The Perfect Hope (Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy #3)
by Nora Roberts
Blurb:
Ryder
is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out—with a tough-as-nails outside
and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when
he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except
apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro…
As
the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but
that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the joys of small-town living. She’s
where she wants to be—except for in her love life. Her only interaction with
the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seems
to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles
between them…a spark that ignited with a New Year’s Eve kiss.
While
the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring
instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome—and
embarrassing—appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and
makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect
for him…
Review:
The
perfect hope was the last story in the Inn Boonsboro series. The series has been sweet and heartwarming
like all Nora Robert’s series with interesting characters and a fun plotline. I will say it seemed a bit more lackluster
than I am used to from Nora. There were
parts from other series (like the haunting similar to the Garden Series) that
seemed a bit like recycling to try to make the overall story line more interesting. Had she just focused on the remodeling of
the Inn itself and the romance lines I would have more thoroughly enjoyed the
series.
Focusing
only on The Perfect Hope (love the pun with the name too), the story of Hope
and Ryder finally coming together was fun to read. The heat has been building from the beginning
between these two and to finally see them give in to it was fascinating. The direct approach they both take to their
fling is refreshing, but of course no one can separate their feelings from their
flings forever. As their romance and
their friendship grow slowly into love you get a small taste of how their
personalities being so different allow them to blend together so well.
I
was hoping for a bit more heat in the story as a lot of the sensuality inherent
a Roberts’ novel was just glossed over in this story. We get a lot of hints about what is happening
but very seldom do we get the details we want.
Ryder is perfectly alpha and everything you could want in a man. He’s a big strong guy, who looks after all
the women in his life and works to make sure that his friends and family know
how much he loves them. Hope on the
other hand is a little bit less likeable of a character for me. She is overly self-protective and
argumentative with Ryder, but the friendships she has formed with the other
women in the story give her a bit more likeability.
Lizzy
the ghost of course plays a major part in this story because we finally get to
find out who her Billy was and why she’s hanging around the Inn still. Though
this part of the series seemed like it was recycled from other series, it was
still fun to see how she interacts with the living around her and how she gets
hers points across. There were some very
funny scenes involving Lizzy and the guests of the Inn. And when they finally
find Billy there was a moment or two to bring tears to your eyes.
Overall,
this story was a decent ending to the series.
All the plot lines were wrapped up and we got a sweet relationship to
bring together the last two couples in the little group. There was plenty of romance in the story,
though it was lacking a lot of the heat I like to see. Ryder and Hope together
were a very likeable couple, and individually in the end both amiable
characters. I was hoping for more of a
bang with the confrontations from Hope’s past, but they seem more in the story
to cause tension and hurdles for Ryder and Hope than anything. I’m hoping the upcoming series is more a
return to the stories of magic, mystery, and passion that we expect from Nora,
but I will definitely not stop reading.
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