Sunrise Point (A Virgin River Novel Book 19)

An enticing romance that grabs you quickly. It is a rocky road along the way. There's slot going on in Virgin River, as always, and you won't be bored. A very good read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I have read ALL of the Virgin River series and this one was my LEAST favorite. I really miss the first books in which we had multiple stories going on while she kept us informed on what was going on with our favorite characters. I did like Nora and Toms story BUT for whatever reason the story of "Coop" was inserted and I HATED IT!!! We did not need an environmental lesson. I read for enjoyment NOT to be preached because the author has some cause she needs to get off her chest. AND I hated the "Coop Character" so it really interupted the entire book. Of all the Virgin River stories....this one is by far the worse. Maybe Robyn Carr needs to go back to the first several Virgin River Books and look at those formulas....those books worked. This one DID NOT. Sorry Robyn Carr this one did not make the grade!!!!

Everything I hope for when I pick up a new Virgin River Series book. Despite some words to the contrary, the introduction of the secondary story line was interesting and has me hoping Robyn will write quickly on the next book....

I liked the story of Tom and Nora, and I love the Virgin River series. But Coop seems to have been inserted simply for an opportunity for Ms Carr to vent her liberal environmental views. I will never understand why celebrities and authors, who have every right to their opinions, love to force those opinions on the rest of us, thus risking approximately 50% of their market unnecessarily. Though I have enjoyed her other books, well aware of her liberal leanings by the type of stories she tells, (very well I might add,) I don't think I will be buying any others.

Rating: 4.0 stars __Contains some graphic sexual content
Note: Mostly a stands alone read with new characters. 19th in the Virgin River series.
WARNING: Soap-opera style format is confusing unless you read the series in order.

GOOD READ. Gentle romantic storyline, strong characters, sassy dialogue, funny situations, a colorful secondary cast, and the author humorously presents the hero two potential girlfriends, one in high-heeled designer boots and the other in worn, second-hand waders. HOWEVER, the vocabulary is weak, some story details don't work, the heroine's transformation from emotionally abused child, to emotionally and physically abused partner, to a strong, happy, resourceful single mother is bit unrealistic, and the introduction of Coop, presumably for a future book, was heavy-handed and distracting.

THE STORY revolves around good-hearted, destitute, single mom, Nora Crane, and ex-marine and heir to the Cavanaugh Apple Orchard, Tom Cavanaugh. Tom has returned home to take over the farm and is ready for the next phase of his life; to find a suitable, upstanding wife. As the story unfolds, Nora is working two part-time jobs to care for her toddlers, Berry and Fay, when she sees an ad for a job harvesting apples. She applies, and against Tom's wishes, his grandmother hires her on the spot.

On the up side, Tom is being pursued by the widow, Darla, and she is exactly what he thinks he wants in a wife, beautiful and sophisticated. In contrast, Nora, has a druggie, jailbird ex-boyfriend and is caring for two out-of-wedlock kids. But Tom quickly learns there is much more to Nora then his closed-minded assumptions, and there is so much less to the lovely Darla. Spending time together Nora and Tom become friends and Tom learns that having one girlfriend too many is no problem when his heart knows which one to choose.

OVERALL, sweet, sassy, funny romance filled with both humor and angst. The VIRGIN RIVER series includes 20 novels and short stories starting with VIRGIN RIVER (2007).

You may also enjoy the complex characters and storytelling of N. Bruhns, A. Stuart, or E. Palfrey. For sweet, funny, heart touching romances, try Susan Fox, Cara Colter, or Nikki Logan.

Nora Crane landed in Virgin River in Bring Me Home for Christmas (Virgin River) with two babies after being dumped by her drugged crazed boyfriend. In Sunrise Point, Nora is trying to correct her past mistakes by picking apples at Cavanaugh Orchard. Unfortunately, handsome ex-Marine Tom Cavanaugh doesn't think she can keep up with the hard labor. Fortunately for Nora his energetic grandmother, Maxie, believes otherwise.

Tom Cavanaugh has returned home to the family apple business after seeing action in Afghanistan as a Marine. He lives with Maxie, but he wants to be married. He wants someone without baggage. Nora is not an option. Plus, Nora is completely dedicated to her children and she will not risk a broken heart again. Tom and Nora don't speak or make eye contact at first. As time goes by Tom becomes more charming and more concerned about her welfare and Nora eventually hopes to catch glimpses of him during the work day, but she is hindered by a "red caddy blonde" who ironically has lots of baggage (designer baggage that is).

The chemistry that slowly builds between Tom and Nora is fantastic. Maxie is a wonderful sarcastic outspoken grandmother who bakes and cooks hearty meals. Nora admires Maxie and wants to be like her; a woman who isn't afraid of herself. The descriptions of Nora's children are precious and how they interact with Tom is incredibly sweet. Tom is dumbfounded by his reaction to the children in a funny endearing way. There is a lot of humor in this book, especially the banter between Tom and his loving grandmother. (Oh, the sarcasm!) I smiled and chuckled quite a bit when the two of them were together. The humor shared between Tom and Nora was playful and flirtatious.

A new member to Virgin River is Henry Cooper aka Coop. He is an old army buddy of Luke and parks his RV near Luke's cabins. He worked offshore platforms, but became disillusioned after he saw the devastation of an oil spill and quit. He also has a very serious issue with Jack. They have a past together as fellow military men and it wasn't friendly. Maybe Coop will be featured in My Kind of Christmas. I don't see any other purpose.

Making notable appearances in this installment are Luke & Shelby, Colin, Preacher & Paige, Jack & Mel, Noah & Ellie. Mentioned are Jillian, Kelly Holbrook and Courtney, Erin and Aiden, Becca and Denny, Leslie and Conner.

Sunrise Point was different that previous installments. It was a breath of fresh air compared to Hidden Summit & Redwood Bend. There isn't any high drama or danger involved, but the bears make a another dramatic appearance.

Sunrise Point is a simple, sometimes humorous love story about two people who had tough times growing up and want the love and trust of a family of their own. Every great romance has a happy ending, and WOW what a happing ending Sunrise Point has!

Reading a title from the Virgin River Series is like seeing a great love one whom you have not seen in awhile. In this title Nora is trying to survive being a single mother with two little girls under the age of three. She is trying to make ends meet by have several part time jobs. She goes to try out for apple picking and meet the owner of the farm Tom and his grandmother Maxie. At first Tom fight the attraction to Nora because of the package deal she comes with and try getting friendly with one of his Marine who passed away wife Darla. As time go by Tom realizes Darla is not who envision her to be and Nora with all her baggage makes him feel something in his heart he never felt before.

This was a sweet, sweet story. I enjoyed learning more about Nora and her background. How she ended up in the situation that brought her to Virgin River. And Maxie is now one of my favorite characters. No holds barred, tell it like it is granny! Loved her!

I started reading the Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr a while ago and, with this book, I finally found the place/scenario that Cooper is introduced. If you haven't read the Thunder Point books yet, you should. But read this first for a brief introduction to one of the main characters of that series. I've gotta say, I love Cooper in the TP books but, because I "know" Jack better I was a little put off by his attitude here. Not to worry, you'll love him once he gets to TP.

