Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Next Always
- Author: Nora Roberts
- Narrator: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 11:23:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/11/2011
- Publisher: Brilliance Audio
- Genre: Romance, General
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s a particular magic to returning home – whether it’s to a place or to a familiar author’s voice. As someone who’s spent more nights in hotel beds than my own, Nora Roberts’ “Next Always” struck a deep chord with me, particularly in its celebration of transforming spaces and second chances. The audiobook, narrated with remarkable warmth by MacLeod Andrews, became my companion during a rainy week in a Vermont inn, where the creak of floorboards and the scent of old books made Roberts’ small-town romance feel tangibly real.
Roberts crafts Boonsboro, Maryland with the same care I’ve seen in masterful travel writing – each brick of the Montgomery brothers’ inn, each shelf in Clare’s bookstore feels textured and lived-in. The story unfolds like watching someone restore a vintage postcard to full color: Beckett Montgomery’s architectural revival of the Inn BoonsBoro parallels his patient reconstruction of a relationship with childhood crush Clare Brewster. Having documented restoration projects from Lisbon to Kyoto, I recognized the authenticity in Roberts’ details – the way Beckett’s hands are perpetually dusted with drywall, how Clare’s bookstore smells of ‘vanilla and verbena from the candles she burned to mask the scent of her boys’ latest adventures.’
MacLeod Andrews’ narration is a masterclass in intimate storytelling. His voice carries the same warmth I remember from Oaxacan grandmothers spinning tales by firelight – knowing when to linger on a tender moment between Clare and Beckett, when to quicken pace during the brothers’ playful banter. He distinguishes each Montgomery brother not just through pitch (though Ryder’s gravel and Owen’s smooth precision are wonderfully distinct), but through rhythm – Beckett’s measured cadence mirroring his architect’s mind, always planning two steps ahead. Andrews makes the love scenes sizzle with quiet intensity rather than melodrama, and handles Clare’s three boys with such natural charm that I found myself grinning during their antics like an indulgent uncle.
What surprised me most was how Roberts weaves themes I associate with my anthropological studies – how spaces hold memory, how communities ritualize renewal. The inn’s rumored hauntings aren’t just plot devices; they’re echoes of every historic hotel I’ve visited where the walls seem to whisper stories. Clare’s grief over her late husband is treated with the same respect I’ve seen in cultures that honor ancestors while making room for new love – a balance beautifully voiced by Andrews’ nuanced performance.
The audiobook’s 9-hour duration feels like a weekend visit with old friends. Standout scenes include:
– Beckett giving Clare a moonlit tour of the inn (Andrews makes you hear the awe in her breath)
– The Montgomery brothers’ construction-site arguments (you can practically taste the sawdust)
– Clare reading “Goodnight Moon” to her boys (a moment so tender it halted me mid-hike)
If I have one critique, it’s that some secondary characters could use more dimension – though Andrews’ vocal charisma compensates. Compared to Roberts’ darker romantic suspense titles, this leans cozier, like hot cider versus single malt. Fans of Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series or Kristan Higgins’ emotional depth will find kinship here.
Perfect for:
– Road trips through small-town America
– Listeners who believe love stories should taste of coffee and bookstore air
– Anyone rebuilding – a home, a heart, or both
With a traveler’s appreciation for stories that feel like home,
Marcus
Marcus Rivera
