Christmas in September: Bring Me Home for Christmas--My Review

Bring Me Home for Christmas (A Virgin River Novel)

About the Book:

This year, Becca Timm knows the number one item on her Christmas wish list: getting over Denny Cutler. Three years ago Denny broke her heart before heading off to war. It’s time she got over her silly college relationship and moved on.

So she takes matters into her own hands and heads up to Virgin River, the rugged little mountain town that Denny calls home, as an uninvited guest on her brother’s men-only hunting weekend. But when an accident turns her impromptu visit into an extended stay, Becca finds herself stranded in Virgin River. With Denny. In very close quarters.

As the power of Christmas envelops the little town, Becca discovers that the boy she once loved has become a strong and confident man. And the most delicious Christmas present she can imagine.

My Comments:

From reading reviews of other bloggers, I've decided that you either like Carr's Virgin River series, or you don't.  Honestly speaking, with one or two exceptions, they are all basically the same story. An ex-military man finds his way to this remote North California mountain town and while there, finds love.  There is usually some military baggage he needs to deal with, and she may have a skeleton or two in her closet, but in the end, love conquers all, and they live happily ever after out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the best friends anyone could want.  This book, set during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is no different.  

Becca and Denny dated for years and while they broke up some time ago, she's only now getting  serious about someone else, but something doesn't seem right.  She decides she needs to see Denny again, to get him out of her system once and for all. Of course we all knew that wasn't going to happen.  We watch her and Denny get to know each other again and see her fall in love with Virgin River.  We get to spend Christmas with all our friends there.  In short, if you are a fan of the series, this should be on your list of Christmas reads.  If you have read other books in the series and didn't like them--well, it's just like them.  If this is your first Virgin River book, it stands alone though at times it seems a bit busy with characters with little purpose.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.

Short Review: Moonlight Road

Moonlight Road (Virgin River)

About the Book:  

With her beloved younger siblings settled and happy, Erin Foley has empty nest syndrome. At age thirty-five.

So she's hitting the pause button on her life and holing up in a secluded (but totally upgraded—she's not into roughing it) cabin near Virgin River. Erin is planning on getting to know herself…not the shaggy-haired mountain man she meets.

In fact, beneath his faded fatigues and bushy beard, Aiden Riordan is a doctor, recharging for a summer after leaving the navy. He's intrigued by the pretty, slightly snooty refugee from the rat race—her meditating and journaling are definitely keeping him at arm's length. He'd love to get closer…if his scruffy exterior and crazy ex-wife don't hold him back.

But maybe it's something in the water—unlikely romances seem to take root in Virgin River…helped along by some well-intentioned meddling, of course.

My Comments:

This book is absolutely typical of this series--hunky ex-military guy and cute young (ok, she's not that young, but she is cute) thing.  The series regulars are there along with the expected happy ending.  Grade:  B

I got this book from the library last summer and enjoyed it, though I didn't think it was worth writing about, as it was so typical of the series.  I saw it on NetGalley and downloaded it since I had no record of reading it. While not obligated to review books I get from NetGalley, I like to say thanks to the publishers by writing about their books, if I like them.

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon

Those of you who are regular readers know that I made my way through Robyn Carr's Virgin River series last summer, and that I've recently reviewed Promise Canyon and Wildman Creek, two books that came out this month.  Harvest Moon will be released February 22 and in some ways is a follow-up to Wildman Creek.

About the Book:

Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock's sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she's retreated to her sister Jillian's house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate.

Puttering in Jill's garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly's starting to feel a little too unmotivated…until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter—a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief's rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She's the reason they moved from L.A., but Courtney's finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.

Kelly's never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can't be any worse than a histrionic chef…right?

