Buns

I've liked all of the Hudson Valley books, but this one is probably my favorite. It's not as RomCom as the previous ones. Buns is a little more serious. Clara hasn't had the easiest life. She grew up in foster care and learned that she couldn't depend on others. She can't be tied down to any commitments because she doesn't want to be let down by anyone. Her life is pretty much her job. She's actually a sweetheart, but most don't get a chance to know her. Archie is an interesting character. He's kinda nerdy and sporty. Because of his past, he's pretty much all business also. His work ethic makes him come off as rude, but he quickly becomes one of the kindest guys ever. Clara and Archie meet when she is hired to remodel his resort. It's bumpy sometimes, but their relationship is inevitable. If you're looking for a more realistic romance that still has that happy ever after glow, definitely read this story.

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall: 4 Narration 5 Story 3 I’ve not listened to any of the titles in Clayton’s Hudson Valley series, but with the title, cover art and narrative team of Elizabeth Louise and Jason Carpenter, I couldn’t resist. Easily read on its own, the story is focused on the Bryant Mountain House, a run-down family-owned resort known for 150 years of tradition and the to-die-for, gooey, sweet hot cross buns. Clara is a rebranding expert in the industry, hired by the Bryant family to bring the resort into a more modern feel and bring in new clients. She’s good at her job and has plenty of ideas, if not many traditions from her rather difficult upbringing. Archie Bryant is stuck in the past – he’s not wanting things to change too much, and he’s certain that Clara can’t keep the feel that he knows of the old place and still make things work well enough to stay open. The resort is his touchstone and sole focus after losing the love of his life, and anyone who wants to change that and alter his memories will be in for a fight. Clever and fun, if a bit familiar from the trope standpoint, Clara and Archie have instant chemistry which both are fighting tooth and nail. Neither is particularly open to a relationship: Archie is still in love with his wife and sees no reason to change that. Clara, having been raised in foster care with an unstable and drug-addicted mother never really set down roots and built relationships, moving from place to place and always looking for that next moment. The life on the road with few commitments to stick around suits her well, and she’s using her past to keep her future at bay. But chemistry cannot be denied – and Archie’s honest approach to life, love and the comfort that comes with having a place in the world that is wrapped up in family, memories, friendships and traditions are all wishes that Clara holds, even if she can’t bring herself to voice them, or even acknowledge those dreams. A bit on the predictable side in terms of progression, the characters are engaging and there isn’t a ton of angst mixed in, allowing the electric chemistry to sparkle and keep the story moving. The duo of Elizabeth Louise and Jason Carpenter present the narration for this story, and their pairing is wonderfully evocative of the moments in the relationship between Archie and Clara. From the moments where Clara knows what she can do to improve things against Archie’s rather grudging approach to allowing them, through the changes he experiences as he sees the increase in traffic and happy guests, they move the story forward and present each character with appropriate emotional overlays, stridency or hesitancy, and make the story easy to listen to. Dual narrations can get tricky, and these two navigate both the voices and patois of each main characters, but present voices distinct enough in tone and delivery for secondary characters: each was clearly identifiable by voice, and voice that came with an emotion appropriate to their moment. A solid performance of a good story, familiar to frequent romance readers but enjoyable nonetheless. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Simon and Schuster Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Alice Clayton gives us characters that people can relate to; who like every other person has a messy past, but is moving forward in life. This book especially so... It was a good read.