Bestselling author of Wallbanger and Rusty Nailed is back with Nuts, the first in a brand new series set in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley.
Roxie Callahan is a private chef to some of Hollywood's wealthiest, and nastiest, calorie-counting wives. After a dairy disaster implodes her carefully crafted career in one fell ploop, she finds herself back home in upstate New York, bailing out her hippie mother and running the family diner.
When gorgeous local farmer Leo Maxwell delivers her a lovely bunch of organic walnuts, Roxie wonders if a summer back home isn't such a bad idea after all. Leo is heavily involved in the sustainable slow food movement, and he likes to take his time. In all things. Roxie is determined to head back to the west coast as soon as summer ends, but will the pull of lazy fireflies and her very own Almanzo Wilder be enough to keep her home for good?
Roxie discovers her hometown gives her more opportunities than she anticipated in this adult contemporary romance.
All the ingredients (pun intended) are there for a great story about two people falling in love at just the right time. And yet, I felt removed from it all. I didn’t feel the vibe between Roxie and Leo despite the emphasis placed on their relationship. They had chemistry, but it felt hollow to me. Passing, if you will. I did like Leo’s backstory, and I wish it had been mixed into the story earlier on.
While the romance may have felt tepid, Roxie’s discovery of herself and her evolving craft were enjoyable. I absolutely adore stories about cooking and baking. It was fun watching her organically move into a direction that made absolute sense. On top of a fun career, her relationships outside of the romance were memorable and supportive. I read for the romance; I stayed for the self-discovery.
tl;dr The romance didn’t do much for me, but I did love the main character’s over arching development as a career woman.
