Book 1) (A Virgin River Novel) - Virgin River (Virgin River

This is my third time with this series. I have loved, loved, loved it every time. This is also my first time reviewing. I recommend Robin Carr. With 3 reads I still laugh & cry. Very touching series.

Very good book. Characters interesting. Will continue to read next in series. Funny in parts and tear wrenching in others.
The way Robyn Carr describes the city and the characters, your mind will take you there.

The story was good, but I felt it was missing chemistry between to the two leads. I didn’t care for Jack after the way he reacted to Mark. I felt Jack never really understood Mark would be a part of Mel forever. I couldn’t see this lasting forever. I really liked the way the town was written and loved the midwifery.

Okay a little synopsis (spoilers)

Mel (the damsel) moves from Los Angeles to a small town of 600 people. She is a nurse practitioner in maternity ward in LA and is in need of a major change and decides to become a midwife in V. R. One of the reasons why she wants to leave the city is her husband was murdered a year before and she wants to leave everything of that past life behind.

At first she has a hard time adjusting to country life. But the people in the town are very friendly towards her. This is one of the things I find unrealistic with this book. Usually when a city person moves to a small town, the people are very standoffish and even look down their noses at the newcomers (believe me this has happened to me.) And here in this book people have welcomed her with open arms. Right.

One thing that I did feel realistic, however, is the rate of teen pregnancy. In the small backwater town I live in for a couple of years, people got married right away and even dropped out of high school to have children. In small towns like this, there is nothing to do-no malls to go shopping at, no movie theaters to go to, no wi-fi, it does not take a rocket scientist to know why teen pregnancies are high.

One good thing about the book is the author did an excellent time describing the scenery such as the mountains and wildlife.

I found this series searching for contemporary romance, and after reading book one I intend to take the rest of them back to the library without turning the first page. The Romance in this book was more on line with two people that decided to settle instead of some great love affair. They both are pretty intelligent, attractive and successful, it just felt like they said 'why not?'

The story had 'very little' of the push/pull conflict that is found in this genre, it was so unbelievably flat in character development that at times I just wanted to scream. There were so many of them too, it was clear the groundwork was being laid for the rest of the series and not done very well. It was also sooooooo long and boring. Replace your name with the hero/heroine and write about your day in your diary and you have the gist of this book.

Nothing spectacular of the plot that left me waiting on bated breath. Just people going to work, seeing friends and getting a drink and having dinner, thats about what the whole book was about, and now I'm left with two days I'll never get back. Uggggh

I have seen so many people rave over this series that it has been on my TBR list for a long time. When I saw this book in audio format, I quickly grabbed it to give it a chance. I was pleased to recognize the name of the narrator, Thérèse Plummer. She did an excellent job on another series I read, so I was happy to recognize a great narrator.

The story is about a widow who sells everything and leaves her life in Los Angeles to answer an add for a nurse practitioner and midwife in the tiny town of Virgin River in Northern California. She is looking for the ultimate change in scenery. Jack is the owner of the local bar & restaurant. He has his former marine finger on the pulse of the town and considers it and everyone in it, as important to him.

This story really tells the tale of a woman starting over and relearning how to live. There were a couple of times that I got a bit impatient with Melinda for hanging on so desperately to her dead husband's memory, and Jack with being some dang understanding about it. He was almost, almost too good to be true. The two of them made a cute couple.

But what made this book for me, was the interplay between all the characters. I can easily see why this has become a very popular series, and I will be searching out more books in the series to listen to, especially if Thérèse continues as the narrator. Her portrayal of all the different characters was amazing. Each one had a very distinct voice and made it easy to tell who was speaking.

If you are looking for a romance that showcases the rugged beauty of the country lifestyle with a bit of medical action, some military mentions and a bit of criminal shenanigans and excitement, you will probably enjoy this book. I know I did and gave it 4 stars.

Title: Virgin River
Series: Book one of the Virgin River series
Author: Robyn Carr
Genre: Modern day Romance
Blurb:Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad, she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she's made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and former marine Jack Sheridan cements them into place.

I've heard a lot of good things about Miss Robyn Carr on Facebook and I just had to go and check out her books for myself. When I arrived at my local bookstore, there were so many of her books to choose from I just did not know where to start, so obviously I chose to start from the beginning. Let me start out by saying, there is something in the water in Virgin River.

When suffering from grief, the thing that you will need the most is your family and friends around you to help you through your pain, but not Melinda Monroe.

Wanting to start all over in a new environment the first thing she did was sell everything of importance, packed up everything that she needed and moved to the middle of nowhere where no one knows her and won't ask her uncomfortable questions.

How she came to the middle of no-where you may ask? She answered an ad that said:

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

Thinking this was the answer to her prays, Melissa packed up and moved to Virgin River and instantly regretted her rash decision. The cabin is inhabitable and the doctor wants nothing to do with her; not to mention that she almost dies getting to Virgin River, okay I exaggerated about the dying part but the rest is true.

After realizing that this was a huge mistake, Melissa wanted nothing more than to dive back into her car and never look back, but after she discovered a baby abandoned on a front porch, her nursing instincts took over and duty convinced Melissa to stay until the abandoned baby situation was taken care of.

Of course another reason was Jack Sheridan, a former marine that she can't seem to get out of her mind. It does not help that he fills her empty soul with longing, and with the longing comes a guilt so big that it seems to consume her.

Robyn Carr wrote a roller-coaster of a book that had me wondering what's going to happen next. there was a part of the book that I thought was dragging but the book picked up and stayed up.

I do not like that at the blurb at the back of the book mentioned that their was an abandoned baby involved because it had me wanting Melissa to find the baby, and when it did not happen right away, I was just anxious to know when it was going to happen and how.

This is the type of book that would throw some situations at you that you would not expect and when you think everything is over, another curve ball is thrown right at you, happy reading everyone.

Thoughts: Some parts tended to drag a bit
Grade: B
Review by: Nathifa
[...]

Carr develops this novel with a flair for scenery. Virgin River comes to life in a big way. I thoroughly enjoyed how Carr allowed me to picture each and every aspect of the area and its people. Carr presents a well-rounded introduction to Virgin River as a whole. At the same time, she creates an emotionally fulfilling, wildly exciting novel that brings all the aspects of life forward. The story was full of plot twists that kept me from guessing what would happen next. There were definitely a few ‘Holy Cow! I didn’t see that coming’ moments that had me exclaiming out loud.

I loved this 1st look at Jack. He’s so much fun to get to know. The mix of strong warrior with caring gentleman was fantastic. I appreciate the gradual nature of Mel’s acceptance of Virgin River and of her growing relationship with Jack. I loved Mrs. McCrea. Her busibodyness and hopes for Virgin River’s future were fantastic.

Carr has penned the perfect start to her Virgin River series with this novel. I loved every aspect of it, from the heartbreaking loss to the budding romance, beautiful scenery to frightening suspense. I will definitely be continuing this series and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the novel to others.

This is a wonderful story of one lady’s journey to recreate herself. To find the beauty of life again after losing her true love to death. She sales everything packs up and heads to a small little town population 600. She is to be a nurse practitioner and midwife but when she arrives she is over her head with regret.

She starts to question what she was thinking. She is a city girl, an ER nurse, a shopping shoe fiend and now its fishing, hunting, woods and small town talk and pot lucks. Soon Jack the local bar owner and Mel become friends and her attitude starts to slightly change as one life obstacle after another makes itself known.

This is a beautifully written book of life, love, romance, peace. This is my kind of town, my kind of reality, porch rockers, sun sets, pot lucks and everybody knows your name. Virgin River is a peaceful town that comes to vivid life through the wonderful writing.

This is a book that grows on the reader. Mel and Jack and Doc and all the players of this small town grow on you. I wanted to wake up in Virgin River and that is the reality of this book, it feels so real, so wonderful, and so passionate.

The relationship between the town folk and Mel is priceless. The growing romance between Mel and Jack makes me giddy with fluttering butterflies with the ideas of love and the companionship everyone wishes. The strong manly arms of warmth next to the soft bosom of beauty.

This book in a sense is peaceful. It’s believable. This book is like a life on page. You become the town. You become the friendly atmosphere. You become Mel and Jack and all those around town. A perfect simple romantic read of real people in real situations that one can relate to.

This book is about people and life. My favorite part of this book was Jack because so many books describe men as ass’ or sexy lustful fiends but this book created a wonderful patient, protective, caring man and he has a past that showcases the reader to care for him to want to protect him or fall in love with him or just give a huge bear hug and that is what Mel saw, she needed that comfort and Jack is created and explained in that perfect way.

This is a sweet feel good love story that I believe every woman and every man could relate to. It showcases the beauty of sense of community and small town America. It created in me that fantasy and love of nostalgic life in a small town that I have always dreamed of and wish to live.

A Great Read

This series I have read out of order, and finally got back to book 1. This is the story of Mel, the nurse practitioner from LA, and Jack, the bar owner. Mel comes to Virgin River as a widow after her husband is killed in a violent robbery in LA. She needs something completely different, and finds it in Virgin River. Jack gets his world shaken up too, though he is a long-time resident of the little town. He is 40 and set in his ways, his friendships. He never expects Mel will effect him like she does.

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite authors, and this is a definite 5-star read for me. I read her books differently though. I tend to put them down and read them over longer periods. They are long, true, but I usually chomp through books quickly. These are not action-packed adventures (though they can have some exciting moments) but rather cozy reads to savor, catching up with favorite characters and listening to them tell you about their days. Honestly, some of her books should probably be dull and boring, but they don't come off that way at all to me. Her books are a relaxed chat over tea with a friend, cherished and anticipated but not heart pounding. That is exactly what this book is.

Of note, there is quite a bit of overlap in this one with Grace Valley characters from her other series. You don't need to read the Grace Valley trilogy first at all, but it is fun if you have so you can those characters carrying forward past the timeline in the Grace Valley books (June/Jim, the Stones, etc).

