Forbidden Falls

New minister Noah buys the local church on e-Bay. He hires Ellie, a down on her luck brassy, beautiful single mother, as a pastor's assistant - who turns out to be the best option for him. Good back stories of Paul & Vanni being left with Paul's ex-girlfriend's infant daughter when she is killed in a car crash, and Ellie living with Jo & Nick who have a rocky marriage that needs patching up.

It was great and exactly what I was looking for for comfort. Ellie's story was full of misunderstandings and sadness, but she faced life with the most amazing attitude, which served only to make her even more lovable. Noah was one bad boy of a minister and I think his and Ellie's chemistry was one of the best of the series so far. I absolutely loved Vanni and paul's story, which was incredibly touching and made me love them all that much more. Great also to see Jo Ellen and Nick finally mending their fences or at least on their way to mending them.

Another wonderful, passion-filled addition to the Virgin River series! This one focused upon the church and its new pastor. His new assistant is bold, beautiful, and desperate for a decent job. Her kids are with a crazy ex and were taken from her by a grudge-holding judge. Ellie comes on a hunch and a prayer, although she's not the God fearing sort. While Noah might think he's bitten off more than he can chew with her he finds himself irresistibly drawn to her like a moth to flame. He comes to love her, her kids, the town, even a dog that cost more than his car to fix. He's not what you'd think a preacher should be, he's so alive and welcoming it's almost unbelievable. I would definitely check out his church, I love his style. I love this town, and I'm always sad to leave it. But I love it dearly.

I continue to like this series. The happy couples from here and the Grace Valley series continue to pile up, but there also are secondary bits of ongoing story that I like.

In particular this book had the pleasant feature of having a minister who wasn't just an undefined minister, but who was actually a member of a recognizable denomination. Trying to figure out the polity of a lot of ministers, particularly in romances, throws me out of the story. This didn't.

Title: Forbidden FallsAuthor: Robyn CarrPublisher: Mira BooksSeries: Virgin River #9Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: 5Review:"Forbidden Falls" by Robyn Carr was another good read of this author's 'Virgin River Series.' This series was of Noah and Ellie. This was a wonderful romantic story of a pastor from a new town who finds love on 'from the other side of the tracks.' There will also be a secondary story involving a past hero/heroine who will have a 'heart tugging change of events that will be brought into their lives.' Now, to truly understand this second story you may need to go back a series to see what is up with Paul and Vanessa. This author really knows her stuff in being able to put all of these series together that they seem to flow so smoothly off of the pages as you read them. The reader will also be able to find out about the secrets of the puppies and with that being said you must pick up "Forbidden Falls" to read it for yourself to see how this author will bring it all out to you. It is a good read. There will be so much going on in "Forbidden Fall" that once you start reading you will find it hard to put down and when you do you will be wanting the next series # 10 "Angel's Peak."

Compelling, charming, sexy and hot.Another story with Virgin River mark, full of hope and adorable characters, funny scenes and a delightful plot.

3.5 Stars

I really wanted to love this one. And for most of it, I did. As the series has progressed, the stories have included more and more side characters and story lines to the point where the last couple of books had become muddled. This book didn't do that and I liked how Carr kept Noah and Ellie the focus while still shedding light on familiar characters and their continuing stories. My issue came a little later.

With a minister as the book's hero, I was excited to see what the author would do with his character. I was convinced it would be a fun departure from her normal heroes. Initially, Noah's atypical characterization was great and I enjoyed the connection he had with the town and it's inhabitants. I also liked the heroine, but once they came together as a couple, I was disappointed in how the author portrayed Noah as similar to most of her other heroes. I don't know many ministers straight out of seminary who justify premarital sex as okay as long as they are in a committed relationship. Well, maybe some do, but I'm fairly certain they aren't teaching or advising that in seminary. Unfortunately, a minister who dismissed chastity before marriage wasn’t a credible character. Instead, I think it was simply a convenient way to maneuver around the inclusion of sex and a pastor as a main character. It would have been a great opportunity for the author to have attempted a possible marriage of convenience or having had the H/h married earlier in the story. Considering the heroine's personal situation, either could have worked well with a few light story tweaks.

While I was overjoyed by the return of a singular romantic story arc similar to the first few books, I would have liked to have seen a hero who remained credible regarding his profession.

Forbidden Falls ARC review by Robyn Carr

Blurb taken from Robyn Carr’s official site:

Reverend Noah Kincaid moved to Virgin River to re-open an abandoned church he bought on eBay. Like Noah, the place is a little empty inside and needs some loving care.

