The Next Always

As I began to read this book I thought it was just a simple romance story. Widow (Clare) returns to her hometown with her children, the boy (Becket) who loved her in highschool becomes her friend and eventually it becomes more than that, and eventually they get married. Well, this was all in there, but there was more to the story. This is the first book in the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy featuring the three Montgomery brothers. They are renovating and old Inn hoping it will become a boutique hotel and bring in tourists to their small town. The dynamics in this family are great, they love their mother and have such a wonderful relationship with her. The Inn has some surprises in store for the reader and there is also a rather scary situation involving Clare. Becket has to convince Clare that she doesn't have to do everything on her own and it is okay to accept help from friends and that is not as simple as it sounds. It is a nice romance but there is some drama and suspense thrown in as well. I am looking forward to the rest of the series. ( )

The three Montgomery brothers, Beckett, Owen, and Ryder, and their mother Justine, have bought an old inn and are rehabbing it to reopen as a high-end bed & breakfast.

Widowed Claire Brewster is raising her three boys, and running a bookstore called Turn the Page across from the old inn. Her best friend Avery runs a restaurant, Vesta, nearby.

Their other best friend from college, Hope, is a hotel manager who wants to relocate away from DC.

Since this is a Nora Roberts romance novel, it hardly seems like a spoiler to say that this book is Claire and Beckett's story.

The setting is small town Virginia near a variety of tourist attractions. Roberts as always makes the character's likable and interesting, and adds a bit of the fantastic with ghost haunting the old inn. There's also an all too realistic, believable villain. It's a satisfying, enjoyable romance, with just enough excitement to keep it interesting.

Recommended.

I bought this audiobook. ( )

Love Nora Roberts. Love country inns. Love buildings and the details that go into them. Really sweet story. ( )

This story was delightful. And as a military wife, I must say that she "got" what it is like when the soldiers are gone. I don't know, thankfully, what it is like to be a soldier's widow, but the whole independent nature, do-it-myself, don't-share-the-small-stuff attitude that Clare has is right and true. ( )

Welp, my first Nora Roberts (not counting J. D. Robb) and it was just what I needed after my last intense listen, and a very personally stressful week. I really enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the little bit of paranormal activity that wasn't the center of the story, but was very important nevertheless. I will most likely be listening to the rest of the trilogy, since I really want to see gruff Ryder fall! I loved Beckett's interaction with Claire's boys, that was great. And the reason for Liam wanting a Barbie, that made me laugh out loud. ( )