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

Bittersweet (True North #1) by Sarina Bowen

Blurb:

The new series is set in Vermont. True North is populated by the tough, outdoorsy mountain men that populate the Green Mountain State. They raise cows and they grow apples. They chop a lot of wood, especially when they need to blow off steam. (Beards are optional but encouraged.)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1UnC5Dj
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1U0FF9m
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1O8eCtA
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01G6493MO
iBooks: https://itun.es/au/dIHDab.l

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: June 2016.

Sarina Bowen wormed her way into my heart with her Ivy Years series and her co-written duology Him and Us, her writing style fresh and inviting, and yet as familiar as a warm embrace, her ability to draw the reader in almost immediately and to capture their attention almost effortlessly is a true testament to the talent she possesses.

Griff Shipley once had a possible NFL career in his future but the unexpected death of his father meant that his career aspirations were cut short so he could return home to take over running his families farm in Vermont. Griff is proof that life can change in the blink of an eye, ever since that fateful day he's spent his days doing what's expected of him, what's needed of him to assure his father's legacy doesn't die out. He's not resentful of the hand he's been dealt, but he also doesn't have a lot of time to spend devoting to women or relationships, until his eyes land on the sexy damsel in distress.

Audrey Kidder has lived under her mother's shadow for as long as she can remember, she flunked out of college and out of her mother's good graces years ago, discovering culinary school was the one bright spark in her otherwise dull existence. When he car gets a flat whilst on the backroads of Vermont the last person she expects to see is Griff Shipley, her one time college hook up.

Audrey has her fill of sh*t kicker jobs since embarking on a career as a chef, after all there's a reason they call it grunt work, as the wife of a chef I've heard horror stories of the kinds of jobs you can be given, peeling 180kg of carrots, cooking 100 chafing trays of mash potato, yep imagine you're most hated tasks in the kitchen and then picture doing it for 10 hours all the while being called "oi you" or "prep girl" sounds like a barrel of laughs right! Our plucky heroine isn't to be deterred though, out from corporate's rule, Audrey has been given a task, secure farmers in the Vermont area who will sell farm fresh to table produce at a good price for her boss, corporate owner of some of the best known restaurants around. In theory it seems easy enough, only things never run smoothly for Ms Kidder, but her greatest lesson might be entirely different from the one she originally imagined.

"This right here was my five year plan. I didn't know how it was going to work out yet. But I wasn't giving up."

Exactly like title, this story is equal parts sexy, sweet romance, and zappy, punchy, angst, Bowen's pacing as usual is en pointe, delivering every well timed zinger and sizzling swoon worthy sigh with great aplomb. Where Bittersweet could of been just another life after college story about the misunderstood jock and the down on her luck rich girl, it was a story that had depth, that evoked emotion, they say the thing about good books is that they always finish too fast, which was certainly true here. Not only did Griff and Audrey become the kind of hero and heroine you want to befriend, you would want to know, but Griff's family and farm hands were multi faceted, adding layer after layer to the story, sparking off ideas and hopes for the following books in this series. When an author so effortlessly captures you, has you invested, makes you crave more of her words while still reading, you know with certainty that it's a book you won't want to end.

Filled with the perfect blend of scintillating sexy moments that had me tugging at my collar, snark and wit as Griff and Audrey battled one another for control, and the absolute heart string tugging, swoon worthy moments where I found myself grinning like a goon as two people learnt to rely on someone else emotionally after so long of convincing themselves that they were an island. With Bittersweet I expected a deliciously dirty, sexy romp filled with mountain man, what I got instead was a beautifully rounded story that had me smiling from the first page, until the very last line.

About Sarina Bowen:

Sarina Bowen is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction. She lives in the wilds of Vermont.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college. Also, the The Gravity series.

With Elle Kennedy, Sarina is the author of HIM and US.

Connect with Sarina on Facebook

Nuts (Hudson Valley #1) by Alice Clayton - ARC Review

Released: 20th October 2015.

Blurb:

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?

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WmzkWz
Amazon paperback: http://amzn.to/1KGliaF
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PAUyf8
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1LazIp9
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1MtREbA

 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.

Alice Clayton has fast become an automatic #1click author for me, her Cocktail series ensured that, Wallbanger left me in a fit of giggles the first time I read it, and every time since I'm left smiling and giggling my way through the book, Clayton cemented herself as an author who absolutely pulled off perfectly timed comedic romance, but what I adore so much about her, is that she proved her emotional depth in Last Call and the Red Head series. Clayton proved without a doubt she isn't a one show pony, in saying that I was excited to dive into NUTS, but I'll admit I was just a smidge concerned that I wouldn't love these new characters as much as I loved Nighty Girl, Wallbanger, George and Gracie...I shouldn't have doubted it, I clearly had no reason for concern.

From the very first page when we meet Roxie Callahan, she's spritely, incredibly passionate about her work, but not so much about her clients, she's run far far away from small time life to create a brand new and improved Roxie, one that isn't defined by her flakey mother or  rural life where the town gossips know every detail about your existence. The new Roxie is single and successfully building the life she's always dreamt of, but when things snowball in her professional life and her mother asks her to return home to the family business, Roxie is left with few options, plus there's a time frame to protect the new Roxie from slipping back into the old Roxie.

When Roxie returns to Bailey Falls, she's something of an enigma, she's gone off and conquered her dream, cooking for the rich and famous, for the first time Roxie might just be standing outside of the shadow of her past, all of a sudden she's not hiding in the corner, trying desperately to fade in the background. When she unceremoniously falls on local farmer Leo, her luck couldn't be worse....or could it...Bailey Falls seems to have some lovely new additions since she left, Leo rocking the hipster scruff, all man, not afraid to get his hands dirty...small town life might just have some advantages that she hadn't thought of.

Leo is sexy as sin, he's smart and just as feisty as Roxie, giving back as good as he gets, passionate about organic growing and the farming of local and sustainable produce, he is essentially Bailey Falls most eligible bachelor and he seems to be showing interest in Roxie, she has three months back home and Leo might be just what she needs to make it a fun trip.

There's so much I love here, Nuts in true Clayton style is funny as hell, witty banter, sexual chemistry and enough heat to sizzle in even the hottest of kitchens, Nuts is part romance, part coming of age in an odd kind of way, part comedy, like every one of her books, I was instantly invested, I wanted to know more about Roxie, I wanted her to be challenged by her old town, I wanted her boundaries to be pushed and I wanted her to live an authentic life without the constraints she seemed to place on herself. Leo intrigued me, because he's definitely got alpha male qualities but he also seemed to have more depth than just standard issue hot guy, his passion for his work, his commitment to sustainable farming, his swoony worthy looks, and his snappy come back...he gave Mr Wallbanger a run for his money...and that's really saying something.

There's all the wit I'd come to expect from an Alice Clayton book, snappy one liners, sneaky comebacks, sexy glances and fun filled adventures, Roxie and Leo are hard not to love, and the entire rag tag bunch of locals make for a rollicking journey, one that I loved every second of, whenever I'm in doubt about what to read when I'm in a book funk, when I'm down and need to laugh or when I want to go back and spend sometime with my favourite book friends Clayton's Nuts (hehe see what I did there) will definitely jump to the top of the list.

About the author:

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.

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