Back to this story though. Tom made me laugh. It was funny to read the inner workings of his brain and know his well thought out plans were just not going to work out they way he saw them in his mind. And although he started off a bit gruff, he showed he's just a well-mannered lovable guy.

I love Christmas stories and I love the Riordans so I'm super excited for the next book. Plus, it's a couple of days before Christmas right now so the timing is perfect...if I can get my hands on a copy.

I can't believe the story of Tom and Nora was a Virgin River book. Where was the hot and steamy romance found in the Virgin River books?? Nowhere apparently. The lukewarm romance takes place in the last 30 pages. The rest could be described as the friendship story of Tom and Nora. There was a lot that took place with Tom and Nora, but they mostly dealt with everything separately. Really slow story and then a completely rushed ending. I didn't really find the ending believable since so little of the book focused on any romance between Tom and Nora. As I was reading, I was beginnning to think there would be no romance at all. I assume the side story of new character Coop is to build up for a future book, but that was not much to talk about either. At least it provided an excuse to use some of my other fave characters (Jack, Mel, Luke, Shelby). I feel like there was something lacking in this book - I can't find any other way to explain it. If you are looking for a good stand alone book, choose another VR book. If you read the series, then you should read this to just keep current.

Nora Crane's made some bad decisions in life, which lead to her now living in Virgin River, squatting in a tiny abandoned house with two small daughters, while her ex-minor-league ballplayer turned meth-head ex-boyfriend rots in jail. Who would want to take on THAT mess?

Not Tom Cavanaugh, former Marine and current boss of the family apple orchard. He knows what he wants in a woman, and Nora's not it; he doesn't even want to give her a seasonal job picking apples. But his grandmother insists and the scrappy single mother makes a go of it, impressing him despite himself.

As the local counselor/pastor helps her to discover, Nora is not entirely alone in the world, after all; her father did not abandon her willingly, but gave up in the face of repeated rebuffs by her mother, and when he seemed to be making life worse for the little girl. My one quibble with this book is when Jed talks about how Nora's mother might have had borderline personality disorder, but how she wasn't REALLY mentally ill.

There's a lot we don't understand about mental illness, and I don't have the credentials to diagnose anyone, let alone a fictional character. But the "personality" disorders - borderline, OCPD, narcissistic personality disorder are as real mental illnesses as anything else in the last two editions of the DSM, and those who have them, as well as those who are involved in family, love, or work relationships with someone so disordered, officially diagnosed or not, are well-advised to get qualified professional help. The damaging impacts can last a lifetime, especially if they are brushed off as not "real mental illness." It's potentially as harmful to grow up in a household with a disordered person as it is to grow up in a household where there is alcohol or drug addiction. [Climbing down off soapbox now.]

These discussions only takes up a little of the book, but having such a mother and an absent father helps us understand why Nora made such bad decisions re: the boyfriend, and admire her all the more for her determination to make something of herself and for her girls.

The heat between Tom - who is trying desperately to become attracted to a lovely woman with less emotional, if not literal, baggage, and Nora is slow to develop. She's attracted to him all the way through, but isn't going to hit on her boss, especially one who's dating another woman. Loved Maxie, the grandmother, the town events as described, and the way other characters make an appearance, here and there, but this book too works as a stand-alone.

This one just didn't do it for me. A big part of it was the dialog (and good heavens, this one has a lot of dialog! At times it seemed that's all this book was, one conversation after another sprinkled here and there with internal musings)--it just didn't read to me as real conversations that normal people would have. Even the internal dialog just didn't ring true. The romance--such as it was--was extremely slow to develop, up until the last ten pages or so, when it went into hyperdrive. It almost felt as if Carr suddenly realized she had to wrap it up, and wrap it up darn quick. Overall, it was extremely predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (nor unexpected, in the romance genre), but a few surprises--with the writing if not with the plot--here or there would be nice. Once again a seemingly unrelated and random plot line was inserted--and yes, it's obviously in order to give the new character, Coop, his own book in the future, I get that--but it really didn't increase my interest in either this story or the future one; instead it just made this one seem even longer than it already was.

Eternal optimist that I am, I'm still going ahead with the series--I just hope the next installment has more going for it than this one, which just seemed to be resting on the series' laurels a bit too much.

Tom Cavanaugh thought he wanted to escape from his family's apple orchard business so he joined the Marines. After his two years, he decided the last thing he wanted to do was be anywhere else but home. Nora Crane has had a tough life to be so young but she is filled with determination and resolve to make the best of it for her two young daughters. (You may remember Nora as the young woman from Bring Me Home for Christmas that was stranded in a snow storm with no heat or milk for her newborn infant.)

When the Cavanaugh's posted a notice at the church for apple pickers, Nora jumped at the opportunity to have a pretty decent paying job for a change. Tom Cavanaugh took one look at her and turned her down...he didn't need the distraction. His grandmother, Maxie, intervenes and Nora is hired. And so begins the transformation of Tom and Nora's lives.

I really liked how most of this book is devoted to the development of a relationship between Tom and Nora. He's convinced she's not his "type" and goes off on a journey with someone who seems to meet all of his criteria. Nora is developing sort of a crush on Tom from afar and doesn't even entertain a notion that a relationship could ever develop. Their own self-development and awareness was interesting to watch unfold, assisted by the good people around them, Maxie for Tom and Noah Kincaid for Nora (you remember him as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church). To complicate matters for Nora, revelations about her parents significantly alter her life in the meantime.

There is secondary story involving Luke and one of his former Army buddies, Hank Cooper, that had the makings of something pretty interesting but fell flat by the end of the book. I'm hoping that Hank will be resurrected in a future story but I was disappointed in this storyline.

Overall, this is a pretty solid addition to the series, even though it won't be in my top favorites. Nora and Tom are really likable characters, even though he could be rather dense at times. Darla, the woman providing a diversion for Tom, was a bit over the top in terms of characterization but she did her job and provided some humorous moments. Again, I'm a fan of the multiple storylines and this book fell short in that respect. I'm rating it 3.5 stars but would rather round up to 4 than lower it to a 3.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley.)

When I wrote a post about how to bust a reading slump (which I was teetering on the edges of) one of my favorite blogging friends mentioned Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr. I'd read the first Virgin River book awhile back, and really enjoyed it, but never bothered to pick up any of the others. I had too many book son my TBR pile to add something else. Especially not a series with 19 books out!! But I was reading slowly, and thought it couldn't hurt to try something completely different. And it worked! I could not put this book down.

This book had all the components of a great Romance Novel - troubled heroine, ex-Marine who now runs his families Orchard (aka Hot Ex-Military Farmer!! YUMM!) and absolutely awesome Grandmother! (I love awesome Grandma's, probably because I had one myself.) And, as an added bonus? There was a bimbo that we all loved to hate who was vying for the affections of our hunky hero!

Nora, our heroine, is a single mom who has had the life from hell. She had a rotten childhood. She fell for Mr. Wrong, who knocked her up and left her high and dry in a town where she didn't know anyone. She's hunting for work and happened upon Tom's Apple Orchard just as they were hiring pickers. Seriously, what's not to love about Nora with her stubborn streak and her incredibly caring heart?

