Paradise Valley (Virgin River Series #7) »

"A fellow writer asked me, 'Who is your villain?' And I realized that in the work I do, I don't have villains — I have issues. And that's exactly why women's fiction knows no limits," says author Robyn Carr. "I'm naturally drawn to strong, capable female characters, and when I begin a story I ask myself, 'What is she up against?' I try to write about issues that every woman faces at some point in her life, without ever losing sight of the basic sense of humor that helps us all through hard times."

Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraq—his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart?

As the people of Virgin River rally around Rick, another recent arrival tests the tightly knit mountain town's famous welcoming spirit. Dan Brady has a questionable past, and he's looking for a place to start over. He'd like it to be Virgin River…if he can find a way in. But he never expects to find it in the arms of a woman who was as much an outcast as himself.

For a favorite son returned from war and an outsider looking for a home, Virgin River offers them a chance to make peace with the men they once were…and to find the dreams they thought they'd lost.

Kristin Ramsdell - Library Journal

Lance Corporal Rick Sudder returns from Iraq missing a leg and his sense of perspective. Angry and not wanting to be a burden, he tries to drive everyone away-especially Liz, his high school sweetheart and the girl he had planned to marry. But Liz is not about to give up on him, even when he breaks her heart all over again. As compelling as Liz and Rick's story is, it is just one of many woven into the rich tapestry of the tightly knit Virgin River community. Seventh in the warm, realistic, Northern California-set series, this complex story revisits familiar characters in a town that both welcomes fans and invites new readers to stay a while. Las Vegas-based Carr (Temptation Ridge) has hit her stride with this captivating series.