Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Shelter Mountain

Shelter Mountain
Robyn Carr


Book 2 in the Virgin River series is about John Middleton "Preacher" and Paige Lassiter and her son Chris. Preacher has worked in Jack's bar since he retired from the marine corps. He's closing the bar on a rainy night when Paige and her son come in. Paige is covered in bruises and obviously on the run. Preacher offers her a place to stay in the apartment above the bar and Paige agrees.

Paige thought she'd never feel safe again after the hell her husband put her through. Everyone in Virgin River has gone out of their way to make her and her son at home; especially Preacher. She's never met a man like him before and little by little she allows herself to open up and begin a relationship with him. Preacher never really saw himself as a family man, but Paige and her son have him thinking differently than he ever has before. When Paige's ex-husband shows up, Preacher and the residents of Virgin River must band together in order to protect her and her son.

This book also brought continuing storylines from the first book into it. You had a lot of Mel and Jack and their dealings with pregnancy and birth and then Ricky and Liz's surprise that ends in tragedy and makes them grow up much too fast. You meet Jack's sister Brie and Jack's Marine buddy Mike Valenzuela who each have their own issues and are the hero/heroine of Book 3 Whispering Rock.

I loved this book for the humor between Preacher and Paige, as Preacher was completely clueless about love and sex. This book was tender and sweet and not in a gag-me-with-a-spoon way.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Virgin River

Virgin River
by Robyn Carr

As Book 1 in the Virgin River series, this book starts you off running and leaves you no time to catch up. It sucks you in and begs you to keep reading as you want to learn more about this small town and the people in it.

Melinda is the heroine of this novel and she's desperate to heal after her husband is killed in a gang-related shooting. She accepts a job as the nurse midwife in a rural town in Northern California and attempts to start over and continuing practicing the craft she loves. She runs into Jack, who owns the local bar and grill, and sparks flicker between them. Mel is still in love with her husband and grieving, and Jack is the gentleman and gives her space. Mel finds the cabin she's supposed to rent is a complete wreck and she decides she's leaving. She finds an abandoned baby on the front porch of the doctor's office and she decides to stay to help the baby and to wait for social services.

This book is about a woman finding that she can live again and also that she can love. She finds her home in this one-horse town and finds the love she didn't know she was missing. You meet a cast of characters in this book that set up the future ones and the author draws you in and makes you excited to find out what the next book will hold.