Sunrise Point (Virgin River, #19)

Feb 10, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-copy, genre-contemporary, published-2012, read-2012, netgalley

Sunrise Point was a WONDERFUL addition to an addictive series. For me, this one rated WAY up there when it comes to all of the books in this series. Be forewarned that this story goes for the heart. The romance unfolds slowly, and it becomes a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance.

Desperate for money and willing to work hard, Nora applies for a backbreaking job of picking apples at Tom Cavanaugh’s orchard, but what she ends up with is a life changing experience of friendship, family, safety, comf...more Sunrise Point was a WONDERFUL addition to an addictive series. For me, this one rated WAY up there when it comes to all of the books in this series. Be forewarned that this story goes for the heart. The romance unfolds slowly, and it becomes a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance.

Desperate for money and willing to work hard, Nora applies for a backbreaking job of picking apples at Tom Cavanaugh’s orchard, but what she ends up with is a life changing experience of friendship, family, safety, comfort and love like she has never known. But these good things don’t come quickly. While Tom is drawn to Nora, he is not interested in a woman with so much baggage. Two kids and an ex-boyfriend doing time in prison? No thanks.

Shortly after Nora starts work at his orchard, he begins testing the waters with a possible romantic relationship with Darla, a beautiful widow of a former military man he served with. She is nothing like Nora. She is polished, stunningly beautiful, educated, wealthy, independent and without baggage. Only one problem: she’s kind of a spoiled bitch.

Tom Cavanaugh was a wonderful hero, albeit a bit clueless with women but that was part of his charm. While he initially believes Darla to be a better catch for him, his growing friendship with Nora challenges him every step of the way. Watching him come to the realization that Nora was by far the better woman, and that their ‘friendship-only’ status be damned, was incredibly fun to read. I loved every minute of it.

And then there was Maxine, Tom’s grandmother and one of my new favorite secondary characters in Virgin River. I pray we see more of her, I loved that old woman and her lady friends to pieces. Her words of wisdom were well done. She helps Tom to eventually find the right answers without being obvious or pushy, she simply reminds him of what’s important and lets him work it out.

You may remember Nora from Bring Me Home for Christmas as the young lady with a 1-month old who was left abandoned in a rundown home with no windows, refrigeration, food…etc. She made another appearance in Hidden Summit as a neighbor to Leslie, where we got to see that she is doing much better, making friends, but still struggling to make ends meet. I knew I would like her as a heroine of her own romance, but I was not prepared to like Nora this much. Her HEA is one of the sweetest ones in this series, and definitely one of the most deserving.

There were other storylines going on as well, but they did not shorten the romance part down at all. Nora learns more about her parents, the pesky black bear with three cubs returns to wreak more havoc, and Luke Riordan has an old buddy (Coop) come into to town to do some hunting. Turns out Coop has an unfriendly past with Jack, but we will have to wait to see how that story unfolds. I assume Coop will be a hero or major character in a later story. I wasn’t all that impressed with his cocky attitude and the chip on his shoulder, but there were glimpses of a pretty solid guy too, so for now I’m holding judgment if I will like him or not.

I should probably mention again that this was a slower paced romance, so don’t expect any hot and heavy passion early in the book. But it does come, and it does deliver! I would even recommend this book if you want to read it stand-alone. I wouldn’t say that for many of the books, but this one could easily be read out of order as a stand-alone. I sure wish there was another book in this series for me to read, as I always hate reading the last book in her annual trilogies cause that means I have to wait another year to read more. But it was an awesome ending, and I look forward to more, more, more (please!!)
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Jul 31, 2012 Alisia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review on :Beyond Dreaming

Sunrise Point was majorly disappointing to me. I'm not going to make this review lenghty, purely because I don't want to turn anyone off from reading it but, lord, it annoyed me.

The book is centred around Nora, with her two children, and Tom. Let me start with a few good things; Nora isn't afraid of hard work, Maxie is a gem, Nora's dad is pretty cool and her children were adorable. Ok, with that aside, Nora annoyed the sweet sweet bejesus out of me, I mean, how could...more

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May 07, 2012 Beanbag Love rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was definitely disappointed in this latest installment in the Virgin River series.

