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Virgin River #1
Virgin River
A Netflix Original Series!
Welcome back to Virgin River with the book 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.
Welcome back to Virgin River with the book 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.
409 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2007
15567 people are currently reading
48938 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Carr
164 books12.6k followers Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series and Sullivan's Crossing series. Robyn's new women's fiction novel, THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB, will be released in January 2024. The new hit Sullivan's Crossing TV series (season 1) inspired by Robyn's book series was released in the USA in the fall of 2023! Plus, season 5 of the worldwide fan-favorite Virgin River TV Series is now streaming on Netflix (July 2023) with two holiday episodes coming November 30, 2023. Both TV series have been renewed for another season!
Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at https://www.robyncarr.com/.
Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at https://www.robyncarr.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,197 reviews
June 11, 2012
First, I'm going to apologize in advance for my review. These are my thoughts, and I know I'm in the great minority of people who didn't like this book, but OMG I just can't stand it any freaking more! I'm going to warn you right now, if you love this series, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER - this will probably offend.
This is by far the worst book I've ever listened to, possibly ever. I had no idea it was going to be so terrible, it's gotten so many great reviews and I thought at the very least it would be bearable. I honestly can't remember the last time I read/listened to a book and thought it was this bad. I'm talking in my entire life time. I don't mind sweet romances, they honestly aren't my thing, but I have enjoyed a few here and there, and at the very least found them bearable. I asked in the contemporary romance group if this was indeed a sweet romance, and they assured it was nicer than most, but had a little of the 'nasty' but the characters and story were so well done. Great! Sounds good to me, even though I lean towards the voyeuristic I still require a plot line. Plot line with less sex? I can handle that.
Problem is, I can't even make that far into the book to have Jack and Mel kiss! They aren't even circling each other yet and I already want to bitch slap Mel. She is at the top of the TSTL list. Worst heroine ever. A widow who hates LA and needs a change of scenery sounds like a plausible, albeit boring start. She describes her life in LA as if she was living in Skid Row and feared for her safety, both at home and at work. A nurse practitioner makes a decent living, she didn't have to work at the worst hospital where all she saw was drug addicted pregnant women, gun shot victims and the worst of society. I've never been to LA, but I hear it's pretty big and has some quite ritzy suburbs. Certified in midwifery, Mel could have worked at some fancy women's clinic, or just a better hospital where the celebs go to have their babies. I'm sure you wouldn't see the absolute worst of society there. . . wait, maybe there too, but people with money would maybe be preferable to deal with. Her husband was shot at a convenience store they frequented, but she described as not such a nice place. Hello? McFly? Don't frequent those kinds of places! I live in OKC, in a decent neighborhood, but a few miles from here is a convenience store I never would go to, even if it's on my way. I'm not stupid. Bad shit happens anywhere, so to blame the whole city for your husband's death is just beyond stupid. Couldn't afford a better area of town to live? Maybe if you weren't spending $200 for jeans, $600 for boots, $400 for highlights and $60-80k on a car you might be able to afford slightly better digs. But seeing as how her deceased husband was a Dr. I'm sure money was no issue. Just stupidity.
I'm not a nurse, never wanted to be one, but my sister is a medical assistant in the terminal/difficult patient ward, has been for 4 years. I've heard stories. I have friends who are nurses. I've heard lots of stories to know nursing takes a special breed of people who deserve the utmost respect. My 120 pound sister had to restrain a 300 pound man who was off his meds, and help hadn't arrived yet, so just keeping him from hurting himself, others and herself was difficult enough. He bit her. As in tried to take a chunk of her arm off, and she had 14 stitches and a tenantus shot. I get the medical field can be difficult to endure, which is why you gotta be made of special sauce to make it. It's not all sunshine and butterflies. Even if you work Labor & Delivery, babies die, mothers die, bad shit happens. If you can't take it, you're in the wrong damn field. So when Mel whines constantly in the first few chapters to her sister how terrible it is to work as a nurse, it left me thinking 'Thank God she's a fictional character who doesn't really work with the public.' No one ever said medicine would be easy, that's why you get paid big bucks (and nurses and doctors do - maybe not enough for the shit you have to put up with, but you do). Mel felt like one of those stupid real housewives shows, complaining about all kinds of bad stuff that happens to her while worrying about how she looks. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to how much I hated her. She wants a change, to go a little rustic for a while. Talk about piss poor planning and stupid to just go off the pictures some one has sent you. Ranting about how backwards the town was to the people in the town was insulting. If I was any of those people she was complaining to, I'd have told her to get her ass back to LA. She can't be naive and sweet while complaining about how terrible the town is. She can't be smart and able to take care of herself if she doesn't do the most basic planning. I could go on and on about how much I hated Mel.
Jack was no better. At first I thought he might be okay. But then he 'goes for a drink in Crystal River.' Which is code for I'm gonna go fuck some big old blonde I've been seeing for the last 2 years for shits and giggles. He doesn't even like her. The way he thinks of her is pathetic, but still, he fucks her. Twice. Nice, huh? Some sensitivity there. Then he has the decency to tell her it can't go on, even if there's no one else yet, 'there's the hope of someone else' (swiped from one of my favorite movies - You've Got Mail). The way he tells her is so crass and . . . and. . . OOOOHHHH@!! It just makes me so mad! Tell me this doesn't sound like an asshole thing to say:
"That's the thing, he said. I have needs, and right now I think what I need is completely different from what I've needed in the past. I could easily keep coming here Charmaine, I sure don't suffer. You're awful good to me."
He goes on to say things have basically changed for him. Nice. Sweet, you say? I'm sorry, how does 'even though I'm thinking about someone else but I could keep coming here anyway, it's easy,' even remotely sound nice? If he was such a nice guy, it would be more than sex between him and Charmaine, even if he didn't want a relationship. If he was such a nice guy, one night stands would be better. Or celibacy, how about some abstaining? No, our hero leads a woman on for 2 years, knowing Charmaine feels more for him than he does her, but hey, it's easy and he has needs. Yuck. He has an encounter with another woman who's apparently hot to trot for him, an younger alcoholic loser who he asks to clean up Mel's cabin, and his description of her is just down right judgmental and mean. You may not like someone, but don't be nice to them and ask them for help to their face while you're sneering at them behind their back.
All this after 3 hours of the audio. I kept swearing and even threw a few things (nothing breakable but it's why I stopped - not worth it) in frustration with this book. There was tons of telling, not so much showing. It all sounded like a narrative of poor pitiful mountain life, and not a romance at all.
If you want a sweet romance with little to no sex in it, but still want decent to good plot lines with well developed characters, I'd push you towards Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove series. It's the only series of hers I've read, but I've read at least 10 of them. While I didn't jump up and down for joy while reading them, they were nice. No stupid heroines or crass heroes. Nice and decent people with real life problems in a small coastal town. This is what I wanted from this series. It's what I thought I was getting. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this book.
This is by far the worst book I've ever listened to, possibly ever. I had no idea it was going to be so terrible, it's gotten so many great reviews and I thought at the very least it would be bearable. I honestly can't remember the last time I read/listened to a book and thought it was this bad. I'm talking in my entire life time. I don't mind sweet romances, they honestly aren't my thing, but I have enjoyed a few here and there, and at the very least found them bearable. I asked in the contemporary romance group if this was indeed a sweet romance, and they assured it was nicer than most, but had a little of the 'nasty' but the characters and story were so well done. Great! Sounds good to me, even though I lean towards the voyeuristic I still require a plot line. Plot line with less sex? I can handle that.
Problem is, I can't even make that far into the book to have Jack and Mel kiss! They aren't even circling each other yet and I already want to bitch slap Mel. She is at the top of the TSTL list. Worst heroine ever. A widow who hates LA and needs a change of scenery sounds like a plausible, albeit boring start. She describes her life in LA as if she was living in Skid Row and feared for her safety, both at home and at work. A nurse practitioner makes a decent living, she didn't have to work at the worst hospital where all she saw was drug addicted pregnant women, gun shot victims and the worst of society. I've never been to LA, but I hear it's pretty big and has some quite ritzy suburbs. Certified in midwifery, Mel could have worked at some fancy women's clinic, or just a better hospital where the celebs go to have their babies. I'm sure you wouldn't see the absolute worst of society there. . . wait, maybe there too, but people with money would maybe be preferable to deal with. Her husband was shot at a convenience store they frequented, but she described as not such a nice place. Hello? McFly? Don't frequent those kinds of places! I live in OKC, in a decent neighborhood, but a few miles from here is a convenience store I never would go to, even if it's on my way. I'm not stupid. Bad shit happens anywhere, so to blame the whole city for your husband's death is just beyond stupid. Couldn't afford a better area of town to live? Maybe if you weren't spending $200 for jeans, $600 for boots, $400 for highlights and $60-80k on a car you might be able to afford slightly better digs. But seeing as how her deceased husband was a Dr. I'm sure money was no issue. Just stupidity.
