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Virgin River (Virgin River #1)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 8,256 ratings · 807 reviews

"Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the 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 perfect place to escape her heartache, an...more

Mass Market Paperback, 386 pages

Published April 1st 2007 by Mira Books (first published March 9th 2007)

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May 03, 2008 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Isis FG by: Romance Series Lists group

Shelves: info-full, reviewed, genre-romance-drama, author-robyn-carr, 2008, z2008-jan-june, series-virgin-river, stars-4

It took me a while to get into this book. I think I was about halfway through before I started to really get into the story. That's probably partially because just before that I'd been reading a Lora Leigh book (so completely different) and also because the vibe of Virgin River is rather different than your typical romance novel.

This book is about people and life, the vagaries of small-town living, growing and healing, and, of course, love. Like the town it's set in, the pace of the book is on t...more

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2010 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: keepers

I flipping loved this book.

It's my first Robyn Carr book. I've read a lot of good things about her here on Goodreads and also on Amazon, and I ordered several of her books this spring, hoping to get some time to read them.

Recently widowed Melinda Monroe, a certified nurse midwife, decides that to move beyond her grief she must start her life again. She sells almost everything she owns and moves to Virgin River, a tiny town in the middle of the California forest. At first it seems the transition...more I flipping loved this book.

It's my first Robyn Carr book. I've read a lot of good things about her here on Goodreads and also on Amazon, and I ordered several of her books this spring, hoping to get some time to read them.

Recently widowed Melinda Monroe, a certified nurse midwife, decides that to move beyond her grief she must start her life again. She sells almost everything she owns and moves to Virgin River, a tiny town in the middle of the California forest. At first it seems the transition from the violence of working in the hospitals in LA to living in a town that doesn't even seem big enough to be a town is going to be too much for her. But she quickly finds herself drawn closer to this tiny community and its resident, particularly Jack Sheridan, a former U.S. Marine who runs the closest thing the town has to a bar/restaurant. Watching Mel and Jack fall in love was pure pleasure.

I particularly loved the medical realism of the midwifery scenes. I read in reviews that some readers didn't like all the pregnancy/childbirth/breastfeeding talk that naturally goes with Mel's career, but as someone who had two midwife births and breastfed for a long time, I really appreciate that. Though certainly motherhood isn't for every woman, I think having a baby is the most amazing thing women do, and having a midwife as a heroine was truly wonderful. The birth scenes were realistic but not gory at all.

The quality of the author's research was apparent not only with regard to midwifery, but also the hero's military background and law enforcement aspects of the story, as well as the milieu of the small town and the surrounding countryside, where some residents are wonderful people and some are not.

I also enjoyed the fact that the heroine was strong but not "kick ass." I just don't enjoy reading about heroines who kick butt and are oh so tough. Bores me. I much prefer feminine heroines who can be strong — but in a feminine way. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the hero to be the one who kicks ass. Heroines with knives, tattoos, and tough ninja moves who swing through the skyscrapers on ropes braided from their own chest hair just don't do it for me.

Though profanity doesn't bother me — how could it? My books are full of it — this book has only mild profanity. The sex is romantic and descriptive rather than erotic and extremely detailed. That's fine with me, because I can take either, provided it's well written. I just like a well-crafted love scene.

I found Carr's style to be captivating. Let's put it this way: I didn't plan to read a book tonight. I sat down with this at about 9 PM and read it in one sitting, finishing at about 2 AM. That doesn't happen for me very often — maybe once a year or once every other year.

Thanks, Ms. Carr, for the hours of enjoyment. Looking forward now to the rest of this series.(less)

41 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2009 Corrine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, widowed-and-still-grieving

Full Disclosure:This book features one of my least favorite tropes, the still grieving widow(er) who is consumed with guilt at find new love. Of course, this did skew my reaction to this book.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book when it wasn't weighed down by Mel's grief and guilt. Honestly, Jack made this book for me, although half the time, I just felt sorry for him. But he's a great male protagonist: patient, protective, caring, and he has a past that rounds his character out.