I liked Tom and Nora and I saw their spark and chemistry, but I didn't enjoy the way their romance progressed. There was so much time spent with a potential other girlfriend who clearly wasn't going to come even close, it felt very contrived and forced. And then suddenly the two leads are hooked up and we're heading toward the end. A lot of time enjoying a real budding romance wasted, IMO.

I enjoyed the developme...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Rachel Brand rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: harlequin, robyn-carr, kindle, romance, net-galley, 2012, contemporary

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: MIRA
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 24, 2012
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5 – GOOD

PROS: Strong heroine who cares about her children; endearing secondary characters

CONS: Relatively predictable romance; inconclusive sub-plot; includes an awkwardly-phrased sex scene

Nora Crane is desperate for a full-time job that will support her and her two small children. Abandoned by her drug-addicted boyfriend, who was eventually imprisoned, she’s stranded in Virgin River and is thankful to...more GENRE: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: MIRA
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 24, 2012
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5 – GOOD

PROS: Strong heroine who cares about her children; endearing secondary characters

CONS: Relatively predictable romance; inconclusive sub-plot; includes an awkwardly-phrased sex scene

Nora Crane is desperate for a full-time job that will support her and her two small children. Abandoned by her drug-addicted boyfriend, who was eventually imprisoned, she’s stranded in Virgin River and is thankful to at least have a roof over her head. She’s being relying on the kindness of the residents of the town, and as much as she appreciates the help from the local minister and her neighbours, she wants to make it on her own. But convincing Tom Cavanaugh to take her on as one of his seasonal apple-pickers isn’t easy. He doesn’t believe that the slight, single-mother can do the hard work, and only offers her the job at the insistence of his grandmother, Maxie, who sees a lot of herself in Nora. Soon Nora is spending every day at the orchard, and soon feels like she’s part of Tom’s family. Tom can’t help noticing Nora’s unfortunate situation, and while he doesn’t want to get involved with a woman so young yet so worldly-experienced as Nora, he can’t help but lend a hand every now and then. He has his eye on a woman far more sophisticated than Nora, but when secrets from his apple-picker’s past begin to surface he finds himself becoming more involved in her life. Can he truly stay away?

A friend recommended the Virgin River series to me sometime last year, but I hadn’t been able to find the first book in my local library and was daunted by the long list of books already released. Ultimately I became impatient as I received more recommendations for this series, so I did what any insane reader would do – started at #19. While frequent readers of this series may be going into a full-blown panic attack right now, I can confirm that I didn’t have any major difficulties jumping into the series at Sunrise Point and that while there are references to characters from previous books, these didn’t alienate me or distract me from my reading experience. However, since I’ve only read Sunrise Point so far, I can’t guarantee that every book in the series can be read as a standalone, but I would hope that this is the case.

I’m a sucker for romances about single mums and dads, and the kids in this story weren’t simply there for “Aww!” factor as they are in some novels. Nora was such a strong character, in both her mothering instinct and her desire to make something of her life and to stop relying on the charity of others. While sometimes this made her quite stubborn, her commitment to finding a job that would support her two children made her an incredibly endearing character. Nora is a woman who made plenty of mistakes in her past and is likely to challenge readers’ assumptions about single parents and how they end up in these sorts of situations, just as she challenges Tom’s judgements when she initially interviews for a job at his orchard. Both Nora and Tom have a lot of personal issues to work through before they can reconcile their differences. In Nora’s case, she has to deal with some ghosts from her past that are holding her back in the present, while Tom has to decide whether he’s ready to settle down on his grandmother’s orchard, and whether his aspirations for his future are truly realistic.

