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Hudson Valley #3
Buns
Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….
Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.
It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.
Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.
It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2017
317 people are currently reading
6231 people want to read
About the author
Alice Clayton
29 books15.8k followersALICE 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.
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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May 6, 2017
*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
He put his hands on me. He put his lips on me. And it was all I could do to still feel the earth underneath my feet. Because when this man kissed me, I forgot everything.
BUNS is the third installment of the Hudson Valley series that centers on the remaining single woman amongst the tight-knit trio of friends in which each story has been focused upon. If you enjoy the ”enemies-to-lovers” trope, then this is one book you’ll surely not want to miss. It was light on the signature Alice Clayton humor that makes her one of my top favorite authors, but the steaminess and heart made up for it in spades. Ladies get ready to fall in love with your next book boyfriend, ‘aka’ Archie Bryant.
Out of the three Heroines, Clara Morgan appears to be the most independent and career driven. She has never had time for serious relationships partially because of her demanding career in Hotel rebranding but mainly due to her deeply seeded fear of abandonment. Clara was separated from her drug-addicted mother at a very young age and grew up in the foster care system. She never experienced what it was like to be a member of a normal loving family, but when she met Roxie and Natalie, they did wind up giving her a little sense of belonging and family. But Clara’s deeply rooted insecurities always ends up making her feel like she’s the outsider in many situations. She’s about to meet the man who will push all of her boundaries and soon she’ll begin to feel the deep pangs of wanting to be a part of her own family.
Archie Bryant is the son of the owner of Bryant Mountain House- the current project that Clara is assigned to. He’s very proper, gorgeous, and just a tad bit standoffish at first. He’s not as open to change as his father is and fights Clara tooth and nail on most of her suggestions for improvement and renovations to his family business. But even with the seeming animosity between them, there’s also an almost instant strong attraction that they each feel for the other. Every interaction gets increasingly tense and heated which results in some seriously HOT steamy encounters for both Clara and Archie.
No matter how hard Clara tries to keep things professional between her and Archie, they ultimately succumb to their blazing hot chemistry. There is more than just physical attraction and as hard as Clara tries to push Archie away, it is apparent early on that her fears are no match for his tenacity. Archie made this book for me! I absolutely loved him. Life might have dealt him serious heartbreak but once he laid eyes on Clara, he knew she was the one for him and his patience and tenderness just about makes him the most swoon-worthy hero in this series!
Along with the rest of the gang from the previous “Hudson Valley” books, we also reunite with some of the beloved characters from the ”Wallbanger” and ”Redhead” series!
BUNS releases on May 23rd! Make sure you one-click! It will definitely have you wanting to take a weekend getaway in the Hudson Valley!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qMppjt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2gA5gKI
BN: http://bit.ly/2qOl6D9
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
He put his hands on me. He put his lips on me. And it was all I could do to still feel the earth underneath my feet. Because when this man kissed me, I forgot everything.
BUNS is the third installment of the Hudson Valley series that centers on the remaining single woman amongst the tight-knit trio of friends in which each story has been focused upon. If you enjoy the ”enemies-to-lovers” trope, then this is one book you’ll surely not want to miss. It was light on the signature Alice Clayton humor that makes her one of my top favorite authors, but the steaminess and heart made up for it in spades. Ladies get ready to fall in love with your next book boyfriend, ‘aka’ Archie Bryant.
Out of the three Heroines, Clara Morgan appears to be the most independent and career driven. She has never had time for serious relationships partially because of her demanding career in Hotel rebranding but mainly due to her deeply seeded fear of abandonment. Clara was separated from her drug-addicted mother at a very young age and grew up in the foster care system. She never experienced what it was like to be a member of a normal loving family, but when she met Roxie and Natalie, they did wind up giving her a little sense of belonging and family. But Clara’s deeply rooted insecurities always ends up making her feel like she’s the outsider in many situations. She’s about to meet the man who will push all of her boundaries and soon she’ll begin to feel the deep pangs of wanting to be a part of her own family.
Archie Bryant is the son of the owner of Bryant Mountain House- the current project that Clara is assigned to. He’s very proper, gorgeous, and just a tad bit standoffish at first. He’s not as open to change as his father is and fights Clara tooth and nail on most of her suggestions for improvement and renovations to his family business. But even with the seeming animosity between them, there’s also an almost instant strong attraction that they each feel for the other. Every interaction gets increasingly tense and heated which results in some seriously HOT steamy encounters for both Clara and Archie.
No matter how hard Clara tries to keep things professional between her and Archie, they ultimately succumb to their blazing hot chemistry. There is more than just physical attraction and as hard as Clara tries to push Archie away, it is apparent early on that her fears are no match for his tenacity. Archie made this book for me! I absolutely loved him. Life might have dealt him serious heartbreak but once he laid eyes on Clara, he knew she was the one for him and his patience and tenderness just about makes him the most swoon-worthy hero in this series!
Along with the rest of the gang from the previous “Hudson Valley” books, we also reunite with some of the beloved characters from the ”Wallbanger” and ”Redhead” series!
BUNS releases on May 23rd! Make sure you one-click! It will definitely have you wanting to take a weekend getaway in the Hudson Valley!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qMppjt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2gA5gKI
BN: http://bit.ly/2qOl6D9
May 23, 2017
4 stars!!!
Meet Clara and Archie…
These two were hilarious together. I loved the back and forth and bickering. And you could tell there was attraction and sexual chemistry right under the surface, just waiting to explode. I loved the light moments, but I truly loved getting in deeper with Clara and Archie. Both of these characters had a lot of depth and pasts that were difficult in different ways.
If you’re looking for an engaging and entertaining read, pick up Buns!
It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.Alice Clayton is the queen of romantic comedies. The best part about them though? They aren’t just slap stick funny reads, they have heart and emotion as well. I’ve enjoyed every book from her Hudson Valley series, and Buns was no exception! It was sweet, funny, sexy, and had just the right amount of feels!
Meet Clara and Archie…
“You really are a pain in the ass,”Clara has a job where she travels to a new hotel or resort every few months to turn it around. Some of these hotels just need some little tweaks, some need bigger tweaks, but they just need some TLC and expert advice from Clara herself. Archie Bryant is the owner of The Bryant Mountain House and if you ask him, his fifth generation resort doesn’t need anything different. The resort’s books tell a different story. To say that there was a rub between these two in the beginning would be an understatement.
he said, his breath fogging up the space—the very little space—between us.
“You’re the only person who’s ever told me that.”
“I find that incredibly hard to believe.”
These two were hilarious together. I loved the back and forth and bickering. And you could tell there was attraction and sexual chemistry right under the surface, just waiting to explode. I loved the light moments, but I truly loved getting in deeper with Clara and Archie. Both of these characters had a lot of depth and pasts that were difficult in different ways.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to let someone help you when you’ve spent a lifetime making sure people know you don’t need them?As much as I loved getting to know Clara and Archie, I also loved getting to see Roxie, Leo, Natalie, and Oscar again. Plus all the other fun characters in Bailey Falls! I sincerely hope this isn’t the last book in the Hudson Valley! The town and characters are so charming- I would love to read more!
If you’re looking for an engaging and entertaining read, pick up Buns!
May 23, 2017
4 Hudson Valley Here I Come Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Reading allows us to go anywhere we want...It can be a real place, an other worldly one...or some place an author has created that becomes so real in the telling...You look on the map expecting it to be there and surprise... it is!
Alice Clayton has taken an area and given it exposure a community could only dream of... She has used her talents to showcase the concept of Sustainability in Farm to Table in the past books of this series. In this entry she has taken all of the goodness from the other books...the community, the people, the closeness of those who love one another as family and friends...and given them a place which needs all of their nurturing.
Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York was once one of those places where families would go to for all sorts of occasions. Generations had crossed it doors and history was made there...The Famous, The Royal and even the Presidential had stayed at one time or another. It had old world charm and grace. It was steeped in tradition being handed down from Heir to Heir.
She had survived through all of the ups and downs of our American history....
The Depression didn't shut her doors....
World Wars didn't bring her down....
Even the Awakening of the 60's or the changes through the following decades...
But finally it seems the Ole Gal has hit a wall...The reservations are dwindling; old timers and their families have been lured away and the rightful Heir Archie Bryant is at that "rock and hard place" position...
He loves this House with all of his being. He grew up here and everywhere he looks, he sees visions of when he was a child...sneaking cookies or famed Buns from the huge kitchen...
He had plans for the House...
But those plans are gone now....
And in many ways he is physically here but gone, too...
So his father, as a last ditch effort to save the House, has brought in Clara Morgan. Clara is The Expert of Re-branding and saving Hotels which need an infusion of life. She has been doing this for quite a while and has made a name for herself. Every new challenge is exciting and stimulating. She has the ability to see what is before her... lovingly taking all of the traditions and past of a place and restructuring the pluses to make it brighter, better and welcoming to this new generation of travelers.
Because for Clara, she is not looking to delete all the history of a place... in fact, she relishes these things...values them and deep in her heart is coveting them for her own. For Clara lost her family very early and was raised in foster care. This experience caused her to focus on not planting roots or loving too dearly...because when you care and love that way...it can all be taken away....
These two meet when Clara comes to look at the House. She tries to come "undercover" as a regular guest a day early. This way she can get a feel of the place without anyone putting on a show or best behavior. It is the way she does her assessments and then brings this information to the first scheduled meeting.
It has always worked well in the past....
Ah, not so much this time...
She crosses Archie's path and from the start it is Oil and Water...Cats and Dogs...
It is the beginning of a Cantankerous Relationship from the get go...
But you know what they say about that...There is a very thin line between Love and Hate...
Alice Clayton takes this tale and gives us so much besides a standard romance. It is her way.
She looks at loss and how do we recover from it. How do we open our hearts to accept others when they are standing there knocking at the door...willing to wrap us in their arms and say everything is going to be ok...
She gives us deep friendships that are the basis of what family can mean in today's world. Our lives have changed in many ways with the advent of living all across countries and the globe...But the need to connect and feel we belong with those who care about us and will be there during the darkest times and the happiest, remains the same through generations...We all need those connections.
This couple has its hiccups but it also has some equally delicious moments..
I Mean, It Is an Alice Clayton book...
Let yourself indulge in all the yummy goodness of the Hudson Valley... If you have read the other books, the past characters and their involvement will warm your heart...If you haven't read the past books, you will be perfectly fine in enjoying this one...
Nuts (Hudson Valley, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Cream of the Crop (Hudson Valley,#2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buns (Hudson Valley, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
February 24, 2017....
So just to give a bit of an update...
We have learned....
Clara Morgan never had the personal experience of Family Traditions...
Of a Home...and Hearth...
She does have Grit, Smarts and a Talent for Updating and Resurrecting...
The Grand Hotels and Manors around the Country...
Now Archie Bryant is steeped in Tradition....
Fifth Generation of a place where it has lost its draw...
Even the famous Sticky Buns can't bring in the needed clients....
Our Gal wants free rein...
To make the changes needed to save the day...
What both didn't count on....
Was how good His Buns were....
(Up Coming Cover is PERFECT, promise!)
BUNS Release May 23rd 2017
●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
December 15, 2015
Don't Know who...
Don't Care...
Why, you may ask???
It's Clayton, Hudson Valley and that is enough for me...
For now...
A gifted copy was provided by Gallery Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free
Reading allows us to go anywhere we want...It can be a real place, an other worldly one...or some place an author has created that becomes so real in the telling...You look on the map expecting it to be there and surprise... it is!
Alice Clayton has taken an area and given it exposure a community could only dream of... She has used her talents to showcase the concept of Sustainability in Farm to Table in the past books of this series. In this entry she has taken all of the goodness from the other books...the community, the people, the closeness of those who love one another as family and friends...and given them a place which needs all of their nurturing.
Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York was once one of those places where families would go to for all sorts of occasions. Generations had crossed it doors and history was made there...The Famous, The Royal and even the Presidential had stayed at one time or another. It had old world charm and grace. It was steeped in tradition being handed down from Heir to Heir.
She had survived through all of the ups and downs of our American history....
The Depression didn't shut her doors....
World Wars didn't bring her down....
Even the Awakening of the 60's or the changes through the following decades...
But finally it seems the Ole Gal has hit a wall...The reservations are dwindling; old timers and their families have been lured away and the rightful Heir Archie Bryant is at that "rock and hard place" position...
