Exciting New Series from Robyn Carr

The Wanderer
Thunder Point #1
Robyn Carr
Released March 26th, 2013
384 Pages
Harlequin MIRA
Received from NetGalley
Reviewed by: Lisa

Move over Virgin River....Thunder Point is the New Kid in Town!

Nestled on the Oregon coast is a small town of rocky beaches and rugged charm. Locals love the land's unspoiled beauty. Developers see it as a potential gold mine. When newcomer Hank Cooper learns he's been left an old friend's entire beachfront property, he finds himself with a community's destiny in his hands.

Cooper has never been a man to settle in one place, and Thunder Point was supposed to be just another quick stop. But Cooper finds himself getting involved with the town. And with Sarah Dupre, a woman as complicated as she is beautiful.

With the whole town watching for his next move, Cooper has to choose between his old life and a place full of new possibilities. A place that just might be home.

In all honesty, I was so excited to see Robyn Carr venturing off into a new series.  I hadn't been able to get into the last few of the Virgin River Romances and I was ready for something new.  The new series, Thunder Point, has beautiful covers that draw the readers eye and calls out to you in your dreams...ok, not really, but I LOVE the covers.  And that was what drew me into wanting to read this story.

The Wanderer is not your typical romance, I'm gonna throw that out there.  There is A LOT going on after we first meet Hank (Henry) Cooper or Coop for short.  Coop has come to town after an Army buddy dies and leave Coop his run down bar/bait shop/gas station and whatever else Ben had going on down by the beach. 

Once we meet Coop, we are introduced to a mish mosh of people, Mac, the deputy, Gina, the waitress, and Sarah, the rescue pilot.  All of these people have a lot of responsibly, as single parents or as sister's raising her brother, as Sarah is, with her brother Landon.  And the story goes like this, boy meets girl, girls been hurt, boy loves girl, girl keeps feelings aside and puts up a wall, boy might just stick around to see where this relationship could go. 

And mixed in all of that is a blooming relationship between two teens, a late in life relationship between Aunt Lou and Joe, and a "took em' long enough" relationship between two friends.  Plenty of entertainment in a small package. 

Aside from the build-up of romance is a little suspense and mostly, getting to know the town of Thunder Point, the characters, the background and such.  I enjoyed getting to know everyone, I thought Sarah and Cooper had sparks and I loved seeing them work out the kinks in their relationship and I thought Mac and Gina were hysterical!

A lovely new series by Robyn Carr, and I am looking forward to the next two books as well. 

GIVEAWAY

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A Trip to Virgin River I Enjoyed

Sunrise Point
Virgin River #19
Robyn Carr
Released April 24th, 2012
378 Pages
Mira
Source: NetGalley




Now this visit to Virgin River was such a pleasure, I simply didn't want it to end.  As my loyal readers know, I did not enjoy the last two Virgin River books as much as I wanted to, but Sunrise Point definitely makes up for all the negative thoughts I had.

I vaguely remember Nora from Bring Me Home For Christmas, but I did remember the town coming together to help a woman who was homeless with two children.  What a strong-willed, single-mother Nora is, she is amazing, and she will do ANYTHING it takes to make sure her girls have food and shelter.  I admired her character and I was so happy when Maxie agreed to, more like told Tom that he had to hire her.

Tom Cavanaugh, owner of the Cavanaugh Orchard, meets Nora and is strongly attracted to her, but he tells her that they already hired enough help for the season.  He is told to hire her anyway and he knows that he needs to avoid her so that his attraction for her will not grow more than it already has.  He admires her as a mother and a worker, but he doesn't want to marry into a "FAMILY", he wants a wife that he can start fresh with, someone with class and a career...he is a dumb ass and doesn't know what is right in front of him.

And then comes Darla...ugh...I completely loved the way Robyn wrote Darla and the way she portrayed her...it was hysterical.  I found myself saying, "She did not just say that?" or "She did not just do that?"  I loved her interactions with Maxie, Tom's grandmother, she was hysterical, and I wish I had a Maxie in my life.

The second we meet Coop, a friend of the Riordan's, and he had his interaction with Jack, I SO thought that the woman they were talking about was going to end up being Darla.  I was wrong, but when you read it, you must come back and tell me if you felt the same way. 

The growing relationship between Tom and Nora was slow, but not boring.  I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next and if my heart would be soaring or crushed with Tom's stupidity....haha...men!!

