Review of Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2) by Robyn Carr
Shelter Mountain is the second book in the series Virgin River.
John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar on a rainy night when a woman and her three-year-old son stumble through the door. She's skittish and shy, and he has to convincer her to let him help. But the bruises covering her make Preacher not want to send her out into the night.
Paige takes Preacher's help and even starts to settle in, her son warming quickly to Preacher. But then her husband blows into town, and Preacher knows some things are worth fighting for.
Trigger warnings: domestic abuse victim, pregnancy loss.
I read this book in one day, stopping only briefly once out of necessity. I loved it and thought it was even better than the first one.
I found Page to be a layered character with more to her than being a victim. She actively tried to improve her life, though she held Preacher at a distance for a long time. Her son warming quickly to Preacher helps her to trust him, but it was realistic that she needed some time before she'd be willing to take the plunge again.
Preacher was also a great character, though not as layered as Paige. He was a strong but vulnerable character that instantly had me rooting for him. I liked him in the previous book and was glad to get a closer view of him in this one.
Little Christopher was adorable, and the way this toddler clamped on to Preacher warmed my heart. Moments between them were some of the best parts of the novel.
The book contains not only the continuing story of Mel and Jack from the first book, but also Liz and Rick, the teen couple who started their relationship partway through the first book. Theirs was heartbreaking, but I was glad to see Mel have her baby and continue life with Jack. New characters were introduced and the foundation laid for the romance in book three, centered around Jack's sister and one of his Marine buddies.
The setting of the small town of Virgin River was again strong. I could picture the place, though the amount of town described was much smaller. The character numbers were also reduced, though there were quite a few more POVs in this novel, and one toward the end that was quite unexpected. The landscape Robyn Carr painted was vivid, though not as vivid as the first book which set the scene.
The dialog was lovely, though there was some cheese, just not over-the-top or cringey. It flowed naturally, and it fit the characters. It filled out the novel rather than filling it up.
Overall, an excellent book in what's shaping up to be a great series.
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