While I enjoyed Nora and Tom’s romance, it is ultimately rather predictable, but the secondary characters were what made it stand out for me. Tom’s grandmother, Maxie is one of my favourite characters in Sunrise Point, and I can only hope that when I’m a grandmother I’ll be just as considerate and loving as she is. I initially thought that she’d turn out to be your typical old-fashioned grandmother, but her interactions with Tom’s potential girlfriend, Darla, proved otherwise. Darla is slightly caricatured, but I do know some women who would think spending over a thousand pounds on a pair of designer boots is reasonable, and plenty who miss out on the joy of good food because they’re too concerned about their weight. Maxie’s witty remarks about Darla’s laziness and eating habits made me laugh out loud in several places, particularly when she suggested to Tom that she should mow the lawn and give Darla the grass cuttings for lunch. Darla’s attitude in general provided plenty of amusing moments in the story, and while I never believed that she was a true rival for Tom’s affection, she created a couple of bumps in the road for Tom and Nora, as well as some light entertainment.

Sunrise Point is a gentle, light romance, and I was surprised by how slow moving it truly was. I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance, mainly because I prefer the old-fashioned values of historical or Amish novels, but the structure of this novel allowed time for both Tom and Nora to develop personally as they got to know each other better, long before they decided to embark on a relationship. The best way to describe their relationship is “sweet”, and it brought many a smile to my face.

To readers who typically read Christian fiction, I must warn that there is one sex scene in this novel, and a couple of references to sexual urges. I read a fair amount of general market fiction and some of my favourite authors include sex scenes in their novels, although most of them tend to focus on the emotions of the characters during the act, not the physical act itself. Sunrise Point’s sex scene was definitely more physical, and some of the descriptions were pretty cringe-worthy, including the awkward reference to the female character becoming “as limp as a noodle”. Generally, I skim-read sex scenes just in case there is some crucial dialogue or internal thoughts as to the relationship between the characters, but in this case, if you don’t care for sex scenes, I’d recommend just skipping this scene altogether. You won’t miss anything important to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to the Virgin River series, and while I was initially a bit bemused by the subplot revolving around another resident in the town, I expect that his story will be continued in a later book in the series. This isn’t a series where you can pick up one book and not end up wanting to read the ones that come before or after it, and I guarantee that fans of contemporary, small-town romances will get caught up in the lives of the residents of Virgin River, just as I did. Sunrise Point is a great induction into this series, and I won’t be forgetting Nora’s stubbornness or Maxie’s wit any time soon.

Review title provided by Mira.(less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Lisa (Fic Talk) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-galley, pub-2012, super-excited-for, highly-anticipated, contemporary-romance, for-review, harlequin, grabby-hands, netgalley, read-in-2012

YAY! WE GET NORA'S STORY!!

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Apr 21, 2012 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of contemporary romance

Shelves: romance, read-in-2012

Once again, I found a book on the grocery store rack days before the official release date. Yay!

I liked this book a lot, but it was not over-the-top for me like many of the earlier works in this series were. Perhaps it was because I read the book at the end of a very stressful day. Who knows. I'll give it another try when next I read through the series, as I do every year or so. You may see a better review from me then.

The heroine is typical of many we see from Carr, a single mom in dire circums...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the series

Shelves: contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, netgalley, 2012_reads

Full review coming closer to release date...for now just a preview:

Hard to believe with hardly any appearances by the usual Virgin River crew (except for preacher Noah Kincaid)--just a brief view of Mel, Paige, Preacher, and a small sub story involving Jack, Luke, and Luke's army buddy Coop (destined to have his own book)--but this book really captured my interest. I guess that's a testament to Robyn Carr's storytelling skills--this woman can write about the most mundane things and she has me en...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Jonetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tom Cavanaugh thought he wanted to escape from his family's apple orchard business so he joined the Marines. After his two years, he decided the last thing he wanted to do was be anywhere else but home. Nora Crane has had a tough life to be so young but she is filled with determination and resolve to make the best of it for her two young daughters. (You may remember Nora as the young woman from Bring Me Home for Christmas that was stranded in a snow storm with no heat or milk for her newborn inf...more Tom Cavanaugh thought he wanted to escape from his family's apple orchard business so he joined the Marines. After his two years, he decided the last thing he wanted to do was be anywhere else but home. Nora Crane has had a tough life to be so young but she is filled with determination and resolve to make the best of it for her two young daughters. (You may remember Nora as the young woman from Bring Me Home for Christmas that was stranded in a snow storm with no heat or milk for her newborn infant.)