Mel, on the othe...more

10 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Contemporary romance fans

Recommended to Shawna by: Auntee

Shelves: contemporary-romance, robyn-carr, 2009-reads, best-top-favorites, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, favorites, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-im-gaga-over, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, favorite-romance-series, hero-i-wanna-marry, series-virgin-river, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, hh-widow-or-widower, hero-alpha‎, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, small-town-lovin, culinary-lovin-food-and-sex-chef, pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama, doctor-or-nurse-in-the-house-shrink, 5-stars-or-higher, hero-too-yummy-perfect-to-be-true, hero-besotted-so-smitten-its-sexy, hero-military-war-veteran, a-all-time-fave-hero, a-all-time-best-of-best-fave-dik, hero-gentleman, hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, tearjerker-tugs-at-heartstrings, heartwarming, romance-doesnt-end-at-40, a-all-time-best-top-50-fave-dik, hero-my-romancelandia-husband-harem

5+ stars – Contemporary Romance

There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about this sweet, delightful, feel-good contemporary romance and for very good reason, and now I’m finally glad that I get what all the fuss is about.

Virgin River is a heartwarming story about a young, grieving widow whose spirit is rejuvenated and soul revived by working as a nurse and midwife in a quaint little country town called Virgin River, with quirky, friendly, salt-of-the-earth people surrounded by the beauty...more

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Dec 10, 2011 FlibBityFLooB rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2010, loved-the-audiobook-narration, witty-i-am-not, read-more-than-once, read-in-2011, zzauthor-carr-robyn

Re-read 2011 - it was interesting to go back to the beginning of Virgin River again after reading a dozen others further along in the series. I still love the audiobook narrator, and I still found Mel (the heroine) to be way too weepy. In short - Mel = melodramatic.

Original review July 2010: 3.5/5 stars. This book was a mixed bag for me, mostly because I found the heroine to be exhausting. She had so much emotional baggage that it tired me out listening to the book on audiobook while I travel...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 19, 2008 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: robyn-carr

Melinda Monroe is tired of the heartache, tired of the sympathy, and most of all, tired of living in a home where memories of her once happy future constantly assail her. All but dead inside with grief over the death of her husband, Mel discovers a job opportunity in the charming and idyllic town of Virgin River, up in the untouched splendor of Northern California. Although her sister pleads with her that running away to some mountain region backwater will not solve her problems, Mel packs up he...more Melinda Monroe is tired of the heartache, tired of the sympathy, and most of all, tired of living in a home where memories of her once happy future constantly assail her. All but dead inside with grief over the death of her husband, Mel discovers a job opportunity in the charming and idyllic town of Virgin River, up in the untouched splendor of Northern California. Although her sister pleads with her that running away to some mountain region backwater will not solve her problems, Mel packs up her BMW and makes the long trek from LA to Virgin River. This perfectly coiffed city girl is in for a rude shock when she arrives for it seems the town of Virgin River is not what she was led to believe. In return for her nursing and midwifery skills, she was promised a beautiful little cabin that seemed to her to be it's own little slice of heaven. Instead, she's greeted with a critter infested, cobweb infested, dusty and dirty shack that's literally falling apart around her. Completely unnerved and close to a breakdown, Mel practically runs down the mountain to get home. Instead, she seeks shelter at Jack's Bar and Restaurant and fortified by warmth and excellent food, plus the company of the handsome Paul Bunyan-esque Jack, she feels much better, but she's still not willing to stay. Determined to leave as soon as she can, she soon has one foot already out of this sleepy little town but then she finds baby Chloe, wrapped up and waiting for her, abandoned and in need. Pretty soon Chloe has her fingers wrapped around Mel's heart and she decides to stay, "just until a good home is found for her." That promise turns into a week, then a month, then other women come forward in need of her midwifery skills, and she promises them that she will stay, "just until their baby is born." With the towns help, Jack is determined to show Mel that they need her in Virgin River, just as much as she needs them.....and Jack.

Everyone will tell you that this is a gentle and unassuming story. There are no Big Misunderstandings, no crazy psychos on the loose (well, maybe one) and there are no big bangs in this story to keep you hooked. Maybe someone will tell you that the best way to enjoy this story is to curl up with a blanket and a steaming cup of hot chocolate and just relax. While that is certainly the ideal way to read a book, especially a simple story like this one, life is hardly ideal, as this book will show you. I read this book while in a very bad emotional place, I was freezing because the weather outside was rainy and cold and I had my patio doors flung open in order to allow my new puppy instant access to the backyard, plus I had a pounding headache and in all honesty, shouldn't have been reading in the first place. Feeling rather grumpy and put upon, I opened up Robyn Carr's Virgin River and by the first couple of pages, I completely forgot all my woes.