My Comments:

If you've read my reviews of these books, you'll know that I have found them to be a mixed bag.  Some are very much like the other--only the names change.  Others seem to have so many useless characters.  Others are really good stories that, while heavy on the romance, manage to incorporate other sub-plots so as to make the books more than just romances.   I think Harvest Moon is a winner.  While the relationship between Kelly and Lief is always there, so is Courtney, his (step) daughter.  We watch her grow from a young woman who is mad at the world and who knows (or at least thinks she knows) that no one loves her to a young woman of whom any parent could be proud.  

I also liked Kelly.  She's a woman who has dedicated her life to a job that pretty much precluded a normal social life and, when it fell apart on her, realized she didn't want to go back to that lifestyle.  She was attracted to Lief, and liked him, but was able to be realistic, and to stand up for what she needed in a relationship.  

If you like the Virgin River books, I think you'll like this one.  If you hate them, its probably not different enough from the others to give you  a different view.  It's mass-market romance with out-of-wedlock intimate scenes.  They aren't the most graphic I've seen, but they aren't G rated either.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a galley available via NetGalleys.  Grade:  B+

Book Review: Wild Man Creek

Wild Man Creek (Virgin River Novel)

Wild Man Creek, which will be released later this month, is more typical of the Virgin River series than what Promise Canyon (released this week) was.  Like all the Virgin River books, Wild Man Creek is set in the small northern California town of Virgin River, and it is a romance.  Typical of the series, the hero, 

Colin Riorden, is ex-military, in this case a Black Hawk pilot who was injured in the line of duty (and also in the book, Promise Canyon), and thereafter became addicted to pain medications.  He is visiting his brother Luke, staying in one of the vacation cabins, while he continues to recover and tries to decide what to do with his life.  The heroine, Jillian is a PR professional for a software company.  She works eighty hour weeks and has no social life until she finally succumbs to the advances of the new guy in the department.  Unfortunately, he is after her job, and is willing to cry "sexual harassment" in order to get it---even though HE pursued her.  She ends up on an extended "leave of absence" and heads for Virgin River, where she, along with her sister and high school girlfriends, had spent time the summer before (also mentioned in Promise Canyon).  Once there she settles into a large Victorian house and starts and organic farming business.  She and he meet; neither one is looking for anything permanent, and yet....

I liked this story.  Besides the romance, there is a major sub-plot about Jack (owner of the local bar, and all-around good guy featured in all the stories).  A young man shows up in town, they become friends and then the young man reveals a secret--but there is another secret he doesn't know.  While Jack's reaction to the news may have been unrealistically good, I still enjoyed this part of the story.  

It's a romance, of course everyone lives happily ever after. Yes, the characters end up in bed together, and no, they don't wait very long to get there.   Like the other Virgin River books, we have appearances of characters who serve no purpose in this story and I suspect I know who will be the couple in the next book, but I'll keep that opinion to myself.  In short, if you like the Virgin River books, you'll like this one.  If you hate them, this one is no different.  If you haven't tried them, this is as good a one to start with as any--while part of a series, each of the books stands alone well.  

Grade:  B

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary digital galley via Net Galley.

Promise Canyon: My Review

Promise Canyon (Virgin River)

About the Book: After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River's new veterinary assistant. The secluded community's wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he's been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town—everyone except Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, traditional men within her own aboriginal community, and she's not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay's earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. She can't deny his gift for gentling horses, but she's not about to let him control her. There's just one small problem—she can't control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere.…

My Comments:  Fans of Carr's Virgin River books will enjoy this installment, even though it doesn't quite fit the pattern of a hunky ex or present military guy and a lovely young woman.  In this case, as noted above, the hunky guy is a Native American veterinary assistant/horse trainer.  The couple bonds over their love for horses and finds that they both were hurt when they were very young.  Lilly, the heroine, is plucky, independent and loyal to her family.  She is young-looking, petite and in great physical shape. Her best friend and confidant is a gay man.  Clay, the hero, has waist-length black hair, bronze skin and muscles.  

