Title: Paradise Valley
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #7
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 9th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: He picked Jack up and got him to safety.

A moving story about survival, forgiveness – and the power of love to heal a wounded spirit

Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraw – his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart?

As the people of Virgin River rally around Rick, another recent arrival tests the tightly knit mountain town’s famous welcoming spirit. Dan Brady has a questionable past, and he’s looking for a place to start over. He’d like it to be Virgin River… if he can find a way in. But he never expects to find it in the arms of a woman who was as much an outcast as himself.

For a favorite son returned from war and an outsider looking for a home, Virgin River offers them a chance to make peace with the men they once were… and to find the dreams they thought they’d lost.

From the blurb on the back cover of this book, and a few of the comments from reviews that I saw. I was honestly expecting this novel to be kind of tragic. At a time when I really wasn’t all that in the mood for tragic. Luckily, however, I was completely wrong. This isn’t tragic. It wasn’t horrible to read. And yes, there are bad moments throughout (which in my opinion makes it a good book), but in the end, there was that same sense of peace, hope and realism that I always seem to get from the Virgin River books.

I’ve been waiting and waiting for more of a movement in Rick and Liz’s relationship. They start off so young and there are so many tragic moments. And, although, even at the conclusion of this story they haven’t quite figured everything out, it was nice to have a whole novel focused on them. Even the secondary character, Brady has a lot to do with Rick and Liz’s story that I seriously didn’t expect. I also loved the final reveal of how his story is so intertwined with Rick’s towards the end. It was an entertaining scene and a thoroughly enjoyable moment.

All throughout this story, and the greater series, I have loved the whole set up of this storyline. It starts off with one couple. And, instead of focusing on the next couple as the story evolves, there is this journey in which each story builds upon the past couples and stories, whilst also adding in a new couple to get hopelessly intertwined with. It’s such a great way to tell a story. And a unique way to share a romance. And, as the series develops, I’m finding that even though Paradise Valley is mostly about Rick and Liz, with Brady’s story built in… it is also about all of the others that I’ve fallen in love with. With hints of more beautiful little stories to come!

I enjoyed this so much and already felt so attached to Rick and Liz that I managed to read this whole book in just one sitting. I don’t even remember pausing to eat dinner. Even though I’m sure that I must have… it seemed to completely speak to me at a time that I needed a story like this. Wonderfully powerful and enjoyable, whilst reminding me of all of the good things in life. A great, surprisingly positive contemporary romance that left me with all the happy feelings I’m getting used to with Robyn Carr’s writing.

Image source: Robyn Carr

Title: Temptation Ridge
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 2nd June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: A man walked past them, glanced at them, smiled slightly and moved on.

Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…

Shelby McIntyre has big plans – plans that include finding Mr. Right. Her dream man will have a clean-shaven jaw, creases in his pants and hopefully an advanced degree. What she gets is rugged Luke Riordan.

At twnety-five, after five years as her mother’s caregiver, it’s time for Shelby to experience freedom and adventure. Time for travel, college and romance. But when she visits Virgin River, she runs into Luke Riordan, decidedly not whom she has in mind.

A handsome Blackhawk pilot, Luke exited the army after twenty years, four wars and having been shot out of the sky three times. At thirty-eight he’s tough and jaded. His major was in one-night stands, with a minor in commitment avoidance.

Technically, these two are all wrong for one another. But sometimes what you wants and what you need are two different things… two very good things.

Shelby and her somewhat tragic circumstances are first introduced in Second Chance Pass. So when I found out that Temptation Ridge is all about Shelby and her happily ever after… I was really happy. Particularly when she had just recently lost a mother to ALS. THAT hit quite close to home… so I needed there to be a happy, the world doesn’t suck story for Shelby. And, thank goodness… I got it!!!

Luke is that typical trope of bad boy with commitment issues. The one that when the right girl comes along, changes his stripes and they get their happily ever after. It’s not exactly realistic and it’s kind of cliché. But it does work. Particularly when you have a storyline in which the woman is a virgin and he’s about ten years older than her. Yet, it works. And I didn’t find it painful like I do with some cliché tropes… even then, when he’s making mistakes and stupid decisions because he’s decided what is best for Shelby without talking with her… it made me scream moron. Just a little bit.

