Shelly’s review of Virgin River (Virgin River, #1) > Likes and Comments

Always prefer a good honest review & opinion,so thanks for that, both were great :)

Haha, thanks Sandi. I hate being so brutal, but I couldn't help it, this one pissed me off.

Shelly wrote: "Haha, thanks Sandi. I hate being so brutal, but I couldn't help it, this one pissed me off."

That's what I look for ..the good, the bad and the pissed off ones,then its up to me to choose,but without honest heart felt opinions(and yours was ha-ha) how can we make that choice ya know?

Exactly. I try to give the reasons why it didn't work for me, what I loved about them that did work. A generalization doesn't do me much good. I didn't even get into the infertility issue, which should come as a disclaimer on any book that has a woman who can't get pregnant but somehow ends up pregnant because of the hero's super sperm. But since I didn't get that far, figured I should leave it out, just read about it in other's reviews.

Sooooo I'm thinking that you hated Mel.

Haha - Nah! Why, AgentScully, what would ever give you that idea? lol

I liked the first four books in the series but got annoyed by all the health info and preachiness, I just never felt like continuing the series after these.

There is a whole "I hate Mel" club, I forget who it is but some fans of the series really hate her, they say she gets more annoying later.

I think it was particularly bad due to listening to the audiobook - hearing someone out loud with those thoughts and complaints was pretty annoying. I think if I had read it, I could have skimmed a bit more, lol.

Thank you. Glad to know someone else feels this way. I was almost feeling guilty for not liking this book after all the great reviews.

LOL - it's nice to know we're not crazy, isn't it Teresa? There may be few of us, but we're not alone!

I agree with you. Although in some ways, the book is written well enough, I will be hesitant to read another book of this series or by this author.

O.M.G. So I'm not the only one who thinks Jake was an ass? Hooray! The facts you pointed out really get to me too. I'm 33% through the book and I can't seem to get over how he's treated other women in his life.
And up to this point, I don't see why Mel is special expect that she's a) blonde b) petite c) pretty..... *Sigh

LOL - Jane, it always makes me feel better to know others feel the same way about a book, especially one you don't like and everyone else does!

Shelly wrote: "LOL - Jane, it always makes me feel better to know others feel the same way about a book, especially one you don't like and everyone else does!"

Same feeling here, Shelly. Especially when others see the same flaws as you do. "oh, so i'm not making this up." haha

I pretty much agree which you - minus the language :). I haven't even made it half way through this book and I just can't make myself finish it. There are too many great books out there waiting for me.

Was reading this book until the whole Charmain ew ew gross me out sex. I hate reading romances which don't just focus on the main couple. While they are not together to begin with it just seams so wrong to read about one of the couple having it off with another person,
So I'm going to give this series and author a miss

I can't believe I'm even commenting on this book, but I agree with you and Catherine 100%!

I was so surprised I didn't like it after I read a few glowing reviews!

There were a few things you didn't mention that annoyed me too. I thought Mel had a bit of a god complex about bringing life into the world, then pregnant women kept jumping out of the woodwork. I think she said a few times that midwifery was her speciality but from the book she had been doing it for 2 years. I'm not from a medical background but that doesn't sound awfully specialised to me. Then there was her whole romance/grieving. I don't think her way of doing it was healthy, like conversing with her dead husband all the time, then she goes from being annoyed with her sister for saying she loved her husband in past tense, then saying it later herself, and that she loved Jack more. Idk, I just don't like romances where women grieve, then need a man to get over that, then the new man they love way more. I've never read one where the woman didn't love both in different ways or equally. I will look into the series you recommended!

OH and what really annoyed me was her going to dangerous places on her own when she knew she was at risk! Because she kept going on about the danger in LA and then she's putting herself in it there, where she's isolated. She could have easily had company when she made her food drop-offs.

I completely follow your review...I arrived at the middle, and I will stop, it's rather boringggggg book

Personally I loved the entire series but I'm with you about Mel, a big cry baby she was lol got on my nerves. My biggest problem with her was always taking their baby into the bar & passing him over to Jack- as if he isn't working. I dunno, it just made me look at her like a lazy mother. Somewhere in the series Jack went fishing for a weekend & she was left with the two kids for a couple days and she was described as calling upon her friends for help, was crying because she couldn't handle caring for the two children by herself for a couple days. She was the only character out of all of them in the completed series that I didn't like. As for Jack screwing someone outta town that he didn't love- well, he's a man lol seriously though- that's real life. That's why I love Robyns books- she understands how all kinds of different people really are. Of course it's kind of unreal as you read on through the rest of the series how this little nowhere dot on the map becomes pretty productive with different people moving in & building businesses and whatnot but that's why it's fiction lol Mel was a bad character to kick the series off with but if you plowed on through anymore of them- in order- I think you'd probably enjoy alot of the other characters, if not all of them! But they are described as real people who do real life dumb bullshit things, like have sex on a casual status basis lol I'm pretty sure Jack wasn't the first & won't be the last ha ha