So here we meet Jack and Mel. She just wants to run away from the grief of losing her husband in Virgin River, but things are not as she was promised when she arrives. She is ready to bail out, but the appearance of an infant causes her to stay "just until the authorities" can take care of her. The town and its' members begin to grown on her and she finds more reasons to stay. Jack can't help but think that she is the woman of his dreams and does everything in his power to convince her to stay. Insecurities after finding out Mel's husband was a most-loved Dr, make him think there is now way he can compete with that memory.
As far as characters go, you like Jack and his taking care of business attitude. He cares about the community and his marine-buddies and you are hoping that he will be able to make a connection with Mel. While I applaud his patience with her and allowing her to take her time to warm up to a relationship with him, I do find his "love them and leave them" attitude with the women of his past a bit icky. He turned out to be a one woman man once he found the right one, but it would have been nice if he wouldn't have played the field so much before meeting her.

I love the Virgin River series! Excellent character development. The series does have some pregnancy issues and childbirth, but it also deals with spouse abuse, witness protection, military families. and the challenges faced by people in a small community who pitch in and help each other. Read them in sequence. A few of the main characters appear in each book. New people come into the town, fall in love and marry. A few are my favorites (especially when Preacher deals with his issues). I sometimes re-read my favorites when I'm not feeling well and can enjoy the warmth of the books without losing the plot due to a head cold.

I think my main gripe with this book, despite being mildly entertaining with some interesting supporting characters (which is why I didn't rate it lower), is that I can clearly envision how much better it would be had the author opted to demonstrate HOW Mel and Jack came to fall in love with each other as opposed to just telling us that they did. She definitely likes to "tell" the story instead of "showing" the reader with dialogue and a strong third person voice. I found myself wondering where the romance was half the time because all Carr gives the reader are paragraphs detailing how the two leading characters got to know each other. "They took all their meals together, engaging in long conversations and Jack knew he was Mel's closest friend at the moment" but we are never really privy to those interactions that, in my humble opinion, form the backbone and magic of a developing romance in a good novel.

Carr provides plenty of descriptions about how the leading couple were frequently in each other's company but there was no meaty dialogue that conveyed a connection between them. I completely understood that Jack found Mel attractive in her jeans and boots but I really didnt get how she affected him so deeply that he wanted, for the first time in his life as a bachelor, to spend the rest of his life with her. Furthermore, I think Carr did Jack, who is a wonderful hero to her credit, a major injustice by not giving Mel more time to grieve her dead husband. Mel and Jack meet each other less than one year after her husband's death which is fine but I just can't see how a woman who was so devoted to her husband and heartbroken by his death would so quickly and easily fall for someone else. In fact, the plot developed in such a way that it WAS difficult but alas, because of Carr's obsession with accidental pregnancies in her books, Jack and Mel are forced to speed things up. Perhaps the problem is that I just didn't think Carr did a good job of depicting their love story because as another astute reviewer pointed out, they seemed more like "friends with benefits" than anything else.

Now although I loved Jack as a character, I wasn't so fond of Mel which is a shame because you can tell that Carr adores her heroine as she factors into every subsequent novel in this series quite prominently. Mel is something of a preacher when it comes to women's health which wouldn't bother me had she practiced much of what she preaches. SMALL SPOILER ALERT. She is a nurse and mid-wife who promotes safe sex but the first time she ends up in bed with a man, she forgets all about safety and to add insult to injury, accepts Jack's offer to get tested but doesn't offer to do the same because she "was married for so long to one person". So what? Jack promised he had been getting checked regularly yet his word counts for less than hers? Despite generally wonderful male characters, Carr tends to make them overly accommodating to the point where I found them weak at times, and this instance with Jack was no exception.

Despite these points, I will say that Carr does a nice job of transporting her readers to this charming little fictional town of Virgin River. I found myself wishing it was real. Although I wasn't sold on the romance itself, I was intrigued enough to read her subsequent novels and if you want something light and easy to read to pass the time, Virgin River does the job.

This is a series and author who I see a lot of buzz about. On different blogs, on Twitter, and I see the books everywhere. So when I came across this book at a library sale I snatched it up. One thing I love about library sales is the chance to discover a multitude of new authors without spending a fortune. The spending comes later, when you then need to accumulate every other book that author has written.

Mel was married to a doctor and was happy with her life, working together in the ER, living in the big city, shopping at fancy stores and living the fast life. The only thing missing was a baby, which she and husband had been unable to conceive. And then an armed robbery at a convenience store took her husband away from her. Nearly a year later she is still deep in grief, and burned out on the trauma and adrenaline that accompanies medical care in a high turnover city emergency room. The midwife job in a small quiet town sounds like a perfect opportunity to get away, to go where nobody will know about her loss and look at her with pitying eyes. Her friends and family all think she's crazy, and her sister desperately wants her to come to her home in Colorado instead. But Mel sells her home, packs up and heads out.

She regrets it immediately. The woman who placed the ad was not quite truthful in her representations of the job or the accommodations, and before Mel has been in town a few hours she's made the decision to leave. Then she finds that baby mentioned in the blurb. Now, at this point, I assumed that Mel would end up taking in the baby, set down roots in town, marry a local and they would live happily ever after as a little family unit. I mean, how many romances have you read with an abandoned baby that did not play out that way? So I was pleased as the story progressed to have Mel, despite getting attached to the baby, not end up being the one to keep it, and the story not revolving around it but moving on to other facets of Mel's new life. Score one for the author for avoiding that plot cliche.

Jack owns the local bar/restaurant, lives on the premises, spends his free time fishing, and occasionally goes to another town where he has a lady friend. He's never been interested in a serious or long term relationship, but he's not a playboy. He's a good guy who was in the military for a long time, mentors a young teen who lives with his grandmother, and willingly pitches in to help out anybody and everybody in Virgin River.

None of the characters in this book are one dimensional. They are all very real and it was easy to connect with both Mel and Jack. The author gives us very good insight into their psyches and what makes them think and act the way they do. This is Mel and Jack's story of course, but the secondary characters are anything but just secondary. In fact, there was this one character, and this could be considered a spoiler by some so stop here if you avoid those...

There are lots of marijuana growers hidden in the countryside in the outlying areas, and one of these men comes to Mel's cabin late at night and insists she accompany him to deliver a baby. She's afraid to go with him and rightfully so, but he won't let her call anyone else, won't let her follow him in her own car, just insists she must come because the baby and mother need her. He doesn't pull a weapon on her, doesn't force her but doesn't really give her a choice, just keeps talking, cajoling, insisting...politely yet still firmly...until she finally gives in and goes. Now, maybe it's just me, but I think this scene was my favorite in the book, and I would have loved to learn more about this man, get to know him...I was drawn to him, attracted to him. I don't know if the author intended that, or if it's just because I'm not right in the head.

The romance between Mel and Jack builds up slowly and naturally, with the characters cementing a firm friendship first. Jack is patient, knowing that Mel has to come to terms with the loss of her husband and the idea of moving on, and when Jack and Mel first make love I wasn't entirely convinced that the timing was right. And it's still not a smooth road to happiness after that. Issues don't just vanish with the joining of two bodies, and the author handled that fact well.

By the end of the book, I had laughed and I had literally cried. Lots of books make me laugh, but not many bring real tears. Before I'd even turned the last page, I was anxious to revisit the town of Virgin River, and I picked up books 3, 9, 10, 17 and 18 on a shopping trip yesterday, and I already had 15 and 19 in my TBR pile, but being anal about reading series in order I still have to find a copy of the second book before I can continue.

Mel wanted a change of scenery from her old L.A.life as an er nurse and also leave the pain behind of losing her husband. She moves to a very small town called virgin river . She was promised a job working for the local doctor only to be told by him he didn't need any help. So begins this novel where Mel adjust to living in a small time all the while not sure if she would stay. As time goes by the doctor warms up to her healing slowly about her husband and getting to know Jack the local bartender who begins to show an interest in her. This book was so moving and touching I like that it was the hero who had to keep trying to fight for the heart of the heroine. You could feel Mel being torn about caring for Jack and still holding on to the memory of her late husband. I like how the author incorporated the different characters and family in the backdrop. The scene in which the drug dealer begs her to come back and look at his pregnant girlfriend was scary and comedic at the same time. Though the book was a bit long it was worth reading Jack and Mel closure of leaving her dead husband memory and able to star new memories with Jack and their soon to be born baby.

If you're looking for a hot, steamy romance, keep driving; if you want to get lost in a fantasy of small town life, with strong men, caring neighbors, and deer in the front yard, then Virgin River is the place (and book) for you.

Nurse and midwife Mel leaves LA for a job in Virgin River, hoping to escape the stress of the city and her grief over her murdered husband, but she arrives to find a run-down cabin, a lot of mud, and a grumpy town doc that doesn't want her help. She's about to storm off when a baby is abandoned on the doorstep of the clinic, and Mel decides to stay a few days to care for her. Local bar/grill owner Jack instantly has the hots for Mel and fixes up her dump of a cabin in hopes she'll stay. Mel quickly discovers that Virgin River is the Normal Rockwell porn she was looking for--and that love might be possible again after all.

The characters are well developed, and while the writing is not always spectacular, the dialogue is good, very natural for the most part. I love how much the characters communicate; that's refreshing in a genre that often depends on miscommunication to drive plots. The book meanders a bit as we're introduced to a variety of interesting secondary characters who are clearly being prepped for their own books, but they are rich characters that I look forward to seeing again. I have a few complaints after this spoiler warning...

SPOILERS
I disliked a rather graphic description of a 16-year-old having sex with a 14-year-old. Don't get me wrong--I love hot sex scenes. But geez, not ones involving a 14-year-old.

Also, I had a few problems with Mel and Jack. She asks him to get tested for STDs but then doesn't look at the results because she trusts him. That's just foolish. And I had to roll my eyes when his magic lumberjack sperm gets the previously infertile midwife pregnant. Finally, I don't like that she decides she loves Jack more deeply than she loved her late husband. I don't think diminishing the first relationship was necessary to make the second one stronger or truer, and I thought that was a distasteful way for the author to have Mel reconcile her feelings about her late husband.

End of spoilers...

This is a better-than-average romance, and I look forward to visiting Virgin River again in the next book.

