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Virgin River #13
Harvest Moon
Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock's sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she's retreated to her sister Jillian's house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate.
Puttering in Jill's garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly's starting to feel a little too unmotivated… until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter—a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief's rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She's the reason they moved from L.A., but Courtney's finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.
Kelly's never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can't be any worse than a histrionic chef… right?
Puttering in Jill's garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly's starting to feel a little too unmotivated… until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter—a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief's rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She's the reason they moved from L.A., but Courtney's finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.
Kelly's never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can't be any worse than a histrionic chef… right?
361 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 22, 2011
1821 people are currently reading
9291 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Carr
161 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 766 reviews
November 2, 2016
Loved Leif and Kelly, their romance was supremely hot, and passionate! But Courtney, Leif's 14 yr-old stepdaughter, was extremely annoying! I don't think her mother's death two years earlier was enough to completely excuse her behavior in my opinion. She continually shut Kelly down every time she was nice, all the while giving everyone else a break, knowing she could ruin her stepfather's happiness in the process. Unfortunately, Courtney took up a good portion of the book. I'd have enjoyed this way more if she were a more minor role. A very minor role!
Still, I adore this series! Love "coming home" to Virgin River every time I pick up a new installment. Jillian, Kelly's sister, lives in the old Victorian, growing heirloom, hard to find varieties of vegetables and fruits, and Kelly used a lot of the produce to cook and can wonderful sounding food! I was drooling over the thought of her delicious food so many times! Inspired to maybe give canning a shot sometime with goodies from our local farmers market.
Still, I adore this series! Love "coming home" to Virgin River every time I pick up a new installment. Jillian, Kelly's sister, lives in the old Victorian, growing heirloom, hard to find varieties of vegetables and fruits, and Kelly used a lot of the produce to cook and can wonderful sounding food! I was drooling over the thought of her delicious food so many times! Inspired to maybe give canning a shot sometime with goodies from our local farmers market.
February 27, 2011
Not my favorite of the Virgin River series, but still a darn good book. I think my only problem with it was the lack of romance, or should I say, the fact that the romance between the H/h in this book didn't seem to be front-and-center. I'd say the majority of this book revolved around the character of the young, troubled teen Courtney, the hero's step-daughter. Interesting character, and believably written, and not all that easy to like at first. But once Ms. Carr delved into her background, I could certainly sympathize with her, and towards the end of the story, when her crappy biological father came back in to her life, my heart just broke for her!
This story is about overworked, blonde, pretty, and curvy San Francisco sous-chef Kelly Matlock, 33, who heads to Virgin River when her career, her love-life (with a mega-rich, well-known, Emeril-esque chef with the unfortunate name of Luca Brazzi--didn't he "sleep with the fishes' in The Godfather?),
Luca Brasi, (rt.)...
Emeril as Luca Brazzi...
and even her health ends up in the toilet. A time-out in her life is definitely needed, so Kelly heads to Virgin River where her sister Jill (Wild Man Creek) is happily co-habitating on her organic farm with her man Colin Reardon. Maybe Kelly can find some peace there and find a new direction for her former singularly focused life. While there she meets up with the newly widowed, rugged, Oscar winning screenwriter Lief Holbrook, 42, who has moved (along with his rebellious, "Goth", 14 year old step-daughter) to northern California, to escape the memories and the trouble Courtney was getting into in L.A.. Neither Kelly or Lief is expecting a relationship to develop, but that's what happens. But Lief comes with lots of baggage, and his problems with Courtney don't make having a girlfriend easy. Can Kelly hang in there--is Lief worth fighting for, or is Courtney going to be too much of a roadblock for this relationship to go anywhere?
Courtney...
While reading this book, I couldn't help thinking "Wouldn't this make a good Lifetime movie?" This could be a potential tour-de-force for a talented teenage actress, and wouldn't the part of her therapist be a juicy role (shades of Judd Hirsch in "Ordinary People")?
About the romance between Kelly and Lief? I dunno, something was missing there for me. They were two likable characters, but they just didn't wow me, like, say, Jilly and Colin did. I didn't feel any real intensity to their romance, and when
Kelly...
Lief...
Now, if RC continues and continues with this series (and why not? She's got a good thing going with this) maybe we'll see Courtney again. And if she comes down with SORAS--that would be Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome-- in a couple of years Courtney can age from 15 to 22, and maybe she can hook that young hottie that she was eye-ballin', Gabe Tahoma!
Fans of Robyn Carr, I think you'll at least like (if not love) this one. Yes, there was not much angst in the romance between Kelly and Lief, and they weren't the most sizzling couple, but they were likable, the story was good enough, and Robyn Carr's writing is so good that she can write the phone book and make it sound interesting. There was a time or two that I was getting tired of reading about what gourmet dish Kelly was going to whip up next (why aren't these characters 300 pounds with all the food and drink they consumed?), but all-in-all, I was just happy to be back in VR! You'll get glimpses of Jack (no Mel), Preacher, Denny, Walt, Muriel, and some of the other VR characters, so you'll feel right at home as you immerse yourself in their quaint little town. If you're a fan of YA, I think you also might enjoy this one. There's a nice little tear-jerking ending involving Kelly and Courtney, and a sweet little surprising (to me) wedding at the end. So all-in-all, a worthy effort from the uber-talented Ms. Carr, but just not one of my all time favorites. 4 stars
P.S.: I received an e-copy of this from NetGalley, but being a Robyn Carr book, I had to purchase a hard copy too!
This story is about overworked, blonde, pretty, and curvy San Francisco sous-chef Kelly Matlock, 33, who heads to Virgin River when her career, her love-life (with a mega-rich, well-known, Emeril-esque chef with the unfortunate name of Luca Brazzi--didn't he "sleep with the fishes' in The Godfather?),
Luca Brasi, (rt.)...