Tom, on the other hand? He took me awhile to love. He was trying to fall in love with Darla - the evil villain. And that knocked him down several notches in my book, because before she even showed up? I hated her. And the only redeeming parts about Tom's "relationship" with her? The awesome snarkiness that Grandma Maxie tossed around because of the stuck up witch!!

Sunrise Point is your typical romance novel, filled with all the predictable moments you would expect. But it's a great example of why those of us who read Romance love the genre so much! Reading this book is like slipping on your favorite pair of sweats and drinking a mug of hot cocoa! There's just something warm and cozy about a good Romance Read, and Sunrise Point is no exception!

Nora Crane is a single mother of two down on her luck. Her on again, off again no-good boyfriend dumped her in the little town of Virgin River during the winter. She and her children wouldn't have survived the cold weather if it hadn't been for the kindness of the town. Nora is finally getting things together and is seeking employment at the famous local apple orchards. She never expected to be attracted to the stoic marine in charge.

Former Marine Tom Cavanaugh has come home to run the orchard's business with his grandmother. He's interested in finding the perfect woman for him, and Nora is definitely not on his list. However, the sparky mother of two keeps getting under his skin. Will Nora and Tom find love among the apples or discover that opposites do not attract after all?

Robyn Carr delivers love in Virgin River once again with Sunrise Point. Nora and Tom, two headstrong independent people, navigate the field of love in this stunning romance. Nora's character is beautiful inside and out. The stuff this woman went through and prospered at her age is inspiring. Nora definitely deserves her very own happily ever after. Tom's looking in all the wrong places for his Miss Right. His search is at times hilarious and at others aggravating. I wanted to yell, "Can't you see what's right in front of you?" However, Ms. Nora is doing her best to ignore her building feelings for Tom as well. When they finally get their acts together the pursuit of romance is on and it's oh, so sweet. Compassion, bears, love, apples and romance turn Sunrise Point into an uplifting and inspiring read!

Reviewed by Miranda
For Joyfully Reviewed

TOM CAVANAUGH MAY THINK HE WANTS A TRADITIONAL WOMAN, BUT IN VIRGIN RIVER, THE GREATEST TRADITION IS FALLING IN LOVE UNEXPECTEDLY...

Former marine Tom Cavanaugh is back from the Middle East "sandbox" and ready to take over his family's apple orchard and settle down. He has the perfect woman in mind, someone sweet, docile and beautiful. A woman without baggage. A woman he can marry.

Single mom Nora Crane is the opposite of the females Tom has in mind. Nora will work the most demanding physical job to support her young daughters, and that includes picking apples at Cavanaugh's orchard. She's struggled since coming to Virgin River, and she wants to be self-supporting. After a bad experience with the father of her children, she's certainly not looking for a man. But ruggedly handsome and opinionated Tom Cavanaugh enters her thoughts more than is comfortable. And Tom, who thinks he has found the perfect woman, discovers she pales in comparison to lovely, determined Nora. It might just take some well-intentioned advice from Tom's grandmother to show him what's really important.

I loved this story in the hugely popular Virgin River series. While I had thought this was to be the last book according to Ms. Carr, it seems she has surprised us with a twentieth book-a Christmas story-due out in November. Lucky us! In the Virgin River series, Ms. Carr found a setting and characters that struck a chord with her audience and she kept on producing books that made each of us want to move to Virgin River and share those lives. I will be sad to see the series end, however, Sunrise Point is every bit as wonderful as each of the other VR books. Nora and Tom are delightful characters, though I admit wanting to knock some sense into Tom long before his grandmother did. The conflict is strong, as is Nora's determination to provide for her two adorable girls. Likable, fleshed-out secondary characters add to the charm of this story, plus we are reacquainted with some old familiar faces.

Pick up a copy of Sunrise Point today. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 4.0 stars __Contains some graphic sexual content
Note: Mostly a stands alone read with new characters. 19th in the Virgin River series.
WARNING: Soap-opera style format is confusing unless you read the series in order.

GOOD READ. Gentle romantic storyline, strong characters, sassy dialogue, funny situations, a colorful secondary cast, and the author humorously presents the hero two potential girlfriends, one in high-heeled designer boots and the other in worn, second-hand waders. HOWEVER, the vocabulary is weak, some story details don't work, the heroine's transformation from emotionally abused child, to emotionally and physically abused partner, to a strong, happy, resourceful single mother is bit unrealistic, and the introduction of Coop, presumably for a future book, was heavy-handed and distracting.

THE STORY revolves around good-hearted, destitute, single mom, Nora Crane, and ex-marine and heir to the Cavanaugh Apple Orchard, Tom Cavanaugh. Tom has returned home to take over the farm and is ready for the next phase of his life; to find a suitable, upstanding wife. As the story unfolds, Nora is working two part-time jobs to care for her toddlers, Berry and Fay, when she sees an ad for a job harvesting apples. She applies, and against Tom's wishes, his grandmother hires her on the spot.

On the up side, Tom is being pursued by the widow, Darla, and she is exactly what he thinks he wants in a wife, beautiful and sophisticated. In contrast, Nora, has a druggie, jailbird ex-boyfriend and is caring for two out-of-wedlock kids. But Tom quickly learns there is much more to Nora then his closed-minded assumptions, and there is so much less to the lovely Darla. Spending time together Nora and Tom become friends and Tom learns that having one girlfriend too many is no problem when his heart knows which one to choose.

OVERALL, sweet, sassy, funny romance filled with both humor and angst. The VIRGIN RIVER series includes 20 novels and short stories starting with VIRGIN RIVER (2007).

You may also enjoy the complex characters and storytelling of N. Bruhns, A. Stuart, or E. Palfrey. For sweet, funny, heart touching romances, try Susan Fox, Cara Colter, or Nikki Logan.

Nora Crane landed in Virgin River in Bring Me Home for Christmas (Virgin River) with two babies after being dumped by her drugged crazed boyfriend. In Sunrise Point, Nora is trying to correct her past mistakes by picking apples at Cavanaugh Orchard. Unfortunately, handsome ex-Marine Tom Cavanaugh doesn't think she can keep up with the hard labor. Fortunately for Nora his energetic grandmother, Maxie, believes otherwise.

Tom Cavanaugh has returned home to the family apple business after seeing action in Afghanistan as a Marine. He lives with Maxie, but he wants to be married. He wants someone without baggage. Nora is not an option. Plus, Nora is completely dedicated to her children and she will not risk a broken heart again. Tom and Nora don't speak or make eye contact at first. As time goes by Tom becomes more charming and more concerned about her welfare and Nora eventually hopes to catch glimpses of him during the work day, but she is hindered by a "red caddy blonde" who ironically has lots of baggage (designer baggage that is).