My woes definitely pale in comparison to Mel's. I've never known grief like hers before and God willing, I wont for a very long time. The town and all it's charming inhabitants settled over her like a soothing balm and they helped her to live again. Having the unassuming but ever hopeful Jack by her side was a definite bonus as was the cantankerous and grouchy ol doc. Virgin River was not without it's town bums, but the good more than outweighed it's bad. We follow Mel as she travels about the town and the surrounding woods, helping out where she can. While it might sound boring, it's really not and I'm the type of girl who loves a good scintillating suspense story. As cliche as it sounds, the town really came to life for me and all it's inhabitants had warm and robust personalities. Also helpful is that this book is laugh out loud funny! And not in a joke-y way. There are no knock knock jokes in this one. The humor comes from everyday things and flows in a natural way, just a group of people sharing a laugh. The romance between Jack and Mel came about slowly, but instead of me flipping through the pages wondering when all the hot, nekkid sex was going to occur, I really enjoyed reading about their growing relationship and I allowed everything to develop at a fluid pace.

Jack. Oh, Jack. Was ever a man more patient? More kind? More wonderful and loving and strong, yet so vulnerable? I don't think so, so Jack takes the prize as the best romance hero ever written. He's understanding and thoughtful, knows when to press and when to back off, is built like a greek god or Paul Bunyan, likes children and respects the elderly, is a good cook and can do the dishes, can rebuild your home and interior decorate, is the ultimate friend and lover, is financially set for life and he can protect you within a four inch margin of error. So to sum up, he's too damned good to be true. But I can wish and hope and dream.

I really, really liked Virgin River. This book didn't ask for much, but it gave a whole lot more in return. Mel's depth of character was beautiful to behold and when she breaks down as only a grieving widow can do, I just soaked up the emotion for the wonderful thing it was. This really was a lovely book built around a solid group of characters and I loved it. I was happy as a clam once I finished and was still enjoying the afterglow only a really good book can give you when I looked up and found myself back in my messy home, with rainwater being blown in through my open patio doors, my puppy happily tearing into a pile of newspapers, with a pee stain right next to her, and all I could do was laugh.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Shelly rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook-version, romance-contemporary, set-in-usa-california

First, I'm going to apologize in advance for my review. These are my thoughts, and I know I'm in the great minority of people who didn't like this book, but OMG I just can't stand it any freaking more! I'm going to warn you right now, if you love this series, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER - this will probably offend.

This is by far the worst book I've ever listened to, possibly ever. I had no idea it was going to be so terrible, it's gotten so many great reviews and I thought at the very least it would...more First, I'm going to apologize in advance for my review. These are my thoughts, and I know I'm in the great minority of people who didn't like this book, but OMG I just can't stand it any freaking more! I'm going to warn you right now, if you love this series, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER - this will probably offend.

This is by far the worst book I've ever listened to, possibly ever. I had no idea it was going to be so terrible, it's gotten so many great reviews and I thought at the very least it would be bearable. I honestly can't remember the last time I read/listened to a book and thought it was this bad. I'm talking in my entire life time. I don't mind sweet romances, they honestly aren't my thing, but I have enjoyed a few here and there, and at the very least found them bearable. I asked in the contemporary romance group if this was indeed a sweet romance, and they assured it was nicer than most, but had a little of the 'nasty' but the characters and story were so well done. Great! Sounds good to me, even though I lean towards the voyeuristic I still require a plot line. Plot line with less sex? I can handle that.

Problem is, I can't even make that far into the book to have Jack and Mel kiss! They aren't even circling each other yet and I already want to bitch slap Mel. She is at the top of the TSTL list. Worst heroine ever. A widow who hates LA and needs a change of scenery sounds like a plausible, albeit boring start. She describes her life in LA as if she was living in Skid Row and feared for her safety, both at home and at work. A nurse practitioner makes a decent living, she didn't have to work at the worst hospital where all she saw was drug addicted pregnant women, gun shot victims and the worst of society. I've never been to LA, but I hear it's pretty big and has some quite ritzy suburbs. Certified in midwifery, Mel could have worked at some fancy women's clinic, or just a better hospital where the celebs go to have their babies. I'm sure you wouldn't see the absolute worst of society there. . . wait, maybe there too, but people with money would maybe be preferable to deal with. Her husband was shot at a convenience store they frequented, but she described as not such a nice place. Hello? McFly? Don't frequent those kinds of places! I live in OKC, in a decent neighborhood, but a few miles from here is a convenience store I never would go to, even if it's on my way. I'm not stupid. Bad shit happens anywhere, so to blame the whole city for your husband's death is just beyond stupid. Couldn't afford a better area of town to live? Maybe if you weren't spending $200 for jeans, $600 for boots, $400 for highlights and $60-80k on a car you might be able to afford slightly better digs. But seeing as how her deceased husband was a Dr. I'm sure money was no issue. Just stupidity.