Emeril as Luca Brazzi...
and even her health ends up in the toilet. A time-out in her life is definitely needed, so Kelly heads to Virgin River where her sister Jill (Wild Man Creek) is happily co-habitating on her organic farm with her man Colin Reardon. Maybe Kelly can find some peace there and find a new direction for her former singularly focused life. While there she meets up with the newly widowed, rugged, Oscar winning screenwriter Lief Holbrook, 42, who has moved (along with his rebellious, "Goth", 14 year old step-daughter) to northern California, to escape the memories and the trouble Courtney was getting into in L.A.. Neither Kelly or Lief is expecting a relationship to develop, but that's what happens. But Lief comes with lots of baggage, and his problems with Courtney don't make having a girlfriend easy. Can Kelly hang in there--is Lief worth fighting for, or is Courtney going to be too much of a roadblock for this relationship to go anywhere?
Courtney...
While reading this book, I couldn't help thinking "Wouldn't this make a good Lifetime movie?" This could be a potential tour-de-force for a talented teenage actress, and wouldn't the part of her therapist be a juicy role (shades of Judd Hirsch in "Ordinary People")?
About the romance between Kelly and Lief? I dunno, something was missing there for me. They were two likable characters, but they just didn't wow me, like, say, Jilly and Colin did. I didn't feel any real intensity to their romance, and when
Kelly...
Lief...
Now, if RC continues and continues with this series (and why not? She's got a good thing going with this) maybe we'll see Courtney again. And if she comes down with SORAS--that would be Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome-- in a couple of years Courtney can age from 15 to 22, and maybe she can hook that young hottie that she was eye-ballin', Gabe Tahoma!
Fans of Robyn Carr, I think you'll at least like (if not love) this one. Yes, there was not much angst in the romance between Kelly and Lief, and they weren't the most sizzling couple, but they were likable, the story was good enough, and Robyn Carr's writing is so good that she can write the phone book and make it sound interesting. There was a time or two that I was getting tired of reading about what gourmet dish Kelly was going to whip up next (why aren't these characters 300 pounds with all the food and drink they consumed?), but all-in-all, I was just happy to be back in VR! You'll get glimpses of Jack (no Mel), Preacher, Denny, Walt, Muriel, and some of the other VR characters, so you'll feel right at home as you immerse yourself in their quaint little town. If you're a fan of YA, I think you also might enjoy this one. There's a nice little tear-jerking ending involving Kelly and Courtney, and a sweet little surprising (to me) wedding at the end. So all-in-all, a worthy effort from the uber-talented Ms. Carr, but just not one of my all time favorites. 4 stars
P.S.: I received an e-copy of this from NetGalley, but being a Robyn Carr book, I had to purchase a hard copy too!
December 29, 2016
I 100 percent did not get the love story between the two leads (Kelly Matlock and Lief Holbrook). I seriously felt like since they were the last two single people in Virgin River it was the only reason why they did get together. At least Carr didn’t have them jump right into bed together though. Due to Lief’s backstory both of them were hanging back on being together. But besides a love scene or two, everything else is just referred to after the fact.
I don’t know. I think I was supposed to like Kelly. But I had a hard time when you find out that Kelly is working at a restaurant to be near the man that she is in love with (married chef Luca Brazzi). In fact, I think the only reason why Carr made sure that Kelly and Luca were never together was just so readers didn’t have a hard time rooting for her. But her kissing the guy, but refusing to be with him until he is legally divorced didn’t interest me much anyway. After being confronted by Luca’s wife and passing out, Kelly decides she needs to make a change. Working in the world of restaurants and dealing with abusive managers and chefs is not what she has in mind. So Kelly packs up all of her stuff and heads to Virgin River to go and stay with her sister Jillian. Stopping at Jack’s bar along the way she ends up meeting Lief who does some insta-love/lust nonsense and starts to feel like Kelly is his immediately.
Lief has moved to Virgin River to give him and his stepdaughter Courtney a chance to start again after Courtney’s mother’s death. I think I said in another review that Virgin River does attract the recently or almost recently widowed.
Besides Lief and Kelly’s POV we also get Courtney’s POV and man oh man I wish that had been cut. Courtney and her therapy sessions and all over horribleness to Kelly was just continuous. I really needed a break and could see why Kelly is 100 percent reluctant to start a relationship with Lief. I would have been out of there so fast.
We do have Kelly and Jillian interacting, but not enough for me. I really wish we had gotten more interaction between the two. They are sisters and definitely have been through a lot. But we just hear that Jillian is up early dealing with the garden, Colin is upstairs painting, etc. All Kelly does by the way is cook/bake through the entire book. Kelly and Preacher even have a cook off at one point that we don’t get a real sense of, it’s just put out there as a throwaway line.
I do think that due for once that so much is going on with the A plot stuff, there was very little B plot going on.
I really thought that this book just like the last one was just repetitive after a while. I was tired of reading about why Courtney had trust issues. I was tired of reading about Kelly and her crush on Luca and how dumb she felt. I was tired of reading about how Kelly’s food was making Colin fat.
The ending for once actually has an epilogue, I think this may be the first one that the series had. It picks up I think 6 or maybe 9 months later and I think that Carr did that to fast forward the series a bit. I think this was the first time I actually even saw a physical date in the books instead of me trying to figure out how much time has passed depending on some of the previous characters kids ages.
I don’t know. I think I was supposed to like Kelly. But I had a hard time when you find out that Kelly is working at a restaurant to be near the man that she is in love with (married chef Luca Brazzi). In fact, I think the only reason why Carr made sure that Kelly and Luca were never together was just so readers didn’t have a hard time rooting for her. But her kissing the guy, but refusing to be with him until he is legally divorced didn’t interest me much anyway. After being confronted by Luca’s wife and passing out, Kelly decides she needs to make a change. Working in the world of restaurants and dealing with abusive managers and chefs is not what she has in mind. So Kelly packs up all of her stuff and heads to Virgin River to go and stay with her sister Jillian. Stopping at Jack’s bar along the way she ends up meeting Lief who does some insta-love/lust nonsense and starts to feel like Kelly is his immediately.
Lief has moved to Virgin River to give him and his stepdaughter Courtney a chance to start again after Courtney’s mother’s death. I think I said in another review that Virgin River does attract the recently or almost recently widowed.