He loves this House with all of his being. He grew up here and everywhere he looks, he sees visions of when he was a child...sneaking cookies or famed Buns from the huge kitchen...
He had plans for the House...
But those plans are gone now....
And in many ways he is physically here but gone, too...
So his father, as a last ditch effort to save the House, has brought in Clara Morgan. Clara is The Expert of Re-branding and saving Hotels which need an infusion of life. She has been doing this for quite a while and has made a name for herself. Every new challenge is exciting and stimulating. She has the ability to see what is before her... lovingly taking all of the traditions and past of a place and restructuring the pluses to make it brighter, better and welcoming to this new generation of travelers.
Because for Clara, she is not looking to delete all the history of a place... in fact, she relishes these things...values them and deep in her heart is coveting them for her own. For Clara lost her family very early and was raised in foster care. This experience caused her to focus on not planting roots or loving too dearly...because when you care and love that way...it can all be taken away....
These two meet when Clara comes to look at the House. She tries to come "undercover" as a regular guest a day early. This way she can get a feel of the place without anyone putting on a show or best behavior. It is the way she does her assessments and then brings this information to the first scheduled meeting.
It has always worked well in the past....
Ah, not so much this time...
She crosses Archie's path and from the start it is Oil and Water...Cats and Dogs...
It is the beginning of a Cantankerous Relationship from the get go...
But you know what they say about that...There is a very thin line between Love and Hate...
Alice Clayton takes this tale and gives us so much besides a standard romance. It is her way.
She looks at loss and how do we recover from it. How do we open our hearts to accept others when they are standing there knocking at the door...willing to wrap us in their arms and say everything is going to be ok...
She gives us deep friendships that are the basis of what family can mean in today's world. Our lives have changed in many ways with the advent of living all across countries and the globe...But the need to connect and feel we belong with those who care about us and will be there during the darkest times and the happiest, remains the same through generations...We all need those connections.
This couple has its hiccups but it also has some equally delicious moments..
I Mean, It Is an Alice Clayton book...
Let yourself indulge in all the yummy goodness of the Hudson Valley... If you have read the other books, the past characters and their involvement will warm your heart...If you haven't read the past books, you will be perfectly fine in enjoying this one...
Nuts (Hudson Valley, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Cream of the Crop (Hudson Valley,#2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buns (Hudson Valley, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
February 24, 2017....
So just to give a bit of an update...
We have learned....
Clara Morgan never had the personal experience of Family Traditions...
Of a Home...and Hearth...
She does have Grit, Smarts and a Talent for Updating and Resurrecting...
The Grand Hotels and Manors around the Country...
Now Archie Bryant is steeped in Tradition....
Fifth Generation of a place where it has lost its draw...
Even the famous Sticky Buns can't bring in the needed clients....
Our Gal wants free rein...
To make the changes needed to save the day...
What both didn't count on....
Was how good His Buns were....
(Up Coming Cover is PERFECT, promise!)
BUNS Release May 23rd 2017
●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
December 15, 2015
Don't Know who...
Don't Care...
Why, you may ask???
It's Clayton, Hudson Valley and that is enough for me...
For now...
A gifted copy was provided by Gallery Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 5, 2017
4 stars!
Clara Morgan makes her living rebranding hotels on the verge of closing. It’s a job she’s wonderful at and it’s given her the stability she never had growing up. Clara is tasked by her boss at a classic hotel in Bailey Falls, The Bryant Mountain House. Upon arrival Clara finds the owner is thrilled to have her there, but his son Archie is not. Clara finds she must prove herself to Archie, that she has the best interest in his hotel at heart, no matter how much he resists her.
The longer Clara stays in Bailey Falls, the more she grows to love the place. And the more time she and Archie spend together, it’s hard to deny an attraction between the two of them. But both of them have a past that can interfere with their future, not to mention in a way Archie is Clara’s boss. It’s up to them to decide whether or not they will let their issues get in the way.
Alice Clayton never fails to make me smile. I’ve read every single one of her books, and I love the anticipation of a new release by her. Will it be funny? Or angst? Or sweet? This book was all three! From the moment I began reading until the very last page I was enamored with the story and these characters. I feel like Clara is unlike any character we have seen by this author, and I loved that Clayton tackled a more sensitive subject with this characters past and did it in a way that’s accurate but tactful.
I thought Archie was great as well, I wish we had delved a bit more into his past, maybe developed him a bit more. But what I loved most about him was he was the perfect counterpart to Clara, knowing when to push and when to let things go. His heart and soul was in that hotel and he wanted to save it, so while he may have fought change, ultimately he wanted what was best for his family legacy and those he employed.
This is a great hate to love story about two people who weren’t looking for each other, but found each other. Oh and if you are wondering about the title, it refers to hot cross buns sold by the hotel. And Archie may have had some buns too…….
ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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Clara Morgan makes her living rebranding hotels on the verge of closing. It’s a job she’s wonderful at and it’s given her the stability she never had growing up. Clara is tasked by her boss at a classic hotel in Bailey Falls, The Bryant Mountain House. Upon arrival Clara finds the owner is thrilled to have her there, but his son Archie is not. Clara finds she must prove herself to Archie, that she has the best interest in his hotel at heart, no matter how much he resists her.
The longer Clara stays in Bailey Falls, the more she grows to love the place. And the more time she and Archie spend together, it’s hard to deny an attraction between the two of them. But both of them have a past that can interfere with their future, not to mention in a way Archie is Clara’s boss. It’s up to them to decide whether or not they will let their issues get in the way.
Alice Clayton never fails to make me smile. I’ve read every single one of her books, and I love the anticipation of a new release by her. Will it be funny? Or angst? Or sweet? This book was all three! From the moment I began reading until the very last page I was enamored with the story and these characters. I feel like Clara is unlike any character we have seen by this author, and I loved that Clayton tackled a more sensitive subject with this characters past and did it in a way that’s accurate but tactful.
I thought Archie was great as well, I wish we had delved a bit more into his past, maybe developed him a bit more. But what I loved most about him was he was the perfect counterpart to Clara, knowing when to push and when to let things go. His heart and soul was in that hotel and he wanted to save it, so while he may have fought change, ultimately he wanted what was best for his family legacy and those he employed.
This is a great hate to love story about two people who weren’t looking for each other, but found each other. Oh and if you are wondering about the title, it refers to hot cross buns sold by the hotel. And Archie may have had some buns too…….
ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
May 23, 2017
4 Hot Hot Hot Buns Stars
Buns is a standalone and is part of the Hudson Valley series. Man, I really wish the cover had Archie’s face because nothing is sexier than a man in glasses, especially tortoise shell ones. Heart Eyes and all.
Buns is a bit different from the other books because this one is set up in a hotel. I really liked the new change of scenery. Clara goes to different jobs across the states to give businesses a face lift. She puts companies back in the positive again. Her newest job is a hotel, a hotel Archie will inherit one day and is currently running.
I adore Archie, everything about him. I love his name, I love his glasses and I love his stiff personality. I found him very readable and he brought something different to the book. Clara was a tough cookie. She is very strong and VERY independent. At times I wanted to shake her because she is all about doing things on her own and proving herself.
I really enjoyed the storyline in Buns. I found it cute that Clara was hired to help Archie’s hotel. I loved that they interacted daily and had these cute little “fights” over the littlest things. It brought some nice tension between the two.
If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed because the characters from the previous books do make an appearance.
An ARC was provided
Nuts #1 REVIEW | AMAZON
Cream of the Crop #2 AMAZON | REVIEW
Buns #3 AMAZON
May 23, 2017
4.5 stars ❤❤❤❤❤
Buns is my favorite book in this series!Sweet,funny,intense,romantic, and emotional!I absolutely loved the characters in this one, Archie and Clara were amazing together.
The author did a wonderful job with the storyline!These two
at the beginning couldn't stand each other,but there are also a sexual tension and soon they can't deny it.Overall,they are a perfect couple with their fair share of challenges.Their romance is sweet,romantic,intense and hot.
I highly recommend it to everyone!If you are a fan of the series you are going to adore this one and if you are not what are you waiting?? Start this now you'll not be disappointed!!
Buns is my favorite book in this series!Sweet,funny,intense,romantic, and emotional!I absolutely loved the characters in this one, Archie and Clara were amazing together.
The author did a wonderful job with the storyline!These two
at the beginning couldn't stand each other,but there are also a sexual tension and soon they can't deny it.Overall,they are a perfect couple with their fair share of challenges.Their romance is sweet,romantic,intense and hot.
I highly recommend it to everyone!If you are a fan of the series you are going to adore this one and if you are not what are you waiting?? Start this now you'll not be disappointed!!
May 23, 2017
We're finally back in Upstate New York.
After Roxie and Natalie, it's now Clara's time to tell us her story!
She's been hired by a soon-to-be-retired Hotel owner to bring his family's luxury resort into the 21st century. They desperately need more guests and lots of updates in all areas of the hotel.
But soon-to-be-hotel-boss Archie is not really agreeing with his dad. He doesn't need some city girl to come and change everything he loves about this place.
Archie and Clara have this insta-hate / insta-mega-attraction thing going.
But both also have gone through a lot in their pasts that makes them shy away from something serious.
So it'll probably be a fun few months for Clara - to get her job done while lusting after Archie - who hates what she's doing with his hotel!
And it'll be even funnnnner for the reader to witness all that adorableness! ☺
WHAT WiLL HAPPEN TO CLARA & ARCHIE??
WiLL THERE BE A HAPPiLY EVER AFTER?
READ THE BOOK TO FiND OUT☺
═══════════════════════
I ADORED THIS BOOK!!!
Finally back in the beautiful Hudson Valley!
And this was such a great story!!!!
An enemies to lovers kind of thing. With so many adorable moments and fun moments and sexy moments and crazy, ridiculous moments and moving moments. I loved every second of this book.
You start reading and you immediately think you've traveled 30 years back in time to that Hotel from Dirty Dancing
The whole atmosphere of the book was so ... real somehow. I felt like I was right there, checked-in, in that amazingly beautiful hotel. Beautiful - but also very ... old. Clara's help is desperately needed. And Archie will see that soon enough! Poor guy. He's not into modern things. He wants to keep everything the way his grandfather wanted it, he's big on traditions. He's a bit 'Olden-Times-ish' himself. A Cary Grant kind of gentleman. I think I could totally see Hugh Grant as Archie in the Buns-Movie!!! No idea why! He's way too old to be Archie, but the British stuffiness would be perfect!
But of course Archie is not always so .... Archie-ish.
We have some very sexy sexy scenes!!! ☺
Beautiful book with so much in it. So much interesting hotel stuff. How to make more money with an old hotel. I loved that. And all those old traditions at the hotel. I loved the whole mood and atmosphere. I want to check in there immediately!!!
And we also have an amazing cast - all our Hudson Valley darlings show up for special events at the hotel - and we might even see an old friend from San Francisco again ☺ Because that hotel needs lots of walls un-banged! ☺ And another 2 beloved west-coasters might check into the hotel (one of them might be a red-head) ☺
PERFECT BOOK!!
BUNS was such an adorably funny & interesting & sexy romance!
You'll sooo fall in love with Clara & her Cary Grant-ish Hotel-Boy! Also, I will be permanently leaving Germany soon! Upstate NY, here I come!!! I'm accepting donations for my Bryant-Hotel-Penthouse via paypal! And Archie, I want a TV in my penthouse! ☺
♡
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May 23, 2017
NOW LIVE!
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
✬ ✬ ✬ 4.5 STARS ✬ ✬ ✬
Clara is immersed in her job. She lives and breathes it and not much has room beside it except her two best friends who live in a small town called Bailey Falls. Her apartment is a place she sleeps in but it's a bit of a stretch to call it "home". Just as well, because she isn't at home much anyway, her job requires a lot of travelling. She specializes in rebranding and has made a name for herself in her profession. This time her job sends her to an old luxury resort, the Bryant Mountain House. Wild guess where this resort is located? Yup, upstate New York, Bailey Falls.
Upon arrival she has her first unpleasant encounter with the owner's son, Archie and let me tell you, he seems to be exactly what you expect from a guy with such an archaic name. Old-fashioned. Proud of the Bryant traditions and history. Stuffy. And mostly composed. Unless you are a tiny whirlwind of a woman called Clara. Archie and the rebranding specialist are supposed to work together to rejuvenate the run-down resort and the cooperation goes everything but smooth.