The young widower arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and build a place of worship and welcome, but he needs some help. And the Lord works in mysterious ways….

With her tight shirts and short skirts, “Pastor’s assistant” is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful Ellie Baldwin. The former exotic dancer needs a respectable job so she can regain custody of her children. And Noah can’t help but admire her spunk and motherly determination.

The pastor and the stripper: an unlikely team to revitalize a church, much less build a future. The couple has so many differences, but in Virgin River anything is possible, and happiness is never out of the question.

Last year I discovered Robyn Carr and her Virgin River series which is a series of books set in northern California, around a close knit community in a small town. I’m not usually a huge fan of quiet and subtle romances, but I quickly devoured the books in a short frame of time – although I did find that the original trilogy more engrossing with the original set of characters, especially the first book which I adored than the subsequent books.

In Forbidden Falls, Noah Kincaid is a preacher who recently purchased a derelict church in Virgin River. He hires Ellie Baldwin to assist him in his duties. Noah is a classic Beta hero; sensitive, compassionate and with a great sense of humour. And he soon finds himself very attracted to Ellie, who is fun, outspoken, brassy and is not an assistant that he originally envisioned to help him out. Nonetheless, Ellie is the perfect emotional foil to Noah and I thought their interactions was fun and filled with humour and I loved the dialogue between them.

Both Ellie and Noah are the perfect case of when opposites attract, and I really loved how Noah was portrayed throughout the whole story. He was a fully fleshed out character as the point of view of the book was within his perspective. This is pretty rare for a Virgin River book, as it would jump to many of the perspectives of other characters – including past ones. However, I did enjoy this approach as it really focused on the romance which some of the other books failed to do, but unfortunately at the same time, it affected the characterisation of Ellie. For a vibrant character, I really think she needed to have more insight, and at times she felt one dimensional and clinched – especially with her background and issues. Robyn Carr is pretty good at fleshing out and avoiding stereotyped traps in her characters.

I just wished Ellie had more depth, and although the second half of the book improved – where we had more of point of view – I felt it could have been much better because Ellie’s character’s potential was quite fun. She was mouthy and had an upfront attitude, so it would have been fun to see her insights from her perspective. I felt her character only came alive for me with her scenes with Noah.

However, I do think this was a good romance. I just think that there were lost opportunities where it could have been a wonderful romance. Nonetheless, Noah and Ellie’s characters are a fantastic addition to the community of Virgin River, and I really hope we get to see more of them in future books.

