Customer Reviews

Forbidden Falls (Virgin River Novels)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read all of the Virgin River books and was counting the days to this latest addition. Forbidden Falls is a good, sweet story; however, I was hoping to get caught up with many of the characters I've learned to know and love -- Jack, Mel, Rick, Liz, Walt, Muriel, Luke, Shelby, and even Cameron and Abby. But, it was not to be. I thought Paradise Valley (which precedes Forbidden Falls) did an excellent job of switching between characters' perspectives, developing multiple plots, while at the same time deepening our understanding and interest of many of the minor characters. This one fell short in that regard and is almost entirely devoted to the new characters, Noah and Ellie (likable and fun characters by the way). There is a brief subplot that revolves around Vannie and Paul, (they are faced with a difficult dilemma that rocks their marriage a bit) but I never really felt connected. The storyline was there, but I wasn't given the opportunity to go deep inside the characters' thoughts enough to feel their plight or to want to cheer them on. It's a good read, don't get me wrong, but after Paradise Valley I had hoped that the author would continue multiple subplots to develop the characters we already know, in addition to the introduction to our new Virgin River friends. I think Ms. Carr's best work is when she focuses in depth on a character and really brings him or her to life (as she has done perfectly with Mel and Shelby for example). I'll look forward to next month's installment of Angel's Peak, but I admit I'll be disappointed if my old friends don't come front and center for at least some of it. Thank you for another entertaining read, Ms. Carr; Please keep 'em coming!!!

Forbidden Falls introduces two new wonderful characters to the Virgin River community. Noah and Ellie are great people with a lot of history, brought together by luck, the redwoods (and maybe god ;) Noah is a preacher who buys the abandoned church and Ellie he hires as an assistant/ jill-of-all-trades. I love their story. It has a HEA but also has the drama and unexpected twists that I have come to expect and love about this series.

That being said, the only reason I didn't rate this 5 stars is because I missed the brief but wonderful point of view changes like the other books. I LOVE reading about the continuing stories of Jack/Mel, Preacher/Paige, Brie/Mike. We did get brief glimpses of Jack, Mel, Cameron, Rick, Mike and Brie but none of their perspective. The only subplot that is given any attention involves Paul and Vanni (which I won't spoil). It was heartbreaking and so real the way they struggled with this problem. We don't even get a paragraph about Liz, Abby/the twins, Sheryl and Dan, and Tom.
Shelby and Luke get married but nothing is written from their perspective which was more than disappointing. As I read I felt there should have been more in places, like more was possibly written and then edited out. I sincerely hope with further books there is more of the sidestories that I have come to love so much. I have found Robyn Carr to be one of my favorite authors and hope after the next two books in the series I can still say the same.
(It reminded me of reading Virgin River Christmas, which was a good story but I missed the cast of characters with every chapter).

I look forward to reading about Luke's brother Sean (and others I hope) with the next installment.

"Forbidden Falls" is a sweet, old fashioned love story between Noah, the town preacher and Ellie and ex-stripper. Noah is a man in transition. He has just found a new church that needs a lot of TLC. He needs an assistant and in comes Ellie, an ex-stripper that needs steady employment to get her kids back.

Noah was a great character. Strong, smart, handsome and steady, he was the rock that Ellie so desperately needed. He was the opposite of the stereotypical preacher. He wasn't preachy, but a down to earth, passionate, nice guy. Patient, loving and caring, he was a willing ear for Ellie as well as the other characters in town.

Ellie was a breath of fresh air to Noah. Bright, sassy, strong and optimistic, she never let her hard knocks turn her bitter or mean. She was a good woman, whose focus was her kids. Ellie wasn't searching for a man, but boy was she happy when he turned up.

There was a host of other characters in addition to Ellie and Noah. There was Vanessa and Paul, coping with an unexpected addition to the family. Nic and Jo trying to mend their marriage. And one of my favorites, Lucy, the border collie with a heart of gold.

While I liked the book, it started to drag a little in the middle to me. I thought that the story with Ellie's ex was drawn out and I lost interest before it was resolved. I also found the story to be predictable in a lot of ways. I found myself skimming the last 50 pages or so.

"Forbidden Falls" is one of the Virgin River Novels. Although, prior to this novel, I had never read any of the books in this series, I found the book easy to follow.