Soon they fight over every detail and it seems whatever Clara suggests, Archie is against it just for the heck of it.
Faster than he thought he has to admit though that Clara's strategy is successful. And that bites. It also bites that there is an undeniable spark between them and once it's fully ignited it burns bright. Clara finds herself wanting more but her past has shown her that people don't stay. They all leave at some point so she armors up her heart and seals it tight.
Clara is an immensely independent woman. She has been hurt too often and attaching yourself to somebody only sets you up for more pain. While her past is really sad she still has kept her lively and sprightly attitude and takes great pleasure in riling Archie up. Her bossiness was hilarious. Her abandonment issues are understandable but I couldn't help to get a tiny bit frustrated with her towards the end. Yet, Clara was an endearing and fun heroine.
Archie is so stiff and buttoned-up when we start out on this journey. you want to give him a hug and tickle him silly. His love and respect for his extended family runs deep. He also has had his own share of pain. Archie is a man of old stock and tradition - the pain that comes with change makes him adverse to it so he fights Clara with teeth and nails.
The more he interacts the more he loosens up though and when he does he becomes this adorable sweet guy who is crazy about Clara.
Archie has a past we unfortunately only learn a little bit about and I would have liked to see some flashes of what he was like when he was younger. Has he always been this severe? I suppose not because the guy has a sense of humor to boot and when it comes out to play it's a blast. I just wanted to have something more substantial on him. Nevertheless he was a delightful male lead.
Clara and Archie are so different but that's what provides the tension in this story. They complement each other and the result is better than the sum of its parts making their banter delightfully funny.
When they give in to their desire it's downright hot and let me say...I did not expect Archie to be such a sensual man.
This was my first journey into a small town called Bailey Falls and I'm utterly charmed. I loved the side cast of this story a lot. They completed the picture of our main characters. Ms Clayton's writing style is effortless and humorous and so evenly paced, I was instantly a fan. Now I need to find the time to read the backlist of this author because I have a new favorite!
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
✬ ✬ ✬ 4.5 STARS ✬ ✬ ✬
Clara is immersed in her job. She lives and breathes it and not much has room beside it except her two best friends who live in a small town called Bailey Falls. Her apartment is a place she sleeps in but it's a bit of a stretch to call it "home". Just as well, because she isn't at home much anyway, her job requires a lot of travelling. She specializes in rebranding and has made a name for herself in her profession. This time her job sends her to an old luxury resort, the Bryant Mountain House. Wild guess where this resort is located? Yup, upstate New York, Bailey Falls.
Upon arrival she has her first unpleasant encounter with the owner's son, Archie and let me tell you, he seems to be exactly what you expect from a guy with such an archaic name. Old-fashioned. Proud of the Bryant traditions and history. Stuffy. And mostly composed. Unless you are a tiny whirlwind of a woman called Clara. Archie and the rebranding specialist are supposed to work together to rejuvenate the run-down resort and the cooperation goes everything but smooth.
Soon they fight over every detail and it seems whatever Clara suggests, Archie is against it just for the heck of it.
“You’re incredibly rude, a know-it-all wrecking-ball girl who is more than a little bossy.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “What lovely things to say, coming from a pretentious, snobby, incredibly rude himself hotel boy who’d rather rattle around spooky hallways and spend time with antiques than listen to reason.”
Faster than he thought he has to admit though that Clara's strategy is successful. And that bites. It also bites that there is an undeniable spark between them and once it's fully ignited it burns bright. Clara finds herself wanting more but her past has shown her that people don't stay. They all leave at some point so she armors up her heart and seals it tight.
Clara is an immensely independent woman. She has been hurt too often and attaching yourself to somebody only sets you up for more pain. While her past is really sad she still has kept her lively and sprightly attitude and takes great pleasure in riling Archie up. Her bossiness was hilarious. Her abandonment issues are understandable but I couldn't help to get a tiny bit frustrated with her towards the end. Yet, Clara was an endearing and fun heroine.
Archie is so stiff and buttoned-up when we start out on this journey. you want to give him a hug and tickle him silly. His love and respect for his extended family runs deep. He also has had his own share of pain. Archie is a man of old stock and tradition - the pain that comes with change makes him adverse to it so he fights Clara with teeth and nails.
The more he interacts the more he loosens up though and when he does he becomes this adorable sweet guy who is crazy about Clara.
He gazed down at me, an expression I couldn’t quite identify on his face. “You’re a bit wonderful.”
Archie has a past we unfortunately only learn a little bit about and I would have liked to see some flashes of what he was like when he was younger. Has he always been this severe? I suppose not because the guy has a sense of humor to boot and when it comes out to play it's a blast. I just wanted to have something more substantial on him. Nevertheless he was a delightful male lead.
My girl was wild. And loud. And obnoxious. And irritating. And bossy as all get out. And I wouldn’t have her any other way.
Clara and Archie are so different but that's what provides the tension in this story. They complement each other and the result is better than the sum of its parts making their banter delightfully funny.
“Who chases someone up a mountain?”
“Who runs away from someone chasing them up a mountain?” I fired back.
“I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Talk to me? You want to talk to me, you ask me. You request a meeting, you send me an email, hell, you pass me a note while I’m sitting next to you at a meeting for Pete’s sake, you don’t chase me up a mountain!”
When they give in to their desire it's downright hot and let me say...I did not expect Archie to be such a sensual man.
This was my first journey into a small town called Bailey Falls and I'm utterly charmed. I loved the side cast of this story a lot. They completed the picture of our main characters. Ms Clayton's writing style is effortless and humorous and so evenly paced, I was instantly a fan. Now I need to find the time to read the backlist of this author because I have a new favorite!
June 18, 2017
4 - 4.5 ★'s
“You’re here and I’m here and we’re here and this is so much more than enough because it’s everything.”
I love Alice Clayton's stories and especially this series but I was in no way prepared for someone like Archibald Bryant! What a character...and he was described so well, I could almost hear him talking! "Hotel boy" definitely needed a firecracker like "Ms. Bossy".
Clara's been assigned to rebrand Bryant Mountain House (think of the resort in Dirty Dancing) and she has more on her hands than just the hotel. Archie fights her at every turn and soon it becomes all too apparent what he really is fired up about!
But Archie has a heart breaking past that's a huge red flag for Clara. She doesn't know if she has the time...or the emotional wherefore all to handle him. See, Archie isn't the only one with a heart breaking past...
So it goes...and I LOVED all the romance we get from these two. I REALLY loved how it all opened up Archie and brought him back to who he really is. They try to keep things a secret but it's fairly obvious to everyone what's going on.
It was fun reading about all the get togethers with Clara's friends, Roxy and Natalie, and of course, Leo and Oscar. Even Chad and Logan were included, so quite a fun group.
Naturally, things come to a head. I was shocked who the resistant one actually was since I figured it might be the other. I did enjoy how things were handled and how the other one didn't put up much a fight, well, not really.
I love how some of the characters from Alice Clayton's other series were included. Jack and Grace sound really intriguing and I will have to read that series some day!
It was great getting Archie's POV for the epilogue although I could've used more. Still, it was nice how everything worked out.
That's it for the three girlfriends but I'm hoping the series isn't over. I wouldn't mind more stories about some of the other town folk...surely, there's handsome horse rancher or a lonely businessman that needs some help! ;)
(Prior to review...)
gotta be Clara's book...looking forward to reading about hersexy farmer hotel owner! ;)
“You’re here and I’m here and we’re here and this is so much more than enough because it’s everything.”
I love Alice Clayton's stories and especially this series but I was in no way prepared for someone like Archibald Bryant! What a character...and he was described so well, I could almost hear him talking! "Hotel boy" definitely needed a firecracker like "Ms. Bossy".
Clara's been assigned to rebrand Bryant Mountain House (think of the resort in Dirty Dancing) and she has more on her hands than just the hotel. Archie fights her at every turn and soon it becomes all too apparent what he really is fired up about!
But Archie has a heart breaking past that's a huge red flag for Clara. She doesn't know if she has the time...or the emotional wherefore all to handle him. See, Archie isn't the only one with a heart breaking past...
So it goes...and I LOVED all the romance we get from these two. I REALLY loved how it all opened up Archie and brought him back to who he really is. They try to keep things a secret but it's fairly obvious to everyone what's going on.
It was fun reading about all the get togethers with Clara's friends, Roxy and Natalie, and of course, Leo and Oscar. Even Chad and Logan were included, so quite a fun group.
Naturally, things come to a head. I was shocked who the resistant one actually was since I figured it might be the other. I did enjoy how things were handled and how the other one didn't put up much a fight, well, not really.
I love how some of the characters from Alice Clayton's other series were included. Jack and Grace sound really intriguing and I will have to read that series some day!
It was great getting Archie's POV for the epilogue although I could've used more. Still, it was nice how everything worked out.
That's it for the three girlfriends but I'm hoping the series isn't over. I wouldn't mind more stories about some of the other town folk...surely, there's handsome horse rancher or a lonely businessman that needs some help! ;)
(Prior to review...)
gotta be Clara's book...looking forward to reading about her
July 30, 2020
I feel kike being taken into virtual vacation with Buns. And with all this pandemic isolation, it is not bad idea.
Buns takes us to the mountain side hotel where old tradition still lives. The center of the story is about blending new and old into something beautiful and homey.
The story takes more about tradition and history. I want more of the chemistry between Archie and Clare.
Overall I do like this story OK
3 stars
Buns takes us to the mountain side hotel where old tradition still lives. The center of the story is about blending new and old into something beautiful and homey.
The story takes more about tradition and history. I want more of the chemistry between Archie and Clare.
Overall I do like this story OK
3 stars
December 6, 2017
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I've enjoyed every book in this series so far and Buns was no different. It was sweet and romantic while still having a little flare of some heat. Seeing Clara completely out of her element was fun because it showed us that she wasn't some unfeeling corporate worker. She and Archie worked very well together because of how different their personalities were and I loved that about them.
The only thing I wanted more in this book was getting to learn about Clara's past. I felt like it was a little underdeveloped and I kept looking for more. I still really liked her character and never felt like I didn't know her at all, just wanted some more of her past.
Overall this is still a recommended read from me and I'll be stalking this author for more stories in the future.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I've enjoyed every book in this series so far and Buns was no different. It was sweet and romantic while still having a little flare of some heat. Seeing Clara completely out of her element was fun because it showed us that she wasn't some unfeeling corporate worker. She and Archie worked very well together because of how different their personalities were and I loved that about them.
The only thing I wanted more in this book was getting to learn about Clara's past. I felt like it was a little underdeveloped and I kept looking for more. I still really liked her character and never felt like I didn't know her at all, just wanted some more of her past.
Overall this is still a recommended read from me and I'll be stalking this author for more stories in the future.
October 20, 2017
**Audiobook Review**
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: I thought this was...okay. I was engaged enough to continue on, but I wasn't intrigued enough to want to download the ebooks and read along. I wasn't a huge fan of the h pushing the H away so much. I also think that the it would've benefited the story to have some of Archie's POV. I wasn't satisrified wit the ending either. It had its good moments and was pretty low angst/drama...but just kind of meh 🤷🏻♀️
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Clara and Archie's story. They meet when Clara is hired by his father to come to Archie's family resort to help turn it around from failing. They butt heads for a while, as Archie is against change and Clara is determined that some changes need to happen. Eventually the hate they feel towards one another gets too hot and they act on their attractions and fall in love. There is some fun appearances from the characters in the other books, some sexy times, and some funny moments...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This was told in Clara's POV. The epilogue was told in Archie's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I thought it flowed pretty well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Archie. I liked him. He was moody at first, but I liked how he cared for Clara.
h rating: 2.5 stars. Clara. I struggled with her pushing the H away.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Not IMO
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure but ended kind of abruptly with what I would call a HFN ending.
