4.25 STARS

Set against a picturesque backdrop in Bailey Falls, NY, the charming, multi-generation, family-owned hotel/resort of Bryant Mountain House is in desperate need of a facelift. Enter Clara Morgan, who specializes in rebranding and revitalizing struggling hotels. But Archie Bryant, the next in line to take over the helm at his family’s beloved resort, is resistant to the multitude of changes that Clara has in mind. Their adversarial relationship is heated, which only serves to ratchet up the sparks that eventually begin to fly.

Widowed at a young age, Archie was devastated by the loss of his beloved wife. Then Clara enters his world, and suddenly he has feelings he thought he’d never feel again. Despite Clara’s apprehension over an inappropriate relationship with her boss’ son, Archie is determined to break down Clara’s walls and make her his. But years of shuffling from one foster home to the next, means Clara’s walls are high and sturdy and might just be too impenetrable for Archie to completely knock down.

In this third installment to author Alice Clayton’s Hudson Valley series, “Buns” is another fun and flirty, sexy romance. Dare, I say, it might just be the best one yet. I’ve been a fan of this author’s work dating back to “Wallbanger,” but for me, some of her other books have been “hit or miss.” “Buns” is definitely one of the hits. And for all those “Wallbanger” fans out there, you’ll be delighted to discover that the author has included a cameo appearance by one of her most beloved characters.

Bailey Falls strikes again!

And, if readers weren’t already smitten by the setting and ambience of Upstate New York, in Alice Clayton’s newest release, Buns, she takes readers back to the Hudson Valley, reinforcing all the things that readers already love about the area and adding even more historical relevance to the town as she illustrates the role that the Bryant Mountain House has had in creating a natural and opulent experience just outside of Bailey Falls.

Because readers are seeing Bailey Falls through an outsider’s eyes, they get to reacquaint themselves with the Mayberryesque feel of the small town as well as gain new insight into a place that was once an important part of who Bailey Falls was – the Bryant Mountain House. And, as Clara Morgan works to rebrand the historical hotel, bringing it into the twenty-first century by blending the old with the new and putting a bit of a twist on traditions, readers also get to witness a whole other side of Bailey Falls – a side that adds a new layer to an already majestic town, allowing it to become an even more pivotal character in the breakthroughs Clayton’s newest hero and heroine experience in Buns.

One aspect of the Hudson Valley series that I absolutely adore is the type of people Clayton uses as her main characters. They are definitely not cookie cutter constructs because their unique personalities and quirky actions are not commonplace. In a way, the male and female leads in this series embody certain attributes that seem contrary to one another, but as their stories continue and the characters transform through a number of new experiences, those differences seem to be the very aspects that draw the hero and heroine together, providing each of them with a counterpart that complements them in every way and giving each couple a chance at a happy life as long as they don’t allow their respective pasts to complicate things or run away because the emotions they are feeling are ones they worked so hard to bury and lay dormant for fear of breaking even more than they already have.

Clara Morgan is one hell of a woman; she’s fought her entire life to get to where she is now, relying solely on herself and keeping herself as isolated as possible because, that way, she won’t have to risk being left behind or thrown away. Never in a million years would she have thought that a quaint town like Bailey Falls and a high strung, frustrating man like Archie Bryant would have her breaking all of her rules and risking her professional career, but she is, and she can’t help but feel drawn to her Hotel Boy and his intelligence and of course, his buns! Archie Bryant is as straight-laced and traditional as they come. Everything about this Bossy outsider infuriates him, especially her rudeness and the fact that her ideas actually make a whole lot of sense.

These two couldn’t be more different, but for some reason, their conflicting personalities draw them together instead of drive them apart. And, as the hotel undergoes its transformation, creating a symbiotic relationship with old school and modern décor, Clara and Archie find themselves transforming as well, experiencing new desires and reaching for something that they never thought they’d have and as long as their fears and the complications that arise don’t scare them away, perhaps they’ll find their own little piece of paradise in Bailey Falls, just like Clara’s best friends have.