I give Forbidden Falls 3.5 out of 4

As always, it was a pleasure to be back in Virgin River, visiting with all my favorite characters in my favorite little town. Since Robyn Carr wrapped up most of the loose ends in the last book, Forbidden Falls was almost like starting over. All the main characters from past books were here in the background, but she brought some new characters to town and beefed up the roles of a couple of existing characters, while leaving more focus on the main hero and heroine than she usually does. The story was a tad less compelling than some of the previous books of the series, but no less enjoyable.Noah is a Presbyterian minister who decided to buy the old Virgin River church when Hope McCrea put it up for sale on eBay. He definitely has his work cut out for him and immediately gets busy refurbishing it. Noah is the first main hero of this series who hasn't been a current or former member of the military, but he's still a lot like the other guys in Virgin River and fits right in. In my opinion, he leans toward being a beta hero, sweet, kind-hearted and gentle with just a dash of alpha protectiveness when it comes to Ellie and her kids. He totally had me the instant he picked up Lucy, an injured, half-dead dog from the side of the road and paid the outrageous vet bills to help her recover. Noah is a man who truly knows what it means to be a minister and not just a preacher. He may carry his Bible around, but he never beats anyone over the head with it. He's not afraid to go into the trenches and get dirty, so to speak. I love the way he truly wants to help people and show them God's love through his actions, not just giving them a sermon and saying good luck. The work he did with the transients in the area, visiting a lonely man in the nursing home and other people in the hospital, and generally helping out all around was wonderful, just the kind of guy I'd love to have as a minister. Noah is a really laid back kind of guy who isn't prone to being judgmental. He may have briefly hesitated in hiring Ellie as his assistant, but once he made the decision he never looked back. He wasn't overly worried what the townspeople would think if they found out she was a former stripper, and he never admonished Ellie for anything she did, past or present, even when she says bad words in church. I also love how he's always looking out for Ellie and her kids in a sweetly protective way, and the man definitely has a way with words when it comes to expressing his love and passion for her.Ellie has been through a lot in her short twenty-five years, but somehow, she's still managed to keep a positive attitude and always look on the bright side of things. Initially, she comes off as something of a bimbo, especially when we learn that she used to work as an exotic dancer, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's a devoted mother, who only lost her kids due to the machinations and ill-will of others, and is prepared to do anything to get them back. Even though her own life is something of a mess, Ellie is great at counseling others, because her grandmother gave her a solid upbringing along with imparting all her words of wisdom. Ellie is a huge bundle of energy, and isn't afraid of hard work. I can only wish that I were as fast at housework as she is.:-) She breezed through cleaning and painting the church, and was always ready to lend a helping hand anywhere it was needed. I love how she helped Vanni in her hour of need and made a huge difference in her and Paul's lives. In my opinion, she had all the qualities a good pastor's wife should have.I love how Noah and Ellie built a deep friendship before anything else happened between them, but I didn't feel like the transition from their friends relationship to becoming lovers was quite as smooth and seamless as it could have been. I think that some of the moments that were intended to build romance felt more like friendship, so when they suddenly became lovers, expressing all these strong feelings for one another, it seemed like things sped up a tad too quickly. Still, by the end, I was definitely sensing the romantic connection between them and was convinced that they were perfect for each other.As I mentioned before, pretty much all the previous main characters put in an appearance. Paul and Vanni were the ones who had the meatiest secondary roles, as they deal with having a bombshell dropped on them when Paul's ex-girlfriend, Terri, unexpectedly passes away. I like how they were able to weather through this crisis and come out on top, keeping their marriage intact, even though it was primarily Vanni who had the most adjusting to do. Ms. Carr also brings back long-time, Virgin River residents, Jo and Nick Fitch, who I don't believe we've seen since the first book of the series when Nick made a pass at Mel and got his butt kicked. We get to learn why Nick behaves the way he does, and what happened to cause the rift in their marriage. They end up becoming surrogate parents/grandparents for Ellie and her kids, while Ellie helps them rebuild their marriage and reconnect in their love for one another. We also get to meet Noah's friend, George, an older, retired minister who I really liked. I hope he'll be visiting Virgin River often. Last, but certainly not least, we finally get to witness the wedding of Luke and Shelby, attended by the entire Riordan and McIntyre clans.Overall, Forbidden Falls was an enjoyable read. It would be darn near impossible not to like one of these books. However, for some reason, I didn't find it to be un-put-down-able. I simply didn't have that, “Aww, do I really have to stop” feeling when it was time to put it down, nor that burning need to pick it back up again. I also felt like it was a bit less polished than some of the other books in the series. I detected some mild repetition that could have been tightened up. These two things almost made me give the book four stars, although it would have been a very solid four stars. There wasn't anything wrong with it per se. I loved the characters, and the story was good. It just didn't quite move me as much as some of the other books in the series have, but then Robyn Carr managed to make me teary-eyed, not once, but twice, during the final pages, which I thought warranted the extra half-star after all. Bravo, Ms. Carr for grabbing me in the end, and for writing another lovely story in the Virgin River series.

This is one of my favorite in the series. The new characters are good additions to the Virgin River world and there is a decent inclusion of past favorites - -Mel, Jack, Preacher, Brie, Paul, Vannessa .... It is a sweet romance and a sweet life make-over story. There is a heartwrenching storyline about the loss of custody by a mother of her children but Carr presents it emotionally realistically. There is a very believable and genuine storyline about the stress and hard work of motherhood. Carr dealt with it well and I was glad to see it written in to this storyline as so much of it deals with young mothers. Motherhood is great but it is not all roses. My only complaint is the secondary storyline of a rekindling of a romance -- while nice -- was not very believable. Still, it was well written.This one can be read as a standalone and I think it will be enjoyable.

Good book. Loved Noah. Was nice to hear more about other Virgin River people who have only been introduced like Jo Ellen and her husband. Arnie, who is maybe not who he says he is, is Ellie's ex-husband, and made this book a fast read for me.

If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be awkward."Rev." Noah hires ex-stripper Ellie as an assistant to help him at the church. Ellie has lost custody of her children to an ex-husband and Noah helps her fight to get them back. He falls in love with her along the way.The actions of Noah were just to hard to fit into the minister position. It was very awkward to read. I must admit, had it not been apart of a series I really like, I probably would not have finished reading this book.

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.

Another great Virgin River story with new multi-dimensional, warm and funny characters and updates on those we have grown to care about from the prior series. Each new volume is an eagerly anticipated gift to the reader, with the promise of appealing characters and an engrossing story.