REVIEW: One More Round by Alice Clayton

OUR REVIEW:

 Shel: I can’t think of a better way to end 2020 and begin 2021 than with a new read from Alice Clayton. Court: Agreed, and what better way than this one? Especially since my reading frency of the 2010's started with her and these characters!

Shel: Our love affair with her characters started long ago with the Red Headed series but one of our top favorites has always been Wallbanger so what a treat to be able to spend some time with Caroline and Simon. Not only did we get to see them older and more established, we got little looks at their friends and how everyone else is doing. Court: Yes! They're all doing well, but the writing is so good that it still feels fresh and giving us a glimpse into their lives in a satisfying way. I was very excited, and blew through it at warp speed even though I was trying to savor it! 

Shel: For Alice Clayton and Wallbanger fans—do yourself a favor and grab this sweet romcom. And for those who are new to Alice Clayton—grab Wallbanger and then make your way through all of her other books—you’ll be laughing until you’re crying, swooning, and reaching for the next read. We’re so hopeful that this is the beginning of more new books from Alice Clayton. Court: YES! I am wholeheartedly onboard with this! She's an amazing author and I cannot wait to buy what she comes out with next!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/354z62u

SYNOPSIS:

Reunite with Simon and Caroline from the New York Times bestselling WALLBANGER in this fun and flirty novella!

Simon and Caroline have it all. A gorgeous restored Victorian house in Sausalito, flourishing careers, an eternal spark for each other, and a cat with more attitude than is legal in the state of California.

So what’s plaguing the couple of the century? They’ve got everything anyone could wish for, except...a family.

After a few close calls, Simon and Caroline are coming to terms with the idea that being parents might not be in the cards for them. They’ve been married several years, and they’re realizing it may just be the two of them, forever. Which is ok, right?

Caroline is considering a major career change, Simon is working more than ever, things are falling into place, without a baby rattle.

But just when you think your life is set, the universe gives you a...twist.

Come back in for one more round with Simon and Caroline.

REVIEW: Buns by Alice Clayton

OUR REVIEW:

Shel: This series, The Hudson Valley Series, always seems to get me in the Norman Rockwell state of mind. The way Alice Clayton describes Bailey Falls has me longing to live in a small town in some snowy hamlet just a train ride from New York City; knowing that she's going to paint a beautiful picture of the town in her descriptions is one of the reasons I've gravitated to this series. There's also the humorous dialogue and situations she puts her characters in but it's the obstacles she throws in the paths of her characters that are what I think many readers connect with.

Court: She does! She really makes the story come alive in our mind. The descriptions of the setting, the characters background and how we get to know them through their thoughts, dialogue but also how their group of friends see them is pretty special and really helps make the story that much more enjoyable. I really liked the idea of this girl and her job though, as that would be a really fun thing to do! 

Shel: In the case of Clara and Archie, Clara is the biggest obstacle of all. Her upbringing makes her reticent (aka stubborn) to have anything but a cursory relationship with any person or place she comes into contact with. The more I knew about her, the more I could rationalize why she did what she did and that's where I think Clara becomes more and more relatable to readers. Even if we haven't all been through what she's been through some of us may feel like an outsider looking in, or the one that's been left behind, and can easily relate to how painful that feeling can be. Clara's need to put up the emotional walls is easy to understand but it doesn't mean that I didn't want to knock them down, especially when Archie started warming up to her. Alice Clayton writes some really great male characters--they're wonderfully sweet, clever, funny, but most importantly, they're the exact right person for her heroines--as evidenced by Archie.

Court: They are. But also, Archie had some baggage of his own that he didn't like being poked around so that really gave them that much more depth in getting to know each other. Add in the fact that this is basically his family home, this place is his legacy, and he is not going to go down without a fight when an outsider comes in wanting to change things. I loved the characters and friends on his side of things because I really did get a feel of what it would be like to go somewhere a la Dirty Dancing and spend a summer somewhere that is truly an unforgettable place. This one is in a companion series so you're not missing out on anything in the other books in this series other than gaining a strong desire to know those characters as well...so get ta reading! 

Shel: Buns has a great balance of humor and romance that packs an emotional punch.

SYNOPSIS:

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.

BUY IT: http://amzn.to/2rWfmbR
Find Alice Clayton: http://aliceclayton.com/

Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci

OUR REVIEW:

Where to start? Hmmm. 

Maybe I should start with Alice Clayton, Nina Bocci and the cover of Roman Crazy. I didn't even have to read the synopsis to know I was interested. But I did read the synopsis and stalked Net Galley, constantly searching for it, until it magically appeared and I couldn't click fast enough to request it. 

