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Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 3,443 ratings · 209 reviews

Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town's abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his...more

Kindle Edition, 379 pages

Published December 29th 2009 by Mira (first published December 15th 2009)

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Dec 30, 2009 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the series

Shelves: romance-contemporary, series-virgin_river_carr, own, christian-romance, funny-at_times, theme-child_abuse, theme-hero_heartthrob, theme-loss_of_child, theme-mild, 2009

Fantastic! Wasn't sure how the author was going to mix a widowed pastor and an exotic dancer--with two kids--with this series, but she did it. In typical Virgin River style, previous characters popped in and out or were mentioned and briefly updated. Even the puppies from the anthology "That Holiday Feeling" that included Virgin River, #8, "Under the Christmas Tree" had a nice--surprising--update. :-)

Forbidden Falls starts about 7 months after the previous story, in July and only lasts to Octobe...more

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Dec 31, 2009 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-contemporary, published-2010, read-2009, steam-hot, steam-warm

One of the best in the series yet. And surprisingly, this one could be read as a stand-alone as there were no story arc's playing out in this book. Best yet, we get plenty of time with Noah and Ellie. I think they got 80% of the book. I also have to give this book credit for one of my favorite marriage proposals. Lets just say funny and touching!

Forbidden Falls is a wonderful romantic story of a young single paster in a new town who finds love with a woman from the other side of the tracks (so...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: VR series fans; anyone who loves sweet, emotional contemporary romance

Shelves: robyn-carr, contemporary-romance, favorite-romance-series, series-virgin-river, tattoos-piercings-body-art, 2010-reads, favorites, friends-to-lovers, hero-beta, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, heroine-i-adore, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, hh-widow-or-widower, small-town-lovin, hh-exotic-dancer-stripper, 5-stars, heroine-single-mom, hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl, heroine-bad-reputation-fallen, heroine-destitute-poor, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-badgirl-improper-scandalous, feel-good-read-pick-me-upper, heartwarming, sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face, tearjerker-tugs-at-heartstrings

5 stars – Contemporary Romance

Sitting down with a Virgin River novel is like eating your mom’s or grandma’s home cooking.....just pure comfort food for the soul!

I’m a huge fan of this series, but I’ll be honest and admit that I wasn’t too keen on a story with a minister for a romantic hero. I was worried that Carr might lean too heavily on the religious element...ala Catherine Anderson, which isn’t really my preference when reading romance books. Well, I’m happy to say that Carr blew me away yet...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the series; those who enjoy a hot contemporary

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 2009_reads, keepers, made_me_cry

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow oh wow and *sniff* *sniff*...what an excellent edition to the Virgin River series! I know my little review will not do this book justice, but I'm going to try. This book was probably my favorite one since Shelby and Luke's story (Temptation Ridge), and coincidentally, one of the subplots revolves around a big event in their lives. Have your kleenex handy, because this is one big emotional read.

The main focus of this story is about handsome, widowed, 35-year-old Presbyterian minister Noah Kin...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Carrie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, read-2010, small-town

I had to put Forbidden Falls down yesterday after getting about 160 pages into it by gritting my teeth (I then skimmed the rest). I've enjoyed the previous Virgin River books, except maybe not so much Second Chance Pass. But even that book didn't make me mad! Forbidden Falls is...YUCK! Tired, overused plot with huge holes in it, characters who don't make sense, married couples who keep big secrets or make major life-changing decisions without consulting spouse, women who are supposedly super int...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-4-star-romances, challenge-2013, entertainers-model-actor-dancer-etc, pet-or-animal-in-story, redhead-heroine, preacher-priest-etc

The ninth book in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. It's been a while since I've visited Virgin River and it was a nice to return finally. Noah Kincaid has come to Virgin River to start a church. He bought the old abandoned church and is fixing it up. But he needs help and he decides to find an assistant. She comes in the form of exotic dancer, Ellie Baldwin. A tough beautiful woman who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Ellie needs a respectable job so she can regain custody of her children....more

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Jan 05, 2010 Rossy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: keepers, challenge-144-books-2010, challenge-cont-series-2010, series-small-town

Fantastic story. Great set of characters and what a joy to see some old ones again. This book has made it into my favorites and a bit surprised by it. Normally i can't relate with characters so involved in religion. Thankfully, Carr wrote religion scenes that were necessary due to the heroe's vocation that were fundamental to the story without overdoing it. I can't wait for the next book!

