≡ PDF Gratis Cream of the Crop The Hudson Valley Series Alice Clayton 9781501118159 Books

Cream of the Crop The Hudson Valley Series Alice Clayton 9781501118159 Books

Download As PDF : Cream of the Crop The Hudson Valley Series Alice Clayton 9781501118159 Books

Cream of the Crop The Hudson Valley Series Alice Clayton 9781501118159 Books

So disappointing! Some mild spoilers.

I was waiting rather impatiently for this book. I've torn through all of Ms. Clayton's other books, most landing on my 4- or 5- star list. This one fell really flat. I love Natalie - her character is very well developed, has a fun, savvy and smart inner-monologue. Oscar. What can we say about Oscar? I was ready to love him based on the sneak peek we got of him in Nuts. "Tall dark and Game of Thrones", a quiet, mysterious guy. He's a boor! Poorly mannered, he PICKS HER UP several times in the book (really? are there women who like this?), is rude to her friends, pouts when he doesn't get his way. In the end, I feel like she settled. Because he's hot. And picks her up. I'll keep reading - hopeful that the Clara/Archie story is good. Don't lose me now, Ms. Clayton!


Tags : Cream of the Crop (The Hudson Valley Series) [Alice Clayton] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. New York Times</i> and USA TODAY</i> bestselling author Alice Clayton brings her trademark blend of funny and sexy to this second contemporary romance in the brand-new Hudson Valley series!<BR><BR>Manhattan’s It Girl,Alice Clayton,Cream of the Crop (The Hudson Valley Series),Gallery Books,1501118153,SG-USB-271,Contemporary Women,Romance - Contemporary,Romance - Romantic Comedy,FICTION Contemporary Women,FICTION Romance Contemporary.,Love stories,Man-woman relationships,Man-woman relationships;Fiction.,Women executives,Women executives;Fiction.,Adult & contemporary romance,American Light Romantic Fiction,FICTION Romance Contemporary,FICTION Romance Romantic Comedy,FICTION Women,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,FictionRomance - Romantic Comedy,Hudson Valley Series; Cocktail Series; Redhead Series; indie author; contemporary romance; best romance; Wallbanger; New York Times bestseller; USA Today bestseller; romantic comedy; romantic comedites; funny writing; funny sex; book boyfriend; Christina Lauren; Emma Chase,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Romance,Romance: Modern

Cream of the Crop The Hudson Valley Series Alice Clayton 9781501118159 Books Reviews

-I do love me some cheese I’m not gonna lie, I have a weakness for cheese. In my food and in my entertainment. So, the fact that this series is set in the Hudson Valley and definitely more for the foodie/romance lover was a draw for me. The first book, Nuts, was definitely all about the food, especially with a heroine chef. I enjoyed that Oscar’s profession as a cheesemaker was shown through scenes at the farm and with his cows in a way that never forgot that entertainment is the primary goal. Now, here’s the skinny on Natalie’s loves - with Oscar and with Bailey Falls.

-Here’s the skinny Natalie has an ongoing obsession for cheese, and she has the curves to show for it. Now, Natalie’s big, bold and beautiful and men fall over themselves to talk to her. She glories in it, as she should. There’s only one time where we see her less than ballsy and that’s when she’s waiting in line for Oscar’s cheese. She loses the ability to speak. Seriously. Vowel sounds are about all she can manage. It’s adorable, especially considering how confident she is in her abilities and her curves. When she’s given the opportunity through her company to work on an ad campaign for Bailey Falls, she gets to spend more time there, where she gets to fall in love with Bailey Falls and Oscar, since he’s the dairy farmer next door to her best friend Roxie’s boyfriend (yes, they’re the couple from the first book). That’s when we’re off to the (romance) races.