I read this book years ago !!! It did not show up as "previous" because I bought as a set (1-4) but I went back to my archives and it is THERE for another read !!! This is a keeper as well as the other VIRGIN RIVER series !! I think I have them all as well as 45 other books by Robyn Carr. This one is the beginning for Mel and Jack and the wonderful series !!!! Since it has been several years I am not sure of the details but I do know I loved it and all of the other series along with the GRACE VALLEY and THUNDER POINT series that are related !!! I hope you enjoy !!!

Robyn Carr is one of my top 5 author's of all time. I have followed her career right from the beginning. I even have several books that are no longer published.I loved everything about this book and this series. I have read every book in this series, and have yet to be disappointed. But for some reason, this book is still my favorite one of all. Don't get me wrong, all of the others were great, too, but this one is just really close to my heart!

Mel is feeling lost and desperate to find a way to start over, after losing her husband (who was a doctor at the time) in a robbery shoot out back in L.A.. Mel was a P.A. working at the same hospital, when it all happened. To escape her troubles, she sells all her belongings, packs her bags, and heads north. By accident she finds herself in a small town called Virgin River. She runs into an old doctor everyone simply refers to as 'Doc'. Doc takes her under his wing and teaches her everything she needs to know about surviving this wild territory.

Jack is a highly decorated retired military man, who moved to this out of the way mountain town to find solitude. He's seen more fighting and death than anyone should have seen in ten lifetimes. He finds an old abandoned building and turns it into a bar. Later after Preacher, one of his military comrades shows up, they turn it into a bar/restaurant kind of place.

When Mel first shows up in town, Jack finds himself instantly attracted to her, just as she is to him.

This is a great book everyone, and so is this whole series. Try it; I promise you will NOT be disappointed that you did.

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

I'm so on the fence about Virgin River. I have long wanted to read this series and in fact I have built up to owning every single book in the Virgin River series. Slowly through garage sales and used book stores, I already own them all.
After finishing this first book, Virgin River, I am not quite sure how I feel. I loved some things and really disliked others. Hopefully by typing out this review, I can get a better handle on my rating near the end.

I have a soft spot for small towns in novels. I loved Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor (Lucky Harbor series) and Margaret Ethridge's Heartsfield (Spring Chickens) to name a few. So I was sure I was going to fall right in love with Virgin River. For me I think that was the main appeal I held for this series. Now, not so much. There was really nothing adorable about the town. The houses were old clapboard and there really wasn't a draw for me to ever want to actually visit Virgin River.

My next thought was that I was confident that the characters of Virgin River are more than going to make up for the less than desirable town. Well that fell flat for me too. I admit that the crotchety old Doc having had a few moments but that was pretty much it. Everyone else was just so plain and not worth remembering or mentioning here in the review.

That brings me to our protagonists Mel and Jack. I think Mel had a great plan in motion to leave her painful past back in LA and try for something fresh and new. The idea of committing to a one year contract in a small town clearly had appeal. Mel stuck me as a smart woman. So why in blazes would she take designer clothes, boots and a BMW to the woods? I mean come on. Even I would know it is time to purchase some hiking boots or a rain slicker. A BMW for dirt roads? I get that all she saw of Virgin River before arriving was from pictures but geez I'd have gotten a map out and saw it was in the middle of a redwood forest area.

I felt for Mel's loss and I felt that the length of time it took for her to finally just kiss Jack was believable. I don't mind a sweet story even if it takes half the of the romance book just to get to a kiss. It was understandable with the death of her husband just being under one year.

Jack was a character that was almost too good to be true. A forty year old unattached total hunk in the middle of the Virgin River running a bar/diner. He was also an ex-marine that had a bit of baggage but that just added to his appeal. He was very patient with Mel and it was clear that he was head of heels in love with her way before she was with him. I liked that a man could fall for a woman before they even had sex.

There were a couple of secondary characters that were put into mature situations and their ages were really young. They were 14 & 16 years old and their sex scene was written with more detail than Jack and Mel's eventual intimates were. I didn't like that all and it added nothing at all to the book or story other than perhaps these characters are set up for their own future book. I sure can wait for them to grow up because teen sex is a great big turn off for me.

The very last thing I'll mention that I didn't care for was a confusing introduction of a bunch of characters from Grace Valley. There was too many people to keep my head around when they were all thrown into the mix with conversations. June, John, Jack, Jim...I was lost among the J's.

Okay so what was the appeal with Virgin River to me? I don't know? Maybe it was peace. There was low drama and the story was just about two lonely people who came together and found love. It was simple. There were some very sweet moments between Jack and Mel and they had wonderful families. It was nice to read about Mel moving past the pain of losing her husband. I also like that she really loved her husband. There was no need to make him more of a victim than he was.

Since I have the entire series I will read them. I am going to move to book 2, Shelter Mountain next. We will see how it goes from there and that will determine how fast I move on to each subsequent book.

Teasers: cabin hovel, baby Chloe, fly fishing flirtations, rain storm melt down

This book left me feeling like I just lived another, wonderful life. The characters are strong, well defined and likable, even the quirky ones. The scenery is enticing and draws you in.
I was born in Eureka, although moved away at an early age, have been back to the area many times. The setting is perfect for romance and a host of drama.
I can't wait to start the next book. This is my favorite series of Robyn's so far. I'm also hooked on her Thunder Point series, which is set along the coast of southern Oregon. Almost as interesting.
Very well written books.

Just loved this fast paced well developed story of a big city nurse who decides to pack up and move to the small town of Virgin River where many trials come her way. It has lots of mishaps,mystery, danger,and a possible love interest. Loved the country Dr. Mullins who is a cranky old codger. Will the nurse practitioner and midwife be able to deal with him and visa versa? If your love a face paced page turner that you hate to put down this book hits the mark. I recommend it highly. This review is in my own words after buying and reading the book.

I've only read one or two books by Robyn Carr before this, but I did like them, so I was very eager to read this book. And it was pretty good. A lot of romance, some hard times, and some likable characters; it pretty much had everything that fit the bill.

Melinda, recently widowed, needs a change in her life. So she sells her house, packs up her things, and moves from busy LA to Virgin River to be a nurse assistant there. Little does she know the ad isn't quite what Virgin River really is. The cabin is a dump, the doctor doesn't want her there, and she's sure she made a huge mistake. She gets ready to leave in just a day, but then finds an abandoned baby. Having never been able to have children of her own, she wants to make sure this young one finds a place before she moves on, but as she stays she starts to grow closer and closer to the residents of Virgin River. And handsome Jack, the bartender, is a pretty compelling reason to stay too, if she wasn't still grieving for her lost husband.

Melinda was a strong female character. She still had her weaknesses, but when she wanted something, she went out and got it for herself. And she throws herself headfirst into everything. There are a few areas where you wanted to just scream at her to exercise some caution, but alas, books apparently can not hear us, or at least not me. The doctor she worked with too was a strong willed person and watching them argue together was pretty amusing. Jack, the love interest, was ok. He was pretty much perfect actually and that tends to make me think he was kind of unrealistic. I would have liked to see a few actual flaws instead of the "good flaws" that were assigned to his character. The townspeople too were pretty diverse, and they made a good backdrop for the story.

The idea of moving on after grief is a pretty powerful one, and I think this story captured it well, although I thought the pace was pretty fast. Wanting to change everything in your life is a pretty common theme for those who have suffered and moving to a little town with no cell reception is sure to do that. There were some little side stories to this book too that were interesting, although some of them were left feeling unfinished. Maybe they're in the next books, I'm not sure, but I would have like them to be wrapped up in this book. I do have to warn that this book contains quite a lot of sex scenes, which if you're looking for a romance is just fine. But if you weren't looking for that, this book probably isn't for you. I thought they were well written at least and not over the top like some can be.

I'll definitely continue reading in the series of which this book is the first. I don't think they have to be in any certain order, but I'll soon discover if I'm wrong.

Virgin River
Copyright 2007
409 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

Loved this book and hope that the rest of the series is as good.

Melinda Monroe needs to get out of the big city after her husband is murdered. She finds a small city that is looking for a midwife and nurse practitioner. It is a small run down mountain town and she is ready to hit the road before her first day of work.

Jack Sheridan, a hunky, gorgeous, sexy retired marine, found his way to this mountain town three years ago where hunting and fishing were in abundance.

The first time the two meet...sparks fly but they try their best to ignore that and the day Mel decides to leave the town, she discovers a baby on the Doctor's doorstep. She decides to stick around until the mother is found or they find someone to care for the baby. It takes quite a bit longer than she anticipated and by the time the baby finds a home...and she is ready to leave...she can't. She has fallen for Jack and Jack has fallen for her.

I highly recommend this book.

VIRGIN RIVER
Robyn Carr is a new-to-me author and with this book, she has made me a fan. I love books set in little small towns where everyone knows everyone. Melinda is a widow still mourning the loss of her husband. She decides to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life and take a job out in the country. Little did she realize how out in the country she would end up.
This book had me hooked from page one. I just couldn't put it down! The characters were very likeable and the storyline was really good. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
This book is so well written. Brenda writes in such a way that you FEEL like you are right there in Whiskey Creek experiencing everything first-hand.
I loved Gail's character from page one. She's not your typical needy lead female character. She's strong and tells it like it is! Simon seems to be your typical spoiled, rich, egotistical movie star that is one step away from rock-bottom. I admit, when Gail and Ian come up with their crazy plan I did raise my eyebrow and say out loud "They've lost their minds!" What were they thinking?!?
I was drawn into the story from page one and didn't want to put this book down. You grow attached to the characters and their little town.

Rating: 3.5 stars __Contains graphic sexual content
Note: Stands alone read. 1st in the Virgin River series.

EASY READ. Touching storyline with a nice small town feel, spectacular setting, empathetic characters, diverse supporting cast, a strong family theme, and a sweet, but predicable ending. HOWEVER, the writing style is basic, even repetitive, it is more lust-a-thon than romance, and while some of the heroine's actions are admirable, others are stupid and unbelievable. But the biggest uggghh factor, is the sexual relationship between a sixteen-year-old boy and his fourteen-year-old girlfriend which is just plain disturbing and detracts badly from the storyline.