I'm not a nurse, never wanted to be one, but my sister is a medical assistant in the terminal/difficult patient ward, has been for 4 years. I've heard stories. I have friends who are nurses. I've heard lots of stories to know nursing takes a special breed of people who deserve the utmost respect. My 120 pound sister had to restrain a 300 pound man who was off his meds, and help hadn't arrived yet, so just keeping him from hurting himself, others and herself was difficult enough. He bit her. As in tried to take a chunk of her arm off, and she had 14 stitches and a tenantus shot. I get the medical field can be difficult to endure, which is why you gotta be made of special sauce to make it. It's not all sunshine and butterflies. Even if you work Labor & Delivery, babies die, mothers die, bad shit happens. If you can't take it, you're in the wrong damn field. So when Mel whines constantly in the first few chapters to her sister how terrible it is to work as a nurse, it left me thinking 'Thank God she's a fictional character who doesn't really work with the public.' No one ever said medicine would be easy, that's why you get paid big bucks (and nurses and doctors do - maybe not enough for the shit you have to put up with, but you do). Mel felt like one of those stupid real housewives shows, complaining about all kinds of bad stuff that happens to her while worrying about how she looks. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to how much I hated her. She wants a change, to go a little rustic for a while. Talk about piss poor planning and stupid to just go off the pictures some one has sent you. Ranting about how backwards the town was to the people in the town was insulting. If I was any of those people she was complaining to, I'd have told her to get her ass back to LA. She can't be naive and sweet while complaining about how terrible the town is. She can't be smart and able to take care of herself if she doesn't do the most basic planning. I could go on and on about how much I hated Mel.
Jack was no better. At first I thought he might be okay. But then he 'goes for a drink in Crystal River.' Which is code for I'm gonna go fuck some big old blonde I've been seeing for the last 2 years for shits and giggles. He doesn't even like her. The way he thinks of her is pathetic, but still, he fucks her. Twice. Nice, huh? Some sensitivity there. Then he has the decency to tell her it can't go on, even if there's no one else yet, 'there's the hope of someone else' (swiped from one of my favorite movies - You've Got Mail). The way he tells her is so crass and . . . and. . . OOOOHHHH@!! It just makes me so mad! Tell me this doesn't sound like an asshole thing to say:
"That's the thing, he said. I have needs, and right now I think what I need is completely different from what I've needed in the past. I could easily keep coming here Charmaine, I sure don't suffer. You're awful good to me."
He goes on to say things have basically changed for him. Nice. Sweet, you say? I'm sorry, how does 'even though I'm thinking about someone else but I could keep coming here anyway, it's easy,' even remotely sound nice? If he was such a nice guy, it would be more than sex between him and Charmaine, even if he didn't want a relationship. If he was such a nice guy, one night stands would be better. Or celibacy, how about some abstaining? No, our hero leads a woman on for 2 years, knowing Charmaine feels more for him than he does her, but hey, it's easy and he has needs. Yuck. He has an encounter with another woman who's apparently hot to trot for him, an younger alcoholic loser who he asks to clean up Mel's cabin, and his description of her is just down right judgmental and mean. You may not like someone, but don't be nice to them and ask them for help to their face while you're sneering at them behind their back.
All this after 3 hours of the audio. I kept swearing and even threw a few things (nothing breakable but it's why I stopped - not worth it) in frustration with this book. There was tons of telling, not so much showing. It all sounded like a narrative of poor pitiful mountain life, and not a romance at all.
If you want a sweet romance with little to no sex in it, but still want decent to good plot lines with well developed characters, I'd push you towards Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove series. It's the only series of hers I've read, but I've read at least 10 of them. While I didn't jump up and down for joy while reading them, they were nice. No stupid heroines or crass heroes. Nice and decent people with real life problems in a small coastal town. This is what I wanted from this series. It's what I thought I was getting. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this book.
October 15, 2010
I flipping loved this book.
It's my first Robyn Carr book. I've read a lot of good things about her here on Goodreads and also on Amazon, and I ordered several of her books this spring, hoping to get some time to read them.
Recently widowed Melinda Monroe, a certified nurse midwife, decides that to move beyond her grief she must start her life again. She sells almost everything she owns and moves to Virgin River, a tiny town in the middle of the California forest. At first it seems the transition from the violence of working in the hospitals in LA to living in a town that doesn't even seem big enough to be a town is going to be too much for her. But she quickly finds herself drawn closer to this tiny community and its resident, particularly Jack Sheridan, a former U.S. Marine who runs the closest thing the town has to a bar/restaurant. Watching Mel and Jack fall in love was pure pleasure.
I particularly loved the medical realism of the midwifery scenes. I read in reviews that some readers didn't like all the pregnancy/childbirth/breastfeeding talk that naturally goes with Mel's career, but as someone who had two midwife births and breastfed for a long time, I really appreciate that. Though certainly motherhood isn't for every woman, I think having a baby is the most amazing thing women do, and having a midwife as a heroine was truly wonderful. The birth scenes were realistic but not gory at all.
The quality of the author's research was apparent not only with regard to midwifery, but also the hero's military background and law enforcement aspects of the story, as well as the milieu of the small town and the surrounding countryside, where some residents are wonderful people and some are not.
I also enjoyed the fact that the heroine was strong but not "kick ass." I just don't enjoy reading about heroines who kick butt and are oh so tough. Bores me. I much prefer feminine heroines who can be strong — but in a feminine way. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the hero to be the one who kicks ass. Heroines with knives, tattoos, and tough ninja moves who swing through the skyscrapers on ropes braided from their own chest hair just don't do it for me.
Though profanity doesn't bother me — how could it? My books are full of it — this book has only mild profanity. The sex is romantic and descriptive rather than erotic and extremely detailed. That's fine with me, because I can take either, provided it's well written. I just like a well-crafted love scene.
I found Carr's style to be captivating. Let's put it this way: I didn't plan to read a book tonight. I sat down with this at about 9 PM and read it in one sitting, finishing at about 2 AM. That doesn't happen for me very often — maybe once a year or once every other year.
Thanks, Ms. Carr, for the hours of enjoyment. Looking forward now to the rest of this series.
It's my first Robyn Carr book. I've read a lot of good things about her here on Goodreads and also on Amazon, and I ordered several of her books this spring, hoping to get some time to read them.
Recently widowed Melinda Monroe, a certified nurse midwife, decides that to move beyond her grief she must start her life again. She sells almost everything she owns and moves to Virgin River, a tiny town in the middle of the California forest. At first it seems the transition from the violence of working in the hospitals in LA to living in a town that doesn't even seem big enough to be a town is going to be too much for her. But she quickly finds herself drawn closer to this tiny community and its resident, particularly Jack Sheridan, a former U.S. Marine who runs the closest thing the town has to a bar/restaurant. Watching Mel and Jack fall in love was pure pleasure.
I particularly loved the medical realism of the midwifery scenes. I read in reviews that some readers didn't like all the pregnancy/childbirth/breastfeeding talk that naturally goes with Mel's career, but as someone who had two midwife births and breastfed for a long time, I really appreciate that. Though certainly motherhood isn't for every woman, I think having a baby is the most amazing thing women do, and having a midwife as a heroine was truly wonderful. The birth scenes were realistic but not gory at all.
The quality of the author's research was apparent not only with regard to midwifery, but also the hero's military background and law enforcement aspects of the story, as well as the milieu of the small town and the surrounding countryside, where some residents are wonderful people and some are not.
I also enjoyed the fact that the heroine was strong but not "kick ass." I just don't enjoy reading about heroines who kick butt and are oh so tough. Bores me. I much prefer feminine heroines who can be strong — but in a feminine way. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the hero to be the one who kicks ass. Heroines with knives, tattoos, and tough ninja moves who swing through the skyscrapers on ropes braided from their own chest hair just don't do it for me.
Though profanity doesn't bother me — how could it? My books are full of it — this book has only mild profanity. The sex is romantic and descriptive rather than erotic and extremely detailed. That's fine with me, because I can take either, provided it's well written. I just like a well-crafted love scene.
I found Carr's style to be captivating. Let's put it this way: I didn't plan to read a book tonight. I sat down with this at about 9 PM and read it in one sitting, finishing at about 2 AM. That doesn't happen for me very often — maybe once a year or once every other year.
Thanks, Ms. Carr, for the hours of enjoyment. Looking forward now to the rest of this series.
December 16, 2019
I can't begin to believe myself but Netflix did it BETTER.
