Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Review -- The Last Boyfriend

The Last Boyfriend
Inn BoonsBoro—Book 2
By Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 1, 2012





The Last Boyfriend begins shortly after the previous book in Nora Roberts’s Inn BoonsBoro trilogy ended. Owen Montgomery, along with his brothers, mother, and aunt, are adding the finishing touches on the complete renovation of Inn BoonsBoro and getting it ready for the grand opening. Owen is the coordinator/organizer of the family’s construction business and keeps track of all the details. He’s always focused and composed, but when he shares a quick, heated encounter with Avery MacTavish, Owen gets flustered and begins to see his long-time friend in a different light.

Avery owns and runs Vesta Pizzeria which is located diagonally across the street from Inn BoonsBoro. She has watched her friends bring the inn back to life and witnessed her dear friend, Clare, find love again with the youngest Montgomery brother. While helping them, Avery shares a kiss with Owen, whom she has known forever and just happens to be the first boy she ever loved. (Granted, she was five and he was eight, but he did buy her a plastic ring from a bubblegum machine.) The kiss leaves Avery and Owen wondering if they should continue down the path of this new relationship or if they should just remain friends.

I really enjoyed The Last Boyfriend and it is in large part to its wonderful hero. I just loved Owen! He is anal retentive, a neat freak, and an obsessive list maker (squee!). On top of that, he is as loyal as the day is long and a total gentleman. It’s no wonder Avery had a thing for him! I like that they took their relationship slow and that he was patient with her when she had some serious issues to work through. I loved Avery as a secondary character (as Clare's sassy best friend) in the first book, but it took a bit for me to warm up to her as a heroine. She did a couple things that frustrated me, but she ultimately earned Owen's heart. And they shared a very sweet and sigh-worthy scene at the end. *g*  

Some readers may have a problem with Nora Roberts’s talk of construction, interior design, and such. I did not. It not only gave me a clear vision of the appearance of the inn, but I view it as a testament of how much she loves the actual inn this fictional one is based on. In the books, the inn is the central point of the stories and is almost as much of a character as the heroes and heroines themselves. And when they all finally experienced the grand opening in this story, every character’s excitement was completely contagious. J

The Last Boyfriend is a satisfying contemporary romance and a book I recommend. It is the second in the trilogy and stands completely on its own, though I believe reading The Next Always first would definitely enhance your enjoyment. It is great addition to the series and has me on pins and needles for the last book, The Perfect Hope, which releases in November.

~Andrea

16 comments:

  1. The trilogy sounds lovely. I will check it out.

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  3. This book was a bit of a miss for me. While I liked Owen and Avery, there were too many little things that took me out of the story. First, it was disconcerting that the first 50 pages didn't even feature Avery. I don't mind all the info on remodeling the inn, but it took away from the romance at the beginning of the book. I also found it odd that everyone seemed to believe that a crush at 5 years old equated to Owen actually being Avery's first boyfriend. This would have been more believable if they were a bit older or if they had at least dated in the first 25 years of their life. They were friends and that should have been the basis of the story. For most of their life, they loved each other but were not in love with each other until this book. Finally, why is it that none of Nora Roberts' characters are ever afraid of a ghost? The paranormal activity in her novels is never subtle. That said, this book has many enjoyable moments, but it's a flawed book.

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    1. Very good points, Kim. As for the ghost aspect, I would be spooked if it happened to me, that's for sure. In the story, I just went with the flow because it's fiction and the characters believe it.

      I actually enjoyed the romance of Beckett and Clare in the first book more than the romance between Owen and Avery in this one. I'm hoping that the sparks between Ryder and Hope equate to a terrific book for the last one. :)

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  4. Terrific review, Andrea! I've enjoyed both Inn Boonsboro books, but I must admit I'd rank them a tier or so below my favorite Nora series such as the Quinn Brothers and the Concannons.

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    1. Thanks, Janga! I will admit that (so far) I enjoyed her Bride Quartet a little more. :)

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  5. Awesome review Andrea! :) We've already messaged about this, so natch, I have to agree with everything you said in this review. Loved Owen, and the end was definitely sigh worthy. It's spot on. Definitely looking forward to The Perfect Hope! But at this point, is it any surprise that we're so in lockstep? lol

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! As you know, I enjoyed hearing your take on the story. I look forward to The Perfect Hope and dishing with you about that one, too!

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  6. Great review, Andrea! Looking forward to reading this series! :)

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    1. Thanks, Trisha! I think you'd enjoy it. :)

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  7. Great review, I haven't read a book by Nora and a while, must check this one out.

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  8. I love her trilogies/series. This will be another good addition to her body of work. I have no problem with her including construction and other details on the renovations. Yes, romances are about relationships and HEAs, but I need a story that is about more than just the relationship. We do not live in a vacuum. A lot of life goes on around us. It influences us, what we do, and our relationships.
    Thanks for the review.

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  9. Read an exciting love story in The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts. Interesting characters and events, adventures and love - you'll find this in the book.

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