THE STORY revolves around former L.A. emergency nurse practitioner/midwife and grieving widow, Mel Monroe, and confirmed bachelor, retired U.S. marine turned barkeep, Jack Sheridan. After the tragic murder of her husband, Mel decides to leave crime ridden L.A. and spend a year helping an elderly doctor in quiet, small town Virgin River. But upon arrival, she finds the rent-free cabin is a hovel and the doctor doesn't want her help. Mel plans to leave, but when she finds an abandoned baby she is unable to desert the child, and decides to stay until the child can be placed in permanent care. Spending time, she gets to know Jack, the doctor, and the town folks, she finds herself enjoying country doctoring in a place where she is needed. It take her a while, but she finally lets go of her past and figures out what really makes life worth living.

OVERALL, engaging storyline that holds the reader's attention. The VIRGIN RIVER series includes 20 novels and short stories organized into at least five subseries. This first subseries includes, Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, and Whispering Rock.

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.

I started on the second book in the Virgin River Series and decided to give the first book a chance, being the fact that was Shelter Mountain had such potential but was such an uncomfortable misfire. I was curious to find out if the second book was just a little speed bump in what could be a wonderful journey through this series. I had to read the first book, Virgin River to find out. (Carr's Thunder Point series is quite delightful.) Once again, Carr brings a great theme, beautiful setting, interesting characters in Virgin River, but sinks it with clumsy, inadequate style and a poorly presented plot. The grammar reads like it's written by an illiterate teenage boy, using words such as "real good" and "awful bad" not just as a part of dialogue but in her own narration of the story. Obnoxious are such repetitive catch words such as "Whew!" and "God, Jesus!" when a bit of variation would have made the phrasing so much more powerful. I finally gave up on the badly painted tale when Carr lays upon the reader a sex scene with the subtly of the a bull moose. Tasteless, ill timed and just lacking in sensuality, romance and credibility, it just ruined the story. The sexual passages are just not sexy but horribly awkward. She completely lost me when the main character goes into a grand spiel about why he wants to use a condom and the importance of safe sex, as if she is using her book as a chance to teach a sex education class. I realize responsible sex is important but the way this detail is delivered just wiped out all allure and pleasure I could possibly still gain by this book. She presented the difficulties of military service marginally well but just mucked up the rest with poor, badly worded style. I will read the last two books of the Thunder Point series but save myself time by skipping the Virgin River books all together, being the first two are supposed to be the highlights yet were quite substandard. It looks like it all went downhill from an already bad beginning.

Okay a little synopsis (spoilers)

Mel (the damsel) moves from Los Angeles to a small town of 600 people. She is a nurse practitioner in maternity ward in LA and is in need of a major change and decides to become a midwife in V. R. One of the reasons why she wants to leave the city is her husband was murdered a year before and she wants to leave everything of that past life behind.

At first she has a hard time adjusting to country life. But the people in the town are very friendly towards her. This is one of the things I find unrealistic with this book. Usually when a city person moves to a small town, the people are very standoffish and even look down their noses at the newcomers (believe me this has happened to me.) And here in this book people have welcomed her with open arms. Right.

One thing that I did feel realistic, however, is the rate of teen pregnancy. In the small backwater town I live in for a couple of years, people got married right away and even dropped out of high school to have children. In small towns like this, there is nothing to do-no malls to go shopping at, no movie theaters to go to, no wi-fi, it does not take a rocket scientist to know why teen pregnancies are high.

One good thing about the book is the author did an excellent time describing the scenery such as the mountains and wildlife.

I found this series searching for contemporary romance, and after reading book one I intend to take the rest of them back to the library without turning the first page. The Romance in this book was more on line with two people that decided to settle instead of some great love affair. They both are pretty intelligent, attractive and successful, it just felt like they said 'why not?'

The story had 'very little' of the push/pull conflict that is found in this genre, it was so unbelievably flat in character development that at times I just wanted to scream. There were so many of them too, it was clear the groundwork was being laid for the rest of the series and not done very well. It was also sooooooo long and boring. Replace your name with the hero/heroine and write about your day in your diary and you have the gist of this book.

Nothing spectacular of the plot that left me waiting on bated breath. Just people going to work, seeing friends and getting a drink and having dinner, thats about what the whole book was about, and now I'm left with two days I'll never get back. Uggggh

I have seen so many people rave over this series that it has been on my TBR list for a long time. When I saw this book in audio format, I quickly grabbed it to give it a chance. I was pleased to recognize the name of the narrator, Thérèse Plummer. She did an excellent job on another series I read, so I was happy to recognize a great narrator.

The story is about a widow who sells everything and leaves her life in Los Angeles to answer an add for a nurse practitioner and midwife in the tiny town of Virgin River in Northern California. She is looking for the ultimate change in scenery. Jack is the owner of the local bar & restaurant. He has his former marine finger on the pulse of the town and considers it and everyone in it, as important to him.

This story really tells the tale of a woman starting over and relearning how to live. There were a couple of times that I got a bit impatient with Melinda for hanging on so desperately to her dead husband's memory, and Jack with being some dang understanding about it. He was almost, almost too good to be true. The two of them made a cute couple.

But what made this book for me, was the interplay between all the characters. I can easily see why this has become a very popular series, and I will be searching out more books in the series to listen to, especially if Thérèse continues as the narrator. Her portrayal of all the different characters was amazing. Each one had a very distinct voice and made it easy to tell who was speaking.

If you are looking for a romance that showcases the rugged beauty of the country lifestyle with a bit of medical action, some military mentions and a bit of criminal shenanigans and excitement, you will probably enjoy this book. I know I did and gave it 4 stars.

Title: Virgin River
Series: Book one of the Virgin River series
Author: Robyn Carr
Genre: Modern day Romance
Blurb:Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad, she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she's made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and former marine Jack Sheridan cements them into place.

I've heard a lot of good things about Miss Robyn Carr on Facebook and I just had to go and check out her books for myself. When I arrived at my local bookstore, there were so many of her books to choose from I just did not know where to start, so obviously I chose to start from the beginning. Let me start out by saying, there is something in the water in Virgin River.

When suffering from grief, the thing that you will need the most is your family and friends around you to help you through your pain, but not Melinda Monroe.

Wanting to start all over in a new environment the first thing she did was sell everything of importance, packed up everything that she needed and moved to the middle of nowhere where no one knows her and won't ask her uncomfortable questions.

How she came to the middle of no-where you may ask? She answered an ad that said:

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

Thinking this was the answer to her prays, Melissa packed up and moved to Virgin River and instantly regretted her rash decision. The cabin is inhabitable and the doctor wants nothing to do with her; not to mention that she almost dies getting to Virgin River, okay I exaggerated about the dying part but the rest is true.

After realizing that this was a huge mistake, Melissa wanted nothing more than to dive back into her car and never look back, but after she discovered a baby abandoned on a front porch, her nursing instincts took over and duty convinced Melissa to stay until the abandoned baby situation was taken care of.

Of course another reason was Jack Sheridan, a former marine that she can't seem to get out of her mind. It does not help that he fills her empty soul with longing, and with the longing comes a guilt so big that it seems to consume her.

Robyn Carr wrote a roller-coaster of a book that had me wondering what's going to happen next. there was a part of the book that I thought was dragging but the book picked up and stayed up.

I do not like that at the blurb at the back of the book mentioned that their was an abandoned baby involved because it had me wanting Melissa to find the baby, and when it did not happen right away, I was just anxious to know when it was going to happen and how.

This is the type of book that would throw some situations at you that you would not expect and when you think everything is over, another curve ball is thrown right at you, happy reading everyone.

Thoughts: Some parts tended to drag a bit
Grade: B
Review by: Nathifa
[...]

Carr develops this novel with a flair for scenery. Virgin River comes to life in a big way. I thoroughly enjoyed how Carr allowed me to picture each and every aspect of the area and its people. Carr presents a well-rounded introduction to Virgin River as a whole. At the same time, she creates an emotionally fulfilling, wildly exciting novel that brings all the aspects of life forward. The story was full of plot twists that kept me from guessing what would happen next. There were definitely a few ‘Holy Cow! I didn’t see that coming’ moments that had me exclaiming out loud.

I loved this 1st look at Jack. He’s so much fun to get to know. The mix of strong warrior with caring gentleman was fantastic. I appreciate the gradual nature of Mel’s acceptance of Virgin River and of her growing relationship with Jack. I loved Mrs. McCrea. Her busibodyness and hopes for Virgin River’s future were fantastic.

Carr has penned the perfect start to her Virgin River series with this novel. I loved every aspect of it, from the heartbreaking loss to the budding romance, beautiful scenery to frightening suspense. I will definitely be continuing this series and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the novel to others.

This is a wonderful story of one lady’s journey to recreate herself. To find the beauty of life again after losing her true love to death. She sales everything packs up and heads to a small little town population 600. She is to be a nurse practitioner and midwife but when she arrives she is over her head with regret.

She starts to question what she was thinking. She is a city girl, an ER nurse, a shopping shoe fiend and now its fishing, hunting, woods and small town talk and pot lucks. Soon Jack the local bar owner and Mel become friends and her attitude starts to slightly change as one life obstacle after another makes itself known.

This is a beautifully written book of life, love, romance, peace. This is my kind of town, my kind of reality, porch rockers, sun sets, pot lucks and everybody knows your name. Virgin River is a peaceful town that comes to vivid life through the wonderful writing.

This is a book that grows on the reader. Mel and Jack and Doc and all the players of this small town grow on you. I wanted to wake up in Virgin River and that is the reality of this book, it feels so real, so wonderful, and so passionate.

The relationship between the town folk and Mel is priceless. The growing romance between Mel and Jack makes me giddy with fluttering butterflies with the ideas of love and the companionship everyone wishes. The strong manly arms of warmth next to the soft bosom of beauty.

This book in a sense is peaceful. It’s believable. This book is like a life on page. You become the town. You become the friendly atmosphere. You become Mel and Jack and all those around town. A perfect simple romantic read of real people in real situations that one can relate to.

This book is about people and life. My favorite part of this book was Jack because so many books describe men as ass’ or sexy lustful fiends but this book created a wonderful patient, protective, caring man and he has a past that showcases the reader to care for him to want to protect him or fall in love with him or just give a huge bear hug and that is what Mel saw, she needed that comfort and Jack is created and explained in that perfect way.

This is a sweet feel good love story that I believe every woman and every man could relate to. It showcases the beauty of sense of community and small town America. It created in me that fantasy and love of nostalgic life in a small town that I have always dreamed of and wish to live.

