A Virgin River Christmas (Virgin River, #4)

by Robyn Carr

book data

143 ratings, 4.02 average rating, 35 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		32%
4		40%
3		23%
2		2%
1		0%

edit

published

November 1st 2008 by Mira

binding

Mass Market Paperback, 285 pages

url

http://www.robyncarr.com/virgin_river_ch...

characters

Marcie Sullivan, Ian Buchanan

setting

The United States

isbn

0778325733 (isbn13: 9780778325734)

description

Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. This Christmas she's come to Virgin River to find the man who saved his lif...more

find at: Amazon | Half.com | Barnes & Noble | Abebooks | compare prices…

new topic
discuss this book

topics	posts	views	last activity
100+ Book Challenge: Eyre's 2009 Books	136	242	48 minutes ago
Contemporary Romance: * Favorites?	35	122	4 days ago, 05:09PM
Alpha Heroes &...: Romance Novel Title Game	451	219	11 days ago, 09:16PM
500+ book challenge: BJ's 2009 Book Challenge	5	20	31 days ago, 09:15PM
Contemporary Romance: Robyn Carr	35	45	03/22/2009 07:45AM

friend reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

Best Ever Contemporary Romance Books

239 books | 354 voters

More lists...

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 217)

sort: default (?) | date
filters: all | text-only

06/15/08

Isis FG rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, author--robyn-carr, info--full, reviewed, romance--drama, series--virgin-river, z2008-july-dec

Read in October, 2008

recommended to Isis FG by: continuation of a series

I have to admit I had an initial smidge of disappointment when I realized this book didn't feature existing Virgin River characters, but introduced two new ones. But I quickly got over it because the new characters were interesting, and the old ones had big enough supporting roles to make you feel the connection to the previous books.

Like the other books, this one has a slight military theme in the characters. Marcie Sullivan was widowed a year ago when her Marine husband Bobby die...more I have to admit I had an initial smidge of disappointment when I realized this book didn't feature existing Virgin River characters, but introduced two new ones. But I quickly got over it because the new characters were interesting, and the old ones had big enough supporting roles to make you feel the connection to the previous books.

Like the other books, this one has a slight military theme in the characters. Marcie Sullivan was widowed a year ago when her Marine husband Bobby died three years after sustaining devastating injuries in Iraq. Since then, she's felt stuck in a rut, unable to go forward, and obviously unable to go back. And she can't stop thinking that if she could find Bobby's best friend and superior, Ian Buchanan, and settle some things with him, that maybe she'd finally find her way. She'd only ever met him a few times, but she'd come to know him through the letters they'd exchanged and from what Bobby had told her about him. But then Ian had disappeared after he left the Marines not long after Bobby's injury, and Marcie knows he must be hiding from the emotional scars he's suffered. She thinks if she can just find him and talk to him, help him move on, then she would be able to as well. But things don't go quite a planned when she finally does manage to locate him near the quaint mountain town of Virgin River.

True, this is a romance, but honestly, it doesn't come into play until fairly late in the book. A lot of this story is about the characters and their emotional dramas. There were a couple scenes that brought tears to my eyes - especially the one where Marcie flashes back to Bobby's death. I had to go dig up some tissues. That was so sad.

But even though the romance is late in developing, this was an enjoyable book to read (for romance readers). The characters are fantastic. I liked Marcie - though I wished she'd learned to stand up to her sister a little better. And Ian was rather interesting, with his wild, mountain-man look, but gentle and kind heart, and an amazing singing voice. He's such a contradiction. And though they didn't hook up till late, you could feel the connection between Ian and Marcie from the start. They just had to work their way to the right point.

I also really enjoyed how the characters from past Virgin River books had more than just passing roles. Jack and Mel had a fairly active part of the story, and Preacher, Paige, Mike and Bree all had varying smaller roles. It was great to catch up with all those characters.

I had only one or two quibbles with things. I wished the ending had been a little more settled, maybe an epilogue to give us some idea how things went with Ian's reentry into the normal world. Hopefully Carr with update us on them in the upcoming new set of VC books. The only other thing that bothered me was that once Marcie and Ian did hook up, they were together a lot, but there was never once a mention of birth control. It just annoyed me a little bit to have something that important ignored.