"Forbidden Falls" was pretty predictable, but the book was well written and sweet. It wasn't the most exciting read, but it was nice.

I was happy to find that this book concentrated on the two major characters. I was uncertain whether to even try this book since the last one tried to cram in too many characters and story lines so that none were done justice. This one was much more focused. We did get to see some of the old characters where their stories were pertinent to the main characters here. I do like when new characters interact with previous characters but only if it directly affects the main characters. Once I've read their stories I generally do not like to read much from their points of view. Others obviously feel differently.

SPOILER below

I loved the character of Ellie and really enjoyed her insights which she learned from her grandmother. I liked reading more about Jo and Nick. The only thing that rang a slightly sour bell with me was that Noah slept with Ellie before marriage. Now I'm not a prude and I'm not particularly churchy but I just think if you're writing about a pastor, he shouldn't sleep with the heroine before marrying her. It's a practice what you preach thing and I've never heard of any preacher who said premarital sex was okay. I just like my characters to be true to themselves.

Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr. Another story (or group of stories since they're always about more than one couple) in the wildly popular Virgin River series. This one's about Noah Kincaid, a reluctant Presbyterian minister and Ellie Baldwin, a voluptuous, sexy dresser (think Erin Brockovich) who applies for the job of pastoral assistant for tiny Virgin River's old church, undergoing refurbishment.

Noah was encouraged to go to divinity school by his old friend and mentor. Meanwhile, he's made a living working on the Seattle docks. But being a minister was the furthest thing from Noah's mind-his father was a well-known television evangelist in the Midwest where his autocratic, hypocritical ways estranged Noah. However, retired minister George Davenport sees Noah's potential and encourages the man. Now, Noah takes a mighty leap of faith and bids on Virgin River's dilapidated old church which has been put up on eBay. The church needs everything, much more than Noah can do on his own, even though an inheritance from his mother will provide the necessities. Noah needs help, and it comes in a nicely rounded package named Ellie Baldwin. Ellie, a former stripper, has lost custody of her two children to her ex-husband and needs a respectable position so she can get them back. Her candor, willingness to do the dirtiest of jobs, and plight have Noah taking a chance on her, even though she's much too appealing for his comfort.

But Ellie is sharp and a hard worker, and soon has Noah wondering how he managed without her. A growing attraction blossoms, and he wants to help Ellie regain custody of her daughter and son. He wants other things as well, but he must win over the wary young woman who has made poor choices in her life.

This is a delightful story of two engaging characters you want to root for. Secondary characters are re-introduced and the chemistry works so wonderfully you'll want to pack your bags and move to Virgin River (if only it existed!) A beautiful wedding occurs (I won't reveal whose) that is so touching. Pick up a copy of Forbidden Falls today.

I am a big fan of this series, and this installment did not disapppoint. Two new characters are introduced: the new pastor Noah and the young woman Ellie with a past, whom he hires to be his assistant. Many of the familiar denizens of Virgin River also appear. All I can say is, I love this town more with every book, and I am so excited to read additional entries in the series. It is a good idea to read them in sequence just to follow the happenings in town and how they affect recurring characters, but it is also possible to enjoy each installment on its own merits. I will say (spoiler alert) that the budding romance between the pastor and his assistant has a certain ick factor, but it is really handled very well. This one brought me to tears a few times. When I just want to check out of my daily life for a few hours, nothing beats a Virgin River novel. It carries me away to a different world, and I know I'm going to enjoy myself there.

This is the 9th installment in the Virgin River series. I've read all of them and been a little disappointed in the last few (minus the Christmas stories) because they seemed to get too dark and tried to include too many stories in one book. I was actually a bit concerned about reading this one because it involves a minister and I know that all the VR books involve sex. I was concerned about how this would play out and I feel that it is the only real downfall of the book for me.

Noah Kincaid is a minister in need of a church. He convinces the Presbyterian church to buy the church in Virgin River and allow him to fix it up (with his own money) and become the pastor. He arrives to find it in need of a lot of work and sets about hiring an assistant. The assistant arrives in the form of Ellie Baldwin, former dancer and mother of 2 children. She's in need of a good "wholesome" job to help regain custody of her children. Noah reluctantly hires her--the reluctance is not from her abilities, but from her appearance. He is concerned her provocative dress will be the talk of the town and also incite lust in him.