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Sep 04, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

Another awesome book! I just loved this story about Ellie and Virgin River Pastor, Nick Kincaid. Ellie was such a lovable person, with the most positive attitude, who had real bad luck when it came to men. Her kids were the most important thing to her and with the help of Nick and her new friends of Virgin River she was able to get her kids back from her ex-husband and learn the truth of his identity.

Vanni and Paul were faced with a huge challenge of their own. As soon as they decided to finall...more

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Jan 09, 2010 Eyre rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Noah Kincaid buys Virgin River's dilapidated church on ebay and sets out to renovated it. He quickly realizes that he needs a pastor's assistant, but none of the applicants are appropriate. When Ellie Baldwin walks in for her interview, she looks nothing like the stereotypical church lady, but her story and her work ethic lead Noah to give her a chance.

This review won't be long. I just have to say that, as usual, I loved this visit to Virgin River. I got to catch up with some old friends as well...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Contemporary Romance Readers

Shelves: read-in-2010, romance, read-in-2011

One of the best stories in the series to date! If you are new, I'd suggest reading them in order, beginning with book one Deep In The Valley of the Grace Valley series. These books are well-written, on the edge of steamy without being explicit, and full of serious situations, this one deals with a woman who has wrongly been denied custody of her children. Characters from earlier in the series are present, but one could read Forbidden Falls without having read the others and fully understand and...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, heart-warming, hot-romances, servicemen, tough-chicks

VIRGIN RIVER IS ABUZZ WITH THE NEWS THAT A STRANGER BOUGHT THE TOWN'S ABANDONED CHURCH ON EBAY. THE BUYER, A YOUNG WIDOWED REVEREND, IS A LITTLE LIKE THE BUILDING ITSELF: IN NEED OF SOME TENDER LOVING CARE.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings and improbably candidate his way.

"Pastor's assistant" is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful Ellie Baldwin. With...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Jonetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Noah Kincaid, a Presbyterian minister, bought the boarded up church in Virgin River that Hope McCrea put up for sale on eBay. He hires an assistant, Ellie Baldwin, to help him get the building in shape to start holding services. Ellie is trying to regain custody of her children from her ex-husband, who is the children's stepfather. She lost custody because she was employed as a stripper at that time. Noah realizes he has a strong attraction to his new assistant, which is problematic for both of...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Suzanne Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr. Another story (or group of stories since they’re always about more than one couple) in the wildly popular Virgin River series. This one’s about Noah Kincaid, a reluctant Presbyterian minister and Ellie Baldwin, a voluptuous, sexy dresser (think Erin Brockovich) who applies for the job of pastoral assistant for tiny Virgin River’s old church, undergoing refurbishment.

Noah was encouraged to go to divinity school by his old friend and mentor. Meanwhile, he’s made a li...more Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr. Another story (or group of stories since they’re always about more than one couple) in the wildly popular Virgin River series. This one’s about Noah Kincaid, a reluctant Presbyterian minister and Ellie Baldwin, a voluptuous, sexy dresser (think Erin Brockovich) who applies for the job of pastoral assistant for tiny Virgin River’s old church, undergoing refurbishment.

Noah was encouraged to go to divinity school by his old friend and mentor. Meanwhile, he’s made a living working on the Seattle docks. But being a minister was the furthest thing from Noah’s mind–his father was a well-known television evangelist in the Midwest where his autocratic, hypocritical ways estranged Noah. However, retired minister George Davenport sees Noah’s potential and encourages the man. Now, Noah takes a mighty leap of faith and bids on Virgin River’s dilapidated old church which has been put up on eBay. The church needs everything, much more than Noah can do on his own, even though an inheritance from his mother will provide the necessities. Noah needs help, and it comes in a nicely rounded package named Ellie Baldwin. Ellie, a former stripper, has lost custody of her two children to her ex-husband and needs a respectable position so she can get them back. Her candor, willingness to do the dirtiest of jobs, and plight have Noah taking a chance on her, even though she’s much too appealing for his comfort.