When the Cavanaughs posted a notice at the church for apple pickers, Nora jumped at the opportunity to have a pretty decent paying job for a change. Tom Cavanaugh took one look at her and turned her down...he didn't need the distraction. His grandmother, Maxie, intervenes and Nora is hired. And so begins the transformation of Tom and Nora's lives.

I really liked how most of this book is devoted to the development of a relationship between Tom and Nora. He's convinced she's not his "type" and goes off on a journey with someone who seems to meet all of his criteria. Nora is developing sort of a crush on Tom from afar and doesn't even entertain a notion that a relationship could ever develop. Their own self-development and awareness was interesting to watch unfold, assisted by the good people around them, Maxie for Tom and Noah Kincaid for Nora (you remember him as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church). To complicate matters for Nora, revelations about her parents significantly alter her life in the meantime.

There is secondary story involving Luke and one of his former Army buddies, Hank Cooper, that had the makings of something pretty interesting but fell flat by the end of the book. I'm hoping that Hank will be resurrected in a future story but I was disappointed in this storyline.

Overall, this is a pretty solid addition to the series, even though it won't be in my top favorites. Nora and Tom are really likable characters, even though he could be rather dense at times. Darla, the woman providing a diversion for Tom, was a bit over the top in terms of characterization but she did her job and provided some humorous moments. Again, I'm a fan of the multiple storylines and this book fell short in that respect. I'm rating it 3.5 stars but would rather round up to 4 than lower it to a 3.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley.)(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, series-virgin_river_carr, 2012, own, theme-abused_heroine, theme-child_abuse, theme-former_military, theme-hero_heartthrob, theme-mild, theme-olderman_youngerwoman, theme-pg_13, ibook, favorites

Loved it! Terrific characters, Tom and Nora, Maxie and Duke! I felt such emotion from Nora and the situation she had gotten herself (and her children) into, but thru per spirit and determination, she was picking up the pieces of her life and moving on. Then, the Lord smiled on her. :-)

Tom, was such a guy! He had in his mind the kind of woman he wanted to marry. Youngish, but not too young, not divorced and certainly not prepackaged with kids in tow. Ha! Life's not always how we think it should...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Lita Bouquard rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

I liked Nora- a single mom of 2, yes she did it twice. Nora has had some bad breaks and is determined to help her 2 girls. Tom was not as likeable. He has returned home to his family's apple orchard after serving in the war. Tom is a jerk at first. He refuses to hire Nora for apple picking, but his gram who raised him talks him into it. Nora walks 3 miles to work each day to perform back breaking labor. She lives in a hovel and relies on her elderly neighbor for help with babysitting. Tom gives...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Caryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp-romance

Sunrise Point is a nice romance. The emotions are believable but there is little sizzle or heat. The two main characters, Tom and Nora, are normal with everyday problems; Robyn Carr does a great job in keeping things realistic and consistent - e.g., Nora sticks to her principles and doesn't suddenly change when she gets around Tom. However, if you're reading the Virgin River series in sequence, you'll notice that this book's plot (single mom with two small children meets and falls for man who's...more Sunrise Point is a nice romance. The emotions are believable but there is little sizzle or heat. The two main characters, Tom and Nora, are normal with everyday problems; Robyn Carr does a great job in keeping things realistic and consistent - e.g., Nora sticks to her principles and doesn't suddenly change when she gets around Tom. However, if you're reading the Virgin River series in sequence, you'll notice that this book's plot (single mom with two small children meets and falls for man who's not interested in someone with 'baggage', Robyn Carr's word, not mine....) is very similar to the previous book (Redwood Bend). There are a few differences (e.g., Katie (RB) has two boys who are older than Nora's two girls) but there are too many similarities and it feels like a formula pushed out to meet a deadline.

