The New York Times bestselling author of Wallbanger and Rusty Nailed is back with Nuts, the first in a brand new series set in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley. Roxie Callahan is a private chef to some of Hollywood’s wealthiest, and nastiest, calorie-counting wives. After a dairy disaster implodes her carefully crafted career in one fell ploop, she finds herself back home in upstate New York, … finds herself back home in upstate New York, bailing out her hippie mother and running the family diner.
When gorgeous local farmer Leo Maxwell delivers her a lovely bunch of organic walnuts, Roxie wonders if a summer back home isn’t such a bad idea after all. Leo is heavily involved in the sustainable slow food movement, and he likes to take his time. In all things. Roxie is determined to head back to the west coast as soon as summer ends, but will the pull of lazy fireflies and her very own Almanzo Wilder be enough to keep her home for good?
Salty. Spicy. Sweet. Nuts. Go on, grab a handful.more
I laughed my ass off reading this book. It has it all…a great small town atmosphere, a hot mysterious farmer dude, and a heroine who is a chef, ready to kick butt, take names, and fall over a lot. A great romantic comedy.
Nuts is a love story between a chef and a handsome organic farmer and it definitely had me looking at the joys of homegrown food with new eyes. The dialogue was pretty hilarious with all the sexual innuendos flying around, and the perfectly timed references to produce had me dying. All I wanted to do was google pics of fruits and veggies that look suspiciously sexual… like the carrot that looks like a… or the fig that looks like… well you get the point. Of course these naughty-looking foods aren’t actually featured in the book but the dirty minds are which made me want to foster my own. Fun times!
The overall story incorporates elements of humor with adult romance and women’s fiction/family drama. I’ve read Alice Clayton before and while Nuts didn’t quite match the level of enjoyment I’ve experienced with some of her other work, it’s still a fun read that I found engaging. The book ends prepping the reader for the next romance to be featured in this series and I’m looking forward to it. If you like funny and sexy romances, then check out this title!
OMG This was such a Joy to read.
I absolutely LOVED Roxie and Leo’s romance.
I enjoyed it so much and I got so lost in this story it was so sweet,funny,sexy and a complete delight,I ADORE Alice Clayton and her humour,her writing just captivates me.
Roxie and Leo’s first meeting is hilarious leaving them in a compromising position…lol..and from that point it is a series of hormones and flirting and sexual chemistry.
But its only temporary a Summer fling until she goes back to L.A. When her time helping run her Mum’s diner comes to an end.
But feelings get involved Feelings Roxie is not used to having,until she is blindsided with a secret Leo has been keeping…and a decision has to be made whether to stay or go.
A Brilliant read that left me feeling so warm and good inside,and with a smile on my face.
I Loved it and Highly recommend it.
5 fabulous stars.
Another great series by this author.
I finished reading Nuts by Alice Clayton during the #Romanceopoly2020 Challenge, and it fulfilled the Farmer’s Market square on the Romanceopoly Board. I can’t believe I just now read this book because this was one book I had a hard time putting down. This was also the first time I read a book written by Alice Clayton, and now I’ve added her other books she’s written because I enjoyed this book.
I have never laughed so hard while reading a book until Nuts. My poor husband was afraid to come into the bedroom because I could not stop laughing at one particular scene in the book. I ended up laughing so hard that my stomach hurt me afterward. My husband thought I was crazy, and it didn’t help when he gave me his ‘crazy’ eyes, and I ended up laughing even harder. I love my husband because he deals with my crazy laughing fits at night and still loves me for me.
Female Protagonist: Roxie Callahan is a private chef for some wealthy Hollywood wives in California. She’s one female protagonist that I felt connected within the story because she says what is on her mind. Sometimes she ended up getting in trouble for speaking her mind, but there were several times that she was witty. She knows how to handle herself, and I loved that about her. She has some past issues she gets dealing with, but it doesn’t stop her from being a successful chef. She may be one of my favorite female protagonists in a Contemporary Romance story, and I hope I get to read more about her in the next upcoming Hudson Valley book that I’ll need to make time to read.
Male Protagonist: Leo Maxwell is summed up as a Millionaire/Billionaire and sexy Farmer, who I fell hard for in the book. He’s not a playboy, and he doesn’t come off as being a rich boy in the story. You’ll learn though he has a backstory to him, and it’s heartbreaking. I loved how he was devoted to his farm and everyone in the Hudson Valley community. He never expected to find someone like Roxie, and it changed him a bit with opening up more.