But Ellie is sharp and a hard worker, and soon has Noah wondering how he managed without her. A growing attraction blossoms, and he wants to help Ellie regain custody of her daughter and son. He wants other things as well, but he must win over the wary young woman who has made poor choices in her life.

This is a delightful story of two engaging characters you want to root for. Secondary characters are re-introduced and the chemistry works so wonderfully you’ll want to pack your bags and move to Virgin River (if only it existed!) A beautiful wedding occurs (I won’t reveal whose) that is so touching. Pick up a copy of Forbidden Falls today.

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Dec 13, 2010 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

This is my first of Carr's "Virgin River" series and I am favorably impressed. Widowed Presbyterian minister Noah Kincaid buys an abandoned church on eBay, and sets out to renovate it and start his ministry. In need of an assistant, he hires single mom Ellie Baldwin--a former stripper and single mom with custody issues--her psycho ex has her kids.

The stories of other townsfolk interweave with Noah and Ellie's story, especially that of a young married couple with a toddler faced with the unexpec...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Kelly Moran rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews

Author Robyn Carr is a NY Times and USA Today best-selling author, as well as a RITA winner. Other titles include: Never Too Late, Runaway Mistress, Blue Skies, and The Wedding Party. She resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband.

Listed as Book Eight in the Virgin River Series, Forbidden Falls follows Ellie Baldwin- a woman trying to regain custody of her two children wrongfully taken from her, and Noah Kincaid- a widow minister who just purchased a run-down church. Noah is in desperate need...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Kath rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is actually Virgin River #8, not #9 as described. A little shorter than the rest, but I love the storyline between Noah and Ellie and the who ex-husband. Who would have thought that a minister and a stripper would be together, but it actually worked. There was more to Ellie than met the eye.

We didn't see as much from the other characters, other than mostly their interaction with Ellie and Noah, but there was an additional storyline with Vanni and Paul. Vanni happens to be my least favorite...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: romance readers who don't like racy books

Shelves: from-work-borders, contemporary-romance

I was happy to find that this book concentrated on the two major characters. I was uncertain whether to even try this book since the last one tried to cram in too many characters and story lines so that none were done justice. This one was much more focused. We did get to see some of the old characters where their stories were pertinent to the main characters here. I do like when new characters interact with previous characters but only if it directly affects the main characters. Once I've read...more

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May 18, 2011 Angelaroe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this series by Robyn Carr. They're good stories about a place I'd love to visit and they're filled with people I'd enjoy hanging out with. The fact that it's an extended series is awesome since in each book, I get to check in with those I've made friends with in other stories. Good stuff.

In this story, Noah Kincaid is dealing with major changes in his life He's moved to Virgin Rivers to rehab an old church and set up his first congregation after completing Seminary. His advertisement for...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Novee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Hmmm.. sebenarnya karakter2 d FF lumayan menarik.
Ellie, mantan penari telanjang yang punya 2 anak dari 2 pria berbeda di usia 25 th dan Noah, pendeta charming..
Aq suka karakter Ellie, meski pernah kerja sbg penari telanjang, tp dia sama sekali bkn cewe murahan.. dia hanyalah gadis polos dan tegar dg masa lalu yg kurang beruntung sehingga terpaksa melakukan pekerjaan yg bs dilakukan saat kedua anaknya sudah tidur..
Tp meski karakternya menarik, novel ini minim konflik yg seru dan menegangkan. sete...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Edna Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, contemporary-romance

What a great book to start off the new year! It was nice that majority of the novel was focused on Noah and Ellie's lives. Book 4, I believe was the last time this happened. Most would call Noah and Ellie an odd couple just from hearing their occupations but they fit together perfectly. A great pace with their relationship as well. From the work relationship to genuine friends to something more. There was also a light banter going on between them throughout the book, a quote from Ellie to best d...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Lawana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: robin-carr

Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr

Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town's abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his way.