How I got it: It was part of my Scribd subscription.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
**Please note that since this is an audiobook, I might miss some things or get some things wrong. I never want to misrepresent a book, so please let me know if I have made an error 😊 **
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: I thought this was...okay. I was engaged enough to continue on, but I wasn't intrigued enough to want to download the ebooks and read along. I wasn't a huge fan of the h pushing the H away so much. I also think that the it would've benefited the story to have some of Archie's POV. I wasn't satisrified wit the ending either. It had its good moments and was pretty low angst/drama...but just kind of meh 🤷🏻♀️
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Clara and Archie's story. They meet when Clara is hired by his father to come to Archie's family resort to help turn it around from failing. They butt heads for a while, as Archie is against change and Clara is determined that some changes need to happen. Eventually the hate they feel towards one another gets too hot and they act on their attractions and fall in love. There is some fun appearances from the characters in the other books, some sexy times, and some funny moments...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This was told in Clara's POV. The epilogue was told in Archie's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I thought it flowed pretty well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Archie. I liked him. He was moody at first, but I liked how he cared for Clara.
h rating: 2.5 stars. Clara. I struggled with her pushing the H away.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Not IMO
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure but ended kind of abruptly with what I would call a HFN ending.
How I got it: It was part of my Scribd subscription.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
**Please note that since this is an audiobook, I might miss some things or get some things wrong. I never want to misrepresent a book, so please let me know if I have made an error 😊 **
June 25, 2017
I think out of the three books in the series, I liked this one the most! Archie and Clara were too cute together and great characters. They actually worked as a romantic couple.
I enjoyed this more then I thought I would and I'm super tough on contemporary romance books. I typically don't like this genre so by rating this 4 stars, that's a big deal for me.
I enjoyed this more then I thought I would and I'm super tough on contemporary romance books. I typically don't like this genre so by rating this 4 stars, that's a big deal for me.
September 25, 2020
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
It’s going to be back up to 90 degrees by the weekend, but having had just a taste of sweater weather, your girl is ready to decorate the Christmas tree and . . . .
Before anyone even thinks about saying something stupid like . . . .
No shit, Sherlock. That’s why I like ‘em. And also why memes like this exist . . . .
Buns doesn’t actually take place at Christmas, but it does follow plot theme #7 in the Hallmark repertoire which features a big city corporate muckity-muck being sent to some small resort with a whole batch of big new ideas to freshen things up in order to save it from bankruptcy. Sort of like Kitchen Nightmares, but with less of this . . . .
And more of this . . . . .
Alice Clayton herself says she writes “funny smut” and even when the first smexy scene was something along the lines of . . . .
My previous experience with this author had me feeling confident better things were ahead. Boy was I right . . . .
“You make it around the rink once on your own and I’ll lick your pussy until you black out.” Next Winter Olympics you’ll see me representing the good old US of A. The event? Speed skating.
BOOOOIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!
She ain’t kidding about being funny either . . . .
He missed my neck and nearly kissed the door instead. “Honestly, you’re like Mr. Magoo.” “Mr. Magoo wouldn’t have made you come three times, Ms. Morgan.” “You just called a coatrack Ms. Morgan, but you’re right about the other thing.”
And the best thing about the whole thing? The leading lady’s backstory (which is thankfully NOT harped on enough to become a bonerkiller) is one that leaves her with some severe trust/commitment/whatever issues but instead of just being a giant uncommunicative baby about things leaving everyone to get butthurt, the dude gives her space to figure her shit out and doesn’t even cure her with his magic penis! So refreshing.
Also, anytime you have a book set in the Catskills my brain automatically goes to . . . .
So I’m amazed at my own restraint and ability to not give this one all the stars.
Oh and in case you want an embarrassing story about me and this Hudson Valley series, one time I attempted to check it out in paper format from the library with my youngest in tow and it apparently did not get ran across the security tag scanner. The result was the exit lighting up like the 4th of July and a librarian breaking the rule of quiet by yelling “Ma’am – Nuts failed to check out properly. NUTS!!!!” That was the last time the kid ever went on a library errand with me and he’s probably been hiding the fact that he’s now illiterate due to being afraid to tell me I was the cause. I also returned the book without reading it because of the shameful looks he kept giving me. But then I found this at a thrift store and obviously had to bring it home with me. He’s almost grown now. I’ll pay the therapy bills. Really the only downside to the entire experience this second time around was that due to work from home protocols I never got a chance to be caught in the elevator by my co-workers with this amazing cover in my hands . . . .
That ‘Rona ruins everything.
It’s going to be back up to 90 degrees by the weekend, but having had just a taste of sweater weather, your girl is ready to decorate the Christmas tree and . . . .
Before anyone even thinks about saying something stupid like . . . .
No shit, Sherlock. That’s why I like ‘em. And also why memes like this exist . . . .
Buns doesn’t actually take place at Christmas, but it does follow plot theme #7 in the Hallmark repertoire which features a big city corporate muckity-muck being sent to some small resort with a whole batch of big new ideas to freshen things up in order to save it from bankruptcy. Sort of like Kitchen Nightmares, but with less of this . . . .
And more of this . . . . .
Alice Clayton herself says she writes “funny smut” and even when the first smexy scene was something along the lines of . . . .
My previous experience with this author had me feeling confident better things were ahead. Boy was I right . . . .
“You make it around the rink once on your own and I’ll lick your pussy until you black out.” Next Winter Olympics you’ll see me representing the good old US of A. The event? Speed skating.
BOOOOIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!
She ain’t kidding about being funny either . . . .
He missed my neck and nearly kissed the door instead. “Honestly, you’re like Mr. Magoo.” “Mr. Magoo wouldn’t have made you come three times, Ms. Morgan.” “You just called a coatrack Ms. Morgan, but you’re right about the other thing.”
And the best thing about the whole thing? The leading lady’s backstory (which is thankfully NOT harped on enough to become a bonerkiller) is one that leaves her with some severe trust/commitment/whatever issues but instead of just being a giant uncommunicative baby about things leaving everyone to get butthurt, the dude gives her space to figure her shit out and doesn’t even cure her with his magic penis! So refreshing.
Also, anytime you have a book set in the Catskills my brain automatically goes to . . . .
So I’m amazed at my own restraint and ability to not give this one all the stars.
Oh and in case you want an embarrassing story about me and this Hudson Valley series, one time I attempted to check it out in paper format from the library with my youngest in tow and it apparently did not get ran across the security tag scanner. The result was the exit lighting up like the 4th of July and a librarian breaking the rule of quiet by yelling “Ma’am – Nuts failed to check out properly. NUTS!!!!” That was the last time the kid ever went on a library errand with me and he’s probably been hiding the fact that he’s now illiterate due to being afraid to tell me I was the cause. I also returned the book without reading it because of the shameful looks he kept giving me. But then I found this at a thrift store and obviously had to bring it home with me. He’s almost grown now. I’ll pay the therapy bills. Really the only downside to the entire experience this second time around was that due to work from home protocols I never got a chance to be caught in the elevator by my co-workers with this amazing cover in my hands . . . .
That ‘Rona ruins everything.
June 23, 2017
I love this series so much. I mean it is the perfect romcom that focuses not only on the love story, but also on the protagonist’s internal conflicts and growth, the protagonist’s career, and really, really good friendships.
Plot
I love this cute, small town and all the cozy descriptions of the scenery, the hotel, and the food. I swear that this whole series has made me hungry just by the descriptions. In addition, I adore the friendships in this book. Agh – everyone is incredibly hilarious, sweet, and amusing! I love them all, especially because they are the same characters that we have met and grown to love in the previous books. We get to see more cute scenes with all of the couples, and it’s just awww. I adore seeing Clara balance different parts of her life – her relationship with Archie, her job to help the hotel gain profit by making changes to it, her discovery of this town and hotel and the endearing traditions that go with them, her strong, supportive friendships with Roxie and Natalie, and her own character growth. This book has it all.
Characters
I have to admit that the Clara was A BIT of an asshole at times (she knew it too and her friends called her out, so it’s not just me). For a legit quarter of the book, I was irritated by her mindset. She’s definitely not perfect. You are going to find a girl who dwells in self-pity a lot… a girl who is trapped by her past and is unconsciously bitter when she sees people who “have it better than she does.” You are going to find a girl who simultaneously whines about being alone but also feels suffocated when her real friends and lover want to be with her and help her. You are going to find a girl who does not want to talk about the past because she supposedly does not want to dwell on the past when she can focus on the future, but she ends up letting it affect her.
It is OK and even understandable that she does not want to talk – that she does not feel ready to talk about her past and her trust issues. However, when she lashes out and explodes on people because she refuses to talk about it – it’s not cool. And after she lashes out, she continues to not talk about it, so I’m just like, ”Why???. It becomes a whole frustrating cycle of refusing to talk, letting her internal conflict poison her and thus making her lash out on people, and then still refusing to talk about it, and then lashing at people again, etc. etc.
She can be… irritating to say the least, but I have to say that I can empathize and relate to her same insecurities and flaws with her fearful thoughts and petty actions. I find that a lot of her faults are/potentially can be mine as well. I might get frustrated at her negativity and her self-pity and her inconsiderate treatment of others – but I see that anyone could react the way she did because humans make mistakes, get scared, make rash decisions, etc. So despite the fact that I do not like that quarter of the book where she is being an asshole, I cannot fault her too much because I think I can make those stupid mistakes as well if I were put in her shoes. Thus, I applaud the author for writing this realistic internal struggle.
Furthermore, I think Clara does grow by the end of the book. The ending that she brings about is so epic and awesome that my earlier irritation of her is indeed soothed.
Romance
The romance is a love-hate relationship, and honestly, it’s cute. I love the bantering and the competition between Clara and Archie. This is more of a slow romance (insta-lust, not insta-love), and I think Archie is a great love interest. He’s arrogant and rude at times, but he can also be considerate and funny. Actually – when they finally get together, I realize that he is pretty much an A++++++ boyfriend. However, I am quite disappointed that we did not get to dwell more on his feelings about his wife who died a few years ago. I think the book focuses so much on Clara pushing him away and her own trust issues that we end up losing potential exploration on his conflicts and depth.
Final Thoughts
I seriously, seriously adore this town and all of the characters in it. They’re all so cute and funny. I have problems with Clara at times, but she has struggled realistically (no matter how frustratingly), and she has grown by the end. The endearing, hilarious characters and the perfect ending make me bump this series up from 3 stars to 3.5 stars. I truly adore this series as a whole, and I am going to miss the fun atmosphere of it all (if this is the last book).
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
This cover. I literally can't with this cover. I've never seen a more apt cover. It's hilarious and perfect, just like this series. 😂😂
Plot
I love this cute, small town and all the cozy descriptions of the scenery, the hotel, and the food. I swear that this whole series has made me hungry just by the descriptions. In addition, I adore the friendships in this book. Agh – everyone is incredibly hilarious, sweet, and amusing! I love them all, especially because they are the same characters that we have met and grown to love in the previous books. We get to see more cute scenes with all of the couples, and it’s just awww. I adore seeing Clara balance different parts of her life – her relationship with Archie, her job to help the hotel gain profit by making changes to it, her discovery of this town and hotel and the endearing traditions that go with them, her strong, supportive friendships with Roxie and Natalie, and her own character growth. This book has it all.
Characters
I have to admit that the Clara was A BIT of an asshole at times (she knew it too and her friends called her out, so it’s not just me). For a legit quarter of the book, I was irritated by her mindset. She’s definitely not perfect. You are going to find a girl who dwells in self-pity a lot… a girl who is trapped by her past and is unconsciously bitter when she sees people who “have it better than she does.” You are going to find a girl who simultaneously whines about being alone but also feels suffocated when her real friends and lover want to be with her and help her. You are going to find a girl who does not want to talk about the past because she supposedly does not want to dwell on the past when she can focus on the future, but she ends up letting it affect her.
It is OK and even understandable that she does not want to talk – that she does not feel ready to talk about her past and her trust issues. However, when she lashes out and explodes on people because she refuses to talk about it – it’s not cool. And after she lashes out, she continues to not talk about it, so I’m just like, ”Why???. It becomes a whole frustrating cycle of refusing to talk, letting her internal conflict poison her and thus making her lash out on people, and then still refusing to talk about it, and then lashing at people again, etc. etc.
She can be… irritating to say the least, but I have to say that I can empathize and relate to her same insecurities and flaws with her fearful thoughts and petty actions. I find that a lot of her faults are/potentially can be mine as well. I might get frustrated at her negativity and her self-pity and her inconsiderate treatment of others – but I see that anyone could react the way she did because humans make mistakes, get scared, make rash decisions, etc. So despite the fact that I do not like that quarter of the book where she is being an asshole, I cannot fault her too much because I think I can make those stupid mistakes as well if I were put in her shoes. Thus, I applaud the author for writing this realistic internal struggle.