A Great Read

This series I have read out of order, and finally got back to book 1. This is the story of Mel, the nurse practitioner from LA, and Jack, the bar owner. Mel comes to Virgin River as a widow after her husband is killed in a violent robbery in LA. She needs something completely different, and finds it in Virgin River. Jack gets his world shaken up too, though he is a long-time resident of the little town. He is 40 and set in his ways, his friendships. He never expects Mel will effect him like she does.

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite authors, and this is a definite 5-star read for me. I read her books differently though. I tend to put them down and read them over longer periods. They are long, true, but I usually chomp through books quickly. These are not action-packed adventures (though they can have some exciting moments) but rather cozy reads to savor, catching up with favorite characters and listening to them tell you about their days. Honestly, some of her books should probably be dull and boring, but they don't come off that way at all to me. Her books are a relaxed chat over tea with a friend, cherished and anticipated but not heart pounding. That is exactly what this book is.

Of note, there is quite a bit of overlap in this one with Grace Valley characters from her other series. You don't need to read the Grace Valley trilogy first at all, but it is fun if you have so you can those characters carrying forward past the timeline in the Grace Valley books (June/Jim, the Stones, etc).

So here we meet Jack and Mel. She just wants to run away from the grief of losing her husband in Virgin River, but things are not as she was promised when she arrives. She is ready to bail out, but the appearance of an infant causes her to stay "just until the authorities" can take care of her. The town and its' members begin to grown on her and she finds more reasons to stay. Jack can't help but think that she is the woman of his dreams and does everything in his power to convince her to stay. Insecurities after finding out Mel's husband was a most-loved Dr, make him think there is now way he can compete with that memory.
As far as characters go, you like Jack and his taking care of business attitude. He cares about the community and his marine-buddies and you are hoping that he will be able to make a connection with Mel. While I applaud his patience with her and allowing her to take her time to warm up to a relationship with him, I do find his "love them and leave them" attitude with the women of his past a bit icky. He turned out to be a one woman man once he found the right one, but it would have been nice if he wouldn't have played the field so much before meeting her.

I love the Virgin River series! Excellent character development. The series does have some pregnancy issues and childbirth, but it also deals with spouse abuse, witness protection, military families. and the challenges faced by people in a small community who pitch in and help each other. Read them in sequence. A few of the main characters appear in each book. New people come into the town, fall in love and marry. A few are my favorites (especially when Preacher deals with his issues). I sometimes re-read my favorites when I'm not feeling well and can enjoy the warmth of the books without losing the plot due to a head cold.

I think my main gripe with this book, despite being mildly entertaining with some interesting supporting characters (which is why I didn't rate it lower), is that I can clearly envision how much better it would be had the author opted to demonstrate HOW Mel and Jack came to fall in love with each other as opposed to just telling us that they did. She definitely likes to "tell" the story instead of "showing" the reader with dialogue and a strong third person voice. I found myself wondering where the romance was half the time because all Carr gives the reader are paragraphs detailing how the two leading characters got to know each other. "They took all their meals together, engaging in long conversations and Jack knew he was Mel's closest friend at the moment" but we are never really privy to those interactions that, in my humble opinion, form the backbone and magic of a developing romance in a good novel.

Carr provides plenty of descriptions about how the leading couple were frequently in each other's company but there was no meaty dialogue that conveyed a connection between them. I completely understood that Jack found Mel attractive in her jeans and boots but I really didnt get how she affected him so deeply that he wanted, for the first time in his life as a bachelor, to spend the rest of his life with her. Furthermore, I think Carr did Jack, who is a wonderful hero to her credit, a major injustice by not giving Mel more time to grieve her dead husband. Mel and Jack meet each other less than one year after her husband's death which is fine but I just can't see how a woman who was so devoted to her husband and heartbroken by his death would so quickly and easily fall for someone else. In fact, the plot developed in such a way that it WAS difficult but alas, because of Carr's obsession with accidental pregnancies in her books, Jack and Mel are forced to speed things up. Perhaps the problem is that I just didn't think Carr did a good job of depicting their love story because as another astute reviewer pointed out, they seemed more like "friends with benefits" than anything else.

Now although I loved Jack as a character, I wasn't so fond of Mel which is a shame because you can tell that Carr adores her heroine as she factors into every subsequent novel in this series quite prominently. Mel is something of a preacher when it comes to women's health which wouldn't bother me had she practiced much of what she preaches. SMALL SPOILER ALERT. She is a nurse and mid-wife who promotes safe sex but the first time she ends up in bed with a man, she forgets all about safety and to add insult to injury, accepts Jack's offer to get tested but doesn't offer to do the same because she "was married for so long to one person". So what? Jack promised he had been getting checked regularly yet his word counts for less than hers? Despite generally wonderful male characters, Carr tends to make them overly accommodating to the point where I found them weak at times, and this instance with Jack was no exception.

Despite these points, I will say that Carr does a nice job of transporting her readers to this charming little fictional town of Virgin River. I found myself wishing it was real. Although I wasn't sold on the romance itself, I was intrigued enough to read her subsequent novels and if you want something light and easy to read to pass the time, Virgin River does the job.

This is a series and author who I see a lot of buzz about. On different blogs, on Twitter, and I see the books everywhere. So when I came across this book at a library sale I snatched it up. One thing I love about library sales is the chance to discover a multitude of new authors without spending a fortune. The spending comes later, when you then need to accumulate every other book that author has written.

Mel was married to a doctor and was happy with her life, working together in the ER, living in the big city, shopping at fancy stores and living the fast life. The only thing missing was a baby, which she and husband had been unable to conceive. And then an armed robbery at a convenience store took her husband away from her. Nearly a year later she is still deep in grief, and burned out on the trauma and adrenaline that accompanies medical care in a high turnover city emergency room. The midwife job in a small quiet town sounds like a perfect opportunity to get away, to go where nobody will know about her loss and look at her with pitying eyes. Her friends and family all think she's crazy, and her sister desperately wants her to come to her home in Colorado instead. But Mel sells her home, packs up and heads out.

She regrets it immediately. The woman who placed the ad was not quite truthful in her representations of the job or the accommodations, and before Mel has been in town a few hours she's made the decision to leave. Then she finds that baby mentioned in the blurb. Now, at this point, I assumed that Mel would end up taking in the baby, set down roots in town, marry a local and they would live happily ever after as a little family unit. I mean, how many romances have you read with an abandoned baby that did not play out that way? So I was pleased as the story progressed to have Mel, despite getting attached to the baby, not end up being the one to keep it, and the story not revolving around it but moving on to other facets of Mel's new life. Score one for the author for avoiding that plot cliche.

Jack owns the local bar/restaurant, lives on the premises, spends his free time fishing, and occasionally goes to another town where he has a lady friend. He's never been interested in a serious or long term relationship, but he's not a playboy. He's a good guy who was in the military for a long time, mentors a young teen who lives with his grandmother, and willingly pitches in to help out anybody and everybody in Virgin River.

None of the characters in this book are one dimensional. They are all very real and it was easy to connect with both Mel and Jack. The author gives us very good insight into their psyches and what makes them think and act the way they do. This is Mel and Jack's story of course, but the secondary characters are anything but just secondary. In fact, there was this one character, and this could be considered a spoiler by some so stop here if you avoid those...

There are lots of marijuana growers hidden in the countryside in the outlying areas, and one of these men comes to Mel's cabin late at night and insists she accompany him to deliver a baby. She's afraid to go with him and rightfully so, but he won't let her call anyone else, won't let her follow him in her own car, just insists she must come because the baby and mother need her. He doesn't pull a weapon on her, doesn't force her but doesn't really give her a choice, just keeps talking, cajoling, insisting...politely yet still firmly...until she finally gives in and goes. Now, maybe it's just me, but I think this scene was my favorite in the book, and I would have loved to learn more about this man, get to know him...I was drawn to him, attracted to him. I don't know if the author intended that, or if it's just because I'm not right in the head.

The romance between Mel and Jack builds up slowly and naturally, with the characters cementing a firm friendship first. Jack is patient, knowing that Mel has to come to terms with the loss of her husband and the idea of moving on, and when Jack and Mel first make love I wasn't entirely convinced that the timing was right. And it's still not a smooth road to happiness after that. Issues don't just vanish with the joining of two bodies, and the author handled that fact well.

By the end of the book, I had laughed and I had literally cried. Lots of books make me laugh, but not many bring real tears. Before I'd even turned the last page, I was anxious to revisit the town of Virgin River, and I picked up books 3, 9, 10, 17 and 18 on a shopping trip yesterday, and I already had 15 and 19 in my TBR pile, but being anal about reading series in order I still have to find a copy of the second book before I can continue.

Mel wanted a change of scenery from her old L.A.life as an er nurse and also leave the pain behind of losing her husband. She moves to a very small town called virgin river . She was promised a job working for the local doctor only to be told by him he didn't need any help. So begins this novel where Mel adjust to living in a small time all the while not sure if she would stay. As time goes by the doctor warms up to her healing slowly about her husband and getting to know Jack the local bartender who begins to show an interest in her. This book was so moving and touching I like that it was the hero who had to keep trying to fight for the heart of the heroine. You could feel Mel being torn about caring for Jack and still holding on to the memory of her late husband. I like how the author incorporated the different characters and family in the backdrop. The scene in which the drug dealer begs her to come back and look at his pregnant girlfriend was scary and comedic at the same time. Though the book was a bit long it was worth reading Jack and Mel closure of leaving her dead husband memory and able to star new memories with Jack and their soon to be born baby.

If you're looking for a hot, steamy romance, keep driving; if you want to get lost in a fantasy of small town life, with strong men, caring neighbors, and deer in the front yard, then Virgin River is the place (and book) for you.

Nurse and midwife Mel leaves LA for a job in Virgin River, hoping to escape the stress of the city and her grief over her murdered husband, but she arrives to find a run-down cabin, a lot of mud, and a grumpy town doc that doesn't want her help. She's about to storm off when a baby is abandoned on the doorstep of the clinic, and Mel decides to stay a few days to care for her. Local bar/grill owner Jack instantly has the hots for Mel and fixes up her dump of a cabin in hopes she'll stay. Mel quickly discovers that Virgin River is the Normal Rockwell porn she was looking for--and that love might be possible again after all.