(???)
(???)
February 26, 2008
Hokey Americana. Never seen so many pregnant women in such a small area.
October 11, 2020
Virgin River by Robyn Carr is a 2019 Mira publication
( originally published in 2007)
Now I see why this series is so popular!
Melinda Monroe is a nurse practitioner/ midwife living in the big city, enjoying nice clothes and shoes, and expensive hair highlights. But, when her husband dies, all the horrors of the city and her inescapable grief fuels her need for an escape. Without thinking it through, she accepts a job in Virgin River, population 600. Free cabin, beautiful, remote scenery… sounds like heaven....
Well, you know what they say. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Upon arrival, Melinda discovers the free cabin is in unlivable disrepair and the local doctor claims he has no need of help. Realizing her impulsive act was a really bad decision on her part, Melinda decides to leave town the next day. But fate has other plans…
I have heard so much about this series. I have read a few books by Robyn Carr- but I do not think they were a part of this series. I also heard a lot of hype surrounding a Netflix series based on the books, which aired right about the time I decided to drop the service-so I didn't get to see it.
But, when some of my other Goodreads peers recently started reading the series, and raved about it, I decided to make the time for this first book in the series- and I’m thinking of making this series my next ‘read through’.
I am a sucker for second chances, especially when it is a situation where someone’s entire world is cruelly kicked out from under them. I wanted Melinda to have the peace and love she longed for and hoped she would realize everything she needed was right there in Virgin River.
Jack Sheridan is a former Marine with a harrowing past- just the type of hero that melts my heart. He’s an amazing character, very realistically drawn, funny and charming… and absolutely smitten Melinda.
One little quibble I had was with the secondary story involving two teens. I will not say too much about the things I took issue with because it might give too much away, but some elements of this thread bothered me, and other parts could have been toned down significantly. I have read enough series to know that this couple is sure to pop back up later down the road- and I will be looking forward to that, if and when it happens.
Also, as a matter of taste, the story had a few more sensual scenes than I like in one book. But, other than my personal moralizing, the story was just the kind of contemporary romance I like. There was depth, humor, and emotionally touching moments, and a beautiful ending!!
Looking forward to book two!
4 stars
( originally published in 2007)
Now I see why this series is so popular!
Melinda Monroe is a nurse practitioner/ midwife living in the big city, enjoying nice clothes and shoes, and expensive hair highlights. But, when her husband dies, all the horrors of the city and her inescapable grief fuels her need for an escape. Without thinking it through, she accepts a job in Virgin River, population 600. Free cabin, beautiful, remote scenery… sounds like heaven....
Well, you know what they say. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Upon arrival, Melinda discovers the free cabin is in unlivable disrepair and the local doctor claims he has no need of help. Realizing her impulsive act was a really bad decision on her part, Melinda decides to leave town the next day. But fate has other plans…
I have heard so much about this series. I have read a few books by Robyn Carr- but I do not think they were a part of this series. I also heard a lot of hype surrounding a Netflix series based on the books, which aired right about the time I decided to drop the service-so I didn't get to see it.
But, when some of my other Goodreads peers recently started reading the series, and raved about it, I decided to make the time for this first book in the series- and I’m thinking of making this series my next ‘read through’.
I am a sucker for second chances, especially when it is a situation where someone’s entire world is cruelly kicked out from under them. I wanted Melinda to have the peace and love she longed for and hoped she would realize everything she needed was right there in Virgin River.
Jack Sheridan is a former Marine with a harrowing past- just the type of hero that melts my heart. He’s an amazing character, very realistically drawn, funny and charming… and absolutely smitten Melinda.
One little quibble I had was with the secondary story involving two teens. I will not say too much about the things I took issue with because it might give too much away, but some elements of this thread bothered me, and other parts could have been toned down significantly. I have read enough series to know that this couple is sure to pop back up later down the road- and I will be looking forward to that, if and when it happens.
Also, as a matter of taste, the story had a few more sensual scenes than I like in one book. But, other than my personal moralizing, the story was just the kind of contemporary romance I like. There was depth, humor, and emotionally touching moments, and a beautiful ending!!
Looking forward to book two!
4 stars
November 19, 2019
Re-read/listened to the audiobook version Nov'19
Original read/rating/review:
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance
There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about this sweet, delightful, feel-good contemporary romance and for very good reason, and now I’m finally glad that I get what all the fuss is about.
Virgin River is a heartwarming story about a young, grieving widow whose spirit is rejuvenated and soul revived by working as a nurse and midwife in a quaint little country town called Virgin River, with quirky, friendly, salt-of-the-earth people surrounded by the beauty of nature. After losing her young husband in a violent crime in L.A., feeling suffocated by grief, and tired of the chaotic, stressful life as a nurse in a big city hospital, Mel decides that a complete change of scenery and small town pace is exactly what she needs.
On first arrival in Virgin River, nothing is what she expected and Mel thinks she made a rash, huge mistake and can’t wait to pack up and leave, but life doesn’t always go the way we plan. An abandoned baby and local women in need of good prenatal care remind Mel of why she became a nurse and midwife in the first place and fill her with a sense of purpose. What she didn’t anticipate is having her heart reopened through the kindness, patience, and love of an ex-marine. Jack is one of the most dreamy, tender romantic heroes ever, and his support and care of Mel is absolutely tear-worthy it’s so touching. The way he fixes up Mel’s cottage so she’ll have reason to stay, his tenderness in helping her with the abandoned baby, how he keeps his bar/restaurant open all night when she’s delivering a baby in the event she needs something, and his unwavering patience in earning her trust and courting her...the list just goes on and on.
I’m only sorry that I waited so long to read this enchanting story, but one good thing about being late is that now I can read the next six books in the series right away without having to wait for their release! Big 5 stars!
Original read/rating/review:
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance
There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about this sweet, delightful, feel-good contemporary romance and for very good reason, and now I’m finally glad that I get what all the fuss is about.
Virgin River is a heartwarming story about a young, grieving widow whose spirit is rejuvenated and soul revived by working as a nurse and midwife in a quaint little country town called Virgin River, with quirky, friendly, salt-of-the-earth people surrounded by the beauty of nature. After losing her young husband in a violent crime in L.A., feeling suffocated by grief, and tired of the chaotic, stressful life as a nurse in a big city hospital, Mel decides that a complete change of scenery and small town pace is exactly what she needs.
On first arrival in Virgin River, nothing is what she expected and Mel thinks she made a rash, huge mistake and can’t wait to pack up and leave, but life doesn’t always go the way we plan. An abandoned baby and local women in need of good prenatal care remind Mel of why she became a nurse and midwife in the first place and fill her with a sense of purpose. What she didn’t anticipate is having her heart reopened through the kindness, patience, and love of an ex-marine. Jack is one of the most dreamy, tender romantic heroes ever, and his support and care of Mel is absolutely tear-worthy it’s so touching. The way he fixes up Mel’s cottage so she’ll have reason to stay, his tenderness in helping her with the abandoned baby, how he keeps his bar/restaurant open all night when she’s delivering a baby in the event she needs something, and his unwavering patience in earning her trust and courting her...the list just goes on and on.
I’m only sorry that I waited so long to read this enchanting story, but one good thing about being late is that now I can read the next six books in the series right away without having to wait for their release! Big 5 stars!
August 5, 2021
I actually prefer the Netflix show
December 10, 2019
This book has been on my kindle for years ... saw it was coming out on Netflix and decided to start it. Was just going to read it first prior to watching it but, you know me, I have no willpower. So was reading it, watching it and also listening to the Audio - such a multitasker ... if only I could be so organised in my real life and not just my reading life!!
Jack was cute. An ex-Marine who moves to Virgin River after he finishes his service, for a peaceful life of fishing and bar-tending.
The setting was beautiful. The books are set in Northern California but I believe the series was filmed in Vancouver. A place I would love to visit.
Don't think the picture above is either California or Vancouver but it is mighty pretty!
Small town location. Big change for Mel from the mean streets of L.A. Virgin River is a place where everybody knows your name ... and your business! Kinda like the place I grew up in - without the cute guys and cuter little bars and cabins.
I loved Doc ... such a cranky devil. I will continue the series as I really want to read the story of Jack's friends, especially Preacher. Sounds like an interesting guy.
Jack was cute. An ex-Marine who moves to Virgin River after he finishes his service, for a peaceful life of fishing and bar-tending.
The setting was beautiful. The books are set in Northern California but I believe the series was filmed in Vancouver. A place I would love to visit.
Don't think the picture above is either California or Vancouver but it is mighty pretty!
Small town location. Big change for Mel from the mean streets of L.A. Virgin River is a place where everybody knows your name ... and your business! Kinda like the place I grew up in - without the cute guys and cuter little bars and cabins.