While this book stands well on its own--reading the other books in the series would add little to your enjoyment or  understanding of this one--as part of the Virgin River Series, Promise Canyon has some sections which add little to the story, except to the extent that they allow readers to "catch-up" on characters from the other books.  There is also a sub-plot that is a set-up for the next book in the series.  

If you like romances set in small towns with large ensemble casts, cute heroines and manly heroes, and can deal with (or like) vivid bedroom scenes, I think you'll like Promise Canyon.  Grade:  B

I'd like to thank Harlequin for providing a review copy via Net Galleys.  

Review: The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr

The House on Olive Street

I've enjoyed quite a few Robyn Carr books lately so when I saw The House on Olive Street  at the used book store, I decided to try it.  I like happy endings wrapped up in a bow as much as anyone, but this book was just too much.  This group of women writers meets regularly, usually at the house of Gabby.  The book begins with the other members finding Gabby dead when they show up at her house for her surprise birthday party.  At the funeral, Gabby's ex-husband gives one of the writers a note from Gabby asking her to go through Gabby's papers if this day ever came.  The chosen one is a professor who has summers off, so she decides to move into Gabby's house for the summer.  One by one the others have crises in their lives, and join her there, along with Gabby's mother.  By the end of the book everyone's problems are resolved, and Gabby is the best-selling author of a book she spent years writing, an autobiographical novel.  It was all just too pat.  Grade C+..

Never Too Late by Robyn Carr

Never Too Late (MIRA) is a sweet romantic novel about three sisters who live in Colorado.  The book is mainly about Clare.  She and her  husband are separated because of his repeated infidelity.  She drops by to drop off a birthday card and catches him in bed with yet another woman.  She drives away like a bat out of ---- and is pulled over by this gorgeous cop.  When she explains what happened, he lets her go with a warning.  Seconds later she is broadsided in an intersection.  Since the cop was right there, he knew the accident happened, and knew her name etc.  Is he going to be the new Mr. Right, or will her husband get his act together?  What about the guy she knew when she was in high school?  As Clare sets about getting control of her life, suddenly she has more men than she knew what to do with.  

Her sister Sarah was a wild child, but following her mother's death became a frumpy homebody.  Now she sets her cap for someone.  Will she get him? Maggie has been married for years, but things aren't quite the same.  Will the spark return?

This is mass-market romantic fiction with several vivid sex scenes (though I found it interesting that when  the married couple started, we didn't get a blow-by-blow, unlike the scenes with the unmarried couples).  There is nothing earth-moving or unique about this book but it is a happy feel-good read and I'm glad I found it at the library.

Deep in the Valley: My Review

So, what does a woman who has a huge stack of review book sitting in her room do on a long weekend?  Why go to the bookstore, of course.  If you look at my archives for this summer you'll note that I read Robyn Carr's Virgin River books.  I enjoyed them, but like many series, but they end the books spent so much time catching you up with old characters that the story line was, in my opinion, somewhat diluted in the later books.    At the bookstore I found Deep in the Valley (Grace Valley Trilogy) which is about a small town near where the Virgin River books were set.  It features June Hudson, the local doctor, and her friends and neighbors.  It is set before the Virgin River books so to some extent I knew how some of the story would end, but like most community sagas, the story was the characters as much as the plot line.  While the book contains non-marital intimate relationships, there are no vivid bedroom scenes.  

Grade:  B+

Review: A Summer in Sonoma

A Summer in Sonoma is a sweet novel about four women who have been friends since high school.  The book opens with Cassie on a date with a handsome guy she's been talking to on the  phone for a while.  Instead of heading for the concert they were supposed to attend, her date tries to rape her in the car.  Luckily this pony-tailed guy with a naked lady tatoo on his arm, who is dressed like a biker rescues her before things get to far.  How far will things go with Walt?  Julie is married and the mother of three, and the wife of a paramedic.  To say they are having money trouble is to put it mildly.  Marty's husband is a fireman and has become the world'g biggest slob at home.  One day when she walks out in a huff to cool down she runs into an old flame.  Beth is a doctor who had breast cancer years ago.  Now she has it in the other breast.

