“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 JanuaryAn Amazon Book Review Highly Anticipated Romantic Comedy & Best of the Month SelectionAn Apple Books Best of the Month Selection A funny and delightful story from the New York Times … 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
more
Hopeless Romantic was a great read. The banter between Beckett & Levi was entertaining, and I absolutely loved the emotional support chicken, Gregory Pecker. This series keeps getting better. I can’t wait to read Grayson’s story next!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy that I received from a Goodreads Giveaway.
A lovely, slow burn romance
This is the story of Becket and Levi, two people very much involved in the wellbeing of their families, as they navigate all kinds of hardships and fell in love with each other.
It starts adorably, with some hilarious moments and it progresses deeper as the family issues grow stronger and each character has to learn his and her lesson. It was interesting and beautiful to understand what a family composed of people on the spectrum has to deal with and how they see life. This is a strong part of the book, it is as much a book about this as it is about the romance.
Coming close to the end this left me with some mixed feelings. The family focused side of the story was a gain and eye opening for me, the hero and the heroine were lovely characters but along the way I didn’t feel very close to them. A good read, I guess not right my alley.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the second in a series set in Rome (Rhode Island, not Italy) and features Levi and Beckett, who are close friends of Emmitt and Annie, the H/H from the first book. Levi and Beckett have been acquainted for years, but only really start getting to know each other once Annie and Emmitt start dating. Levi has been wanting to leave town for years but keeps getting bogged down with responsibilities to his family. Once he and Beckett start getting closer, he’s torn between his desire to fly the coop and his growing attraction to her.
Beckett knows she’ll be in Rome for life. She’s got both a father and younger brother who are on the autism spectrum, and she’s the one who stepped up when her mom ditched them all, and took on the task of managing the entire family and keeping them safe. Between growing her personal concierge business and cleaning up her family’s emotional messes, she barely has two minutes in the day to call her own, so she usually steers clear of personal entanglements, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep Levi at arm’s length. As they closer, the walls she’s built to keep her heart safe start to crumble, but will Levi be there to catch her? This was an sweet romance, filled with emotion. It went off the rails just a bit at the end, where I feel like the author just threw in a manufactured conflict, then resolved it in the the space of just a few pages, but it was otherwise a satisfying read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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.
**3.5 – 4 stars**
Hopeless Romantic is the second book in Marina Adair’s When in Rome series. It’s a heartfelt, sweet, slow-burn romance! I really liked the fun banter between Levi and Beckett too!
This story also deals with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in the heroine’s family, which I felt added even more to the story.
I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series!
I was excited to go back to Rome and get Beckett’s story! Beckett was quite the character. I enjoyed her strength and her compassion. Her story was slightly sad but I was SO GLAD she had Levi in her life, even if she didn’t recognize that right away. He was such a cheerleader for her and gave her what she didn’t know she needed. She was fiercely protective of her family and she did what she needed to do to take care of them, even at her own expense. She was quirky and fun and I loved the breath of fresh air she brought to Levi. Levi had his own trauma and sadness he was dealing with in his life and he was drawn to Beckett. I loved the push/pull between them and the respect they had for one another. I couldn’t read this book fast enough and I definitely recommend this read!
We’re back in Rome, Rhode Island and this time we’re getting Beckett and Levi’s story. Two of the town’s most self-less hearts, who always put others, especially their families first.
Beckett Hayes has been her family’s caregiver ever since her mother walked out on them. So caring for her autistic brother has given her insight into how meaningful a little extra help can be. This is why she runs a personal concierge service in town, because of the flexibility it gives her.
Levi Rhodes was ready to sail off into the sunset. But the death of his father and his sister’s unexpected pregnancy kept him from his planned adventures. With his niece finishing up high school, he plans to set sail again. Their attraction is getting harder to ignore.
I really enjoyed seeing two characters we met in the previous book. We get a little more of their back story but their banter was pretty fun.
If you read RomeAntically Challenged you’ll definitely want to pick this one up.
Hopeless Romantic: Excellent love story! I love Beckett’s odd animals she brings into the bar and how it frustrates Levi. I like how she gets under his skin it’s so funny. Fantastic writing and dialog. I liked all the challenges that they went through. The characters are fantastic. I really enjoyed this story.
Marina Adair is one of my favorite authors but it’s been a while since I’ve read her. But since I’ve been in a huge book funk for over an year now, I’ve decided I am going back to basics and only reading my all time favorite authors. So when I got the chance to read this story, there was now way I was missing it.
