Shelter Mountain: Book 2 of Virgin River series

An abused mother stumbles into Jack's bar as Preacher is closing up. A bear of a man, Preacher is soft and gentle - exactly with this woman needs to heal and tough enough to protect her from her batterer. As a side story, teenagers, Rick and Liz have an unplanned pregnancy - and in the end, the baby dies in utero. Liz goes back to live with her Mom in another town, and Rick joins the Marines. And midwife Mel delivers her baby - at home, in a storm with hubby Jack's assistance.

Virgin River series. Engaging.

John (Preacher)'s story is a sweet one--I really liked all the major characters in this one (Preacher, Page, and Chris). We see more of several characters from the first book--a continuation of Jack and Melinda's story (baby!) and some more about Rick and Liz--and the next book is clearly lined up plotwise toward the end. My only real complaint--and it isn't a huge one, but it did strike me as awkward as I was reading--is that when we're more than halfway through the book we're suddenly introduced to a whole new first person POV, Mike Valenzuela...and later on still, Brie Sheridan. I understand why she did it--they're going to be the main focus of the next book, after all--but it really felt odd to have a brand new voice so late in the game, especially in a book that already has so many characters telling their story. Maybe we could have seen just a scene or two from him earlier? They wouldn't have had to be huge--one to show his life before the incident, maybe one of the life-changing event. Overall, though, it didn't do much more than give me pause and definitely didn't take away from my ultimate enjoyment of the story.

SHELTER MOUNTAIN is the second book in the Virgin River series, and it is just as wonderful as the first. I loved getting to know the real Preacher as he helps a young mother on the run from her abusive husband. Paige and Preacher's relationship develops slowly and realistically given their delicate situation. My heart went out to Paige as she fought to save herself and her son from a monster. Luckily she had Preacher and the rest of Virgin River to offer support and protection.At first glance, Preacher may not seem like your typical romance hero, but it doesn't take long to fall in love with him. He's a huge ex-marine, bald, with dark bushy eyebrows. Along with his intimidating appearance, he's also very quiet, so getting close to him isn't easy. But when he does let someone in, he's the most loyal, protective and kind man on the planet. *swoon*SHELTER MOUNTAIN also continues the Mel/Jack and Liz/Rick story lines from the first book. I enjoyed revisiting those characters and sharing their joys and heartbreaks - very emotional stuff. 5-stars!

What's not to like about a small and comfy town, full of wonderful and friendly people, beautiful surroundings and sexy men?Again, Robyn Carr, leads us to a wonderful story about people and their desires, about second changes and choices but most of all, a story about what makes us and what brings us together. Virgin River is the place to be if you're need a little comforting: it was to Paige and John.

Absolutely loved this book. I read this one first and was hooked. Love the town, Jack and Mel. Preacher was so slow and caring with Paige. The drama with the abusive ex made it a definite page turner.

Really liking this series. I like how Carr sets up future plots in her books and continues every story in the next one; I can tell I'm going to get attached to these characters.

Just not my thing. Way too sappy and goody-goody. A shame, since I love traumatized heroines, but this was just preachy in its wholesomeness.

I love this series particularly because of the characters. The men are the perfect blend of masculinity and tenderness and the woman are feminine but strong. Although this is a contemporary setting, the characters are full of old fashioned charm. The small town setting is a real win in my book as well.

Shelter Mountain, the second in the Virgin River Trilogy, is just as good as Virgin River. This is an amazing story of love and courage. Happy times and sad times. Robyn Carr is a wonderful author. She makes her characters seem so real. They come alive right before you. I will be very disappointed if Robyn stops at 3 novels. There are lots of other characters that could have their own book. I am really looking forward to reading the next in the series, Whispering Rock.

Too many stories going on at once, and the teen pregnancy was too much of a diversion out of the main romance.

I liked the first in this series (Virgin River), but Shelter Mountain was very tedious for the first several chapters.