Pastor's assistant is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful A...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Mom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-during-2010

Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town's abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his way.

"Pastor's assistant" is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful Alicia Baldwin. With her c...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Ally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ebook

I've not read book #8 as it's part of an anthology and it also wasn't available on Books on Board and I haven't tried to buy it anywhere else yet.

I really liked Forbidden Falls. I loved Noah! I thought he was a really great hero. It was also amusing to see someone buy an old church on ebay! Because you really can buy some weird and awesome things on there. Noah Kincaid is a 35 year old Presbyterian minister, he's decided to take on the old church and sets out to to make it something. But Noah c...more I've not read book #8 as it's part of an anthology and it also wasn't available on Books on Board and I haven't tried to buy it anywhere else yet.

I really liked Forbidden Falls. I loved Noah! I thought he was a really great hero. It was also amusing to see someone buy an old church on ebay! Because you really can buy some weird and awesome things on there. Noah Kincaid is a 35 year old Presbyterian minister, he's decided to take on the old church and sets out to to make it something. But Noah can't do it alone, he needs to hire a "pastor's assistant" someone who can not only handle the future secretarial work, but someone who can also help him with the old church. But Noah never expects to hire a young, beautiful, ex-erotic dancer who's a single mother fighting to regain custody of her two children, but that's what he gets when he hires Ellie Baldwin.

Ellie Baldwin is a spirited, funny, glass-half-full heroine who maintains an affectionate, generous, positive, and upbeat attitude, despite having a painful past and a hard life filled with bitter disappointments.

Throughout the whole story Noah is a really solid and great guy, he's determined to stand by Ellie no matter what happens or what people will think of there relationship. I’ll be honest and admit that I wasn’t too keen on a story with a minister for a romantic hero. I was worried that Ms Carr might lean too heavily on the religious element, I’m happy to say that Ms Carr did a great job with this sweet, touching, romantic tale.

Jo Ellen and Nick Finch had cameos in previous books but they, particularly Jo, had a big role in Ellie's life. Which I particularly enjoyed, as you see a new side to Jo and how she has such an impact on Ellie.

Paul and Vanni took up a small part of the book. They have a big turn of events happen in their lives and once again it seems like the fates were testing them. I have to be honest, I had a hard time with Vanni in the beginning of this story but the ending with how everything turned out nearly brought tears to my eyes.

The reason I've come to love Ms Carr's Virgin River series is that she writes her books about people who develop a deep bond of friendship that turns to passion, and of course, leads to love.

Favourite Quote: Ellie to Noah “girls tease the boys they like.”

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Jan 22, 2010 Tasha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: he-loves-me, romance

I love the Virgin River Series, that being said this was not my favorite. I liked the characters (I think) and I appreciate the story and you still get that small town, we take care of our own feel, but it seems like the last few books in this series just don't stand up to the first few. Don't get me wrong, still fun, solid read and I love Carr, but the first three books are the best ones.

In this one we have a single mom trying to get her kids back from their step-father and a preacher who's sta...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Natālija rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mf-contemporary

Robyn Carr never disappoints me. Some stories are better than the others, but overall she consistently delivers well written, heartwarming stories with amazing characters. This is a wonderful continuation of her "Virgin River" series, and, probably, my second favorite so far. You will fall in love with Noah & Ellie and will be pleased to catch up with the characters from her previous books.

