I adore the Virgin River books. Robyn Carr is an amazing author. This book was everything I've come to expect of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Mills and Boon and Robyn Carr for an E copy of this book.
This is the 2nd book in the Virgin River series.
As ‘Preacher’ is closing the bar one night a young woman and her young son arrive frightened and wet, looking for a place to rest. As a former Marine Preacher knows a crisis when she sees one and immediately offers help.
Paige just wants to shelter for a night before heading on her way but her son Chris is running a fever. Preacher’s kindness and gentleness sooth her and she agrees to stay the night at least and allow the local midwife to check him over. During Chris’s recovery Paige agrees to stay as long as she can work her keep, so she helps Preacher in the bar. As she spends time in Virgin River, the more she wants to stay. However, she has to gain courage to make a new life for herself and her son away from her abusive husband. Can Preacher and the friends she makes help her when she needs them most?
I liked being back in Virgin River and not only meeting a new character but catching up with characters from the first book. A well-developed plot line, good characters and development. A very believable storyline.
I can see myself coming back to Virgin River again.
Trigger warnings for domestic abuse, miscarriage.

OK - so this is actually Virgin River and this book is where the TV series starts. A mother and her son arrive in the small town, on a wet and windy night and take up an isolated residence. They try to keep to themselves and this is a town where strangers are obvious, but also their need not to socialise is respected. Thus our young mother keeps to herself - as much as she can remembering she has a small son.
As is often the case, when single mothers appear in a small isolated and 'hidden' small town, they turn out to be running away from something (trope) - frequently an abusive relationship or a crime they witnessed. And Jack Preacher (ex-military) knows that a split lip and bruises equals abuse. So he finds himself caring for this woman and her child and enables them to hide away - for a while at least.
This is really the start of the series and as such we get introduced to the main characters and their role/s in the township.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

Shelter Mountain is part of the Virgin River series and I think is best read in order of the series. The main characters are Preacher and Paige but there is plenty of focus on other characters. Jack and Mel have a big part in the book and their story continues on from book one.

Whilst I enjoyed this book, I found the hopping around between characters and their personal storylines a little much to keep up with, perhaps because I hadn't read the first book in the series beforehand. It is well written, the characters are strong and the story is quite gripping in parts, though it does have some pretty tough scenes to get through and some strong themes. I found Preacher to be a wonderful hero and his chemistry with Paige was clear from the start. The connections between the characters was great and I enjoyed the small town vibe.

Oh how I love these books. I read the first book last month which focused on Mel and Jack’s story, this second book still features Mel and Jack heavily but its main focus is on Preacher and Paige’s story.

Having watched the tv series I had an idea of what to expect but this goes into Paige’s backstory a lot further and can be quite a difficult read at times. Paige is on the run from her husband and somehow finds Virgin River, and Preacher. Watching these two get together is so lovely, Preacher coming out of his shell and becoming a man with a huge heart. Paige learning to trust again. As a side story we have Ricky and Liz, two teenagers who are having to grow up far too fast. I am so jealous of Mel and Jack’s story, they have a relationship that I can only dream of.

This is a quick read, but not an easy read, it tackles some seriously difficult subjects but it is still light-hearted and fun.

I do love small town romances. Something about the community in these small towns is comforting.
My heart broke for Paige and her little boy, on the run from an abusive husband they end up in Virgin River. Its meant to be a short stop before Paige heads to her sanctuary. Preacher is an amazing hero, so protective of them both. But also so hard on his self. Thinking Paige will never love him because of the way he looks. I can see why this has been made into a tv series and cant wait to wach it.
Shelter Mountain is a sweet read, loved going along on the journey while Paige and John (Preacher) found their happy ending. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romance.

This is the third Virgin River book I've had the pleasure of reading. I have to admit it was probably my favourite. Some parts were a bit slow and I skimmed through them but overall brilliant read.

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr is a delightful contemporary novel and the second book in the Virgin River series. It can be read as a stand-alone.
Once more the community of Virgin River pulls together to welcome a stranger and to help to bring healing and wholeness. The community has a strong sense of right and wrong, and will fight the injustices they see.
There are some hard to read topics of domestic abuse, miscarriage and still birth. The community gathers round to help in whatever way they can.
The older men of the town act as role models for the younger ones, taking them in under their wings.
The bond between veterans is unbreakable. When one of their own is in trouble, the others drop everything to offer support.
All the characters are well drawn and realistic. I loved the bond between a gentle giant and a small three year old boy. It is beautiful to watch love and friendship grow.
I adore the Virgin River books. They are totally charming with a strong community presence.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
A word of caution: There were a few ‘bedroom’ scenes with far too much detail in for me, I skipped over these pages. It did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. Robyn Carr certainly does not disappoint with it as from the first few pages the reader is totally involved with the goings on in Virgin River. Really enjoyed it Thoroughly recommended!

