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gabriellesimpson's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
god this was a struggle to read! i love the series but i found this so hard to get through
i really dislike the way carr writes her female characters in this book — all the physical descriptions felt very icky and distasteful
dishonourable mention for ricky and lizzie’s relationship??? so so grim!! i’m so glad the age gap is rectified in the series but ricky’s pedophilia is way too normalised in this wtf
i really dislike the way carr writes her female characters in this book — all the physical descriptions felt very icky and distasteful
dishonourable mention for ricky and lizzie’s relationship??? so so grim!! i’m so glad the age gap is rectified in the series but ricky’s pedophilia is way too normalised in this wtf
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Pedophilia
couscouschanel's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I had a really good time reading this book but if I'm being honest, it's not exactly a good book. The pacing for the first two thirds of it is perfectly slow burn and then suddenly all hell breaks loose towards the end. The sex scenes leave a lot to be desired and the way the author writes about attraction is.. a choice. Her descriptions of women and men are equally bizarre and sexualised and/or misogynistic in a way that feels like a horny teenage boy writing fanfiction. Actually, much of it felt like wonky fanfiction. But regardless, there's still a lot that's compelling about the storyline and the characters and there's a great balance of angst and mush that made it an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Title: Virgin River
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 27, 2007
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Quaint • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Reeling and grieving from the murder of her husband, big-city nurse practitioner/midwife Melinda Monroe is looking to escape the pain and heartache of Los Angeles. When she answers an ad for a job in the remote mountain town of Virgin River, it isn't anything like she expected. Ready to hightail it out of town as soon as she can, all of that changes when a baby is left on the front porch of the clinic.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As someone who doesn't read a lot of 'steamy romance' novels, I was hesitant to pick up Virgin River. It's just not the type of book I typically gravitate to, and yet I was left pleasantly surprised.
What I like:
• the small town setting. This small town girl has a soft spot for rural romances. Virgin River felt like exactly the type of place I'd want to enjoy the simple life (even though life was less than simple).
• the cast of characters. I grew to love this quirky mix of town folk that bands together like family. I took a liking to Doc especially and I look forward to getting to know them more throughout the series.
• the depth. I prefer my romances with substance, and here the plot had just the right amount of depth mixed with the romance.
• the medical aspect. I think the book contrasted big city medicine to that of a small town really well. And Mel's job fit the plotline perfectly.
What I didn't like:
• the dialogue. It felt choppy at times.
• the writing. At times oversimplified and overly dramatic. At other times long-winded and glossy. All of which threw of the pacing.
• at times it felt dated. Yes it was written some times ago, but let's just say some of the ways of thinking didn't age well.
• how the romance happened so fast. I get that this is a romance novel, but it's a series, and I wasn't expecting them to get together in book one. With the grief aspect it just didn't feel realistic to me.
Every once in awhile a book takes you by complete surprise. I went into this one with very low expectations, but I ended up really enjoying it. Though I haven't watched the TV show, I can definitely see where the appeal lies. Overall, a enjoyable contemporary romance, and I look forward to continuing this series in the coming year.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of rural romances
• readers who like Hallmark Holiday Movies
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Mel, it's all right to get on with your life. Maybe you'll never love anyone as much as you loved Mark - but then maybe there will be someone else. Someone next. You don't have to compare them, honey, because Mark is gone and we can't get him back.'"
"People belong wherever they feel good. It can be a lot of different places. For a lot of different reasons."
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 27, 2007
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Quaint • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Reeling and grieving from the murder of her husband, big-city nurse practitioner/midwife Melinda Monroe is looking to escape the pain and heartache of Los Angeles. When she answers an ad for a job in the remote mountain town of Virgin River, it isn't anything like she expected. Ready to hightail it out of town as soon as she can, all of that changes when a baby is left on the front porch of the clinic.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As someone who doesn't read a lot of 'steamy romance' novels, I was hesitant to pick up Virgin River. It's just not the type of book I typically gravitate to, and yet I was left pleasantly surprised.
What I like:
• the small town setting. This small town girl has a soft spot for rural romances. Virgin River felt like exactly the type of place I'd want to enjoy the simple life (even though life was less than simple).
• the cast of characters. I grew to love this quirky mix of town folk that bands together like family. I took a liking to Doc especially and I look forward to getting to know them more throughout the series.
• the depth. I prefer my romances with substance, and here the plot had just the right amount of depth mixed with the romance.
• the medical aspect. I think the book contrasted big city medicine to that of a small town really well. And Mel's job fit the plotline perfectly.
What I didn't like:
• the dialogue. It felt choppy at times.
• the writing. At times oversimplified and overly dramatic. At other times long-winded and glossy. All of which threw of the pacing.
• at times it felt dated. Yes it was written some times ago, but let's just say some of the ways of thinking didn't age well.
• how the romance happened so fast. I get that this is a romance novel, but it's a series, and I wasn't expecting them to get together in book one. With the grief aspect it just didn't feel realistic to me.
Every once in awhile a book takes you by complete surprise. I went into this one with very low expectations, but I ended up really enjoying it. Though I haven't watched the TV show, I can definitely see where the appeal lies. Overall, a enjoyable contemporary romance, and I look forward to continuing this series in the coming year.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of rural romances
• readers who like Hallmark Holiday Movies
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Mel, it's all right to get on with your life. Maybe you'll never love anyone as much as you loved Mark - but then maybe there will be someone else. Someone next. You don't have to compare them, honey, because Mark is gone and we can't get him back.'"
"People belong wherever they feel good. It can be a lot of different places. For a lot of different reasons."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Infertility, Addiction, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content and Miscarriage
death of partnerbrandie_abbie19's review
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Miscarriage, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual content, War, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Murder
sara_phoenix's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Mel is a nurse practitioner and midwife the flees to sleepy Virgin River after the death of her husband. Used to fast-paced city living in LA, she struggles to adjust until Jack, the handsome ex-Marine and owner of the local bar, shows her the benefits of small town life. After watching the Netflix series, I thought I’d read the book in the spirit of “the book is always better than the movie...”, but not so in this case. I liked the overarching story if city mouse transplanted to the country, but found difficulty with the simplistic writing and lack of editing. Bottom line: Watch the series, skip the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Miscarriage
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