Once a year or so, I travel to Washington State. I relax in the house I grew up in; gossip with the people I know best; and revel in scenery that still manages to take my breath away. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's where I go to commune with my truest self. It's the place I cherish most, the place where I breathe easiest, the place that remembers me most vividly. I'll probably never live in Washington again, but it will always be home.

Opening a Virgin River novel by Robyn Carr floods me with similar feelings. Every time I return to visit Jack, Preacher, Mel and the gang, I wonder why I ever left town. The fact that none of these good, honest people actually exists doesn't bother me in the least - I still feel like I've known them my whole life. It's a testament to Carr's world-building talent that sinking into one of her books feels exactly like coming home.

Angel's Peak, the 10th book in the series, opens with Air Force pilot Sean Riordan getting a very big surprise. He's on leave, visiting his newly-married brother in Virgin River, when he happens to run into his old girlfriend, Franci Duncan. All it takes is one glance to bring it all back - the adventures they shared, the passion, and the very nasty way their relationship ended. He's dated plenty of women since Franci, but he still hasn't found anyone to match her. Clearly, he needs this fiery, beautiful girl back in his life.

There's just one problem - Franci isn't falling into his arms as easily as he hoped she would. She's still stuck on commitment, still craves marriage and family. Sean's not the cocky playboy he once was, but he's not sure he's that ready to grow up. All he wants is the opportunity to get to know Franci again, to prove he's worthy of her trust, to court her all over again. How can he convince her to give him another chance?

Turns out, Franci's got a good reason for resisting the advances of commitment-shy Sean. A 3 1/2-year-old reason. For a man who never wanted to be a father, Sean's about to get the shock of a lifetime. Will he still want Franci when he finds out how she deceived him? Can Franci learn to trust the man who once crushed her heart so brutally? Can Sean and Franci forget the past and rekindle the fire that once burned between them? Or will a 3-year-old Irish Rose be the one thing to keep them apart forever?

If you've ever read a Virgin River novel, you probably know exactly how this one ends. Still, it's always a fun ride when Robyn Carr's at the wheel. No matter how predictable her stories, I adore the people she creates. They make Virgin River come alive for me. The basic goodness inside every Carr character makes the closeness of the little town feel real. I actually sniffled through a lot of this book because the values of giving to others, forgiving trespasses, and nurturing those most precious to us are so strong in the story. It's that small-town tightness, a throwback to gentler times, that makes me want to come home to Virgin River. Again and again and again.

(Readalikes: previous novels in the Virgin River series; Robyn Carr's Grace Valley series)

Grade: B

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

To the FTC, with love: I received this book from the ever sweet and always generous Robyn Carr. Thank you!

Thanks again to Big Honcho Media for giving me the opportunity to give away a $50 VISA gift card to one lucky winner. I'm excited to announce that the prize goes to:

Shannon B. (shamish@...)

I already know your address, Shannon, so I'll pass it on to the people at Big Honcho. Congratulations!

How do you discuss a "problem novel" without bringing up the problem it addresses? That's the issue I'm having with reviewing Emily Wing Smith's debut novel, The Way He Lived. I want to express my opinion of the book, defend my faith, and let you know precisely how I feel about the topic the book addresses - all without sounding like the exact kind of judgmental, close-minded, bigot Smith describes in her story. Even more important, I don't want to get all spoiler-y. So, I'm going to give it my best shot ...
Actually, since The Way He Lived is about making assumptions and judgments, let me admit a few things up front:

So, I've been meaning to blog about this year's LDS Storymakers Conference ever since I got home, but I've been so wiped out that I haven't even unpacked yet. Let me just say, it was tons of fun. I met lots of great people, learned a bunch about writing, and just had a good ole time. My kids didn't even seem to miss me all that much (probably because Dad bribed them with trips to Toys 'R' Us, Denny's, Golden Spoon -basically anywhere their little hearts desired - in exchange for a little slave labor). No wonder they whine every time I ask them to clean up just because it's "their responsibility as members of our household."

I got to Salt Lake on Thursday. My friend Robin, whom I roomed with at BYU many moons ago, picked me up at the airport. After lunch at Zupa's (yum - why don't we have these in Arizona?) and a lovely scenic drive around the metropolis of Draper, Utah, we visited with another one of our old roommates.

Then, we headed to Good Wood Barbecue for a much-anticipated dinner with the illustrious "6." Robin and I both stalk follow Brodi Ashton's blog. She's so hilarious that we wanted to bask in her awesomeness, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Not only did she agree to meet with us, but she also brought along the "peeps" from her writing group (including Bree Despain and Emily Wing Smith). We could hardly believe that celebrities like them were willing to be seen with the likes of us. They even let us in on cool products (The Dark Divine nail polish and some in-development baby butt spray) and inside jokes (Go Vikings!). I'm not sure if I've ever felt cooler.

The 5 in attendance (Kimberly Webb Reid was the only one who managed to find something better to do that night - I think it was her birthday or something) were all wonderfully fun, friendly and just, really, so nice. It was a good time.

None of my pictures from the conference weekend turned out very well. Perhaps it's time for me to invest in a new camera, or a new photographer, or maybe just liposuction. Yikes.