Review: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

Berkley Trade

November 2012

Format: Paperback, 336 pages

First line: With a few groans and sighs, the old building settled down for the night.

From the back cover: 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…

My thoughts: This is the final book in Nora Roberts’ Inn BoonsBoro trilogy. I went into this book both excited to finally read about Ryder’s story but also with some sadness because this is the last time we will be able to visit with these characters. This is my love/hate relationship with series and trilogies – we get to really know the characters and become invested in their lives over the course of the series but then when it ends, it’s like you’ve suddenly lost your best friend.

The Perfect Hope is primarily Ryder and Hope’s story. From the first time these characters meet in book 1, there’s immediate chemistry, although neither is willing to admit it. When they finally succumb to that first kiss, it’s really no surprise that they take a straight-talking, honest approach to their relationship. There’s no room for misconceptions with these two – Hope even asks point blank if Ryder is planning on sleeping with her. It’s really no surprise that these two end up together – that was easy to predict even from the first book. What I enjoy is the ride they take to get there – a ride that is not without some major interruptions.

The other main story-line in this book deals with the mystery surrounding the inn and the resident ghost. This was perhaps my favorite part of the whole trilogy. I loved learning about Lizzy’s story and how everyone was invested in finding her Billy. When we finally get the whole story, I got goosebumps! This may be surprising since I’m not really a big fan of the whole paranormal genre, but for some reason it just works in this series. With the restoration of an old building and the history of the small town, it just all fits together.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and really wish I could stay at the Inn BoonsBoro – perhaps there will be a trip to BoonsBoro, MD sometime soon! What a treat for an avid reader – rooms named after literary romantic couples that got their happily ever after! If you could stay at an inn that named rooms after literary couples, who’s room would you want to stay in?

(I borrowed this book from the library.)

Books in this series:

1. The Next Always
2. The Last Boyfriend
3. The Perfect Hope