Virgin River

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.

Mel Monroe has some issues to deal with, she lost her husband in a tragic shooting. She's dissatisfied with her job, she wants a change in scenery. When she sees an add for a nurse practitioner/midwife in a remote village, she doesn't think twice about moving. Well, until she actually gets there...

I was hooked right from the beginning, I started the book and I didn't want to put it down. I loved the setting, I got the feeling that it was beautiful and remote. The storyline was great, I'm a huge fan of the new beginnings theme and I just love when a romance between a man and a woman begins as a friendship. It was obvious that Jack was attracted to her since the first minute they meet, but he wasn't pushy about it. He let her take her time, time to get used to the idea. And the characters were wonderful, each of them unique and interesting. The mystery of who the parents of the abandoned baby floored me, it caught me unaware, I'm usually pretty good at figuring these things out, but it surprised me.

It's a story about good people wanting to help others and along the way they fall in love with each other...beautiful! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book of the series. It's the first book of a series, people! Yep, I'm excited...

Virgin River by Robyn Carr (4/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: Mira (4/07); Series: # 1, Virgin River; 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (6); 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge (4);