I think perhaps it had been so long between my reading of Virgin River and picking up the second book of the series, Shelter Mountain, that I had forgotten how Robyn Carr's storytelling in some ways resembles women's fiction a bit more than romance. The Virgin River series has more of an ensemble cast, and the author takes frequent jaunts away from the “main” hero and heroine to explore those character's stories. While I do enjoy strong secondary characters, the pages and pages Ms. Carr devotes to them with Preacher and Paige either out of sight or in the background made me feel like they were being a little shortchanged. Overall, I would estimate that approximately one third, if not more of the book, is devoted to the other characters which left me with very mixed feelings. All their stories were interesting and added to the broader sense of community in Virgin River, but I couldn't help being a little frustrated knowing that during those times, the author could have been heightening the intimacy between Preacher and Paige by showing more of their interactions and/or deepening Paige's characterization. Still, in spite of my discontent over not seeing more of Preacher and Paige, I couldn't quite come to begrudge the other characters their moments in the limelight as their stories were pretty moving as well. These scenes also helped to build the overall series story arc which I admit does draw me in with its small-town warmth. I guess I'll just have to hope to see more of Preacher and Paige in the future books of the series, much like I got with Jack and Mel (Virgin River) in Shelter Mountain.I totally fell for Preacher when he was just a secondary character in Virgin River, and was very much looking forward to reading his story. I tend to tire of the womanizing heroes who often populate romance novels, so an inexperienced guy like Preacher who's even rather uncomfortable and lacking confidence around women was a breath of fresh air. I thought it was very sweet that he was a little afraid of making love to Paige, but his sensitive side ended up making him a wonderful lover. It was great that Preacher had a good upbringing which left him with a solid foundation to help someone like Paige through her trauma. Even though he hadn't spent much time around women and kids, he was a real gentleman who just instinctively knew what to do and how to behave. He was very gentle, loving and patient right from the start not only with Paige, but also with her son, Christopher, who had never really known the love of a father. I even liked that he wasn't a gorgeous man and in fact, was used to his looks scaring people, but underneath it all he was just a great big teddy bear. Not only that but he was a fabulous cook too, a very unusual profession for a romance hero. I wish Jack's Bar really existed just so that I could go try Preacher's cooking. Yum!;-) The only thing that I found slightly questionable about his characterization was that for being such a shy, quiet guy who barely strung two words together in Virgin River, he seemed to turn rather talkative all of a sudden which just didn't seem to fit. Otherwise, I absolutely loved this guy.Paige is a stereotypical battered wife. She was raised in a family with a verbally abusive father, passive mother, and bullying brother. Her upbringing likely subconsciously played a role in her marrying an abusive man who nearly beat her to death, and threatened her life, leaving her on the run. She accidentally ends up in the little town of Virgin River where everyone helps anyone in need, and of course it is there that she finds healing for not only her battered body, but her spirit as well. Preacher's gentle ways and the kindness of all the other town's people assist her in regaining her confidence to fight back against her husband. She is also a great, caring mother to Christopher. Unfortunately, this is about as far as Paige's characterization went, and I couldn't help feeling that she was somewhat underdeveloped. I really liked her, but I just didn't feel like I got to know her very well.As I mentioned earlier, the Virgin River series has more of a community of characters, so there were supporting players aplenty. Jack and Mel are back, enjoying their newlywed status and awaiting the birth of their first child while getting in on all the other action in the story. Rick and Liz's (Paradise Valley) story continues to build, and I have to say that I couldn't have been prouder of Rick for being so responsible. Many grown men in his situation couldn't have handled what he did, and he really stepped up to the plate. Jack and Preacher have obviously been great role models for him. Liz was showing a lot more maturity too. I'll miss Rick while he's away in the Marines, as I doubt we'll see much of him for a while unless it's just a quick visit. Jack and Preacher's Marine buddy, Mike, and Jack's sister, Brie, both experience life-altering events. Mike's ends up being the catalyst for bringing him to Virgin River permanently, and making him rethink the way he's been living his life. Although Brie has just come for visits so far, I'm sure she'll be back soon and possibly in danger. This pair become the hero and heroine of the next book, Whispering Rock. Even Dan, the illegal grower, who “kidnapped” Mel to deliver a baby in Virgin River popped up a couple of times. I think there is more to him than meets the eye, and it looks like he may be sharing Paradise Valley with Rick and Liz.While I love the guys of Virgin River, I have to say that sometimes they feel just a little off to me, perhaps a little too dichotomous. They are certainly manly men, ex-Marines and other “tough guys” with masculine pursuits such as hunting, fishing, sometimes drinking too much and occasional womanizing (single guys only of course). They're also quick to arm themselves to protect the ones they love and/or take out the bad guys, but once in a while they do things that seem pretty feminine to me. When a group of guys gets together and starts talking about the ins and outs of pregnancy, or a couple of the men pair off and one begins to share his woes while the other one dispenses touchy-feely advice, it just seems rather strange to me. Not to mention, the way pretty much all of them just go ga-ga over a pregnant woman. I love a romance hero who can be macho while also being brought to his knees by his unexpected love for a woman, and I can definitely appreciate a hero who adores his wife (especially when pregnant), but there's just something about these guys that feels a little unbalanced to me. I guess I can't complain too much though, because they are a great group of men even if they are a wee bit strange sometimes. Maybe it's just all that pure mountain air bringing out their feminine sides.;-)One other thing about Robyn Carr, and the series in general, that gives me mixed feelings is that I don't really seem to connect with her writing style in the same deep, passionate way that many other fans do. She can certainly tell an appealing story, populated with likable characters, but I've found that she isn't a particularly detail-oriented writer, unless of course it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. Don't get me wrong. I love those things, but sometimes you can have a little too much of a good thing and not enough other ingredients. When reading her books, I tend to miss all the little things such as gestures and facial expressions which I've found can bring a lot of warmth to the dialog. She also doesn't tell much about how the characters are feeling and what is motivating them to take certain actions, nor does she express tactile sensations they might be sensing. In a story like Shelter Mountain that is supposed to really tug at the heartstrings, the little things like these can make all the difference in whether I'm able to deeply connect with the characters. It took me a while to figure out, but I came to the realization that the reason for these things being missing in Ms. Carr's stories is that she has an unusual writing style where she tends to narrate from her own point of view rather than getting inside the characters heads. It's almost like she's the proverbial fly on the wall in Virgin River telling the reader what she's seeing rather then telling it from the characters' points-of-view, which can be a little frustrating for me as a reader.Even though there are a few things about the Virgin River series that have kept it from being the fabulous reads I was expecting, I still like it well enough that I'll definitely continue. In spite of not connecting with the characters in quite the way I would prefer, I still feel like I'm becoming invested in their lives and want to know what happens next. It's almost like a small-town soap opera that can be rather addicting. I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store for Mike and Brie, and hoping to see more of my favorite characters. It should be an interesting journey, and as long as the books remain at least as appealing as they have been so far, I'll probably be in it for the long haul. I'll just have to remember to prepare myself next time for Robyn Carr's different writing style and the possibility of not seeing as much of the “main” hero and heroine as I might like.

