluded fishing and camping trip. Becca is a free spirit who follows her dreams and has lived several different places in the last few years doing different things.
Becca's brother is hard on her throughout the book, but he really doesn't want her to get hurt. Dax and Becca's agreement to keep the casual fling is hard on both of them.

Man Candy
Real Love #3
Jessica Lemmon
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another funny read in this series. I loved the main character Becca. She’s funny, outgoing, and super sweet. This was a one night stand that turned into a two week romance that ended with forever love❤️
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Good. Gravy. You guys.

Dax Vaughn.

I'm still swooning. Like a full-on, heart-eyeballs, weak-knees, swoon. He was the absolute best kind of hero. Chivalrous, empowering, and sturdy. He's dominant without making anyone feel inferior (in a way that shouldn't be possible but if you spend any time with Dax Vaughn, you'll learn quickly that it is!). And he was sexy as all get-out. I wanted to get lost in him for more time than I had him. He gave me those delicious butterflies, and made me smile, and basically seduced the heck out of me during all that time he spent wooing Becca. I adored him. I adored him with Becca, and I had so much fun reading their love story.

I did also love Becca, though any (minor, niggling) issues I had with the book would have been with her. Not because there's anything wrong with her. I actually identified with her quite a bit over the course of this book - in both positive and negative ways. She was very relatable, very real, and I definitely felt like she was worthy of Dax. I just might have liked...more from her in the end. She's a fun heroine though. She made me laugh and made my heart hurt from time to time - but I loved her through it all.

This whole story just swept me off my feet. It's a little bit funny, a little bit sexy, romantic and entertaining. It can definitely be read as a standalone (though I have enjoyed every book in this series so far, and think you should definitely check them out). If you're looking for something sweetly romantic; a quick little novel to smile and swoon about - I most definitely give Man Candy a high recommendation.