Review: The Next Always by Nora Roberts

The Next Always by Nora Roberts: Book CoverThe Next Always by Nora Roberts

  • Pub. Date: November 2011
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
  • Format: Paperback , 352pp
Synopsis:
The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, 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. As the architect of the family, Beckett’s 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…
My Thoughts:
I have been looking forward for the release of this book since I first hear about it.  I have been a Nora Roberts fan for many years as well as a huge bed a breakfast fan so the idea of a book revolving about the bed and breakfast in BoonsBoro, MD, which Nora Roberts actually owns, was super exciting.  I will say that the book did not disappoint.  I had very high expectations and was very happy with the outcome of this book.
While yes, the story is a typical Nora Roberts book it was a pleasant balance of two people starting a relationship even though they have a lot of history not only together but in their lives, as well, and the building of this beautiful bed and breakfast restoring an old hotel with a ton of history.  The descriptions of the hotel and how it comes along with all of the wonderful details was like you are really participating in the building process.  While for most people, I think the love story will be the draw to the story for me it was just the opposite, the story of the bed and breakfast is what pulled me in an kept me interested.
As in most of her trilogies, it was easy to identify the three woman who will play the main characters in each of these books.  In this book it is Clare and Beckett.  Beckett has had a crush on Clare since they were 15 years old but never made it known because she was dating a good friend of his and they ended up getting married.  But now Clare is a widow and have moved back to town with er her three young boys.  She run a very successful bookstore across the street from the Inn .  This also bring an interesting facet to the story for a book lover. Beckett and Clare see each other on a regular basis and it become obvious to both of them that there is an attraction.  It was great to see the relationship grow not just between Beckett and Clare but Clare’s boys as well.  As in most stories with a strong female, there is problems when Beckett tries to help her with things and Clare feels that she can take care of herself but they work through these issues.  Things become when the ghost come into the picture.  I am really looking for the next story hoping to get more glimpses into their life together.  While I know that the next book will be based on a different main woman, I am hoping that I will get to see more of these two and the boys.
My Rating: 
For me this was a 5 penguin story
I enjoyed all of the facets of the story
Especially the B&B

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should be Reading 

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Tears of Elios: The Elgean Chronicles by Crista McHugh: Book CoverThe Tears of Elios by Christa McHugh

Synopsis:

Shape-shifters’ Rule #1: Don’t let the humans know you still exist.

Rule #2: If a human finds out about you, silence them.

Some rules were meant to be broken…

Ranealya ruthlessly plays by the rules and has outlived most of her race because of it. If she wants to survive, she’ll have to stick to them, especially with a genocidal tyrant hell-bent on destroying all the non-humans in the realm. But everything falls apart when a human saves her life.

Gregor knows he’s inviting trouble when he helps a wounded shape-shifter, but he can’t pass up the opportunity to study one before they become extinct. She disturbs the quiet order of his scholarly existence, vexes him in more ways than he can count, and encourages him to break enough of the kingdom’s laws so that not even being the king’s cousin will save his head. The problem is, he’s already lost his heart.

Page 9

She moaned and reached for her left shoulder, eyes still closed.  The gracefulness of the action mesmerized him.  It surprised him that despite her wild appearance, there was something very regal about her.  If he ignored the rest of her body and focused on her face, she was actually quite lovely in an odd sort of way.  Her cheeks were soft and smooth, her lips full, although pale from her recent loss of blood.  Thick lashes cast shadows under her eyes.

Well that is my teaser what do you have for me?