I absolutely loved this book. I want to live in Virgin River!

This was a pretty good second book in the series, keeping us tied to our initial characters, Jack and Mel, but really focusing on other characters in their orbit. This book isn’t just about Preacher and Paige, it’s about Jack and Mel and their baby, Jack’s protege, Rick and his girlfriend, and there’s a significant amount of set-up for the next book, about Jack’s sister Brie and his Marine buddy, Mike. There’s nothing special in the plot, and very few surprises — you know the 'wronged', abusive husband isn’t going to go quietly, and the independent, plucky midwife isn’t going to have a routine birth. The strength in this series is in the characters, and Carr is able to make us fall in love with every one of them, even when they are over-the-top and too good to be true.

This is a great contemporary romance series. I really enjoyed this book. But I must admit, it slowed at a couple points and there was a slight "unbelievable" factor to a couple sections but still a great read. I would still recommend it (along with the other books in this series.)

And the women’s health lesson continuesThere was a lot to like in this book, and just as much to dislike.The premise drew me in right away – battered wife on the run, war hero in small town determined to help her. But the thing with Robyn Carr’s writing is that she always devotes the first half of her books to the ‘leading’ couple, and then seems to forget about them. You can go for dozens of pages without hearing anything about them.As such, the relationship between the two was so underdeveloped I couldn’t think of a single reason Preacher was interested in Paige. Now, I’m sure she’s a lovely character, but we never got to meet her. In fact, Ms Carr once again prioritised children over romance, and it seemed the only reason Preacher wanted to marry Paige was because he liked being a father to her son! Honestly, there was so much time devoted to the Preacher/Chris father/son relationship there wasn’t anything between the hero and heroine.I loved some parts of this story – it started off so well I thought, thank God, it’s going to be so much better than the first book. But after the initial dealings with Paige’s abuse and with her husband, the ‘main’ story just seemed to stop.But of the issues I have with Ms Carr’s writing, by far my biggest gripe is her obsession with women’s health. This woman can write about pelvic exams and breastfeeding until the cows come home, but when we get to something exciting it gets covered in a paragraph or two. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t believe pelvic exams – let alone half a dozen pelvic exams, a miscarriage or two and a handful of detailed childbirths – have any place in a romance story. I could also seriously do without the endless preaching about safe sex. Mel – the leading lady from the first book – is well and truly prominent here in book two, and in many ways I wish she’d just go away. Why? Because she’s a midwife, and according to the author a midwife never thinks about or talks about anything other than her work. As soon as Mel comes on scene you know you’re in for a chapter of babies and all that comes with them.The Preacher/Paige/spousal abuse storyline more or less disappeared in the middle of the book, but popped up again at the end as if somebody suddenly remembered who this book was supposed to be about. I was happy for its return, but after all the birthin’ it was covered so quickly I would have loved for another chapter.I did enjoy this book slightly more than the first, and I enjoyed the third book even more (I’m about to start book four). If you are going to read this series I think it is absolutely imperative the books are read in order because there’s so much going on, and unlike other romance series, no book focuses much on the starring couple. You have to be caught up on everything in everyone’s lives before you can read ahead.