The chemistry that slowly builds between Tom and Nora is fantastic. Maxie is a wonderful sarcastic outspoken grandmother who bakes and cooks hearty meals. Nora admires Maxie and wants to be like her; a woman who isn't afraid of herself. The descriptions of Nora's children are precious and how they interact with Tom is incredibly sweet. Tom is dumbfounded by his reaction to the children in a funny endearing way. There is a lot of humor in this book, especially the banter between Tom and his loving grandmother. (Oh, the sarcasm!) I smiled and chuckled quite a bit when the two of them were together. The humor shared between Tom and Nora was playful and flirtatious.

A new member to Virgin River is Henry Cooper aka Coop. He is an old army buddy of Luke and parks his RV near Luke's cabins. He worked offshore platforms, but became disillusioned after he saw the devastation of an oil spill and quit. He also has a very serious issue with Jack. They have a past together as fellow military men and it wasn't friendly. Maybe Coop will be featured in My Kind of Christmas. I don't see any other purpose.

Making notable appearances in this installment are Luke & Shelby, Colin, Preacher & Paige, Jack & Mel, Noah & Ellie. Mentioned are Jillian, Kelly Holbrook and Courtney, Erin and Aiden, Becca and Denny, Leslie and Conner.

Sunrise Point was different that previous installments. It was a breath of fresh air compared to Hidden Summit & Redwood Bend. There isn't any high drama or danger involved, but the bears make a another dramatic appearance.

Sunrise Point is a simple, sometimes humorous love story about two people who had tough times growing up and want the love and trust of a family of their own. Every great romance has a happy ending, and WOW what a happing ending Sunrise Point has!

Reading a title from the Virgin River Series is like seeing a great love one whom you have not seen in awhile. In this title Nora is trying to survive being a single mother with two little girls under the age of three. She is trying to make ends meet by have several part time jobs. She goes to try out for apple picking and meet the owner of the farm Tom and his grandmother Maxie. At first Tom fight the attraction to Nora because of the package deal she comes with and try getting friendly with one of his Marine who passed away wife Darla. As time go by Tom realizes Darla is not who envision her to be and Nora with all her baggage makes him feel something in his heart he never felt before.

While Nora is trying her best to make it on her own with 2 babies and very little work she runs into the apple orchard hiring and immediately begged for the job but the guy hiring doesnt due to not being strong enough but determined she does get hired snd walks the 3.4 miles to and from but then tom starts to let his guard down ad starts ro talk to her at the same time tries to fall for someone more eloquent and it just blows up in his face. Eventually nora finds lost family and life gets better by the day

This was a sweet, sweet story. I enjoyed learning more about Nora and her background. How she ended up in the situation that brought her to Virgin River. And Maxie is now one of my favorite characters. No holds barred, tell it like it is granny! Loved her!

I started reading the Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr a while ago and, with this book, I finally found the place/scenario that Cooper is introduced. If you haven't read the Thunder Point books yet, you should. But read this first for a brief introduction to one of the main characters of that series. I've gotta say, I love Cooper in the TP books but, because I "know" Jack better I was a little put off by his attitude here. Not to worry, you'll love him once he gets to TP.

Back to this story though. Tom made me laugh. It was funny to read the inner workings of his brain and know his well thought out plans were just not going to work out they way he saw them in his mind. And although he started off a bit gruff, he showed he's just a well-mannered lovable guy.

I love Christmas stories and I love the Riordans so I'm super excited for the next book. Plus, it's a couple of days before Christmas right now so the timing is perfect...if I can get my hands on a copy.

I can't believe the story of Tom and Nora was a Virgin River book. Where was the hot and steamy romance found in the Virgin River books?? Nowhere apparently. The lukewarm romance takes place in the last 30 pages. The rest could be described as the friendship story of Tom and Nora. There was a lot that took place with Tom and Nora, but they mostly dealt with everything separately. Really slow story and then a completely rushed ending. I didn't really find the ending believable since so little of the book focused on any romance between Tom and Nora. As I was reading, I was beginnning to think there would be no romance at all. I assume the side story of new character Coop is to build up for a future book, but that was not much to talk about either. At least it provided an excuse to use some of my other fave characters (Jack, Mel, Luke, Shelby). I feel like there was something lacking in this book - I can't find any other way to explain it. If you are looking for a good stand alone book, choose another VR book. If you read the series, then you should read this to just keep current.

Nora Crane's made some bad decisions in life, which lead to her now living in Virgin River, squatting in a tiny abandoned house with two small daughters, while her ex-minor-league ballplayer turned meth-head ex-boyfriend rots in jail. Who would want to take on THAT mess?

Not Tom Cavanaugh, former Marine and current boss of the family apple orchard. He knows what he wants in a woman, and Nora's not it; he doesn't even want to give her a seasonal job picking apples. But his grandmother insists and the scrappy single mother makes a go of it, impressing him despite himself.

As the local counselor/pastor helps her to discover, Nora is not entirely alone in the world, after all; her father did not abandon her willingly, but gave up in the face of repeated rebuffs by her mother, and when he seemed to be making life worse for the little girl. My one quibble with this book is when Jed talks about how Nora's mother might have had borderline personality disorder, but how she wasn't REALLY mentally ill.

There's a lot we don't understand about mental illness, and I don't have the credentials to diagnose anyone, let alone a fictional character. But the "personality" disorders - borderline, OCPD, narcissistic personality disorder are as real mental illnesses as anything else in the last two editions of the DSM, and those who have them, as well as those who are involved in family, love, or work relationships with someone so disordered, officially diagnosed or not, are well-advised to get qualified professional help. The damaging impacts can last a lifetime, especially if they are brushed off as not "real mental illness." It's potentially as harmful to grow up in a household with a disordered person as it is to grow up in a household where there is alcohol or drug addiction. [Climbing down off soapbox now.]

These discussions only takes up a little of the book, but having such a mother and an absent father helps us understand why Nora made such bad decisions re: the boyfriend, and admire her all the more for her determination to make something of herself and for her girls.

The heat between Tom - who is trying desperately to become attracted to a lovely woman with less emotional, if not literal, baggage, and Nora is slow to develop. She's attracted to him all the way through, but isn't going to hit on her boss, especially one who's dating another woman. Loved Maxie, the grandmother, the town events as described, and the way other characters make an appearance, here and there, but this book too works as a stand-alone.

This one just didn't do it for me. A big part of it was the dialog (and good heavens, this one has a lot of dialog! At times it seemed that's all this book was, one conversation after another sprinkled here and there with internal musings)--it just didn't read to me as real conversations that normal people would have. Even the internal dialog just didn't ring true. The romance--such as it was--was extremely slow to develop, up until the last ten pages or so, when it went into hyperdrive. It almost felt as if Carr suddenly realized she had to wrap it up, and wrap it up darn quick. Overall, it was extremely predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (nor unexpected, in the romance genre), but a few surprises--with the writing if not with the plot--here or there would be nice. Once again a seemingly unrelated and random plot line was inserted--and yes, it's obviously in order to give the new character, Coop, his own book in the future, I get that--but it really didn't increase my interest in either this story or the future one; instead it just made this one seem even longer than it already was.

Eternal optimist that I am, I'm still going ahead with the series--I just hope the next installment has more going for it than this one, which just seemed to be resting on the series' laurels a bit too much.

