Houston mom

As complete opposites, the relationship between Avery and Owen provides an interesting plot line as we learn more about Avery's past and why she's so driven. The narrator improved slightly, losing the grating child voices and picking up the pace, so overall it was a very nice "read".

This was such a wonderful listen. Since I don't like books that dwell on the tragedy that sets up the inevitable happy ending, I'd score this one a perfect 10 for giving you enough background to understand where they were coming from, but not so much that it dragged out. The book just kept getting better from there, making me laugh, making me cry and making me fall in love with the characters. Jillian and Collin had wonderful real-life qualities and quirks, and a chemistry that made Robyn Carr's trademark love scenes steam up your glasses. Although I'm not a gardener, I greatly enjoyed hearing about all the intricacies of ... whoops, that would be a spoiler. Let me just say that her research paints a vivid backdrop for the love story. Throw in the other sub-plots with Denny and her sister, and you've got a winner. Can't wait to start the next book in the morning!

Bella seems a little shallow at first, but as the book goes on, you see that she has more layers, as does her relationship with Jacob. I have to agree with other reviewers that this is more a steamy Harlequin romance than story, but the story does keep you wondering 'who dunnit' and is fun. The narrator is tolerable, but has almost no differentiation between characters' voices, and when she does, it sounds strained. If you liked this story, then be sure to read/listen to the Animal Magnetism series. It has much better character development and plots that keep you turning the page.

This is another great addition to the Sullivan series as we follow Smith Sullivan's journey to find true love. It has Bella Andre's characteristic upbeat feel that will make you smile as well as steam up your glasses. The underlying plot of a woman who doesn't want to get involved with an actor, is strong enough to carry the story, but there are several spots in the book where the dialog is just cheesy enough to warrant an eye roll. That said you can't help but fall in love with the characters and wish your family was as perfectly imperfect as the Sullivans. Eva Kaminsky continues to do a good job as narrator, though I do wish she would try some other technique for a male voice than to lower it to a whisper. I find that running the story on 1.25x speed is just right for not changing the inflections, but keeping things moving along. If you want an author who is nearly as funny and can create interesting characters like Nora Roberts, but with 3x the steam, Bella Andre is a sure bet.

I'm with the other reviewers who have noticed that the story lines in this series just keep getting better. The reluctant widow (Megan) who doesn't want to get involved with another man in a risky job (Gabe- the firefighter) is a surprisingly endearing plot that is well crafted. I found myself listening even when I wasn't commuting just to find out what was going to happen next. On to book 4!

I nearly quit listening to this book when the inevitable misunderstanding happened halfway through it and I didn't want to deal with angst through the rest. However, the angst, while lasting longer than I like, did wrap up quickly enough that I was able to get to the end and really enjoy the way the characters finally came together. By then, I felt very invested in both Nicola and Marcus, wanting to continue reading the series to find out more about them and the rest of the Sullivans. The steam factor on this book was even higher than the first, so brace yourself if you're looking for a simple romance novel. That said, it is tastefully done and clearly surrounded by love. I just love a good happily ever after story!

Hope's story and how she gets together with Ryder is a wonderful wrap up to this trilogy. I enjoyed the banter and the layers that each character showed. As I noted in my review of the first book (The Next Always), the narrator still reads more slowly than I like, but he's fixed the terrible child voices and carries the strong along quickly enough that I only switched to 1 1/2 times a couple of times during the story. Although this isn't my favorite NR trilogy (Three Sisters and Born In hold that position), it was still a delightful way to spend my commute time.

As noted in other reviews, the narrator nearly ruins this book with his incredibly plodding performance. His child voices are painful to listen to, and his adult voices difficult to distinguish. If I hadn't already downloaded all three books, I would have returned this one and just read them on my Kindle. Fortunately, another review suggested listening to it in 1 1/2 speed. Thank you! At this speed, it sounded like a normal audiobook so I was able to block out the poor voices and enjoy the story. I was trained in architecture, so I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the Inn and its renovation. As in most of NR's books, it was easy to like the characters and chuckle at their idiosyncrasies. The love story was nicely woven into the backdrop, and was very believable since Claire and Becket had known each other for decades. Overall a very pleasant book that left a smile on my face and had me looking forward to the next in the series.

Although the story was mostly a backdrop for many, many love scenes, it was compelling and made you care about the characters. The love scenes were graphic but it was clear there was sweetness and caring throughout. I don't normally go for this level of steam, but I liked the characters and how Ms. Andre wove the story enough to look forward to the rest of the series.

If you've read my review of the first book in this series, Virgin River, you'll know why I like this author so much. Her ability to tell a compelling love story while keeping a smile on your face is only matched by Nora Roberts (at least as far as I've discovered- let me know who else I should try).She never uses demeaning language nor snarky comments to get a quick laugh and avoids graphic descriptions of violence. In this book, you learn more about the gruff "Preacher" and how tender he is on the inside. Paige is a battered wife looking for a new life and Preacher helps her find it. The descriptions of how Preacher helps her fight to get back her sense of self and safety are rich and help the reader to understand the plight of an abused woman a little better. The scene where Paige teaches Preacher to be a loving partner in bed is just beautiful. No wonder Robyn Carr is a best-selling author!