I loved Doc ... such a cranky devil. I will continue the series as I really want to read the story of Jack's friends, especially Preacher. Sounds like an interesting guy.
November 26, 2019
3.5 stars.
Grabbed this purely because I saw the Netflix promo for the series based on this and the male lead is the hot doc who wasn’t in Grey’s Anatomy long enough for my liking. Yes I’m that shallow.
Mixed bag but plenty of likeable characters so I’ll read the next one.
Grabbed this purely because I saw the Netflix promo for the series based on this and the male lead is the hot doc who wasn’t in Grey’s Anatomy long enough for my liking. Yes I’m that shallow.
Mixed bag but plenty of likeable characters so I’ll read the next one.
September 10, 2022
I love this small town setting to bits and I'm going to continue reading the series for this alone The romance on the other hand while sweet, dragged for me, and all the conflicts-that-really-weren't didn't thrill either. Also the heroine never really choose the Jack. He was willing to bend over backwards no matter how far or for how long, and she never evolved to the point were she could openly accept and return his love. Yup, they end up together... but only out of circumstance; and cheesy lets tie this up in a bow circumstance at that.
My three other gripes are:
1) The POV of a young male character (and I mean YOUNG, he's 16). I get that this is to build interest for when they ( he and his FOURTEEN yr old gf) get their own story down the road. But Jack's passing notice would've have by far done the trick. I could care less about their kiddie drama, and was seriously squicked out by their sex scene = / (Yes that's right a 14 and 16 yr old had a graphic sex scene. Say it with me now...Ewwww!).
2) The outdated or out of character slang. Jack often refers to Mel's 'fanny' mentally. WTH, who over 5 and under 80 refers to a butt that way. And Mel (a fashionista from L.A.) after a mere few months, all of a sudden starts casually saying 'Boy Howdy!'...repeatedly? Puh lease, gimme a break. lol
3) Also for a book about a nurse that specializes in womens' health; Mel's personal logic about safe sex is down right idiotic.
My three other gripes are:
1) The POV of a young male character (and I mean YOUNG, he's 16). I get that this is to build interest for when they ( he and his FOURTEEN yr old gf) get their own story down the road. But Jack's passing notice would've have by far done the trick. I could care less about their kiddie drama, and was seriously squicked out by their sex scene = / (Yes that's right a 14 and 16 yr old had a graphic sex scene. Say it with me now...Ewwww!).
2) The outdated or out of character slang. Jack often refers to Mel's 'fanny' mentally. WTH, who over 5 and under 80 refers to a butt that way. And Mel (a fashionista from L.A.) after a mere few months, all of a sudden starts casually saying 'Boy Howdy!'...repeatedly? Puh lease, gimme a break. lol
3) Also for a book about a nurse that specializes in womens' health; Mel's personal logic about safe sex is down right idiotic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2008
A generic "strong" female with "heart-shaped lips" and a fabulous figure + generic whitebread cleft-chin He-Man gentleman (even when hooking up!) with a soft spot for babies + a po-dunk town where nothing happens == boring book!
These people have no personality. Where's the humor? If not that, where's the intellectual intelligence? Or if not that, where's the sarcasm, the quirky attitudes, or some kind of color?? Or even if the characters were supposed to be ridiculously nice and laid-back, put them in a crazy situation that tries the best of souls!
But no. None of the characters are interesting, either superficially or personality-wise, and the book waffles half-assed about an abandoned baby that I couldn't care less about while the main girl weeps tears over her infertility and dead husband which I also can't care about. Why? I dunno. Even though those are all very legitimate issues. I suppose I can blame the author's bland voice and inability to construct compelling characters and story. And the way she just tells and tells and tells me what everyone's thinking and feeling and guess what! Everyone thinks BORING stuff! I got about 1/3 of the way in and can't be bothered to continue.
To be fair, grammar-wise, etc., there is nothing wrong, and no doubt more romance-minded people will like it.
These people have no personality. Where's the humor? If not that, where's the intellectual intelligence? Or if not that, where's the sarcasm, the quirky attitudes, or some kind of color?? Or even if the characters were supposed to be ridiculously nice and laid-back, put them in a crazy situation that tries the best of souls!
But no. None of the characters are interesting, either superficially or personality-wise, and the book waffles half-assed about an abandoned baby that I couldn't care less about while the main girl weeps tears over her infertility and dead husband which I also can't care about. Why? I dunno. Even though those are all very legitimate issues. I suppose I can blame the author's bland voice and inability to construct compelling characters and story. And the way she just tells and tells and tells me what everyone's thinking and feeling and guess what! Everyone thinks BORING stuff! I got about 1/3 of the way in and can't be bothered to continue.
To be fair, grammar-wise, etc., there is nothing wrong, and no doubt more romance-minded people will like it.
August 19, 2022
This is a Women's Small Town Fiction/Romance, and this is the first book in the Virgin River series. I picked this book up because I watched and loved the Netflix Virgin River TV series that is about this book. I have to say I liked the book, but I loved the TV series. There are some changes that are clearly done from the TV series, but there is a lot that comes from the book. I really loved the two main characters of this book, and this town is so great. I cannot wait to read the second book in this series. There are so many characters in this book, but they are easy to keep up with each character. I also think there is a ton of stuff going on, but it was easy to keep up with everything that was going on. I read this book via Kindle Unlimited/Library and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book.
November 12, 2019
I read this because it's a recent foundational genre text, not because I thought I'd personally enjoy it. And I loathed this book, definitely and certainly, but I enjoyed--and was interested by--some aspects of it.
(Sorry, this is one of my reviews where I do not resist the use of profanity. Heads-up that this review addresses, among other things, an explicit sex scene between minors and sexual assault.)
ETA: Okay, so I'm petty as fuck, and as I saw there'll be a Netflix adaptation, I wanted to not mince words, despite my diplomatic opening paragraph to this review: this book is a shitty book, and it was shitty in 2007 when it was published. I remember 2007, I was an adult already in 2007, and for just one example, I can tell you that the adults of a town sexualizing a fourteen-year-old girl the way that all the characters do in Virgin River would've been just as gross then as it is in 2019. So I'm breaking my usual tradition of only using star ratings for five-star books and I'm one-starring this POS book, so that other readers can more easily find this review and know they're not alone.
Positives:
+ All the scenery descriptions! This is absolutely a "visiting a specific place and falling in love with it" type of romance, and that's absolutely appealing.
+ I liked that this pushed at genre conventions in one specific way: Jack has sex with another woman on the page. GASP. And this was even after he met Mel. DOUBLE GASP. Carr takes great pains to paint his untangling of this relationship as honorable (and I generally read it as such), and I thought that was interesting to read because romance novels usually don't let their characters do this.
+ I also liked that Mel was allowed to grieve for her husband (who died nine months before the start of the book) and the life together/future family the two of them lost. And I liked that while her husband hadn't been perfect, he'd been a good guy, and everyone respected that. And I liked that the romantic dynamic involved Jack being endlessly, happily patient with Mel. (Jack in general was very much a caretaker, in fact! Not just with Mel, but with the community in general.) That's a huge appeal.
+ Mel's arc of growing more accomplished and comfortable with rural medicine was enjoyable.
+/- I actually remember trying to read this book before, and I remember the exact line where I peaced out: a couple paragraphs in, where Mel thinks about how she's looking forward to not having to deliver crack babies out in the country. The line (and Mel's entire small town fetish in the first chapter, and her utter ignorance in general) made me rageful this time as well, but as it turned out, the book shatters her illusions pretty quickly. Yay! That's not always a given in small town romances, so I was glad to find that this book wasn't as cuddly-picket-fences as Mel expected it'd be. Don't get me wrong; the book still has an immense small town / country fetish, and it never brings any nuance to its dislike of / distaste for cities, but I did like that it brought nuance to Mel's initial perspective, and I thought the narrative was conscious in demonstrating Mel's dumbassness with her initial "Out here I won't have half my patients brought in by police! How idyllic!" being shot to fuck when she starts actually dealing with people out in the country and ends up going, "We need to call social services!! We need to call the police!!" (Unfortunately, the book ends on totally a "And here is our vigilante men-with-guns posse, out to make our community safe!!!" note, so....)
Yeah, it's time to get to the full-out negatives.
- First and fucking foremost: there is NO reason to include a sex scene in an adult romance novel between a fourteen-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy that is as explicit (mildly explicit, but still explicit; all scenes involving sex in this book were very mild and not terribly graphic to begin with) as this one was. The fourteen-year-old girl was extremely and consistently sexualized by ALL the characters who commented on her (including her family members, including the protagonists), and it was so fucking super gross.