Besides Lief and Kelly’s POV we also get Courtney’s POV and man oh man I wish that had been cut. Courtney and her therapy sessions and all over horribleness to Kelly was just continuous. I really needed a break and could see why Kelly is 100 percent reluctant to start a relationship with Lief. I would have been out of there so fast.
We do have Kelly and Jillian interacting, but not enough for me. I really wish we had gotten more interaction between the two. They are sisters and definitely have been through a lot. But we just hear that Jillian is up early dealing with the garden, Colin is upstairs painting, etc. All Kelly does by the way is cook/bake through the entire book. Kelly and Preacher even have a cook off at one point that we don’t get a real sense of, it’s just put out there as a throwaway line.
I do think that due for once that so much is going on with the A plot stuff, there was very little B plot going on.
I really thought that this book just like the last one was just repetitive after a while. I was tired of reading about why Courtney had trust issues. I was tired of reading about Kelly and her crush on Luca and how dumb she felt. I was tired of reading about how Kelly’s food was making Colin fat.
The ending for once actually has an epilogue, I think this may be the first one that the series had. It picks up I think 6 or maybe 9 months later and I think that Carr did that to fast forward the series a bit. I think this was the first time I actually even saw a physical date in the books instead of me trying to figure out how much time has passed depending on some of the previous characters kids ages.
June 1, 2016
This one was my least favorite and I am positive this is where I stopped reading a few years back! I am interested in starting book 14 though and refreshing my memory of the Virgin River clan!!
November 6, 2019
Love these family oriented books! Harvest Moon is another good addition to the Virgin River series. I do feel the romance between single dad Leif & Kelly takes a backseat to the drama of his young, rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. However, it's all intertwined into a happy ever after story with lots of opportunities to spend time with some of the other much-beloved VR couples & families. I adore these low-angst romance stories.
3.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
April 9, 2011
Virgin River, population 600 - Another great installment in the Virgin River series.
This is the story of Lief Holbrook, famous screenwriter and Kelly Matlock, an accomplished & talented chef. Both have come to VR to escape the big city for different reasons; one making a permanent move, the other only temporary, and each finding themselves drawn to the other. Both have issues and complications in their lives and are drawn to the small mountain town of Virgin River.
Smart, totally sexy Lief finds himself falling for this lively, witty chef. But he has an issue to deal with that must come before his own personal desires. And that's one of the things I liked about him, his dedication to committment. And one of the characteristics I loved in Kelly was her ability to forge ahead with her plans and ambitions even though it caused her much pain and heartache; realizing that she could not put her life on hold even for love.
Ms. Carr certainly has that talent of making you feel a part of her books. While there is a hot romance going here, I felt this one centered around the issues of 14 year old Courtney. And while her insecurities caused her to be totally bratty at times, I liked her and she certainly pulled on my heart strings. There were certain times I found myself nearly weeping for her, the most remembered was when she asked
This is a well written poignant tale that I consumed in one sitting. And while this story touches on different aspects of loss, it also has laughter along with romance and is capped by refreshing healing and hope. As in all her VR books, we once again get to visit with the citizens of this small rural community. And once again, I wished I was there for a long visit, maybe sitting each evening on the back porch of Jillian's Victorian watching the sunset:)
This is the story of Lief Holbrook, famous screenwriter and Kelly Matlock, an accomplished & talented chef. Both have come to VR to escape the big city for different reasons; one making a permanent move, the other only temporary, and each finding themselves drawn to the other. Both have issues and complications in their lives and are drawn to the small mountain town of Virgin River.
Smart, totally sexy Lief finds himself falling for this lively, witty chef. But he has an issue to deal with that must come before his own personal desires. And that's one of the things I liked about him, his dedication to committment. And one of the characteristics I loved in Kelly was her ability to forge ahead with her plans and ambitions even though it caused her much pain and heartache; realizing that she could not put her life on hold even for love.
Ms. Carr certainly has that talent of making you feel a part of her books. While there is a hot romance going here, I felt this one centered around the issues of 14 year old Courtney. And while her insecurities caused her to be totally bratty at times, I liked her and she certainly pulled on my heart strings. There were certain times I found myself nearly weeping for her, the most remembered was when she asked
This is a well written poignant tale that I consumed in one sitting. And while this story touches on different aspects of loss, it also has laughter along with romance and is capped by refreshing healing and hope. As in all her VR books, we once again get to visit with the citizens of this small rural community. And once again, I wished I was there for a long visit, maybe sitting each evening on the back porch of Jillian's Victorian watching the sunset:)
October 10, 2021
3,5 stars
A cosy read.
A cosy read.
October 23, 2020
Robyn Carr has a formula in these books. One big, strong, handsome man is lonely but may not realize it, and ready for love but certainly doesn't know it. One sweet, good-hearted, petite and beautiful woman who wants a man that is ready for real commitment. They both find themselves in Virgin River - often with friends in common The rest is history. They fall in love, and start planning their future children. The books are sweet, cozy, warm. Nothing here will surprise you, but they will entertain you. You get what you are hoping for here. Good people who fall in love.
My biggest complaint about this series is that because each volume involves a new romance, the characters I really care about are virtually nonexistent in the future volumes. I would love if there was more follow up on the characters who are already in Virgin River.
My biggest complaint about this series is that because each volume involves a new romance, the characters I really care about are virtually nonexistent in the future volumes. I would love if there was more follow up on the characters who are already in Virgin River.
December 24, 2016
Harvest Moon es el libro numero trece de la saga Virgin River creada por la autora Robyn Carr y narra la historia de Kelly ( hermana de Jillian, protagonista del libro anterior ) y Lief, un nuevo personaje.
Esta es la novela mas sencilla y ligera de esta serie, quizas el problema es que es demasiado simple, por eso no sera una lectura que recuerde pasado un tiempo pero para pasar un rato relajada esta bien.
Comprendo que no todas las historias pueden ser memorables pero realmente es una pena que este libro no consiga brillar mas, ya que tiene unas lecciones de vida muy importantes.
