Virgin River Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Virgin River Books
About The Virgin River Books:
The Virgin River book series are a series of books based on the fictional town of Virgin River, containing only 600 people. Written by Robyn Carr, the number of books in the series is now going into the 20’s. She has been writing the series since 2007, and the books seem to be growing in popularity every year.
Perhaps what started the significance of the whole series were the first four books; Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, Whispering Rock, and A Virgin River Christmas. It’s hard to believe that the books are publishing as many as 20 right now, but readers just keep asking for more books.
Virgin River Character summary:
Believe it or not, there are different characters in every single one of these books! This makes the next book even more exciting than the last. You might find a couple of the same characters in several of the books, but each one contains some new and thrilling people that will change your whole outlook of the series.
One repeated character is Kelly Matlock, the 34 year old sister to Jillian Matlock (the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Benedict Software Systems). Kelly is a prominent chef in San Francisco. Some of the characters have large appearances, and some have very small appearances.
However, they are all significant to the plot. There are also many characters who are family members or friends of a character of a previous book.
The Start of it all…
This book series basically starts off with a baby left on a front porch. Melinda Monroe is a recently widowed nurse practitioner who follows an ad to a small town called Virgin River.
Against her sister’s pleas, she tries to make her home in a rent-free cabin, but the cabin is a dump and the roads are even worse. Melinda decides to wants to leave straight away, but she is suddenly left with a newborn baby girl that was found on the local doctor’s doorstep.
As much as she wants to drop everything and go back to where she came from, she can’t ignore a helpless little baby. So Melinda, or “Mel”, decides to make the best of a bad situation. Later on we get to see the blossoming romance between Mel and Jack Sheridan, a retired marine.
Individual Characters:
Melinda Monroe
It’s obvious that Melinda Monroe is the main character of the start of the series. She sets the entire character plot in motion. Melinda is a strong-willed nurse who wants to escape all of her troubles. Her husband recently died a very violent death, and she is absolutely devastated by it.
But Mel is smart and will prevail in any way she can. She decides the best solution is to move away from the city she’s in, sell everything she owns, and move to the middle of nowhere. This just so happens to be the mountain town of Virgin River, California, population 600.
Unfortunately, this trip doesn’t sail as smoothly as she expected. She was supposed to help a doctor who apparently needed a nurse practitioner to help out in his office, but he actually wants nothing to do with her. Eventually, she gets employed in the office and has her fair share of arguments with the grumpy doctor. Mel always speaks her mind throughout the series and doesn’t let anyone take advantage of her. She faces a real conflict when she meets Jack Sheridan, who seems just about perfect in every way.
She still has feelings for her husband, but she wants to move on and Jack seems like the right guy for her. Yet she feels guilty about finding someone else when her husband was brutally shot to death. Mel and Jack’s romance grow throughout the book in the most beautiful way. Mel soon finds herself not wanting to leave Virgin River like she originally did, and instead gets attached to many of the town’s residents. Many women in the town are comforted by her nursing skills to deliver their babies.
Jack Sheridan
The next main character is obviously Jack, a 40 year old retired marine. As soon as he sets eyes on Mel, he is instantly attracted to her. As hard as it is, however, he knows he needs to take it slow. He feels like he is head over heels in love with this woman and she can only think of him as a good friend for the time being.
Unlike other romance novels you might see out there, Jack and Mel take their sweet old time to have romance; instead having a friendship first. Jack has troubles of his own; he’s been through a war and is suffering the physical and emotional scars. It doesn’t take terribly long for Jack and Mel to start having some steamy sex, which you will find to be quite detailed in nature.
Jack is a wonderful man for Mel, because although he is in love with her and thinks about her all the time, he also understands that she still has feelings for her deceased husband. She is conflicted over her feelings and emotions for a while and Jack does his best to understand that. Jack stays pretty busy in his spare time. Besides being known as a war hero, he runs the local bar and restaurant in town.
Chloe
Chloe is the newborn baby that basically gets forced upon Mel at the most opportune time. Chloe is her only reason to stay in Virgin River, but Mel soon grows to love her. She plans on only keeping her until she finds a good home for her, but that good home never seems to come, and Chloe definitely has Mel’s heart for good.
Conclusion
If you haven’t picked up a book from the Virgin River series yet, get one right away! Based on many reviews and happy readers, the Virgin River is a must-have. It’s not a book that will have you “on edge” or laughing hysterically, but it does contain all the major factors that books should have: romance, laughter, suspense, and most of all, creativity.
Robyn Carr has managed to make a fictional town totally come to life in this series. Every character is completely unique, and every character will make it difficult for you to put the book down. If you’re looking for a good, summer read, consider Virgin River.
Book Series In Order » Characters »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I have read over half the books in this extensive series, and I love them all. I refuse to watch the Netflix series because I dont want it to ruin what I know from the books and from the looks of things on Netflix, it totally has. The characters look nothing like I pictured them to..and it sounds like they changed the whole plot line anyway. I’m happy reading the books. I do get discouraged when there are only online versions of some of the books though…say through Kindle or e-books. Love the series though. It’s nice to see Robyn bringing old familiar characters in once in a while.
Although the tv series is a good watch it doesn’t sit well with me because the only thing the same as in the books are the names. The story line has change to much things that are in the tv series is not in the books like for example Jack was only involved with Charm a one until Mel came to town. She was never pregnant, and Hope is not married to Doc Mullins in books. It is sad to see the producers change things that change the story line. I have read the whole series twice now and defiantly prefer the books because they give an image that makes you feel like you are right there with all the characters. Thank you so much for writing from your heart it brings hope.
I agree with you 100%. I watched 2 episodes and was disgusted. I have the books and am reading them again. I’ll never watch the series.
I’m disappointed that Robin Carr let them s rew up the story so badly.
I have read and loved every one of the Virgin River books and even the TV series. I hope
Robyn keeps on writring more Virgin River books.
I started watching the how on Netflix then decided to read the books. I love the show but the books are SO much better!!
LOVING the Netflix Series . . just binged Season 4 and and am watching the entire 4 seasons again because I can’t get enough of Jack and Mel and the rest of the characters. Hoping this series goes on for many years to come.
I absolutely love the virgin river series on Netflix. It is so full of different characters in every episode. I dread the series finale. But according to a post before me there will be a season 5, and of course I had to binge watch season 4 in the last day or so. I will probably start reading the books now waiting in limbo for next season, and I agree that books are always so much fuller so I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. Don’t ever stop writing Mrs. Carr!
love the show and i know i will p[rolly like the books cause in alot of xases the books are better cause they have more to them but i don’t know if they are supposed to be read in order or not anyway i look forward to them as much as the show
I have started to watch the serie and cannot get enough of it. I keep watching it over and over again and look forward to watching the next seasons, (#4 and #5 are on the way!). I sure hope that there will be many more seasons. I love it, I love it, I love it, period! And many hourras to Mrs Carr!