I'm not a nurse, never wanted to be one, but my sister is a medical assistant in the terminal/difficult patient ward, has been for 4 years. I've heard stories. I have friends who are nurses. I've heard lots of stories to know nursing takes a special breed of people who deserve the utmost respect. My 120 pound sister had to restrain a 300 pound man who was off his meds, and help hadn't arrived yet, so just keeping him from hurting himself, others and herself was difficult enough. He bit her. As in tried to take a chunk of her arm off, and she had 14 stitches and a tenantus shot. I get the medical field can be difficult to endure, which is why you gotta be made of special sauce to make it. It's not all sunshine and butterflies. Even if you work Labor & Delivery, babies die, mothers die, bad shit happens. If you can't take it, you're in the wrong damn field. So when Mel whines constantly in the first few chapters to her sister how terrible it is to work as a nurse, it left me thinking 'Thank God she's a fictional character who doesn't really work with the public.' No one ever said medicine would be easy, that's why you get paid big bucks (and nurses and doctors do - maybe not enough for the shit you have to put up with, but you do). Mel felt like one of those stupid real housewives shows, complaining about all kinds of bad stuff that happens to her while worrying about how she looks. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to how much I hated her. She wants a change, to go a little rustic for a while. Talk about piss poor planning and stupid to just go off the pictures some one has sent you. Ranting about how backwards the town was to the people in the town was insulting. If I was any of those people she was complaining to, I'd have told her to get her ass back to LA. She can't be naive and sweet while complaining about how terrible the town is. She can't be smart and able to take care of herself if she doesn't do the most basic planning. I could go on and on about how much I hated Mel.

Jack was no better. At first I thought he might be okay. But then he 'goes for a drink in Crystal River.' Which is code for I'm gonna go fuck some big old blonde I've been seeing for the last 2 years for shits and giggles. He doesn't even like her. The way he thinks of her is pathetic, but still, he fucks her. Twice. Nice, huh? Some sensitivity there. Then he has the decency to tell her it can't go on, even if there's no one else yet, 'there's the hope of someone else' (swiped from one of my favorite movies - You've Got Mail). The way he tells her is so crass and . . . and. . . OOOOHHHH@!! It just makes me so mad! Tell me this doesn't sound like an asshole thing to say:

"That's the thing, he said. I have needs, and right now I think what I need is completely different from what I've needed in the past. I could easily keep coming here Charmaine, I sure don't suffer. You're awful good to me."

He goes on to say things have basically changed for him. Nice. Sweet, you say? I'm sorry, how does 'even though I'm thinking about someone else but I could keep coming here anyway, it's easy,' even remotely sound nice? If he was such a nice guy, it would be more than sex between him and Charmaine, even if he didn't want a relationship. If he was such a nice guy, one night stands would be better. Or celibacy, how about some abstaining? No, our hero leads a woman on for 2 years, knowing Charmaine feels more for him than he does her, but hey, it's easy and he has needs. Yuck. He has an encounter with another woman who's apparently hot to trot for him, an younger alcoholic loser who he asks to clean up Mel's cabin, and his description of her is just down right judgmental and mean. You may not like someone, but don't be nice to them and ask them for help to their face while you're sneering at them behind their back.

All this after 3 hours of the audio. I kept swearing and even threw a few things (nothing breakable but it's why I stopped - not worth it) in frustration with this book. There was tons of telling, not so much showing. It all sounded like a narrative of poor pitiful mountain life, and not a romance at all.

If you want a sweet romance with little to no sex in it, but still want decent to good plot lines with well developed characters, I'd push you towards Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove series. It's the only series of hers I've read, but I've read at least 10 of them. While I didn't jump up and down for joy while reading them, they were nice. No stupid heroines or crass heroes. Nice and decent people with real life problems in a small coastal town. This is what I wanted from this series. It's what I thought I was getting. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this book.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Sally rated it 2 of 5 stars

Thank goodness this was cheap. It's like Twilight for adults with baby driven wish fulfillment fantasies.

I found the characters likeable and empathetic, unfortunately too much so. The plot was lame, the premise of why the protagonist stayed on in the town totally unbelievable, the dialogue simplistic and the whole book consistently told what was going on rather than showing us. All conflict was resolved within a few paragraphs, if not sentences, and I was accurately predicting the progress of th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Modern Romance Readers

Shelves: romance-contemporary, own, series-virgin_river_carr, favorites, 2007, reviewed, theme-hero_heartthrob, theme-pregnancy, 2011, theme-former_military, 2013

Originally read this book in 2007 and had it marked as one of my favorites!

