The New York Times bestselling author of Wallbanger and Rusty Nailed is back with Nuts, the first in a brand new series set in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley.
Roxie
Callahan is a private chef to some of Hollywood’s wealthiest, and
nastiest, calorie-counting wives. After a dairy disaster implodes her
carefully crafted career in one fell ploop, she finds herself back home
in upstate New York, bailing out her hippie mother and running the
family diner.
When gorgeous local farmer Leo Maxwell delivers
her a lovely bunch of organic walnuts, Roxie wonders if a summer back
home isn’t such a bad idea after all. Leo is heavily involved in the
sustainable slow food movement, and he likes to take his time. In all things.
Roxie is determined to head back to the west coast as soon as summer
ends, but will the pull of lazy fireflies and her very own Almanzo
Wilder be enough to keep her home for good?
Salty. Spicy. Sweet. Nuts. Go on, grab a handful....
4.5
stars
Nuts was the perfect light-hearted feel good romantic comedy and once again, Alice
Clayton had me in hysterics. Reminiscent of Wallbanger, Leo and Roxie’s love
story was hilarious and swoon worthy sexy. Clayton has fast become one of my
‘must read’ authors. With a unique writing style, she has the knack of luring
me into each story, showcasing her insane sense of humor and scripting couples
with extreme sexually charged chemistry.
What happens when you pair a
spunky, sarcastic chef who has a flare for the dramatics with a bearded and
ripped hunk of a farmer who’s witty and sinfully sexy? An orgasmic explosion
laced with fun, food, a heavy dose of laughter and plenty of sexual innuendos. I
fell in love with farmer Leo and I devoured this read.
“You
drive me crazy, Sugar Snap,”
Roxie Callahan, a personal
chef to the rich and famous in L.A., made one ill-fated mistake that caused her to
loose almost all of her clients. (Fans of the Red Head series brace your selves
for a Grace and Jack Hamilton cameo). Adding to her list of woes, there’s pressure
from her kooky mom to return home and run the family diner for the summer. The quaint
little town of Bailey Falls, Upstate New York, holds bad memories for Roxie and
she rebels against putting her life on hold for her mom’s fanciful whim.
Cornered, she has no choice but to give in. Soon enough she becomes
reacquainted with old friends, as well as meeting the insanely hot farm-boy…Leo
Maxwell. Their attraction is instantaneous as Roxie hysterically stumbles and fumbles
over his nuts ;) and catching his attention.
Feeling a little lonely and
sexually frustrated, she decides that some no-strings-attached summer lovin’
with the amorous agriculturalist will lighten her mood. Besides, Roxie has no
intentions of staying in the town she once escaped. As the season ends, it’s
back to her quasi-life in L.A. hmmm…
Her sights are set on Leo and
he’s all in, not wanting anything too serious as well.I love the way Leo and Roxie’s passion unfolds.
Sparks fly, tensions build, and sexually electricity ignites between these two
as Leo is seriously one spicy, dirty talking dude.
“That fucking honey
scent that’s all over your skin, it’s driving me crazy,” he murmured, his
breath hot on my skin. “I can’t keep my hands off you—it’s like they have a
mind of their own.”
Roxie was interesting and
highly entertaining. Feisty, comical, stubborn, yet she lacked self-confidence
and had some misguided views that kept her away from home for years. I liked seeing
the way she grew more confident, making friends and bonding with some real
nutty characters. She blossomed and became more comfortable in her own skin
without losing her funny, sarcastic edge. And hooking up with Leo strengthened
her ties to her hometown. Being inside
Roxie’s crazy head was amusing – she had me in stitches.
And then there was Leo…
“Are those nuts in your
pocket, or are you just glad to see me?”
The uber-sexy, somewhat
aloof man with a hipster beard and rock-hard abs. Leo comes from big time money
and despite a wealthy upbringing, he’s the most down to earth guy. I loved all
things Leo. Possessing an air of mystery, I was curious as to what triggered
him to walk away from such an affluent lifestyle. Behind his playfully witty
banter, Leo had some relationship hang-ups that needed to be dealt with - a bit
gun-shy when it came to hooking up with Roxie (with good reason). I wanted a
deeper insight into his thoughts, feelings and background. I felt we just
skimmed the surface of his character, leaving me wanting more. Regardless, Leo
is sweet, rugged yet refined and oh so hot. I adored his flirtatious ways,
which were amusing and arousing.
All in all, NUTS was a
refreshingly fun, low angst read. Clayton brought to life yet another endearing
couple whose chemistry detonated with some off the charts deliciously steamy
scenes. Their first time together was explosive. Holy WOW! Leo is by far the
sexiest farm boy I’ve ever come across. He was incredible and I loved watching
their relationship blossom as trust in one another built. This author has the
gift writing tales with just the right mix of laughter, romance and passion. A
sweet love story chock full of clever witticisms, comically sexual innuendos
and quirky characters. However, the ending did leave me wanting more insight into
their lives and future together. I do hope to see Leo and Roxie in the next
installment, titled Cream, featuring Oscar (the grouchy
but sexy and tatted dairy farmer) and Natalie (Roxie’s BFF).
