Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all… Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included. When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad, she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the … 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.
Look for What We Find by Robyn Carr, a powerful story of healing, new beginnings and one woman’s journey to finding the happiness she’s long been missing. Order your copy todaymore
This is the first book to a unforgettable journey to Virgin River. It’s one of my all time favorite series. Please read it, you feel like you’re part of the story…
This was my first read by Robyn Carr and it made me a huge fan. I fell in love with Mel and Jack and the colorful residents of Virgin River. I’ve re-read this wonderful story too many times to count and have all the Virgin River novels in my library and also have read all the Thunder Point series as well. Ms. Carr never disappoints and her …
Loved this intire series!!! Wish more were coming in the future
The entire Virgin River series is perfect pandemic reading. Robyn Carr takes you to a special place where everyone lives happily ever after, but only after overcoming all sorts of obstacles. She deals with practically every possible human condition, and this book is just the tip of the ice burg. If you want a book that will make you laugh and cry and want to keep reading, this is the one.
If you’ve seen the Netflix series, you also need to read the book! Get more of Mel and Jack and their happily ever after. The romance between these two is so real, and there is no better hero in contemporary romance than Jack Sheridan. He’s my book boyfriend for life. This book is at once warm and cozy with a small town filled with quirky characters you’ll grow to love and also has an element of suspense. Best, there are 20 books in this series and you get more of Jack and Mel in each book. I’m hooked!
I have to admit that I read Virgin River only because I’d seen it advertised as the basis for the Netflix original series by the same name. It’s not my usual read, not cozy mystery, not romantic suspense, not historical romance, not historical intrigue just not…me. It’s a slow, sweet, feel-good romance. It’s a real story about real people—not in the sense of being based on a true story—but in the sense of ‘it could have been’. So…why did I give it five stars?
Melinda, or Mel as her friends and family know her, can’t move past the grief of losing her husband to a senseless act of violence. She has no doubt she’ll love and miss him forever but she desperately needs a place to escape the unrelenting grief that haunts her.
The small—let’s admit to tiny—town of Virgin River seems perfect. Mel is a midwife/nurse practitioner and just what the town needs. The salary isn’t huge but a rent-free cabin promises to balance the deficit. Reality, however, is a far cry from advertisement. The cabin is falling apart and her new work partner, the only doctor in town, wants nothing to do with her.
Just as Mel decides it’s best for her to cut her losses and head back to the real world, fate…or serendipity…intervenes. An abandoned infant and a good-looking marine with heart-wounds of a different kind make her reconsider…at least long enough for her to realize that this town needs her almost as much as she needs it.
No, not my kind of book—at least not at first glance—but I’ll be reading more Robyn Carr and maybe I’ll ease on over to Netflix and check out the series.
I went back and reread this book after the Virgin River series debuted on Netflix. Although slightly different than the Netflix series, the book still was an enjoyable read. Love Virgin River!
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.
I read it because of the series on netflix that I enjoyed…the book wasn,t great
I thought this was a heartfelt and heartwarming story. It has a wonderful storyline. I truly enjoyed reading about the characters. It was wonderful written. It’s a page tuner. It kept my interested.
Loved this book! I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the book was not exactly like the tv show. Great characters!
I was drawn into this series from the start. I love the connection between Jack and Mel, the community, and the suspense. Couldn’t put the book down!!
Oh my, is it steamy in here or is it just this book? Y’all know me, I read my sweet little Amish romances so Virgin River was steamy for me. My hubby is a sweet talker but Jack, oh my…
I love the show. So much so, I re-watch it until the next season. Although the book was different, it was a good different. I cannot wait to get book 2 started.
I really want to gather up some candles, treats, and coffee and run away to a secluded cabin and binge read the series.
I liked the story line though it was hard to like the main character Mel , I wanted to give this book a chance cause I like the Author , The other characters Doc and Jack kept me going, I will cont with the series.
I decided to read this because I enjoyed the tv series. Not sure which is better — book or show — they are different is parts of the story line.
Some of this was sappy, other parts predictable, but all in all an enjoyable read. I plan to read more in the series.
