With Happily Ever After As Guaranteed Destination, Readers Can Just Enjoy the Ride

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note: Although this review will not contain any spoilers from Promise Canyon, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessors. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

When Clay Tahoma finally tires of his ex-wife's melodrama, he heads for the hills. Literally. As a well-respected farrier, he could land a job at any stable in California, but the idea of working with an old friend sounds most appealing. Jensen Veterinary Stables and Clinic, run by Clay's buddy Nate, sits in a beautiful, secluded spot near the small town of Virgin River. It's quiet and serene—the perfect place for Clay to hide away and lick his wounds.

It doesn't take long for Clay to notice Lilly Yahzi, a woman who's pretty enough to turn heads, strong enough to stack heavy bales of hay by herself, and too stubbornly independent to admit to needing anything at all. Lilly's half-Hopi, Clay's all Navajo; he was raised on a reservation, she wants nothing to do with her ancestral roots; he's interested in pursuing a relationship, she's not ready for that—especially not with another large, controlling Native man. She's been there, done that, got her heart shattered in the process. And yet, the two can't stop thinking about each other. With all their differences, it's obvious things wouldn't work out between Clay and Lilly. Or would they? The more the pair come to know each other, the faster the sparks between them fly. Is Clay finally ready to put his messy marriage behind him? Can Lilly learn to trust the exact kind of man who once stomped her heart so thoroughly to pieces? In the quaint little town of Virgin River, absolutely anything is possible ...

Meanwhile, Jack and the rest of the V.R. regulars are busy dealing with a large sum of money bequeathed to the town by a surprising source; a young stranger who insists someone in the community is his birth father; and a treacherous stretch of highway the county doesn't have the resources to fix. Life in the small community may be slow-paced and routine, but it's never, ever dull.

If you've read any of the books in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, you know exactly how Promise Canyon (#11) is going to end. And guess what? That's okay. Because the thing about a Carr romance is you know Happily Ever After will be its final destination, so you're free to sit back and enjoy the ride. You also know it will be an entertaining journey, filled with lovely scenery, friendly people and all the simple pleasures one associates with small-town living. From the serene covers to the warm prose to the engaging characters, everything about a V.R. book says, "Welcome home. We're glad you're here." And everything in me responds, "It's good to be back. I think I'll stay awhile—like maybe forever."

(Readalikes: the Grace Valley trilogy [Deep in the Valley; Just Over the Mountain; Down By the River] by Robyn Carr; other books in the Virgin River series [Virgin River; Shelter Mountain; Whispering Rock; A Virgin River Christmas; Second Chance Pass; Temptation Ridge; Paradise Valley; Forbidden Falls; Angel's Peak; Moonlight Road])

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Promise Canyon from the always generous Robyn Carr. Thanks, lady!