I absolutely ADORED Buns; Clara and Archie were amazingly complex characters whose personalities continued to change throughout the course of the entire story. The atmosphere that Clayton created through the hotel’s elements as well as the town itself added such depth and feeling to an already lovely storyline.

Alice Clayton’s words and characters continue to dazzle me and transport me to places that I’ve never been, hoping against hope that someday I’ll get to experience the cities and states that Clayton so easily brings to life.

5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)

I've grown to love Alice Clayton's writing. Her funny, fresh and direct style have the power of hook you since page 1 and never let you go. With the Hudson Valley series she's been sharing stories full of humor and sexy moments, with a little bit of drama but with a whole lot of romance. Stories to ponder about friendship, love and family, and about all the things that are important in our lives. Buns is one of those stories.

We first met Clara, a smart and sucesful woman who's focused in her career. She's friend with Roxie and Natalie, so when her boss send her to work in a project restoring Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, she knows it's the perfect chance to expend some time with her girlsfriends. What she wasn't expecting was to met Archie Bryant. The man with the buns.

Archie is a smart and handsome man, charming with his clients and caring about his employees. He's preparing himself to take the reins at Bryant Mountain House, so when the smart-mouth of clara started to suggest changes about the building and the bussiness he didn't take it good. Well, he doens't deal good with changes in general.

The chemistry between the characters is INSANE. The funny exchanges between Archie and Clara are HILARIOUS and so friggin HOT. I enjoyed a lot the first person narration and the rhythm, how the characters evolved in the story and acknowledged their feelings. To acept the love isn't easy for that people who never experienced the feeling before. It isn't easy either to love again after experiencing the lost of your beloved one. Archie and Clara must find each other and make their 'trust fall'. And what a fall!

I really really loved this book and had a good time reading it, I reccomend it to all the romance and comedy lovers, and the fans of the HEA.

​
**4.5 Stars**
Oh this book. I loved the other two in this series so I was completely excited for Clara's story. What I wasn't prepared for was Archie. I loved Archie. Archie was so completely swoony. When you first meet him you're kind of like woah, you're a jerk, but the more you read the more you love him.
Clara and Archie didn't get along at first but holy attraction. It's there, you can feel it as you read it. The more time they spent together the stronger the chemistry and attraction is. I seriously loved how they challenged each other but what I loved even more was how they complimented each other. Watching how they interacted with each other and how they fit so well together. They healed each other and that was just what they needed.
I loved all the words Alice gave us and I secretly hope this isn't the end of Hudson Valley.

BUNS is the third book in Alice Clayton's Hudson Valley series, in which three friends find the answers to their dreams in the small town of Bailey Falls. Clara Morgan is sent to Bailey Falls to the Bryant Mountain House the place to go in the Catskill Mountains. But the owner's son, Archie Bryant, doesn't see the need to make their popular (to a select few) hotel even more noteworthy. Basically, their ratings in travel sites have gone down and Clara was hired to fix it. As Clara and Archie continue to clash, the magic of the Hudson Valley and those famous hot cross buns make them closer than they dreamed.

BUNS follows two other books, NUTS and CREAM. This series makes a play on words surrounding food and the men who makes them. BUNS is funny, sexy and definitely droolworthy (for the food and the view as well as the male lead!) A definite welcome addition to this wonderful series.

Are you ready for some hot cross BUNS?!?!?! This book will have you laughing out loud and giving you all the feels in this light and steamy read! Hotelier Archie is dealing with a dwindling hotel and in comes sassy, bossy Clara to the rescue. This slow buns baking novel will keep you turning the page as you see their chemistry heating up throughout the book! I LOVED this contemporary romance and need to dive in to Alice Clayton's other books in the Hudson Valley series right away! Thank you Gallery Books for the ARC!

Buns by Alice Clayton is the third book in her Hudson Valley series, coming after Nuts and Cream of the Crop. Although it's the third book it can definitely be read as a standalone- I haven't read the first two books and I didn't feel lost or as if I was missing anything. Although the couples from the previous two books did make a few appearances in Buns, Ms. Clayton gives enough of their backgrounds so that you're not wondering where these people came from. And I appreciated that! I usually like to read a series in order, and I do have both Nuts and Cream of the Crop on my Kindle, I just hadn't gotten around to reading them before I got wrapped up in Buns!