- I also super hated the way sexual assault by a community member was treated in this book. I don't have the mental space to get into it. But it was far too fucking cutesy and "good thing Mel knows how to protect herself!!!" instead of doing something to eliminate the serial groper in their community. I mean, it's realistic, unfortunately, for communities to not deal with it, but I still hated the treatment of this in the book.
- If I never read the word "fanny" again it will be too fucking soon. Like, I know Jack and Mel are a different generation than I am, but...even in 2007, that word was not sexy (as the book clearly intends it to be).
- Stupid gender stuff in general. Magic penises and miracle babies. So many fucking names that start with the letter J and by the time we get to a one-line character named Juliette (couldn't you have picked something else from elsewhere in the alphabet?) I was hitting my head against the wall. (Yeah, I know some were clearly characters from a previous series, but I still found it annoying, dealing with scenes with Jack and June and John and Jim and Jamie and lord knows who else all interacting.) Also seriously that crack babies line.
- In general, I was just surprised this was not a 90s book and was published in 2007.
(Sorry, this is one of my reviews where I do not resist the use of profanity. Heads-up that this review addresses, among other things, an explicit sex scene between minors and sexual assault.)
ETA: Okay, so I'm petty as fuck, and as I saw there'll be a Netflix adaptation, I wanted to not mince words, despite my diplomatic opening paragraph to this review: this book is a shitty book, and it was shitty in 2007 when it was published. I remember 2007, I was an adult already in 2007, and for just one example, I can tell you that the adults of a town sexualizing a fourteen-year-old girl the way that all the characters do in Virgin River would've been just as gross then as it is in 2019. So I'm breaking my usual tradition of only using star ratings for five-star books and I'm one-starring this POS book, so that other readers can more easily find this review and know they're not alone.
Positives:
+ All the scenery descriptions! This is absolutely a "visiting a specific place and falling in love with it" type of romance, and that's absolutely appealing.
+ I liked that this pushed at genre conventions in one specific way: Jack has sex with another woman on the page. GASP. And this was even after he met Mel. DOUBLE GASP. Carr takes great pains to paint his untangling of this relationship as honorable (and I generally read it as such), and I thought that was interesting to read because romance novels usually don't let their characters do this.
+ I also liked that Mel was allowed to grieve for her husband (who died nine months before the start of the book) and the life together/future family the two of them lost. And I liked that while her husband hadn't been perfect, he'd been a good guy, and everyone respected that. And I liked that the romantic dynamic involved Jack being endlessly, happily patient with Mel. (Jack in general was very much a caretaker, in fact! Not just with Mel, but with the community in general.) That's a huge appeal.
+ Mel's arc of growing more accomplished and comfortable with rural medicine was enjoyable.
+/- I actually remember trying to read this book before, and I remember the exact line where I peaced out: a couple paragraphs in, where Mel thinks about how she's looking forward to not having to deliver crack babies out in the country. The line (and Mel's entire small town fetish in the first chapter, and her utter ignorance in general) made me rageful this time as well, but as it turned out, the book shatters her illusions pretty quickly. Yay! That's not always a given in small town romances, so I was glad to find that this book wasn't as cuddly-picket-fences as Mel expected it'd be. Don't get me wrong; the book still has an immense small town / country fetish, and it never brings any nuance to its dislike of / distaste for cities, but I did like that it brought nuance to Mel's initial perspective, and I thought the narrative was conscious in demonstrating Mel's dumbassness with her initial "Out here I won't have half my patients brought in by police! How idyllic!" being shot to fuck when she starts actually dealing with people out in the country and ends up going, "We need to call social services!! We need to call the police!!" (Unfortunately, the book ends on totally a "And here is our vigilante men-with-guns posse, out to make our community safe!!!" note, so....)
Yeah, it's time to get to the full-out negatives.
- First and fucking foremost: there is NO reason to include a sex scene in an adult romance novel between a fourteen-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy that is as explicit (mildly explicit, but still explicit; all scenes involving sex in this book were very mild and not terribly graphic to begin with) as this one was. The fourteen-year-old girl was extremely and consistently sexualized by ALL the characters who commented on her (including her family members, including the protagonists), and it was so fucking super gross.
- I also super hated the way sexual assault by a community member was treated in this book. I don't have the mental space to get into it. But it was far too fucking cutesy and "good thing Mel knows how to protect herself!!!" instead of doing something to eliminate the serial groper in their community. I mean, it's realistic, unfortunately, for communities to not deal with it, but I still hated the treatment of this in the book.
- If I never read the word "fanny" again it will be too fucking soon. Like, I know Jack and Mel are a different generation than I am, but...even in 2007, that word was not sexy (as the book clearly intends it to be).
- Stupid gender stuff in general. Magic penises and miracle babies. So many fucking names that start with the letter J and by the time we get to a one-line character named Juliette (couldn't you have picked something else from elsewhere in the alphabet?) I was hitting my head against the wall. (Yeah, I know some were clearly characters from a previous series, but I still found it annoying, dealing with scenes with Jack and June and John and Jim and Jamie and lord knows who else all interacting.) Also seriously that crack babies line.
- In general, I was just surprised this was not a 90s book and was published in 2007.
June 14, 2025
#1 Virgin River - ★★★★
#19 Return To Virgin River - ★★★★★
I am so thankful to the team at Mills & Boon for letting me a part of this amazing blog tour. It is an honour, and a pleasure! Click HERE to read the first chapter!
When recently widowed Melinda sees an advert for a midwife in the quiet town of Virgin River, she decides this is the perfect place to escape her heartache and to revitalise the nursing career she loves.
However, her dreams are shattered as soon as she arrives. The cabin is uninhabitable, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor has nothing to do with her. But when a tiny baby is abandoned on a front porch, Mel needs to make a decision.
Helped by a local barman and former marine, Jack Sheridan, Mel has to face her past, and realises that there may be a future in Virgin River after all.
First Impression
I don’t usually go for the drama romance stories. But I do love a bit of new town girl, and I also love watching medical shows, despite knowing close to nothing about medicine. Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident, Doctor House, The Good Doctor, ER, etc. fans - please let yourselves known! :)
I loved this book. It has a very good vibe about if from the beginning until the end. First of all, I fell in love with Virgin River. A lovely quiet place, with amazing selfless people living in it. I would love to live in a town like that! The author described the place so well, that it made me feel like I was there, in the pub, in the doctor’s office, by the river…
Characters
We found ourselves to have Mel as a main character, followed by Jack. However, we had a lot of side characters, who actually played a crucial role in the development of Mel and Jack and their story.
Mel is a city girl, born and raised.
Always lived in big cities, most recently in L.A. and she is used to all the poshy posh stuff that come along with such a lifestyle. She was married to Mark, an emergency doctor, who recently passed away. We never get to meet Mark, but we get to know him through Mel’s memories of him.
Wanting and needing change, she sells everything and moves to Virgin River, a promising quiet town, where she can start again. But things don’t go as planned. They never do. When struggling with challenges, she has to find a way to cope with her pain, then learn how to live with it, so she can move on and be happy in life.
Then we have Jack, who owns a bar in Virgin River, and who is the person that helps everyone around.
When Mel arrives, he is determined to make her stay and show her that this place is not so bad after all. But as a former marine, he also has his demons, and as much as he will help Mel, he also needs her to help him get over his pain as well.
From the side characters, I really loved Doc, the sassy old doctor, Preacher, Jack’s friend from the marines and Joey, Mel’s sister. Even though I hated Joey at the beginning, she started to grow on me as time passed by.
Very interesting story, a lot of dramatic events that change our characters and teach them something. The plot was predictable in the sense that I knew there would be a love story between Jack and Mel, but it was still adorable and cute to read how both of them grow by each other.
The Netflix Show
You might have heard, but now Virgin River also has a TV show as well. My plan was to read and watch them simultaneously, and I did watch the first few episodes. I love the show, and I will definitely continue watching. However, the plot is changed a lot and it is quite different from the book, so I suggest you read the book first before watching the TV show.
Have you read this book? Have you read something similar? I would love to read your thoughts. :)
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#19 Return To Virgin River - ★★★★★
I am so thankful to the team at Mills & Boon for letting me a part of this amazing blog tour. It is an honour, and a pleasure! Click HERE to read the first chapter!
When recently widowed Melinda sees an advert for a midwife in the quiet town of Virgin River, she decides this is the perfect place to escape her heartache and to revitalise the nursing career she loves.
However, her dreams are shattered as soon as she arrives. The cabin is uninhabitable, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor has nothing to do with her. But when a tiny baby is abandoned on a front porch, Mel needs to make a decision.
Helped by a local barman and former marine, Jack Sheridan, Mel has to face her past, and realises that there may be a future in Virgin River after all.
