Audiobook Review – Nuts by Alice Clayton

Nuts by Alice Clayton Audiobook Review

First in the Hudson Valley series of Standalones. Adult Contemporary Romantic Comedy.

Alice Clayton has done it again with NUTS, she brought back all the reasons I love her books –sweet, funny, sexy, relatable and real. Nuts was like the perfect romantic comedy that you can see in the movies, and I honestly enjoyed every second of listening to it, and had a smile on my face the entire time.

Roxie is a personal chef in L.A. and she loves what she does. She is a perfectionist in what she cooks and prides herself on only using the best ingredients and presenting the best dishes. She’s as far from the small town she grew up in as she can get. So when her hippie mom from upstate New York calls and asks her to run the family diner for the summer, it’s the opposite of what she really wants to do.

When she gets there, she makes sure everyone knows it’s temporary. Small towns and old diners are not for her. But when she bumps into (literally) the town’s eligible bachelor, staying for the summer doesn’t seem so bad.

“I’ll see you around, I’m sure.”
“It’s a small town,” I replied. “Maybe you’ll show up at my backdoor with your nuts again.”

Roxie was anti-love. Her mom was a hopeless romantic, falling in love with one guy after another and getting her heart broken a million times. Roxie was career minded and not afraid to admit she liked to hook-up, but not get attached.

“Had I found my summer company? I’d always had a farmer fantasy, a holdover from watching reruns of Little House. And holy Almanzo Wilder, this farmer was a looker.”

Leo is all country. He loves the country and farming life. The slow pace. The neighbors in your business. He is so passionate about farming and eating and growing organic produce that he makes a good pair with the chef who only uses the best ingredients.

You were really able to feel Alice Clayton’s love of a small town in this book. Her foodie and farmer knowledge were pretty impressive as well (not that I would know if she is wrong, my extent of being a foodie is microwaving a full Lean Cuisine instead of just a Hot Pocket). Nuts made me want to move to a small town and eat organic. It made me want to run to the local farmers market and hope to find a Leo or Oscar (while getting yummy treats).

The banter and double entendres in this book were hysterical. I seriously had a goofy smile on my face the whole time I listened. It’s just the kind of sweet and funny book I love.

“You didn’t really bring me beets, did you?” …
“I did,” he murmured, his thumbs sliding underneath my T-shirt the tiniest bit. “I brought mad beets.” “Oh man,” I snorted, which changed to a snortmmm as he nuzzled my neck. “Did you bring me anything else?” He brought his face back to mine, tinged with the slightest of blush. “I hesitate to say it now.” “What did you bring?” I asked, shaking his shoulders. He buried his head once again into my neck. “A really big zucchini” was the muffled reply, and I threw my head back and laughed.

Likes:

• The funny Double Entendres (Nuts and Cream!)
• Great blend of emotion and humor.
• Loved the narration, with the bonus of Sebastian York at the end.
• I learned a little about farming.
• The cameo from an Unidentified Redhead and her amazing hubby <3
• I loved the other female character.
• Hot farmers are my new fantasy.
• She isn’t a sweet virginal innocent.
• I found myself not wanting to listen so it wouldn’t end.
• “Sugar Snap” nickname.
• I listened with a huge smile on my head and laughed out loud several times.
• Great set-up for Cream of the Crop, the next in the series.

Dislikes:

• A little slow to get the romance started.
• Food descriptions were a little long and over my head because I can’t cook for shit, but I would have loved it if I did.
• I got hungry listening. Damn. I want cake.

The Down and Dirty:

Rating: 4.5 stars, 4.5 narration, 4 Heat

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