I agree! I hated the unfavorable description of most women in town from the perspective of the hero, so I get it that he dislikes overweight women, he can give 2 year pity f*cks to this woman in the neighboring town without developing any feelings for her at all, and yet he is still supposed to be such a great guy?? RIGHT! also, I was very uncomfortable with the description of a 14 year old girl as such a temptress as viewed by the adults, what was that?!?!

This is exactly what I felt when I listened to this audiobook!

I nearly bought this, glad I read your review because I am sure I would have hated this book.

I just started listening to this- because it was free- and it’s like you were in my mind. The dated quality, the weird body shaming, the unappealing characters, this is awful.

100% agree with everything you wrote. I'm at 33% and giving up for exactly these reasons! Thank you!

Trash

I started this book after bingeing the show, and omfg I HATED IT. I didn't finish. Jack was horrific - his constant sexist comments made me want to eat glass.

Nora wrote: "I started this book after bingeing the show, and omfg I HATED IT. I didn't finish. Jack was horrific - his constant sexist comments made me want to eat glass."

I've just finished the show and I was thinking on reading the books. So the show is better, huh? Won't bother with the books now.

I agree Shelly thanks for this review.

I was half-tempted to buy this but after reading your review, I think I won't bother. I can totally relate to being so furious with the book that you absolutely need to post a long scathing review. :D Thanks for sharing your thoughts! And I will check out the series you recced here.

I don’t think you’re in the minority at all. I hated it as much if not more than you did. It. Was. AWFUL.

I'm a little more than halfway through listening to the audio. I have a weird rule about finishing books. I must do it.
What really bothered me was the overly descriptive sex between teenagers. Um? Ew. I listen to audio books at a very high pace, usually around 2.75x (unless it's a history book) and I couldn't get past that scene fast enough. There is absolutely NO reason for a description of a 14 yo & 16 yo having sex. Really bothered me a LOT. 🤢🤢
Anyway, it's about a 3 star for me so far, touching on 2. I've read worse, unfortunately. 😬

Completely agree! Repulsive characters and wtf with the teenagers? All of the characters are disgusting.

lmaooo binged the show and was v v lowkey thinking about reading this as an easy distraction to see how the story differs but nahhhh. good to know the show only treated charmaine’s character like complete garbage though mel gets on my nerves there too.

@Lit Reader, I TOTALLY agree about the description of the teens. ESPECIALLY having sex. That was s bit uncomfortable and I didn't want that in an adult novel. Sooo I just slipped those scenes.

I love the show... the book sucks huh?

So it sounds like the Netflix show is nothing like the book in many ways! Is that correct? Tell me dies the book at least provide an end where the Netflix shut will leave everyone hanging fur the 2021 Season?

Gosh. Jack was one of the worst asshole "heroes" I've read. Nothing redeemable. I'm angry all over again.

I couldn't get past two minutes in. The way she described the "war zone" of crack babies and mothers in handcuffs. How privileged and heartless can you be? The real battle in labor and delivery is the rising maternal mortality rate, especially among women of color. The forced interventions that cost women their lives. Frankly, f*** this attitude. I won't read on.

Some of y'all have never been to LA, and it shows.

Struggling with the book...loved the Netflix series. I ordered the book thinking it was somewhat like the series...totally wrong.

I love the Netflix series so I thought I would like the book too. Nope... I do not like Jack he’s definitely a asshole and Mel is also a bit annoying.

Thanks for writing this review, it was the only reason I started to read it.

I watched the series on Netglix before reading the book..interesting how it doesn't really match up.to the book..I read one won't read any more.. not my thing ..the endless descriptions of sex..

I HATED this book. It was stupid and basic. I feel like I lost IQ points, and I don’t mind reading stupid stuff if it’s entertaining. But this was not that. This was just badly written dumb stuff.

I agree with everything you said. Everything about this book was cheesy and predictable!!

Was thinking on reading the books since I really enjoy the TV series, but your review changed my mind. The books and the series does not sound alike at all!

You should have kept reading.....

I was vastly disappointed. Netflix series is so much better. I did not like the book at all and will not read the rest.