I enjoyed the book and found myself wanting to know more about some of the characters.  We learn a lot about Cassie and Walt, and about Julie and her husband; however I would have liked more information about why some of the  other characters acted as they did.   A Summer in Sonoma is mass-market romantic fiction.  Unmarried characters end up in bed together and while marital infidelity is condemned, the same cannot be said for pre-marital sex.  There is one reasonably vivid bedroom scene and I liked the fact that it was almost the end of the book before it occurred--the couple was definitely in love rather than lust.

Grade:  B+

Two More Virgin River Books

The Virgin River books by Robin Carr are a soap-operaish saga telling about the lives and loves of the people of Virgin River, an imaginary town in Northern California, out in the middle of nowhere, population, 600.  Each of the books I've read so far has focused primarily on one couple, though others have either been introduced or we have been updated on their lives.

Shelter Mountain is the second book in the series.  John (a/k/a Preacher) is one of the partners who owns the local tavern/restaurant.  One nasty rainy night after everyone has left, but before he shut off the sign, a woman shows up with a nasty bruise on her face and a split lip.  She also has a three year old son.  She is obviously on the run and he suspects that she really didn't slam the car door on her face.  He is a big tough-looking ex-Marine with a heart of gold.  She's a battered wife of a rich and manipulative man.  Of course it all works out in the end.

Temptation Ridge (Virgin River) is book 6 (with library books you take what you can get when you can get it).  The main couple is Luke--a retired Army Blackhawk pilot who had invested in some cabins which he planned to rehab and sell and Shelby, a twenty-five year old who has spent the last five years caring for her mom who was dying of ALS.  Now she is in town to live with her uncle, a retired general, while regrouping.  He is one of those guys who isn't looking for marriage.  She's a virgin who doesn't want to be one anymore.  She says she isn't looking for anything long-term either.  Well....

As in the books I read last week, there are a lot of characters who add little to the main plot and who are obviously there as set-ups for future books, or to update us on the lives of those featured in previous books.  I preferred Shelter Mountain to Temptation Ridge because it just seemed to have more depth to it.  John and Shelby's relationship grew slowly and carefully and it took a long time for them to end up in bed; and when they did it was an expression of their relationship.  Luke and Shelby's main initial attraction was physical and the rest flowed from that.  Both books have vivid bedroom scenes but especially with Shelter Mountain, those scenes can be skimmed without really missing the point of the story.

Virgin River, my review

Part of being a book blogger is reading other book blogs.  On other blogs I've read about the Virgin River books by Robyn Carr and I've been wanting to try them.  I haven't seen them at my library, so this weekend I stopped at the used paperback store, and sure enough they had a big selection.  One of them I grabbed was the first in the series, Virgin River.  It is a contemporary romance set in a very small California town which is in the hills far away from everything.  Melinda is a recent widow, and a nurse-midwife.  She wants to get away from the memories and so she answers an ad to work in this small town.  When she gets there she notes that the ad was somewhat inaccurate in its descriptions, but she is convinced to stay to care for a patient.  Days turn into weeks....
He is Jack, an ex-Marine, who is trying to forget a few things himself.  He owns the local bar/restaurant and has never wanted a serious relationship with a woman.  That soon changes.

We follow Melinda as she adjust to life in this small town, makes friends, treats her patients and deals with a surprise of her own.  Virgin River is mass-market romance and there are bedroom scenes and they happen before marriage, but this isn't one of those romance novels that are nothing but romance or where the main thing binding the couple is the bedroom.  Melinda and Jack are real people who care and hurt like real people, and I"m glad they got to live happily ever after.  I have one more book to read, and unfortunately it isn't the one that I just read the first chapter of at the back of this one--well, I guess another trip to the bookstore is in order, since they don't show up on Bookmooch.