Ultimately, this is a light and fun romantic comedy which was the perfect escape from my crazy schedule (in that perspective, I am very much like Beckett). It made me LOL with Beckett and all her animals. From the very beginning meeting Gregory Pecker was hilarious 😀 (just an FYI, he is a rooster who can give awesome hugs :D). And the chuckles didn’t stop there. At the same time the story is not completely carefree. It touches on the subject of people with Autism and Aspergers and the dynamics in a family like that. It also touches on the subject of dealing with a loss of a loved one and how sometimes, a person can forget about their wellbeing in such situations while trying to make sure everyone else around them is ok. About putting your life on hold to help your family in the repercusions of a great loss. So yes, the story is mostly funny and lighthearted but it also brings light to all these serious topics and I know it made me really think on the subject.
I did love Levi and Beckett and their love/hate relationship. To be honest, I think for both of them it was more caution than actually hate and the moment they were thrown together and given the task to plan a wedding, all bets were off. It did feel like their relationship developed pretty fast, but think that was actually the perfect case for both of them .Chances are, given the chance they would’ve of probably overthink the situation.
If you are looking for a great and light read I would definitely recommend this story. And even though it is the second book in the series it could be read as a standalone 🙂
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review
I received an arc copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I absolutely adore all of this author’s books. I own every single one of them. This book was everything I love in my books—humor, heart, romance basically all the feels. Levi longs to have a life that isn’t taking care of things after the death of his father and then his sister. Beckett is so busy caring for her brother and father that she’s not really living her own life. The slow burn romance was fun. I LOVE Levi. Not only was he sexy, but his need to care for Beckett was wonderful. Add in the fun scenes with Gray and Emmett and it’s the recipe for a great book. This should definitely be on every romance lover’s to be read list for 2021.
So Good!
I love a true, romantic, love story and this one checked all the boxes!
Levi is the romantic hero in every way in this complicated scenario. He has the confidence and maturity of a grown up and the sexiness and flirt-a-bility of a “guy”. He is selfless and mature to know he was needed to step up and help his sister raise her newborn baby when, if he would have been a selfish jerk, he could have left her to figure it out on her own. He takes care of his mom without being a mama’s boy, and stepped in to run the family business when his father passed. Yep, he’s got it going on!
Beckett had to grow up way too fast and learn, on the fly, to be both parents to her father and her little brother with special needs. I love how Beckett can soldier through anything that gets thrown her way, but it makes me sad that what she has to do and what she ends up sacrificing is all too real.
This amazing story is about two very busy, compassionate, and very selfless people who can’t seem to get out of their own way to take care of their own selves. Most of all, this story is about two people who, despite all that is going on in their own personal lives, innocently and unintentionally fall in love. The way they fall in love is so sweet yet funny, heartbreaking, but endearing. I love the humor they both must resort to so they can keep their emotions together. I especially love the antics of the rooster.
If you read between the lines, there are several valuable life lessons interwoven here. This story will stay with me for a very long time. Thank you. I loved it!