Anyway, A Virgin River Christmas is a nice edition to the Virgin River series. It's a great people story with just enough romance to satisfy those of us who like our HEA's. And after read the sneak peak of Second Chance Pass, the upcoming VC novel, I can't wait to read it!(less)

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

2 comments

06/15/08

Auntee rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary-romance

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of the series

This was a really sweet, tender romance, that had me in tears sometimes, but put a smile on my face at the end.

This is the story of Marcie Sullivan, a young widow, and former Marine Ian Buchanan. Marcie recently lost her Marine husband, Bobby, due to injuries he suffered while serving in Iraq. Bobby and Marcie were childhood buddies, then sweethearts, before marrying as teenagers. Bobby enlisted in the military, while Marcie worked in an insurance office. They were in love and had...more This was a really sweet, tender romance, that had me in tears sometimes, but put a smile on my face at the end.

This is the story of Marcie Sullivan, a young widow, and former Marine Ian Buchanan. Marcie recently lost her Marine husband, Bobby, due to injuries he suffered while serving in Iraq. Bobby and Marcie were childhood buddies, then sweethearts, before marrying as teenagers. Bobby enlisted in the military, while Marcie worked in an insurance office. They were in love and had a bright future ahead of them until one day Bobby was severly injured in Iraq from a car bomb explosion. If it wasn't for his Sergeant and best friend, Ian Buchanan, who hauled him to safety amidst enemy fire, he surely would have died on the streets of Fallujah. And even though Bobby never recovered from his injuries, and basically was totally incapacitated, Marcie was grateful for the additional three years she got to spend taking care of Bobby and just being with him. It's been a year since Bobby's death, and Marcie would like to move forward with her life, and get a little closure. But in order to do that, she needs to track down her husband's best friend from the military, Ian Buchanan, and thank him again for saving Bobby and give him a few momentos she thinks Bobby would like him to have. It might be a tall order, because it seems Ian has dropped off the face of the earth.

Since that day in Fallujah 4 years ago, Ian's life hasn't been the same. He had planned to serve 20 years in the Marines, but after he saved Bobby and sentenced him to a life as a total invalid, he suffered such enormous guilt that he let it wreck his life and his career. Once a well-liked and respected man with a bright future, he broke up with his fiancee, got in meaningless fights with other soldiers, and was basically forced out of the Marines. He wishes he had let Bobby die in Fallujah, thinking he has sentenced him and his family to more grief than they would have suffered if he had just died on the battlefield. Ian decides to just drop out of life for a while, living a minimal existence selling firewood on a mountaintop near the small California town of Virgin River.

With a little luck and some dogged persistence, Marcie tracks Ian to the quaint little town of Vigin River. She hears rumors about a mountain man who likes to whistle and sing and lives hermit-like in a small cabin just outside of town. Could this be Ian?

When Marcie meets up with Ian, he is almost unrecognizable from the picture of the handsome man she carries with her. With his dark hair tied back in a long ponytail, a bushy red beard and wearing tattered clothes, and living in a small one room cabin without indoor plumbing, Ian looks and acts like a dropout from life. He tells Marcie he just wants to be left alone, but of course Marcie, being the stubborn girl she is, will not hear of it. She's determined to break through all the walls Ian has placed around himself. She only has a few weeks before she's due home for Christmas--will that be enough time for her to convince Ian to rejoin the world and start living again? And can she help Ian heal his wounded heart? And will Marcie learn something about herself in the process?