The story is a good one. The age-old, "don' judge a book by its cover" does well. Ellie may be a little provocative and doesn't seem religious, but she is a good person and a particularly good mother. They are also from different backgrounds (rich vs. poor, educated vs. uneducated) and Ellie has small bouts with insecurity and not being good enough. Noah and Ellie have a slow start, but get to know each other and come to respect and care for one another before any relationship begins.

What I did have a problem with was Noah accepting himself as a "man" and giving in to his needs. He knows lust is wrong, yet he justifies it as okay because he cares for Ellie. As a minister, he would know this is wrong and should have fought against his desires. Had he truly cared and loved her, he would have waited to consummate the relationship until there was a commitment (in the eyes of the church this would be marriage) and there would have been no reason to be discreet about any relationship they had. Had he not been a minister, I would have had no issue with this. He chose the ministry as his profession and to knowingly defy God does not go along with his job. I wholeheartedly disagree with the way he justified his sexual relationship with Ellie and believe that the book would have been just fine without sex. This is not a Christian book, so for many readers this may not be an issue, but for me, I was uncomfortable with it. (this is where I am dropping off a star from the rating--Carr seemed to push too much of "liberal religion" and not showing that you can be religious and follow God's word and still be a "normal" person)

As I said, the story is a good one. I liked Noah and Ellie's "courtship" and the development of Ellie character. At first I did not like her and found her to be doing contradictory things (she said she would do anything to get her children back, yet she refused to change the way she dressed), but by the end of the book, she seemed to have pulled it together and was a good character.

In addition to Noah & Ellie, Jo Ellen & Nick Finch (the groper) are brought more depth. They have been mentioned throughout the series, but what made them what they are has always been left open. Also, Vanni & Paul Haggerty return with a deeper story. I liked the way the 3 stories intertwined and came together with similar messages.

If you have enjoyed the rest of the series, I think this one is a good addition. It brings back many of the old favorites without getting too overwhelming. If you like Jack & Preacher, there is a little of them, but probably not as much as you would like. Mel makes appearances, but for the most part, is in the background. There really are few updates on the "old" characters outside of those that I have mentioned.

What fun it was to read Forbidden Falls. Having been the organist for a small town Presbyterian Church for 34 years (now retired), I saw several ministers come and go during those years....some good....some even better...and yes.....one or two not the best. Noah really didn't fit the traditional Presbyterian mold nor did his assistant - Ellie. But....let's face it.....the "mainstream" churches are changing with the times as they must do to keep up with this changing world. The story takes some unexpected twists and turns. It will turn out in some respects as you anticipate it will as you read...but....there are some real surprises too.

This is only the second Virgin River book I've read, but it's really not necessary to read these in order. Each book deals with a different couple, though you do get to visit with past characters and see where life has taken them. Overall, this was a sweet romance with a recurring theme of children and what parents will do for them. Not only is Ellie fighting for her kids, but another couple in town struggles with a decision about a child they've unexpectedly "inherited". My one complaint is that the first chapter is quite awkward; it's all just narration of how Noah comes to purchase Virgin River's church. I think that background could have been fit in more smoothly. Also, I have no idea why this book is named Forbidden Falls. There is no mention of falls or Forbidden Falls or anything like that in the entire book. I suppose that some might think that Noah's relationship with Ellie is "forbidden", but I think that's a stretch. Regardless, I thought it was a nice story and I definitely plan to read more in this series.

And one I thoroughly enjoyed! This book is part of a series, but it stands alone as well. Noah sees a church on Ebay, so he goes and checks it out. It is in very bad shape, but he has his inheritance and figures what better way to spend it than fix up this old church!

First he looks for an assistant, and meets his match in Ellie Baldwin. Ellie is a straight forward no nonsense kinda gal, who has had it hard. She has two children, both are with her ex-husband because of a ridiculous court order. Ellie thinks having a respectable job and place will help get her children back.

In the middle of all this, they both get more than they bargained for --

Also there are a few other storylines in here, but I won't go into that!

This author makes the book a very entertaining read and I can't get my hands on the others soon enough!!