Book Review: "The Next Always"

The Next Always (Inn Boonsboro #1)

by Nora Roberts

Goodreads Summary:  The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it’s getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. Beckett is the architect of the family, and his social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen.

Review: I have always been a sucker for romances, and really, no one does romances better than Nora Roberts.  In my opinion, her best books are the ones about the relationships and strong bonds that tie family and friends together.  While all her books highlight those connections, the ones that make it a focus have always been my favorite, and so I was very excited to see her doing the same with her new series.

However, it's not without its flaws.  Like with many of Roberts' books, it suffered from the same mold of characters that you see in almost every book of hers.  The villain was the usual you-love-to-hate-him type, and the main characters were kind of bland.  I was also surprised to see that the mother of the main trio of brothers had a smaller role than I thought she would.  On the plus side, you can tell that Roberts has meticulously researched the work it takes for a contractors to rebuild an old house.  I, for one, really enjoy the little details that highlight the careers that are the focus in her books.

Reading over my review, it sounds like I didn't particularly care for it, but that's not really true.  With a Nora Roberts book, you always know what you're getting.  It's reliable in a way that, even though it's not very exciting, it's familiar, and therefore enjoyable.  Throw in a couple of cold, rainy days, hot cocoa/cider, and a blanket, I was happy as a clam while reading this book. 

Rating: 3/5 - while kind of boring and reuses old character types, I still had fun reading it.