Nora Roberts – The Next Always

The first book in the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy series, published November 1, 2011.
Genre: contemporary romance (with a ghost)
Cover: nice, I want to stay there



The historic hotel in BoonsBoro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumoured hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers.
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...
After loosing her husband, Clare Brewster has returned home with her three young sons to run the town’s bookstore. Clare finds herself drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look at the building - and the man behind it. These stolen moments are the beginning of something new – and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next…


Clare fell in love with her future husband in highschool, when she was 15. When she was 19 they got married, and Clare followed Clint to live as an army wife. She got pregnant with her sons every time he was home on leave, and those were happy times, they both wanted a big family. Clare only found out she was pregnant with their third son when the dreaded visit came, and she was told Clint died in action, leaving her a widow. She was devastated, and only knew one thing, she had to go back home, to Boonsboro, Maryland, to her parents. Her parents and Clint’s parents helped her build a new life for herself and her sons. With the check the government gave her, she went after her own dream and opened a bookshop in Boonsboro. Her life is very busy with managing the bookstore and taking care of her boys but she loves it. She also has a very good friend in Avery, who owns the local pizzeria next door.

Beckett Montgomery has been in love with Clare since he was sixteen, but she never had eyes for him, so he pined in silence. Or not so silent as his brothers love to remind him, by playing (badly) self written songs on his guitar. Now Clare has been back for a few years, and he is still in love with her. He loves coming into the bookshop in the morning and buy a cup of fresh coffee, and browse for a new book. He and his brothers, his mother and his aunt are busy renovating the oldest stone building in Boonsboro, the Inn, planning to make it into an upscale bed- and breakfast. The whole town is curious about how things are going, as there is a big tarp obscuring the view, and so is Clare. She has always liked the old building. So when Beckett invites her to come inside and look around, she quickly accepts. Of course it is still a major work in progress, but she can see what they are planning, and it will be fabulous.

When Beckett asks her to write the brochure for the inn, Clare jumps at the chance. She really wants to do it, and if it means spending more time in the inn and with Beckett, she is all for it. Beckett is happy that he finally has the chance to get to know the current Clare, and to his own surprise, he really likes to hang out with her three sons.

Beckett and his family have accepted that the inn is haunted by a female ghost, especially in the Elizabeth and Darcy room, so they have named her Elizabeth. When you smell honeysuckle, you know she is around. Beckett likes having her around, he just knows she is a good spirit, although a bit mischievous at times when she keeps opening the door to the porch.


I liked the slow building relationship between Beckett and Clare, and her sons. They are very much a part of her life, and Beckett understands that, and accepts it. He really cares for the boys, and plays with them. In those instances, he is just a big boy himself, playing with the Power Rangers. And his own brothers enthusiastically help him making new toys for them. Of course they also tease him a lot, which is fine, it is what a close family does.

Clare didn’t know she could feel real love again after Clint, she has only dated a few times without any success, and now Beckett is interested in her. But the more she sees him; and his genuine care for her and her boys, the more she falls for him. And when a lunatic stalker sets his eye on her, he is there for her, as are her two best friends, Avery and Hope. Hope is the new Innkeeper, who has recently moved from Baltimore to Boonsboro, and she really has fallen in love with the Inn.

I really liked Beckett and his family a lot, and also Clare who is level headed and hard working and a good mother. Of course I know that Avery and Hope will be the next couples in the book with Beckett’s brothers, but that is allright. Each story will be different as the characters are different.

The descriptions of renovating the Inn and all the fixtures and furniture takes up a lot of the book, but I am ok with that, I enjoyed reading about it and I can only dream of visiting there one day. Yes, the Inn is real. The characters are not.

This is another Nora Roberts feel-good romance, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. In fact, I ordered the next two books in the series, which I really should not have done, as I am suffering from a book buying ban.

8 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian