Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr
Mira Books
February 2011
Format: e-book, 368 pages
First line: Jillian Matlock was a natural in the business world and her ability to anticipate surprises and challenges was legendary.
Synopsis from B&N: Colin Riordan came to Virgin
River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which
he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it’s
his art that truly soothes his troubled soul.
Stung personally and
professionally by an ill-advised affair, PR guru Jillian Matlock has
rented an old Victorian with a promising garden in Virgin River. She’s
looking forward to cultivating something other than a corporate brand.
Both are looking to simplify, not
complicate, their lives, but when Jillian finds Colin at his easel in
her yard, there’s an instant connection. And in Virgin River, sometimes
love is the simplest choice of all….
My thoughts: This is the 14th book in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series and once again I have fallen in love just a little bit more with this small California mountain town.
Wild Man Creek is primarily Colin and Jillian’s story. Colin is staying in Virgin River after recovering from a helicopter crash that almost killed him. His road to recovery has been a long one that has included getting hooked on painkillers and then dealing with not only the addiction to the pills but also severe depression. His family has been there for him and now he just wants time alone to heal. He sets himself up in a cabin in the woods where he can work on his paintings – which is helping him to focus on living.
Jillian is at a cross-road herself. Having just been bested by someone she thought really cared for her, she is taking some time to figure things out. She, her sister and their two friends had stopped in Virgin River last year and Jillian remembered loving it, so she heads there. (We briefly met the four ladies in the previous book, Promise Canyon.) Jillian ends up renting Hope McCrea’s place and
plans to use the extensive gardens that Hope used to plant to grow heirloom fruits and
vegetables just like the great-grandmother who raised her did. If
things work out in the next six months, maybe Jill will start her own
business. I loved reading about all the gardening – I definitely do not have a green thumb but hope to fix that one day!
As soon as Colin and Jillian meet, they hit it off and you just know they belong together. Even though neither is looking for anything permanent, they seem to balance each other perfectly. They both agree that their attraction is just temporary – they’re going to enjoy each other for the time being with no expectations for a future. Of course, good intentions don’t always pan out. It’s a fun ride watching as they work their issues out and without giving anything away, I’ll just say that their story is not without some heartbreak – be prepared for some tears toward the end of the book.
As usual, there are some other plot lines in the book. We find out a little more about what brought Denny Cutler up to Virgin River – part of this story I had figured out but the other part was quite a twist! And we find out more about Jillian’s sister, Kelly, when she comes up to visit Jillian. There are also some new characters introduced briefly – Lief and his daughter Courtney – which I am guessing will be the focus of an upcoming book. I’m also hoping that Kelly has her own book and I’m guessing that since we’ve now had stories about 4 of the 5 Riordan boys, that there will be a story focusing on the last brother.
As I say in all the reviews I’ve done of the Virgin River series, I just love this series. Each book pulls me in more and more. Each book seems fresh and just as exciting as the previous ones, without becoming too predictable. Robyn Carr gives us great romance, but she also touches on life in general. I hope this series continues for a long time!
Have you ever read a series that you just had to stop because it became too predictable?
(I purchased this e-book.)
Books in this series:
- Virgin River 11.1 Sheltering Hearts
- Shelter Mountain 12. Midnight Confessions
- Whispering Rock 13. Promise Canyon
- A Virgin River Christmas 14. Wild Man Creek
- Second Chance Pass 15. Harvest Moon
- Temptation Ridge 16. Bring Me Home for Christmas
- Paradise Valley 17. Hidden Summit
- Under the Christmas Tree 18. Redwood Bend
- Forbidden Falls 19. Sunrise Point
- Angel’s Peak 20. My Kind of Christmas
- Moonlight Road