En fin, una historia romantica y entretenida.
2.75 Estrellas!
June 19, 2011
I read Harvest Moon (Virgin River) this weekend, and I was a bit torn with what to rate it. As part of a series, it is definitely readable (is that a word?) as a stand alone. In fact, I need to look up the other books in the series :)
Robyn Carr is an excellent writer. Her descriptions of Virgin River will make you wish you grew up in a small town, or at had friends in one so you can visit. I really enjoyed the cooking aspect of it, and the guest character. Awesome idea, and well written!
Now on the the romance!
As another reviewer pointed out, this book is as much Courtney's as it is Lief and Kelly's. As an avid romance-aholic, I had absolutely no problem with that aspect. It reminded me a bit of Lisa Kleypas' Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor where we get a family story. The current romance novel trends are either paranormal or erotica, which I don't have a problem with buuut it's nice to read a romance that I can recommend to my mom.
With that said, there were some characterizations that really ruffled my feathers. I don't know if readers closer to my age who are the product of a divorce will agree with me. I certainly feel I'm the odd person out with this review, compared to the other 4 and 5 star ones.
Courtney's mother died, and after being back and forth between her bio dad and her step dad, she ends up with her step dad. During this period she adopted a goth/emo look- with the hair, the black clothes, the surly attitude. It bugged me to no end that Lief kept looking at her physical appearance rather than what was troubling her. Towards 2/3rds of the book when she is changing her appearance (the counselling was helping and she didn't have the need to dress like that) he thought to himself that he was glad that she didn't look like an alien any more or something along that line and I was really offended for Courtney! I guess my point is this- it doesn't matter if your kid decides to dye their hair the colors of the rainbow (which she did), you still love them. As a parent you get mad at them for lying, being rude etc, but your kids need to know that if they're going through a phase that you love them unconditionally.
Now I think it may be a generation thing on my part. I don't know if Robyn Carr's audience are a bit more mature so they can empathize with a parent who is freaked out by the goth look? I have friends who have pink hair, random piercings and tattoos so I guess I think it's normal :)
Now parents aren't perfect, so I don't expect that Robyn Carr needs to write a novel where the Dad is super cool with his 14 year old having multi colored hair-THAT would be unrealistic, unless said dad was a hippie- but to me it says something that Amber's Dad was more accepting about her hair (Calling her peacock! ha!).
As far as heroines go- I honestly disliked Kelly. I'm sure she is a really nice lady, and if I were to meet her in a bar, we can drink dirty martinis all night long, but she came across as a bit self centered and spoiled to me. I am speaking directly about when she broke up with Lief and was running back to San Fran because she couldn't deal with not being able to stay with Lief all the time (gosh darn that Courtney for being there). Here's my issue with that- I get that Courtney was 'wrong' for not wanting to have a new mother , but here's the thing- she's a 14 year old kid who's mother died. That's natural for her to not want that.
Kelly claimed she loved Lief, yet when the crap hit the fan, she was high tailing it out of there because she needed to be number one in his life. It really irked me that in the end, Courtney has to be the one to 'man up' and tell Kelly she doesn't want her to leave town. That to me just smacks of the selfishness of many people nowadays who get divorced because they need to 'find themself' or they 'love you but they're not IN love with you'. When you get involved with someone with a child, it's a package deal. If you love a person, you are in it for the long haul even when things get uncomfortable. If Courtney was cussing her out, or putting frogs in her kitchen it would be a different story. Courtney was just being a scared teenager, and Lief was just trying to make the best of the situation.
All in all, I can't say that the book didn't affect me or get me thinking. My apologies for the long review and if you agree/disagree please feel free to comment.
Robyn Carr is an excellent writer. Her descriptions of Virgin River will make you wish you grew up in a small town, or at had friends in one so you can visit. I really enjoyed the cooking aspect of it, and the guest character. Awesome idea, and well written!
Now on the the romance!
As another reviewer pointed out, this book is as much Courtney's as it is Lief and Kelly's. As an avid romance-aholic, I had absolutely no problem with that aspect. It reminded me a bit of Lisa Kleypas' Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor where we get a family story. The current romance novel trends are either paranormal or erotica, which I don't have a problem with buuut it's nice to read a romance that I can recommend to my mom.
With that said, there were some characterizations that really ruffled my feathers. I don't know if readers closer to my age who are the product of a divorce will agree with me. I certainly feel I'm the odd person out with this review, compared to the other 4 and 5 star ones.
Courtney's mother died, and after being back and forth between her bio dad and her step dad, she ends up with her step dad. During this period she adopted a goth/emo look- with the hair, the black clothes, the surly attitude. It bugged me to no end that Lief kept looking at her physical appearance rather than what was troubling her. Towards 2/3rds of the book when she is changing her appearance (the counselling was helping and she didn't have the need to dress like that) he thought to himself that he was glad that she didn't look like an alien any more or something along that line and I was really offended for Courtney! I guess my point is this- it doesn't matter if your kid decides to dye their hair the colors of the rainbow (which she did), you still love them. As a parent you get mad at them for lying, being rude etc, but your kids need to know that if they're going through a phase that you love them unconditionally.
Now I think it may be a generation thing on my part. I don't know if Robyn Carr's audience are a bit more mature so they can empathize with a parent who is freaked out by the goth look? I have friends who have pink hair, random piercings and tattoos so I guess I think it's normal :)
Now parents aren't perfect, so I don't expect that Robyn Carr needs to write a novel where the Dad is super cool with his 14 year old having multi colored hair-THAT would be unrealistic, unless said dad was a hippie- but to me it says something that Amber's Dad was more accepting about her hair (Calling her peacock! ha!).
As far as heroines go- I honestly disliked Kelly. I'm sure she is a really nice lady, and if I were to meet her in a bar, we can drink dirty martinis all night long, but she came across as a bit self centered and spoiled to me. I am speaking directly about when she broke up with Lief and was running back to San Fran because she couldn't deal with not being able to stay with Lief all the time (gosh darn that Courtney for being there). Here's my issue with that- I get that Courtney was 'wrong' for not wanting to have a new mother , but here's the thing- she's a 14 year old kid who's mother died. That's natural for her to not want that.