First Impression
I don’t usually go for the drama romance stories. But I do love a bit of new town girl, and I also love watching medical shows, despite knowing close to nothing about medicine. Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident, Doctor House, The Good Doctor, ER, etc. fans - please let yourselves known! :)
I loved this book. It has a very good vibe about if from the beginning until the end. First of all, I fell in love with Virgin River. A lovely quiet place, with amazing selfless people living in it. I would love to live in a town like that! The author described the place so well, that it made me feel like I was there, in the pub, in the doctor’s office, by the river…
Characters
We found ourselves to have Mel as a main character, followed by Jack. However, we had a lot of side characters, who actually played a crucial role in the development of Mel and Jack and their story.
Mel is a city girl, born and raised.
Always lived in big cities, most recently in L.A. and she is used to all the poshy posh stuff that come along with such a lifestyle. She was married to Mark, an emergency doctor, who recently passed away. We never get to meet Mark, but we get to know him through Mel’s memories of him.
Wanting and needing change, she sells everything and moves to Virgin River, a promising quiet town, where she can start again. But things don’t go as planned. They never do. When struggling with challenges, she has to find a way to cope with her pain, then learn how to live with it, so she can move on and be happy in life.
Then we have Jack, who owns a bar in Virgin River, and who is the person that helps everyone around.
When Mel arrives, he is determined to make her stay and show her that this place is not so bad after all. But as a former marine, he also has his demons, and as much as he will help Mel, he also needs her to help him get over his pain as well.
From the side characters, I really loved Doc, the sassy old doctor, Preacher, Jack’s friend from the marines and Joey, Mel’s sister. Even though I hated Joey at the beginning, she started to grow on me as time passed by.
Very interesting story, a lot of dramatic events that change our characters and teach them something. The plot was predictable in the sense that I knew there would be a love story between Jack and Mel, but it was still adorable and cute to read how both of them grow by each other.
The Netflix Show
You might have heard, but now Virgin River also has a TV show as well. My plan was to read and watch them simultaneously, and I did watch the first few episodes. I love the show, and I will definitely continue watching. However, the plot is changed a lot and it is quite different from the book, so I suggest you read the book first before watching the TV show.
Have you read this book? Have you read something similar? I would love to read your thoughts. :)
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August 14, 2012
1.5 stars.
Gah.
Books like this are the reason that everyone thinks romance novels are sappy, mediocre, clichéd, annoying stories full of he-men, obnoxious heroines, magic penises, magical babies, pregnant ladies, magic pregnant ladies, cute little towns, the majesty of nature and any other trite turn of phrase you can think of.
I picked this up as it had many positive reviews here and in general seems to be considered a classic modern contemporary. But no. I'm actually amazed at all the good press this book has. It's slow, cumbersome, the story never goes anywhere, the writing is mediocre and I never once felt connected to either of the main characters.
Aside from all of the tropes and romance novel clichés in this, it was just generally not that good. But slightly over halfway through it I sat there wondering, when is something going to happen?!
Our heroine, Mel, is whiny, annoying and a generally exasperating character. I understand that she is a grieving widow, but really, I couldn't feel bad for her or mourn with her. The choices she makes and her actions are laughable, and her attitude was not "spunky" or "quirky," but rather tiresome and rude.
Our hero, whose name started with a J (whose name I have already forgotten (Jake?). There were an obscene number of J names in this book), is a proto-typical alpha-male ex-marine he-man character. He can build things, paint things, buys flowers, owns a bar, washes the linens, has heart-to-heart talks with teenage boys, invests his money and just generally can do absolutely anything. He was B-O-R-I-N-G.
In fact, they both were. This entire book was. The secondary characters all came from the classic book Stereotypical Secondary Characters R' Us (the Country Living Edition).
I'm only giving this 1.5 stars because the writing was somewhat passable. And I've certainly also read worse things.
Disappointing. And I was really looking forward to discovering a new contemporary author with a long backlist. No such luck here.
Gah.
Books like this are the reason that everyone thinks romance novels are sappy, mediocre, clichéd, annoying stories full of he-men, obnoxious heroines, magic penises, magical babies, pregnant ladies, magic pregnant ladies, cute little towns, the majesty of nature and any other trite turn of phrase you can think of.
I picked this up as it had many positive reviews here and in general seems to be considered a classic modern contemporary. But no. I'm actually amazed at all the good press this book has. It's slow, cumbersome, the story never goes anywhere, the writing is mediocre and I never once felt connected to either of the main characters.
Aside from all of the tropes and romance novel clichés in this, it was just generally not that good. But slightly over halfway through it I sat there wondering, when is something going to happen?!
Our heroine, Mel, is whiny, annoying and a generally exasperating character. I understand that she is a grieving widow, but really, I couldn't feel bad for her or mourn with her. The choices she makes and her actions are laughable, and her attitude was not "spunky" or "quirky," but rather tiresome and rude.
Our hero, whose name started with a J (whose name I have already forgotten (Jake?). There were an obscene number of J names in this book), is a proto-typical alpha-male ex-marine he-man character. He can build things, paint things, buys flowers, owns a bar, washes the linens, has heart-to-heart talks with teenage boys, invests his money and just generally can do absolutely anything. He was B-O-R-I-N-G.
In fact, they both were. This entire book was. The secondary characters all came from the classic book Stereotypical Secondary Characters R' Us (the Country Living Edition).
I'm only giving this 1.5 stars because the writing was somewhat passable. And I've certainly also read worse things.
Disappointing. And I was really looking forward to discovering a new contemporary author with a long backlist. No such luck here.
December 20, 2019
Virgin River is a series that I’ve been planning to read forever and with the release of the show on Netflix I finally read the first book, and you guys I LOVED it! Totally fun small town romance with authentic, imperfect characters and so much humor and heart. You know how most of the time small town romances can be cheesy? That’s fine, I don’t even mind that but this one wasn’t like that at all, it even went a little dark and I’m here for that! 🙌🏻 I can’t wait to watch the series but I’m gonna catch up on a couple more of the books in the series first, I even plan on trying to get through all 18 books in 2020, right @reallyintothis Definitely recommended by me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tell me, have you read and/or watched the show yet?
June 3, 2016
4.5 Stars
Loved this! The rural setting of Virgin River: a secluded forest, simple life, and town folk that band together like a family was an absolute win for me. Mel got on my nerves a time or two, but I shouldn't really have been judgmental since she lost her husband only a year before. I completely LOVED and adored Jack. Oh my stars, every woman needs this man! Hunky, protective, just a total MAN!
I enjoyed the whole medical aspect of the story. Mel was a midwife/nurse practitioner and a lot of the story was about her patients and delivering babies. I'm in the medical field, as well, so I found this bit very interesting. Practicing medicine in a small town without the conveniences of a big city technology, and support would definitely be a challenge. This was actually a good thing for Mel, because her presence was really needed and made a complete difference to these people. No better cure for grief than a your own personal hunky lumberjack and staying busy!
Onto book two!
Loved this! The rural setting of Virgin River: a secluded forest, simple life, and town folk that band together like a family was an absolute win for me. Mel got on my nerves a time or two, but I shouldn't really have been judgmental since she lost her husband only a year before. I completely LOVED and adored Jack. Oh my stars, every woman needs this man! Hunky, protective, just a total MAN!
I enjoyed the whole medical aspect of the story. Mel was a midwife/nurse practitioner and a lot of the story was about her patients and delivering babies. I'm in the medical field, as well, so I found this bit very interesting. Practicing medicine in a small town without the conveniences of a big city technology, and support would definitely be a challenge. This was actually a good thing for Mel, because her presence was really needed and made a complete difference to these people. No better cure for grief than a your own personal hunky lumberjack and staying busy!
Onto book two!
October 7, 2020
I am just one of those people that likes to read the book before watching the movie or television series. Book 1 in the Virgin River series, we meet Mel(Melinda) a nurse practitioner midwife that leaves behind pain and heartache in L.A. to find a fresh new start in this fictional rural town. But things don't get off to a great start and Mel will need to learn to shake off her city ways to acclimatize herself to a different way of thinking. Good thing retired Marine turned bartender, Jack is willing to convince Mel that he and town are worth it.
I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this story, but I grew to love these characters and their town so much. I felt that the storyline was rich and there was a nice slow burn towards romance. I guess I have fallen victim to another series.
Goodreads review published 06/09/20
Update 06/10/20. Yes, I watched the Netflix series. I enjoyed parts of it, BUT I was disappointed how they wrote and changed so much about Charmaine/Jack/Mel.
I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this story, but I grew to love these characters and their town so much. I felt that the storyline was rich and there was a nice slow burn towards romance. I guess I have fallen victim to another series.