Also, it's a little choppy - a character (Cooper) is added in the middle of the book and he has no relationship to or scenes with the primary characters (Tom & Nora) except that they are in the same small town. He's introduced as a guest of Lucas's, who also doesn't have any scenes with Tom or Nora. As any experienced romance reader will know, this must be Ms. Carr introducing the Hero for the next book. While this is common, it's done very choppily here and I found myself skipping over this section of the book because it had nothing to do with the H/h or plot of this one. Again, this felt poorly thought out and executed, it was as if the author realized she needed to set up the next story and was in a rush to meet a deadline. A little more finesse, and the sections on Coop and Lucas would have made much more sense.

This was the second Robyn Carr book I've read - I don't recommend it as a first read. I started with Katie and Dylan's romance in Redwood Bend and thought I was hooked on a new author (for me, at least). Now, I'm not so sure. I liked Tom & Nora's story but am not sure I want to invest more time in another Virgin River story only to have it not live up to its potential.
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Sep 19, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nora Crane is a single mom of 2 sweet girls. She desperately needs a job. She applies to and ends up working at the Cavannaugh Orchards with the endorsement of Maxie Cavanaugh much to her grandsons chagrin. He thinks Nora is too small to handle such a job. Being determined, Nora sets out to prove him wrong and wear down his gruff nature. They develop a friendship even though a gorgeous blond has designs on a future with him. Meanwhile Nora is reunited with her long lost father to learn her estra...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Rebecca Graf rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

on’t expect this story to be man falls in love with woman at first site and pursues her. Robyn Carr gives you a more realistic kind of love story in Sunrise Point.

A young, single mother finds herself needing money in a bad way. Her two small children are depending on her after their father abandoned them. An opportunity arises when an orchard needs help with picking apples. It isn’t long before she finds herself drawn into the warm family running the orchard and discovering more of her own past...more

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May 29, 2012 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spoilers included. Not my favorite of the series, but fine nonetheless. A few things bothered me about this book. I thought all the background info on Cooper and Jack's previous conflict was overdone, and all I can think of is that it's setting us up for a book in which Coop is the hero. Fine, but why not save most of it for that book?

Then there was Tom, who was ok, although I found him rather shallow, and because of that I had trouble liking him much for his uppity views on what the "perfect wo...more Spoilers included. Not my favorite of the series, but fine nonetheless. A few things bothered me about this book. I thought all the background info on Cooper and Jack's previous conflict was overdone, and all I can think of is that it's setting us up for a book in which Coop is the hero. Fine, but why not save most of it for that book?

Then there was Tom, who was ok, although I found him rather shallow, and because of that I had trouble liking him much for his uppity views on what the "perfect woman" was supposed to be. Yeah, he came around in the end, but it bothered me that up to that point he was basically using Nora. Sure, she's ok to hire as a laborer, and to occasionally fool around with, but she's tarnished by a questionable past and not up to standards for anything as upstanding as marriage. And forget her bastard children too, right? Ughh. Like I said, it's nice that he came around eventually, but I just did not think much of him to that point.

Lastly, I don't understand why RC would spend the entire book talking up Nora as an independent woman who was determined to make it on her own, and then have her marry Tom and get knocked up right off the bat. Not that there is anything wrong at all with being a stay-at-home mother and having more children- but as I said, she was so determined to make her own way in the world through the whole book, even having trouble accepting help from her own father, only to do this about-face with Tom in the end. I expected to at least see her go to the local college, but nope.

I enjoy this series a lot, so I don't want to leave the impression that I hated this book. In fact, I really did like it. But, like going to a family reunion, you do come away with certain impressions and feelings about people, in this case, characters. And having been invested in this series since the beginning, I feel it is sort of akin to going on Facebook and griping about family members to your friends. So in a way, that's a compliment to Robyn Carr- that she has created a universe that has become so familiar to her readers that they talk about it like it's their own family.(less)

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May 21, 2012 Krystal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nora Crane, young single mother of two adorable little girls, was abandoned in Virgin River by her drug addict, abusive boyfriend. Nora hadn’t known much stability in her life because of a mother who had her own psychological problems and an absent father. This all changes in Virgin River; Nora’s own resilient nature and desperate circumstances drive her to accept the friendship and help of local people. They help her to find life’s necessities and babysitting. Finding a job to make her way is a...more

