Praise for RITA>®Award-winning author ROBYN CARR
The American Library Associationâs Booklist names Virgin River one of 2007âs top ten romances.
âThe Virgin River books are so compellingâI connected instantly with the characters and just wanted more and more and more.â
â#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
âRobyn Carr creates strong men, fascinating women and a community youâll want to visit again and again. Who could ask for more?â
âNew York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods
âVirgin River is sexy, tense, emotional and satisfying. I canât wait for more!â
âNew York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers
âA thrilling debut of a series that promises much to come.â
âNew York Times bestselling author Clive Cussler
âJennifer is a beautifully drawn character whose interior journey is wonderful to behold.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews on Runaway Mistress
âThis is one author who proves a Carr can fly.â
âBook Reviewer on Blue Skies
âRobyn Carr provides readers [with] a powerful, thought-provoking work of contemporary fiction.â
âMidwest Book Review on Deep in the Valley
âA remarkable storyteller.â
âLibrary Journal
âA warm, wonderful book about womenâs friendships, love and family. I adored it!â
âSusan Elizabeth Phillips on The House on Olive Street
âA delightfully funny novel.â
âMidwest Book Review on The Wedding Party
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Virgin River!
Many of you have written to ask if Virgin River is based on an actual town because, if it is, youâd like to move there! I hate to break it to you, but youâd better unpack those boxesâthe town lives only in my mind.
Second Chance Pass, Temptation Ridge and Paradise Valley are the next three books in the VIRGIN RIVER series. Youâll be reacquainted with some old friends, as well as making some new ones. As in life itself, the series continues with stories of romantic fulfillment, of lessons learned and of some hard goodbyes. In your letters youâve told me how much youâve enjoyed the strong, handsome, virile men of Virgin River. Youâve admired the beauty, inner strength and intelligence of the women. But what I hear about most is your love for a place where commitment is lawâand not just romantic commitment, but the bonding of brotherhood, the fealty of neighbors, the loyalty of an abiding friendship.
I know many of you have ties to the military, and the fact that the Virgin River men have served their country in times of war has added greatly to their charisma. Apart from their obvious sex appeal, it is their solid, emotional core that so many of you have responded to. These characters embody values we all regard as admirable. Honorable.
So, although Virgin River is a fictional town, it can be created in any heart. Itâs a place where a glass is half-full, where people gain strength from shouldering their burdens and challenges, where people do the right thing simply because itâs the right thing to do.
Want to live in Virgin River? Just close your eyes and open your heart.
Robyn Carr
Special thanks to my very own midwife consultant, Pam Glenn, and to Sharon Lampert, womenâs health nurse practitioner, with deep appreciation for all the long talks, advice, reading, editing and most of all, for being extraordinary friends.
Chief Kris Kitna of Fortuna, California, Police Department, has been a wealth of information on local detail, law enforcement, firearms, hunting and so many other things. Special thanks for never tiring of my constant questions.
Debbie Gustavson, physical therapist extraordinaire, my gratitude for taking so much time to help me understand the physical, emotional and psychological stages in rehabilitation and recovery. Your patients are very, very lucky to have you. And I am blessed to have you as a friend.
Without Kate Bandyâs input on every fresh manuscript, I would be so lost. Thank you for all your time, your valuable comments, your undying support and a friendship that has sustained me for decades.
Michelle Mazzanti, thank you for reading early drafts and propping me up. Every comment offered was always spot-on and crucial to helping me craft a better book.
Special thanks to Rebecca (Beki) Keene and Sokreatrey (Ing) Cruz, my two dear Internet friends. Beki gets applause for helping to solve plot problems and Ing is a genius at coming up with character names. Your support through a million e-mails discussing characters and stories has been priceless.
Thanks again to Denise and Jeff Nicholl for reading and commenting on manuscripts, and for wonderful encouragement and friendship.
To Colleen Gleason, talented author and special friend, thank you for hand-selling so many copies of the Virgin River series. You are like a one-man band!
And a very special and heartfelt thanks to my editor, Valerie Gray, and to my agent, Liza Dawson. What a fabulous team. Your diligence and assistance at every turn made this little town and its people possible. Iâm so grateful.