I am not bothered by these aspects of fiction, but for purpose of reader's advisories I will rate the content after reading. Some being averse to "Course Content", I need to keep track of it so as to avoid suggesting novels my patrons will find offensive. 1= none5= Found throughoutLanguage 2Graphic Violence 2Sex 2

I had absolutely loved this book. It is my favorite book in the series. Carr, has a way of weaving realistic stories lines into great romances. The gentleness and understanding of Preacher was amazing. I did wish she would have pushed Mel and Jack just a bit. I like how she sets up the next story in each continuing book.

When battered wife Paige stops into Jake's Bar in Virgin River, Preacher's immediate reaction is to protect her. As the whole town joins in to help her and her young son, Preacher falls in love, but his fear of scaring her, or reminding her of her abusive husband, Wes, keeps him from declaring his feelings. Sweet, but very light...

this was so much better than the first one! This story was full of beautiful things and sad things and awful things all put together into one book that just was a rollercoaster of emotion. I LOVED Preacher and Paige together and all the good things that they managed to build as the story progressed, including that wonderful little boy. I hope I get to see more of these three in the next books, as much as we got to take a look at how Mel and Jack were doing now in their married lives and as new parents. Very good!

Shelter Moutain
Robyn Carr
★☆★☆★

This is the story of Preacher (John) and Paige. It is a pretty emotional story I cried a few times. In this novel we also have a side story with Rick and Liz and we get more of Jack and Mel!

My favorite thing about Robyn Carr is she takes real life scary issues (drugs, abuse, murder,war, just to name some) ans brings them to light in these novels. so you get real men and women going through real everday issues and still manage to have a good romance in it all :)

This particular novel is about a woman who was severly abused by her husband. She goes on the run with her child, took a wrong turn and ended up in Virgin River with preacher as her guardian angel.

I love the hero and heroine. Both were so humble and so sweet. Gosh Preacher is just every womans dream. I loved him. He was caring and very sensitive. he brought tears to my eyes with his tenderness.

In thos novel we see other issues such as loss (not giving to much away) and I think Carr made this work not too many people have the balls to kill off someone in their book.
There was the issue with Paiges husband and his addiction to Meth.
We also see a little bullying in Paiges family.
And you have a teen pregnancy
I enjoyed reading thos novel and bringing awareness to these everyday issues while still having a happy ending.

I will continue this series through. I have already grown to love the town.

This is the second book in the Virgin River series of books. I read the first, and watched the Netflix Original premier of the Virgin River streaming series. I highly enjoyed both.I really enjoyed this second installment of the book series, and that it focused on other characters from the first book.

I really enjoyed Book 1 and Book 2 was just as good - maybe even better. I liked Preacher a lot and his story with Paige was so sweet even though she was having a difficult time. I also liked that we got to see Jack & Mel move on with their lives and more interaction with Rick & Liz. I didn't want this book to end. But on to the next book and we got some idea of the story with Mike in this book.

Preacher is an amazing man. Paige an even more amazing woman. Together they are a force of loving and caring people. Paige might have had a wounded, abused soul but John fixed her up and fell deeply in love. Her ex was an addict, obsessive and abusive and she ran nearly too late to protect the life of her son and herself. Her fear faded as time passed but it was warranted, her ex would kill her given the chance but John was strong, a marine, with friends everywhere to protect the woman he attached himself to to protect.

There were many sides to this story, it wasn't just John and Paige, but Mel, Jack, Rick and Liz ( two very pregnant and strong couples) Mike, a strong and wounded cop and Marine. All blended well together and there was much action. This was a pretty solid read.