Looking for something new to read?
Netflix viewers fell head-over-heels for Virgin River after it was released last month.
The first season of the romantic drama, based on the Virgin Rivers novels by Robyn Carr, premiered earlier this month.
Virgin River follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe, who answers an ad to work as a nurse practitioner in the remote California town of Virgin River thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh and leave her painful memories behind.
But she soon discovers that small-town living isn’t quite as simple as she expected and that she must learn to heal herself before she can truly make Virgin River her home.
Thankfully, the series has already been renewed for a second season – and it’s already filming, too.
But with no release date in sight just yet, here are 9 books to read while waiting for season two of Virgin River.
Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the 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 reenergize 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…
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover. In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother – a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.
Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career – if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.
The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes – and mouth – are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to overcome the past, though she’s about to discover that there’s no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.
Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec and Andy Arndt
Nothing good ever comes from drinking a box of wine alone. So when I decided to entertain my drunken self by setting up some hand-me-down podcasting equipment and reading the steamy parts from romance novels, I never thought anyone would actually listen. The fact that I admitted my huge crush on my sexy next door neighbor made the whole thing even more mortifying. But sometimes life surprises you, and that’s how my podcast, Heidi’s Discount Erotica, was born.
Now I, Heidi Larsen, a sweet former kindergarten teacher in Waconia, Minnesota, lead a scandalous double life reading erotic novels to the listening world. And with each episode, I find myself embracing my new alter ego more and more. Now I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin and do things I never would have dreamed of – like kissing my neighbor.
Look out, Waconia, because Heidi’s on the loose! She’s in your ears, in your hearts, and down your pants…wait, that didn’t sound as good as it did in my head. Well, you get the picture, don’tcha know!
A Bend In The Road by Nicholas Sparks
Miles Ryan’s life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. As deputy sheriff of New Bern, North Carolina, he not only grieves for her and worries about their young son Jonah but longs to bring the unknown driver to justice.
Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews, Jonah’s second-grade teacher. A young woman recovering from a difficult divorce, Sarah moved to New Bern hoping to start over. Tentatively, Miles and Sarah reach out to each other…soon they are falling in love.
But what neither realizes is that they are also bound together by a shocking secret, one that will force them to reexamine everything they believe in-including their love.
Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery
Welcome to Fool’s Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There’s lots to do and plenty of people to meet, especially women. Because there’s just one tiny problem in Fool’s Gold: the men don’t seem to stick around.
Maybe it’s the lure of big-city life, or maybe it’s plain old bad luck, but regardless of the reason, the problem has to be fixed, fast. And Charity Jones may be just the city planner to do it. Charity’s nomadic childhood has left her itching to settle down, and she immediately falls in love with all the storybook town has to offer—everything, that is, except its sexiest and most famous resident, former world-class cyclist Josh Golden.
With her long list of romantic disasters, she’s not about to take a chance on another bad boy, even if everyone else thinks he’s perfect just the way he is. But maybe that’s just what he needs—someone who knows the value of his flaws. Someone who knows that he’s just chasing perfect.
A Slice of Heaven by Sherryl Woods
When an eating disorder threatens the life of chef Dana Sue Sullivan’s teenage daughter, she has no choice but to bring Annie’s cheating dad back to Serenity, South Carolina. She tells herself and her friends it’s all about Annie, but the sad truth is she has a boatload of unresolved feelings of her own for Ronnie Sullivan.
From the moment Ronnie hits town, there’s no question about his intentions. He’s there for his daughter, to be sure, but he wants Dana Sue back, and every move he makes is designed to prove he’s a changed man. The one thing that’s never changed, though, are the sparks that fly whenever the two of them are in the same room.
Dana Sue can deny all she wants that Ronnie’s the only man for her, but not a single person in town is buying it. No matter the circumstances, Ronnie’s return is a sweet recipe for a new beginning.
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
There’s a new shop on Seattle’s Blossom Street—a flower store called Susannah’s Garden, right next door to A Good Yarn. Susannah Nelson, the owner, has just hired an assistant named Colette Blake, a young widow who’s obviously hiding a secret—or two!
When Susannah and Colette both join Lydia Goetz’s new knitting class, they discover that Lydia and her sister, Margaret, have worries of their own. Margaret’s daughter, Julia, is the victim of a random carjacking, and the entire family is thrown into emotional chaos.
Then there’s Alix Townsend, whose wedding is only months away. She’s not sure she can go through with it, though. A reception at the country club, with hundreds of guests she’s never met—it’s just not Alix. But, like everyone in Lydia’s knitting class, she knows there’s a solution to every problem…and another woman can usually help you find it.
Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson
When Samantha Harrigan attends the local rodeo, she doesn’t expect to wind up in jail. But that’s precisely what happens when she tries to stop a drunkard from abusing his horse. At least she isn’t alone. Tucker Coulter, a handsome local veterinarian, comes to her defense–and is arrested too.
The charges are dropped, but Sam’s troubles have only started. Her champion quarter horses are falling ill and the culprit is poison. As the insurance beneficiary, Sam is the prime suspect. Unswayed by the rumors floating around town, Tucker offers to help prove her innocence. Sam, though, is uneasy about accepting his assistance–and about the way he makes her feel. If only she could believe in him the way he seems to believe in her…
Finding The Dream by Nora Roberts
Laura Templeton found out the hard way that nothing in life is guaranteed. The daughter of a wealthy hotelier, she had always known comfort, privilege, and security. But by the age of thirty, her storybook marriage had been destroyed by her husband’s infidelity. Laura’s divorce left her both emotionally and financially devastated—but determined to rebuild her life without the Templeton fortune.
Laura had always defined herself as a wife, a daughter, or a mother. Now, she must finally discover Laura the woman…
