The Next Always: Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book 1 by Nora Roberts
The readers can download The Next Always: Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book 1 Audiobook for free via Audible Free Trial.
Summary
The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, the changing of hands, and even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major face-lift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect in 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 sixteen. After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town's bookstore. Though busy and with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett's transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look...at both the building and the man behind it. With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett is happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time, in between blueprint meetings and kindergarten pickups. It's no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something that could arouse the secret yearning that resides in Clare's independent heart - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next...
This series is pretty awesome! I absolutely adored the characters in this book. And can we just talk about Beckett's name? It's so cool! By the way, I've already read Owen's story and had a blast with it. In fact, I'm reading it again right now, counting down the hours until Ryder's story comes out tomorrow. Oh, and the narrator? They're top-notch! Really added to my enjoyment of the audiobook.
I enjoyed the fresh storyline of 'The Next Always: Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book 1'. The characters, especially the brothers, felt authentic and relatable. The small town setting added an extra charm to the narrative. The narrator did an excellent job with the voices of the brothers, capturing their essence perfectly. The pacing of the narration was spot on, allowing for genuine emotions to be conveyed. However, I found the children's voices to be subpar, and the female voices weren't particularly impressive either.
I really enjoyed this story and I'm excited to read the rest of the books in the series. I was hesitant to buy it at first because of the negative reviews about the narration, but I actually found the narrator's style and delivery to be quite enjoyable. It was really soothing to listen to. Even though it can be challenging for a male narrator to voice female characters, I think he did a pretty good job. The children's voices sounded fine to me as well. Overall, his performance was very professional. I'm a big fan of NR's stories and this one definitely ranks among my favorites. Thank you for this wonderful book. Oh, and I absolutely adored the cover!
Would you change anything about this book?
I would suggest that Brilliance Audio should have opted for a female narrator to voice the women and boys characters. It taught me a valuable lesson: always listen to the sample and hope that it includes parts where multiple roles interact. Especially if you've already read the book.
What did you enjoy most about the story?
The storyline was absolutely terrific. I could vividly visualize the entire story unfolding in my mind. Nora Roberts' characters are well-developed and filled with love. Her writing flows so naturally and realistically. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between parents and children. I can confidently say that I have never come across a bad Nora Roberts book, whether in written or audiobook form.
How could the performance have been improved?
While Mr. Andrews' narration for the male characters was spot on and perfect, he struggled with voicing the women and children. His portrayal of these characters made them sound whiny and weak, which really got on my nerves. They sounded nothing like the strong and vibrant characters that Nora Roberts typically creates. This was a major disappointment, especially considering that this is one of her best series.
What would have made this romance even more captivating?
Having a dual narration, with both a male and female narrator, would have made this romance truly irresistible.
Any additional thoughts?
Take it from me, learn from my experience. If you have already read the book and found it engaging, make sure to listen to the sample that the service provides to see if you have the same reaction to the audio version. Personally, I bought the second and third books in the series before getting around to listening to the first one, but I'm confident that I'll still be able to enjoy them. #tagsgiving #sweepstakes #Fun #HappyEnding #UnreliableNarrator
I don't know why, but whenever I come across a narration by a man, especially for a romance book, I cringe. I rarely ever find a man's voice that can even come close to a woman's. It just turns me off right from the start. I just wish the producers would take into consideration what we, the listeners, prefer when selecting the narrators for their authors. I'm confident that this book could have been improved if it had been read by someone like Lauren Fortgang, who is an exceptional narrator for romance novels. Take, for instance, the sampler of "Bad Boys Do." It could have made a tremendous difference for Ms. Roberts' audiobook. Actually, most of her books could benefit from better narration.
I listened to this audiobook at a slightly faster speed and MacLeod Andrews did a great job as the narrator, although he could have read a bit faster. However, the text itself wasn't complicated or challenging, so there was no need to slow down.
The story is set in a small historic town in Maryland, specifically the BoonsBoro Inn, which is actually owned by Nora Roberts and her husband, Bruce Wilder. While it's nice to have a personal connection to the story, the author seemed to focus too much on describing the inn and its reconstruction. It almost felt like an advertisement, which became boring after a while. The heroine also works at the bookstore, Turn the Page, which is also owned by Bruce and possibly Nora.
There is a ghost in the story, although it only plays a minor role. Some readers may not enjoy the paranormal element, but it didn't bother me.
The main characters are the Montgomery brothers, Beckett, Ryder, and Owen, along with their widowed mother. Beckett, an architect, is the hero of the story and has had a crush on Clare Brewster (formerly Murphy) since he was 16. Clare is a war widow with three young sons and her best friend is Avery. I personally enjoy books with well-written child characters, so I might revisit this one.
Another reviewer mentioned that there was some foul language in the book, which they found off-putting. They felt that it was included randomly to make the male characters seem more masculine, but it didn't feel natural. They also mentioned token religious profanity, which bothered them.
I ain't one to give up easily. Even though I'm writing this review early, my thoughts ain't gonna change. Let me tell ya, this book is a total snooze fest. And to make things worse, the narration is just plain horrific! The way the narrator voices the female characters makes 'em sound like brainless, pouty airheads, and the little boys sound like characters straight outta South Park. Now, I'm a fan of South Park, so normally that'd be a good thing, but somehow he manages to make it all sound real off-putting. With 5 hours left to go, I had to speed up the narration to 1.25x just to get through it. If you're still thinkin' about listenin' to this book, I highly recommend takin' that action. All in all, it's a big thumbs down from me.
The narration of this audiobook was absolutely terrible! Like seriously, who in the world is responsible for choosing the narrators for these books? I bought this for my nook and let me tell you, I absolutely adore the book itself, but the recording just didn't do it justice. It's such a shame because now I'm having second thoughts about getting the rest of the series if they stick with the same narrator.
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