Having said that, I did love the ending. I loved how Shelby’s strength and power are shown. And that even though her virginity is kind of a big thing to some in the story – it wasn’t really an issue with her. It’s one of the few stories that has an older virgin in which the tale isn’t tedious. She isn’t saving herself, she isn’t treasuring something that really has no meaning. She’s just not had the opportunity. And she doesn’t feel that she needs to “experience the world” before she falls in love. Like I said, seriously not tedious.

This story also has a great romance begin for another of Shelby’s family members. Walt gets to start moving on with his life. I love that this is a series that features a romance, and a sexual relationship between a couple that is in their 50’s and 60’s. It’s a reminder that relationships are constantly evolving. No matter how old a person is. And it helps to build on the ensemble cast of this series – an ensemble which features people of all ages, sizes and walks of life. Which just melted my happy little heart.

Image source: HarperCollins Australia

Title: Second Chance Pass
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 23rd – 28th May 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: And I didn’t call on purpose.

Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…

The community of VIRGIN RIVER saw Vanessa Rutledge through her darkest days – now she’s looking to a bright future.

In the space of a few months Vanessa buried her husband, Matt, and gave birth to their son – breaking her heart while filling it with a whole new kind of love. But the one man she longs to share this love with now acts as if she doesn’t exist.

Paul Haggerty lives by the marine motto: Semper Fi. Ever faithful to his best friend, he’s done right by Matt’s widow as best he can… considering he’s been secretly in love with her for years. Now, just as he’s about to make his move, another woman has staked her claim on him – a claim that will be tough to escape.

With courage, humility and not a little meddling from the good folks of Virgin River, Vanni and Paul might just get a second chance to have the love they both desire and deserve.

It was nice to finally get to read about Vanessa and Paul. The beginnings of their story is told in Whispering Rock and you automatically start hoping that they will end up together… I really wasn’t expecting so many different highs and lows throughout this story though. And I kind of loved it. It was brilliant and made the whole story impossible to put down.

So far throughout the Virgin River series all of the books have been bit of an ensemble story. But, this took that ensemble feeling to a whole new level. I thought that this would be all about Vanni and Paul, but they quickly resolve their issues, and although there are still a few hurdles to overcome, there are so many other characters who take centre stage throughout the storyline. Each chapter almost has its own lead and mini story.

There were a few moments in this novel that made me kind of want to throw the book out the window. Mostly because Vanessa and Paul are as stupidly stubborn as each other. And there were so many moments that I wanted to reach through the pages of this book and smack them both over the head. I mean, gosh, you make mistakes, and then you should be able to fix them. Not have to run around feeling confused and maybe screwing it all up. Luckily, there were only a few of these moments, and then everything worked out well. But wow, were some of them heart stopping.

Second Chance Pass is a fantastic novel. Although it is mostly about Paul and Vanessa, there are so many great characters that continue to make an appearance. Side stories and main stories that are impossible to forget. Stories that make your heart beat faster and hold your breath at times. At others, the side stories just melt your heart and leave you feeling beautifully, ridiculously happy that you had the pleasure of spending a day in the gorgeous town of Virgin River.

Image source: HarperCollins Australia

Title: A Virgin River Christmas
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 19th – 22nd May 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Will you stack it up in the shed out back and put a little on the porch by the mudroom door for me?”

Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…

Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. This Christmas she wants to find the man who saved his life and gave her three more years to love him.

Fellow marine Ian Buchanan dragged Bobby’s shattered body onto a medical transport four years ago, then disappeared once their unit arrived stateside. Since then, Marcie’s letters to Ian have gone unanswered.

Marcie tracks Ian to the tiny mountain town of Virgin River and finds a man as wounded emotionally as Bobby was physically. As Marcie pushes her way into his reclusive life, she discovers a sweet soul beneath a rough exterior.

Ian doesn’t know what to make of the determined young widow who forces him to look into his painful past and the uncertain future. But it is a season of miracles and maybe, just maybe, it’s time to banish the ghosts and open his heart.