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May 15, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Aubrey
Review Copy Provided by~the publisher

I love every book by Robyn Carr. I would have a hard time picking my favorite one. Each hero is so different from the last and seems to be even more likable and even more hot! I don’t know how she manages to do it each and every time. Her books are like going home to your grandma’s house. You feel wrapped up in a hug of warmness and just want to kick back under the blankets till you finish her latest novel....more

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May 03, 2012 *Babs* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-asked-to-review, romance, contemporary

We start with Nora at her church looking at the jobs that have been posted. She sees one for Apple picking and the preacher explains to Nora where it is and how the pay is. It was enough for Nora and she wanted to go apply. When she arrived at the Orchard she met Mr Tom Cavanaugh. She flat out told her he wasn't going to hire her even after he listened to her story of being a single mom and needing the job.

Maxie the owner meets Nora after she leaves the barn and hires her after talking with her...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Coming back to Virgin River via the 19th book in the series, Sunrise Point, was like coming home. It's almost like the opening theme of Cheers - where everybody knows your name (and your business). Nora Crane has had a very tough life and ended up dumped unceremoniously in Virgin River by her scumbag ex. She must figure out a way to make a living for herself and her two young daughters, Berry and Fay. Enter a seasonal job at Cavanaugh's apple orchard. Nora's never picked apples in her life, but...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-romances-challenge

Originally published at http://www.readingreality.net/2012/04...

Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr was my first trip to the lovely town of Virgin River in northern California. But I don't think it will be my last. Not just because the town was beautiful, but because the people who live there are ones I'd like to see again, to catch up on their stories. And because the love stories that seem to happen there, like Sunrise Point, involve terrific characters and great storytelling.

Nora Crane is a single mo...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

At this point it should be obvious why I got this book so I’ll skip that part and go straight to the review, especially because I’m running out of ways to explain why I’m a fan of Ms. Carr’s books.

Sunrise Point is the story of Nora Crane. She is in her early twenties, already a single mother of two girls, and desperate. Her boyfriend, a drug-addict and an ass, left her and their daughters abandoned in Virgin River. For the past few months she’s been...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

At this point it should be obvious why I got this book so I’ll skip that part and go straight to the review, especially because I’m running out of ways to explain why I’m a fan of Ms. Carr’s books.

Sunrise Point is the story of Nora Crane. She is in her early twenties, already a single mother of two girls, and desperate. Her boyfriend, a drug-addict and an ass, left her and their daughters abandoned in Virgin River. For the past few months she’s been getting by thanks to the help of everyone in town but she wants better for her kids so she decides to get a better-paying job. The opportunity comes in the form of the local orchard, so she decides to apply for a job picking apples.

Tom Cavanaugh has decided to settle down once and for all. His work running the family orchard is his dream, but he wants a wife and kids. His ideal woman is classy, willing to move to Virgin River, and most importantly, baggage-free. So when Nora comes asking for a job the instant attraction is unwelcomed, after all, she never got married, she has two young daughters, her ex is in prison and she’s almost homeless. He even refuses to hire her because she has no experience and doesn’t even look strong enough to handle the job. But his grandmother can see beyond that and makes him help her, so Nora ends up working for them.

Nora doesn’t want a relationship either, so once that’s settled, they become friends. Nora has to deal with her new job and Tom begins dating another woman. But is that what they really want? Nora dreams of having the stability that comes with a family and a home like Tom’s, and Tom keeps fighting the attraction he feels towards a woman who couldn’t be farther from his ideal. But love has other plans so it’s time to adapt.

Believe it or not, this is the nineteenth book in the Virgin Rive series, the nineteenth! I don’t know how she does it but she keeps getting new ideas. I confess that I wasn’t sure about this book. The last two books were more miss than hit so I even considered not reading it. Howeve I can’t resist the temptation and I’m really glad I read it because this is by far the best of the latest trilogy.