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Feb 11, 2010 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, romance

This is only the second Virgin River book I’ve read, but it’s really not necessary to read these in order. Each book deals with a different couple, though you do get to visit with past characters and see where life has taken them. Overall, this was a sweet romance with a recurring theme of children and what parents will do for them. Not only is Ellie fighting for her kids, but another couple in town struggles with a decision about a child they’ve unexpectedly "inherited". My one complaint is tha...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Feel-Good, Small-Town Romance

Shelves: contemporary-romance, desert-island-keepers, read-2013

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" As always, it was a pleasure to be back in Virgin River, visiting with all my favorite characters in my favorite little town. Since Robyn Carr wrapped up most of the loose ends in the last book, Forbidden Falls was almost like starting over. All the main characters from past books were here in the background, but she brought some new characters to town and beefed up the roles of a couple of existing characters, while leaving more focus on the main hero and her...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" As always, it was a pleasure to be back in Virgin River, visiting with all my favorite characters in my favorite little town. Since Robyn Carr wrapped up most of the loose ends in the last book, Forbidden Falls was almost like starting over. All the main characters from past books were here in the background, but she brought some new characters to town and beefed up the roles of a couple of existing characters, while leaving more focus on the main hero and heroine than she usually does. The story was a tad less compelling than some of the previous books of the series, but no less enjoyable.

Noah is a Presbyterian minister who decided to buy the old Virgin River church when Hope McCrea put it up for sale on eBay. He definitely has his work cut out for him and immediately gets busy refurbishing it. Noah is the first main hero of this series who hasn't been a current or former member of the military, but he's still a lot like the other guys in Virgin River and fits right in. In my opinion, he leans toward being a beta hero, sweet, kind-hearted and gentle with just a dash of alpha protectiveness when it comes to Ellie and her kids. He totally had me the instant he picked up Lucy, an injured, half-dead dog from the side of the road and paid the outrageous vet bills to help her recover. Noah is a man who truly knows what it means to be a minister and not just a preacher. He may carry his Bible around, but he never beats anyone over the head with it. He's not afraid to go into the trenches and get dirty, so to speak. I love the way he truly wants to help people and show them God's love through his actions, not just giving them a sermon and saying good luck. The work he did with the transients in the area, visiting a lonely man in the nursing home and other people in the hospital, and generally helping out all around was wonderful, just the kind of guy I'd love to have as a minister. Noah is a really laid back kind of guy who isn't prone to being judgmental. He may have briefly hesitated in hiring Ellie as his assistant, but once he made the decision he never looked back. He wasn't overly worried what the townspeople would think if they found out she was a former stripper, and he never admonished Ellie for anything she did, past or present, even when she says bad words in church. I also love how he's always looking out for Ellie and her kids in a sweetly protective way, and the man definitely has a way with words when it comes to expressing his love and passion for her.

Ellie has been through a lot in her short twenty-five years, but somehow, she's still managed to keep a positive attitude and always look on the bright side of things. Initially, she comes off as something of a bimbo, especially when we learn that she used to work as an exotic dancer, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's a devoted mother, who only lost her kids due to the machinations and ill-will of others, and is prepared to do anything to get them back. Even though her own life is something of a mess, Ellie is great at counseling others, because her grandmother gave her a solid upbringing along with imparting all her words of wisdom. Ellie is a huge bundle of energy, and isn't afraid of hard work. I can only wish that I were as fast at housework as she is.:-) She breezed through cleaning and painting the church, and was always ready to lend a helping hand anywhere it was needed. I love how she helped Vanni in her hour of need and made a huge difference in her and Paul's lives. In my opinion, she had all the qualities a good pastor's wife should have.

I love how Noah and Ellie built a deep friendship before anything else happened between them, but I didn't feel like the transition from their friends relationship to becoming lovers was quite as smooth and seamless as it could have been. I think that some of the moments that were intended to build romance felt more like friendship, so when they suddenly became lovers, expressing all these strong feelings for one another, it seemed like things sped up a tad too quickly. Still, by the end, I was definitely sensing the romantic connection between them and was convinced that they were perfect for each other.

As I mentioned before, pretty much all the previous main characters put in an appearance. Paul and Vanni were the ones who had the meatiest secondary roles, as they deal with having a bombshell dropped on them when Paul's ex-girlfriend, Terri, unexpectedly passes away. I like how they were able to weather through this crisis and come out on top, keeping their marriage intact, even though it was primarily Vanni who had the most adjusting to do. Ms. Carr also brings back long-time, Virgin River residents, Jo and Nick Fitch, who I don't believe we've seen since the first book of the series when Nick made a pass at Mel and got his butt kicked. We get to learn why Nick behaves the way he does, and what happened to cause the rift in their marriage. They end up becoming surrogate parents/grandparents for Ellie and her kids, while Ellie helps them rebuild their marriage and reconnect in their love for one another. We also get to meet Noah's friend, George, an older, retired minister who I really liked. I hope he'll be visiting Virgin River often. Last, but certainly not least, we finally get to witness the wedding of Luke and Shelby, attended by the entire Riordan and McIntyre clans.

