Ramblings of a Daydreamer: Review: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

Series: Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book #3

Published: November 6th, 2012

Publisher: Berkley Trade

308 pages (paperback)

Genre: Contemporary romance

Acquired this book: From the library

Warning: Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read The Next Always and The Last Boyfriend

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Book Depository || Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of The Next Always || Read my review of The Last Boyfriend}

The Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother are breathing new life into the town of Boonsboro, Maryland, by restoring its historic hotel. And they’re finding their own lives revamped by love. This is Ryder’s story... 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. And though 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...

One of the things I love most about Nora Roberts’ books, particularly her trilogies, is that she really makes you feel invested in the characters. As the last book in the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy, when I picked up The Perfect Hope, I was happy to be reunited with the Montgomery clan and their women, and also sad to see them go.

I love that Roberts ties in the main characters of the first two books in the trilogy, but the main story is still of Hope and Ryder. It’s exciting to see how far the other characters have come, what they’re up to, and how their lives all intertwine, but it’s also fun to watch the last couple in the trilogy go through their own issues and fall in love.

Going back to the knack Ms Roberts has for making you feel invested in the characters, I really did love these characters. The brotherly bond between Ryder, Owen, and Beckett was so strong and alternately made me laugh and cry. The same goes for the friendship between Hope, Avery, and Clare. The scenes with Clare’s boys were hilarious and touching, and the way everything was wrapped up was just perfect.

While I loved this book on an emotional level for so many reasons - I seriously want to live in BoonsBoro and be part of the Inn and the bookstore and Vesta and MacT’s and be friends with these characters - the story was kind of lacking in actual plot. Going into the third book of a romance trilogy, you have an idea what’s going to happen, but Roberts is usually really good at creating tension and friction. With the exception of a few scenes, there was no real conflict in the story - it was pretty much the day-to-day happenings of the inn, Ryder’s job, the family dynamics, and the friends getting together. I could see how some people might be disappointed or might not enjoy it, particularly if you have no interest in how an inn is run (I personally do, I’ve always wanted to work at an inn or B&B). For me, despite the slightly lacking plot, I loved the story because I connected with it on an emotional level.

The Perfect Hope was a wonderful ending to a trilogy that I really enjoyed. Reading Nora Roberts’ books is always a pleasure, and the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy was no different. Whether you’re a fan of Roberts’ books or you’ve never read them, anyone who enjoys contemporary romance should read this trilogy.

On a side note, after I finished reading the book and went to write my review I couldn’t remember where BoonsBoro was, so I Googled it and discovered the Inn is not only a real place, but it’s owned by Nora Roberts herself. I was so excited! It has a fascinating story behind it (you can visit their site for more information), and as soon as I discovered it was a real place and that the rooms are as they were in the books (they're based on famous literary couples), I added ‘staying at the Inn BoonsBoro’ to my bucket list! I think this is a place that would appeal to any fellow book lovers. ;-)

Have you read any of the books in the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy? What did you think? Have you read any of Nora Roberts other books?