Re-read this story July 2011 and though I still enjoyed it, I found Mel's character got on my nerves this time around. Loved Jack! His warmth carried throughout the book.

Still a nicely written story and I love how the author weaves a tale, incorporating other small stories into one.

I'm not changing my initial rating of 5 stars from 2007, but if I were to rate this from my 2011 read, would be a strong 4 stars only.

Rere...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 24, 2008 KC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2008 Christel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any romance reader

At first this book started slow for me, but it got better till I could not put it down. I really enjoy the way she writes and I am hoping that all the other ones in this series are just as good. I really enjoyed the way she developed the characters and added supporting ones also.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 02, 2008 Sayuri_x rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp, 2008

Virgin River is the story of midwife, Melinda Monroe, who, after her husband’s sudden and violent death, moves to the back country village of Virgin River. Hoping to find some peace and find her life again, she sells everything and moves sight unseen. Suffice to say, when she arrives in the sleepy little burg it’s not all ‘Stars Hollow’ like she imagined, more like ‘Deliverance.’ The rent-free cabin that was part of her salary is inhabitable and the Doctor she is there to help, doesn’t want her...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2008 Christa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

I loved this book. The sense of community and small town America was really appealing to me and left me feeling nostalgic for the small towns in which I have lived. The characters were enjoyable, especially the hero, Jack - he was so patient and willing to take care of everyone while also being very masculine and appealing. I liked the heroine also, and enjoyed watching not only her relationship with Jack develop, but also the one with the crusty town doctor. I am getting ready to read the next...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2008 Pygmy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, never_to_finish

A generic "strong" female with "heart-shaped lips" and a fabulous figure + generic whitebread cleft-chin He-Man gentleman (even when hooking up!) with a soft spot for babies + a po-dunk town where nothing happens == boring book!

These people have no personality. Where's the humor? If not that, where's the intellectual intelligence? Or if not that, where's the sarcasm, the quirky attitudes, or some kind of color?? Or even if the characters were supposed to be ridiculously nice and laid-back, put t...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2008 Eastofoz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-with-cooties, contemporary

Hokey Americana. Never seen so many pregnant women in such a small area.

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Elise-all things bright and shiny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-book, my-man-tree, favorite-series, a-favorite, ganked-recommended

I was trolling several of my friends book lists looking for something romantic and good. I had read several erotica books in a row and needed something to cleanse my palatte. This certainly fit the bill. Melinda, Mel for short, is a nurse practioner and midwife trying to escape the painful memory of her murdered husband. They had a great life, he was a good and loving husband and a doctor to boot. She decided to try country medicine and got more than she bargained for. Jack Sheridan is an ex-Mar...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Rachel Brand rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, romance, robyn-carr, contemporary, 2013, new-authors-2013, 50-states-2013, kindle-freebies-cheapies-2013, almost-favourites

Whether you're a devoted romance reader or simply someone who trawls book websites for recommendations, it's hard not to have come across Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. This book has over 6,700 ratings on GoodReads, and they vary drastically. I was unsure as to whether I'd enjoy this book or not, given that some people were addicted to the small town of Virgin River while others claimed that Mel was too much of a Mary Sue and that they grew tired of the midwifery tales. Me? I'm pretty squeami...more Whether you're a devoted romance reader or simply someone who trawls book websites for recommendations, it's hard not to have come across Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. This book has over 6,700 ratings on GoodReads, and they vary drastically. I was unsure as to whether I'd enjoy this book or not, given that some people were addicted to the small town of Virgin River while others claimed that Mel was too much of a Mary Sue and that they grew tired of the midwifery tales. Me? I'm pretty squeamish when it comes to blood or sick, but not babies, so I wasn't worried about that element. I can see why women who aren't determined to settle down and have a family would struggle to relate to some of the characters in this book, but this book suited me perfectly.

Mel's story captured me right from the start of the novel. I like to say I grew up in the country, but the little Scottish village I grew up in is a far cry from Virgin River. Stick me somewhere with no public transport and a falling apart cabin and I'd struggle just as much as Mel. Given how many people find escapism in Amish fiction, I'm sure a lot of women dream of finding peace in a small town and come across the same issues Mel did. But there's more to Mel than just her mistaken belief that life in the country is easier. Maybe I was just PMS-ing, but I got a bit emotional when she thought about her late husband and the horrible event that took him away from her. The loss of her husband and her struggle to conceive felt incredibly real, making it impossible not to sympathise with her.