The characters are well developed, and while the writing is not always spectacular, the dialogue is good, very natural for the most part. I love how much the characters communicate; that's refreshing in a genre that often depends on miscommunication to drive plots. The book meanders a bit as we're introduced to a variety of interesting secondary characters who are clearly being prepped for their own books, but they are rich characters that I look forward to seeing again. I have a few complaints after this spoiler warning...

SPOILERS
I disliked a rather graphic description of a 16-year-old having sex with a 14-year-old. Don't get me wrong--I love hot sex scenes. But geez, not ones involving a 14-year-old.

Also, I had a few problems with Mel and Jack. She asks him to get tested for STDs but then doesn't look at the results because she trusts him. That's just foolish. And I had to roll my eyes when his magic lumberjack sperm gets the previously infertile midwife pregnant. Finally, I don't like that she decides she loves Jack more deeply than she loved her late husband. I don't think diminishing the first relationship was necessary to make the second one stronger or truer, and I thought that was a distasteful way for the author to have Mel reconcile her feelings about her late husband.

End of spoilers...

This is a better-than-average romance, and I look forward to visiting Virgin River again in the next book.

I read this book years ago !!! It did not show up as "previous" because I bought as a set (1-4) but I went back to my archives and it is THERE for another read !!! This is a keeper as well as the other VIRGIN RIVER series !! I think I have them all as well as 45 other books by Robyn Carr. This one is the beginning for Mel and Jack and the wonderful series !!!! Since it has been several years I am not sure of the details but I do know I loved it and all of the other series along with the GRACE VALLEY and THUNDER POINT series that are related !!! I hope you enjoy !!!

Robyn Carr is one of my top 5 author's of all time. I have followed her career right from the beginning. I even have several books that are no longer published.I loved everything about this book and this series. I have read every book in this series, and have yet to be disappointed. But for some reason, this book is still my favorite one of all. Don't get me wrong, all of the others were great, too, but this one is just really close to my heart!

Mel is feeling lost and desperate to find a way to start over, after losing her husband (who was a doctor at the time) in a robbery shoot out back in L.A.. Mel was a P.A. working at the same hospital, when it all happened. To escape her troubles, she sells all her belongings, packs her bags, and heads north. By accident she finds herself in a small town called Virgin River. She runs into an old doctor everyone simply refers to as 'Doc'. Doc takes her under his wing and teaches her everything she needs to know about surviving this wild territory.

Jack is a highly decorated retired military man, who moved to this out of the way mountain town to find solitude. He's seen more fighting and death than anyone should have seen in ten lifetimes. He finds an old abandoned building and turns it into a bar. Later after Preacher, one of his military comrades shows up, they turn it into a bar/restaurant kind of place.

When Mel first shows up in town, Jack finds himself instantly attracted to her, just as she is to him.

This is a great book everyone, and so is this whole series. Try it; I promise you will NOT be disappointed that you did.

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

I'm so on the fence about Virgin River. I have long wanted to read this series and in fact I have built up to owning every single book in the Virgin River series. Slowly through garage sales and used book stores, I already own them all.
After finishing this first book, Virgin River, I am not quite sure how I feel. I loved some things and really disliked others. Hopefully by typing out this review, I can get a better handle on my rating near the end.

I have a soft spot for small towns in novels. I loved Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor (Lucky Harbor series) and Margaret Ethridge's Heartsfield (Spring Chickens) to name a few. So I was sure I was going to fall right in love with Virgin River. For me I think that was the main appeal I held for this series. Now, not so much. There was really nothing adorable about the town. The houses were old clapboard and there really wasn't a draw for me to ever want to actually visit Virgin River.

My next thought was that I was confident that the characters of Virgin River are more than going to make up for the less than desirable town. Well that fell flat for me too. I admit that the crotchety old Doc having had a few moments but that was pretty much it. Everyone else was just so plain and not worth remembering or mentioning here in the review.

That brings me to our protagonists Mel and Jack. I think Mel had a great plan in motion to leave her painful past back in LA and try for something fresh and new. The idea of committing to a one year contract in a small town clearly had appeal. Mel stuck me as a smart woman. So why in blazes would she take designer clothes, boots and a BMW to the woods? I mean come on. Even I would know it is time to purchase some hiking boots or a rain slicker. A BMW for dirt roads? I get that all she saw of Virgin River before arriving was from pictures but geez I'd have gotten a map out and saw it was in the middle of a redwood forest area.

I felt for Mel's loss and I felt that the length of time it took for her to finally just kiss Jack was believable. I don't mind a sweet story even if it takes half the of the romance book just to get to a kiss. It was understandable with the death of her husband just being under one year.

Jack was a character that was almost too good to be true. A forty year old unattached total hunk in the middle of the Virgin River running a bar/diner. He was also an ex-marine that had a bit of baggage but that just added to his appeal. He was very patient with Mel and it was clear that he was head of heels in love with her way before she was with him. I liked that a man could fall for a woman before they even had sex.

There were a couple of secondary characters that were put into mature situations and their ages were really young. They were 14 & 16 years old and their sex scene was written with more detail than Jack and Mel's eventual intimates were. I didn't like that all and it added nothing at all to the book or story other than perhaps these characters are set up for their own future book. I sure can wait for them to grow up because teen sex is a great big turn off for me.

The very last thing I'll mention that I didn't care for was a confusing introduction of a bunch of characters from Grace Valley. There was too many people to keep my head around when they were all thrown into the mix with conversations. June, John, Jack, Jim...I was lost among the J's.

Okay so what was the appeal with Virgin River to me? I don't know? Maybe it was peace. There was low drama and the story was just about two lonely people who came together and found love. It was simple. There were some very sweet moments between Jack and Mel and they had wonderful families. It was nice to read about Mel moving past the pain of losing her husband. I also like that she really loved her husband. There was no need to make him more of a victim than he was.

Since I have the entire series I will read them. I am going to move to book 2, Shelter Mountain next. We will see how it goes from there and that will determine how fast I move on to each subsequent book.

Teasers: cabin hovel, baby Chloe, fly fishing flirtations, rain storm melt down

This book left me feeling like I just lived another, wonderful life. The characters are strong, well defined and likable, even the quirky ones. The scenery is enticing and draws you in.
I was born in Eureka, although moved away at an early age, have been back to the area many times. The setting is perfect for romance and a host of drama.
I can't wait to start the next book. This is my favorite series of Robyn's so far. I'm also hooked on her Thunder Point series, which is set along the coast of southern Oregon. Almost as interesting.
Very well written books.

This reader ASOLUTELY adores THIS Virgin River series - just wish I had started with this first book though they are really all stand alones. In my opinion Ms. Robyn Carr writes one heck of a series about life in a very small town away from the hectic big cities. Yes, there is beauty, danger and intrigue there ! Read it if you like this type of book with no racy sex scenes.

Virgin River is a wonderful introduction to this series by Carr. I truly felt transported to this close knit town full lovable characters. Carr features the best qualities of small town life and people. She made me want to move to just such a community even though I didn't.

I loved V. River so much that I read the entire series one after the other and would rate all the books between 4 and 5 stars. Treat yourself to a series full of warmth and sexiness too.

So far, I love the entire Virgin River series. Not usually my type of story, but I've been drawn into the characters and the writing keeps me interested without a lot of unnecessary background information. However, I'm on the 5th book in the series, and I am very, very, very tired of the words "awful" and "real" when they should be "awfully" and "really." They are used incorrectly throughout each book and it truly grates on my nerves. "She's awful pretty." No, she's "awfully" pretty...." But whether that's nitpicking or not, I must say, that if you want a good, ongoing story with characters who really come to life, then this will keep you reading. I look forward to the next several installments.

This author was suggested to my by one of my other favorite authors. It appears I am now hopelessly hooked on a new series of books. Almost done with #3 in this series after about 10 days!! I loved the development of the characters throughout the book and the introduction of the other characters who are main characters in later books.

I was out shopping one day, thought I'd get to my son's school early to pick him up and I had forgotten my book. This was the cheapest book on the shelf at the store. So I grabbed it for something to read while I wait for school to let out.

WOW! I was hooked on the first page! I quickly devoured this great book!

I'm usually a mystery person. So I was very surprised to see "Romance" on the spine of this book. Totally not my normal read. But it works.

I'm in love with a new author and am working on getting my hands on all her books.

Great read! Get it, it doesn't disappoint!

Just started this series. Loved this book. Absolutely loved Jack. The story kept my interest until the very end. I never wanted to put the book down even though the pace slowed in parts. It's a sweet story with witty dialogue and wonderful characters. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I love the fact that I have so many books ahead of me. I hate waiting for the next book to be written once I've started a series. Yay.

I love a book that makes me feel everything. Something that just pulls you in and doesn't let go. That's what Virgin River does. The book starts out slow, but after the first few chapters, it's hard to put down.

I loved the fact that Jack and Mel had a bona fide friendship ~ that he was her first real friend in Virgin River. I appreciated that their relationship was built slowly off of that foundation; because Mel had a lot of healing to do, and I'm glad she had a friend like Jack who was there for her through it all.

Then the friendship changed. I loved Jack and Mel's first kiss. It was romantic, passionate, and everything I as a romance reader would want in a good book. And that was the turning point for me. Although I loved the book up to that point, from there on I could not put the book down. Their's was truly a love story.

Then there were the side characters ~ a whole town full of them. Doc, Lilly, Preacher, Rick, June, Jim, Susan, and John. Quite an assembly of folks who took Mel into their lives and called her a friend. How fitting it was that Doc was the first person she met before getting to Virgin River. I love that crusty old man. The friendship Mel & Jack formed with June & Jim and Susan & John make me want to rush right out and read about the Grace Valley women and the men who love them. I want to read their stories. And Preacher. The man who screams like a girl ~ I love him, too. I want to live there.

This was Very Good. I am really looking forward to reading Preacher's story, Shelter Mountain, and am now on a quest to find the Grace Valley series as well.