While this wasn't my favorite of all the Virgin River books, it certainly was enjoyable. It was fun to revisit that small California town again--after Marcie's first encounter with some of the residents, it was like I never left. Some of the past characters have small roles, including Preacher and Paige, Mike and Brie, Doc, and with larger roles, Mel and Jack. ********possible spoiler******************* I like that a romance between Marcie and Ian didn't happen right away, although now that I think of it, 10 days is pretty fast! But it just seemed that Marcie and Ian got to know a lot about each other in that time, and each also knew a lot about the other through Bobby's letters home and Marcie's letters to Bobby. And once Ian came home with a hair-cut and a closely trimmed beard, I knew the fireworks would start to happen between the two! And they did--they provided a lot of 'heat' for that small, one-room cabin! There were some tear-jerking moments too, when Marcie relates the circumstances of Bobby's death, and when Ian lets Marcie go home for Christmas. I wanted him to beg her to stay!*********************************************************** The ending was heart-warming and beautiful, but I could have used a few pages more, to let me in on what would happen in the future. But that is not a problem--I'm sure Robyn Carr will cover that ground in her next Virgin River novel, titled "Second Chance Pass" due out in February 2009. That's one I can't wait to read!(less)

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

8 comments

07/22/08

KarLynP rated it:

bookshelves: read-2008

Read in November, 2008

Finished it in one sitting. Loved it! I can't wait for the next in this series. I really loved Marcie as a heroine, her humor and take on life was so refreshing. Her willingness to adapt to the rugged lifestyle of the mountains made for several good laughs. The premise of her being in Virigin River to help her dead husbands best friend (Ian) was a bit of a stretch, but it really worked. When they finally came together I melted. This book is a stand alone so you don't need to read the series ...more

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

9 comments

08/06/08

Kym rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary-or-chick-lit

Read in August, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of the Virgin River Series

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

When her husband returns home from Iraq battered and broken, with no chance of a full recovery, Marcie Sullivan remains strong. She doesn’t mourn prematurely or ask herself “What if?” Instead, Marcy treasures the time that she and Bobby did have together, and tries to make the rest of his life a comfortable one. She visits him in the hospital, reads him stories, and talks to him about her day. And at home, she writes to his best friend from the Marine Corps, Ian Buchanan—a soldier from t...more When her husband returns home from Iraq battered and broken, with no chance of a full recovery, Marcie Sullivan remains strong. She doesn’t mourn prematurely or ask herself “What if?” Instead, Marcy treasures the time that she and Bobby did have together, and tries to make the rest of his life a comfortable one. She visits him in the hospital, reads him stories, and talks to him about her day. And at home, she writes to his best friend from the Marine Corps, Ian Buchanan—a soldier from the same small California town who was so strong and noble he made Bobby want to be a career soldier, even knowing the consequences. Though she doesn’t know Ian that well, Marcie feels a connection to him. He’s the one who saved Bobby’s life by carrying him to safety after a bomb exploded. And Bobby had written to her of Ian, telling her how much he admired the older soldier. It seems only natural to Marcie to form a connection with the man who had such an influence over her husband, and when Ian disappears with no notice or warning, Marcie decides to go after him. Since he was last seen in rural California, she leaves home—against the wishes of her family—to find this man and bring some closure to that part of her life.

Ian Buchanan doesn’t want to remember what happened back in Fallujah, and the repercussions of his decision to save his best friend’s life, when the result was leaving Bobby with no life at all. Ian’s guilt is insurmountable. He earned medals for something that he deems unforgivable. So he retreats into the woods of California, and takes up with an old man who has plenty of land and no help to mind it. When the old man dies, leaving Ian his rustic cabin, which lacks indoor plumbing and other basic necessities, Ian’s fine with it. It’s what he deserves after the life that he’s led, and he’s fine with the solitary life that it brings. When Marcie shows up at his front door, stirring up the past and uncovering memories he’d rather keep buried, he’s furious. He roars at her and leaves her in the snow. But gradually, with a persistence and stubbornness that rivals his own, Marcie begins to break down the walls that Ian has built around himself. And to help him learn that the past can’t hurt you in the present.