If anyone was a bit too Mary Sue-ish in this book, it's probably Jack, Mel's love interest. Jack runs the town's bar and ends up being Mel's first real friend in Virgin River. Jack has his own baggage from his time in the Marines, but the way that he was always there for Mel and always had the right thing to say occasionally felt a bit too perfect. That said, I did love the way that their romance blossomed out of their friendship. Even though I didn't fall in love with my best friend (although we became best friends after dating for a while) this is probably one of my favourite ways for relationships to develop in romance novels. Mel and Jack have seen each other at their worst and still fall in love.

Even if you're not a big fan of romance, the small-town setting and the inhabitants of Virgin River might well convince you to stick with this series for the long haul. There's the grumpy old doctor who is convinced he doesn't need any help from Mel, the two women who run the corner shop, the teenage boy who helps out in the bar and the numerous women who come to Mel for help with their babies. The one sub-plot that stuck with me long after I finished reading this book was the one featuring Ricky, the teenager who Jack employs to help serve food in the bar. He lives with his grandmother and Jack sort of becomes a father figure to him, but isn't completely prepared to deal with a teenage boy with hormones running rampant over a local girl. Although I'm not a massive fan of teenage romance sub-plots in my romance novels, I thought Ricky's relationship was a very realistic portrayal of how hard it is for teenagers to hold back from taking relationships too far, and how hormones and emotions sometimes push sensible logic out of the way. I have a feeling Ricky will appear in later books, so I'm intrigued to see where his story goes.

The one thing that I don't love about Robyn Carr's novels is her sex scenes. Although I prefer to read novels completely devoid of sex scenes, I don't mind them if they're brief and dwell more on the emotional connection between the characters (such as Barbara Delinsky's more recent novels) than the physical descriptions of body parts, simply for the fact that I find a lot of sex scenes awkward and laughable. Plus, romance novels have a habit of romanticising sex and making every sexual encounter between the hero and heroine perfect, which isn't how it is in real life. I think this book had a total of three sex scenes, which can easily be skipped over. And for those who prefer to avoid profanity, there were a few instances of swearing in this book.

Despite the perfect sex scenes and Jack's occasional Mary Sue behaviour, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love small-town settings and happy endings, so Virgin River was the perfect fit for me. I know that some of the events in this novel might have worked out better than they would have in real life, but sometimes we need a bit of escapism, and that's what Virgin River is for me. I'm now working my way through the audiobook of the second novel, Shelter Mountain, and I imagine I'll be hunting down the rest of the series in the near future. I highly recommend this series for fans of small-town stories and contemporary romance readers. 4.5*(less)

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Oct 27, 2010 ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane and Delicious Dee

Recommended to ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ by: BJ Rose

Shelves: author-carr-robyn, own, romance-contemporary

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked this book. Not happy that a 14yr old girl and a 16 yr old boy had sex in the book (side story), but at least it was dealt with responsibly. About 75% of the way through the book I got deja vu feeling like I'd read it before (although since I don't own a copy nor does the library and this copy was loaned to me, I don't know where I would have read it before).

Adding:
I've had to downgrade my rating from 5 stars to 3 for this because the series is getting on my nerves. Let me explain...more I really liked this book. Not happy that a 14yr old girl and a 16 yr old boy had sex in the book (side story), but at least it was dealt with responsibly. About 75% of the way through the book I got deja vu feeling like I'd read it before (although since I don't own a copy nor does the library and this copy was loaned to me, I don't know where I would have read it before).

Adding:
I've had to downgrade my rating from 5 stars to 3 for this because the series is getting on my nerves. Let me explain (spoiler alert)... in book 1 our heroine is a widow whose husband was murdered in a robbery. Can't forget that she's held at knife point by a lunatic drug addict looking for a fix and her new man has to shot him dead, point blank in the head. We have teen sex (girl is only 14!). Book 2 has said teen girl give birth, to a dead baby. Battered wife on the run with a 3 year old son arrives. Is taken in and cared for. Abusive ex shows up, grabs her by the hair and throws her down on the street then kicks the pregnant woman in the stomach, forcing her to miscarry the baby. If that's not enough, later he comes back to town after she divorced him and kidnaps her, ties her to a tree in the woods to set a trap to shoot her new boyfriend. In book 3 we have Jack's sister get raped by a serial rapist. Possible but unlikely since she's the ADA prosecutor and she couldn't put him away - he got off. Now he's mad and takes it out on her. Highly unlikely. After 60 pages of nothing but all that, the book finally moves back to Virgin River. Suddenly we have a date raped teen. But oh, wait. We get another date raped teen, and she's unaware how it happens because they used drugs on her, and she's pregnant and thankfully miscarries. So now our hero is trying to nurse his raped girlfriend back to health plus find the local teenage date-raper. If that's not enough, supernurse Mel has to get the entire commmunity of women mammogram's and of course, one of the women has advanced breast cancer. These are suppose to be romance novels!!!! A little drama or suspense I could deal with but the amount of tragedy that happens to women in this incredibly small community of 600 folks is staggering. The actual romance bits are good enough to keep me reading, but if the author keeps up all the abuse to women in the books, I'm going to quit reading the series. Shall I also mention that all the men are unbelievably good looking, nearly all of them are former marines, and can have sex multiple times all night long, every night. Talk about unrealistic! lol(less)

