Sunday, September 28, 2008

A Virgin River Christmas-Robyn Carr

A Virgin River Christmas
Robyn Carr
Mira, Nov 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 0778325733

Four years ago in the battle of Fallujah, US Marine Ian Buchanan risked his life to save his brother in arms Bobby Sullivan. Three years after that heroism, never having recovered from his wounds twenty-six years old Bobby died. His widow Marcie grieved her loss even before he passed away as she knew he would never recover.

Over the years Marcie sent letters to Ian thanking him, but all returned unopened; he simply vanished. Obstinate and resolute, Marcie decides to find Ian to personally thank him. She traces him to Virgin River; Ian is unhappy to see her as he lives the life of a hermit selling firewood. He needs to forget Iraq, especially Fallujah and Bobby. Marcie feels a deep need to save his soul; in her mind he is not living. As they fall in love, she needs to persuade him to let go of the past so they can share a future.

The return to the small isolated Redwoods town of Virgin River is a triumph as the lead couple is as complex a pair of characters as one is apt to read. Especially intricate is the former marine who suffers from a deep post traumatic stress disorder from what he did and saw in Fallujah. With some jocularity to lighten the tense tale, readers will relish the spending Christmas with a Virgin River romance.

Harriet Klausner

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