Furthermore, I think Clara does grow by the end of the book. The ending that she brings about is so epic and awesome that my earlier irritation of her is indeed soothed.
Romance
The romance is a love-hate relationship, and honestly, it’s cute. I love the bantering and the competition between Clara and Archie. This is more of a slow romance (insta-lust, not insta-love), and I think Archie is a great love interest. He’s arrogant and rude at times, but he can also be considerate and funny. Actually – when they finally get together, I realize that he is pretty much an A++++++ boyfriend. However, I am quite disappointed that we did not get to dwell more on his feelings about his wife who died a few years ago. I think the book focuses so much on Clara pushing him away and her own trust issues that we end up losing potential exploration on his conflicts and depth.
Final Thoughts
I seriously, seriously adore this town and all of the characters in it. They’re all so cute and funny. I have problems with Clara at times, but she has struggled realistically (no matter how frustratingly), and she has grown by the end. The endearing, hilarious characters and the perfect ending make me bump this series up from 3 stars to 3.5 stars. I truly adore this series as a whole, and I am going to miss the fun atmosphere of it all (if this is the last book).
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
----------
This cover. I literally can't with this cover. I've never seen a more apt cover. It's hilarious and perfect, just like this series. 😂😂
August 25, 2018
Writing: Witty writer and funny. However, Alice Clayton can sometimes give too much and then not enough detail. This is my struggle with her writing.
Characters: Clara’s horrible upbringing keeps her from relying on others and getting too close. She ensures her guards are up and high. Archie is formal, but has become closed off due to a tragic event.
We encounter the cute and funny hotel staff. We also check-in pretty frequently with Leo, Roxie, Oscar, Natalie, Logan and Chad.
Guess who else is in this book?!? I gave an excited squeal...CAROLINE PARKER! Isn’t that awesome!
Storyline: Clara saves hotels from going under. Archie is the soon to be owner of Bryant Mountain House because his father is retiring. Jonathan (Archie’s father) reaches out to Clara to save their hotel against Archie’s wishes. Archie initially makes it difficult for Clara, but soon realizes that his hotel is tanking and he needs her to save it.
I almost didn’t read this. Book 1 was decent. Book 2...Meh. Book 3...Something clicked for me and I connected.
Archie, Archie, Archie...mmm....the dichotomy of his personality was delicious! The button up, everything in place, old school Archie and his Ms. Morgans...whew! Honey...it was delightful!
The arguing and angst created the chemistry that Clara and Archie both need to let go and give love a chance.
I wanted a little more towards the end. When Clara decided to pull her head out of her butt, it went too fast.
Intimacy Scenes: oooh momma! It’s not that it was so dirty or steamy, it was all Archie. His reserved, cool nature transformed into a freckly (yes, freckly) Beast! The first time was a bit sad and super heartfelt.
Overall: After the first two in the series, I sort of gave up on Alice Clayton. After I read this, I was bummed that there is not a 4th book. Archie and Clara are by far my favorite characters in the Hudson Valley series. Their backstories played on the emotions. Great story.
Characters: Clara’s horrible upbringing keeps her from relying on others and getting too close. She ensures her guards are up and high. Archie is formal, but has become closed off due to a tragic event.
We encounter the cute and funny hotel staff. We also check-in pretty frequently with Leo, Roxie, Oscar, Natalie, Logan and Chad.
Guess who else is in this book?!? I gave an excited squeal...CAROLINE PARKER! Isn’t that awesome!
Storyline: Clara saves hotels from going under. Archie is the soon to be owner of Bryant Mountain House because his father is retiring. Jonathan (Archie’s father) reaches out to Clara to save their hotel against Archie’s wishes. Archie initially makes it difficult for Clara, but soon realizes that his hotel is tanking and he needs her to save it.
I almost didn’t read this. Book 1 was decent. Book 2...Meh. Book 3...Something clicked for me and I connected.
Archie, Archie, Archie...mmm....the dichotomy of his personality was delicious! The button up, everything in place, old school Archie and his Ms. Morgans...whew! Honey...it was delightful!
The arguing and angst created the chemistry that Clara and Archie both need to let go and give love a chance.
I wanted a little more towards the end. When Clara decided to pull her head out of her butt, it went too fast.
Intimacy Scenes: oooh momma! It’s not that it was so dirty or steamy, it was all Archie. His reserved, cool nature transformed into a freckly (yes, freckly) Beast! The first time was a bit sad and super heartfelt.
Overall: After the first two in the series, I sort of gave up on Alice Clayton. After I read this, I was bummed that there is not a 4th book. Archie and Clara are by far my favorite characters in the Hudson Valley series. Their backstories played on the emotions. Great story.
September 17, 2017
Well that was disappointing. I loved the first two books and then the third book in the Hudson Valley Series (Buns) came out and I was so excited. I would finally get to read Clara's story. Unfortunately she never feels like a very developed character and neither does Archie. I think that Clayton was taking big parts of her "Wallbanger" series and jamming them in here. All of a sudden I am supposed to believe that the widower who has never been with another woman besides his dead wife is just having sex all over his hotel and even in broom closets? This book actually made me miss "Wallbanger" and I think I will go back and re-read that series in the next couple of weeks.
"Buns" is Clara's story. Readers were introduced to her in Roxanne's story (Nuts) and got to see her again in Natalie's story (Cream of the Crop). I liked what I knew about her. Seemed to come from a broken home and was really into marathons and triathlons. She goes around and saves old hotels and other businesses by helping them rebrand. So the Clara I was promised and the Clara I got were two different characters.
When Clara is given an opportunity to go to Bailey's Falls where her two best friends have decamped to she's happy. She is asked to go and help rebrand the Bryant Mountain House hotel (say that five times fast). She has a terrible meet-cute with her love interest Archie Bryant (she thinks he's the bellhop) and within seconds they are both acting like jerks towards each other.
Archie is resentful that Clara is there to change things. Clara is annoyed that he talks to her like she's not good at her job. Frankly, I was on Clara's side for most of the book. Archie just acted like an ass for a good 50 percent of this book. And then suddenly starts grabbing Clara and making out with her.
There really was no chemistry between these two. And Clayton using the fact that the hotel makes these supposedly to die for hot cross buns for why the title is called "Buns".
And there's a thing about Archie maybe having a good butt. I don't know. I maybe blacked out at that part because it was so clunky.
The majority of this book really is Clara getting over her hang-ups about being with someone that can (gasp) leave her. And her friends just being perverse assholes about the whole thing. I have never disliked two characters who I previously adored before like this. Roxanne and Natalie were just written poorly. Natalie acted like an oversexed teenage boy with no impulse control. I think I was over her when she had Oscar (her boyfriend) carry her ass up a trail because she wore boots that she knew would be difficult to walk in. I think Clayton was going for isn't this cute and I went, I would have dropped her ass and told her I was not a freaking donkey.
Roxanne is no better and just goes around telling Clara she's in love with Archie and should just be with him.
I realized after I finished this book that these three who supposedly are each other's best friends' did a terrible job of actually listening to their friend. They know her history and didn't even try to talk to her about it. I was really disappointed we never just got any scenes of them hanging out without discussing the men in their lives. Crap, I go out with my girlfriends and we talk about work, movies, books, their kids (I don't have any) and what the hell the dog did last night. If all we did was sit around and discuss "boys" at this point I would be finding some new friends.
Archie was a dead end for me too. I have not read one romance book I can think of that the dead spouse plot has not end up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Archie is a widower and still is getting over the sudden death of his wife a couple of years earlier. What I did like was that no one was running around sainting Archie's wife. But I also found it weird that besides a comment here or there, they didn't discuss his wife a lot. The majority of the book was them sniping and then just having sex and Clara pulling away anytime she was with a group of people acting like a family.
Other characters don't feel very developed here. I was happy to see appearances by Oscar and Leo, but they felt very muted.
The writing felt off to me in a way that was surprising. I think the biggest issue was that the plots in Nuts and Cream of the Crop worked. The flow wasn't good at all in this one. We had a lot of description of the hotel and how Clara wanted to re-work it and arguments she had with Archie. And then a couple of sex scenes and description about all the sex they were having. I just found the whole thing blah.
The book ends with an epilogue like the other books told from the make hero's point of view and eh. I was just glad to be done with this one.
"Buns" is Clara's story. Readers were introduced to her in Roxanne's story (Nuts) and got to see her again in Natalie's story (Cream of the Crop). I liked what I knew about her. Seemed to come from a broken home and was really into marathons and triathlons. She goes around and saves old hotels and other businesses by helping them rebrand. So the Clara I was promised and the Clara I got were two different characters.
When Clara is given an opportunity to go to Bailey's Falls where her two best friends have decamped to she's happy. She is asked to go and help rebrand the Bryant Mountain House hotel (say that five times fast). She has a terrible meet-cute with her love interest Archie Bryant (she thinks he's the bellhop) and within seconds they are both acting like jerks towards each other.
Archie is resentful that Clara is there to change things. Clara is annoyed that he talks to her like she's not good at her job. Frankly, I was on Clara's side for most of the book. Archie just acted like an ass for a good 50 percent of this book. And then suddenly starts grabbing Clara and making out with her.
There really was no chemistry between these two. And Clayton using the fact that the hotel makes these supposedly to die for hot cross buns for why the title is called "Buns".
And there's a thing about Archie maybe having a good butt. I don't know. I maybe blacked out at that part because it was so clunky.
The majority of this book really is Clara getting over her hang-ups about being with someone that can (gasp) leave her. And her friends just being perverse assholes about the whole thing. I have never disliked two characters who I previously adored before like this. Roxanne and Natalie were just written poorly. Natalie acted like an oversexed teenage boy with no impulse control. I think I was over her when she had Oscar (her boyfriend) carry her ass up a trail because she wore boots that she knew would be difficult to walk in. I think Clayton was going for isn't this cute and I went, I would have dropped her ass and told her I was not a freaking donkey.
Roxanne is no better and just goes around telling Clara she's in love with Archie and should just be with him.
I realized after I finished this book that these three who supposedly are each other's best friends' did a terrible job of actually listening to their friend. They know her history and didn't even try to talk to her about it. I was really disappointed we never just got any scenes of them hanging out without discussing the men in their lives. Crap, I go out with my girlfriends and we talk about work, movies, books, their kids (I don't have any) and what the hell the dog did last night. If all we did was sit around and discuss "boys" at this point I would be finding some new friends.
Archie was a dead end for me too. I have not read one romance book I can think of that the dead spouse plot has not end up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Archie is a widower and still is getting over the sudden death of his wife a couple of years earlier. What I did like was that no one was running around sainting Archie's wife. But I also found it weird that besides a comment here or there, they didn't discuss his wife a lot. The majority of the book was them sniping and then just having sex and Clara pulling away anytime she was with a group of people acting like a family.
Other characters don't feel very developed here. I was happy to see appearances by Oscar and Leo, but they felt very muted.
The writing felt off to me in a way that was surprising. I think the biggest issue was that the plots in Nuts and Cream of the Crop worked. The flow wasn't good at all in this one. We had a lot of description of the hotel and how Clara wanted to re-work it and arguments she had with Archie. And then a couple of sex scenes and description about all the sex they were having. I just found the whole thing blah.
The book ends with an epilogue like the other books told from the make hero's point of view and eh. I was just glad to be done with this one.
June 17, 2018
3.5 Buns Stars
Hmm Ok I think I wanted to like this story more than I did.
I loved Archie, you can’t help but feel for him. And Clara is a likable girl don’t get me wrong.
But I think waiting for her to open up just took too long.
She expected Archie to just word vomit all his secrets and feelings but she keeps her all bottled up.
And believe me I get why, it just kinda of felt like she could have opened up a lot faster than having to wait till the last chapter.
I did like the back and forth with these characters and we get to see some of our favorites from books past yaya!
That’s always fun for me.
I just I don’t know maybe I was expecting more. Over all I enjoyed the story and the characters.
And the narration is fantastic they both bring this story to life in a way that made me want to keep reading.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Hmm Ok I think I wanted to like this story more than I did.