Goodreads review published 06/09/20
Update 06/10/20. Yes, I watched the Netflix series. I enjoyed parts of it, BUT I was disappointed how they wrote and changed so much about Charmaine/Jack/Mel.
dnf
October 8, 2019Semi explicit sex scene with OW, AFTER meeting h and WHILE thinking about her which was extremely disrespectful to the OW who was a nice woman. All he had to do was just leave as he told her, not get overwhelmed by lust for h and use the OW as a sub.
This was early in the book, so this pretty much ruined everything for me.
UNSAFE.
This was early in the book, so this pretty much ruined everything for me.
UNSAFE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2020
Hace mucho tiempo leí un libro de esta serie sin saber que eran como sepetecientas entregas. A pesar que la autora escribe muy bien, lo que más me desmotivó de la lectura fue la gran cantidad de subtramas secundarias de personajes de los que no tenía ni idea. Así que me propuse “en algún momento” leer la serie en orden. Obviamente se quedó acumulando polvo en mi lista TRB hasta que me enteré que Netflix había hecho una serie y me picó la curiosidad.
Un lugar para soñar es una historia simplecita, sin mucho sobresalto, pero con unos personajes que te llegan al corazón y que me gustaron mucho más que los de la adaptación de Netflix (que ya también ví), que agrega dramas gratuitamente, principalmente en lo que se refiere a la relación de Mel y Jack, pero también en las tramas secundarias. En el libro los personajes son más transparentes y no tan retorcidos. De todas maneras, habiendo tanto por leer, dudo que continúe con los demás en el corto plazo.
Un lugar para soñar es una historia simplecita, sin mucho sobresalto, pero con unos personajes que te llegan al corazón y que me gustaron mucho más que los de la adaptación de Netflix (que ya también ví), que agrega dramas gratuitamente, principalmente en lo que se refiere a la relación de Mel y Jack, pero también en las tramas secundarias. En el libro los personajes son más transparentes y no tan retorcidos. De todas maneras, habiendo tanto por leer, dudo que continúe con los demás en el corto plazo.
March 25, 2019
After her husband is murdered, a big city nurse removes herself to a podunk town lost in the Redwoods of California to continue her loveless, lifeless, empty existence away from well-meaning, prying eyes. Soon, she gets sucked in, just like this reader, into this unusual, quirky, wonderfully weird hideaway and its inhabitants including one sex-on-a-stick, delicious, muscly, tattooed, awesomeness personified ex-marine who runs the only bar in town.
It's like a Kristen Ashley story except with amazing writing, a non-annoying heroine, and a loyal, non-manwhore, admirable hero.
It's like a Kristen Ashley story except with amazing writing, a non-annoying heroine, and a loyal, non-manwhore, admirable hero.
February 23, 2020
I wanted to read the book before watching the series on TV and I am so glad I did! So many lovable and charming characters, and that includes grumpy Doc. I adore small-town romances and this one definitely did not disappoint.
February 15, 2021
4 Estrellitas. He disfrutado muchísimo de ésta novela. La trampa es que vi antes la serie de Netflix, que nos tiene totalmente enganchaditas a mi suegra y a mí y no he podido evitar las horribles comparaciones.
Hace años leí otra novela de Virgin River, si no recuerdo mal fue "A éste lado del paraíso" o algo asi, no sé si era la novena de la saga, e iba tan perdida que quizás por eso mismo no quise leer más, pero la serie de TV terminó por convencerme.
La verdad es que no me arrepiento de haberlo leído y me ha gustado mucho. Es un libro que te mete de lleno en la trama, y su sencillez y dulzura te tiene en vilo capítulo a capítulo.
En ésta primera novela conocemos a Melinda Monroe y Jack Sheridan. Mel es una enfermera de Los Ángeles que enviudó hace poco, y tras sumirse en una profunda depresión, necesita partir de cero. Por eso, cuando ve un anuncio de que se necesita enfermera y comadrona en el remoto pueblecito de Virgin River, no duda en hacer las maletas y cambiar su vida urbanita por el mundo rural.
Pero no todo es tan maravilloso como cabría esperar, pues Mel ha sido engañada por la persona que puso el anuncio. Le ofrecían vivienda, una hermosa cabaña en el bosque, que está hecha una ruina y destartalada. Por otro lado, el viejo y gruñón médico del pueblo no quiere saber nada de ella. Y Melinda está a punto de dar la vuelta, cuando conoce a Jack Sheridan, un ex militar retirado, que es dueño del único bar de pueblo; además se añadirá otro motivo por el que Melinda no se irá, y es el abandono de un bebé en la puerta de la consulta del médico.
Así de sencillo es el planteamiento de la novela. Y en esencia si has visto la serie es esto lo que cuenta, con la diferencia de que el libro va mucho más al grano y está centrada en Jack y Mel. Se entiende que para una serie de TV de 10 capitulos se necesiten más trama, morralla y personajes secundarios, no dudo de que las tramas secundarias son los libros de los siguientes personajes, y han tenido que hacer un batiburrillo que ha salido bien.
La verdad es que es una bonita historia que habla de segundas oportunidades. Mel es una mujer moderna y con la vida resuelta, hasta que muere trágicamente su marido y le cambia. Meses después, Mel necesita un cambio de aires, y Virgin River le puede traer ésa segunda oportunidad que cambie su vida.
Personalmente, me han gustado más los personajes en el libro que en la serie, sobre todo Jack. El auténtico Jack del libro es un encanto. Es cierto que fue un aguerrido sargento, y ahora vive apacíblemente en Virgin River, llevando a flote su negocio y cazando o pescando. Pero a diferencia del Jack de la serie, el del libro no está traumado por su pasado en la guerra, ni mucho menos le da a la bebida (si hay algo que odio de algunas series es precísamente el vendernos traumas gratuitamente). Aquí tenemos a un Jack perfecta y abiertamente enamorado, sin los clichés ni los problemas que puede darle Charmaine (la de la serie es odiosa, y la del libro no sale más que en dos escenas, por suerte).
En definitiva, la serie está bien, pero el libro es mucho mejor. He echado de menos la historia de Predicador y Paige, aunque me supongo que su libro es el segundo, y en la serie la han dejado como historia secundaria. No tardaré en leerlo.
Hace años leí otra novela de Virgin River, si no recuerdo mal fue "A éste lado del paraíso" o algo asi, no sé si era la novena de la saga, e iba tan perdida que quizás por eso mismo no quise leer más, pero la serie de TV terminó por convencerme.
La verdad es que no me arrepiento de haberlo leído y me ha gustado mucho. Es un libro que te mete de lleno en la trama, y su sencillez y dulzura te tiene en vilo capítulo a capítulo.
En ésta primera novela conocemos a Melinda Monroe y Jack Sheridan. Mel es una enfermera de Los Ángeles que enviudó hace poco, y tras sumirse en una profunda depresión, necesita partir de cero. Por eso, cuando ve un anuncio de que se necesita enfermera y comadrona en el remoto pueblecito de Virgin River, no duda en hacer las maletas y cambiar su vida urbanita por el mundo rural.
Pero no todo es tan maravilloso como cabría esperar, pues Mel ha sido engañada por la persona que puso el anuncio. Le ofrecían vivienda, una hermosa cabaña en el bosque, que está hecha una ruina y destartalada. Por otro lado, el viejo y gruñón médico del pueblo no quiere saber nada de ella. Y Melinda está a punto de dar la vuelta, cuando conoce a Jack Sheridan, un ex militar retirado, que es dueño del único bar de pueblo; además se añadirá otro motivo por el que Melinda no se irá, y es el abandono de un bebé en la puerta de la consulta del médico.
Así de sencillo es el planteamiento de la novela. Y en esencia si has visto la serie es esto lo que cuenta, con la diferencia de que el libro va mucho más al grano y está centrada en Jack y Mel. Se entiende que para una serie de TV de 10 capitulos se necesiten más trama, morralla y personajes secundarios, no dudo de que las tramas secundarias son los libros de los siguientes personajes, y han tenido que hacer un batiburrillo que ha salido bien.
La verdad es que es una bonita historia que habla de segundas oportunidades. Mel es una mujer moderna y con la vida resuelta, hasta que muere trágicamente su marido y le cambia. Meses después, Mel necesita un cambio de aires, y Virgin River le puede traer ésa segunda oportunidad que cambie su vida.
