The Next Always by Nora Roberts is the first book in her Inn BoonsBoro contemporary romance trilogy.

Architect Beckett Montgomery is busy restoring a historic Maryland inn, along with the help of his brothers and mother. Like everyone else in town, bookstore owner Clare Brewster is intrigued by the work on the inn and becomes interested in Beckett as well. Clare is cautious about dating again, since she is widowed with three boys to raise, but Beckett soon wins her and her boys over. However, not everyone is happy about Beckett and Clare's burgeoning romance ...

I thought this book had a nice cover, and I've been meaning to read more by Roberts. All the elements I like in a contemporary romance are in this book -- a picturesque small town, likable characters, some funny situations. (There are some scenes with Beckett and Clare's boys that are really cute.)

However, my big complaint with this book is that there is just too much information about the restoration of the inn. There's a lot of description of the work being done, the furnishings that will be put into place, etc. I wanted to see more of the characters and less of the nuts and bolts of the restoration process.

Also, the book feels a little scattered. There's a romance element, a suspense element, even a paranormal element. The mishmash of the various plot lines just didn't work for me. I would have liked the book better if it had been more focused on the romance.

Overall, this one didn't work for me, but if you're interested in architecture, you might enjoy it.