Storyline: Roxie ends up moving back home to Hudson Valley (upstate New York), where she has to run her mother’s diner. Her mom and her sister (Roxie’s Aunt) are going to be on the show ‘The Amazing Race.’ Roxie doesn’t want to be back in her hometown because it’s small, and everyone knows everybody. She has no choice, though, after getting fired by one of the wealthy Hollywood wives that make her life difficult in California. She’s only in Hudson Valley for the summer, and she doesn’t do relationships because of what happened to her mother and her relationships. Unfortunately, Roxie is going to change her mind, once she meets the sexy farmer that brings the diner nuts and vegetables from his farm. She considers him perfect for a summer fling until everyone tells her, he keeps to himself and hasn’t been seen with everyone. The minute Roxie meets Leo, though, it’s an instant attraction for both of them. There are quite a bit of funny scenes between the two since Roxie speaks her mind with Leo. There are a couple of times she thinks it’s to herself, but it’s not. Roxie may have trouble keeping to just a summer fling when it comes to Leo until she starts finding out some things about Leo that may have running away. I could go on and on about the storyline, but don’t want to give anything away.
Steaminess: Steamy! Yes, this book gets very steamy. Roxie + Leo = HOTNESS!
Cliffhanger: No
Trope: Small Town Romance
Standalone or Series: It’s part of series, but each follows a new couple. You do not have to read in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, definitely!! If you are a fan of Contemporary Romances and Romantic Comedies, then this book is for you. Be prepared ahead of time because there are some hilarious moments in this book. My favorite scene will always be the time Roxie gets confronted with bees, and she ends up climbing up Leo. This was the scene that had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt. There were also many other scenes, but you’ll have to read the book to find them out.
This book is seriously one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. It was also the first book by Alice Clayton that I had ever picked up. I did solely based on the title lol.. It was funny and this book was wonderful. I’ve since read everything I could get my hands on by her. Great book!!
I loved this book. I laughed out loud and rooted for our dear sweet Sugar Snap the whole way. Alice Clayton always delivers delightfully flawed characters who stumble into love and friendship. If you like romantic comedies, check it out.
These story pulled me in and I loved it. This story has humor, romance. These two characters Roxie and Leo have lots of chemistry. I look forward to reading more books in these series.
I HATE MY SMALL TOWN
Roxie is from a small town and as soon as she was able she left and is now a private chef and she thinks that’s where she loves being. Until her mom talks her into coming home to help with the family diner. Then she meets Leo and wonders if home is where she belongs.
This was such a great down to earth, small town romance that made me giddy with the love bug. Roxie and Leo are my favorites. I loved the fact that Roxie is a turned big city girl who returns to her small hometown to run her mothers diner so she can go be on the Amazing Race. While Roxie is very hesitant and only agrees to do till the end of the summer till her mother’s return, Roxie’s return to her hometown starts off with an excellent bang.
So this book may be my favorite small town romance ever. One: Roxie is very clumsy and gets seems to find herself wrapped around a sexy farmer with food splayed around them. Two: Roxie’s crazy, yet justified phobia of all things bees gets her in some predicaments with said sexy farmer. Three: Roxie will have you wanting to run out and buy cake and pickles by the end of the book. Oh lets not forget Four: You will wish there was a weekly farmers market close to your house. So yes people, Nuts has all the charm that comes with a close-knit town who have taken advantage of their local farmland and buy their goods all natural. Add in Roxie, one kick-ass cook and Leo, one hunk of a farmer and you have one of my favorite books.
This book will make you laugh. I swooned over the romance. The food had me craving things I really shouldn’t be eating but who gives a damn. I urge you to pick this book up. I really didn’t think I’d like it either, but let me tell you right now this book is amazing. I loved it. The audiobook is just as great.
Roxie (Sugar Snap) and Leo (Farmboy”) had me rolling from their first introduction! Clayton’s way with words had me in stitches time after time..
And I’ll never look at the vegetable section the same way again.
Anyhooo, Leo was definitely a modern day Almanzo-except the old Almanzo didn’t have the baggage. Leo was smart, cute and charming in his bearded glory. Roxie started out self-absorbed and she did grow up along the way, but my lands did it take forever for her to come to her senses. And the secondary cast was a riot! Trudy was a ham and Roxie’s besties a hoot, along with a few others I enjoyed.
Hudson Valley is the small town Americana I love to read about. The double edged sword of everybody local knowing your personal business, but also protecting that same business from outsiders is true to form and, in this case, played out very well.
An amusing story of personal discovery when least expected, hilarious quips, sexy, sexy banter and sizzling action, Nuts was a delightful romantic comedy to come out of my TBR!
Great read, sweet as honey. Leo can deliver his nuts to me anytime he wants! Roxie initially gave me those mixed vibes but not that far into learning more about her she grew on me. If you’re looking for a lighthearted HEA filled with lust and laughs NUTS is the book for you. Pace was great and held my interest throughout the story, curiosity took me early on with Oliver and I’m undoubtedly going to read his story next.