I loved Archie, you can’t help but feel for him. And Clara is a likable girl don’t get me wrong.
But I think waiting for her to open up just took too long.
She expected Archie to just word vomit all his secrets and feelings but she keeps her all bottled up.
And believe me I get why, it just kinda of felt like she could have opened up a lot faster than having to wait till the last chapter.
I did like the back and forth with these characters and we get to see some of our favorites from books past yaya!
That’s always fun for me.
I just I don’t know maybe I was expecting more. Over all I enjoyed the story and the characters.
And the narration is fantastic they both bring this story to life in a way that made me want to keep reading.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
May 22, 2017
4.5 Stars!
Clara Morgan is a single woman who works in Boston & enjoys running marathons. She loves her life & lives for her career. She grew up in foster care & never felt like she belonged anywhere, so she likes to stay too busy to put down roots anywhere. Her job is rebranding hotels that need new life breathed into them. She was recently hired to work on a hotel in upstate New York, & needs to knock it out of the park so she can hopefully make partner soon.
When Clara arrives at the Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York, she's stunned by the Victorian beauty & gorgeous views. It's a bit dated, but still unique & full of opulence. It's a little run down, and in need of a face lift. She will have to find the perfect balance between old & new to save this hotel. She looks forward to taking this family run hotel into the modern age.
Clara runs into a road block when she encounters the son of the man who hired her. Archie Bryant is all about family & tradition. He's upset his father has brought in a hotel branding expert to change things. He doesn't like change. He wants to save & preserve his family's legacy, but doesn't like the idea of an outsider coming in & turning things upside down. His family has owned the property for almost 150 years & he will soon take over the hotel.
Clara clashes with the pretentious, snobby, rude hotel boy. All they do is argue, but that doesn't mean she doesn't notice how insanely hot he is. This man is absolutely delicious, & all that arguing just leads to loads of sexual tension between them. As they work closely together Archie soon begins to realize Clara's ideas aren't so bad after all. They work together to try to keep the resort open & bring in new guests.
Clara & Archie become very close & start falling for one another. Clara doesn't get involved to avoid getting hurt. She protects her heart by not letting anyone get too close. She's made sure she never needs anyone. No roots, no attachments, & no real home. Just her job & her couple of good friends, so she feels like she's been hit by a freight train when she realizes how wrapped up she is in Archie. She's totally gone for him, & it scares her to death. Can she take a chance on love, or will her fear of being left again take over?
-He's fucking incredible.
-I love when this man loses control and puts his hands on me.
-I'm telling you, it's always the guys with the freckles and the glasses. They're the ones you want to set your sights on. They're the ones who'll make you forget your name, but get you to say the filthiest things imaginable.
-"I want you, I fucking want you more than I ever thought possible."
I loved this book so much! It's my favorite of this series. Archie Bryant was so gorgeous, sexy & sweet. There's just something about a hot nerdy guy who doesn't know how irresistible he is. He stole my heart. Really enjoyed this one. Adored Archie & his yummy BUNS!!!
Clara Morgan is a single woman who works in Boston & enjoys running marathons. She loves her life & lives for her career. She grew up in foster care & never felt like she belonged anywhere, so she likes to stay too busy to put down roots anywhere. Her job is rebranding hotels that need new life breathed into them. She was recently hired to work on a hotel in upstate New York, & needs to knock it out of the park so she can hopefully make partner soon.
When Clara arrives at the Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York, she's stunned by the Victorian beauty & gorgeous views. It's a bit dated, but still unique & full of opulence. It's a little run down, and in need of a face lift. She will have to find the perfect balance between old & new to save this hotel. She looks forward to taking this family run hotel into the modern age.
Clara runs into a road block when she encounters the son of the man who hired her. Archie Bryant is all about family & tradition. He's upset his father has brought in a hotel branding expert to change things. He doesn't like change. He wants to save & preserve his family's legacy, but doesn't like the idea of an outsider coming in & turning things upside down. His family has owned the property for almost 150 years & he will soon take over the hotel.
Clara clashes with the pretentious, snobby, rude hotel boy. All they do is argue, but that doesn't mean she doesn't notice how insanely hot he is. This man is absolutely delicious, & all that arguing just leads to loads of sexual tension between them. As they work closely together Archie soon begins to realize Clara's ideas aren't so bad after all. They work together to try to keep the resort open & bring in new guests.
Clara & Archie become very close & start falling for one another. Clara doesn't get involved to avoid getting hurt. She protects her heart by not letting anyone get too close. She's made sure she never needs anyone. No roots, no attachments, & no real home. Just her job & her couple of good friends, so she feels like she's been hit by a freight train when she realizes how wrapped up she is in Archie. She's totally gone for him, & it scares her to death. Can she take a chance on love, or will her fear of being left again take over?
-He's fucking incredible.
-I love when this man loses control and puts his hands on me.
-I'm telling you, it's always the guys with the freckles and the glasses. They're the ones you want to set your sights on. They're the ones who'll make you forget your name, but get you to say the filthiest things imaginable.
-"I want you, I fucking want you more than I ever thought possible."
I loved this book so much! It's my favorite of this series. Archie Bryant was so gorgeous, sexy & sweet. There's just something about a hot nerdy guy who doesn't know how irresistible he is. He stole my heart. Really enjoyed this one. Adored Archie & his yummy BUNS!!!
May 23, 2017
One of the most adorkable books in the series thus far! From the get go you are thrust into a meet-cute of epic proportions. Love-hate with a side of good intentions lends itself to making this an un-put-down-able, laugh-out-loud read.
Clare is smart, capable, and ready to take on the world of old hotels that need a little oomph! Archie is aged beyond his years and is a pocket protector away from being overly stuck in his ways. The two of them slam together with abrasive hilarity, making Buns one of the best funny-sweet reads of 2017. Beach reading perfection!
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Clare is smart, capable, and ready to take on the world of old hotels that need a little oomph! Archie is aged beyond his years and is a pocket protector away from being overly stuck in his ways. The two of them slam together with abrasive hilarity, making Buns one of the best funny-sweet reads of 2017. Beach reading perfection!
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May 22, 2017
Alice Clayton adds another delightful read to her collection. Wildly witty and fun, full of heat and heart.
The extremely independent, career oriented Clara Morgan has worked hard to earn her success as a hotel consultant specializing in revitalizing old hotels. That’s not to say she comes in tearing down the old to bring in the new. On the contrary, being a foster kid without roots and customs of her own, she’s loves knowing about a hotel’s history and traditions in order to bring them into this century. She just needs to prove this to the very traditional and difficult future owner of Bryant Mountain House.
Archie Bryant cannot fathom how a rebranding expert will preserve his family’s one hundred and fifty year old traditions and he’s prepared to fight her on everything, until those fights explode into delicious fireworks and Clara’s ideas start showing results. Now that she’s convinced him there is a way to bring the old back to life, can he introduce her to his traditions and convince her to set roots with him?
Clayton delivers a funny, smexy story with heart that demands to be read. Not only does she provide rich imagery of the beautiful Hudson Valley with its imposing mountains, beautiful hiking paths, a majestic lake and a grandiose resort built for royalty, she also brings back the funny and adorable characters from previous books and adds two very opposites but perfect for each other to the lineup.
I loved both Clara and Archie. They both have sad pasts that have shaped their lives. She’s self-confident and bossy, it goes with the territory she works in. When we meet Archie, he seems arrogant and unbending, but as they butt heads, challenge one another and give literal chase, we get to see his funny, caring and very sexy side.
But after so much time of drowning in their work to avoid pain and loneliness it’s difficult for them to face their growing feelings for each other, especially Clara who knows she’s there for a limited time. Everyone can see they’re perfect for each other but can Archie move on from his past? Can Clara give up her nomadic lifestyle?
I loved the pace, the storyline and the characters. I can’t wait to see what Clayton writes next.
Buns is book #3 in the Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton. It is a standalone contemporary romance. Told from the heroine’s point of view except for the epilogue which is told from Archie’s POV. It has a happy ending.
Amazon -> http://amzn.to/2q4olul
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts taken are from that copy. *
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
The extremely independent, career oriented Clara Morgan has worked hard to earn her success as a hotel consultant specializing in revitalizing old hotels. That’s not to say she comes in tearing down the old to bring in the new. On the contrary, being a foster kid without roots and customs of her own, she’s loves knowing about a hotel’s history and traditions in order to bring them into this century. She just needs to prove this to the very traditional and difficult future owner of Bryant Mountain House.
Archie Bryant cannot fathom how a rebranding expert will preserve his family’s one hundred and fifty year old traditions and he’s prepared to fight her on everything, until those fights explode into delicious fireworks and Clara’s ideas start showing results. Now that she’s convinced him there is a way to bring the old back to life, can he introduce her to his traditions and convince her to set roots with him?
Clayton delivers a funny, smexy story with heart that demands to be read. Not only does she provide rich imagery of the beautiful Hudson Valley with its imposing mountains, beautiful hiking paths, a majestic lake and a grandiose resort built for royalty, she also brings back the funny and adorable characters from previous books and adds two very opposites but perfect for each other to the lineup.
I loved both Clara and Archie. They both have sad pasts that have shaped their lives. She’s self-confident and bossy, it goes with the territory she works in. When we meet Archie, he seems arrogant and unbending, but as they butt heads, challenge one another and give literal chase, we get to see his funny, caring and very sexy side.
But after so much time of drowning in their work to avoid pain and loneliness it’s difficult for them to face their growing feelings for each other, especially Clara who knows she’s there for a limited time. Everyone can see they’re perfect for each other but can Archie move on from his past? Can Clara give up her nomadic lifestyle?
I loved the pace, the storyline and the characters. I can’t wait to see what Clayton writes next.
Buns is book #3 in the Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton. It is a standalone contemporary romance. Told from the heroine’s point of view except for the epilogue which is told from Archie’s POV. It has a happy ending.
Amazon -> http://amzn.to/2q4olul
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts taken are from that copy. *
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
April 24, 2017
5 "'Hotel Boy' Meets His 'Bossy' Match" Stars!
Originally posted at The Reading Alley and The Romance Reviews.
A new top-favorite! I absolutely loved the chemistry and witty dialogue between the hero and heroine in Alice Clayton's third Hudson Valley book, Buns! This is a book where the pages practically turned themselves. From the humor (I love Ms. Clayton's ability to use innuendos and plays on words to spice things up) to the romance and even the resolution of two angst-filled side-stories related to the background of the hero and heroine, everything in this novel worked for me. So much so, that while I enjoyed Cream of the Crop and Nuts, I think Buns is my new series favorite! And best of all, lovers of Ms. Clayton's writing will be thrilled to know that all of the characters from the prior books in this series come back to play a part in Buns (and we are even treated to a cameo appearance by Jack Hamilton and Grace Sheridan--the hero and heroine from Ms. Clayton's first series, Red Head!).
Clara Morgan is moving up in the world. After dedicating her life to her career, her boss has promised her that if she successfully concludes her branding campaign with her new account, the Bryant Mountain Hotel, the golden carrot--partnership--is all hers. Not that Clara needed more motivation as her job is her life, and the fact that she grew up in multiple foster homes and still has no family per se, is only part of the reason that she spends more time on the road re-branding hotels each year than she does in her apartment in Boston. The facts are that she really loves what she does and on her time off, what little she has, she spends it doing other organized activities like running marathons and triathlons and occasionally when their paths cross meeting up with her friends, Roxie and Natalie (the heroine's from books 1 and 2).
Little does Clara know, however, that this time she has her job really cut out for her. The Bryant Mountain Hotel has been in business for over 100 years and not too many of its traditions have changed since then--needless to say it has a number of things that are a little dated. However, the son of the man who hired her, and the man who will be assuming the CEO role next year, Archie Bryant is intent on keeping things the same.
Needless to say the tension between their two diametrically opposed goals causes instant friction and their snarky encounters in the beginning will leave you panting. Is there any way to merge their goals? Moreover, when all that pent up frustration leads to some explosive and chemically charged encounters, will they be able to resist their mutual attraction? But there is more to Archie's past than at first meets the eye and Clara refuses to share her background too. Can a relationship ever flourish without full disclosure?
What a pleasant treasure! I also loved the hope-filled message that even those who love has failed once can also find their HEA. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Clayton's future works!
Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.
