Cream of the Crop (Hudson Valley #2) by Alice Clayton

Blurb:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton brings her trademark blend of funny and sexy to this second contemporary romance in the brand-new Hudson Valley series!

Manhattan’s It Girl, Natalie Grayson, has it all: she’s a hot exec at a leading advertising firm, known industry-wide for her challenging and edgy campaigns. She’s got a large circle of friends, a family that loves her dearly, and her dance card is always full with handsome eligible bachelors. What else could a modern gal-about-town wish for? The answer, of course, is...cheese.

Natalie’s favorite part of each week is spending Saturday morning at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, where she indulges her love of all things triple cream. Her favorite booth also indulges her love of all things handsome. Oscar Mendoza, owner of the Bailey Falls Creamery and purveyor of the finest artisanal cheeses the Hudson Valley has to offer, is tall, dark, mysterious, and a bit oblivious. Or so she thinks. But that doesn’t stop Natalie from fantasizing about the size of his, ahem, milk can.

Romance is churning, passion is burning, and something incredible is rising to the top. Could it be...love?


Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/29y7GCfy

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/29Bi0LX

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/29TmYqJ

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/29utAHS

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/29K72Gg
iBooks: http://apple.co/1s5usLA
BN: http://bit.ly/1syeHN9

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: July 2016.

Everyone has that author, you know the one, the one you pick up to reread, the one that you know with certainty will make you feel better, make you laugh, send your heart into free flight, leave you feeling sated and yet desperate for more? Authors like that are rare gems, once you find them, you never want to let them go, with a rare blend of chick lit, women's fiction and sexy contemporary romance Alice Clayton stands out amongst the crowd, with a unique mix of scintillatingly sexy, uproariously funny and a realness that is often lacking in fiction she cemented her place in my favorite authors.

"You're the brie girl with the great big ass."

"You want to say that again? To my face."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Which part?"

"You know exactly which part."

"Oh, the part about your great big ass?

I blinked in total surprise. "I can't believe you have the balls to say that out loud."

"What, that you've got a great ass?"

"Come again?" I asked, confused.

..... "I love watching your great big ass." 

 In Nuts we were introduced to Natalie Grayson, and Oscar Mendoza, while Oscar is a man of few words, Natalie is a lady of many, fast talking, up front, say it to your face this leading lady certainly isn't a docile wallflower, Natalie has built a successful career knowing exactly how to market any product, with her smart, inventive sales pitches she's cemented herself amongst the cream of the crop, surrounded by friends and a loving family, Everything about Natalie drew me in, her sass, her confident swagger, her don't mess with vibe, her fast talking, quick thinking, and undeniably funny personality hit all the right notes for me to become a devoted fan. So often in books the heroine is either classically beautiful or undergoes an almost She's All That (yeah taking it back to a 90s movie reference with that one) transformation, you know once they remove the nerdy frames or stop dressing in flouncy, baggy clothing we see the hot girl underneath, she'll end up bringing the hero to his knee's and you'll cheer along as she does, however in Cream of the Crop, Natalie is rocking the curvy girl mantra, she's not a size 8 or 10 (I'm talking Australian sizes here) she's got curves, junk in her trunk, breasts women pay for, in a world where the media and fashion magazines tell us that big is not beautiful it's refreshing to see a leading lady sticking up her proverbial middle finger to beauty standards and saying this is me and I'm ready to rock this life. As one of those aforementioned curvy girls, watching her attitude spring forth, seeing the way she commands a room, owns her sexuality, demands respect and then hearing all of her inner most thoughts, from the down right comical to the heartbreakingly raw, left me feeling stronger, had me doubting myself that little bit less, and even allowed me brief moments of reprieve where I could admit to those days that left me feeling battered and bruised without being scared my Queen card would be taken away.

Where Natalie was lively and outgoing, Oscar is quiet and reserved, well maybe that's not entirely an apt description, Oscar lives up to his famous Sesame Street counterpart, he's grouchy and stand offish, his sometimes grunted answers and one word responses are legendary, he's untouchable, lacking a filter or any of those pesky pleasantries one would usual use he's bound to ruffle a few feather, sure he's sexy as sin, and has women just waiting to catch any crumb he may toss their way but no one ever seems to catch his eye. As Natalie bumbles and fumbles her way through their usual Saturday morning market interactions, completely losing her usual effortless cool, we see the stirrings of a man who's on the verge of change.

"Because while Oscar didn't talk much, when he's focused on something, he's all in. Fully present. This kiss, these kisses, they are lazy and unhurried, frantic and frenzied. How can they be both?"