I'm a sucker for a good romance, and for a good story in general. In this book, Mel Monroe escapes bad memories and big city life by agreeing to take a job as a nurse practitioner/midwife in Virgin River. From the beginning, she meets Jack, the local bar/hangout owner, and the reader can sense their connection at once. Both are stubborn and not looking for a mate. But as time goes on...

Robyn Carr writes in a way that flows, that keeps you interested, and keeps you wanting more.

This was an excellent book I truly enjoyed reading it and I couldn't hardly put it down because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I would highly recommend this book to any one who wants an excellent read. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Predictable but well written and fun. Great beach read or if you have a rough day at work this is a nice way to decompress.
An emotionally fragile young Nurse Midwife moves to a very small town in California from LA and finds things are more complicated there than she thought. Of course there is true love and friendship as well as a few surprises. Fun

I have read a few of the Virgin River novels. I decided to start again from the beginning. I am very impressed with the well rounded characters...no pun intended...read it and you will understand that comment. With so much junk out there that is just a waste of time, this novel presents realistic characters with realistic problems, but a teamwork approach to community. I believe you will love it.

This is the first book in the series. Jack and Mel's story is the first in this series and gets everything off to a great start. Many of the main characters come to life here. After meeting the town and the characters you just want to know more. Virgin River is a great place that allows the reader experience a town like we would all like to live in. A place where people care for each other and help when help is needed.

Imagine the shock of leaving the chaotic lifestyle of working in a busy ER in LA and ending up in a remote but beautiful country town where medicine is fly by the seat of your pants. This is that story where what you're lacking in technology is more than made up for by the spirit and comraderie of the town people you grow to love and trust.

The content of the Virgin River series is very good. Good story, good people. I like the idea of herph developing a small town with people that care about one another. The men are supposedly rugged, but tenderhearted when needed. I'm surprised that this author can write such a clean, sweet story about goodhearted people and then turn the love scenes into something that is uncomfortably graphic. Big disappointment for me and not necessary.

First in a lengthy series of Romance Novels set in the mountainous Redwood region of Northern California. The author's books are well written with decent plots that make the love-making scenes an adjunct to the main storyline. Still I don't read them for the vicarious titillation value.

This would have a been a five-star review had it not been for the explicit sex that began around the middle of the story. I skipped much and finished what I could of the book. Robyn Carr is a very good writer, and this was a charming and well-done story except for the so unnecessary sex. Until that point, the story conveyed the characters' passions very well. Too bad. I won't be reading any more of Carr's work.

Robyn Carr writes a beautiful story about a gal, Mel, who is a nurse, who works in a hectic LA California Hospital and is a very happily married women to a Doctor whom she works in the same hospital. He is tragically killed.

Mel is offered a Job in a small town just outside of LA, called VIRGIN RIVER. Robyn Carr describes all of the characters in this book and sets the scene for all of her Books to follow.

If you love reading books in a Series......get ready for Robyn Carr's VIRGIN RIVER SERIES. I recommend all of her books. I have read them all and Robyn puts you in a place that we all dream of living. Well that is if you would love to live in a very small town where everyone knows everybody.

Great Read! Would recommend all of Robyn's books!

Melinda Monroe is a nurse and midwife. Her husband Mark Monroe was murdered during a convenience store robbery.

Melinda reads a want ad for a midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River (population 600) and includes a rent-free cabin. She decides this might just be the perfect place for her to heal her heartache and also might be just the place for her nursing career. She accepts the job as the Doctors assistant in this small town.

When she arrives nothing was as she expected or as advertised. The cabin is dilapidated and old Doc Mullins does not even want her. She did receive a warm welcoming from Jack, the restaurant owner, but she still decides this was a mistake and makes the decision to leave. But her plans quickly change when she discover the newborn left on the Doc's front porch steps. Has she found the escape she was looking for, or has she discovered her home?

The main characters are Melinda, Doc Mullins, and Jack, whom is in love with Melinda, but he is being patient as he recognizes that her heart still belongs to another man.

The story line is solid; the characters are likeable as well as believable. Virgin River is a fabulous book that is addictive reading. There is so much packed into this book including Melinda's adventure, great characters, and passion.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended book to curl up with.

Absolutely wonderful book! Read in about a day and a half! Absolutely love how this story flows consistently, keeping you interested, entertained and thoroughly enthralled. Loved Jack and Mel's story and might even be just a bit in love with Jacks character myself! Ha! Can't wait to get to the rest of the series and so glad I get to go back to Virgin River right away!

About Virgin River..........Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she's made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning. But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans...and a former marine cements them into place. Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home.

While, I almost never read a romance novel, I decided to give this book a chance as several of my book group buddies have raved about the Virgin River series. I was not disappointed. I immediately fell in love with the town of Virgin River. I could visualize the small town charm, the run down shack etc. I was immediately drawn into the story, the town, and the characters.

The author does a beautiful job developing the characters, just everyday people, with everyday problems. Although I never imagined I could be happy living in a town of 600 people, this author made me see how satisfying a simple life in a little town might be. I cannot wait to continue this series. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

Thus series is awesome. Mel was married to a Dr as she was a nurse practitioner but tragedy happened and she decided she needed a new place of living so off to the sticks. Mel was not expecting to met up this handsome bar owner but she did and they ended helping each other and much more.

Nurse Practitioner and Midwife, Mel Monroe, leaves the fast pace of Los Angeles hospitals and crime behind. Widowed 9 months ago, she can't face the pitying looks of her colleagues anymore and feels she needs a drastic change in order to heal.

Accepting an offer as an assistant to a Doctor in a picturesque little town in the mountains, she sells her house and most of everything in it, packs a few clothing items and heads to Virgin River.

When Mel arrives, she finds that the pictures she was sent are not quite representative of the town or her house as it looks today. Stepping out of her element was difficult for her and to arrive to find her house in such horrible condition only makes Mel realize she has made a huge mistake. She stays the night with the intention of heading out the very next morning. But when she discovers a baby abandoned on a doorstep, she decides to stay a little longer.

When town bar/restaurant owner, Jack, fixes up her place, she decides to stay even longer. Jack becomes her best friend and she starts feeling things for him she never thought she'd feel again.

I dove into this book with gusto after an the store friend recommended it so highly. She was right, it is great and I am rushing to finish this review so I can hurry and order book two, Shelter Mountain (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 2). This would easily have been a 5 star book to me as the characters are colorful and wonderful, the setting unique and beautiful, and the storyline engaging and fun. I would have rated it 5 stars had it not been for some very awkward dialogue and a scene at the end that was way too over the top for me.

The side characters are just as interesting as the main ones and I can't wait to read more about this mountain town. There is so much going on with Mel and we get to watch her resolve her past, live in the present, and make steps towards a promising future. Touching and entertaining. Enjoy.

Cherise Everhard, July 2008

This reader ASOLUTELY adores THIS Virgin River series - just wish I had started with this first book though they are really all stand alones. In my opinion Ms. Robyn Carr writes one heck of a series about life in a very small town away from the hectic big cities. Yes, there is beauty, danger and intrigue there ! Read it if you like this type of book with no racy sex scenes.

Virgin River is a wonderful introduction to this series by Carr. I truly felt transported to this close knit town full lovable characters. Carr features the best qualities of small town life and people. She made me want to move to just such a community even though I didn't.

I loved V. River so much that I read the entire series one after the other and would rate all the books between 4 and 5 stars. Treat yourself to a series full of warmth and sexiness too.

So far, I love the entire Virgin River series. Not usually my type of story, but I've been drawn into the characters and the writing keeps me interested without a lot of unnecessary background information. However, I'm on the 5th book in the series, and I am very, very, very tired of the words "awful" and "real" when they should be "awfully" and "really." They are used incorrectly throughout each book and it truly grates on my nerves. "She's awful pretty." No, she's "awfully" pretty...." But whether that's nitpicking or not, I must say, that if you want a good, ongoing story with characters who really come to life, then this will keep you reading. I look forward to the next several installments.

This author was suggested to my by one of my other favorite authors. It appears I am now hopelessly hooked on a new series of books. Almost done with #3 in this series after about 10 days!! I loved the development of the characters throughout the book and the introduction of the other characters who are main characters in later books.

I was out shopping one day, thought I'd get to my son's school early to pick him up and I had forgotten my book. This was the cheapest book on the shelf at the store. So I grabbed it for something to read while I wait for school to let out.

WOW! I was hooked on the first page! I quickly devoured this great book!

I'm usually a mystery person. So I was very surprised to see "Romance" on the spine of this book. Totally not my normal read. But it works.

I'm in love with a new author and am working on getting my hands on all her books.

Great read! Get it, it doesn't disappoint!

Just started this series. Loved this book. Absolutely loved Jack. The story kept my interest until the very end. I never wanted to put the book down even though the pace slowed in parts. It's a sweet story with witty dialogue and wonderful characters. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I love the fact that I have so many books ahead of me. I hate waiting for the next book to be written once I've started a series. Yay.

I love a book that makes me feel everything. Something that just pulls you in and doesn't let go. That's what Virgin River does. The book starts out slow, but after the first few chapters, it's hard to put down.

I loved the fact that Jack and Mel had a bona fide friendship ~ that he was her first real friend in Virgin River. I appreciated that their relationship was built slowly off of that foundation; because Mel had a lot of healing to do, and I'm glad she had a friend like Jack who was there for her through it all.

Then the friendship changed. I loved Jack and Mel's first kiss. It was romantic, passionate, and everything I as a romance reader would want in a good book. And that was the turning point for me. Although I loved the book up to that point, from there on I could not put the book down. Their's was truly a love story.

Then there were the side characters ~ a whole town full of them. Doc, Lilly, Preacher, Rick, June, Jim, Susan, and John. Quite an assembly of folks who took Mel into their lives and called her a friend. How fitting it was that Doc was the first person she met before getting to Virgin River. I love that crusty old man. The friendship Mel & Jack formed with June & Jim and Susan & John make me want to rush right out and read about the Grace Valley women and the men who love them. I want to read their stories. And Preacher. The man who screams like a girl ~ I love him, too. I want to live there.

This was Very Good. I am really looking forward to reading Preacher's story, Shelter Mountain, and am now on a quest to find the Grace Valley series as well.