Personalmente, me han gustado más los personajes en el libro que en la serie, sobre todo Jack. El auténtico Jack del libro es un encanto. Es cierto que fue un aguerrido sargento, y ahora vive apacíblemente en Virgin River, llevando a flote su negocio y cazando o pescando. Pero a diferencia del Jack de la serie, el del libro no está traumado por su pasado en la guerra, ni mucho menos le da a la bebida (si hay algo que odio de algunas series es precísamente el vendernos traumas gratuitamente). Aquí tenemos a un Jack perfecta y abiertamente enamorado, sin los clichés ni los problemas que puede darle Charmaine (la de la serie es odiosa, y la del libro no sale más que en dos escenas, por suerte).
En definitiva, la serie está bien, pero el libro es mucho mejor. He echado de menos la historia de Predicador y Paige, aunque me supongo que su libro es el segundo, y en la serie la han dejado como historia secundaria. No tardaré en leerlo.
September 28, 2022
Update: Virgin River is out on Netflix now and I watched it today. Thought it was horrible. You certainly couldn't recognize the people and the story line is all twisted. You remember Charmaine, Jack's F-buddy? She is pregnant by Jack. By the tenth episode Mel is packing to leave because she can't bear to watch Jack have a child and raise it with another women.
Preacher was unrecognizable and seemed quick on anger and using his fists. Preacher?
Loved this book and hope that the rest of the series is as good. I was desperately disappointed.
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.
Preacher was unrecognizable and seemed quick on anger and using his fists. Preacher?
Loved this book and hope that the rest of the series is as good. I was desperately disappointed.
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.
December 12, 2019
5 Virgin River Stars
Melinda, recently widowed midwife needs to get out from the cloud of grief she is under. So when the opportunity comes along to move to a small town she takes her shot.
Jack a former U.S. Marine turned owner/co-owner of a bar/restaurant habitual playboy. Not ready to settle down. Take one look at Mel and he is sunk.
The book was so well written, I feel in love with this town these characters I don’t want to do anything but read!
This was a first for me by this author and it will NOT be the last by any means. This small town has buried there way in to my heart.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Melinda, recently widowed midwife needs to get out from the cloud of grief she is under. So when the opportunity comes along to move to a small town she takes her shot.
Jack a former U.S. Marine turned owner/co-owner of a bar/restaurant habitual playboy. Not ready to settle down. Take one look at Mel and he is sunk.
The book was so well written, I feel in love with this town these characters I don’t want to do anything but read!
This was a first for me by this author and it will NOT be the last by any means. This small town has buried there way in to my heart.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
July 13, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. The romance between Mel and Jack progressed realistically and the sense of community in the town was enviable. Carr does an admirable job in creating a completely different value system that works. The conflicts presented are also normal and the appropriate timeline was used for resolution without dragging the reader through the pain of inevitability.
I'm invested in this series and am on to the second book.
I'm invested in this series and am on to the second book.
May 3, 2008
It took me a while to get into this book. I think I was about halfway through before I started to really get into the story. That's probably partially because just before that I'd been reading a Lora Leigh book (so completely different) and also because the vibe of Virgin River is rather different than your typical romance novel.
This book is about people and life, the vagaries of small-town living, growing and healing, and, of course, love. Like the town it's set in, the pace of the book is on the slow and meandering side, with a lot of mundane but interesting details. Which took me a while to adjust to. But once I got used to, I rather enjoyed the story. I can't say that I absolute adored it, but it did keep me up reading even though I was tired.
The characters were great and the setting enjoyable. I look forward to reading Preacher's story in the next book.
The only real complaint I had was that I really could have done without the Ricky/Liz sex scene. Considering their ages, it kinda tripped my WTF?-meter. And it was rather unnecessary.
Good book, though. I'm glad I read it.
This book is about people and life, the vagaries of small-town living, growing and healing, and, of course, love. Like the town it's set in, the pace of the book is on the slow and meandering side, with a lot of mundane but interesting details. Which took me a while to adjust to. But once I got used to, I rather enjoyed the story. I can't say that I absolute adored it, but it did keep me up reading even though I was tired.
The characters were great and the setting enjoyable. I look forward to reading Preacher's story in the next book.
The only real complaint I had was that I really could have done without the Ricky/Liz sex scene. Considering their ages, it kinda tripped my WTF?-meter. And it was rather unnecessary.
Good book, though. I'm glad I read it.
January 24, 2024
I can't believe this book is 17 years old! I can't believe there are books to go along with my Netflix series which I thought was a brand new story 🤦♀️! This series is full on going to be my palate cleanser when I need one. There are elements in this book which obviously didn't age well. The misogyny is pretty heavy handed, which is to be expected I guess. Virgin River is giving me 2020 nostalgia, if there ever was a thing, and I'm here for it.
July 21, 2019
What a pleasant surprise! I don't usually read romance novels but I heard this was going to be made into a mini series on Netflix so I wanted to see what it was all about. I couldn't put it down, I loved it!
March 7, 2024
Reread
I hated Mel even more this time around 😂 she annoyed me so much and put herself in stupid danger when she was told not too!!! Ughhhhhhhh rating lowered to 2 stars that bitch worked every single one of my nerves
Original review
Spoilers ahead
When her husband was murdered nurse practitioner Mel needed a new start, she answers an ad for a small town and set off for Virgin River.....only it's in no way the place she expected. Though Mel quickly becomes friends with Jack she has no plans to stay but small town life slowly eases the emptiness inside her and much to her surprise she slowly starts falling for Jack
Jack is a former marine who now runs the town's bar and restaurant, while he's attracted to Mel he knows she doesn't want to stay in Virgin River. Jack falls hard and fast but with her dead ex as competition he's afraid he just won't measure up but nothing will make him miss his shot with Mel
********
In the way back when I read some of this author's works but something always felt missing for me. In th is one it just felt long and very dated. Even with all the different things happening in the town I found myself slimming quite a bit
In real life I'd think a person should grieve however and as long as they need too, within a romance novel however the mc just doesn't have that freedom. In this case Mel was still missing and grieving her husband, even when she got involved with Jack she didn't consider it an actual permanent relationship. Up until almost the bitter end I still wasn't convinced that she loved Jack the way he loved her.The grieving period lasted too long to convince me that the new relationship was just as important
For me Mel didn't deserve Jack, he was such a good guy and she just took too long to see what was in front her face. She rubbed me the wrong way and still in book 2 I don't like her. She had a couple moments when she made decisions that had me questioning her common sense
Jack was a really good H, he'd had women throughout the years and actually had a FWB at the beginning but from he moment he realized he'd started developing feelings for Mel he ended that relationship was even though he didn't thunk he stood a chance with Mel he was completely loyal. I adored him
There were some parts I enjoyed and secondary characters who intrigued me (Preacher) but I wasn't a fan of this one and without the awesomeness of Jack it'd be rated much lower
H had sex with OW after meeting h
H's husband was murdered
Unexpected pregnancy
Underage sex between secondary characters
h was attacked
I hated Mel even more this time around 😂 she annoyed me so much and put herself in stupid danger when she was told not too!!! Ughhhhhhhh rating lowered to 2 stars that bitch worked every single one of my nerves
Original review
Spoilers ahead
When her husband was murdered nurse practitioner Mel needed a new start, she answers an ad for a small town and set off for Virgin River.....only it's in no way the place she expected. Though Mel quickly becomes friends with Jack she has no plans to stay but small town life slowly eases the emptiness inside her and much to her surprise she slowly starts falling for Jack
Jack is a former marine who now runs the town's bar and restaurant, while he's attracted to Mel he knows she doesn't want to stay in Virgin River. Jack falls hard and fast but with her dead ex as competition he's afraid he just won't measure up but nothing will make him miss his shot with Mel
********
In the way back when I read some of this author's works but something always felt missing for me. In th is one it just felt long and very dated. Even with all the different things happening in the town I found myself slimming quite a bit
In real life I'd think a person should grieve however and as long as they need too, within a romance novel however the mc just doesn't have that freedom. In this case Mel was still missing and grieving her husband, even when she got involved with Jack she didn't consider it an actual permanent relationship. Up until almost the bitter end I still wasn't convinced that she loved Jack the way he loved her.The grieving period lasted too long to convince me that the new relationship was just as important
For me Mel didn't deserve Jack, he was such a good guy and she just took too long to see what was in front her face. She rubbed me the wrong way and still in book 2 I don't like her. She had a couple moments when she made decisions that had me questioning her common sense
Jack was a really good H, he'd had women throughout the years and actually had a FWB at the beginning but from he moment he realized he'd started developing feelings for Mel he ended that relationship was even though he didn't thunk he stood a chance with Mel he was completely loyal. I adored him
There were some parts I enjoyed and secondary characters who intrigued me (Preacher) but I wasn't a fan of this one and without the awesomeness of Jack it'd be rated much lower
H had sex with OW after meeting h
H's husband was murdered
Unexpected pregnancy
Underage sex between secondary characters
h was attacked
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