The Perfect Hope

November 19, 2012
Ghosts, betrayal, misunderstanding, and jealousy take a hand in this enchanting final installment of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy by bestselling romance writer Roberts (The Last Boyfriend). Hotelier Hope Beaumont leaves her post at a swanky Washington, D.C., hotel following a humiliating romantic breakup with the owner's son, to reunite with friends in Boonsboro, Md., and become innkeeper of the charming Inn BoonsBoro, owned by the Montgomery family. Hope is warmly welcomed by all except Ryder Montgomery, the gauche yet sexy inn owner's son. Teasing sexual tension develops between cool, urbane Hope and unpolished Ryder, culminating in more than one heated liaison. Hope believes their burning obsession is only filling a carnal need; the reader will have less trouble recognizing the truth. Roberts provides a spectral subplot fraught with sightings and physical contact between the inn's resident lovelorn, meddling ghost, Lizzy, and Hope, Ryder, and one very annoying guest. Incredibly, no one questions the existence of the long-departed honeysuckle-scented Lizzy, who is desperately searching for her deceased beau, Billy, a Civil War soldier. Although Roberts sets a slow pace, presumably to mirror life in a small town, she doesn't disappoint when all the loose ends come together at the end.

October 15, 2012

Betrayed, emotionally drained, and through with the Washington, DC, lifestyle, Hope Beaumont has sworn off love and found her niche on the slopes of Maryland's Blue Ridge Mountains as the innkeeper for Boonsboro's recently renovated hotel. Surrounded by friends, immersed in her job, and even comfortable with Lizzy, the inn's resident ghost, Hope is content--except for her inexplicable attraction to prickly, macho Ryder Montgomery. But when confrontations with her former fiance and his insolent wife put Hope on edge and Ryder on the move, the action heats up, and the sparks begin to fly. An infusion of local history and a dusting of magic add layers of charm to this engaging contemporary romance that bubbles over with likable characters (family matriarch Justine Montgomery is a standout) and is sure to leave readers smiling. VERDICT With stellar pacing, humorous flair, and unerring insight into what makes families tick, Roberts wraps up another winning trilogy that is a natural for fans of down-home, community-based series. Roberts (The Last Boyfriend) lives in Keedysville, MD.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2012
Really, would it kill Ryder Montgomery to at least be polite to Hope Beaumont in public? After all, Hope is in charge of the Montgomerys' Inn BoonsBoro, and Ryder is constantly underfoot while working on some new Montgomery construction project, so they need to find some way to maintain a professional working relationship. Yet whenever Hope and Ryder cross paths, the best she can expect from him is a kind of surly sexiness. But when Hope's romantic past in the form of her old lying, cheating boyfriend, Jonathan Wickham, comes to BoonsBoro with an offer he believes Hope can't refuse, Ryder proves to be an unexpected ally. Now Hope finds herself reassessing Ryder in a new and quite possibly romantic light. With her customary literary skill, Roberts wraps up her latest emotionally engaging, exceptionally entertaining contemporary trilogy by not only matching up the last Montgomery brother with his perfect romantic counterpart but also resolving the mystery of Eliza Ford, the ghost haunting the inn.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)