Tom Cavanaugh thought he wanted to escape from his family's apple orchard business so he joined the Marines. After his two years, he decided the last thing he wanted to do was be anywhere else but home. Nora Crane has had a tough life to be so young but she is filled with determination and resolve to make the best of it for her two young daughters. (You may remember Nora as the young woman from Bring Me Home for Christmas that was stranded in a snow storm with no heat or milk for her newborn infant.)

When the Cavanaugh's posted a notice at the church for apple pickers, Nora jumped at the opportunity to have a pretty decent paying job for a change. Tom Cavanaugh took one look at her and turned her down...he didn't need the distraction. His grandmother, Maxie, intervenes and Nora is hired. And so begins the transformation of Tom and Nora's lives.

I really liked how most of this book is devoted to the development of a relationship between Tom and Nora. He's convinced she's not his "type" and goes off on a journey with someone who seems to meet all of his criteria. Nora is developing sort of a crush on Tom from afar and doesn't even entertain a notion that a relationship could ever develop. Their own self-development and awareness was interesting to watch unfold, assisted by the good people around them, Maxie for Tom and Noah Kincaid for Nora (you remember him as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church). To complicate matters for Nora, revelations about her parents significantly alter her life in the meantime.

There is secondary story involving Luke and one of his former Army buddies, Hank Cooper, that had the makings of something pretty interesting but fell flat by the end of the book. I'm hoping that Hank will be resurrected in a future story but I was disappointed in this storyline.

Overall, this is a pretty solid addition to the series, even though it won't be in my top favorites. Nora and Tom are really likable characters, even though he could be rather dense at times. Darla, the woman providing a diversion for Tom, was a bit over the top in terms of characterization but she did her job and provided some humorous moments. Again, I'm a fan of the multiple storylines and this book fell short in that respect. I'm rating it 3.5 stars but would rather round up to 4 than lower it to a 3.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley.)

When I wrote a post about how to bust a reading slump (which I was teetering on the edges of) one of my favorite blogging friends mentioned Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr. I'd read the first Virgin River book awhile back, and really enjoyed it, but never bothered to pick up any of the others. I had too many book son my TBR pile to add something else. Especially not a series with 19 books out!! But I was reading slowly, and thought it couldn't hurt to try something completely different. And it worked! I could not put this book down.

This book had all the components of a great Romance Novel - troubled heroine, ex-Marine who now runs his families Orchard (aka Hot Ex-Military Farmer!! YUMM!) and absolutely awesome Grandmother! (I love awesome Grandma's, probably because I had one myself.) And, as an added bonus? There was a bimbo that we all loved to hate who was vying for the affections of our hunky hero!

Nora, our heroine, is a single mom who has had the life from hell. She had a rotten childhood. She fell for Mr. Wrong, who knocked her up and left her high and dry in a town where she didn't know anyone. She's hunting for work and happened upon Tom's Apple Orchard just as they were hiring pickers. Seriously, what's not to love about Nora with her stubborn streak and her incredibly caring heart?

Tom, on the other hand? He took me awhile to love. He was trying to fall in love with Darla - the evil villain. And that knocked him down several notches in my book, because before she even showed up? I hated her. And the only redeeming parts about Tom's "relationship" with her? The awesome snarkiness that Grandma Maxie tossed around because of the stuck up witch!!

Sunrise Point is your typical romance novel, filled with all the predictable moments you would expect. But it's a great example of why those of us who read Romance love the genre so much! Reading this book is like slipping on your favorite pair of sweats and drinking a mug of hot cocoa! There's just something warm and cozy about a good Romance Read, and Sunrise Point is no exception!

Nora Crane is a single mother of two down on her luck. Her on again, off again no-good boyfriend dumped her in the little town of Virgin River during the winter. She and her children wouldn't have survived the cold weather if it hadn't been for the kindness of the town. Nora is finally getting things together and is seeking employment at the famous local apple orchards. She never expected to be attracted to the stoic marine in charge.

Former Marine Tom Cavanaugh has come home to run the orchard's business with his grandmother. He's interested in finding the perfect woman for him, and Nora is definitely not on his list. However, the sparky mother of two keeps getting under his skin. Will Nora and Tom find love among the apples or discover that opposites do not attract after all?

Robyn Carr delivers love in Virgin River once again with Sunrise Point. Nora and Tom, two headstrong independent people, navigate the field of love in this stunning romance. Nora's character is beautiful inside and out. The stuff this woman went through and prospered at her age is inspiring. Nora definitely deserves her very own happily ever after. Tom's looking in all the wrong places for his Miss Right. His search is at times hilarious and at others aggravating. I wanted to yell, "Can't you see what's right in front of you?" However, Ms. Nora is doing her best to ignore her building feelings for Tom as well. When they finally get their acts together the pursuit of romance is on and it's oh, so sweet. Compassion, bears, love, apples and romance turn Sunrise Point into an uplifting and inspiring read!

Reviewed by Miranda
For Joyfully Reviewed

TOM CAVANAUGH MAY THINK HE WANTS A TRADITIONAL WOMAN, BUT IN VIRGIN RIVER, THE GREATEST TRADITION IS FALLING IN LOVE UNEXPECTEDLY...

Former marine Tom Cavanaugh is back from the Middle East "sandbox" and ready to take over his family's apple orchard and settle down. He has the perfect woman in mind, someone sweet, docile and beautiful. A woman without baggage. A woman he can marry.

Single mom Nora Crane is the opposite of the females Tom has in mind. Nora will work the most demanding physical job to support her young daughters, and that includes picking apples at Cavanaugh's orchard. She's struggled since coming to Virgin River, and she wants to be self-supporting. After a bad experience with the father of her children, she's certainly not looking for a man. But ruggedly handsome and opinionated Tom Cavanaugh enters her thoughts more than is comfortable. And Tom, who thinks he has found the perfect woman, discovers she pales in comparison to lovely, determined Nora. It might just take some well-intentioned advice from Tom's grandmother to show him what's really important.

I loved this story in the hugely popular Virgin River series. While I had thought this was to be the last book according to Ms. Carr, it seems she has surprised us with a twentieth book-a Christmas story-due out in November. Lucky us! In the Virgin River series, Ms. Carr found a setting and characters that struck a chord with her audience and she kept on producing books that made each of us want to move to Virgin River and share those lives. I will be sad to see the series end, however, Sunrise Point is every bit as wonderful as each of the other VR books. Nora and Tom are delightful characters, though I admit wanting to knock some sense into Tom long before his grandmother did. The conflict is strong, as is Nora's determination to provide for her two adorable girls. Likable, fleshed-out secondary characters add to the charm of this story, plus we are reacquainted with some old familiar faces.

Pick up a copy of Sunrise Point today. You won't be disappointed.

Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr was my first trip to the lovely town of Virgin River in northern California. But I don't think it will be my last. Not just because the town was beautiful, but because the people who live there are ones I'd like to see again, to catch up on their stories. And because the love stories that seem to happen there, like Sunrise Point, involve terrific characters and great storytelling.

