Virgin River: 10 Biggest Differences Between The Show And The Books

Fans of Virgin River are currently reeling from the cliffhanger that they were left with the season two finale. It will be really tough for those die-hard VR lovers to wait until a third season pops into their Netflix queue. While they wait with bated breath to see what will happen with Jack, his relationship with Mel and Doc’s health, they will have to busy themselves with shows that give off that Virgin River vibe. 

During the months between season two and three, they could also do a bit of screentime detox and try some reading. Considering the series is based on Robyn Carr’s romance novels, burying a nose in some pages might be a good television alternative. Netflix is deep into adapting hit series’ from books these days. Before heading to the book store or local library and calling a monopoly on all of Carr’s novels, fans should know that the series and the books do not directly correlate. There are many key aspects of the plots that do not align. Just look at these examples…

11 In The Books, The Babies Are Not Jacks!

The show doesn’t deeply question the paternity of Charmaine’s babies. It is widely understood and accepted that the little ones are her former lover, Jack’s, offspring.

In the books, Charmaine does become pregnant, but the twins end up biologically belonging to someone else. This difference is a big one that fans of both the books and the series caught onto quickly.

10 Mel’s Husband Passes Differently In The Show

Mel has suffered through much in both the books and the television series. One major loss that rocked her world was the passing of her husband. His death haunts her, and fans of both the books and the show can agree that she has a whole lot to work through when it comes to losing Mark. How he passes differs in the books and the show. In the books, he gets caught in the cross-fire at a convenience store robbery, and in the show, his life ends because of a car accident.

9 Introduction Of Characters Happens Differently In The Books

Lovers of the books disclosed on Reddit that the introduction of Virgin River characters happens during different times in the books compared to in the show.

One fan said that many characters in the Robyn Carr novels come into play much later than they do in the hit Netflix series. This isn’t a bad versus good thing; it is just a noticeable difference that fans have commented on after seeing the first two seasons of the series and reading the books.

8 The Books Take Things More Slowly

One could lose themselves in the Robyn Carr reads. There is an astounding twenty-plus books to work through! Book one is called Virgin River, and the second in the series is entitled Shelter Mountain.

One fan of the reads, who also watched the series, noticed that season one of Virgin River actually combined the concepts and plots of Robyn Carr’s first two books. For those who have indulged in both show and books, this meshing of plots might be a bit confusing.

7 Jack Is Perhaps Dreamier In The Books

The actor who plays Jack, Martin Henderson, is a natural fit for the show. But does he correlate to the character? One blogger, who read the books and watched the first two Netflix seasons pointed out that Jack’s character is actually more likable in the books compared to the show.

The “romance hero” thing doesn’t always translate well with the actor as it does with the book’s character, and in the show, Jack can come off as wishy-washy and a bit despondent.

6 Doc And Hope’s Characters Are Off

One of the primary characters in both the show and the books is that of Doc. The town doctor, who Mel works with in Virgin River, is a “bit gruff” in the Robyn Carr books. One Reddit user pointed out that while he is a bit curmudgeon in the reads, he is not cruel, which he comes off as in the first season.

Another Redditor claims that Hope’s character is very different in the books as well. The general consensus is that the Virgin River books give the character a different vibe. One user said that Connie would have made a better Hope!

5 Charmaine Is A Much Smaller Part Of The Books

We are only into two seasons of Virgin River on Netflix, so it is hard to tell which characters will continue to grow and which will have less screen time as the seasons progress. What fans are noticing so far, though, is that Charmaine plays a much bigger part in the Netflix series than she does in the book. Her part has even ramped up more in the second season of the show than the first season.

4 Hope And Doc Have A Different Relationship In The Book

Hope and Doc’s personalities are not the only things that fans noticed when comparing the series with the books. In the series, Hope and Doc were once hitched. In the books, they never made things official.

The books also have Hope being several years older than Doc. The Netflix series has two characters being roughly the same age. If they are different in years, then it is not noticeable.

3 The Books Feel More Romantic In Genre

Those who have read works by Robyn Carr all pretty much agree that what she writes can be described as a romance work. The Netflix adaptation certainly has plenty of romance.

There is the love triangle between Mel, Charmaine, and Jack, the rekindling of Hope and Doc, young love with Ricky and Lizzie, and surprisingly Preacher and Paige. The show also has other plot elements that are not romance-centered. The show gives off “Hallmark” inspired vibes.

2 The Show Is PG-Rated

The books that the show stemmed from are classified as romance works, and the show is more Hallmark-based. This might go without needing to be said, but the books contain a whole lot more “adult time” between characters.

The series aims to keep things pretty PG-rated. Fans can easily watch this show without their fingers on the power button; fearing kids might come strolling through the door. On the other hand, the books get very, very steamy and might need to be hidden under a mattress when not in use.

1 A Potential Baby In The Books

Mel does get pregnant with her now-deceased husband’s child in the series. However, there she then faces some complications after she gives birth to a stillborn daughter and then face a lifetime of infertility. In the books, Mel was unable to get pregnant until she, of course, met Jack.

This is a major difference between the books and the series, but that’s not to say there won’t be a Mel and Jack in the future. After all, they are only two seasons in.