Arc received in exchange for an honest review
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.
More often than not, Clint Mason has his foot firmly wedged in his mouth, which tends to get him in plenty of hot water with the ladies. Although his laid back good ole’ Southern charm does not fly far with the female population of Cedar Tree, the big burly contractor hides his dark side well.
The only one Beth Franklin allows herself to rely on is Beth, and so far that has served her well. Just when her son disappears after dropping his little guy off on her doorstep, her life seems to spiral out of control. For the first time ever, fearing for his safety, the fiercely independent waitress is forced to be on the receiving end of a helping hand. That’s not easy for her, especially since the shovel-sized hand belongs to a man whose approach has run hot and cold the last year, leaving her feeling off balance. With a steady and commanding force, he exposes her softer side, while doing everything he can to keep her and those close to her safe.
**Due to some content of a sexually explicit nature, this book is recommended for a mature audience only.**
“A gentleman would’ve offered to do that for you, but when you bend over with that fine ass on display, I suddenly don’t feel so gentlemanly anymore.”
His breath tickles my ear and my body freezes in the spot. Mortification and arousal do battle for supremacy while I struggle for a smart come back. All I manage is an illiterate grunt, before slipping around the trunk of the car, keeping my head down to hide the telltale blush. His low chuckle follows me all the way into the driver’s seat, and that’s where my indignant self comes alive.
“What’s with you?” I blurt out the minute his fine ass hits the seat beside me. “For days, no, make that weeks since you’ve woken up, you’ve been mostly a grumpy ass. And now suddenly you’re going all sexy and shit. The hot and cold routine is giving me hot flashes,” I mumbled the last, but apparently he hears because the car fills with the best sound I’ve heard in months—Clint throwing his head back and laughing without restrictions. I can’t help but look over and take in the strong column of his throat and the strong white teeth showing between his lips. Fuck, those lips.
“Sexy and shit?” I lift my eyes from his mouth and find him looking at me with one eyebrow raised in question.
“Seriously? That’s what sticks from all I said?”
“Well, no. The hot flashes made an impression too.” He winks. He bloody winks.
Sizzling Review
Freya Barker has the unique ability to take me far way from my troubles
and the craziness of my daily life. She places me in the welcoming arms
of the most fabulous characters. These people of Cedar Tree are
flawed, quirky and human. So many romances have characters that seem
almost inhuman in their perfectness that I can't connect with them at
all. After all I'm a woman who has more flaws then most and have lived
through some craziness myself. So when I meet people in Freya's novels
that have all those human characteristics, I feel like I'm among
friends and family. I loved Beth and her emotional outbursts from the
first moment she appeared in this series. She didn't mince words and
she just felt so real to me. Clint cracked me up with his bumbling
crassness. Poor big guy tried so hard to get through Beth's walls but
every time he stuck his big foot in his mouth those walls grew higher.
Then when this brave and imperfect man was brought low by the evil of
the world, Beth showed her true heart. Things were rough for a while for these two lonely souls but the love grew in ways that took my breath away .
What made this story a favorite forever is that they made human mistakes.. They showed grace and forgiveness and the love they shared was real and amazing.
For every bump in the road they had each other's back. They weren't perfect but they had in the end a perfect love. Of course Freya added her unique magic of interweaving previous couples into the story with the addition of whetting appetites for future pairings. So many more people in Cedar Tree need their stories told a.s.a.p. By far this series is one of my favorites ever. I was addicted to this story from page one and I rode the hills and valleys of highs and lows with tears in my eyes and sweet beauty in my heart. Freya one day I will give you the biggest hug for writing such human stories and bringing me to know characters I feel like I could call friends. Thank you.
About The Author
Freya Barker craved reading about 'real' people, those who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, hot monkey sex and some thrills and chills in their lives – So she decided to write about them. Always creative, from an early age on she danced and sang, doodled, created, cooked, baked, quilted and crafted. Her latest creative outlets were influenced by an ever-present love for reading. First through blogging, then cover art and design, and finally writing. Born and raised in the Netherlands, she packed her two toddlers, and eight suitcases filled with toys to move to Canada. No stranger to new beginnings, she thrives on them. With the kids grown and out in the world, Freya is at the ‘prime’ of her life. The body might be a bit ramshackle, but the spirit is high and as adventurous as ever. Something you may see reflected here and there in some of her heroines.... none of who will likely be wilting flowers.
**Dirty English is a modern love story inspired by Pride and Prejudice**
A scarred fighter.
A girl with rules.
One night of unbridled passion.
There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Bennett: she’s smart as a whip, always in control, and lives by a set of carefully crafted rules. She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end.
But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex.
A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window.
She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more.
With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever.
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.
She's addicted to all things fantasy, including unicorns and sword-wielding heroes in books. Other fascinations include frothy coffee beverages, dark chocolate, Instagram, Ian Somerhalder (seriously hot), astronomy (she's a Gemini), Sephora make-up, and tattoos.
She has a degree in English and a Master's in Education.
When she's not pecking away on her computer, she shops for cool magnets, paints old furniture, and eats her weight in sushi.