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Dec 31, 2010 Nim rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is really not the type of book I would pick off the shelf let alone read. Not only is it not a genre I read, but the story itself contained lots of elements I am just not interested in. However, the consistent good reviews gave me doubts and when it started to rain and I felt myself wanting a cozy book to curl up with, I reached for Virgin River and took the plunge.

I'm glad I gave this book the chance. It was purely a comfort read and though I wasn't blown away, I did enjoy reading about th...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary, read-in-2010, read-own, ebooks, favorites

After sitting on my shelf for over a year I finally picked up Virgin River and it was a very enjoyable read. I totally fell in love with Jack and Mel. Being a city girl, Mel moved to Virgin River hoping to start a new life and mend her aching heart of the memories of her late husbands death. What she finds is a gentle and patient man who falls in love with her even if he has to take second place in her heart. How romantic is that?

Jack was so sweet and did not force Mel into anything she wasn't...more

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Nov 30, 2010 Brandy *Ahviel* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, contemporary, library-shelf, robyn-carr

I have to say that I loved this book. At first I was not sure how I was going to like it, but in the end it turned out really well. Some of the characters I just could not relate too. However as the story progressed I became familiar with who they were and I actually could visualize these people in a small town. I loved how the HEA turned out. It is a story about forgiving, acceptance and love. Which all three are important in dealing with yourself as well as with other in your life

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Jan 31, 2011 Erika Badass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: midwifes-romance-fbi, kindle, contemporary-romance

3.5/5. I love Jack.
I liked Melinda, and I felt for her.
She had one TSTL moment, and I wanted to slap her, but other than that she was a good lead, and the growth and grief were well done.

I loved the cast of characters, especially Preacher and Doc.

I didn't love the Sex between Lizzie and crap I forgot his name. The 16 year old on the verge of manhood. With Lizzie. Who was 14. 14! ICk. Didn't like to read it. Didn't. Nope. Yuck.

I get this was contemporary romance, and I think I kept expecting (Ha...more

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Feb 05, 2011 TJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, chic-lit

There is nothing particularly wrong with this book (although I thought the storyline that included sex between a 16 and a 14 year old was borderline offensive and really icked me out). The story itself is fine, I liked it. There just wasn't anything particularly great about the book, nothing that would make me keep reading, make me sigh or choose to come back for more.

Because the premise is promising, however, I will try the next in the series.

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Jul 30, 2012 Kimberly Kincaid added it

This was my first dive into both Robyn Carr's writing and the Virgin River books, but with all the fuss, I knew I'd be remiss without reading asap. The small town charm of Virgin River is infectious and lovely. I got a wonderful sense of community and thought the setting was very well fleshed out and appealing. It's easy to see that a long-term series stemmed from this first book. There's a lot to draw from, for sure. If you like the small town setting and a sweet, enduring love story, this is r...more

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Feb 23, 2009 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

A moving romance that has the main character, Melinda Monroe dealing with the moving forward aspect after the death of a beloved spouse. Intent on making a clean break from the environment that had been fueling her grief, she comes to Virgin River; a small rural community that is completely opposite of her LA home. Melinda believes that living in the country with pleasant “country folk” with soothing scenic views and a slow and steady lifestyle that she will begin to heal.
She arrives finding h...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Kim Sasso rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 50-by-50

Well, this book has really taught me a thing or two about making assumptions. I thought all those sweet ladies at my bookstore were hooked on some little candy-coated slice-of -town-life books....and they are, but...dayum! Once in a while there is some rather unexpectedly steamy action going down in this little town!