Kelly claimed she loved Lief, yet when the crap hit the fan, she was high tailing it out of there because she needed to be number one in his life. It really irked me that in the end, Courtney has to be the one to 'man up' and tell Kelly she doesn't want her to leave town. That to me just smacks of the selfishness of many people nowadays who get divorced because they need to 'find themself' or they 'love you but they're not IN love with you'. When you get involved with someone with a child, it's a package deal. If you love a person, you are in it for the long haul even when things get uncomfortable. If Courtney was cussing her out, or putting frogs in her kitchen it would be a different story. Courtney was just being a scared teenager, and Lief was just trying to make the best of the situation.
All in all, I can't say that the book didn't affect me or get me thinking. My apologies for the long review and if you agree/disagree please feel free to comment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
Es la primero que leo de la autora y de la serie.
¡Ay cómo me costó terminarla! Al menos al final se pone un poco más interesante aunque no precisamente por lo romántico.
Empieza bien. Kelly es una chef de treinta y tantos años que trabaja en un restaurante de San Francisco. Sufre un ataque de estrés motivado por la elevada exigencia del trabajo y un malentendido de tintes románticos.
Deja su puesto y se va a vivir temporalmente con su hermana en la granja orgánica que tiene en Virgin River. Y aquí empieza lo que me pareció aburrido.
Allí, sin saber qué hacer, se dedica, a cocinar, hacer conservas, visitar ferias, cocinar, hacer mermelada, contar a todos los que aparecen su historia, cocinar, ver si puede vivir de sus conservas, etc.
Entre todas las personas a las que cuenta sus problemas está Leif, de cuarenta y dos años, un viudo con una hijastra problemática, Courtney, de catorce. Empiezan, muy lentamente, una relación. Porque ella, a pesar de su edad y de haber estudiado en Francia y otras partes de Europa, no parece muy experimentada.
Leif arrastra los problemas de su hijastra que no se puede adaptar a la muerte de su madre y al desamor de su padre biológico, que formó otra familia. Y le cuenta sus problemas a todos, a Kelly, a conocidos, al psicólogo. Además, Kelly vuelve a contar los problemas de Leif a su hermana, su cuñando, etc.
Cuando ya creía que se trataba de alguna novela cristiana, llegan un par de escenas sensuales correctas.
Y bueno. Hacia el final, es Courtney la que toma el protagonismo con sus problemas y la resolución de los mismos y, en definitiva, es la que decide por todos.
Moraleja sobre lo que es la vida y en quién debemos apoyarnos. Esta parte me gustó aunque tiene más de libro de autoyuda que de romántico.
Y sí, medio moralina rural yankee.
Mi baja de puntos es por la parte media que me resultó aburrida por lo reiterativo, y tanta cocina, y por la temática.
¡Ay cómo me costó terminarla! Al menos al final se pone un poco más interesante aunque no precisamente por lo romántico.
Empieza bien. Kelly es una chef de treinta y tantos años que trabaja en un restaurante de San Francisco. Sufre un ataque de estrés motivado por la elevada exigencia del trabajo y un malentendido de tintes románticos.
Deja su puesto y se va a vivir temporalmente con su hermana en la granja orgánica que tiene en Virgin River. Y aquí empieza lo que me pareció aburrido.
Allí, sin saber qué hacer, se dedica, a cocinar, hacer conservas, visitar ferias, cocinar, hacer mermelada, contar a todos los que aparecen su historia, cocinar, ver si puede vivir de sus conservas, etc.
Entre todas las personas a las que cuenta sus problemas está Leif, de cuarenta y dos años, un viudo con una hijastra problemática, Courtney, de catorce. Empiezan, muy lentamente, una relación. Porque ella, a pesar de su edad y de haber estudiado en Francia y otras partes de Europa, no parece muy experimentada.
Leif arrastra los problemas de su hijastra que no se puede adaptar a la muerte de su madre y al desamor de su padre biológico, que formó otra familia. Y le cuenta sus problemas a todos, a Kelly, a conocidos, al psicólogo. Además, Kelly vuelve a contar los problemas de Leif a su hermana, su cuñando, etc.
Cuando ya creía que se trataba de alguna novela cristiana, llegan un par de escenas sensuales correctas.
Y bueno. Hacia el final, es Courtney la que toma el protagonismo con sus problemas y la resolución de los mismos y, en definitiva, es la que decide por todos.
Moraleja sobre lo que es la vida y en quién debemos apoyarnos. Esta parte me gustó aunque tiene más de libro de autoyuda que de romántico.
Y sí, medio moralina rural yankee.
Mi baja de puntos es por la parte media que me resultó aburrida por lo reiterativo, y tanta cocina, y por la temática.
May 27, 2021
4.75 Stars
This was one of the best books I've read from the Virgin River series in awhile. I enjoyed everything about it. I also liked that it was singularly focused on one couple, while integrating past characters into their story arc. The single dad (er, step-dad) of a young teenage girl was well done. The teen angst felt authentic without it being annoying. Aside from the typical Robyn Carr vernacular that finds its way into each of her stories, I found this one refreshingly distinct and hard to put down.
February 27, 2011
After 13 books in a series, visiting Virgin River is still one of my favorite ways to spend a day. Was this my favorite installment? NO, but it still was a very good book.
My one big question is how does a town with only 600 people have so many gorgeous men?
My one big question is how does a town with only 600 people have so many gorgeous men?
February 6, 2017
3 Stars
Not my favorite in the series. It seems the author forgot she was writing a romance and instead wrote a coming of age story about a teenage girl's struggle with the death of her mother. It was well done but not what I enjoy reading.
These books are the perfect "getting into the holiday spirit" type of read. They have a quaint, almost Hallmark-movie type feel to them that leaves me feeling uplifted. That said, I don't think I'd have the patience to read them, as they're not as couple centered as I prefer in my romances. However, I've loved listening to them as I go about my day.