Nora Crane is a single mother with two very young daughters. Her daughters' sperm donor (father is so the wrong word) abandoned her in Virgin River in a house that not only wasn't ready for winter, it wasn't even fit for habitation. The whole town pitched in to help Nora get by.

But Nora wants to stand on her own two feet. The school of hard knocks is a rough teacher, but she's learned better than to be dependent on anyone ever again. She was young and stupid when she dropped out of college to follow a minor league ballplayer who ended up a drug dealer, but she's not stupid anymore. Now she's still young, but she's pragmatic as she can be.

And she needs to work to support herself and her girls. Harvest time at Tom Cavanaugh's orchard is the best paying work she can get now that school is out for the summer and her teaching assistant job is temporarily over.

It doesn't matter that the orchard is over 3 miles outside of town, that she has no car, and that Tom Cavanaugh is ruggedly handsome, overly opinionated...and only hired her because his grandmother made him take pity on her situation. Nora will prove to herself, and Tom, that she can learn the back-breaking, callous-making hard work of picking apples.

The thing is, Nora is all wrong about the reason Tom didn't want to hire her. Oh yes, he's worried about her learning the job, but everyone is new once. Tom's problem is that he finds Nora much too attractive, and he doesn't want to get himself involved with someone who works for him. And he's just back from serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. He's thinking about settling down, but he's not ready for a ready-made family either.

Nora is both an employee, and a single mother. He should be declaring her completely off-limits.

And Nora has already made some seriously bad decisions about men once in her life. Getting involved with her boss is all kinds of bad.

But the heart wants what the heart wants. The head can be so totally wrong about these things. Especially in Virgin River.

Escape Rating B+: Watching Nora and Tom court and spark is the fun part of this story. When they are thinking and not feeling, they think they are wrong for each other. But when they simply interact, everyone around them can see they are so very right for each other. It just takes them a long time to see it. Their obliviousness is funny, and almost heartbreaking. The wrong choice does loom over them for a while.

There are two sets of background characters. The set that are part and parcel of Nora and Tom's story are terrific. I'm not sure there is anyone who wouldn't want Tom's grandmother Maxie for their own. Or at least to borrow her for awhile. She's marvelous. The story of Nora's childhood, and the resolution, that part introduces some good things as well.

The other piece of the story is probably the setup for the next book, with some characters who had their HEA in a previous story and one new one. Because this was my first trip to Virgin River, I was a little bit lost in the parts with Luke, Jack and Cooper. But I think Cooper's story might be the next book, since Luke (Temptation Ridge) and Jack (Virgin River) have already had their stories.

Speaking of temptation, I'm tempted to go back to find out exactly what their stories are. Before book 20 in this series comes out. I want to catch up with everyone!

Originally published at Reading Reality.

We return to the peaceful mountain town of Virgin River once again and meet up with some favorite characters. We met Nora Crane and her two little girls, Berry and Fay, when they arrived in town in desperate need of help. (In Bring Me Home for Christmas) The residents of Virgin River, mostly headed by Reverend Noah Kincaid, have pitched in to help the struggling single mother in her many efforts to stay afloat and support her small family. Nora has been through a lot, with a substance-abusing and dangerous ex-boyfriend and father of her girls who left her high and dry, to a mother that was borderline mental and a father who she thought abandoned her. After living through so much in her 23 years, Nora is in no way ready to have a man in her life, but can't seem to keep Tom Cavanaugh out of her thoughts. Tom, an ex-Marine, returned to Virgin River to help his grandmother, Maxine, run the family apple orchard. Nora needed a job and applied to be a seasonal apple picker, and Tom only reluctantly hires her after Maxie tells him what's what. Throughout the book, Tom and Nora fight their growing attraction and make attempts to avoid each other, but Virgin River is a very small town... and you never know what you will learn about yourself.

I enjoyed this installment of the Virgin River Series and the skills of Robyn Carr as she weaves a story about two people who have gone through a lot and aren't necessarily on the same page when it comes to relationships. The characters each have their own decisions to make about what they really want and are supported along the way by a strong group of family and friends. Nora learns a lot about herself as she meets the father that left her when she was six and realizes that there was a lot more to the story that her mother told her; she gets a second chance to form a bond with her father as he visits his granddaughters. Tom on the other hand, believes that he knows exactly where he is in life and what he wants, but when the widow of a fellow Marine keeps dropping by with plans of her own, he begins to really take a look at what is waiting for him in Virgin River - Picking apples can be like choosing the right woman - though they may be shiny and red on the outside, who knows what you will find on the inside.

When Carr gets it right, she gets it so right. I was disappointed with the last installment in the series Redwood Bend, it was a three star book -- still good but not great. But Sunrise Point makes up for that and more. While Sunrise Point has a few characters from previous books, I believe that this book can be read out of order and as a standalone, however it does push along the story arc as well and close up some loose ends. The heroine of the story was first introduced in Bring Me Home for Christmas and has appeared in a few of the stories since #16. There are some visits with the good old characters -- Noah, Jack and Ellie are referenced, but that is about it. The story truly centers around Tom and Nora, Nora's personal struggles to raise her family and deal with her family history, and Tom's desire to settle down with the right woman.

As in most of the Virgin River stories, there is a small love triangle that is not tension filled and used mainly to allow the characters to see what they really want out of life. The love interest that ends up getting discarded is funny and the scenes surrounding her make it clear she is not going to be the one chosen. Tom, the hero of Sunrise Point, has to figure out if what he wants is simply a beautiful woman or a woman that may have some baggage, but is truly he his soulmate. In a funny way, Carr shows what it takes to be really beautiful and thin (definitely not eating the rich and fat meals often served in Virgin River!) and the hero figures out there is more to what he wants in his partner.

Nora had a rocky beginning introduction in Virgin River, in Bring Me Home for Christmas she is abandoned with two small young kids and no means to support them. Since book #16, Carr doesn't use this as merely a throw in story, she shows how Nora struggles to get a job that will pay for babysitting, how she struggles to buy clothes and car seats. Carr doesn't fail to show how hard it can be for a single mother without means and family to help her.

Sunrise Point is not as steamy as the past few Virgin River books and it is much slower paced. But it is still very sweet and rewarding.

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Aubrey
Review Copy provided by~the Publisher

I love every book by Robyn Carr. I would have a hard time picking my favorite one. Each hero is so different from the last and seems to be even more likable and even more hot! I don't know how she manages to do it each and every time. Her books are like going home to your grandma's house. You feel wrapped up in a hug of warmness and just want to kick back under the blankets till you finish her latest novel. Then when you are close to being done you want to weep because you know the wait for the next one is going to be a long time. You just might have to start re-reading her back list in order to keep you sated till the next novel comes out.Her latest novel has quickly become one that I can't wait to re-read. Sunrise Point does not disappoint! You have the interaction with the rest of the town that makes the series so great.

Tom is a big strong ex-Marine who returns to Virgin River to help run his family's apple orchard. He doesn't want to hire Nora but his grandmother has something to say about that. She hires Nora on the spot. There's instant attraction and tension between Nora and Tom. They both have things that they need to work through. If they are able to work through their personal problems and apprehensions about starting a relationship with each other they have the beginnings of something very special.

