Review: Virgin River by Robyn Carr

First line: Mel squinted into the rain and darkness, creeping along the narrow, twisting, muddy, tree-enshrouded road and for the hundredth time thought, am I our of my mind?

From the back cover:

WANTED: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to re-energize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and a former marine cements them into place.

Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home.

My thoughts: This is the first in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series and I loved it. It is a powerful and emotional story and I am excited to read the rest of the series. (I’ve already downloaded books 2, 3 and 4 to my Nook!) Virgin River is the type of town you can’t help but love and want to return to over and over again. It is filled with people who care about their friends and neighbors and never hesitate to do what is needed in times of crises or simply when a helping hand is needed. This is such a refreshing change to the violent world we seem to live in today. The main characters in this story are Mel, Jack and Doc. Mel, a woman grieving her husband, shows up in Virgin River trying to escape her past. She wants to go back to being Mel, not a wife or a widow. Jack is the first friend Mel makes in Virgin River and it’s fun watching their journey as they get to know each other. Doc, the person Mel is supposed to be working with, is a cantankerous old man set in his ways. He definitely adds comic relief throughout the story. The supporting characters are just as interesting as Mel, Jack and Doc, and I look forward to getting to know them better as the series continues. Robyn Carr has a way of telling the story that draws you right into it – many times I felt as if I was in Virgin River, experiencing the daily life right along with the characters. 

(I got this book through PaperBack Swap.)