Hopeless Romantic
A Beautifully Written and Entertaining Romantic Comedy
-
-
4.0 • 79 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
“Adair just keeps getting better!”
—Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author
“Lighthearted and humorous…a sweet, satisfying romance.”
—Publishers Weekly
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Romance of January
An Amazon Book Review Highly Anticipated Romantic Comedy & Best of the Month Selection
An Apple Books Best of the Month Selection
A funny and delightful story from the New York Times bestselling author of the St. Helena Vineyard series that fans of Avery Flynn, Kristan Higgins, and Helena Hunting will love.
Set against the breezy backdrop of coastal Rhode Island, bestselling author Marina Adair’s latest novel asks whether two of a small town’s biggest hearts can learn to put themselves first—in the name of love. . .
As caregiver for her autistic brother, Beckett Hayes knows how meaningful a little extra help can be when life happens. Which is why she runs Consider It Done, a personal concierge service in her small town. Her job also gives her the flexibility to follow her passion, being Rome, Rhode Island’s unofficial special needs advocate, training emotional support companions in her spare time. There’s not much of that, though, and certainly not enough for serious dating. It’s always been family first for Beck. But one unquestionably gorgeous, good-natured man is suddenly a temptation that’s getting tougher to resist . . .
Sixteen years ago, Levi Rhodes was ready to sail off into the sunset—literally. But then his father’s death and his sister’s unexpected pregnancy postponed his sailing scholarship and the adventures he had planned. Running the family marina and bar was the least he could do for his grieving mother. Plus, his niece needed a father-figure. But now that she’s in high school and has her bio-dad in her life, Levi’s wondering if it’s time to get his sea legs under him again. Or he was wondering, until curvy, caring Beck showed up in his bar, and then in his dreams . . .
“Charming…Sweet and sensitive, Hopeless Romantic is a funny romance that gently manages heavy issues.”
—Shelf Awareness
A portion of royalties to benefit The Organization for Autism Research.
Praise for Marina Adair
“Small town sweetness, endearing characters and a unique quirky flair."
—Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author
“Marina Adair is a breath of fresh air. . . . Don't miss a word from this magnificent author!”
—New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With this irresistible love story, best-selling author Marina Adair further solidifies her superstar status in the world of literary romance. Beckett Hayes is a devoted daughter and sister, an animal lover, and a diehard cynic when it comes to love—at least until she crosses paths with local restaurateur Levi Rhodes. His good looks and playful sarcasm begin to wear down Beck’s ironclad defenses, but just as quickly, challenges emerge. Can Beck learn to trust her heart? Set against the sea-salt-kissed backdrop of coastal Rhode Island, this bright and breezy romp follows Beck and Levi as they lean on a tight-knit crew of friends and family to navigate their path to happiness. Hopeless Romantic is a delightfully racy escape into a world where true love always finds a way.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Complex family relationships ground Adair's second When in Rome romance (after RomeAntically Challenged), which manages to be lighthearted and humorous without sacrificing depth of feeling. Beckett Hayes is the most popular (and only) personal concierge in coastal Rome, R.I. The job provides the flexibility she needs to care for her brother and father, who are both on the autism spectrum, and train emotional support animals on the side though it leaves little time to date. But when sparring with bartender Levi Rhodes at his restaurant while running an errand for a client (with the emotional support chicken she's training in tow) proves a highlight of her day, the pair are set on a course for romance. Like Beckett, Levi is dedicated to his family, particularly his teenage niece who he's helped to raise, but he's also eager to set sail, leaving the responsibilities of running the family restaurant and attached marina behind. He's also impressed by Beckett's beauty, kindness, and dedication to family, and is willing to set aside his wanderlust to explore their attraction. Adair masterfully balances their cute developing relationship with their stressful professional and personal lives. The result is a sweet, satisfying romance.
Customer Reviews
Three men and a former baby
An enjoyable second installment in this series. Levi Rhodes has a lot on his plate, after his father died, he came home from college to help run the family Marina and restaurant in Rome, Rhode Island. Just when he thought he might be able to get his own life back, his sister gets pregnant and he becomes a surrogate dad to his niece Paisley. Once bio-dad and step-dad are in the picture, he again thinks he may be able to get back to his own dreams and his sister dies. It is now ten months later and everyone is still trying to recover from the death of his sister. Now what stands in the way of his dreams is Beckett Hayes. Beckett has her own issues. She is starting her own concierge business, and her family life is complicated, to say the least. These two are insanely attracted to each other, but don’t know if the demands of their work and families will let them pursue anything. I definitely loved both Levi and Beckett and all of the other characters. What kept this from being a five star book was the abrupt ending. It seemed like the author was given a max word count and realized “Oh crud, I need to finish this, The End.” Perhaps the next installment in this series will give me more closure. I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
Living Your Dreams
Levi Rhodes ALWAYS puts others first. Levi had dreams of sailing and still does, but that dream died with the unplanned pregnancy of his sister. His sister later married, but then died in an accident leaving behind a grieving spouse and daughter. With the sudden death of his father, his dream is again put on hold as his grieving mom needs help with their multiple businesses. But it’s been a year and he has a “countdown to sail” clock in the bar. He just has a few loose ends to tie up before he feels as though he can leave his mom and niece. First up...driving lessons, then his best friend’s wedding. That is, until a quirky Beckett walks into his bar...
Beckett Hayes is the main caregiver to her autistic brother and father who has Asperger’s. While her dad is a highly accomplished musician, he’s not a reliable parent. Beckett would do anything for her family, including giving up her dreams. While Beckett’s true passion is to train animals to provide emotional support, she runs a concierge company full time. She has a huge heart and wants to help EVERYONE, but sometimes disappoints when there’s a family emergency. When Annie, her best friend, asks her to plan her dream wedding she reluctantly accepts. She does NOT want to disappoint Annie, so she enlists the help of Levi-her HUGE crush.
This is one of the best Marina Adair novels I’ve read! I FELT as though I was “in” the story. I do not have special needs children, but was a teacher and know how extremely sensitive and patient you have to be. I loved how supportive Levi was and how good he was with Beckett’s brother (Tommy). I thought the rooster was hilarious and I pictured Hei Hei every time Beck brought him into the bar-mostly to just irritate Levi. I loved that Beckett wasn’t all put together and glamorous, but Levi still wanted her anyway. The driving lessons, Levi’s mom, the animals....HILARIOUS! I also enjoyed how “real” the story was. It wasn’t all happy, happy, happy. There were struggles and grieving. I highly recommend this novel and can’t wait to revisit Rome. I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.
Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair
Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair
2nd book in the When in Rome series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Beckett has her hands full raising her younger brother, keeping her father on track and trying to run her business. Flirting with bar owner Levi gives her a thrill she never imagined would go any further. Until it does.
A wonderful romance with the highs and conflicts expected. The secondary story extended from the first book has Paisley leaning to drive and thinking about boys which throws her three fathers into a minor tailspin. Think 3 men and a baby at the mid teen level.
Quite a bit of this story involves with the efforts of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder as well as a high functioning adult.
I felt Beckett’s burden was real and overwhelming. I was glad she was able to fall for Levi and get a little time for herself. She’s strong and dependable and deserves the hero cape she wears.
4.5.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.