Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2) by Robyn Carr

 

John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of the wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and he wants to punish whoever did this to her, but he knows immediately that this inclination to protect is something much more. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man—emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel.

But when Paige's ex-husband turns up in Virgin River, Preacher knows his own future hangs in the balance. And if there's one thing the marines' motto of Semper Fidelis—always faithful—has taught him, it's that some things are worth fighting for.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try to win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and I decided to start at the beginning of the series so that book 11 would makes sense to me.  I was also able to download the first 4 books of the series on to my Nook as a book bundle! :)

Likes?.....: I really liked Preacher.  He's a big ole burly badass former Marine who doesn't think that he's capable of loving or being loved.  I also enjoyed Paige and Chris who bring out the best and at some points in the book, the worst in Preacher.  I also really enjoyed how the town rallied around Paige and Chris to make sure that they were safe from Paige's abusive ex-husband.  Oh and let's not forget about "unlovable" Preacher turned lover extraordinaire Preacher.  Everyone calls Preacher by his nickname rather than his given name in town, then Paige comes along and starts calling him John and to me that was pretty sexy in it's VERY simple way.

Dislikes?.....: Paige's brother and ex husband....They BOTH deserve to be beaten to within an inch of their lives in my honest opinion.  There were a couple of odd breaks in the story that seemed a little off to me but not enough to be distracting.

Overall: I think that this book was even better than the first book in the series.  Another one that once I started reading I had a VERY difficult time putting down.  I think that the series builds really nicely from one book to the next with the inclusion of new characters as well as reoccurring roles of the "regulars."  I can hardly wait to keep reading!  I'm just soooo mad at myself for not reading this series before now!

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.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try and win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and thought that I should probably start at the beginning so book 11 might actually make sense to me...provided I was able to win a copy. :)  Lucky me...I was able to find the first four books bunched together in a bundle available on my Barnes and Noble Nook.

Likes?.....: I really liked the premise of the story....Jack and Melinda (Mel) are both damaged souls looking for a change....and Boy Howdy do they get it in spades!  I also enjoyed the mostly good hearted turmoil between Doc and Mel....everyone thinks he needs some help and he doesn't.  I also enjoyed picturing Jack helping out the town as well as helping with a an abandoned newborn baby....Here's this big burly badass former Marine who is actually a gentle giant underneath all that big burly badassness.  I also enjoyed the reunion with Jack and his fellow Marine buddies and Jack's "fall from Grace" as a result of the reunion.

Dislikes?.....:  I think that the reason for Mel to stick around at times was a little thin.  Sure Mel's a midwife and babies are her thing but once she made sure that the baby was safely placed she could have easily taken off.  I also thought that in some places (not very many, just a few) that the story was a little bit rushed.  Another small thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way a little bit at the beginning of the story was how Jack became almost instantaneously possessive of Mel.

Overall:  I think that this was a pretty good start to the Virgin River series.  Minus my few quirks with the book I think that it was a VERY good. Once I started reading it I was pretty much sucked in and could NOT put it down.  But my quirks prevented this story from getting a 5/5.  Jack and Mel's story is very sweet and it makes me wish I had a big burly badass Marine who's just a big ole gentle giant underneath all that badassness!

Falke's Peak by Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle

She couldn't believe her eyes.


Stressed out ad-exec Dakota wandered into Catamount Outfitters in search of a guide for a wilderness excursion. She didn't expect to be greeted by not one, but five of the most ruggedly delicious-looking men she'd ever seen. Not to mention a live cougar guarding the shop.

The Falke brothers have more than just good looks in their genes.

Eldest brother Axel agrees to guide Dakota on her mountain trek. In cougar form, Axel's twin, Gunnar, was there as a protection from predators—but he had his eye on the sexy client instead.

Into the wild...

While the rule with clients was "paws-off," both Axel and Gunnar couldn't resist Dakota's seductive Native American beauty and determination. As cold days led to hot nights in the cabin, Axel and Gunnar wondered if they'd finally found a woman strong enough to tame them...



Why I decided to read this book: I was looking through all the new releases on Netgalley and saw this one and as you can see from the reading the synopsis, it really tripped my trigger.  That and the cover I think is pretty neat too.

Likes?......: What really drew me into the story was Dakota.  The way she's described you think "fluffy city girl," but the farther you read into the book you definitely start to change your tune about her.  I also liked the premise of "modern day" shapeshifters....Especially extremely HOT "modern day" shapeshifters who give one hell of a back rub!  Is it wrong that I really liked the internal struggle of Axel and Gunnar?  Cause I REALLY did.

The sexual stuff?!?!?!?...Just as HOT as the "modern day" shapeshifters!

Dislikes?......: I don't have very many....I didn't particularly care for the "deception" scene.  I did feel that at certain points the story was a little bit rushed.  Overall, not too many dislikes.

Overall: I really enjoyed this story.  Even with the couple of dislikes that I found in the story I think that this is a VERY good beginning to the author's series.  I can hardly wait to check out the rest of the series!  Hopefully each of the remaining brothers and Heidi will get their own stories!