| | |  | Amazon Kindle | Home » » » Second Chance Pass (Virgin River) | | | | | | | Description: | | The community of Virgin River saw Vanessa Rutledge through her darkest days--now she's looking to a bright future. In the space of a few months Vanessa buried her husband, Matt, and gave birth to their son--breaking her heart while filling it with a whole new kind of love. But the one man she longs to share this love with now acts as if she doesn't exist. Paul Haggerty lives by the marine motto: Semper Fi. Ever faithful to his best friend, he's done right by Matt's widow as best he can...considering he's been secretly in love with her for years. Now, just as he's about to make his move, another woman has staked her claim on him--a claim that will be tough to escape. With courage, humility and not a little meddling from the good folks of Virgin River, Vanni and Paul might just get a second chance to have the love they both desire and deserve. | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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Average Customer Review:
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16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 Liked it but...Feb 08, 2009
By bookfan
I really like this series, and I even liked this book. However, of all the stories in the series, this was my least favorite. More than any of the other books, this one seemed really choppy. Only about half of the book was truly Vanni and Paul's story while the rest seemed liked separate short stories thrown together. I really enjoyed Joe and Nikki's side story, and I always like getting caught up with old favorites like Jack and Preacher, but this book as a whole didn't really flow into one main story as the others did. If you follow the series, then you should definitely read this and if you're new to the series start at the first book. I am still anxious for the next installment.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 So heartwarming you'll wish you could move thereFeb 17, 2011
By S. Barrett
Second Chance Pass is Book 5 in the amazing Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. If one goes online to check out any of Ms. Carr's books, they will find themselves awash in comments from devoted followers. Why the adulation? Because Ms. Carr delivers on a theme readers the world over, love. Brave military men and the women who love them who live to a code of honor, seemingly missing in today's gimme, gimme, entitlement era.
I love that this series provides new characters with their struggles while keeping us informed on the previous characters who inhabit tiny Virgin River, her fictional town in the Humboldt County redwoods. I can't wait to read more about Jack Sheridan and his nurse practitioner wife Mel and their growing family, or John Middletown, the gentle giant who captures Paige's heart. Or the rest of Jack's and Preacher's ex-Marine buddies. They're all here in Second Chance Pass, plus the stories of Paul Haggerty and his adoring bride Vanessa, Vanni's father, General Walt Booth and the retired movie-star neighbor, and architectural designer, Joe Benson who is instantly blown away on his first meeting with Vanni's girlfriend and maid of honor Nikki Jorgensen.
In Second Chance Pass, the reader will walk through the births of Mel's and Paige's babies, discover Paul's undying love for Vanni and her deceased husband, and cheer Joe Benson as he meets his match in petite Nikki. But can Nikki shed her apprehensions about Joe's sincerity after a night of mind-blowing sex? Is it just a fling or the real deal? Pick up a copy of Second Chance Pass and find out. You won't be disappointed. Robyn Carr's Virgin River is a series so heartwarming, you wish you could move there.
25 of 31 found the following review helpful:
Did I like this book? I can't really decide. Cut out about half of the 400 pages and it would have been beautiful.Jan 31, 2009
By Alyce In Wonderland
"The Looking Glass"
THE VIRGIN RIVER SERIES (Contemporary):
Virgin River
Shelter Mountain
Whispering Rock
A Virgin River Christmas
Second Chance Pass
Temptation Ridge (March 2009)
Paradise Valley (April 2009)
Definitely read these in order. You can skip the Christmas book without losing the storyline, but it is a great story on it's own. My review will most benefit people who are familiar with the Virgin River series.
I was really looking forward to reuniting with the characters of the Virgin River series. After reading "Second Chance Pass", I'm having mixed feeling about reading the next book in the series. Half of this book was emotionally touching, fun, and powerful. The other half was painfully boring, repetitive, and pointless.
Here is what I would describe as "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" of it all:
"The Good":
All of the main characters from the first three books are present in some portion of "Second Chance Pass". After feeling disappointed about not hearing anything about Ricky and Christopher in the Christmas book, I was glad to see them both back even though they each played very small roles. Actually, Ricky and Jack have a short fishing scene, then a farewell as Ricky leaves for Iraq, that turned out to be one of the most emotionally charged points of the whole book. Excellent writing!
The main couple, Vanessa and Paul, had real substance. As the widow and the best friend off Matthew (killed in Iraq) they share a grief that never waivers. Even after admitting to Vanessa that he was in love with her, Paul looks to Matt's grave and towards heaven with a promise to "do right by her". Even after Paul marries her, he weeps at Matt's grave and confesses that, as much as he loves her, he would gladly live forever loving her from a far if it would bring his "brother" back. Again, amazing writing.
"The Bad":
I spent a lot of a pages skimming through repetition. Scenes that happened in past books, and even scenes that occurred right in this very book, were repeated in detail as if we readers have no memory of what happened. An event would take place in one scene, then the characters would tell other characters about it in full detail in another scene. Why not just say "He explained the event to his friends..." Why did we need to reread the whole past scene over again in the dialogue? Poor writing like this made many scenes boring.