I enjoyed reading this book. The pain of loss is difficult to write in fiction without bleeding on the page. I thought Carr did a good job with this, not just with the main character Mel, but with Jack and a few of the support characters. I usually don’t read reviews of a book before or after I read it so I can judge it on its own merit. However, I cheated this time and read a few. I was surprised by readers who thought the grief was too over the top. Unless a person has suffered an extremely painful loss such as what is described in this story, I don’t put much credibility in their harsh judgment. Everyone handles grief differently, and when we write fiction, our characters process it differently as well. I thought this story was heartwarming. I enjoyed the townspeople and loved the Northern California setting. I liked the character development but must admit the romance aspect did drag a bit for me. Other than that, I found it an enjoyable read.
Virgin River
Virgin River, Book 1
By: Robyn Carr
Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer
Yes, I have fallen down the Virgin River rabbit hole on Netflix, and am now going back to hear Mel and Jack’s story. This is my first listen of this series, and I am so looking forward to more! With the background of the show, the setting is very vivid in my mind, but the story does have it’s differences. I am so glad I am taking the time to get to know the community of Virgin River. Mel has come to town to start over. Widowed and looking for a complete change, she has come from the rat race of LA to the quiet town of Virgin River. But things are never as they appear. This beautiful setting is full of amazing people, each with their own story. And we can’t forget Jack. The owner of the local bar, Jack has come to settle in Virgin River after serving as a Marine. When he sees Mel,he knows his life is about to change. Full of romance, a little suspense, nosy neighbors and all around good fun, I have taken the leap and will be adding this series to my tbl! I love all the quirky characters, the fun of the small town gossip and all the angst and happiness. This is a town I need to get to know better!
Not only is the story fantastic, but having one of my favorite narrators tell me the story is icing on the cake. Therese Plummer is the ultimate story teller. Her voices both male and female fit every character! She is one of the first I listened to years ago and remains top on my list. I ca can’t wait to delve into book 2!
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I really enjoyed Virgin River book #1. Robyn Carr did a great job writing the heartbreak, struggle, and vulnerability that Mel went through. Jack is a wonderful character as well. I really enjoy all the characters in Virgin River. I am excited to see what is in store for the characters.
With all this being said, I was hoping for a bit more than what I have seen in the Netflix series. Robyn Carr wrote a fantastic book and Netlfix actually stuck very close to the first book in their Virgin River series. There are some surprises in the book that has not made it into the series. I think I will enjoy it much more when i read beyond where the show is.
First and foremost, if I could give it 3.5stars, I would. Secondly, I have mixed feelings about this book. As a fan of the Virgin River Netflix program, I found some parts of the book not as good as the show. Usually, people who have read the books first will say just the opposite. However, I feel like the show is more of an ensemble of all the show characters while the book focuses almost exclusively on Jack and Mel. Yes, the show does highlight their love affair and relationship but the show also highlights the lives and relationships for many of the towns residents.
Lastly, the show doesn’t follow the book faithfully and I’m actually glad it doesn’t. I think the creative liberties that the show producers have taken are good ones, ones that make the show better. That doesn’t mean I won’t continue reading the book series, because I will. I started reading the books because I am a fan of the show and the next book is about Preacher and Paige, which I am interested in knowing more about.
I absolutely love the TV show and was not disappointed by reading the book after the fact. The storylines are a bit different and some of the events are mixed up in the show (one story line doesn’t even start until book 2), but it doesn’t change the charm of the story. Melinda has many issues that she has to overcome, but the simple life seems good for her. Jack is a bright light on her horizon and he is so taken with her. You don’t see the magnitude of his love and desire for her in the TV show like you do in the book. Their love for each other is intense.
The people of Virgin River are fabulous. It makes one yearn for the simple life and friendships. Doc slowly warms up to Mel, but doesn’t show it very often and Hope is very nonchalant about everything.
The only real issue I had with the story was Mel’s inability to get over her husband’s death. This is not something, thankfully, that I have had to deal with, but it really interfered with her ability to move on and find love again.
There is a huge surprise at the end that warms the heart and makes the reader want to continue onto book 2 immediately. The author did to excellent job making the reader fall in love with Virgin River and all the residents.