Let's just start by saying I have complete job envy of Clara! What an absolutely awesome career she has- going into these incredible hotels and revamping them, freshening them up, bringing them back to life. As someone with an interior design degree who is not working in the field, I feel like I really missed out! Her newest job has taken her to the Bryant Mountain House- a grand old hotel that just hasn't been living up to its potential. But standing in the way of her plans to refurbish and renovate BMH so that it's once again the place to visit in the Hudson Valley, is one Archibald "Archie" Bryant- the son and heir to the Bryant legacy. Archie is steadfast in his ways and fights Clara at every turn.

Even as Clara and Archie butt heads over her ideas for the hotel, an undeniable attraction is building between the two- and it was just so delightful! I love when a couple is so determined to fight their attraction to each other until there's nothing left for it to do than combust. And combust it does! Clara was so set on keeping things on a professional level with Archie, but sometimes the heart wins out over the head. The fact that Archie is technically her boss is enough on its own to make things tough for them, but add in the fact that they are both dealing with issues from their pasts makes for even more complications and heartache.

Buns is a really fun, hearfelt, and emotion-filled story of two people struggling to come to terms with their pasts while opening themselves up to the future. The romance, the chemistry, the banter, and especially the simmering tension, between Archie and Clara made Buns a book that was hard to put down. Archie is so utterly swoony. He's had a lot of heartbreak in his life but with Clara he's taking a chance on love again. Clara is so strong and independent, it's hard for her to let someone in. But Archie is so caring and tender, the walls she's built around herself are slowly crumbling down. I really enjoyed the journey this story took these two lovely, determined, and dedicacted people on, and I just adored seeing their love blossom.

***I received an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review***

If I could pick any author's novels to live in for the rest of my days, it would be Alice Clayton's. Her characters are fantastic, there's always an ample amount of humor, and they just have this at home feel to them. Picking one of her books up is like reuniting with friends whom I haven't seen for ages, but we can pick right back up where we last started.

Buns is the third book in the Hudson Valley Series. The story focuses on Clara, a woman with a successful career, a life that would make most people envious, and a rather troubled past. She gets assigned to overhaul the Bryant Mountain House, a beautiful, old-school resort up in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Enter Archie Bryant, the latest Bryant man tasked with running the resort. He's sexy, charming, and stubborn as ever, and starts butting heads with Clara from the start. But the longer these two spend together, the fonder they grow of one another, and eventually it has people wondering if their relationship is truly just professional.

Alice is a master of setting the scene in her books. She uses such vivid, rich descriptions, that I always feel like I'm immersed in the same surroundings the characters are. I can almost taste the food, smell the air, and hear the sounds around me as I'm reading. Within moments of Clara arriving at Bryant Mountain House, Clayton brought the hotel to life. I was able to get completely lost in the book because of this, and it made the story even better for me to read.

Clayton's characters in Buns are fabulous, as always. Clara is hilarious! She has a one-liner for everything, she's spunky, and she's so passionate about the work she does. The way she connected with the project was amazing. And even though she has a wonderful life on the surface, Clara also has flaws, and things from her past that she needs to confront before her life can get as full as she'd like it.

Archie is incredible. I fell for him within pages of his introduction to the story. He's passionate about the hotel, and he takes so much pride in the property and the work that he does. He's stubborn about everything Bryant House related, but his stubbornness comes from the right place. He's also a caring and compassionate individual, and his bedroom skills ... well, let's just say they rank pretty high up.

I loved that Clayton incorporated not only characters from the other Hudson Valley Series books, but also characters from some of her other novels as well. It was such a fun mishmash of people, and they were all so relatable. I felt like I was sitting amongst a group of my own friends whenever I read the scenes where Clara's friendship circle was all together.

Clayton did a great job of creating a magical environment with her Hudson Valley Series, and that carries over in Buns. The sense of community in the region is palpable, and Clayton incorporated the various aspects of that into the plot and into Clara's work at the Bryant Mountain House.