I will definitely recommend this book and I hope you all will enjoy Tom and Nora's story as much as I did.  Happy Reading Ladies!!

Wanted to Love

Redwod Bend
Virgin River #18
Robyn Carr
Released Feb 28th, 2012
400 Pages
Mira Publishing
Source: NetGalley


Katie Malone and her twin boys' trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie is having trouble putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the sight of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.

In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.



I tried again with the newest Virgin River Series book, Redwood Bend. The premise had potential, A hot biker, ex child-star, meets down to earth mom of twin boys and sparks fly. Unfortunately, the sparks did not fly for me. I felt NO attraction between Katie Malone and Dylan Childress. I think it was a lot like the last book, Hidden Summit, where I felt the dialogue was very "staged", or felt like it wasn't really these two characters speaking.

They meet on the side of the road, we don't even get his POV, and then when they see each other again, he is magically attracted to her. Ok, I can understand this, but then the next time they see each other, he is like "IN LOVE" with her. I just felt it was rushed, or I didn't get too much of a sense of a build up of a real relationship between these two characters.

I keep trying with this series because the characters sound so GREAT and I think I will get this amazing Spark between the hero and heroine, but I don't, and then I am disappointed. I really want to like the stories and I want to believe the dialogue, but for me, it falls way flat.

So I wont say, Don't read Redwood Bend, but I will say that I ended up skimming the last two-thirds.

Ill keep trying, maybe the next one will be a hit for me!!

Can Stay Hidden

Hidden Summit
Virgin River #17
Robyn Carr
Released Dec 27th, 2011
400 Pages
Mira Publishing
Source: NetGalley




The first few pages of Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr were like the first few bites of a Birthday Cake Sundae with Reece's Peanut Butter cups mixed in.....Really Good.....and then halfway to the middle, I start to get a stomach ache, or in this case.....my focus was gone.

Conner Danson was just the kind of hero I like....Cropped hair, broad shoulders, goatee and blue, blue eyes behind thick lashes....I mean...OH yeah!! And the way he wanted to take care of his sister and her two boys, and his trust issues from a cheating spouse...I mean..who wouldn't want this sexy, bad boy to have a starring role in her dreams.

So we started out good...and then we meet Leslie, who is trying to escape the pressure from her image-conscious Ex and his new pregnant wife...UGH!! I liked Leslie from the start and was definitely in her corner when it came to her weasel of an ex. I was pulling for her and Conner to get together, but then it was just.....I don't know...Boring??

I felt as if I was reading about a couple that was reading a scene from a movie. The dialogue was just...OFF.  Some of the things he said were unbelievable and it just didn't match up with the kind of guy that he was portrayed to be. This was where I stopped caring about what happened to this couple, ok...I kind of still cared and skimmed through the rest of the book to the end.....BUT...I wasn't invested in the story and I HATE...HATE when that happens.

All in all...Hidden Summit was just OK...

On a bright note, I did like Katie, Connner's sister, who will be the heroine in Redwood Bend, the next Virgin River book due out February 28th, 2012. Maybe Katie and her sexy biker, Dylan will keep me reading the Virgin River Series!!

Virgin River Christmas

Bring Me Home For Christmas
Robyn Carr
Released September 27, 2011
Harlequin


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 high-school 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.


If you have ever read an of the other Virgin River Series you will understand when I say that it was very much like the others. Robyn writes about a wonderful town with friends that are more like family, where everyone helps their neighbors in need. I remember enjoying the first few in the series and then they started to feel repetitive, which this one was, but I did enjoy seeing all my old friends again.

Becca forced herself on a hunting trip to Virgin River with her brother and a few other former Marines, one being Denny, her ex. Their break up wasn't mutual and she ended up hurt and confused for a long time. Now she is about to be engaged to someone else but needs the closure with Denny before she makes what might be a big mistake.

I have to say I like Becca as a heroine, she was funny, sarcastic and friendly. Who hasn't been in her boat, not knowing if you are marrying the wrong person. On the other hand...I didn't love Denny. He was handsome and caring, but at times the things he said were kind of cheesy for a twenty five year old former Marine.

All in all, I liked the book. Everytime I read a Virgin River book I feel as though I have come home for a visit. I get to hang out with my old friends and meet some new ones.