Originally posted at The Reading Alley and The Romance Reviews.
A new top-favorite! I absolutely loved the chemistry and witty dialogue between the hero and heroine in Alice Clayton's third Hudson Valley book, Buns! This is a book where the pages practically turned themselves. From the humor (I love Ms. Clayton's ability to use innuendos and plays on words to spice things up) to the romance and even the resolution of two angst-filled side-stories related to the background of the hero and heroine, everything in this novel worked for me. So much so, that while I enjoyed Cream of the Crop and Nuts, I think Buns is my new series favorite! And best of all, lovers of Ms. Clayton's writing will be thrilled to know that all of the characters from the prior books in this series come back to play a part in Buns (and we are even treated to a cameo appearance by Jack Hamilton and Grace Sheridan--the hero and heroine from Ms. Clayton's first series, Red Head!).
Clara Morgan is moving up in the world. After dedicating her life to her career, her boss has promised her that if she successfully concludes her branding campaign with her new account, the Bryant Mountain Hotel, the golden carrot--partnership--is all hers. Not that Clara needed more motivation as her job is her life, and the fact that she grew up in multiple foster homes and still has no family per se, is only part of the reason that she spends more time on the road re-branding hotels each year than she does in her apartment in Boston. The facts are that she really loves what she does and on her time off, what little she has, she spends it doing other organized activities like running marathons and triathlons and occasionally when their paths cross meeting up with her friends, Roxie and Natalie (the heroine's from books 1 and 2).
Little does Clara know, however, that this time she has her job really cut out for her. The Bryant Mountain Hotel has been in business for over 100 years and not too many of its traditions have changed since then--needless to say it has a number of things that are a little dated. However, the son of the man who hired her, and the man who will be assuming the CEO role next year, Archie Bryant is intent on keeping things the same.
Needless to say the tension between their two diametrically opposed goals causes instant friction and their snarky encounters in the beginning will leave you panting. Is there any way to merge their goals? Moreover, when all that pent up frustration leads to some explosive and chemically charged encounters, will they be able to resist their mutual attraction? But there is more to Archie's past than at first meets the eye and Clara refuses to share her background too. Can a relationship ever flourish without full disclosure?
What a pleasant treasure! I also loved the hope-filled message that even those who love has failed once can also find their HEA. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Clayton's future works!
Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.
June 4, 2019
5 "Awesome. Incredible. Mind-blowing. Frustrating. Pretentious. Obnoxious. Freckles." Stars
BUNS was pure delight from cover to cover with characters who provided immediate connection between them and reader and a hate to something-else connection between themselves. The storyline was just engaging and I bought into it completely.
Alice Clayton brought a new friend, Clara 'Ms Morgan' into the scene and she was totally different to Roxie and Natalie (who we see with their respective partners repeatedly). She was small, atheletic, competitive, competent, bossy and untouchable. I loved her so quickly but what I loved even more was the discontent between her and the hotel owner who's business she had come to revamp, Archie 'Mr Bryant'. Archie drew me in and had me swooning simultaneously.
"Archie had taken off his jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. Which just made my eyes flicker back and forth almost nonstop to his forearms. I was a sucker for forearms. Forget the forearm. No, you forget the forearm."
These two were like two pincushions around one another but oh man, the chemistry. It was slowly burning and I was slowly burning too. There were two tangible backstories for Archie and Clara which just made the read so much richer.
"He laughed then, and it was magic. And it was into this magic that I did walk over to him, reach up toward him, not with my lips but with my hand, and gently brush back the shock of auburn hair that's had fallen down over his forehead. He closed his eyes, then instantly leaned into my touch, almost like a cat. When was the last time someone had touched this guy?"
I can say three books in, that this is my favourite series by Alice Clayton and that Oscar sure has a rival in Archie. The writing and wit was superb and I just lived the reading experience as you do with the best kind of books. A definite favourite of 2017.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley, in return for a honest review.
*Re-read June 2019, delightful second time around. I will no doubt read again in the future.*
BUNS was pure delight from cover to cover with characters who provided immediate connection between them and reader and a hate to something-else connection between themselves. The storyline was just engaging and I bought into it completely.
Alice Clayton brought a new friend, Clara 'Ms Morgan' into the scene and she was totally different to Roxie and Natalie (who we see with their respective partners repeatedly). She was small, atheletic, competitive, competent, bossy and untouchable. I loved her so quickly but what I loved even more was the discontent between her and the hotel owner who's business she had come to revamp, Archie 'Mr Bryant'. Archie drew me in and had me swooning simultaneously.
"Archie had taken off his jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. Which just made my eyes flicker back and forth almost nonstop to his forearms. I was a sucker for forearms. Forget the forearm. No, you forget the forearm."
These two were like two pincushions around one another but oh man, the chemistry. It was slowly burning and I was slowly burning too. There were two tangible backstories for Archie and Clara which just made the read so much richer.
"He laughed then, and it was magic. And it was into this magic that I did walk over to him, reach up toward him, not with my lips but with my hand, and gently brush back the shock of auburn hair that's had fallen down over his forehead. He closed his eyes, then instantly leaned into my touch, almost like a cat. When was the last time someone had touched this guy?"
I can say three books in, that this is my favourite series by Alice Clayton and that Oscar sure has a rival in Archie. The writing and wit was superb and I just lived the reading experience as you do with the best kind of books. A definite favourite of 2017.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley, in return for a honest review.
*Re-read June 2019, delightful second time around. I will no doubt read again in the future.*
May 21, 2017
I'm SWOONING all over the place! God help me, but Alice Clayton has the MAGIC TOUCH when it comes to emotionally driven romantic comedies! Clara and Archie's story was so full of heart, love, and laughter...I COULD NOT put it down!
"You taste incredible. How can you taste this sweet?"
I continue to be fascinated with the way that Alice Clayton reels me in and never let's go, even long after the final page has turned. It's her writing style. It's her amazing and dynamic characters. It's her hilarious and unique storylines. It's all of these things and more that just keep me coming back, time and time again.
"I want you. For as long as I can have you."
Clara and Archie started out as 'enemies' one might say. They were not introduced on the best of terms and it just went downhill from there. But once they spent more time together, a tender romance blossomed, and from there, a true bond formed between them. It was a beautiful and wonderful journey full of ups and downs, tons of hilarity, and plenty of banter to go around. I love when authors give us two characters that challenge each other on every possible level. It brings so much passion and creativity to the story and Alice Clayton brings this to the table every single time.
"My heart, if you want it, is yours."
I'm smitten. I'm completely and overwhelmingly smitten with Clara and Archie's story. I'm over-the-moon in love with Ms. Clayton's writing and I will never get enough of it. Always my go-to author for all things romance, Ms. Clayton blew me away with her latest installment of her ever so charming Hudson Valley Series. Do yourself a favor, and get lost in the romance that is Alice Clayton!
"You taste incredible. How can you taste this sweet?"
I continue to be fascinated with the way that Alice Clayton reels me in and never let's go, even long after the final page has turned. It's her writing style. It's her amazing and dynamic characters. It's her hilarious and unique storylines. It's all of these things and more that just keep me coming back, time and time again.
"I want you. For as long as I can have you."
Clara and Archie started out as 'enemies' one might say. They were not introduced on the best of terms and it just went downhill from there. But once they spent more time together, a tender romance blossomed, and from there, a true bond formed between them. It was a beautiful and wonderful journey full of ups and downs, tons of hilarity, and plenty of banter to go around. I love when authors give us two characters that challenge each other on every possible level. It brings so much passion and creativity to the story and Alice Clayton brings this to the table every single time.
"My heart, if you want it, is yours."
I'm smitten. I'm completely and overwhelmingly smitten with Clara and Archie's story. I'm over-the-moon in love with Ms. Clayton's writing and I will never get enough of it. Always my go-to author for all things romance, Ms. Clayton blew me away with her latest installment of her ever so charming Hudson Valley Series. Do yourself a favor, and get lost in the romance that is Alice Clayton!
October 20, 2017
Buns is the third installment in Alice Clayton's humorous adult romance series titled: Hudson Valley. It is my least favorite in this series to date. I found the romantic chemistry between the hero and heroine to be severely lacking; however, I enjoyed how complicated their characters turned out to be...and I absolutely loved the ending. Overall, a likable addition to a fun series.
My favorite quote:
"Relationships aren't all fun, Bossy, sometimes when one half is down it's the other half who helps them back up again, you know?"
Alice Clayton's Hudson Valley series includes the following installments as of October 2017. Each book showcases a different romance with cameos from past/future characters.
#1-Nuts
#2-Cream of the Crop
#3-Buns
My favorite quote:
"Relationships aren't all fun, Bossy, sometimes when one half is down it's the other half who helps them back up again, you know?"
Alice Clayton's Hudson Valley series includes the following installments as of October 2017. Each book showcases a different romance with cameos from past/future characters.
#1-Nuts
#2-Cream of the Crop
#3-Buns
May 2, 2017
5 stars!
Oh, I love, love, love this book! Smart, funny and gorgeously romantic with wonderful characters, great dynamics and childish (but still very adult) innuendos and humour, it is everything that I love about Alice Clayton. It’s my favourite of the Hudson Valley books and finishes off the series beautifully!
Clara is the third in a trio of girlfriends whose stories make up this series. After a difficult childhood, her career is now her life and she is the best at what she does – rebranding and rejuvenating struggling hotels. Her job keeps her moving around, which is exactly the way she likes it as she desperately avoids putting down her own roots and keeping clear of any kind of personal attachment (apart from her beloved girls of course).
Her latest job brings her to Bailey Falls – the town where her two friends Roxie and Natalie have unexpectedly found the loves of their lives. She is working at the historic and prestigious Bryant Mountain House which badly needs to be dragged into modern times, but while most people are welcoming of her presence, the son of the hotel’s current owner and the man destined to run it one day, Archie Bryant, wants nothing to do with the woman coming in to trample all over his family’s legacy.
The scene is set for an epic battle of wills, and OMG I loved every moment of it!
The banter flies thick and fast as Clara and Archie clash over absolutely everything! He doesn’t want her there, and he makes no secret of the fact, arguing constantly with her and making her job so much harder than it needs to be. But underneath it all is a simmering chemistry, and when Clara learns that her nemesis used to be different before the tragic death of his wife years earlier, she starts to see him as human and things begin to change.
The shift from enemies to sort-of-friends-who-madly-lust-after-each-other is really well done, with lots of sweet moments, funny moments, and sizzling sexual chemistry. You can feel the want that builds between the two of them, and the pacing is fantastic as they feel it all but don’t rush into anything, and the emotion between them is beautifully explored.
And as the flirting, teasing and innuendo reaches boiling point, it’s hotter than all hell as they decide to just go with what they’re feeling, for however long they are able to have it.
I just love these characters. They both have pain in their past, and Clara has walls around her, but they are open about what’s happening between them and I love that they throw themselves right in there. And in typical Alice Clayton style, there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments, the dialogue is spot-on, and the romance is easy, natural and believable.
But Clara’s walls are tall, and she is only in town for a limited time. Will she be brave enough to accept what she is feeling and follow her heart, accepting that the gorgeous widower and his mountain – and all that comes with that - are the best thing that ever happened to her? Or will her debilitating fears keep her running?
This book is such a great read. It’s fun, romantic and beautifully emotional. I could understand and empathise with both Clara and Archie and their struggles to let the other in, and I was completely swept up in their developing love story. There’s a bit of angst but it’s well handled and resolved well, and the book finishes in a great place.
There’s lots of time spent with the characters from previous books of the series, and I loved catching up with all of them. There’s progression for both of the previous couples, and seeing the full group all together is a real treat. And Clayton fans will love the cameos from both of her other series.
I also really enjoyed the HGTV-esque storyline of the hotel, which was entertaining and interesting, and was woven into the story perfectly without overpowering the romance (and the Dirty Dancing/Kellerman’s references were awesome!).
I loved everything about it, and couldn’t put it down. I laughed and I swooned, and I fell in complete love with Archie. The romance is sweet, funny and passionate, and I finished this book with a huge grin on my face and hugging my kindle.
Absolutely fantastic! 5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, I love, love, love this book! Smart, funny and gorgeously romantic with wonderful characters, great dynamics and childish (but still very adult) innuendos and humour, it is everything that I love about Alice Clayton. It’s my favourite of the Hudson Valley books and finishes off the series beautifully!