This book was so easy for me to get completely absorbed in. I couldn't wait to see what Clayton had coming next, what humorous thing would happen or what character would be introduced (or brought back). The plot was great, the detail in the writing made everything so realistic, and the story moved at the perfect pace.

Buns is a great story to kick start your summer reading with, especially if you like your romance with a healthy dose of humor.

Five stars to this book!

Hot Cross Buns - a spiced sweet bun eaten for dessert. Perfect description of this book! Sweet and spicy! Loved this addition to the Hudson Valley collection.

Flirty, sweet and laugh-out-loud funny!

This story is set in the majestic Bailey Falls and introduces two new characters to The Hudson Valley series, Clara a young workaholic who protects herself from possible abandonment by only relying on herself and never setting down roots; and Archie a young widow whose future is firmly entrenched in the family business and whose biggest fear is loving and losing again.

The writing is animated and lighthearted. The characters are intelligent, alluring and feisty. And the plot is a charming mix of spirited hijinks, blistering tension, playful banter, combustible chemistry, touching moments and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall this book is entertaining, sexy and amusing and I love that some of our favourite characters from the earlier books in the series make an appearance. If you haven’t read anything by Clayton before you really should, in fact Wallbanger, from her Cocktail series, is still today one of my all-time favourite rom coms.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Pocket Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars-- BUNS is the third installment in Alice Clayton’s contemporary, adult HUDSON VALLEY romance (rom-com) series focusing on a tight knit group of friends in Hudson Valley, New York. This is hotel rebranding specialist Clara Morgan, and hotel manager/owner Archie Bryant’s story line. BUNS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for history and fun !!

Told from first person point of view (Clara Morgan) with a final chapter from Archie’s point of view BUNS focuses on Clara’s struggle to enact changes at the dated Bryant Mountain House, Bailey Falls, New York in the Catskills Mountains. The Bryant family is struggling with bookings, and Jonathan Bryan, current owner, has called in help in the hopes of refurbishing his dying business. Enter Clara Morgan, hotel rebranding expert, and the woman with whom Archie Bryant will fall in love. What ensues is the antagonist relationship between Archie and Clara as Clara struggles to push Archie out of his comfort zone-in more ways than one.

Clara Morgan is a passionate female lead who battles the demons from her past. Unable to settle down, her work as a hotel rebranding specialist is the perfect foil for a woman afraid to commit beyond the present fearing rejection in both life and love. Archie Bryant is a man stuck in the past: refusing to move forward especially in his personal life. Meeting Clara throws all of Archie’s caution to the wind until the day Clara walks away without explanation or good bye. The $ex scenes are intimate and sensual.

There are a large number of secondary and supporting characters including several employees at the Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, as well as the return of Roxie and Leo (Nuts #1), and Natalie and Oscar (Cream of the Crop #2) .

The world building looks at the attempted revitalization of the Bryant Mountain House, Clara’s battle to convince Archie that the changes will make a positive impression, and the building romance between two people moving in different directions.

BUNS is a story with a little bit of humor, romance, conflict and fun. The back and forth banter between Archie and Clara is sexy; the banter between Clara and her besties (Roxie and Natalie) as well as Logan and Chad, is lively and entertaining. The premise is amusing and engaging; the characters are dynamic, energetic and passionate; the romance is captivating and playful. If you are wondering about the title-BUNS-this is in reference to the ‘hot cross buns’ that the Bryant Mountain House serves to their honored guests. BUNS is a delightful and charming story about two people struggling with their direction in life.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Buns it the third book on the Hudson Valley series, Archie and Clara are amazing characters, they developed feelings over time and I like that change of pace. I love the friendship between all the characters. The fun way Alice writes makes her books very enjoyable. I also found the intensity and drama within the series amazing. I suggest you read them all, but it can also be read as a stand-alone. Looking forward for the next book of the author.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I have really liked this first person narration series. Normally, I find first person story telling boring, but this series has been a delight. The heroines have all been surprisingly different and unique and their Beta Boys have been delightful. Humor and hot, hot sex scenes and romance, all make this series a real hit for me. This series isn't all fun and games, it addresses some very heavy subjects too and the characters actually show some growth.