Nora was a great heroine. Really young but mature given the circumstances, not only with the kids but also her family and background. Hardworking and a little bit stubborn. Not much different from all the other Virgin River heroines. Tom was also very likeable, he had many things in common with Nora, the stubbornness in particular, and he had a very clear idea of what he wanted, in fact, most of the book, if not all, is about him getting over his expectations and realizing that what you think you want is not necessarily what you get and really want.

The best thing about this book, and what I think marks the biggest departure from Ms. Carr’s usual stories, is the fact that the romance develops really slowly. Yes, there is an instant connection, but the leads are not ready to be together, they don’t even want to. So they become friends instead. I found this to be such a refreshing change, Nora and Tom meet in the book, but it’s almost like a friends-to-lovers story. Obviously if you are into instant gratification the fact that they don’t even begin dating until way past the middle mark may throw you off, but I personally enjoyed it. I don’t like insta-love so the fact that the leads get to know each other before falling in love was wonderful.

There’s a villain in the book, and she was absolutely ridiculous and cartoonish. She’s the woman Tom dates before Nora and I found her one-dimensional and evil. I get it, she’s there to cause trouble and help the hero realize what he really wants, but why not give her some depth? You can have an antagonistic character that isn’t evil, or at least give him/her a reason to be that way. Also, the hero’s attitude got on my nerves. His ideal was unattainable and it takes him way too long to understand it. But those are the only complaints I have, and regardless of them, I really enjoyed the book.

This book stands alone perfectly well. You don’t need to read any of the previous books to fully appreciate Sunrise Point. It’s a great contemporary romance recommended to fans of small town stories. If you’re a fan of the Virgin River books, then you probably already read it, and if not, I’m sure you will love it.

Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.
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Apr 23, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-piper, netgalley

Piper's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Recommended Read

I could never complain about a Virgin River book. I love this series so much!

Sunrise Point touched me in so many ways! Like Nora I am from divorced parents and my dad stopped seeing me and my sister when I was about 8. I totally felt for what Nora was going through. Like her, I have recently been in contact with my dad after 20 years. This is a wonderful emotional story about a woman who has been through hell and back, and finds that she...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are familiar with the Virgin River books, you'll note that this one stays pretty close to the formula--ex-military guy meets and marries a pretty girl. This was one of my favorites. I enjoyed watching these two actually get to know each other before they ended up in bed, close to the end of the book. Yes, there was attraction, but these two actually talked, and considered what they wanted in the future. Comedic counterpoint was offered through the widow of Tom's military buddy. At first y...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

5 STARS
I like her books. Sunrise Point does not disappoint at all.
Nora is a single mother with a baby and a two year old. Her boyfriend abandoned her and took most of the furniture even the fridge and left her in small abounded house. It was winter and she had a 2 week baby at a time.
The town when they found out all pulled together to help her. Nora had 2 part time jobs but when she heard their were jobs at a apple farm for pickers. Nora almost did not get hired because Tom was attracted to her...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, romance

Another satisfying trip to Virgin River. I liked both Tom and Nora. Nora has been one of my favorites from the time she showed up in Virgin River. I liked the way she was determined to give her girls the best life she could. She had no problem working hard to get what she needed, and wasn't the type to be happy taking charity. She was, perhaps, a little too independent at times, refusing to take any kind of help. Tom was a great guy too. I liked the fact that he realized how much he missed home...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sunrise Point A Virgin River Novel: Book 3
ISBN: 9780778313175
Author: Robyn Carr
feb 1 galley edition
Nora, who had at Christmas came to Virgin River and the townspeople had helped
her and her two small infants out, is now applying for a job apple picking to
help with expenses as her two part-time jobs just don't make a lot.
She gets many of the local women to help with the kids so she can work at the
orchard til Tom finds out she's been injured. He takes matters into his own hands.
He recalls another w...more

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Feb 07, 2012 The Sweet Bookshelf rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I am so in love with The Virgin River Series. I just can not get enough! I think this one has been my favorite yet. I just love love love it!