Where Clayton could of just written the perfect romantic comedy and been done with that, she instead seamlessly blended such raw emotion that at times I found myself nodding along, sharing in her moments of heartbreak, in those quiet moments when she doubted herself, in the moments she raged, in the moments when she wandered lost and confused, in those quiet moments I felt that strong connection, the moment that catapults a book from being one I liked to one I loved, and I need to tell you that I loved this book, from the very first page I was hooked, the more I read the further I fell for these characters, the more I wanted to lose myself equally on the streets of New York and on a dairy farm, effortlessly captivating to the very last line, I devoured the words, finishing it in one sitting.
Everything about Cream of the Crop held me captive, while Oscar undoubtedly ticked all the boxes for the alpha hero, what I truly loved so much about this story was Clayton's leading lady, so many times throughout this book I found myself declaring that I wanted to be Natalie when I grew up. Fiercely strong, wildly protective, smart, funny, confident, the ability the kick ass and take names and yet still have this gentle, beautifully raw, vulnerable side, she was a shining example of the true dichotomous nature of women. This uproariously funny, supremely sexy, savvy business woman was everything I look for in a heroine, with touches of Wallbangeresque humour and Redhead heart and the sexy styling that is entirely Clayton Cream of the Crop easily rose to one of my favourite reads this year.

NUTS (Hudson Valley #1): http://amzn.to/29HwIPm
Nuts & Cream of the Crop PB Bundle: http://amzn.to/29VXOrX

GPI's review of NUTS: http://bit.ly/1N65EvJ

About Alice Clayton:

ALICE CLAYTON worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop).

She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her.

Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog.

Connect with Alice on Facebook

Appealed (The Legal Briefs #3) by Emma Chase - ARC Review

Releases: 19th January 2016.

Blurb:

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate - and prized - parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Christian Louboutins.

Brent has never let the loss of his leg in a childhood accident affect his ability to lead a fulfilling life. He sets high goals–and then he reaches them.

And now he has his sights set on Kennedy.
**
When Kennedy looks at Brent Mason, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue-worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell.

She’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore - she’s a DC prosecutor with a long winning streak behind her. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case and she thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out that way.

Because every fiery exchange has her wondering if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. Each argument and objection only makes him want her more. In the end, Brent and Kennedy may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

APPEALED is a sexy, humorous romance about first crushes, second chances and the final verdict of the heart.

Purchase Links:  

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1N7U2GH
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1jfkXnZ
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1PUORdY
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1N7UMvH
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1PUOGzB
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1U9WvQK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1X83bWn

Purchase the other books in the Legal Briefs series:

Overruled (#1): http://amzn.to/1N83utH
Sustained (#2): http://amzn.to/1N84yxO

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: November 2015.

When an Emma Chase book hits you're kindle you do a little fist pump and mentally organise your schedule so you can have some down time with Brent and Kennedy... last night while I lying in bed willing myself to sleep, I decided to start Appealed...just one chapter I told myself, I'll just read until my eyes get heavy and I'll put it down, less than two hours later I put my kindle down on my bedside table with a satisfied smile after reading The End.

Brent Mason is somewhat of an enigma, I adored the bond he and Sofia shared in Overruled, I laughed his quick wit in Sustained, but in Appealed I absolutely fell in love with him, with his dirty mouth, his illicit thoughts, his buff and toned body, the way he didn't expect special treatment after losing his leg at a young age, the way he didn't let the world swallow him up or wallow in despair, Brent is proof that the only person who can hold you back from what you want to achieve in life.

Kennedy Randolph was once the object of Brent's childhood and teenage fantasies, years have passed since they last set eyes on each other, there was a time when Kennedy would of followed Brent anywhere, but that time is past, now she's back home, a successful Prosecutor in her own right, she's shed the mousey nerdy image she once wore like a cloak, and she's determined not to repeat the same mistakes she once made.

"I'm not sure..."

"All you have to do is take my hand." 

Second chance romance .... check
Childhood best friends .... check
Witty banter and snappy dialogue .... check
Sexual tension that seeps from the pages .... check
Friends to lovers .... check

Appealed is pretty much my kryptonite, every thing about this book from the friends to lovers, the second chance romance, the childhood besties....these are the things that make me giddy in anticipation desperate for the chance to dive in, there's more to this story than just a super sexy romance, Brent and Kennedy have a past, they share a history, it wasn't always pretty and they both got hurt, but that history has shaped who they have become, they aren't one dimensional characters on a page, they are larger than life, they are vivacious, they are strong and independent and reading their witty banter had me laughing out loud, I adored everything, every shared glance, every soft smile, every small gesture, every snappy comeback, their connection undeniable, the sexual chemistry palpable, everything about Chase's writing drew me in and left me wanting more.

"I said...I said we had to keep riding...because the ride was the only thing that made the falling worth it."

There's no denying that I am a huge fan of the author, she is without a doubt a go to for me when I want something funny and sexy without losing depth or story, and while I'll always be a huge fan of Drew, Appealed has rocked it's way to the top of the Legal Briefs series and is giving Tangled some major competition. Every new book Chase releases the more hungry I become for her words, her comedic timing impeccable, her ability to create something sizzlingly sexy and yet heartfelt and real never fails to leave me sated and yet excited for what she does next. Kudos Emma Chase for once again capturing my attention, for making it impossible for me to put this book down, for giving me Brent and Kennedy to fall in love with, for reminding me that sometimes you need to be brave, sometimes you have to charge out on your own, and sometimes you need to let someone else slay your dragons for you.

About Emma Chase:

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother of two who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colourful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

Visit Emma Chases Website: http://www.emmachase.net/