Saturday, May 18, 2013

Audiobook Review: The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts

The Last Boyfriend (Inn BoonsBoro #2)
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: MacLeod Andrews
Published: January 1, 2012
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook: 9 discs (approx. 10.5 hours)
Source: borrowed from the library

My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis (from GoodReads): Owen is the organizer of the Montgomery clan, running the family's construction business with an iron fist - and an even less flexible spreadsheet. And though his brothers bust on his compulsive list-making, the Inn BoonsBoro is about to open right on schedule. The only thing Owen didn't plan for was Avery McTavish

Avery's popular pizza place is right across the street from the inn, giving her a first-hand look at its amazing renovation - and a newfound appreciation for Owen. Since he was her first boyfriend when they were kids, Owen has never been far from Avery's thoughts. But the attraction she's feeling for him now is far from innocent.

As Avery and Owen cautiously take their relationship to another level, the opening of the inn gives the whole town of Boonsboro a reason to celebrate. But Owen's hard work has only begun. Getting Avery to let down her guard is going to take longer than he expected - and so will getting her to realize that her first boyfriend is going to be her last...


My Thoughts: After reading the first book in this trilogy last summer, I figure that it was time I come back around to it and finish it off. However, I decided to listen to it rather than read it, and I hoped that it would be as good in audiobook form as it is printed. This is narrated by a man, so it was a little weird having him narrate for some of the female voices (call me biased, but I don't think men can mimic women's voices as well as women do men's.) But since the majority of the story is told from Owen's point of view, it works well (for the most part ... some of the female voices were a bit too shrill). This is a typical Nora Roberts novel, with two people falling in love with one another in this romantic setting. I choose to listen to her books because I know what I am getting, so it can be easier to listen to them than to another book, where I really have to keep track of what is going on in the story.

Owen might be the most likeable brother of the Montgomery clan because he's the one who is most down to earth. Not to say that the other boys are way out there, but Ryder is a playboy (or I guess he is supposed to be, which must be difficult to do in a small town), and Beckett was lusting after the same girl for years, which leaves Owen, over there running the business and taking care of his family. He is methodical, which Roberts repeatedly drives home throughout the story. There is his love interest, Avery, who is a little zany and out there, so of course, she falls in love with the man who is super organized. For me, Roberts was pushing a little too hard when it came to creating Avery's personality. She really wanted you to get that she's out there, but she just tried to hard to make that come across. Also, I work in the restaurant industry as a manager, and I love reading books that are set in a restaurant because it's so unrealisitic! Sorry, but if this woman owns her own restaurant, she's not getting days off and the time to run around and help them set up in the inn. Also, something that really irks me is when authors comment on the cute shoes that people wear in a kitchen, which Roberts does by constantly mentioning the Converse that Avery wears to work. Once again, sorry! Those aren't slip proof and wouldn't hold up all day. Next time you are in a restaurant, look at the server/bartender/manager's shoes .... do they look cute? No, but they are highly functional and they never fall or slip once during their shift (there is water/oil/food everywhere in a restaurant ... believe, the chance to slipping everyday is really high!) Sorry, that was my random rant that I just had to take out on this poor book.

Overall, it was an easy, predictable read and something that I was able to enjoy on my commutes to and from work. If you are interested in starting to listen to audiobooks, I would recommend that you start with someone like Nora Roberts. They are easy to follow along and usually a good way to get lost for a little while.

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