Candidly Yours. Reese Ryan. 2020. Sinfully Sweet Publishing.174 pages. [Source: Personal Copy.]
Layla St. John is the quintessential example of a woman who lives for others. She gave up her college experience to return home and care for her younger siblings when their father fell into grief after their mother’s untimely death. The following 20 years have followed the same sacrificial pattern, with Layla frequently rescuing her younger three siblings. Unfortunately, it’s left both her career and love life on hold.
Layla’s life is thrown into a tailspin when Quincy Johnston finally comes back to Pleasure Cove. While he’s the younger, prodigal son of his family, he also has the distinction of being the childhood best friend of Layla’s younger brother Nolan. She’s literally seen him grow up and struggles seeing as a grown-ass man to whom she’s attracted. And not only is he no longer the stuttering, insecure boy; he’s a world-renown photographer who is lusted after by countless women, a point she knows he indulges in.
Despite their history, what brings them together is her talent as a seamstress with a focus on carnival costumes. This provides the perfect intersection of their artistry, and leads to a documentary that takes the pair on world travels as they explore Caribbean culture. Along the way, of course, the close proximity and opportunity to see each other away from the prying eyes and pressure of their small town creates the perfect environment for love – or at least lust – to bloom.
Clocking in at about 174 pages, this is a fast read. The story itself spans six months, so it feels both fast in duration and pacing. That said, it doesn’t necessarily feel like the typical whirlwind romance. Layla and Quincy have a lot of history, but they get to know each other as adults, which is a far cry from Layla being the surrogate big sister to him (at least in her eyes). Their burgeoning friendship feels like it grows organically as they experience the beauty of carnivals as they work on their joint projects. The question of how, if at all, they would fit into each others’ lives after the documentary is a point of contention, and provides the perfect level of drama to round out an otherwise sweet story.
Another point about this book that I enjoyed was the evolving relationship each had with their families. Layla is a mother hen whose obligation to be there for family is more akin to enabling her younger siblings. For his part, Quincy is just absent and has strained relationships from his past. Both have to find a new normal that allows them to be true to who they are as individuals while trying to maintain bonds with the people they love most. There’s a lot of tension as they navigate new boundaries, but it’s very interesting to see the growth.
Overall, I enjoyed Candidly Yours. It’s not quite May-December, but I liked seeing their age dynamic play out as they figured out what to do with their feelings. The drama from family also provided a secondary plot to keep things moving, and at times force the issue. I’d definitely read other stories about this community, and look forward to what Ryan has coming up.
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