Happy Sunday! While many people may be familiar with Virgin River by Robyn Carr, I just discovered the book in late November. I have been trying to work it into my reading schedule ever since. Virgin River is the first of twenty novels in A Virgin River series.
Virgin River by Robyn Carr has
Melinda “Mel” Monroe is a nurse practitioner and certified midwife who is
suffering from burnout at her job. Mel also
lost her husband in a convenience store robbery which has made her fearful of
living in the city. When she sees the ad
where Virgin River is looking for someone with her qualifications, she quickly
applies. Mel needs peace and a fresh
start. She especially likes that the job
comes with a charming cabin. She accepts
the job after speaking with Hope McCrea who is bankrolling the position. Mel arrives in Virgin River in her fancy BMW
which is ill-suited for the rough terrain and soon finds herself in a
ditch. Thankfully, Mel is rescued and
shown the way to her new abode which looks nothing like the pictures. She soon discovers that nothing is quite as
Hope described. Doc Mullins does not want
her help despite being seventy and beginning to slow down. Mel decides to leave the following morning. She was on her way out of town when a baby is
found on Doc Mullins doorstep by rugged Jack Sheridan. Mel changes her plans so she can stay and
take care of the newborn until child services arrives. Others contrive to show Mel that Virgin River
is the place for her.
Virgin River by Robyn Carr captured
my attention from the very beginning. It
shows what life is like up the small mountain town of Virgin River which has
about six hundred residents. Melinda
Monroe is feeling burnout from her position at a 3,000 bed hospital and is looking
for a change. The position in Virgin
River seems to be what she needs, and it is confirmed after seeing the pictures
sent to her by Hope McCrea. The icing on
the cake is the charming cabin that comes with position. Mel packs expensive jeans ($100 plus per
pair) along with her beautiful leather boots into her BMW and heads into the
mountains. Mel soon discovers that Hope’s
pictures were not current and her clothing choices not to mention her car are
not appropriate for the environment. Mel
decides that Virgin River is not for her.
Then a newborn is found on the local doctor’s front porch. This has Mel changing her plans which she
claims is just temporary. Mel fails to
tell the people in her new town that she is a widow and another reason she
needed a fresh start. I liked the
variety of quirky characters in Virgin River that include Preacher (the cook at
Jack’s), Hope McCrea, and Doc Mullins (crotchety local doctor with a heart of
gold). Jack Sheridan is an ex-marine who
owns Jack’s the local bar and restaurant.
He is taken with Mel right away and comes up with a plan to keep her in
their little town. I thought the
characters as well as the situations were realistic and developed. I enjoyed the rustic setting. While Virgin River is a charming romance
novel, there are other storylines going on in the book. There are numerous places to hide in the wood
surrounding the town which leads to criminal activity as well as people looking
to hide out or escape from the world. I
like that the author shows the good and the bad (everything is not puppy dogs
and rainbows). I could have done without
the foul language and intimate situations (but that is my personal
preference). Virgin River is a
well-written novel that moved along steadily.
Virgin River is the first in A Virgin River Novel and there are currently
twenty in total. I am curious to see
what happens to the other characters. Virgin River is a pleasing story with a loveable
newborn, a handsome ex-marine, a peevish physician, an optimistic Hope, and a
woman looking for a new beginning.
Virgin River can be purchased through Amazon* along with most major booksellers (Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Google Play). You can find a list of the other novels in A Virgin River series here. Thank you for dropping by today. I will be featuring The Protective One by Shelley Shepard Gray tomorrow. It is the third book in The Walnut Creek series. I hope that you have a relaxing day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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