Virgin River (A Virgin River Novel, 1) Mass Market Paperback – October 22, 2019

I have seen the first season of Virgin River on Netflix. I was comparing the book to the show the whole time I was reading. The show stayed pretty true to the book. The book made my cry several times and I take that to mean I was attached to the characters.Mel is a nurse and midwife. She escapes L.A., where she often worked with her husband, Mark in the E.R. She was brought to Virgin River on false pretenses....the cabin is not charming but falling apart, Doc needs help but refuses to admit it. She stays to help out when baby Chloe appears on Doc's porch. She quickly falls in love with this little backwoods town in the middle of nowhere. The scenery is beautiful, Jack is too good to be true, even Hope grows on her.

Although it is different from the series it is captivating! Both Jack and Mel compliment one another well. City life and country life varies; the bonding of families and friends are of utmost importance.

I've seen the show. But I enjoyed the book so much more! Well written and made me want to live in Virgin River.

The Virgin River Series:Virgin RiverShelter MountainWhispering RockA Virgin River Christmas (Nov 2008)So many things were great about this book. It's been a long time since I've read a contemporary romance that occurred in a simple and natural environment. The country setting of Virgin River was utterly romantic on it's own. The people of the town were easy going, friendly, unspoiled, and welcoming. Everyone lended a hand when needed. Doctor appointments were paid for with jars of canned fruit. Births took place without modern medical machines or medicines. No cell phones. No shopping malls, traffic, Starbucks, etc... Virgin River has the feel of Walnut Grove, with modern twists. When a nurse from L.A. finds herself in this town, she thinks moving there was a huge mistake. She can't get away fast enough. After six months, she can't image leaving.The hero was strong and heroic, but not arrogant. The heroine was intelligent and professional, yet she didn't have an attitude when people offered her help or protection. Both leading characters had good hearts. Watching them fall in love was endearing.Melinda (Mel) Monroe is a nurse practitioner/ midwife from Los Angeles. When her husband was killed, she had to leave the city and find peace. Nearly a year after his death, she sells everything, quits her job at a major downtown hospital, and takes a position as a nurse/ midwife in a tiny mountain town called Virgin River. When she arrives, nothing is what she was expecting. After spending one night, she gets in her car to drive away for good. As she is leaving, she is flagged down by a town resident. He has found a newborn girl that was left in a basket on the town doctor's door step. Mel can't leave until she knows the baby has a home and family.The longer Mel stays in Virgin River, the more involved she becomes with the town residents. Many women are grateful she is there to deliver their babies. Jack, the owner of the town bar/ restaurant is grateful she is there because she is smart and beautiful. A sworn bachelor and ex- marine, he finds himself making changes to his lifestyle in hopes of winning her heart. Mel finds she can't resist Jack's giving and unselfish soul. Feelings of guilt for her dead husband keep Mel from giving her heart completely. Jack is willing to spend his life loving her through thick and thin, grateful just to be with her, even if she never gets over the loss of her husband. What he doesn't realize is that her guilt is over knowing that her love for Jack is more powerful than anything she felt for her husband. It will take a miracle to break through Mel's protective barriers. Jack will be the one to make it happen.Drug dealers have been using the mountain forest to grow their "herbs". One of the growers is out of control. He wants drugs from the Virgin River medical clinic. When Mel refuses to provide them, he becomes desperate. Taking Mel hostage in the clinic was a grave mistake. The grower doesn't know that he is threatening the very heart of an ex- marine. Virgin River may not have a sheriff, but Mel has a powerful hero of her own.Want to read more of the Virgin River series? Here are the next two books. (Amazon has them listed as a "trilogy", but there are more books coming in the series.): Shelter Mountain (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 2) Whispering Rock (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 3) If you enjoy romance with a simple country environmant, try these historical westerns:Jodi Thomas's Texan Series: The Texan's Wager When a Texan Gambles A Texan's Luck The Texan's Reward Heather Graham's Civil War Trilogy: One Wore Blue And One Wore Gray And One Rode West

I came across “Virgin River” one night when I was looking for something to binge watch. I fell in love with the series. I was skeptical when I found out there was a book series but I found it to be even better.

get series

Book 8 of 2022 — Virgin River by Robyn CarrOkay, so I’m obviously late to the “Virgin River” game. I saw there were a couple seasons of this show on Netflix, so I figured I should see what the hype was about. I love babies, so a midwife seemed a good fit for a main character!Pros: This book hit all the marks for me. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat, it was sexy. What more can you say?I really enjoyed Mel. I thought she was tragic and strong. Her grief is palpable and watching her process and try to heal was cathartic for me.Taking care of an abandoned baby. Need I say more? My little heart strings were being pulled in every direction as I have a four month old!I appreciated the details surrounding birth, medicine, babies, etc. I also felt that the descriptions were accurate without being too graphic. This goes for the sexy/romantic scenes, too.Jack. Sheridan. Woof. I don’t know if I’ve EVER read a sexier male lead. He’s strong but still caring and oh so masculine. I have to say, the picture of him in my head was nothing like the character from the Netflix series. I prefer to build my own fantasies, thankyouverymuch.Cons: Perhaps not a true con, but I am not sure how the series can continue for 19+ books! There are only 600 people in the town. I’m envisioning Murder, She Wrote and Cabot Cove level of believability.I have a hard time committing to such a long series, but I can see myself continuing to read the books if I don’t have anything else on my list. I will probably watch the first season of the Netflix and see how they treat the material, knowing it covers book one and two.A fantastic read. My third 5⭐️ of 2022. Either I’ve read three great books in a row or I need to change my rating system! Go read them and you decide.5⭐️/5