Overall, Forbidden Falls was an enjoyable read. It would be darn near impossible not to like one of these books. However, for some reason, I didn't find it to be un-put-down-able. I simply didn't have that, “Aww, do I really have to stop” feeling when it was time to put it down, nor that burning need to pick it back up again. I also felt like it was a bit less polished than some of the other books in the series. I detected some mild repetition that could have been tightened up. These two things almost made me give the book four stars, although it would have been a very solid four stars. There wasn't anything wrong with it per se. I loved the characters, and the story was good. It just didn't quite move me as much as some of the other books in the series have, but then Robyn Carr managed to make me teary-eyed, not once, but twice, during the final pages, which I thought warranted the extra half-star after all. Bravo, Ms. Carr for grabbing me in the end, and for writing another lovely story in the Virgin River series.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, contemporary-romance-series

4 STARS

Noah Kincaid a young widowed reverend has purchased a church on ebay and soon finds himself in Virgin River where they are more interested in him than religion. As Noah sets forth to renovate the old church he puts out an ad to get some help. He soon finds himself hiring a single mother, Ellie Baldwin who needs this job to regain custody of her children. As the two try to work together Noah finds himself impressed by Ellie's strength and determination. He soon joins her in her fight for...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, library-reads, romance, series, women-s-fiction

Forbidden Falls is the 8th novel in the Virgin River series and in the previous novel it was mentioned that the town church, which hadn’t been used for many years, was placed up for sale on eBay. Town resident Hope McRae hopes that someone will see the potential in it and attempt to get it up and running again, as a place for people in the small town to come together – even if it isn’t necessarily to worship. The only place residents really meet up is Jack’s bar and Hope is sure that there are o...more Forbidden Falls is the 8th novel in the Virgin River series and in the previous novel it was mentioned that the town church, which hadn’t been used for many years, was placed up for sale on eBay. Town resident Hope McRae hopes that someone will see the potential in it and attempt to get it up and running again, as a place for people in the small town to come together – even if it isn’t necessarily to worship. The only place residents really meet up is Jack’s bar and Hope is sure that there are other options available in the church, if only someone would see that.

Noah Kincaid is a reverend without a flock, as such. A widower, he buys the church and decides that it might be just the sort of project he has been looking for. Noah was the product of a televangelist and he resisted the call of religion for a long time, doing physical work to put himself through college. But he couldn’t deny it forever and now he’s determined to make a go of it in Virgin River. Before he can do anything though, he needs to get the building fixed up and he needs an assistant – an assistant who can help with the physical work and really help make the effort to transform the church. He’s a bit disheartened when his advertising leads to only 3 applicants, one of whom is unable to do the sort of work he requires, one of whom is a judgemental overzealous Christian…. and Ellie Baldwin.

Ellie is a gorgeous mid-twenties former exotic dancer who has lost custody of her two adored children to her ex-husband, even though he isn’t their father. He convinced a conservative judge that Ellie’s job was unsuitable and that he was by far the better custody option, even though he doesn’t particularly care for them – it’s all part of his plan to force Ellie to return to him and their marriage. Ellie has so many days to get herself a proper, respectable job and gain back the court’s respect in order to have custody of her two children returned to her. Despite the fact that she’s a young mother, Ellie has always worked, in a variety of jobs and she sees no problem in the sort of tasks that Noah lays out that the church needs doing. She’s done plenty of decent labour before.