Roxie, Natalie and Clara are besties. Roxie and Natalie have both found their HEA's with boys from Hudson Valley in upstate New York and they are rooting for lightening to strike a third time as hotel rebrander extraordinaire, Clara, is in Bailey Falls to help the Bryant Mountain House Resort find its way to the 21st century. Just like her friends, Clara has some baggage and issues and scars, but unlike them she has no family and her childhood was a series of unpleasant foster homes. That life dealt her a crappy hand is sad, but she overcame it to get an education and build a career that is, literally, her life. Her relationships with everyone, except her friends and her boss, are superficial and she likes it that way as she is never anywhere long enough for it to matter. She is another of the "I am a rock, I am an island" types. Until Archie.

Archie, son of the Bryant Mountain House Resort owner and heir apparent, does not like change, and he especially doesn't like anyone telling him his beloved hotel needs to change. The more he butts heads with Clara the hotter the sexual tension becomes. Well, you know what happens. But Archie has his own baggage, but he also wants Clara, even when he knows this is just temporary to her.

As Archie and the people of Bailey Falls find their way past Clara's defenses and into her heart, Clara has to decide if it's time to come off her island and into the family.

4 Love those Buns CROWNS

I am absolutely in love with the Hudson Valley series, partly because I love Bailey Falls and all of its inhabitants. More than the amazing town Alice Clayton has created, this series has been the epicenter for wonderful characters, hilarity, and old-school romances.

Buns follows the third woman in the trio of friends, Clara, a hotel specialist, and her very antagonistic relationship with Archie, the owner of the Bryant Mountain House. From the very beginning, there is no love lost between these two, and, in fact, any physical attraction is hidden behind their caustic relationship. As the novel progresses, not only do these two begin work together more efficiently, but they also begin to develop feelings for one another that are genuine. Through the development of their relationship, readers really get to see who these people are past the first impressions they originally have, and once readers get to see what is underneath they will absolutely love the characters of Archie and Clara, as well as the relationship they form.

Buns is a slow-baking story. Alice Clayton takes her time developing the relationship between Archie and Clara. Readers get to see them progress from co-workers to friends to a couple, and every moment is worth the journey. With this relationship, the author takes readers back to the days of true romance, where it is more than just how fast and quick the hero and the heroine get down and dirty. Buns is about finding your home, not in a place, but in a person. It is about embracing life and all the hardships faced and meeting them head on with the people they adore at their sides. It is also about recognizing when mistakes have been made and going full-out to rectify those wrongs. More than any of that, Buns is about family, traditions, and love, making it the epitome of the time-honored romance.

I have really enjoyed all of my visits to the Hudson Valley. Every return trip brings me to another great romance filled with laughter and love, and Archie and Clara's romance is the perfect way to bring it all home.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Buns is the third book in the Hudson Valley series and they can all be read as stand-alone books.

I started reading this book in the afternoon and just like all previous books by Alice Clayton that I have read so far, I wasn't able to put it down. I absolutely loved Clara and Archie together.

This book is funny, sweet, romantic and emotional.

I highly recommend this book series.

I give this 5 out of 5.

What is it about a man and the promise of phenomenal, memorable, amazing Buns? Sticky buns, that is . . . oh, all right, plus the nice buns presented in some perfectly ironed khaki pants. Pants worn by one Archie Bryant, the son of the owner of Bryant Mountain House. I’ll keep an eye on those buns anytime.

As will Clara Morgan as she goes about her daily duties in rebranding the hotel, to bring it back to its glory days. This is Clara’s dream job—one she does brilliantly, and then moves onto the next location. She’s not one to dally, not one to put down roots. But there’s just something about Bailey Falls and the grand traditions celebrated at Bryant Mountain House that draw Clara in—and there’s just something about Archie too.

Buns is far and away my favorite book of this series. While I like Nuts, did not enjoy Cream of the Crop. I was a bit hesitant at first, but there was something so compelling about Archie and Clara’s story that I knew I didn’t want to miss out on reading Buns. I really and truly loved it.