That being said, if this first book in the series is any indication, Carr really does do a fine job of creating the town of Virgin River and populating it with likable characters. F...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Joy Cagil rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book of the Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr. The story centers around the main character of Melinda Monroe, nurse-practitioner and midwife, who moves to Virgin River, because of her disenchantment with the crime in LA and what she had to face while working in a busy city hospital.

Widowed a few months ago and still grieving, Mel accepts an offer to become an assistant to the doctor in a little town, she heads to Virgin River only to find that the offer had major holes, and th...more This is the first book of the Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr. The story centers around the main character of Melinda Monroe, nurse-practitioner and midwife, who moves to Virgin River, because of her disenchantment with the crime in LA and what she had to face while working in a busy city hospital.

Widowed a few months ago and still grieving, Mel accepts an offer to become an assistant to the doctor in a little town, she heads to Virgin River only to find that the offer had major holes, and the doctor didn’t actually want her. She feels she has made a big mistake and is about to leave, she finds a tiny baby, abandoned on the doctor’s front porch.

Enter a handsome former marine and owner of the only restaurant-bar in town and the need of the community for her services, Mel decides to stay in Virgin River.

The book is full of zany side characters, whose quirks are sometimes enhanced to an annoying degree, although in general, the characterization is done well enough. Isn’t it something that when portraying small-town characters, some writers take the craft to unexpected altitudes?

Speaking of characters, I had a difficult time siding with Mel who, for a strong woman, was indecisive and had pathetic expectations from a small town, such as the specifics of her hair-do and fancy boots.

As to the plot, acceptable though it is, I saw several holes in it, but to talk about them would be giving away the story. All I can say is that I thought, from time to time, the author pushed the characters around like puppets because of her own reasons and did not give them the freedom their characteristics dictated. Moreover, she explained Mel’s medically impossible pregnancy as being due to the water in Virgin River. Was this story in the fantasy genre? I didn’t think so up to that explanation.

Yet, the story is attention-grabbing enough to make the reader keep on reading, but those who know enough to be aware of the flaws can be disappointed. I am surprised that this famous-enough author is an award-winner.
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Apr 25, 2013 Mindy Hardwick rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more. I'd read the reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads. I like small town romances, especially the river town idea. But, I had a really hard time enjoying this story. The hero just didn't resonate as true to me. He's served in the military, yet this is not developed. It's mentioned at times in the story, but it doesn't seem to be a part of his character at all. In fact, the hero barely seems to have a character arc at all which was one of my main complaints wit...more

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Apr 05, 2013 B_Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ein kleiner Einblick

Mel ist fertig mit den Nerven, die Hektik der Großstadt setzt ihr arg zu und die Dinge, mit denen sie als Krankenschwester in der Notfallklinik konfrontiert wird, belasten sie sehr. Zudem hat sie einen schweren Schicksalsschlag erlitten und ihren Mann verloren. All diese Dinge treiben Mel zu einer Entscheidung: Sie packt kurzerhand ihre Taschen und reist in das kleine, abgelegene Virgin River. Einer Annonce zufolge soll der hier tätige Arzt eine Unterstützung benötigen und ei...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Charlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Coming off of several rather...ahem...smutty books, this one was like a breath of fresh air. Not that there's anything wrong with smut - in fact I quite enjoy it - I think I just needed something different.

Virgin River is the story of Mel, a nurse/practitioner/midwife who leaves LA to come to a small town of 600 people in the mountains. Mel comes with a broken heart she's hoping to, if not mend, at least be distracted from by some meaningful work. Although she doesn't plan to stay once she sees...more

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About Robyn Carr

A RITA award-winning author of 25 novels, Robyn Carr has found a whole new following with her stories about the independent women and former marines of Virgin River."

RT's Career Achievement Best Author Award winner (2010) for Contemporary Romance.

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Books by Robyn Carr

A Virgin River Christmas (Virgin River, #4)

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Quotes from Virgin River

“He reached out and lightly touched her hair. There’s no way, he thought. I’m sunk. And my heart hasn’t beat the same since she walked into town.” — 23 people liked it

“Did we have some understanding? That I was going to follow your nonmedical orders? Because I don't recall that in my personal life, I'm obligated to do everything you tell me."

"Guess you're not obligated to use your brain in your personal life, either."

"I filled your truck up with gas, you old pain in the ass."

"I didn't get caught in that piece of shit foreign job of yours, you obstinate little strumpet."

And she laughed at him so hard, tears came to her eyes and she had to leave, laughing all the way back to her cabin.

-Mel and Doc” — 17 people liked it

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