SYNOPSIS:

From New York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton, the first in a brand-new romance series telling the humorously sexy tale of Roxie, a private chef who gets a taste of love—but is it to stay, or to go?

After losing almost all of her clients in one fell swoop following an accident involving whipped cream, private chef to Hollywood’s elite Roxie Callahan gets a call from her flighty mother, saying she’s needed home in upstate New York to run the family diner. Once she’s back in the Hudson Valley, local organic farmer Leo delivers Roxie a lovely bunch of walnuts, and soon sparks—and clothing—begin to fly. Leo believes that everything worth doing is worth doing slowly…and how! But will Roxie stay upstate, or will the lure of West Coast redemption tempt her back to Tinseltown?

*****Patty’s Review*****

*****4.5 Summer Lovin Stars*****
{BR with my Beatiful Bestie Dee}
(ARC Provided by Author in Exchange For An Honest Review)

Another hit from Alice Clayton!!!

Whenever you pick up an Alice Clayton book, there are a few things you are guaranteed – you will laugh your ass off, you’ll have new characters to fall in love with, and you’re in for some incredible STEAM!!! NUTS, delivered and them some!!! I found myself cracking up so hard throughout the book and then needing a couple of cold showers to boot!!

Roxie Callahan has come back to her hometown of Bailey Falls, New York, in order to run the family diner while her mother goes off to be on the reality show, “The Amazing Race”. She’s not at all happy about being back home as she moved thousands of miles away to Los Angeles to escape the small town life and inevitable destiny of ending up like her hopeless romantic mother. But things aren’t working out with her personal chef biz, so this visit back home couldn’t have come at a better time.

The day she arrives back home, she literally runs into the most gorgeous man in town. Leo Maxwell, is the owner of Maxwell Farms and heir to the Maxwell fortune. This guy oozes sex appeal but also has a very laid back attitude. He was a man of few words at first so I couldn’t really get a read on the kind of person he was, but oh did I enjoy every bit of this sexy farmer. He definitely had poor Roxie panting and tongue tied.

Since Roxie is only in town till the end of summer, she decides to have some summer lovin’ with Leo, and she makes it clear to him that this thing they are starting is only a fling. She will be heading back to Los Angeles once her mom’s back home. But as time goes on, Roxie begins to question whether she will be able to walk away from this amazing man.

I loved Roxie!! There were things about her quirky personality that I related to. I think this is why Alice is such an amazing writer. She always makes her heroines someone we can connect with. This woman has an extreme fear of bees. It seems they tend to seek her out and terrorize her. She loses all self control and starts running for her life whenever she comes in close contact to a bee. I totally share that fear of bees! Those suckers really are assholes!!

The sexual chemistry between Leo and Roxie was off the charts and Alice doesn’t make us wait too long for the steamy times to commence. Holy hotness was I panting while reading this one. Don’t even get me started on the nickname Leo gave Roxie –Sugar Snap!! I was feeling a little faint just as Roxie was every time he uttered that name. And I was feeling oh so nostalgic when Roxie would use her nickname for Leo – Almonzo. Roxie was a huge “Little House On The Prairie” fan, as I was also. That Almonzo Wilder had a ton of young teenaged girls swooning, back in the day.

There is a twist that you definitely will not see coming but I absolutely loved because it gives some characters more depth. It was also lovely to get to spend some time with some familiar faces. That really put a smile on my face.

The Hudson Valley series is off to a great start!! Can’t wait to read the next!!

 

 

*****Dee’s Review*****

***** 5 Nuts about Nuts Stars*****

(ARC kindly provided by author)

(BR with Patty and Mel)

(*Insert dreamy sigh) I love this book and absolutely every single thing about it. The small town setting, the complex and hilarious characters and the romance, OMG!!! At this point I can safely say that Alice Clayton can do no wrong in my eyes. I was so enthralled and enamored with this story that I even wanted to cast myself as Roxie when I was doing the casting collages. Leo is currently holding the #1 spot on my fictional boyfriend list. Be ready to swoon, laugh and even get a little hungry while reading Nuts. I was craving to make all the delicious cakes Roxie was baking. Nuts was such a delicious romance, make sure to read it my friends…

Roxie Callahan is a private chef in LA, she prepares meals for the rich and famous. She’s been living her dream of cooking and having a safe and strictly no-strings attached love life ever since she left her hometown of Hudson Valley. Back home she was always the shy girl, who thought nothing was special about her and who lived behind the shadow of her free-spirited mother.

Roxie’s mother’s latest crazy adventure is forcing her to go back home to run the family’s diner. Roxie is apprehensive at first because she’s tired of having to bail her mother out after every crazy whim she gets, but the timing is right after Roxie has suddenly found herself fired from all her jobs after a silly butter incident. Who knew butter could be evil??? LOL!

Roxie doesn’t want to admit to herself how much she has actually missed the charm and familiarity of her home town, but after meeting the very sexy farmer Leo, she won’t be able to hide her excitement any longer.

Their mutual passion for food and her always present Bee fear will throw Leo and Roxie together, literally!! A sweet and delicious relationship is born between them but Roxie makes it very clear to Leo that after her mother gets back from her adventure, she’s going to go back to LA and that they should keep just things light and fun for the summer.

These two characters are waaaayyyyy too compatible and this makes it impossible to just have a summer fling but what will happen when after too many sweet kisses they both realize things are actually more serious?

I gotta tell you; never have I ever wanted to reach inside a book and become the main character as much as I did with Nuts. I wanted to be Roxie so freaking bad!!! Not only because I fell madly in love with Leo but her attitude, her friends, her culinary talent, everything about Roxie was awesome.

I loved this book because true to her style, Alice Clayton always brings us a good time. She’s one of my favorite authors because her books always make me happy. Don’t pass up this fabulous book! I’ve already decided that Nuts will be the book I’ll gift to all my book-loving friends in this coming holiday season.

 

 

*****Mel’s Review*****

Roxie Callahan is a private chef to Hollywood’s elite. She is from a small town called Bailey Falls, New York. She left home for Los Angeles, California, & rarely returns home, until a cooking disaster causes her to lose her job. Her mom needs help at the family diner, & she agrees to return to her hometown for the summer and run things while her mom is away.

Roxie figures she could use a break from LA, and she will do this for her mom & then head back to California. She is pleasantly surprised when a gorgeous local farmer stops by with a delivery. His name is Leo Maxwell, & his family owns Maxwell Farms. They sell produce to the local restaurants. Sparks fly and Roxie & Leo have instant chemistry. Roxie begins to think maybe the summer will be more fun than she thought.

Living in the same small town Roxie & Leo run into one another quite a bit. The flirting escalates & they start spending some time together. Things are easy between them & they really enjoy each others company. Roxie likes her relationships uncomplicated with no strings or attachments. She likes to keep things simple with men. No use of the “L” word. Just fantastic hot sex with no expectations or demands. She’s hoping Leo will be interested in a summer fling, & exploring their attraction physically, cause she wants this sexy farmer bad!!!

-I longed to explore, to taste, to luxuriate in getting to know his body, and how it responded to mine.

Things really heat up between them & Roxie is suddenly having unwanted real feelings for Leo. She doesn’t want her heart invested & it scares her to death that she’s falling for him. She begins to rethink her future & where she belongs.

-Whichever way my heart told me to go, I usually ran in the opposite direction.

This was such a fun, sexy book! I adored this delicious farmer & I was cracking up laughing at all the food innuendos with the nuts & cucumbers. Lol, it was hilarious! I can’t wait to read more in this series & hope we get a book for Oscar next! 😀