I love the setting! This isn't just Virgin River this time. This takes place on an apple orchard. A lovely farm house, orchards of apples, and a good looking rich man. What is not to like my friends?! I was all over this! There are wonderful descriptions and I truly felt like I was tasting the sour apple cider and getting blisters on my hands from all the a...more

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May 20, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, received-to-review, adult, net-galley, romance

I really enjoyed that the story has very imperfect people as the main characters. Nora is a single mother of two adorable children, she has never been married and is destitute. In desperation she applies for a job at an apple orchard.

Tom doesn't want to hire her. She is too cute and doesn't look cut out for the demanding rigors of apple picking. His wonderful grandmother hires her instead. Let me just say, that his grandmother was one of the main highlights of the story. She is so spunky and wis...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Ruthie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Hard core Virgin River fans

Recommended to Ruthie by: Robyn Carr web page

Shelves: kindle, read-2012, sweet-love-storie

Starts: 3.5
H/h: Tom & Nora
Others: Maxie, Darla, Coop
Characters from the past: Noah, Jack & Mel, Preacher & Page, Luke & Shelby, & Collin
Where: Virgin River & Cavanaugh Orchard
What:
I don't even know where to start with my thoughts on this book. Virgin River is one of my favorite series. I really don't want it to stop but I'm not sure how many more "milk toast" stories I can read. Many of these books I've read more than once and will continue to reread because they're like...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At last Robyn Carr has written a worthy successor to her first Virgin River book that was actually the only out of that entire series that I truly enjoyed. In my view the story of Jack and Mel has always been the best that this author delivered. The other Virgin River books following that one never really compared - content-wise, or in quality of story or depth of characters.
I know that Robyn Carr is talented because I fell in love with her superb Grace Valley trilogy. I always felt the Virgin R...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Christa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-arc

As an avid reader, I find many wonderful books, but there's not another series that surpasses the Virgin River one for me. While I have loved each installment, this book was special. After being introduced to Nora in a previous book, I wasn't sure that she was going to work as a heroine for me. As talented as I have seen Carr to be, I should have known better. She made Nora into a character that I loved and really rooted for. Even Tom, whom I thought was a little too judgemental of Nora, made a...more As an avid reader, I find many wonderful books, but there's not another series that surpasses the Virgin River one for me. While I have loved each installment, this book was special. After being introduced to Nora in a previous book, I wasn't sure that she was going to work as a heroine for me. As talented as I have seen Carr to be, I should have known better. She made Nora into a character that I loved and really rooted for. Even Tom, whom I thought was a little too judgemental of Nora, made a very appealing main character and hero. Nora's precious little girls added to the story, as did Maxie. Darla was a character that was fun to hate, and I feel that we haven't seen the last of the interesting Coop. I was shocked by the bad feelings between he and Jack as I haven't seen Jack in that mode before. I will be so anxiously awaiting the return of the Virgin River characters to see what Carr has in store for them next.

At twenty-three years of age, Nora Crane has already led an extremely difficult life. Believing herself to have been abandoned by her father and then kicked out by her mother, she is trying to raise two young children after being abused and left in dire circumstances by her ex-boyfriend. A hard worker who is determined to make a decent life for herself and her children, she hires on as seasonal help at the apple orchard run by Tom Cavanaugh and his grandmother, Maxie. Tom Cavanaugh has been running his grandmother's apple orchard since leaving the military. He is ready for the next step in his life - a family of his own. He is immediately entranced by and attracted to Nora, but she is not the sort of woman he wants in his life. He does not want a woman with a sordid past, or responsibility for another man's children. Tom tries to ignore his feelings for Nora and bond with a woman who he believes is more suitable, but his heart won't follow in the direction he wants. As he tries to convince himself that he can have a light and casual relationship with Nora, circumstances in her life demand that Tom either step up and try to claim her as his own or let her go. Nora, who feels she has been unwise in her relationships, must decide whether she can trust her heart and Tom.

I enjoyed every second I spent reading this book, and it just kept getting better. It is one of my favorite of the Virgin River Series. The conflicts in this one were believable and interesting and the characters were wonderful. I highly recommend it to all VR fans. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.

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Sunrise Point (Virgin River #19)

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