I have had a soft spot for Nora since she first appeared in a Virgin River novel. Being a single mother myself I know how hard it is to make a living for my kids and like her I will do anything to do so. She's fiercely independent and is proud of her life that she has created for her two young children. She loves the town of Virgin River because of all that the town has done for her. Nora grows a lot during Sunrise Point where she learns the truth about her father. I cannot wait till the next Robyn Carr!

Nora Crane, young single mother of two adorable little girls, was abandoned in Virgin River by her drug addict, abusive boyfriend. Nora hadn't known much stability in her life because of a mother who had her own psychological problems and an absent father. This all changes in Virgin River; Nora's own resilient nature and desperate circumstances drive her to accept the friendship and help of local people. They help her to find life's necessities and babysitting. Finding a job to make her way is a top priority. She finds peace, friendship, a paycheck, and a good-looking former Marine, Tom Cavanaugh, in the apple orchard.
As far as "baggage" goes, Nora has it all. Yet, it is fun to compare hard-working, "appreciates life" Nora with Tom's other possible choice. It's fun to read and see Tom slowly figuring out that Darla's good points are only skin deep...maybe not even that deep. I loved Tom's grandma, Maxie, who shared common circumstances with Nora. When Carr set up the similarity between Maxie and Nora it helped me to like Nora better. I felt sorry for Nora, but if Tom was my grandson, I would want him to steer clear of her problems. Seeing Maxie's reaction to Nora helped me to like the character. Tom and Nora's growing attraction is fun to read about. Seeing Nora reconnect with her father, who genuinely wants to become a father and grandfather, is cheering.
Three Stars

*Complimentary copy received for this review, does not affect my opinion in any way*

Virgin River is like coming home for a vacation. A vacation that ends way too soon. Of course I think we all can guess as to what is going to happen but with Robyn Carr the ride is so much fun. Everyone is interweaved so beautifully that you can't help but love VR books!

In this book Nora is a single mother of two small girls. Her ex left her in Virgin River destitute. But Nora has one thing, her positive attitude and willingness to do whatever she has to take care of her girls.

So when Nora hears of an opening at the apple orchard, she will walk the miles to put food on the table and clothes for her babies. Nora expects nothing for free and doesn't like to take handouts.

Reverend Noah Kincaid has always tried to help everyone out in the town. When he helps find Nora's dad for Nora, will Nora be able to make amends with the father she believed to abandon her? Or will she find out just how twisted her mother's deceptions go?

Sparks fly when Nora goes to the apple orchard and the more she gets to know about Tom and Maxie the more she wishes she had someone who loved her like Tom would and Maxie is just one of the best characters I have ever met. I love her spunk!

When a love triangle forms, which girl will win? Nora or the wife of a soldier that was killed in combat with Tom? Find out, you don't want to miss all the sparks!!

I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. I liked how the book was mainly focused on the romance and not a lot of side plots. However, the side plot that was there annoyed me. lol. It was just a set up for the next book/series and we did not need it. I liked Nora. I wish I had liked Tom (I liked him but his growth needed to be more) a bit more and kind of wish he had been forced to woo her at a certain point and that even though we have a nice discussion of women's range of valid choices she had/or would in the future invest in herself a bit. But all in all a solid book in this series. There is a dig at vampire romance that is funny.

If you like these themes, you will like this book! Spoilers below!

abandoned-by-parent, abuse-sexual-or-physical, abusive-mother, baby-infant, body-art, california, class-difference, contemporary-romance, contemporary-romance-series, discovered-parent, farm, food, friends-to-lovers, grannies-aunties, iraq-war, mountain-local, older-male, poverty, pregnancy-at-end, single-mother, slow-seduction, small-breasted, small-town-romance, terrible-first-spouse, uptight, veteran, working-class-heroine

I really enjoyed that the story has very imperfect people as the main characters. Nora is a single mother of two adorable children, she has never been married and is destitute. In desperation she applies for a job at an apple orchard.

Tom doesn't want to hire her. She is too cute and doesn't look cut out for the demanding rigors of apple picking. His wonderful grandmother hires her instead. Let me just say, that his grandmother was one of the main highlights of the story. She is so spunky and wise that I couldn't help not liking her.

The story deals with preconceived notions and how often they get in the way of life. Tom doesn't want to fall for Nora because of her past. He thinks he needs someone sophisticated and classy, not down on her luck and just an all around good person. They both need to come to terms with the concept of self-worth and what truly makes a person worthy.

There were a few scenes that left me puzzled and I wasn't sure how they fit in the story. This is book #19 in a series dedicated Virgin River setting. I am wondering if they are set up for another book in the series?

I liked this story. It doesn't fall within the "clean romance" that I usually read. Toward the end they both release some of their inhibitions. I only recommend this book to adults.

I received a digital copy to review.

I've been a V.R. reader since day one and G.V. as well, but with this book, I have had enough. The series has become so formulaic and saccharine it isn't holding my interest. Plug in character A into dramatic situation X and voila! Nora's age was a bit too young for me to care about her as a primary character and her current situation just unbelievable when we learn about her background. Also the references to evil big oil and tree huggers was annoying, I don't care about the authors views.

I really like the love story, a girl fighting and working her way to a better life to her family. The young handsome boss appreciating and caring for her. Just lovely. I didn't care for the side story just stuck in there about Coop, Luke and Jack. I could've done without. I didn't need to understand Coop's character for the next book, which I read prior to this one and liked all on it's own.

Hott Synopsis
What could make a woman walk 3.4 miles to the laborious job of picking apples for ten hours a day?
Being the sole provider for two babies.
Nora doesn't mind in the least. The town of Virgin River has helped her tremendously in the year since her babies' father dumped her here and now she's finally starting to take care of herself.
If only she could get her mind off of the gorgeous boss who seems to detest her... especially, since he has that gorgeous woman in the red boots to take care of him.

Another great book into the Virgin River series. I enjoy seeing how one story lineages into the next. I was a little disappointed in this one though it was not as believable as some of the others in the series but it does lead into the Thunder Point series, which I will begin next. Robyn Carr writes a good light, easy reading book, there is emotion, some drama and romance, good for curling up in an easy chair for entertainment.

Love Ms Carr's work, and really enjoyed this one. Not only because of the sweet love story, but because I always feel like Ms Carr finds something interesting to teach us every single time. This time, among other things, was the whole apple picking industry. Where else can you read a wonderful love story and feel like you know everyone in town, and yet still get a glimpse of something most of us probably never think about.

I also thought she did a great job of introducing Nora's mother and father in realistic ways. Sometimes there are parents like her mother, and I love that her father wasn't perfect either--but was a real person.

Enjoyed!! Can't wait for the next installment!

This is my favourite book in the Virgin River series so far. I love Tom and Nora! Granted, there were times I figured Tom needed to man up and set Darla straight, but his other qualities outweighed that flaw. And Nora...Nora is a wonderful heroine. Brave, humble, hardworking, kind... she actually made me want to be a better person. No two deserved a HEA more than they did. Wonderful read - Carr is rapidly becoming an auto-buy for me.