Clara is the third in a trio of girlfriends whose stories make up this series. After a difficult childhood, her career is now her life and she is the best at what she does – rebranding and rejuvenating struggling hotels. Her job keeps her moving around, which is exactly the way she likes it as she desperately avoids putting down her own roots and keeping clear of any kind of personal attachment (apart from her beloved girls of course).
Her latest job brings her to Bailey Falls – the town where her two friends Roxie and Natalie have unexpectedly found the loves of their lives. She is working at the historic and prestigious Bryant Mountain House which badly needs to be dragged into modern times, but while most people are welcoming of her presence, the son of the hotel’s current owner and the man destined to run it one day, Archie Bryant, wants nothing to do with the woman coming in to trample all over his family’s legacy.
The scene is set for an epic battle of wills, and OMG I loved every moment of it!
“I forgot a detail I read in your file. Won’t happen again.”
“My file?”
“You don’t think I’d let my father hire someone to turn our entire world upside down and not do my due diligence to make sure she’s qualified, do you?”
My eyes boggled. “A file. You’ve got a file on me. Wow.”
“Wow?”
“Wow as in, dude, that’s weird.”
Now his eyes boggled. “Dude? Did you just call me dude?”
“Dude, I also called you weird. How did you miss that part?”
The banter flies thick and fast as Clara and Archie clash over absolutely everything! He doesn’t want her there, and he makes no secret of the fact, arguing constantly with her and making her job so much harder than it needs to be. But underneath it all is a simmering chemistry, and when Clara learns that her nemesis used to be different before the tragic death of his wife years earlier, she starts to see him as human and things begin to change.
The shift from enemies to sort-of-friends-who-madly-lust-after-each-other is really well done, with lots of sweet moments, funny moments, and sizzling sexual chemistry. You can feel the want that builds between the two of them, and the pacing is fantastic as they feel it all but don’t rush into anything, and the emotion between them is beautifully explored.
“I wasn’t sure I’d even want to do this, after she was gone.”
“Listen, Archie, we don’t have to--”
“Until you, Clara,” he interrupted, his eyes flashing open and searing into mine. “I want you I fucking want you more than I ever thought possible.”
And as the flirting, teasing and innuendo reaches boiling point, it’s hotter than all hell as they decide to just go with what they’re feeling, for however long they are able to have it.
“I’ll have to go away one day. And I don’t know what will happen then, which makes me so fucking selfish for saying this, but I’m going to say it anyway. I want you. For as long as I can have you.”
I just love these characters. They both have pain in their past, and Clara has walls around her, but they are open about what’s happening between them and I love that they throw themselves right in there. And in typical Alice Clayton style, there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments, the dialogue is spot-on, and the romance is easy, natural and believable.
But Clara’s walls are tall, and she is only in town for a limited time. Will she be brave enough to accept what she is feeling and follow her heart, accepting that the gorgeous widower and his mountain – and all that comes with that - are the best thing that ever happened to her? Or will her debilitating fears keep her running?
This book is such a great read. It’s fun, romantic and beautifully emotional. I could understand and empathise with both Clara and Archie and their struggles to let the other in, and I was completely swept up in their developing love story. There’s a bit of angst but it’s well handled and resolved well, and the book finishes in a great place.
You’re here and I’m here and we’re here and this is so much more than enough because it’s everything.
There’s lots of time spent with the characters from previous books of the series, and I loved catching up with all of them. There’s progression for both of the previous couples, and seeing the full group all together is a real treat. And Clayton fans will love the cameos from both of her other series.
I also really enjoyed the HGTV-esque storyline of the hotel, which was entertaining and interesting, and was woven into the story perfectly without overpowering the romance (and the Dirty Dancing/Kellerman’s references were awesome!).
I loved everything about it, and couldn’t put it down. I laughed and I swooned, and I fell in complete love with Archie. The romance is sweet, funny and passionate, and I finished this book with a huge grin on my face and hugging my kindle.
Absolutely fantastic! 5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2017
Buns (Hudson Valley #3)
Alice Clayton
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alice Clayton never cease to be awesome. She works her magic in every book.
Clara is workaholic and very good at her job, and recently she got an offer for a promotion if she did well on this last project. Little did she know promotion is the last thing she will be seeing.
Archie and his family's hotel had been successful up until their hotel business is not in demand anymore and it is Clara's job to make it busy again.
These two are two can't stand each other, they couldn't agree on anything. No one wants to loose in an arguement and no one is yielding. The sexual tension is undeniable but it won't be professional if anyone yielded to the lust, especially Clara if she's vying for partner.
But soon they cannot take it anymore, these two caved and it was beyond awesome.
Little did Archie know that Clara has a commitment issue and at first he did not understand it. On the other hand Archie was still hung up on his dead wife's passing he couldn't bear losing even his wedding ring.
They agreed to keep it platonic, just physical not attachments and definitely no falling in love.
How will their relationship blossom will be up to you to read.
Their story is a journey in falling and finding love once again, getting hurt but it will be worth it. Exciting and hot steamy love making on this book making sure to keep your beds warm at night. Who doesn't love a red head nerd hottie?! Come on ladies! Grubs up for this book it'll be worth it. *wink*
***HEA, no cheating found in this book, and it's all a good laugh (well technically I cried once so...)***
****ARC KINDLY PROVIDED FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***
Alice Clayton
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alice Clayton never cease to be awesome. She works her magic in every book.
Clara is workaholic and very good at her job, and recently she got an offer for a promotion if she did well on this last project. Little did she know promotion is the last thing she will be seeing.
Archie and his family's hotel had been successful up until their hotel business is not in demand anymore and it is Clara's job to make it busy again.
These two are two can't stand each other, they couldn't agree on anything. No one wants to loose in an arguement and no one is yielding. The sexual tension is undeniable but it won't be professional if anyone yielded to the lust, especially Clara if she's vying for partner.
But soon they cannot take it anymore, these two caved and it was beyond awesome.
Little did Archie know that Clara has a commitment issue and at first he did not understand it. On the other hand Archie was still hung up on his dead wife's passing he couldn't bear losing even his wedding ring.
They agreed to keep it platonic, just physical not attachments and definitely no falling in love.
How will their relationship blossom will be up to you to read.
Their story is a journey in falling and finding love once again, getting hurt but it will be worth it. Exciting and hot steamy love making on this book making sure to keep your beds warm at night. Who doesn't love a red head nerd hottie?! Come on ladies! Grubs up for this book it'll be worth it. *wink*
***HEA, no cheating found in this book, and it's all a good laugh (well technically I cried once so...)***
****ARC KINDLY PROVIDED FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***
May 19, 2017
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was sweet, it was sexy and it was damned good! Chock full of laughs, tender moments and sexy times, ‘Buns’ is my favorite in the series!
Alice Clayton NEVER fails to put a smile on my face! Her writing is solid and perfectly paced; not too fast, not too slow. As well, she has perfect comedic timing. Her humor isn’t forced, it just is. But that’s not all, not only are her main characters thoroughly developed, so are her secondary characters!
Clara Morgan did not plant roots. She didn’t enjoy being in one place for too long. She loved meeting new people and exploring new towns. Moving from one job to the next, rebranding hotels, Clara rarely spent any time in her apartment. Her busy life was perfect, the perfect distraction to the thoughts and memories that were too loud, too uncomfortable and at times, too raw.
Archie Bryant was the heir to the Bryant Mountain House. He was focused, he was determined and he was lonely. The last thing he expected was to be tempted by a smart, bossy, and incredibly sexy woman, who would not only challenge his work ideas but him personally.
Reading an Alice Clayton book is like cozying up with a nice glass of wine while sitting on your deck on a nice spring evening, it’s delightful, relaxing and the best part about your day!
**I received an Advanced Reader Copy. This did not influence my opinion of the book, nor my review.**
Alice Clayton NEVER fails to put a smile on my face! Her writing is solid and perfectly paced; not too fast, not too slow. As well, she has perfect comedic timing. Her humor isn’t forced, it just is. But that’s not all, not only are her main characters thoroughly developed, so are her secondary characters!
Clara Morgan did not plant roots. She didn’t enjoy being in one place for too long. She loved meeting new people and exploring new towns. Moving from one job to the next, rebranding hotels, Clara rarely spent any time in her apartment. Her busy life was perfect, the perfect distraction to the thoughts and memories that were too loud, too uncomfortable and at times, too raw.
❝All joking aside, no one had ever looked into my eyes, punched through my chest and wrapped their hands around my heart and said I love you.❞
Archie Bryant was the heir to the Bryant Mountain House. He was focused, he was determined and he was lonely. The last thing he expected was to be tempted by a smart, bossy, and incredibly sexy woman, who would not only challenge his work ideas but him personally.
❝You literally, filled up my heart.❞
Reading an Alice Clayton book is like cozying up with a nice glass of wine while sitting on your deck on a nice spring evening, it’s delightful, relaxing and the best part about your day!
**I received an Advanced Reader Copy. This did not influence my opinion of the book, nor my review.**
July 30, 2020
I personally am fascinated by the process of remodeling or in this case a big project like rejuvenate a classic and traditional hotel. All the details that go into such a project are mind boggling. That’s one of the reasons I love remodeling shows, or read about main characters that flip houses for a living.
On top of that I was literally able to see the Bryant Mountain House in front of my eyes. A mix of the Dirty Dancing hotel and the East Coast landscape. A huge sprawling building, dozens of chimneys and balconies, a labyrinth of hallways, towers, wings, corners to explore. Glorious foliage trees that turn into a golden ocean as far as the eye can see. Winding roads, majestic mountains, small towns sprinkled here and there – the very opposite of California.
I was looking forward to returning to Hudson Valley. I’ve enjoyed the last two books and have been looking forward to immersing myself into a group of people that were just so much fun to read about.
In Buns (Hudson Valley #3) by Alice Clayton the old crew was back together plus cameos from characters from the Cocktail series. A BIG Alice Clayton get together.
Archie and Clara started out explosive. Clara was there to implement changes and Archie was stoutly against it. Of course those two would bang heads, no doubt about that. But it was fun to watch them go head to head, and later kiss and makeup.
Even so it was fun to watch, something was missing.
The something special!!
It hurts to say out loud, but I lost interest. Buns didn’t captivate me. Archie and Clara had wonderful chemistry and they were really sweet together. I just got bored after awhile.
Sometimes it’s really not an issue with the writing, plot, characters, or dialogue.
It’s just me!
I’m blaming myself.
I think I would have liked to go even deeper into the project of getting a hotel back to success. More details about how to work certain budgets, compromises, designs. How to overcome certain hurdles, find solutions, and witness progress.
But that’s just me.
I believe wholeheartedly that other readers will love this book!!!
It just wasn’t the right one for me.
On top of that I was literally able to see the Bryant Mountain House in front of my eyes. A mix of the Dirty Dancing hotel and the East Coast landscape. A huge sprawling building, dozens of chimneys and balconies, a labyrinth of hallways, towers, wings, corners to explore. Glorious foliage trees that turn into a golden ocean as far as the eye can see. Winding roads, majestic mountains, small towns sprinkled here and there – the very opposite of California.
I was looking forward to returning to Hudson Valley. I’ve enjoyed the last two books and have been looking forward to immersing myself into a group of people that were just so much fun to read about.
In Buns (Hudson Valley #3) by Alice Clayton the old crew was back together plus cameos from characters from the Cocktail series. A BIG Alice Clayton get together.
Archie and Clara started out explosive. Clara was there to implement changes and Archie was stoutly against it. Of course those two would bang heads, no doubt about that. But it was fun to watch them go head to head, and later kiss and makeup.
Even so it was fun to watch, something was missing.
The something special!!
It hurts to say out loud, but I lost interest. Buns didn’t captivate me. Archie and Clara had wonderful chemistry and they were really sweet together. I just got bored after awhile.
Sometimes it’s really not an issue with the writing, plot, characters, or dialogue.
It’s just me!
I’m blaming myself.
I think I would have liked to go even deeper into the project of getting a hotel back to success. More details about how to work certain budgets, compromises, designs. How to overcome certain hurdles, find solutions, and witness progress.
But that’s just me.
I believe wholeheartedly that other readers will love this book!!!
It just wasn’t the right one for me.
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