Marcie is my favourite, craziest, stubborn woman. She is so fiercely independent and tough, but in this great, feminine way. I also laughed again and again throughout this novel – mostly in the unwise, random instances where she finds herself in pain. Her total acceptance of Ian’s unique ways and gumption in finding him are something seriously to be admired. Something that had me flicking through the pages of this novel super fast.

This Virgin River novel moved a little further away from the first three novels in the series. Where the first three novels are seriously interconnected, there is a loser connection between Marcie and Ian and the rest of the crew. Actually, the only connection is through Marcie just blundering into the picturesque little town. Ian isn’t a part of the same Marine Corps (Troop?), they don’t know the same people and everyone is a little bit isolated. Yet, you feel like at the end of this story, they’ve begun to become a little more ingrained within the town. I hope that they’ll pop up again and again in the next books.

One of my favourite parts of this novel is that it shows a bit of a parallel with Vanessa and Paul’s story, which will be told in full in the next novel, Second Chance Pass. But, we already know of the loss of Vanessa’s husband and her connection to his best friend from Whispering Rock. Marcie and Ian certainly have an easier time of it – Marcie’s husband took a while to be gone and grieved. And Ian and Marcie had barely met. But it was a nice, simple romance that involves two people moving on from the past and embracing someone that they loved.

This was a much simpler romance than the last few Virgin River books. Where many of them are a little intense, filled with some serious heartache and tragedy, this doesn’t really have that. Yes, serious issues are still touched upon. And it’s not all smooth sailing. But it is much smoother and simpler than the first few books. Which I think my poor heart needed that gasp of breath before embarking on the more tumultuous story that I’m sure will take place in Second Chance Pass.

Image source: Amazon

Title: Whispering Rock
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 13th – 18th May 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Get dressed.

Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…

Virgin River has sheltered more than a few lost souls over the years – and there’s always room for more…

Virgin River became a safe haven for Sacramento prosecutor Brie Sheridan after she nearly lost her life at the hands of a crazed criminal. Though she still has fears she can’t escape, she also has someone who wants to show her just what it means to trust again.

A decorated marine reservist, LAPD officer Mike Valenzuela was badly wounded in the line of duty. Twice divorced, he secretly longs for the kind of commitment and happiness his marine buddies have found – a woman who can tie up his heart forever.

Mike will do anything to help Brie free herself from painful memories. Passionate, strong and gentle, he vows to give back to her what she’s so selflessly given him – her heart, and with it, a new beginning.

It took me a little longer than usual to get into this novel. After all, it does start with rape. And I tend to read the Virgin River series and Contemporary romances for a relaxing happy time. Which made me feel a little less hooked in. But, after I got through those first three horrific chapters, I really sunk into this.

Ever since Brie appears in Shelter Mountain and you found out about her horrid ex-husband, I was quite looking forward to her own happily ever after. Especially since the man she thought loved her not only left her. But left her for her best friend. But I really didn’t expect the beginning that this story had. Not to mention, that there is also a parallel story of date raping young women throughout the town. Two serious trigger points for any woman. But as usual, Carr manages to deal with serious issues like this in a beautiful, respectful manner.

One of my favourite things about Carr’s writing so far is the fact that everyone is so damn interconnected. This does tend to be the case for most romances that I read, but the stories tend to just focus on the couple of the moment, and you don’t get to revisit past favourites quite as much. That’s most certainly not the case though. Each  new couple does have their own journey and in certain aspects take up the centre storyline, but the other couples all help build upon it. They’re continuing adventures are still told, and the beginnings of new adventures and romances are also alluded to. It just makes the entire story feel a lot more relatable and realistic.

Once I got past the first uncomfortable moments of this story, I absolutely adored it. To the point I did what I call my “teenager habits” and stayed up until 1am to finish this book. Mostly I just wanted to find out what was going to happen to the horrible predators in this story. And for Brie and Mike to get their happily ever after. Both were achieved in the end, and the future stories of Rick and Paul are now desperately needed… although I think I have quite a few books to read before I get to that point…

Image source: Booktopia