I just discovered Lauren Carr and will attempt to read all her books. Altho, they all do have a common theme, it is interesting to see how each book's character is woven into the final chapter. I also like the fact that she writes about combat veterans, as I'm one from the Vietnam era.

Another Robyn Carr book added to my read list of hers. What can I say about one of my favorite authors? I. LOVED. IT. Again with any of my Robyn Carr reviews, I don't want to say too much in them because it would be uber long and probably spell out most of the book for you. So I am just going to point out the things that made me love this book.

We were given a brief intro to Nora from previous books and Robyn made me want to rush in there and take care of Nora. The situation she was thrust into made all my big sister genes roar to life. But I was able to see that although she has lived a hard life, it doesn't bring her down and she is willing to do hard work to take care of her family. You have to admire and respect the hell out of a woman who does that.

Tom was a new character to the books. His family has an orchard but they aren't really mentioned too much in previous books. Of course this doesn't mean I didn't instantly fall in love for the guy. At first he was a little gruff but then he quickly changed his tune. I seriously love Robyn's marines. I could just eat them up!!

As always, run, don't walk to get Robyn Carr's novel. If you haven't read any in the series before, that's ok. You can read this as a standalone but it is nice to know more about all the characters that are in the books. They are all phenomenal!

This book was a bit different than previous Virgin River books. While most of the other books went straight for the romance angle (think Jack and Mel, Preacher and Paige, Mike and Bree), Robyn Carr's latest in the series watches a true friendship turn into a beautiful romance.

Nora is as strong a heroine as any reader can want, and Tom is a great strong, silent type. Good read.

Very realistic with the difficulty of getting jobs and the lack of respect some selfish people pour on there partner. How nice to find a supportive, responsible person to finally share a family and life with! All are hopeful that they will be blessed with a spouse that will willingly share love , as well as want love...

Nora is a single Mom of two precious little girls, alone and in desperate need of a job. Her head strong independent streak fuels her energies as she takes on a job picking apples. She soon finds she is in love with the beauty of the orchard and the loving family that lives there. This close knit town conjures up happy thoughts of how life should be where everyone looks out for one another. The parallel story of ex military men and their confrontations doesn't seem to fit the overall story and I found that to be a distraction. Otherwise, I generally loved the main characters.

I've read every Virgin River book and this one by far, was a huge disappointement for me. Tom was NOT a favorite with me. He annoyed me right from the first and right to the last page, which I had trouble finishing this book, I did not change my opinion. Virgin River books usually come out 3 within 3 to 4 months of each other. Of the latest 3, I thought this one would be the best of the three. I was very disappointed that it turned out to be the worst one. The only saving grace in the book was those two little girls! Should have been more about them. Nora wasn't a character I particularly enjoyed either. Not a keeper for me....

Started reading this book a while back on a phone that I replaced so I didn't get far. Restarted reading it on Kindle recently. Good story but had to get about halfway through before it became a fantastic read. Well written and left me wanting more.

Hard to put down once started what wonderful characters and family values. The orchard and whole Virgin River area is a delightful 'other' character in the book. Carr did great job with this. It is my first read by this author. It will not be my last. Highest recommendation all romance lovers. You won't be sorry. You will love it!

I ordered this item quite a while ago, but didn't know the price as it was a pre order. Not happy the store dropped the price by 68% the day after it was released. Great job the store, rip off your loyal customers why don't you!!!

I would have liked it better if in the end the author showed that Norah had matured and learned from her past - that sex is not the answer or what a relationship should be based on. That developing a deep friendship over an extended period instead of just weeks is key to a lasting relationship based on love not lust.

I have not finished this book yet, I am not sure I will and that is just sad to say. I own both ebook and hardback of evey book written in this series.I love the town of Virgin River.
Spolier alert: I am at the point in the book, where the dad is just starting visits with his grandchildren and I am bored. There has been next to nothing about the town or its people. Which is the heart and soul of these books. Just page after page of 2 people "searching thier soul" over and over again.I read the book of how and why she was left in Virigin River,I don't need to be reminded every other page.I guess that is my biggest complaint. So far Robyn Carr goes over and over and over the same items... The book just does not have the magic the other books do. Maybe she just needed a paycheck so she churned this out. Because I bought it just because of what it is, Virgin River. Didn't read or look at a thing about it (which I am sure alot of people did). I will not be buying the hardback. I am worried the series is over and I really loved it.

I love Robyn Carr's books, and this is no exception. The Virgin River books are such fun to read, I can feel myself in the California mountain town and the characters are from ordinary life situations, easy to put yourself in their place. I can't say enough good things about Robyn Carr!

I liked Nora for being the type of mother that would walk miles to get to a job to support her kids. Even through the hard times
she was positive. I liked the theme that even though her and Tom were so different, they had an attraction that they finally could not deny. Robyn Carr is probably my number one favorite author. Her characters are so real to me and the town of Virgin River would be a dream come true. The books make me want to travel back to Northern California, and explore Highway 36.

Nice storyline. I really enjoyed the main story. It KEPT me reading. I didn't understand the sudden appearance of a second story that had no connection to the first other than set in same town. It was a distraction and could have been left out.

Love all Robyn Carr books. This was definitely another great one. Wish there were more books to the Virgin River series. Maybe someday. Need to know more about this new character, Hank Cooper. Plus, isn't there another Riorden brother?

This is a typical Robyn Carr! Easy, interesting and very enjoyable. The characters you have come to know and enjoy are all there with addition to the new ones. Good wholesome read. Highly recommend all of her books.

Her boyfriend Chad abandoned Nora Crane and their two infant daughters (two year old Berry and nine month old Fay) in Virgin River, California. Stranded without a car, the townsfolk help her and her babies. She sees a notice at the Virgin River Presbyterian Church for seasonal full time employment picking apples at Cavanaugh Orchard. Though she works at the clinic, Nora needs the money. Reverend Noah Kincaid drives her 3.4 miles so that she would need to walk only one way to the Cavanaugh Orchard.

Manager former marine Tom Cavanaugh takes one look at Nora, hears her story of need, and says no. Noah persuades Tom's septuagenarian grandmother Maxie the owner to hire her. Tom is attracted to his new employee, but her kids are baggage he does not want to deal with. In turn, she ignores her feelings for her boss as she needs money not a tryst. Both are stubborn about their attraction, but former significant others and meeting her father Jed for the first time in years enforce their love for one another.

The latest Virgin River rustic romance (see Redwood Bend) is an entertaining and delightful contemporary as Nora learns it takes a caring village to raise a child and Tom learns that most mothers can and will do anything for their younglings. Although Nora's mom was certifiable (and a counselor no less), readers will enjoy romance in the apple orchard.

Harriet Klausner

loved the book as usual and hope another virgin river comes out soon.. i preordered it and it was over six dollars. two days later i finish it amd go to check when the next one comes out only to find its 1.99. i will never preorder again

This is an overly simplistic series of books written for the 15-17 year old set. Therefore, it didn't fit reading needs for someone with multiple advanced degrees. This doesn't mean that her books are not suitable for the younger crowd.