Here's How Many Books There Are in the Virgin River series

There's certainly plenty of Virgin River books to keep you occupied. At the time of writing, 21 books are available to buy with the 22nd, Holidays in Virgin River, due for release on October 4, 2022.

And if you're worried that you'll know the story having watched the TV series already, don't panic. While the Netflix show is set in the same eponymous town as the novels, the actual stories are only loosely connected.

With that said, the first two series of the show pretty much covered the stories from the original three novels: Virgin River, Shelter Mountain and Whispering Rock. But the series of books then goes on to explore the lives of other residents of Virgin River rather than focusing predominantly on the relationship between Mel (Alexandra Brackenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson).

Sue Tenney, the showrunner for the TV series, says that while the story portrayed on-screen is not necessarily a carbon copy of the books, everything is "in the spirit" of the novels by Robyn Carr.

And what does the author make of this tangent? She's not bothered. And let's face it, the books and TV series taking two different paths only increases the enjoyment for fans of Virgin River.

So, don't be at a loose end over the next few months. Buy or download the series of books (all 22 of them if you like) and discover more about life in the California town. Of course, there might be a few spoilers (although there's no knowing if what you read will be what you see as the Netflix series unfolds). But you might also get introduced to a few faces that could pop up in future series of the show.

And don't be too surprised by the artistic licence used by Sue Tenney and her team of writers. For example, if you're waiting for a peek into the ongoing marital problems of Doc and Hope – you ain't gonna get one! In the book series, they were never even a couple.

And to aid your upcoming readathon, we've listed the entire novel series in order. But it's worth remembering that Robyn Carr herself says it's not necessary to read them in order. So, if like me you prefer to scour Amazon or look in charity shops/thrift stores for bargain books, any order you get hold of them in has already been given a thumbs up by the author.

1. Virgin River
2. Shelter Mountain
3. Whispering Rock
4. A Virgin River Christmas
5. Second Chance Pass
6. Temptation Ridge
7. Paradise Valley
8. Under the Christmas Tree: A Holiday Romance Novel
9. Forbidden Falls
10. Angel's Peak
11. Moonlight Road
12. Midnight Confessions
13. Promise Canyon
14. Wild Man Creek
15. Harvest Moon
16. Bring Me Home for Christmas
17. Hidden Summit
18. Redwood Bend
19. Sunrise Point
20. My Kind of Christmas
21. Return to Virgin River
22. Holidays in Virgin River (due for release on October 4, 2022)