I am a member of Marina Adair’s A-DAIRING Reader group and received a free ARC of Hopeless RomeAntic from NetGalley for an honest review. I can truly say, that I absolutely loved Hopeless RomeAntic the second book in the When in Rome series by Marina Adair. Hopeless RomeAntic is one of the best romantic comedies that I have read recently. Marina Adair has shown that she is a master storyteller and I love her romantic comedies. I love the characters and the setting of Rome, Rhode Island in Hopeless RomeAntic. I absolutely loved every page and could not put it down. I love that Hopeless RomeAntic is narrated from the viewpoint of the main characters. I really enjoy getting the perspective from those characters. I love getting inside their minds and knowing their thoughts and how they really feel. Hopeless RomeAntic is a love at first sight story, even though it took the main characters several years to admit their feelings for one another. It is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud. It is also filled with bittersweet moments that cause me to sigh, say aww to myself with tears filling my eyes . Hopeless RomeAntic is filled with such moments, with so much emotion and so much more, including laughter. It is filled with all those things that we have come to love and expect in romantic comedy, especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner, and the surprise plot-twists. Hopeless RomeAntic is the story of Beckett Hayes, a caregiver for her father, Jeffrey and brother, Thomas, both on the autism spectrum and the owner of her own small business, Consider it Done, a personal concierge service and Levi Rhodes, who runs his family’s bar, Crow’s Nest and marina. Both Beckett and Levi have always put their family’s wants and needs ahead of their own. Beckett is training a chicken to be a emotional support animal for a local girl and heads into the Crow’s Nest, to pick up a to-go order, even though the Crow’s Nest does not offer take out. Things change that night for her and Levi. The start a relationship, knowing there is a definite end date, Levi is planning on a sailing adventure, sixteen years in the making, one he had planned on taking with his late father before his death. He put his life on hold following the death of his father and then the unplanned pregnancy of his older sister, Michelle with Paisley. I love Levi’s relationship with Paisley, and her other two Dads, Gray and Emmitt. I love that Beckett has changed Levi and therefore, changes his relationship with Paisley. I love the set of rules that they establish for their relationship. Levi is one of the first men who takes time with Thomas, and that warms Beckett’s heart. Levi admits that he has had feelings for Beckett from the first time he saw her several years ago. My heart broke when Levi got so angry at Beckett for putting her family first, when he was celebrating Emmitt’s bachelor party on his boat. I love how the plot twist gets resolved and how Beckett and Levi get the happily ever after that they deserve. Both Beckett and Levi change each other’s lives because of their love. My favorite part of the story when both Levi and Beckett change their rules, it was truly a poignant moment when both of the walls that they built around their hearts tumbled down. It was an incredible love story with amazing characters. Once again, Hopeless RomeAntic is filled with all the things that I have come to love and expect in a Marina Adair romantic comedy, and she truly did not disappoint me with Hopeless RomeAntic. Looking forward to reading the next book in the When in Rome series. Highly recommend this incredible page turner.
3.5 stars
I loved the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to begin Hopeless Romantic!
The premise is interesting. Overworked and underappreciated Beckett Hayes who has a dad with Asperger syndrome who is high functioning and a musical savant, and an autistic brother, trains service animals, runs her own business, and does not have time to date. Levi Rhodes, is left running his family’s marina and restaurant after the death of his father, then his sister is pregnant, then she dies, and he needs to be a father figure for his niece. Both characters are busy, busy, busy, and have put their own needs behind the needs of others.
I really wanted to love this book as much as the first. Unfortunately I didn’t. The first part of the book dragged for me. Levi and Beck didn’t have any connection that I could see/feel in the beginning, then, BAM…They were thrown together to plan a wedding and everything worked. I felt the ending was rushed and too many tendrils were left hanging. I hope the next book in the series can tie those tendrils into bows!
It wasn’t a total loss since we did get to see some of the characters from the first book and got caught up with them. Paisley in high school? Wow…her ‘dads’ have done a bang up job with her. I have to say, 5 stars for Gregory Pecker!
If you’re looking for something light and quick, this will work for you. The dialogue is good and except for the pacing, and that might just be me, a nice read. I do love the authors writing style and will absolutely read the next in this series.
I want to commend Ms. Adair for speaking to neurodevelopmental disorders. This is not a topic that is brought up in contemporary romance and many people in all walks of life are dealing with these issues.
Hopeless Romantic is book #2 in the When In Rome series. In my opinion this book is best read in series order.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Another great read from Marina Adair. This is the second book in the series and tells the story of Levi and Beckett. I really enjoyed these two together because of how well they were able to understand one another and how it can be both rewarding and challenging to be the person your family depends on so heavily.. Beckett takes care of both her brother and father in different ways as each is on the ASD spectrum. Levi came home from college years ago to help his sister raise her baby and is now handling the family business since his sister’s death.
I love a small town romance and this one delivers. The banter is witty. The chemistry is great. And the outlying cast of characters is just as fun as they were in the first book. I’m really enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next book. If you are a fan of Jill Shalvis I believe you will love this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
The second book about a small beach town in Rome, RI, this is a standalone. I had read the first book, but it took awhile to remember all that was in it while I read this one. Another really good read by Marina Adair, an author I am really coming to love. Her stories are quirky, romantic, and have great dialogue. Beckett and Levi both have so much in their plate, with family, and work. Levi sees past Beckett’s sarcastic front to the woman who is carrying such a load on her shoulders. She has an father with Asperger’s, a brother who is autistic, and a mother who disappeared years ago. All of thats affects her ability to hold a steady job. Levi took over his family’s business of own a bar/restaurant, a marina and bait shop after his father passes. Yet somehow, Levi knows that Beckett has something he wants. It is not an easy journey, but it is a really good romance. I loved the secondary characters almost as much as the 2 leads. My only negative was that it was resolved awfully quickly after such a big event. It was tied up too quickly. This was an easy read for me and I am so glad I had the chance to read and review this for NetGalley.