When I picked up A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS, I was at first a little startled that I didn’t recognize Marcie and Ian from the previous books. But this book had the same heart, warmth, and richness that I’ve come to expect from this series, and Marcie was every inch the Virgin River heroine. These female protagonists are strong, level headed, and determined. If they want something, there’s no getting in their way, 200-pound marine or no. In order to put the past behind her, Marcie knew that she needed to make sense of why her husband’s best friend would just fall off the face of the earth. It was important to her to have closure, and to be sure that Ian was okay, since he was the one who made sure that Bobby was. Forget the fact that a man who moves to the woods and lives on six hundred acres of land by himself doesn’t want to be found. Marcie has a goal, and she won’t rest until she attains it. And Ian, like the other Virgin River heroes, is a proud, protective hero whose whole life is thrown into question by what happened to him at war. He retreats so that he can find himself, and even knowing that isolation isn’t a long-term solution, doesn’t stop him from living in the moment. It takes Marcie’s determination to pull him back into the land of the living, and I enjoyed every minute of these two battling it out.

A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS might take a little getting used to for those used to the format established in VIRGIN RIVER, SHELTER MOUNTAIN, and WHISPERING ROCK, but I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy the journey. You’ll see some familiar characters in A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS, but really this book just continues to build on the strong community foundation that Robyn Carr continues to perfect in this fantastic dramatic series. I’ve been a fan of Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series since the eponymous first book, and I’ve always described the series as Gilmore Girls with a more dark and twisty edge. If you love stories written with depth, heart, and an established sense of community, A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS will be an excellent choice.

For fans of the series, this book also includes a snippet from the next book Second Chance Pass, which is about ***** SPOILERS AHEAD*** stop now if you don't want to know.

Vanessa and Paul (finally!)

Next up in this series are:
Second Chance Pass, February 2009
Temptation Ridge, March 2009
Paradise Valley, April 2009(less)

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

24 comments

06/15/08

Kathrynn rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, own, reviewed, romance-modern, series-virgin_river_carr, theme-christmas

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of the Virgin River Series

There wasn't a whole lot to this short book (285 pages) and there was some filler left in the story (explaining something, then explaining it again) or possibly the book needed a good edit.

The main characters were all right. Ian turned himself into a recluse and chose to live--alone--on the mountain in a cabin without any amenities. He was almost barbaric with the roaring... Marcie's character was very likable and I admired her fortitude in sticking with her goal of finding Ian-...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

3 comments

11/29/08

Christa rated it:

bookshelves: booksfree-com

Read in November, 2008

This was a very sweet, tender love story that seemed entirely appropriate for a Christmas book. I didn't like it quite as well as the three previous books in the series, but it was still a wonderful story. I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series.

It has been a year since the death of her husband, but Marcie Sullivan is just unable to move forward with her life. She feels that she needs closure that will come from locating her husband's best friend and former superior...more This was a very sweet, tender love story that seemed entirely appropriate for a Christmas book. I didn't like it quite as well as the three previous books in the series, but it was still a wonderful story. I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series.

It has been a year since the death of her husband, but Marcie Sullivan is just unable to move forward with her life. She feels that she needs closure that will come from locating her husband's best friend and former superior officer, Ian Buchanan. Four years ago, Ian risked his life to save Bobby in Iraq. Bobby suffered paralysis and extreme brain damage, and after one visit to Bobby four years ago, Ian broke off contact and disappeared. Marcie travels through numerous small California mountain towns in search of Ian after hearing that he is living as a hermit in the woods. Spending an entire month searching exhausts Marcie and her finances, but she finally finds Ian, who is extremely unfriendly and unwilling to talk to her. When he realizes that she is ill, Ian reluctantly takes Marcie in and cares for her. Ian feels that he did Bobby an injustice by saving his life only to sentence him to three years of total impairment, and he is unable to get past this. Ian has other issues that have helped to cause his reclusive behavior. As Marcie and Ian spend the enforced time together while she recovers, they get to know and care for one another. After they become intimately involved, Ian will have to decide if he is willing to risk being part of the world again in order to continue a relationship with Marcie.

This was an emotional, touching book. The reason I did not like this book quite as much as the others in the series is that it did not have enough closure for me. I felt that Ian still had too much doubt about himself and whether he could have a successful relationship with Marcie. I would also have liked to see the story continue enough to give some idea of what Ian planned to do with his future. I hope that the next books will give a little more information about what is happening to Ian and Marcie. It was wonderful to read a bit more about the Virgin River characters from the previous books of this great series.