Be prepared for a majorly repetitious birth control/health lesson. "Use two forms of birth control..." Again and again it is brought up. The condom, the pill, the IUD... We get it. Breastfeed or die. We get treated to at least 3 breastfeeding scenes per chapter. (Yes, it is a beautiful thing. But it gets tedious when we are waiting for a story to unfold.) Despite all of the b.c. lessons, EVERYONE is either pregnant or lactating.
"The Ugly":
Unfortunately, Robyn Carr seems to have fallen into the common mistake of believing we like to see women treat their men like dissident children. The men walk around with their mouths shut like badly whipped mutts. In one case, when Paul's buddy Joe needed advice, Vanessa says that Paul isn't allowed to help Joe. "He's under orders!" [direct quote] not to speak to Joe because Vanessa is mad at Joe. Paul almost relents because he wants "to be able to have sex again in the future." I just can't find anything appealing about a thoroughly whipped man.
"He's under orders!" ????? Seriously?!?!
I actually have a strong dislike for Mel (lead female from the original "Virgin River" book) after reading "Second Chance Pass". She's a midwife. Often the one giving out the lectures about b.c. But she spends the whole book bitching about how her husband got her pregnant "without her permission". Ummm... I'm pretty sure she was aware that unprotected sex = pregnancy. I know it was meant to be a standing joke, but it wore me out. Mel didn't have a single kind or affectionate word for Jack in this entire 400 page book. Meanwhile, he ran in circles loving and taking care of her. How many times did Mel repeat that she would "shoot him" if he "did this" to her again? Enough is enough.
After all of the ups and downs of being locked to a powerful scene, then wanting to rip out pages that annoyed or bored me, I'm drained.
12 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Too syrupyFeb 06, 2009
By C. A. Dahl
While I enjoyed this book, I got tired of hearing about everyone breastfeeding. At one point Mel isn't available to breastfeed her newborn and she hopes Vanni or Paige breastfeed for her...what's wrong with a bottle and formula!? Geez, plenty of women don't breastfeed and their children turn out fine. All of her female characters do natural homebirths... again what's wrong with birthing in hospital with an epidural? Show some diversity.
The man are all so whipped (another reviewer said this as well)and all of them love pregnant women and want to hear how their labor went. I have never had a man ask me about my labor. It was just too sweet! Robyn needs to mix up it a little.
I'm hoping for something different in the next one.
9 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Virgin River series is only getting better!Jan 24, 2009
By Susiq2
"Linda Susan"
Once again Robyn Carr has penned another fabulous story in her Virgin River narrative. Second Chance Pass, book 5 in the series, pulls together many of the readers hopes and dreams of happiness for the relationships of our beloved individuals who inhabit this totally addictive storyline. The prologue revisits Paul Haggerty and Vanessa Rutledge's relationship, revealing Paul's love for Vanessa, his heartbreak following Vanni's marriage to Matt, a man who is a fellow Marine, and Paul's best friend. Matt, serving in Iraq, had quietly asked Paul in their final video conference to take care of Vanni if anything should happen to him. Shortly thereafter, Matt was killed, leaving Vanni a very pregnant, grieving widow. Paul stays with Vanni at her request until the baby is born, then returns home where he visits a young lady friend, one thing leads to another after much alcohol consumption, and a surprise pregnancy results. Can this really be his child? What will Vanni think when she finds out, which she must if they are to have a genuine relationship.
As always the readers are kept abreast of the myriad events happening in the Virgin River area, and to all of the people whom we have come to sincerely love, and to think of as friends. Mystery rears it's head when it is discovered that the marijuana grower who kidnapped Melinda earlier has one plant growing in his covered and controlled growing area. Who is he, and who does he really work for? A new neighbor, an older, but still glamorous movie star, moves on to the property next to the general, and the general is shocked to see how well she can ride, not to mention her beauty and natural charm. Could there be a romance in the future? Melinda has her baby, but faces a life threatening post partum complication. Will she be saved in time since emergency help is an hour away? Jack is alone with Mel when the tragedy occurs, and her only hope will be his ability to work his way through the crisis until professional help can arrive.
Adventures and romances will occur when the Marines all gather to welcome back their boy from boot camp, and to celebrate life in general. Last but not least, will Paul ever get the courage to tell Vanni how he feels about her, and will Vanni accept his love? I always think that this series cannot get any better than the last book, but each new succession in the series wraps the reader even tighter in the adventures, the friendships, and the true loves that are being discovered in a small perfect area of the world, known as Virgin River. I adored this story. I laughed, cried, and just had a fabulous time experiencing this epic adventure. Please, Ms. Carr, keep on keeping on... We, your loyal and loving readers, long for more, and more, and more...Please?
Posted in February 2009, Mira, Reviews.
This series is only getting better. Once again the reader is pulled into the adventure, love, laughter, and tragedy of life in a town where we all wished we lived: Virgin River
Susiq2, Reviewer, Cata Network Romance
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