Not my favorite in the series. It seems the author forgot she was writing a romance and instead wrote a coming of age story about a teenage girl's struggle with the death of her mother. It was well done but not what I enjoy reading.
These books are the perfect "getting into the holiday spirit" type of read. They have a quaint, almost Hallmark-movie type feel to them that leaves me feeling uplifted. That said, I don't think I'd have the patience to read them, as they're not as couple centered as I prefer in my romances. However, I've loved listening to them as I go about my day.
February 21, 2020
Audiobook: Narrator - Therese Plummer
Exceptional as always!
I liked that this addition to the series focused much more on the couple rather than so many other characters from the town. I love the other characters, but sometimes it’s like reading two books in one. This story didn’t feel that way.
There was a bit of other man drama that annoyed me but it was easier to deal with than other woman drama. I liked the hero and heroine as well as the hero’s daughter who was not very likable. There is a lot of drama from her and while I understood it, it frustrated me to no end.
This was an okay read, not my favorite, despite being centered on the couple.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
Exceptional as always!
I liked that this addition to the series focused much more on the couple rather than so many other characters from the town. I love the other characters, but sometimes it’s like reading two books in one. This story didn’t feel that way.
There was a bit of other man drama that annoyed me but it was easier to deal with than other woman drama. I liked the hero and heroine as well as the hero’s daughter who was not very likable. There is a lot of drama from her and while I understood it, it frustrated me to no end.
This was an okay read, not my favorite, despite being centered on the couple.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
April 5, 2011
Robyn Carr really can't do wrong with this series. Even when a book doesn't entirely work for me, like this one didn't, it's still a good book. I may not have thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it was still very readable and not one I minded reading.
Series Note:
Part of Carr's "Virgin River" series (13 full books, plus several novellas). I would say you may be able to get by just reading this one, but there's a lot of history worth knowing. So if you have the time and the desire, I'd suggest starting at the beginning. It's well worth it!
Summary:
Kelly Matlock (sister of last book's heroine, Jillian), is a sous chef at a 5-star San Francisco restaurant, hoping to one day be a head chef somewhere, when her life suddenly falls apart. In order to escape the stress, Kelly packs up and travels to Virgin River, the town her sister has recently made home. Kelly plans to take some time to relax and kick back before deciding what she wants to do next in her life.
It isn't long before she meets script writer Leif Holbrook. Leif moved to Virgin River a few months earlier in order to give his troubled stepdaughter a better life. Young Courtney has had a lot of emotional upheaval in her life and she's responded by acting out in any way she can. Dealing with her is Leif's only goal. He has no intention of getting involved with a woman, but once he meets Kelly he has to rethink that. He's thoroughly intrigued by her.
Whatever they start is only temporary...at least that's what they tell themselves. Kelly has a life to restart and Leif has a teenage girl to be a father too. Even when things start to get serious, Kelly wonders if there could ever be a place in Leif's life because of Courtney. The two have a lot blocking their way if they want to consider a permanent relationship.
Review:
I love this series and I always look forward to a new book from it. But I have to admit I put off reading this one for a while. I knew that Leif's daughter Courtney was going to play a large role in the story and that made me wary. I'm not big on stories where kids play a large role and I had a feeling Courtney would be a big part of this story. And she was.
I can't say that Robyn Carr was wrong for doing the story that way. It was a very appropriate and fitting storyline, something a bit different than the other VR books. At the same time, it's just not a storyline that appeals to me all that much. While having kids in a story may be more realistic, I prefer the focus to be on the H/H and the romance. That's just the way I am.
So that part of the story was a bit of a turn-off for me. Though not as much as I thought it would be. Courtney wasn't as obnoxious as expected coming into the story, and what she's been through is heartbreaking. It was a very workable and very well-done aspect of the story, even if it didn't thoroughly engage me.
It did, however, take away from the romance of the story. I wanted so much more out of the relationship between Kelly in Leif. There was a definite connection between these two, but development of the romance was lacking. Things progress very quickly between the two. It's like the meet, hang out a bit, and suddenly they are inseparable and having feelings of love. It was rather sudden and didn't quite work. The worst part, though, was that there was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing"...it felt like instead of getting to experience the growing relationship between these two first hand, you got a lot of recapping events that happen off the page, a lot of references instead of getting to actually read them. I didn't care for that and it takes away something from the romance, you don't really get to connect with it. Add to that an ending (the romantic resolution) that seemed somewhat abrupt and on the whole the romance could have been better.
Another thing that bugged me a little was that the romance type was too similar to the one in the last book (Kelly's sister's book). A temporary fling turns to more but both still plan to move on and get back to their real lives. They really mirror each other. And maybe that was intentional because the two characters are sisters, but I would have liked something a bit different.
The story was still pretty sweet, though. There may have been things I didn't like about the book, things I wished were done better, but it was still a very readable story. Robyn Carr would have to write a real stinker for me to hate one of her books. I didn't really mind this one...it's still a very classic VR story...I just wanted something different. But for getting your VR fix, it works. You get the town, the people, the characters we love, and a sweet story that gives you warm fuzzy feelings. I think VR fans will appreciate the story.
Series Note:
Part of Carr's "Virgin River" series (13 full books, plus several novellas). I would say you may be able to get by just reading this one, but there's a lot of history worth knowing. So if you have the time and the desire, I'd suggest starting at the beginning. It's well worth it!
Summary:
Kelly Matlock (sister of last book's heroine, Jillian), is a sous chef at a 5-star San Francisco restaurant, hoping to one day be a head chef somewhere, when her life suddenly falls apart. In order to escape the stress, Kelly packs up and travels to Virgin River, the town her sister has recently made home. Kelly plans to take some time to relax and kick back before deciding what she wants to do next in her life.
It isn't long before she meets script writer Leif Holbrook. Leif moved to Virgin River a few months earlier in order to give his troubled stepdaughter a better life. Young Courtney has had a lot of emotional upheaval in her life and she's responded by acting out in any way she can. Dealing with her is Leif's only goal. He has no intention of getting involved with a woman, but once he meets Kelly he has to rethink that. He's thoroughly intrigued by her.