(less)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

2 comments

07/30/08

Pamela rated it:

bookshelves: keepers

Read in October, 2008

A sweet emotional read. Not as long as the other novels in the Virgin River series but it was still a satisfying story. Though, you are given glimpses of the "old crowd", this story is not about them. I really liked it and can hardly wait for the next in the series :)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

add a comment

10/03/08

Cherise rated it:

bookshelves: romance

Read in October, 2008

This is the 4th Virgin River book, though the time frame takes place approximately midway through the 3rd book, Whispering Rock. Marcie is a feisty little heroine and although she has been through the unthinkable she is a modern day Pollyanna. She never regretted that her husband came home to her half alive, instead she savored and embraced each second they were given.

Ian has his battle scars, but his emotional scars are what have him living a hermit like existence in the mountain...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

11/28/08

Diane rated it:

Read in November, 2008

Although I really do not read many romance novels, every once in a while, a feel good story is just what I need. Last month I read Robyn Carr's: Virgin River (#1 in a series), and really enjoyed the story. So much so, that I purchased: book #2 - Shelter Mountain, and Book #3 - Whispering Rock. I haven't read them yet.

Virgin River Christmas, is Book #4 of the series, however, I don't think I missed anything reading this one out of sequence.

In this story we meet Marcie Sull...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

11/22/08

Jodi rated it:

Read in December, 2008

Another in Carr's Virgin River series, these books are just solidly good romances where you like the characters and really want their relationship to succeed. Marcie has been trying to find Ian for a year. He was the man her husband had most admired, his Marine commander, but after he brought Bobby home, Ian disappeared, not just from the Marine Corps but from life. Bobby had finally passed away a year earlier but Marcie couldn't move on. It wasn't the grieving, it was that Ian had just disappea...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

10/30/08

Holly rated it:

bookshelves: robyn-carr

Almost four years ago, Ian Buchanan carried his friend and fellow soldier, under fire, to a medical transport helicopter. His heroism earned him the the highest honors from the US government but when he came home and saw Bobby's broken body, he believed he had selfishly sentenced him to a life trapped in a useless cage. He couldn't stand the guilt and left. Ian knew his friend had died that day in Fallujah, but he wouldn't leave his fallen brother behind. In his mind, he has not only sentenced B...more Almost four years ago, Ian Buchanan carried his friend and fellow soldier, under fire, to a medical transport helicopter. His heroism earned him the the highest honors from the US government but when he came home and saw Bobby's broken body, he believed he had selfishly sentenced him to a life trapped in a useless cage. He couldn't stand the guilt and left. Ian knew his friend had died that day in Fallujah, but he wouldn't leave his fallen brother behind. In his mind, he has not only sentenced Bobby to life as an invalid, he also destroyed the life of Bobby's young and vibrant wife. But Marcie Sullivan is incredibly grateful to Ian. Not only did her husband's best friend save his life, he enabled her to spend three more years with him before he finally passed on. Ian allowed her to have closure so often denied military widows and now, almost a year to the date of Bobby's death, she wants closure with Ian. She wants to know why her husband's best friend disappeared and she's determined to find him and let him know how much he meant to her and Bobby.

Just thinking about this book is making me teary eyed again. Get out your hanky because if you're anything like me, you're going to end up a sobbing wreck.

Marcie was the toughest little girl on the playground and as an adult, she's as tenacious as a bulldog. She fearlessly sets out on her mission to find Ian and she doesn't let things like no food and no gas money stop her. Her meandering search brings her to the town of Virgin River and lo and behold, she finds Ian. Only this mountainman looks nothing like the cleanshaven, handsome marine she remembers. This man is huge and scruffy plus a touch crazy. It appears Ian might have been isolated up in the mountains for too long because when he sees Marcie, he honest to God roars at her.