I'm a sucker for a good romance, and for a good story in general. In this book, Mel Monroe escapes bad memories and big city life by agreeing to take a job as a nurse practitioner/midwife in Virgin River. From the beginning, she meets Jack, the local bar/hangout owner, and the reader can sense their connection at once. Both are stubborn and not looking for a mate. But as time goes on...

Robyn Carr writes in a way that flows, that keeps you interested, and keeps you wanting more.

This was an excellent book I truly enjoyed reading it and I couldn't hardly put it down because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I would highly recommend this book to any one who wants an excellent read. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Predictable but well written and fun. Great beach read or if you have a rough day at work this is a nice way to decompress.
An emotionally fragile young Nurse Midwife moves to a very small town in California from LA and finds things are more complicated there than she thought. Of course there is true love and friendship as well as a few surprises. Fun

I have read a few of the Virgin River novels. I decided to start again from the beginning. I am very impressed with the well rounded characters...no pun intended...read it and you will understand that comment. With so much junk out there that is just a waste of time, this novel presents realistic characters with realistic problems, but a teamwork approach to community. I believe you will love it.

This is the first book in the series. Jack and Mel's story is the first in this series and gets everything off to a great start. Many of the main characters come to life here. After meeting the town and the characters you just want to know more. Virgin River is a great place that allows the reader experience a town like we would all like to live in. A place where people care for each other and help when help is needed.

Imagine the shock of leaving the chaotic lifestyle of working in a busy ER in LA and ending up in a remote but beautiful country town where medicine is fly by the seat of your pants. This is that story where what you're lacking in technology is more than made up for by the spirit and comraderie of the town people you grow to love and trust.

The content of the Virgin River series is very good. Good story, good people. I like the idea of herph developing a small town with people that care about one another. The men are supposedly rugged, but tenderhearted when needed. I'm surprised that this author can write such a clean, sweet story about goodhearted people and then turn the love scenes into something that is uncomfortably graphic. Big disappointment for me and not necessary.

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite authors. There is romance, suspense, and always a bit of humor that make you laugh or smile. Throw in a bit of heartbreak, happiness and solid characters, her books become an enjoyable, entertaining read. i look forward to more Virgin River stories!

I am glad that I read this book before I read book 2. Hopefully you can read this series in order. Unfortunately the books themselves don't let you know what order to read them in. All in all this was a great book.

A friend told me about Robyn Carr so I got a sample of the first book in the Virgin River series and was hooked immediately! I love the characters and the lives they portray. I am now on the second book in the series and cannot wait to keep going! I would highly recommend Robyn Carr. I love her!!

Every community needs a good midwife and this book has the best. I found this book very difficult to put down. Any book that keeps me awake past bedtime gets five stars! So glad I could read the first book in the series first. I just started the second book in the series.

This book seemed like a complete gear shift to me. I've been reading quite a bit of historical fiction novels lately. They have been page turning, hair raising, action packed and intense. This one was like slamming the breaks on all of that. It was predictable but I think I can say that about almost every other modern romance novel I've read in the past.

I had never read Robyn Carr before. She is a very talented author and I would at some point love to read a few of the other novels in this series. Virgin River was a very easy read and would be a perfect book to read while lying on a beach or when you just want a no-brainer read. The characters are both very likable and Carr does a wonderful job of describing not only her main characters but the supporting characters as well.

I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

I really love this series and this book was so good. You felt you were right in the story living it yourself. Excellent character development. Sweet, romantic love story with suspense added in. Wonderful journey to love. I highly recommend this book.

When asked by friends for a good read I always recommend this book and series. I have been reading for years and I always go back to Jack and Mel. To me this is truly a perfect story. It has love, heartache and suspense.

This book is my first by Robyn Carr and she has a way of making you fall in love with the characters. The love story between Jack and Mel was so sweet, but the rest of the people made the book to come to life. I highly recommend!

I've just reread this book and I liked it even more than the first time. Carr's characters are real and so are their problems. This series about love, relationships and families (traditional or non) is wonderful. I feel like I know them all and I can't wait for the next one.

Robyn Carr tells the story about a remote little town called Virgin River and the people who make it their home. Each of her characters have a life event that is tragic that brings them to Virgin River. Some come on purpose while others stumble upon it. However they get to Virgin River, each one find themselves captured by the heart, soul and community that makes Virgin River a place to heal and love. Robyn Carr's Virgin River series makes you believe in the happy ever after.

What a beautiful story. It sets the scene so wonderfully for the future books, too. I fell in love with the town of Virgin River (tho not its name) and its residents.
I highly recommend this, but know you'll end up devouring the rest of the series very quickly, so budget your time and money accordingly!

I just found books by Robyn Carr and they're great. Sweet characters who go through hard times, but come out happy. The author does a fantastic job with different scenarios with each book but links the books through the characters. What fiction, but it is a great time!

I have read most of The Virgin River series and enjoyed the books, but what a pleasure to read the very first book. It really set the standard high and was an engrossing and enjoyable novel. I loved meeting characters that would star in future stories. Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

A friend gave me this book as a gift and I love it! Compelling characters and an interesting storyline. I can't wait to read book 2! Life in virgin river sounds just lovely. I'd love to get a beer in Jack's bar.

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite authors. There is romance, suspense, and always a bit of humor that make you laugh or smile. Throw in a bit of heartbreak, happiness and solid characters, her books become an enjoyable, entertaining read. i look forward to more Virgin River stories!

I am glad that I read this book before I read book 2. Hopefully you can read this series in order. Unfortunately the books themselves don't let you know what order to read them in. All in all this was a great book.

A friend told me about Robyn Carr so I got a sample of the first book in the Virgin River series and was hooked immediately! I love the characters and the lives they portray. I am now on the second book in the series and cannot wait to keep going! I would highly recommend Robyn Carr. I love her!!

Every community needs a good midwife and this book has the best. I found this book very difficult to put down. Any book that keeps me awake past bedtime gets five stars! So glad I could read the first book in the series first. I just started the second book in the series.

This book seemed like a complete gear shift to me. I've been reading quite a bit of historical fiction novels lately. They have been page turning, hair raising, action packed and intense. This one was like slamming the breaks on all of that. It was predictable but I think I can say that about almost every other modern romance novel I've read in the past.

I had never read Robyn Carr before. She is a very talented author and I would at some point love to read a few of the other novels in this series. Virgin River was a very easy read and would be a perfect book to read while lying on a beach or when you just want a no-brainer read. The characters are both very likable and Carr does a wonderful job of describing not only her main characters but the supporting characters as well.

I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

I love this series. I have read all of them out of order. But Robyn writes them so that it doesn't matter. I recommend it to all adults. If you haven't read this series you are missing out on a great story.

I really love this series and this book was so good. You felt you were right in the story living it yourself. Excellent character development. Sweet, romantic love story with suspense added in. Wonderful journey to love. I highly recommend this book.

When asked by friends for a good read I always recommend this book and series. I have been reading for years and I always go back to Jack and Mel. To me this is truly a perfect story. It has love, heartache and suspense.

Why do all the men have to be SO much older than their woman? Virgin River had lots of babies and even more detail. Everyone breastfeeds and wants a natural birth. I enjoyed Mel and Jack becoming friends and working through their problems together and finally making a go. Now I have to read the second book to find out the rest.

This is the first book that I have read by Robyn Carr. She is my new favorite author! Can't wait to start the next book in the series. Her characters are great, you can't wait to see what happens next.

I could not wait to read this book based on the reviews here at the store. What I read was a very predictable story that I felt had been done before. Mel was a likeable heroine and so was Jack her love interest. The story I had figured out by the first few chapters. This book is easy to read and for me just light fluff. I did not love or hate it. It just is not worthy of all the 5 star reviews on the store.

I loved this book and Robyn fans will not be disappointed for sure. Once I started reading I could not put it down. I'm a very big fan of linking books and was very happy to revisit with characters from a previous series. I was salivating for the next book in the series!!! A wonderful read.

I love how her stories are written. She slowly, beautifully builds her characters making them personal like a friend you know. I was enraptured by this story. The timing couldn't have been better. Awesome.

I thought Robyn Carr brought all the characters in this book to life. You also could visualize the town and surroundings. But,the ending left something to be desired, left alot hanging, like the wedding, the birth, etc. I thought she should have finished the story of this couple.

This book hit home with me. I don't write many reviews but this was an absolutely incredible book. I went through a similar experience in my life and was shop happy for Mel and the peace she finally found. I give this 5 stars, but only because it doesn't offer more.

Why do all the men have to be SO much older than their woman? Virgin River had lots of babies and even more detail. Everyone breastfeeds and wants a natural birth. I enjoyed Mel and Jack becoming friends and working through their problems together and finally making a go. Now I have to read the second book to find out the rest.

This is the first book that I have read by Robyn Carr. She is my new favorite author! Can't wait to start the next book in the series. Her characters are great, you can't wait to see what happens next.

I could not wait to read this book based on the reviews here at the store. What I read was a very predictable story that I felt had been done before. Mel was a likeable heroine and so was Jack her love interest. The story I had figured out by the first few chapters. This book is easy to read and for me just light fluff. I did not love or hate it. It just is not worthy of all the 5 star reviews on the store.

I loved this book and Robyn fans will not be disappointed for sure. Once I started reading I could not put it down. I'm a very big fan of linking books and was very happy to revisit with characters from a previous series. I was salivating for the next book in the series!!! A wonderful read.

I love how her stories are written. She slowly, beautifully builds her characters making them personal like a friend you know. I was enraptured by this story. The timing couldn't have been better. Awesome.

I thought Robyn Carr brought all the characters in this book to life. You also could visualize the town and surroundings. But,the ending left something to be desired, left alot hanging, like the wedding, the birth, etc. I thought she should have finished the story of this couple.

I can not say enough great things about this book! Such Pain....such Joy...I have been through intense grief...the Scene in the Rain sent me into full ugly cry! Yet it was one of the sweetest...hottest stories EVER. It was nice that Ms. Carr wrote about Love, Healing, Soldiers, Honor...and finding your way.

Usually I'm more of a paranormal romance reader. However, these books were so emotionally honest and engaging that I COULD NOT imagine any way to make them better. It was emotionally satisfying, no "tricks" necessary!