This is the second book in the Virgin River series, and after reading and loving the first instalment, I was intrigued to see if it lived up to the high expectations the first book had set.

This book focuses on Preacher and Paige's story. This was certainly an emotional read as the characters revisit some truly difficult parts of their lives, including domestic abuse. Although the main focus throughout this book is Preacher and Paige, there are a lot of other underlying storylines running throughout it too which bring some wonderful, and very familiar characters into the mix and really adding more depth to the story.
I thought this story tackled some truly difficult issues with respect and sensitivity, and the way in which this story was written it highlighted the impact that such situations leave behind.

This book was beautifully written, full of drama and well and truly captivating. I adored how we learnt more about the characters and their back stories, and the friendships that have formed between them too. A truly brilliant read.

A well plotted and enjoyable story, perfect for readers who have discovered the Virgin River books as a result of watching the TV adaptation. Likeable characters and a compelling writing style mean the book endears itself well to the reader and keeps you entertained as the story progresses.

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr

The story of Preacher and Paige. They are strangers who connect and as always there are secrets but they will surface in time.

This is the second book in the series if anything her books do get better as the series goes on.

This is another story that covers sensitive issues extremely well.

Love the characters it shows when your backs to the wall true friends step up.

The second book in the Virgin River series is Preacher and Paige's story. It's an emotional and heartfelt tale of domestic abuse, courage, and love. The book's focus is Preacher and Paige, but there are other storylines and familiar characters integrated with the main story bringing the characters and setting to vibrant life.

This story tackles contemporary issues with sensitivity and immerses the reader in the story. If you are a fan of the TV series, get to know the characters and their lives in depth by reading the books. I enjoyed the TV series more, after reading some of the books.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Absolutely adored this so much, I’d seriously suggest anyone who enjoys the TV shows to read the books, they are so much better. Full of great characters, community and full of heart, these books are just lovely and great escapism

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Book 2 of the virgin river series, compulsive reading. this book tells the story of Preacher and Paige. The books are much better than the Netflix programs.

Such a heart-wrenching storyline, with great emotional power and character depth. Maybe my favorite of all the Virgin River books--and that's saying a lot!

Thoughts



It’s a truth universally acknowledged by readers that the second book of/in a series is never as good as the first one. In this case though (I feel that) it was.



Unlike Virgin River, which started off okay but then kind of dwindled off, the characters and the storyline of Shelter Mountain were intriguing from the get-go and it didn’t feel like I had been reading for ages (only to realise I had barely gotten through a couple of pages).



This brings me to the pacing, which was noticeably a lot better in this book, probably because there were fewer descriptions/info dumping in Shelter Mountain than in Virgin River. Again, perhaps because the first book in the series concentrated more on establishing the town and its quirks (to the detriment of the storyline/main characters), a good chunk of the book became dedicated to descriptor-y paragraphs which in turn dragged the pacing (of Virgin River) down. Saying that though, I struggled to finish Shelter Mountain once I got to the 62% mark because, like its predecessor the pacing started to slowed down and it kept going, at one point it was so slow that I was seriously contemplating stopping right there, thankfully I was able to slog my way through to the end.



I really want to read the third book in this series but with the pacing of both the first and second book being (or becoming) so slow, I don’t want to be spending £2.99 on a book that I won’t enjoy or will end up not finishing. If it’s ever on sale though I’ll definitely be buying because I want to see how Mike’s story pans out.




EDIT



After I wrote this review Mike’s book went on sale/was discounted, I bought it, so I guess I will be reading and reviewing it haha

I'm addicted to this series and i can't get enough of it so i am hunting for each book and short story because it's a world that gives so much to think about life and how people are getting over heartbreak and finding another meaning in life.

BOOK REVIEW: Shelter Mountain by @robyncarrwriter

TW: Stillbirth, teen pregnancy, kidnapping, domestic abuse (severe physical and mental).

4 stars

Shelter Mountain is the second book in the Virgin River series. It concentrates on the bar's cook Preacher and a new addition called Paige. It still includes Mel and Jack and other characters from the first book as all their lives are intertwined, which I loved!
I knew I would enjoy this book straight away. It may not be a groundbreaking story but reading it felt like coming home. There is something so warm and snuggly about these books that make you fall in love with them.
The storyline was filled with mini stories which I really enjoyed but the main story of Preacher and Paige was so heartwarming. To learn more about Preacher was wonderful as I liked him in the first book and was intrigued as he was a bit quiet and mysterious. He is such a gentle and kind soul with zero ego or arrogance. I also adored Paige's character. She was quietly strong and such a lovely caring person.
This book tackled some pretty tough themes including extreme domestic abuse and stillbirth which added another level to the story and was handled with care and written about so well.

Overall, it is a wonderful continuation of the story filled with love and friendship. I loved the new characters and the fact that Robyn Carr isn't afraid to tackle very important but tough issues. I highly recommend this series for romance lovers!

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.