Whatever they start is only temporary...at least that's what they tell themselves. Kelly has a life to restart and Leif has a teenage girl to be a father too. Even when things start to get serious, Kelly wonders if there could ever be a place in Leif's life because of Courtney. The two have a lot blocking their way if they want to consider a permanent relationship.
Review:
I love this series and I always look forward to a new book from it. But I have to admit I put off reading this one for a while. I knew that Leif's daughter Courtney was going to play a large role in the story and that made me wary. I'm not big on stories where kids play a large role and I had a feeling Courtney would be a big part of this story. And she was.
I can't say that Robyn Carr was wrong for doing the story that way. It was a very appropriate and fitting storyline, something a bit different than the other VR books. At the same time, it's just not a storyline that appeals to me all that much. While having kids in a story may be more realistic, I prefer the focus to be on the H/H and the romance. That's just the way I am.
So that part of the story was a bit of a turn-off for me. Though not as much as I thought it would be. Courtney wasn't as obnoxious as expected coming into the story, and what she's been through is heartbreaking. It was a very workable and very well-done aspect of the story, even if it didn't thoroughly engage me.
It did, however, take away from the romance of the story. I wanted so much more out of the relationship between Kelly in Leif. There was a definite connection between these two, but development of the romance was lacking. Things progress very quickly between the two. It's like the meet, hang out a bit, and suddenly they are inseparable and having feelings of love. It was rather sudden and didn't quite work. The worst part, though, was that there was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing"...it felt like instead of getting to experience the growing relationship between these two first hand, you got a lot of recapping events that happen off the page, a lot of references instead of getting to actually read them. I didn't care for that and it takes away something from the romance, you don't really get to connect with it. Add to that an ending (the romantic resolution) that seemed somewhat abrupt and on the whole the romance could have been better.
Another thing that bugged me a little was that the romance type was too similar to the one in the last book (Kelly's sister's book). A temporary fling turns to more but both still plan to move on and get back to their real lives. They really mirror each other. And maybe that was intentional because the two characters are sisters, but I would have liked something a bit different.
The story was still pretty sweet, though. There may have been things I didn't like about the book, things I wished were done better, but it was still a very readable story. Robyn Carr would have to write a real stinker for me to hate one of her books. I didn't really mind this one...it's still a very classic VR story...I just wanted something different. But for getting your VR fix, it works. You get the town, the people, the characters we love, and a sweet story that gives you warm fuzzy feelings. I think VR fans will appreciate the story.
April 19, 2020
I’m a bit conflicted with Harvest Moon. I was engrossed in Kelly and Lief’s story, however, the romance wasn’t Carr’s typical build up. I felt the romance happened too fast with not a lot of development. The story seemed to focus more on Lief’s relationship with his stepdaughter, Courtney, and Kelly’s journey of starting over. The romance seemed more of an afterthought. Some of my favorite scenes were with Courtney and her therapist - I’d missed him from Rick’s book - and I even enjoyed seeing the world through the lens of a 14-year-old girl. There’s plenty of Carr’s typical drama, which kept me interested, but I felt like Courtney bonded more with Lily than Kelly who was Lief’s romantic interest. I longed for more build up with the romance, however, the conflict between these two was outside forces rather than a hero or heroine’s reluctance to have a relationship like in typical romances. I enjoyed the secondary plot lines more in this book than the actual romance, which was lacking for me, and I wish the main conflict was resolved a little earlier. There is a really nice epilogue, though, which I was happy to read and gave me a little sense of closure on the story. I’m really looking forward to Denny’s book next!
July 30, 2020
I thought the first scenes were similar to the previous book with the focus on what’s happening with Kelly in her former job and then the encounter with Lief at Jack’s bar. The drunk scenes were cute heard.
Overall, I liked what was there about the romance between Kelly and Lief but Courtney’s story overtook the book. Her character development was incredible but there was too much of her instead of the supposedly main characters.
Nice epilogue and fantastic narration.
Overall, I liked what was there about the romance between Kelly and Lief but Courtney’s story overtook the book. Her character development was incredible but there was too much of her instead of the supposedly main characters.
Nice epilogue and fantastic narration.
February 24, 2011
Kelly comes to Virgin River to stay with her sister after quitting her job. She meets the handsome Lief Holbrook upon arriving, and they immediately hit it off. But both Lief and Kelly have baggage that may keep them apart.
The chemistry between these two came alive on the pages. Lief and Kelly were always enjoying each other’s company with laughter and love. But for a time there, it looked like that might not have been enough when Lief’s stepdaughter Courtney didn’t want her around.
Courtney was a troubled teen who lost her mother way too early, and had a father who couldn’t be bothered to care for her. That is unless he needed her to paint the picture of the perfect family man. I truly hated her biological father in this book and the way he treated her. It helped you to understand why she was such a troubled individual.
Carr has an amazing way of making you fall in love with her characters and absolutely hate the ones you’re suppose to dislike.
I always hate to see the end of Carr’s Virgin River novels, and this one was no different. Watching Courtney blossom into a more emotionally mature and stable being was a delight and a laugh a minute. Some of the scenes with Courtney and her counselor were among my favorites.
Kelly and Lief had a tender love affair that grows from a friendship and mutual respect of the other. It was truly believable because it wasn’t some hot and heavy affair that they jumped into five minutes after meeting. They were both real people with real problems.
As always the rest of the Virgin River played a big part. Of course Harvest Moon featured a lot of her sister, Jillian, and Colin but also Jack and Preacher as well. Also appearances from the Promise Canyon main players, which was nice since I didn’t really feel they were a part of the community in their book. But one character who was notably absence was Jack’s wife, Mel. It doesn’t deter from the overall story, in fact I didn’t notice her absence until I finished the book.
Harvest Moon has the right balance of humor and tearjerker moments to keep you enthralled. All the characters are amazing and offer enough spark to keep you coming back for more.