Or maybe I should start with Avery and Marcello and Daisy (because I really can't leave Daisy out when gushing about this book). 

Avery and Marcello falling in love not just once but twice? Gah. Their love story is passionate and sweet and hopeful. We not only get to read about their love in Italy but how they found each other in Spain. We get to see them meet again and work through hurt or guilty feelings--facing some uncomfortable truths, and then get to the business of learning all about who they are now, all these years later. I enjoyed every step of their journey. A journey I feel like we have to thank Daniel (the ex) and Daisy (the best friend) for. Daniel may have started Avery's chance to rediscover herself but Daisy gave her a place to do it and made it a joyful experience; we all need a Daisy in our lives, don't we?

Maybe I should mention how this is a massive love letter?

In my mind this is a love letter to second chances to love someone who got away..or you let go of...or the time and place weren't right..or...you get the picture, right? The way Avery and Marcello's grown up love affair developed just seemed so right--I wasn't hung up Avery and where she was in her divorce proceedings--instead I was falling in love with the way Avery and Marcello loved each other. 

This love letter wasn't just one for romantic love though; unless you can be romantically involved with Rome and the food porn in this novel. I swear to God I have the hugest desire to book myself a trip to Italy and sample every delicious bite of food and sip every glorious wine I can (and I don't even drink wine!). The descriptions of the sights of Rome were vivid and written with such care and the food? Well, I think I gained 10 lbs just reading about everything they ate. 

Maybe I should...

I should tell you to buy it and read it. It's glorious. Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci paired up to write a romance that sweeps you away to Italy and when you're not laughing at all the funny things these characters say, you're swooning at the love story, and googling "local authentic Italian cuisine" in the hopes that your area has something close to what you were reading about. 

BUY IT: http://amzn.to/2c2zcd8
Synopsis:
Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

REVIEW: Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton

REVIEW:

I've been a huge fan of Alice Clayton's for a while now. I've followed her through her Redhead series and Wallbanger and laughed along with her on Brittany Gibbons' hangouts and even when I haven't been able to read every book that she's released, I've always cheered her on. Alice Clayton has been one of my author heroes for a while now--she's so damned funny and real and I like to imagine that if I lived anywhere close by we'd be great friends. ...but enough of this walk down memory lane, let's talk about Cream of the Crop and why it was such a good fit for me.

Natalie was such a great heroine --her confidence in her job, her looks, her friendships and family were all refreshing and uplifting. Her body positivity was exactly what I needed to read--it reminded me to love and appreciate my body, to carry myself with confidence, and just gave me that oomph that I needed. I liked that Clayton created this heroine who was wildly confident and successful and loved (this is no broken woman, y'all) and placed her in the midst of NYC--I could see her being in a 2016 version of a Sex and the City reboot. I liked how she seemed like she just owned everything around her and yet she wasn't obnoxiously arrogant--she was hilarious and kind and smart. And I especially liked two things that wouldn't have been immediately evident by looking at her--her secret stash in her kitchen cabinet and her huge crush on Oscar--that first scene with her and Oscar was so great--I was hooked. And then when she has a cause to be in her best friend's hometown, which also happened to house Oscar, and see the funny and sweet courtship that ensued all in the most gorgeous fall setting, I was not able to stop reading.

It took me a little bit longer to get into this novel, despite all of the great things I ended up loving about it, and I have to be honest about that. But once I got into it I truly found myself in this fantasy of a small town in the fall, the flutters of a new crush and the hopes of a new relationship, and all of the many other delightful things that Alice Clayton filled my head with. I normally have a mixed feeling about the fall--I love my summers off but look forward to the cool weather--and this book just made me so eager for all the fall things that are to come. 

I'm new to this series but after reading Cream of the Crop, I will definitely be reading all the books in this series.

Want to know more? Read below or buy the book here: http://amzn.to/2ahwnU7

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

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

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

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

REVIEW: THE REDHEAD PLAYS HER HAND BY ALICE CLAYTON

Grace has landed the lead in a new TV series—but when the director asks her to lose fifteen pounds, she goes public with her weight struggles and suddenly develops a huge fan club who support her right to have curves. But between that and the public’s continuing fascination with her “are they or aren’t they” relationship with Jack, Grace begins to wonder if anyone’s really interested in her because of her upcoming TV series, or if it’s all speculation about the size of her ass and her bedroom partner.

Meanwhile, Jack is voted the Sexiest Man Alive and becomes a little too enamored with the party-hard lifestyle. Grace vows to give him the space he needs to find himself, but then he begins to spiral down from lovable Brit to Hollywood brat. People are talking, but are Jack and Grace? Her career is on the rise, and his continues into the stratosphere, but will she be able to catch him if he falls? Will they ever be able to just be a couple who can hold hands when they walk down the street?