Liked everything

Virgin River is the first book in the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it definitely won't be the last.I read some of the reviews about this book before starting it myself and I was a little worried that I wouldn't like it after reading the negative ones. I am happy to say that my review will follow the positive ones that I have read. This book was truly wonderful. Although a contemporary novel, I loved the small-town atmosphere, the fact that there was no mobile phone reception and that the people were all there for each other when needed. I was left feeling as if I had watched an episode of Little House on the Prairie or The Waltons. I had such a feel-good vibe from the book and even writing this review has me smiling.So you will know from the blurb of the book that Melinda, a nurse practitioner, midwife and a city girl moves to the country to escape the rat race. She is also grieving for her husband who got caught up in a robbery and killed. At first, she is horrified by the town and the fact that it was misrepresented by the woman who informed her about the place didn't help. She was picturing a beautiful cottage to stay in, and a town that at least had phone reception. It took her minutes to decide that she wouldn't be staying. Before she has a chance to leave she discovers an abandoned baby outside the doctor's office and is determined that she must stay at least until she can make sure the baby is safe and either back with her mother, or in social care.That was the best decision she could have made because the longer she spends in the town, the closer she gets to the people there. She forms bonds, especially to a particular barman/owner, Jack. He is an ex-marine and is an absolute darling. She is still determined to leave town even though she keeps putting the date for leaving off. She is definitely feeling an attachment to the people and place, but she's just not cut out for country living. Can she be convinced to stay, does she end up even needing to be convinced?What I really enjoyed about the book is that despite having that Little House on the Prairie vibe, it manages to fit in the more modern aspect of life without spoiling the atmosphere. There are scenes where Jack mixes with his army brothers who make sure they visit every year at a time when they know Jack will need their comradeship the most. There are scenes involving the dark side of the marijuana trade. There are also scenes of grief. They are all intertwined into the story with a twist as well and it all adds up to an amazing story. I know that the series is currently showing on Netflix, but I am almost afraid to start watching it. I have such a strong picture in my head of the place and the people in it. I don't know if I will cope with seeing things differently to what I picture. Whether or not I watch the series I will definitely read the books!I can't recommend this book enough and only wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

When the recently widowed Melinda (Mel) Monroe decides to move to remote mountain town of Virgin River, in order to escape the memories of the loss she has suffered, she is keen for a new beginning, but her first sight of her new home is anything but what she expected and she’s ready to hightail it out of Virgin River as soon as she can. However, when a tiny baby is abandoned on the front porch of the Doc’s home/clinic her plans change.I have to say one of the things I most enjoyed in this book was Jack, as a character he was the one who stood out and the one I truly enjoyed.Comparisons to the Netflix series are inevitable (I have 3 episodes left of season 1), and I have to say I like how Jack is more self-aware of his feelings in the book, in the series he’s lovely but [the fact he is so unaware of how he feels that he is unintentionally stringing along the woman he has been causally seeing for a while (2 years or so) annoyed me a fair bit, so glad it didn’t pan out like that in the book. To note Jack does have sex with his ‘casual’ partner after meeting Mel (not something I needed in the book), but he ends things as soon as he realises he has feelings for Mel, even knowing nothing may ever happen.One of my big niggles when it comes to the book, is that Mel’s feelings don’t come across as clear or as strong as Jack’s. I know she is still strongly mourning for Mark, and there is no limit to how long that can take, but I feel like the author needed to stretch the time span of when and how things occurred, when it came to Mel.Also, there are times when the writing does not flow well, but overall a nice one time read.

I chanced upon the series on Netflix and was instantly hooked. From researching the series, I found out about the books! I cannot praise Robyn Carr enough.. you instantly identify with the characters and their emotions, the stories make you feel like your right there with them. You feel familiar and homely and like the visitors to Virgin River, you fall in love with the people and the place, never wanting to leave. It's such a page turner you loose precious sleep wanting to read just 'one more chapter'.

I came across Robyn Carr because of watching the Netflix series 1 at Christmas.I picked up book one in January part of the Virgin River series - instantly hooked.There are a few slight differences book v series, but that didnt matter to me. It just left me interested and eager to read the second book in this series.Highy recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed the programme, was bit dubious as to whether I would like the book as much but can honestly say, as much as I enjoyed the programme, I still enjoyed the book more by miles.