Make no mistake about it, Ian is a bum. Robyn Carr takes us out of the charmingly rustic, country elegance of Jack's Bar and drops us in hillbilly hell. Ian lives in a shack that doesn't have indoor plumbing and he hasn't had an actual shower in years. If he wants to hit the head during the winter he has to shovel his way through the snow to get to it. But not only does Robyn Carr make me forget all that, she makes me like it. She's woven another warm and cozy story and I loved every second of it. Ian is as trapped in his own pain as Bobby was trapped in his body and when Marcie bursts back into his world, I loved reading about how she slowly charmed him back to life. Most of A Virgin River Christmas is about Ian and Marcie, and the town of Virgin River and all of our favorite characters play only a small part. This begins during the middle of Whispering Rock and since all our favorite characters are busy during their own stories at the time, this leaves Ian and Marcie very much on their own. I actually appreciated that and I liked focusing on just one couple again and since Ian and Marcie were fun to be with, it was certainly not a hardship.

The humor in A Virgin River Christmas is still as fun as any previous book. This one will make you laugh and I suggest you enjoy it because this one will also make you cry like never before. I honestly wanted to grab onto any soldier I could find and just give them a hug and say, "thank you."

This story ends on a beautiful note. The happily ever after between Ian and Marcie still has a few rough roads ahead but I closed this book feeling better and happier than I did before reading it, so I highly recommend this as yet another must have book by Robyn Carr. A Virgin River Christmas will make you cry and and then make you laugh and will leave you with the knowledge and hope that everything will be all right again(less)

Like this review? yes

add a comment

01/18/09

Joy rated it:

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Joy by: Sissy Jacobson
recommends it for: women

A young marine widow hunts for the best friend of her casualty husband. She finds Ian transformed into a frightening hermit, but nearby is the community of Virgin River, welcoming her and ready to welcome Ian if he is willing.

Carr is writing a series about Virgin River. Based on this one book, with its warmth and emotional truth, I went searching for the rest of them.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

12/06/08

M.j. Fredrick rated it:

Read in December, 2008

I read this book in a day. It's a return to one of my favorite fictional towns. The heroine is a war widow looking for her husband's best friend, who ran off to the mountains when his best friend died. She's determined to draw him back into the living world and her stubbornness wins him over. Very sweet.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

11/28/08

Lori rated it:

Read in December, 2008

The 4th installment of the Virgin River series.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books, this one just sort of drug on for me. 285 took me 5 days to read and normally that kind of book would take 2 max. I just had to force myself to keep picking it up and to finish it. I actually ended up skipping alot of stuff.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

11/08/08

Nicholas rated it:

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in September, 2008

This was a nice "romantic" novel. I wouldn't have put it under that genera tho, its more of a story with a slight romantic twist.
The only downside to the book is a few repetitious parts. So it lost one star for that.
The story is about Marcie and her quest to find the marine that saved her husbands life and BS with him. Bobby, her husband was wounded while fighting in Iraq. His best friend Ian carried him to safety and he was shipped state side while Ian stayed in Iraq. Bob...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

02/26/09

BJ Rose rated it:

bookshelves: contemp-romance, keepers, series

Read in April, 2009

This book had such a slow start that I was beginning to wonder whether the magic of Virgin River was still there. But I should have had more faith, and watching Marcie's steadfastness slowly peel away the layers of Ian's anger and guilt was worth the wait. Marcie's reasoning at first seemed mainly emotional - and it was - but that also peels away in layers to get to the real emotions.

And there were emotions throughout. We know at the very beginning of the story that Marcie's husband ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

03/11/09

Tasha rated it:

Read in March, 2009

Kind of let down on this one too (like Whispering Rock) but still sweet. I didn't get the closure I would have liked which means it was probably more of a realistic ending than her others.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

04/27/09

Kathy rated it:

Read in February, 2009

This is a quick reading story about an Iraq widow seeking the man who saved her husband who later died from his wounds. She does find the man who has his own wounds to heal.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

02/17/09

Nancy Erskine rated it:

This book looks like'just' a Christmas book but it is - in fact - the 4th book of the Virgin River series. Hope you didn't miss it!

Nancy

Like this review? yes

add a comment