Although reluctant to hire her at first, Noah sees that Ellie desperately needs this job and for all the right reasons. She’s a good mother, a fantastic mother who loves her kids and took the job dancing in order to earn a bit more money so that their lives together would be better. She’s a girl who’s had life the hard way – no mother, raised by her grandmother with barely enough to get by, two children at a young age that she brought up firstly with the help of her grandmother, and then alone. Her ex-husband at first looked like a lifeline – polite, respectful, happy about her kids. That all changed when they married and when Ellie left him, he turned his hand to making her miserable.

Two different people fixing up a church that couldn’t be more different – a religious pastor and a former exotic dancer. But Noah is more progressive than most and they’ll discover that they have more in common than they ever could’ve imagined. And even though Ellie, after bad experiences, has sworn off all men forever, she might have just found the one exception.

I’ve really been loving the last few books I’ve read from this series and this one was no exception. Although a bit of the religion put me off in the beginning, it actually became less a part of the book as it went on which was good for me. I think that Ellie just might be my favourite heroine of this entire series – I really enjoyed how she was portrayed by Carr. She dresses provocatively, all low cut tight tops and boobs on show, because she knows that she has a nice body and she doesn’t see anything wrong with showing that. She has long, big hair and funky nailpolish and actually acts like someone in their twenties might, rather than a 25yo heroine who dresses and acts 55. She was fun and unapologetic for the choices she had made in her life – she did the best she could by her children. They were always well looked after and she earned enough money to ensure they had all they needed. But more importantly she provided all they needed emotionally and what distressed her the most was that she knew her ex-husband was not doing that. He wasn’t interested in them one particular way or another, they were just a tool for him to get what he wanted.

The attraction between Noah and Ellie was immediate on Noah’s side but took a little while on Ellie’s. She’d had a rough few years and although she obviously liked Noah and thought he was wonderful (which he was!) she was obviously reluctant to allow herself to feel anymore. Noah however, was tempted from the beginning and that was fun to read. We were with his part of the narrative for most of the book which was great – I like romance books that give us the point of view of the male just for something a little different, especially if the male is the one that’s really interested!

This is one book that I wish I owned – I’ve borrowed most of the Virgin River series from the library and this was one that I could really see myself re-reading again and again. It was the sort of synopsis that you read and think to yourself ‘this will either be terrible or it will really work’ – and it really worked. Might be my favourite of the series.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-series, audio-also-listened-to, listened-to-audio-only, only-listeneed-to

This is one of my favorite in the series. The new characters are good additions to the Virgin River world and there is a decent inclusion of past favorites - -Mel, Jack, Preacher, Brie, Paul, Vannessa .... It is a sweet romance and a sweet life make-over story. There is a heartwrenching storyline about the loss of custody by a mother of her children but Carr presents it emotionally realistically.

There is a very believable and genuine storyline about the stress and hard work of motherhood. Carr...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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A Virgin River Christmas (Virgin River, #4)

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Quotes from Forbidden Falls

“Shelby handed off her bouquet and faced Luke, taking both his hands in hers. And she
began: “Luke, I love you. I promise that each day I have you in my life, I will show you my love.”
Noah's eyes drifted to Ellie's and a smile played about his lips as the bride and groom
spoke.
“Shelby, I love you. In each day of our lives together, I will show my love. And where
there is injury, I will pardon without hesitation.”
“Where there is doubt, Luke, I will have faith in you.”
“In times of despair, you will be my hope.”
“In times of darkness, I will find my light in you.”
“When there is sadness, let me bring you joy.”
“Luke, I will not so much seek to be consoled as to console.”
“I will seek to understand, not just to be understood.”
“I will love, not just crave love.”
“I pledge you my heart, my life.”
“And I pledge mine to you.”
“I, Luke Riordan, take you, Shelby MacIntyre, to be wife, my best friend, my lover, my partner, the head of my family and other half of my heart. Forever.” He slid a ring on her finger.
Shelby slid a ring onto his finger. “I, Shelby MacIntyre, take you, Luke Riordan, to be my
husband, best friend, lover, partner, head of my family and other half of my heart. Forever.” — 22 people liked it

“Don't make love to your problems-- they'll never give you back the satisfaction you give them.” — 17 people liked it

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Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)

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