Review - Buns by Alice Clayton

Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….

Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.

It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.

 

 

Buns is the third novel in the Hudson Valley series. Like the other two, the cover drew me in. It’s quirky but sexy. Buns is written in First person point of view. It’s definitely meant for mature readers, lots of steamy scenes.

In this novel Clara, who works at helping hotels who are in trouble, goes to work at Bryant Mountain House. Not only does she need to worry about the staff, but also the owners’ son Archie Bryant, who will inherit the hotel.

Alice is amazing at creating characters that are distinct and likable. They have flaws but it’s so great to discover how they play into the storyline. I really liked Clara, the calmest in my opinion, of the three friends. Her past, growing up in foster care, is the reason why she tries to stay unattached. I wasn’t sure what I thought about Archie at first, but I learned to like him more and more as I began to understand him.

Since I’ve read a few other novels by Alice, I was expecting them to come with humor and Buns was no exception. When you have so many characters who are fun and their conversations are full of innuendos you get a supper sexy and hilarious story.

An advance complimentary copy of this book was supplied by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

ALICE CLAYTON worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop).

She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her.

Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog.