Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr

From the back cover:

A decorated U.S. Marine reservist, LAPD officer Mike Valenzuela was badly wounded in the line of duty, but has found hope and healing in Virgin River. When he agrees to become the town’s first cop, he does so knowing it’s time he settled down. Twice divorced and the lover of too many women, he secretly longs for the kind of commitment and happiness his marine buddies have found – a woman who can tie up his heart forever. He finds that woman in Brie Sheridan, a Sacramento prosecutor who understands his drive to protect and serve. Virgin River becomes a safe haven for Brie after nearly losing her life at the hands of a crazed criminal. Though tough and courageous, she’s got some fears she can’t escape – but now she has someone who will shower her just what it means to trust again.

Mike will do anything to help Brie free herself from painful memories. Passionate, strong and gentle, he vows to give back to her what she’s so selflessly given him – her heart, and with it, a new beginning.

So far Robyn Carr is my best new find of this year. I adore her writing. These days, it seems that few authors are writing straight romance. You either have romantic suspense or paranormal romance, fantasy romance, sci-fi romance, etc. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's very nice to find a series that is romance only.

Whispering Rock is the third in the Virgin River series. I think that Carr intended for it to be a triology, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. She has introduced so many characters in these three books that she has made it impossible to just stop the series here.

So Mike Valenzuela was introduced in Virgin River (1st book), very vaguely. It wasn't until Shelter Mountain (2nd book) that he became more prevelant. He is portrayed as a Latino Lover that has fallen for his best friend's sister. Brie Sheridan is a hotshot Assistant Prosecuter. After her husband left her, she lost the first case of her career, prosecuting a serial rapist. Instead of fading into the woodwork and realizing that he got off extremely lucky, this brainbox goes to get revenge on Brie by viciously attacking her. Mmm,k. So she is very battered and very changed from the first two books.

What I like about Carr's books is that it's over a period of months. It doesn't take Brie two weeks to get over her rape and fall in love with Mike. It takes months. Months and months. In the meantime, we are re-introduced to all the characters from the previous books. Jack (Brie's brother) is having a harder time recovering from Brie's attack than Brie is. His struggle with that is effecting his marriage with Mel (Jack & Mel's story is told in the 1st book). Mel is still the midwife that we know and love and will not take this hit to her marriage lying down. It is amazing to see how far Mel came from the time she first appeared in Virgin River.

Preacher and Paige (Shelter Mountain) have been trying to have a baby for months. This part of the book is highly entertaining.

Paul (one of Jack's marie buddies) comes to finish Jack's house and finds that his best friend's (who is in Iraq) wife now lives in Virgin River with her father. Not only that, but she is pregnant. It's Paul that I definitely see having his own book in the future.

So I highly recommend Robyn Carr. I wouldn't recommend starting with Whispering Rock because you would be highly lost. The series order is Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, then Whispering Rock. Definitely pick this series up. It is money well spent.

5 out of 5 stars.