Paperback, 320 pages
Published December 17th 2013 by Gallery Books
copy provided by Net Galley for an honest review

OUR REVIEW

In the third book in this series, we have a continuation of some of the things I loved about the first two:

• witty banter *yes, the boobies still crack me up*
• a normal sized heroine and honesty about women and their struggles with weight *i think this is by far the best part of this book. celebrity craziness defines our life daily and what women should look like so I am always for someone standing up against that!*
• Grace and Jack and Holly *I was all about Grace and Jack this time around...Holly...I had to warm up to her again* 

Alice Clayton has a knack for writing funny smut and this one did not fail me. The first little bit of the novel was nice..seeing Jack and Grace settle in to their coupledom after all of the tumult of the first two books. Of course the undercurrent of bad shit to come also came early on and then it felt like I was watching a trainwreck --the before, during, and after. In the midst of this trainwreck, Grace's star is on the rise. She's getting a ton of press for her new series (and her weight and her boyfriend). She's growing in to a Hollywood actress and all of the trappings of fame that go with it. Meanwhile, Jack is also feeling the trappings of fame (emphasis on trap) and is finding not so great ways of coping with it. 

YES! You just wait and wait for the shoe to drop. You know it's coming. You know that there is no way in hell that something insane isn't going to happen (which is why it took me sooooooo long to read The Redhead Revealed, if you remember). Alice Clayton has a seriously amazing knack for stringing out details and putting a teeny seed of doubt in my mind that just fucks with my head the whole book. Things are good. Things might not be good, but Grace is giving Jack room to grow. Jack killed me, but so did his plight. (Though reading the harsh realities of super-stardom, it makes you wonder why so many do it...right? Because the paparazzi is truly insane!) The sexy times were still very sexy and definitely not stale for a couple we know so well (who do it all the time) but their new normal times together were even more adorable and I couldn't wait to see how they would be there for each other....but as you know...dun, dun, dun. Don't hold your breath! 

As much as I loved the book, I'm not sure if I liked the news-y bits...sometimes it felt like they were in lieu of the story rather than just enhancing the story. They provided an outside perspective but I'm on the fence about whether I always liked them. I also sometimes didn't feel as connected to the characters as I had before--but maybe it had just been so long since I'd reread book 2? 

I have to say I was 50/50 on these parts (Gossip rag tag lines at some chapter beginnings). I liked them in the first part/mid part of the book because it gave quite an insight into what was going on in the tabloids without Grace just saying "They ripped apart my relationship and weight in the tabloids." It made me think because I used to be an avid knower of pop culture and it would be so difficult if that was your life. I can't even imagine people wanting to know every move I made and who I spoke too...so for that it felt very genuine to the story and how famous they were becoming. It was harder at the end, because obviously we are in the resolution of the story and I wish there had been a little more! I always want more words though! 

I enjoyed how this book ended and felt that it gave me all the closure I wanted for Grace and Jack. I definitely recommend it. That's hilarious too, because with the end...I had to ask "This is the final book right? There isn't supposed to be another one?" It seemed closed, but still open to me. I dunno...could just be my mind hoping and speculating because I am a hardcore lover of the lovable Brit. 

Shelley: 4 Stars
Courtney: 4 1/2 Stars

Alice Clayton is a novelist with an unholy love for her KitchenAid mixer. Making her home in St Louis, she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up afterwards, and is trying desperately to get her long time boyfriend to make her an honest woman. Hi sweetie!!

After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and national educator for a major cosmetics company, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career, writer. Combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, The Redhead Series.

Alice has penned three novels, The Unidentified Redhead,The Redhead Revealed, and coming soon in November 2012, Wallbanger. She thinks you should purchase them immediately. She’s not kidding, not even a little bit. Everyone needs some comedic erotica in their lives. She is hard at work on the third book in The Redhead Series, set to release in Spring of 2013, continuing the saucy and sexual escapades of everyone’s favorite couple, Jack and Grace. 

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother's Podcast, make sure you check them out at notyourmotherspodcast.com or over on iTunes. 3 women rushing towards their forties still acting like teenagers. A saucy little mix of sex, love, relationships, pop cultural, celebrity gossip and All Things Jake Ryan.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Mary’s, 8 hours of sleep, and a good pounding.

Finally Alice would also like all her readers and listeners to help her convince Mt. Alice that the only other thing that would make her truly happy is finally bringing home a Bernese Mountain Dog. She is totally serious. And done talking about herself in the third person

FIND HER HERE:  website | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy the book : here