Thursday, December 6, 2012

Review -- The Perfect Hope

The Perfect Hope
Inn BoonsBoro—Book 3
By Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 6, 2012





The Perfect Hope is the last book in the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy by Nora Roberts set in the beautiful town of Boonsboro, Maryland. This one features the oldest Montgomery brother, Ryder. He, along with his brothers and mother, have completely renovated and opened Inn BoonsBoro, a picturesque bed and breakfast located in the heart of the square. In the first book, The Next Always, Justine Montgomery hires Hope Beaumont practically on the spot for the innkeeper position. Ryder was opposed to how quickly it was done, especially since Hope was the first (and only) person his mother interviewed. But Ryder has since had to eat his words, so to speak, because Hope has done a terrific job running the inn. 

Hope is no stranger to the job—after all, she efficiently managed an upscale hotel in the middle of Washington D.C. for years. The only reason she isn’t still there is because her romance with the hotel owner’s son fell flat after she discovered he had cheated on her. Coming to Boonsboro and landing the innkeeper position was the perfect solution as she had friends there and she liked the small town atmosphere. Everyone seems glad that she was hired...everyone except for surly Ryder Montgomery. Hope is not sure how to read him—one minute he’s snapping at her and the next he’s looking at her like he’d like to jump her bones. She decides to take matters into her own hands and find out what his deal is when a blast from her past arrives on the scene.  

The Perfect Hope is a wonderful addition to the series and is my favorite of the three books. It has two things I love—an “enemies to lovers” type theme and a churlish, but loyal, bad boy hero. There’s just something about a hero with an attitude that is incredibly sexy to me. Justine Montgomery perfectly describes her son to Hope during one scene in the book: 

“He’s a good man, like I said. A Clever one. Smart, hardworking, and he tells the truth whether you like it or not. If he’s not going to tell the truth, he doesn’t say anything. He’s got a sweet side that doesn’t always show, and a surly one that too often does.” 

Ryder and Hope are total opposites who constantly spar with words yet can’t seem to completely deny their mutual attraction. They shared a New Year’s Eve kiss in the previous book which really sparked the sexual tension between them. Neither is looking for anything permanent, but as we know, that’s when love usually finds you. I enjoyed watching them give in and fall for each other. With a title like The Perfect Hope and a heroine with the same name, readers might infer that Hope is supposed to be “perfect”. I assure you she is not, though she is perfectly matched with Ryder. 

The previous couples and secondary characters are in this one, including the inn’s resident ghost, Lizzy. She figures more prominently in this one as Hope and the others are closing in on solving her mystery.

If you’re a fan of Nora or if you just love small town contemporary romance, The Perfect Hope is a book you are sure to enjoy!

 
~Andrea

22 comments:

  1. Great review Andrea!
    As you know I was a bit ambivalent about this book and the whole series to a certain extent for several reasons. I'm definitely more excited to give The Perfect Hope a chance now! :) You adressed the one of the major issues I've had-the "Perfect Hope" label and Hope's portrayal in the first two books.

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    1. Glad to hear it, Lisa! I really like Hope. :)

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  2. I really enjoyed this series! Now I want to visit the "real" Inn Boonsboro!

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    1. You and me both, Cheryl. I bet it is just as beautiful and luxurious in person.

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  3. The Perfect Hope was my favorite too, Andrea, but I'll admit that this series is not one of my favorite Nora series. I was reading her list of 2013 new releases and reissues the other day and saw that both the Chesapeake Bay books and the Born in books are being reissued this year for what must be about the fifth or sixth time, and readers still love them. I wonder if the Inn Boonsboro books will wear that well. I think the Bride quartet will, but I'm not so sure about these books. However, it's just in comparison with other Nora books they suffer; they're still a winning read for me among contemporary romances generally.

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    1. Janga, I will admit that I enjoyed the Bride Quartet series better than this one. I may have to look into getting the Chesapeake Bay series as I've had quite a few people recommend it to me.

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    2. Andrea, I highly recommend the Chesapeake Bay series. It's one of my all-time favorite contemporary series by any author.

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    3. I'm sold! Now to find the time... LOL

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  4. I hate to even admit this but I've not read any of her books! I KNOW! I do own quite a few but I started out thinking I would get a series that went on forever and then I had so many (but not all) that I was afraid I'd get so hooked I'd have to go out and get everything if possible or I'd be spending months and months just reading her lol. One of these days I'm going to start... I've said the same thing about the Outlander series lol.

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    1. Catslady, I said that same thing for a long time...until I read her Bride Quartet. I loved them! I haven't read the Outlander series either!

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    2. You could start with one of her Christmas stories. Every year I reread First Impressions and The Gift. They are stand-alones.

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  5. I love small town romances and I haven't read any of Nora's books in years.

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    1. Small town romances are great, aren't they, Quilt Lady?

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  6. Great review, Andrea! I enjoyed The Perfect Hope a lot. I liked this series.

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  7. I thought I was the only one on the planet that hasn't read any of Nora Roberts books but I see Catslady is with me in the pool of "haven't read". This review has made me want to give her a try with this one. The hero sounds like someone I'd enjoy. For the record....Gabaldon's Outlander series is a must read! I cannot stress that enough. I haven't read anything else that she's written but that series won me over back in '93 and I've been with the series ever since. Jamie and Claire are one of the greats where character couples go.

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    1. Leah, I love Ryder. He is so yummy! One of these days I'm going to have to give Jamie a try. ;-)

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  8. I have been looking forward to this last book coming out. I'll sit down and read the series after the Christmas season. For me, they are always so much better read one right after the other. It keeps the characters and storyline fresh.

    I have checked out the website for her inn in Boonsboro. She has offered a night on Brenda Novak's on line auction for diabetes the past several years. One of these days I hope to be able to stay there. If you haven't seen it, it is worth a peek.

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    1. I like to do that, too, librarypat...if I'm able to. You're right, it does keep it fresh. :)

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  9. i enjoy this series very much! ryder and hope are so much fun to read. but compared to chesapeake bay series, i still like chesapeake better

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    1. One more rec for Chesapeake Bay! Thanks, Sienny!

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  10. I did love this series and have already devoured The Perfect Hope, I am an NR fan and haven't read one yet that I didn't like. My all time favorite NR is the Sister's Island Trilogy. Perhaps because it was the first NR I read.

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