-Natalie is an incredibly relatable heroine BBW heroines? Love them. They come in all different personality types, but Natalie’s my favorite kind - the one who knows she’s curvier than average, but knows it’s confidence that makes a woman attractive, not the size of her assets. She’s not superhuman and certainly has moments of insecurity, but it’s more about her past than the size of her fantastic big ass. She has a great sense of humor, and her charm flows throughout the book. Since this is told in first person from Natalie’s perspective, I was happy that she was so easy to spend a few hours with. Now, while there’s some big emotional reveals as to what had a part in creating the woman we see today (which I quibbled with whom she had the big confessional moment, but I digress), on the whole…

-It’s very light Now, I love me light and fluffy at times. I like a trip down all the different paths that romance can take you, but I’ll admit I’d rather stroll down the lighter side, than run screaming down the dark. Anyway, I think this has some super Norman Rockwell kind of fluffy times when you get to explore Bailey Falls with Natalie and it’s about as idealized as small town America can get. It’s lovely, but *takes a moment* since this is a foodie book, I have to go with the food analogy - I needed a bit more salty to counteract the sweet. There were opportunities to deepen the story, especially when the story turned towards Natalie and Oscar’s pasts that seemed to be bypassed for the fluff and the sex. Fluffy smut can entertain and it certainly does here. It’s just the desire for a bit more emotionally. Which leads me to…

-Oscar the caveman Oscar was introduced in Nuts, and he was monosyllabic and sexy. NOw, I know that he’s really shy..and monosyllabic and sexy. Yes, I loved that he loved Natalie, just as she is. I enjoyed the snippets given of his past and why he came to Bailey Falls. I just wished that it was more than just snippets and actual time had been spent in his head as well, especially since he’s a man of few words. At the end of it all, I felt I knew Natalie very well. I just wished that I knew Oscar well too. I just thought Oscar was hot. Which, you know, not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but there could have been a bit more time spent showing his feelings through some dialogue.

The Bottom Line (3.75 stars)
I really enjoyed my time in Bailey Falls again. If you’re looking for a light, funny contemporary with a love of cheese, I think you’ll like Cream of the Crop.

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What I didn't like about this book
1) There was a lot of cussing. It was bad enough that the f bomb was used frequently, but I hate, hate, hate the c word. It's demeaning and makes me cringe whenever I hear or see it.
2) I absolutely hated Thomas. He verbally abused Natalie and treated her horribly. The scene when Natalie tells Logan and Chase about Thomas was too long and when she finished, I felt awful for her. I hated to know that she went through something like that.
3) I loved Oscar, but twice I disagreed with him--first with him being so friendly with Missy, his ex-wife. I don't blame Natalie for being jealous. Missy is a bi*** who needs to get a life and stop calling Oscar whenever her car breaks down, etc. Also when Natalie helped him make a connection with the woman who wanted to sell his cheese across the country. What's wrong with that?
4) The cost--this was available at a discount, but I want to read the others and $7.99 each is way too much to pay for a book.

What I liked about the book
1) Natalie--she was funny and nice and a curvy girl liked me. She went through an awful relationship with Thomas and survived to kick butt on her job and in her personal life. I love her sense of style.
2) Oscar--his sense of humor reminded me a lot of my late husband's. I loved his nickname, Pinup, for Natalie. I loved his profession and I want to go buy some artisan cheese. I LOVE cheese!
3) The descriptions of NYC and the country were beautiful--I felt like I was right there. I also loved the contrast between the big city and the country.
4) Polly's curse jar--by now, she should be a millionaire--LOL!
I really would have liked this book except for two things. The author never made the hero be accountable for his actions which was a real problem for me. There were at least two times where Natalie had legitimate complaints about Oscar and his ex wife and his behavior at an event. Ms. Clayton just made it Natalie's fault. The second was the way Natalie was falling back into old habits (not getting work competed) because of all the time she was spending with Oscar. I guess it would have been more believes me if all this confidence that Natalie possessed was actually evident outside of her and Oscar having sex. Smh at 96% I realized that Ms. Clayton was just going to wrap this all up as if these things didn't need to be addressed thoughtfully.
So disappointing! Some mild spoilers.

I was waiting rather impatiently for this book. I've torn through all of Ms. Clayton's other books, most landing on my 4- or 5- star list. This one fell really flat. I love Natalie - her character is very well developed, has a fun, savvy and smart inner-monologue. Oscar. What can we say about Oscar? I was ready to love him based on the sneak peek we got of him in Nuts. "Tall dark and Game of Thrones", a quiet, mysterious guy. He's a boor! Poorly mannered, he PICKS HER UP several times in the book (really? are there women who like this?), is rude to her friends, pouts when he doesn't get his way. In the end, I feel like she settled. Because he's hot. And picks her up. I'll keep reading - hopeful that the Clara/Archie story is good. Don't lose me now, Ms. Clayton!