I loved the slower burn to Archie and Clara’s romance. Loved how they both wanted to bring out the best in Bryant Mountain House. Loved that they both brought out the best in each other. All the side characters—from Clara’s boss through all the hotel staff and Archie’s dad, Roxie and Leo, Natalie and Oscar, and Chad and Logan—brought out so much goodness and fun, and filled out the story line so well. I was fully engrossed in this latest Bailey Falls love story and it may just inspire a long weekend trip to the Catskills.

I loved this. So much. So very much! It was a fantastic mix of everything I adore in a story: humor, heart, and heat! Just when I think this series can't get better, Alice Clayton ups her game and does it again.

I thought this was fresh and fun and I loved Archie and Clara. There was this entertaining, argumentative tension between the two that just made the story inviting to read. Clara was just so tough and determined, I loved her strength and how she was so self reliant. Archie was the sweetest! So kind and carrying and I loved how dedicated he was to his hotel and how everyone seemed like family. This is told from Clara's POV and with all the wonderful descriptions I really got a great sense of who Archie was and understood him. There was excellent character development as their histories are learned and I loved the build to all their details.

I thought the storyline was spectacular and enjoyed the struggles both these characters were going through. I laughed and cried for them and felt so much for them. I have to say, their first kiss was THE BEST. I was laughing and cheering and think that was one of the best scenes ever. I loved seeing Natalie and Roxie (these two are hilarious!) and catching up with them and really enjoyed how the other characters from Bailey Falls were incorporated. There was just this great attention to detail that had me hooked.

The writing was excellent. It was laid out perfectly as we get to know the characters as they come together. I loved the bits of drama thrown in as well. I was excited for what was going to come next. It was light drama but I was still dying for my HEA. I honestly couldn’t get enough. I found myself sighing and thinking "oh Archie" with a big smile on my face because he was just the sweetest guy. And Clara, this girl with her strong, tough, I-can-do-it-on-my-own determination that I so admired was also her own biggest obstacle. I loved how everything worked out and finally getting to that aha moment and the spectacular ending.

It was all just fantastic. For me, reading this story is like being wrapped in a warm cozy blanket.... while your hanging out next to your obnoxious best friend, having a drink, and talking and laughing!

This story filled me up so much with the funny, the animosity, the emotion, and sexy times. I loved it all. Buns is seriously high in the entertainment department and is not to be missed.

This is absolutely my favorite book in this series!!

Everyone knows I love a good rivals to lovers story and Alice Clayton just pulled one off to perfection. There was just something so sexy about the tension building up between Archie and Clara that had me devouring this book as quickly as possible.
At first glance Archie came across as a bit stuffy, over-refined and stubborn, but as we get to know him he has this whole other relaxed, sexy and romantic side that I couldn't help but fall in love with. He was the perfect version of a man on the streets but a beast in the sheets that I found incredibly addicting.

Clara was smart, driven and super independent. It was almost fascinating to read about the ease at which she knew her job and how easily she seemed to seek out the issues the hotel had and how to fix them, and how she wasn't afraid to stand up for those ideas. As frustrating as it was to see her holding back from the feelings she was developing for Archie and even holding back from really letting herself fit in with her friends, when her full history is revealed, it was easy to empathize with her.

At first I thought that Archie, and his past, would be the obstacle that stood in the way of them getting their HEA but, frankly, the ease at which he let himself fall for Clara was my favorite part of this story. When that man let loose, he really let loose and it was super HOT!

This book seemed a little less detailed about the environment than the first two, but Alice Clayton still managed to paint a clear picture of the hotel and all of its history. I was able to get a clear picture of it without feeling overwhelmed with descriptions and was therefore able to focus more on the romance aspect between Archie and Clara and the friendships with the couples from the previous books. We even got a visit from Caroline and a reference to Simon from Wallbanger and an appearance from Jack and Grace from the Redhead series, which pretty much made my day!

This is a definite must read for anyone who is a fan of sexual tension blended with humor and/or Alice Clayton.