Title: The Perfect Hope
Author: 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…
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…
Links:
The Perfect Hope on Goodreads
Kala's Review:
Nora Roberts books just keep getting more and more formulaic. I have already given up on her "In Death" series because the last few have bored me to tears. There is no spark in them anymore.
Despite that, I've generally enjoyed her trilogies. Chesapeake Bay and the Key trilogies are some of my favorites. The Bride quartet was also really good, and I had high hopes for the Inn Boonsboro series, but it just fell flat.
The Perfect Hope suffered from some of the same nonsense as The Last Boyfriend. The characters spend a lot of time talking and very little time doing anything. Hope and Ryder (the couple of this book) have a small kiss. We then have to slog through pages upon pages of Hope talking to Clare and Avery about it. Then Avery and Clare talking about it without Hope. Then Hope talking about it with Ryder's mother. Then Ryder talking about it with his brothers. Then the brothers talking about it without Ryder. None of these conversations was THAT important. Did we really every single character's opinion on a kiss between two unattached adults?
In The Perfect Hope, Roberts also continues her new trend of having her characters schedule sex. I'm sorry, but this is NOT sexy or romantic at all. Hope and Ryder admit to each other that they want to have sex, so they decide to schedule it for the following Tuesday. Avery and Owen did this in The Last Boyfriend as well. It's not funny, or sexy, or interesting at all.
Considering Roberts' publisher also charges $10 an ebook (sometimes closer to $15), I think I will be stopping here with her novels. There are so many other books out there that I can't continue wasting my time and money on stuff that just isn't magical anymore.
2 out of 5 stars.
Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/451617336
I have heard both good and bad things about her. Picked up one of her books on sale in Kmart the other day because I wanted to give it a shot. I didn't touch it yet since I have so many others to read first, but reading this review makes me cringe a little. I think the books are really priced up there as well
ReplyDeleteYeah, her books are definitely expensive and while they used to be worth it, with the influx of great self pubbed authors out there it just isn't anymore!
ReplyDeleteThis trilogy is the worst of all times from Nora.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember one trilogy where the ALL three books failed, big time.
I thought I was reading romances for geriatric public. They are so mellow that even on cardio machines you could hardly listen to a different beat during any of it.
The way I see it Nora wanted to get over with this trilogy and while I bought and read the first two and still hoped Ryder would redeem it, I think it is even worst. Even the ghost wrap up was boring.
I sure hope no one starts reading Nora with these books. She has great novels but lately they seem to fall short.
I loved The Witness and I'm really putting my hopes on next year's standalone. Never again I'll fall for the trilogy trap of waiting for the last to pay off, that's for sure.
Glad you read the same book. So far all reviews I've been reading seemed of people who wkimmed through the boring (which is 80%) and then reviewed the parts that people might have interest...
Thank you!
Thanks for the comment! I totally agree! Her older trilogies are so good, but this one is just terrible. And you're right, I didn't even bring up the ghost plotline because it was so boring I forgot about it.
ReplyDelete