This book was touching, emotional, sad at times, funny at times and family was the center of everything for both our hero and heroine, Beckett, and Levi. I have to say I have missed Rome, Rhode Island, and our friends we met in the previous book. I loved how this book started with Beckett and Gregory in the bar and of course Levi. I just really liked these two characters and as much as they did not get along, they were more familiar than they were different. I related to some of the struggles these two characters had and watching them keep all their balls in the air, was a great part of this story. Of course, it was great seeing more of our friends and catching up with what was going on in their lives and getting to know more about Jeffery and Thomas was definitely interesting. A lot of ups and downs in this story, but I truly loved it. There was a line in this story that stood out to me, ‘Last note to self: Erase never, ever, ever from your vocabulary’. I just wish I had more story to read and wanted to know what happens next.
Levi Rhodes and Beckett Hayes are both extremely devoted to family. Levi put his life on hold when his sister got pregnant while he was in college. He came home to help her, and to help his mom, and his dreams have been burning a hole in his pocket ever since. It seems as though his time has finally arrived, and he should be able to leave this summer to sail across the ocean in his boat. Levi has taken over his family’s business, and is looking to hire help so that he will be able to leave this summer. Beckett has helped raise her little brother, who is on the autism spectrum, because she understands how to keep him calm, and help him to calm down when needed. Her father, on the other hand, has basically left the child-rearing to her, as he is a brilliant composer, who has never taken the time to understand his son’s needs, after his wife left them years ago. Beckett has put her own wishes on hold while her brother grew up, and has basically been the parent in the family since she was young. These are both complex characters with intriguing backstories.
This story has a slow build-up, as there is a lot of information that needs to be imparted, in order for readers to understand the various choices that are being made. The author uses a deft hand to build the tension and to describe the separate forces pulling each protagonist in several different directions. The conflicts feel very genuine to the reader, while the time that Levi and Beckett spend getting to know each other adds a sense of wonder and delight to this book. When they finally do get together, it feels somehow earned and absolutely right. Both characters have some choices to make, and they are not always perfect, but things do work out in the end. Ms. Adair has a beautiful way with words; the scenes come alive while reading, and are easy to visualize in most scenes—especially the scenes involving her father’s culinary prowess! This book is a delight from start to finish!
I haven’t read a bunch of Marina Adair’s books, but I can honestly say this is my absolute favorite. I loved the chemistry between Beckett and Levi, even though they tried to fight it. I also enjoyed the angst in this story. I won’t give anything away because I hope everyone will read this beautiful story. I bet you will love Beck’s brother, Tommy. He had me laughing out loud several times. This book is full of amazing characters and I can’t wait to read the next book from this amazing author.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I don’t know how Adair does such an amazing job of creating such strong and likable characters, developing authentic feeling relationships between characters, while navigating difficult subjects in a realistic manner. I had so many emotions while reading Hopeless Romantic!! I was stressed, I smiled, I was encouraged, I was bummed, and I couldn’t put it down. Adair created an amazingly strong, independent, relatable (even when she was dealing with things I could never imagine) female in Beckett. I love how Levi, Emmitt, and Gray balance each other out with Paisley and it was nice to see Levi’s relationship with her. I started to get frustrated with Levi’s lack of interest when things/money were disappearing from the bar. I wish Levi could have stood up to his mom more. Overall, this is a great second book in the series.
Beckett and Levi have been circling each other for years but these two family/workaholics never take time to make something happen…until now.
Beckett has been carrying for her father and brother, who are both on the Autism spectrum, since her mom left when she was just a teenager. At almost thirty she’s decided the most she can hope for is no long term expectations with guys who are looking for the same but who also don’t excite her in really way. Levi is one of three “dads” to his niece and has been putting off his sailing adventure of a lifetime since his niece was born but now is hopeful the time.
The family dynamics and truths explored in Hopelessly Romantic are as important and moving as the love story itself, especially those of Beckett’s family as they are a family with different realities. I really love the interactions between the three dads and Paisley as well as those between Beckett, Tommy, Levi, and the emotional support animals.
I’m really excited to see how Grey’s love story unfolds next.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.