That’s pretty much where her story begins and ends in the book series.And Her Storyline Is A Lot More Dramatic She’s Jack’s ex-girlfriend, whom he dumps shortly after Mel comes into town - though she’s not overly bummed about the relationship ending. Charmaine Plays A Bigger Role On The Show.Īlthough she has a substantial part in the Netflix series, Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) isn’t a major player in Carr’s novels. On the show, Mel had a miscarriage, and she and Mark were in the middle of discussing whether or not they wanted to try to get pregnant again when they were involved in a car crash. If that wasn’t tragic enough for you, you may enjoy Netflix’s version of Mel’s story, which dials up the drama in two key ways. He died before they were able to have the children they desperately wanted, which made it all the more poignant when a baby later showed up on Mel’s porch. In the books, Mel lost her husband, Mark (Daniel Gillies), who passed away during a robbery-in-progress at a convenience store. That’s a lot of material for the series to work with.īelow, how the Virgin River books compare to the Netflix show.Ĭontent warning: Discussion of pregnancy loss.

Carr’s most recent title in the series, Return to Virgin River, came out in 2020.

If you’re keeping track, that’s 18 novels, two short stories, and one novella published over the span of six years. Carr published four Virgin River books in 2011 and four more in 2012. Three new books landed in stores in 2010, alongside a novella and a second short story. After the first three books - Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, and Whispering Rock - came out in 2007, the beloved romance author followed them up with an additional installment in 2008 and three books and a short story in 2009. The amount of novels Carr has published in her Virgin River is nothing short of prolific. Mel’s ready to pack her things, until an abandoned newborn on her doorstep and a handsome Marine named Jack (Martin Henderson) compel her to stay in Virgin River for good. But what seems like a picture-perfect new life is disrupted by a record-scratch moment: her new home is barely habitable, and the doctor she’ll be working with is hardly welcoming. She’s a recently widowed midwife who moves to a tiny mountain village for a fresh start. The first novel in the series, Virgin River, follows Melinda Monroe, portrayed on the show by Alexandra Breckinridge. Major spoilers for Netflix’s Virgin River and Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series follow. Fans of the Netflix series can’t wait to get back to Mel and Jack’s love story, but many of Carr’s loyal readers have noticed some major differences in the Virgin River books and the show. Based on Robyn Carr’s 20-book series, Netflix’s Virgin River just had its Season 3 premiere on July 9.

Virgin river book series