The chemistry between these two came alive on the pages. Lief and Kelly were always enjoying each other’s company with laughter and love. But for a time there, it looked like that might not have been enough when Lief’s stepdaughter Courtney didn’t want her around.
Courtney was a troubled teen who lost her mother way too early, and had a father who couldn’t be bothered to care for her. That is unless he needed her to paint the picture of the perfect family man. I truly hated her biological father in this book and the way he treated her. It helped you to understand why she was such a troubled individual.
Carr has an amazing way of making you fall in love with her characters and absolutely hate the ones you’re suppose to dislike.
I always hate to see the end of Carr’s Virgin River novels, and this one was no different. Watching Courtney blossom into a more emotionally mature and stable being was a delight and a laugh a minute. Some of the scenes with Courtney and her counselor were among my favorites.
Kelly and Lief had a tender love affair that grows from a friendship and mutual respect of the other. It was truly believable because it wasn’t some hot and heavy affair that they jumped into five minutes after meeting. They were both real people with real problems.
As always the rest of the Virgin River played a big part. Of course Harvest Moon featured a lot of her sister, Jillian, and Colin but also Jack and Preacher as well. Also appearances from the Promise Canyon main players, which was nice since I didn’t really feel they were a part of the community in their book. But one character who was notably absence was Jack’s wife, Mel. It doesn’t deter from the overall story, in fact I didn’t notice her absence until I finished the book.
Harvest Moon has the right balance of humor and tearjerker moments to keep you enthralled. All the characters are amazing and offer enough spark to keep you coming back for more.
December 9, 2018
Another great Virgin River book. This series never seems to get old for me. I could not help but feel bad for Kelly after what happened to her. She falls in love with her boss but because he was married she know he was out of reach and then his wife came after her with lies. I thing the best that could have happened was when Kelly went to stay with her sister. Then there was poor Courtney, she was a young girl who had been through so much but did not know how to deal with all the bad things that came her way. I liked how Kelly did not pressure Courtney into liking her but let nature take its course. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to see who we get to meet next.
February 27, 2011
Virgin River still going strong, but I didn't feel as much love as in the other 12 books. I feel guilty giving anything in the Virgin River series less than perfect remarks because I am so obsessed, but 4 stars is still awesome as was the book Harvest Moon, but it just wasn't as "awesome" as the others. It is hard not to compare how I felt throughout this book to the others, even though I never put it down it wasn't as exciting.
Lief and Kelly were well developed characters. They both moved to Virgin River to get away from stressful lives in LA and San Francisco. Kelly and Leif seemed like an old married couple to me, good chemistry and very comfortable, not that hot, hot passion that I have felt in the past books. Even though there was a romance the meat of this book was about a messed up emotional teenager, Leif's step-daughter Courtney, and how her emotional state of feeling unwanted affected everyone around her. Even though Courtney was a pain in the a$$ and caused a lot of trouble for Leif and Kelly's relationship you couldn't help, but sympathize with her and root for her to find the love, safety, and comfort she deserved. Robyn Carr still got me all choked up in the end.
I will be dying waiting another nine months or however long it takes for more stories about VR. I am hoping Brenda/Tom, Denny and Patrick Riordan will be in the next group.
October 3, 2025
This book and its predecessor feature a pair of sisters who were brought up in dire poverty by their "Nana," who was the world's best gardener and cook.
But as someone who is a pretty good gardener and has done her share of canning, tell me this, did Nana's garden ever have a failure? Did she ever burn a batch of cookies, or have one of her incredible batches of preserves spoil?
No wonder that these two women have time to have messy love lives. Everything else in their lives is smooth and easy and perfect. They are the Martha Stewarts of the Harlequin romance. And no, that's not a compliment.
But as someone who is a pretty good gardener and has done her share of canning, tell me this, did Nana's garden ever have a failure? Did she ever burn a batch of cookies, or have one of her incredible batches of preserves spoil?
No wonder that these two women have time to have messy love lives. Everything else in their lives is smooth and easy and perfect. They are the Martha Stewarts of the Harlequin romance. And no, that's not a compliment.
September 3, 2018
3.5 stars
October 7, 2020
Another good book from the Virgin River series, these books are always enjoyable, however I felt the romance between Lief and Kelly was too quick and had no substance, they were just kinda thrown together and then they just loved each other, without any in depth exploration to their relationship. On the other hand I absolutely loved Lief’s relationship with his daughter Courtney, seeing a 14 year old girl (troubled teen) go from a goth wearing kid, to sorting herself out in a year and pulling through to the other side (she lost her mum and had help through counselling) it was heart warming seeing her struggle and then get better.
October 20, 2020
Kelly & Leif were so right for each other and me. She’s a chef and the foodie talk was fun, fun, fun! They were hot together and wonderfully lacking drama. Now the kid, well she was trying at best. They’re good adults because I’d knocked that young “B” on her ass more than a few times. So watching the situation develop was entertaining. I enjoyed the visit to the farm, the horse riding lessons and visit with the town’s therapist-always. The puppy was total puppy. The bio-daddy part of this story was predictable but silly fun to read. Overall, this was a pleasure.
July 10, 2022
È sempre un piacere tornare a Virgin River con i suoi abitanti pronti ad aiutarsi uno con l'altro. In questo libro, più che dalla storia d'amore ero incuriosita da quello che stava passando una ragazzina e sono contenta di come la cosa sia stata raccontata, oltre che dal suo lieto fine.
July 16, 2019
I was glad to finally read Kelly's story. Another winner in the Virgin River series!
October 11, 2020
In this “episode” of Virgin River, Chef Kelly meets movie writer Lief and they fall head over heels in love. It’s a predictable story, but I love these books so much. It’s so fun to read about the seasons changing in Virgin River. This time it’s fall, pumpkin season and everything. Perfect reading for this time of the year.
October 23, 2025
Leuk! Nummer 13 in de reeks. Kan niet wachten tot ik alles heb gelezen en de serie kan gaan kijken!!
April 29, 2022
I’m so annoyed by the treatment of Courtney
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