Fans of Virgin River have enjoyed the Netflix series, but there are also plenty who compare the Virgin River books vs. TV show, such as those who point out that Mel never had a baby in the Virgin River books. While TV fans wait to see what will happen with the relationship between Mel and Jack, others have read the Robyn Carr books the show is based on and know that this is not always the most important question asked. When Netflix chose to adapt the 21-book series into a TV show, there was no way there wouldn’t be changes when comparing the Virgin River books vs. the TV show.
In many cases, the Netflix series and the books do not directly correlate. It’s not just answering the question of whether Mel ever has a baby in Virgin River books, and actually goes deeper than that with changes made to storylines, characters, and major events that set up the entire romantic drama storyline. Virgin River is not finished telling stories on the small screen yet, with a sixth season coming, and one thing that fans of the book can take solace in is that their stories are still in printed form, even if the Netflix series continues to make changes to the characters and overall plot development.
Preacher & Paige’s Relationship
One couple that divided fans of the Virgin River TV show on Netflix was that of Preacher and Paige. While the books had these two characters share a touching love story, the Netflix series changed things up when it came to the couple. In the books, Paige left an abusive marriage with her son and then her relationship with Preacher developed naturally and organically over the book series. However, on the TV show, there was a lot of drama added to create tension for the viewing audience. This caused a lot of fans (via Reddit) to feel the show took a sweet and cute pairing and made it unbelievable and then the show ended it and ruined their happy ending.
Mel & Jack Are Not Always The Main Focus In The Books
When it comes to a TV show, it is often important to make two characters the main leads and this is even more important when it comes to romantic dramas. The showrunners want the fans to focus on the one most important couple and then follow their ups and downs. The supporting characters are usually there to help tell the story of these two protagonists, and in Virgin River on Netflix, that is Mel and Jack.
However, when comparing the Virgin River book series vs. the TV show, that is not the case for the books. The TV show gives fans Mel and Jack and places them at the center of attention in every season, but when it comes to the books, they are not the main focus of all the Virgin River books. Showrunner Sue Tenney said that she handpicked certain characters from the books to focus on and she chose Mel and Jack as the main leads for the series (via Cheat Sheet).
Vanessa Is A Book Character, Not A TV Show Character
There are many strong Virgin River relationships but also some romances in the novels that aren’t in the show. According to Hello Magazine, there are a few characters who are part of the book series that haven’t been included in the Netflix series. Vanessa is one of them, and she appears in the book Second Chance Pass. Vanessa begins living in Virgin River after losing her husband and is interested in falling in love again and finds a connection with the friend of her husband who passed away. This is just one of many characters that have not been introduced when comparing the Virgin River books vs. the TV show.
The Timeline Is Shorter In The TV Shows Than The Books
According to The Cinemaholic, there is something that changed in the Virgin River books vs. the TV show, and that’s the timeframe. While there have been five seasons, it has been one year since Mel decided to begin living in Virgin River. The book series spans a larger frame of time, which makes sense since there is more room to explain things in detail in the pages of a book. It’s also interesting to note how fast-paced the Netflix series is. There are 19 books in the series, and things can move more leisurely on the printed page while things fly along on TV.
Lizzie Is Pregnant In The Books
Lizzie is one of the best Virgin River characters and her storyline in Robyn Carr’s book series also differs from the TV show, which is fascinating to know about. According to Cheat Sheet, Lizzie is pregnant in the books when she is in her early high school years. Lizzie does have a very dramatic plotline from the moment that she is first introduced, so it makes sense that this wasn’t included. There are also several pregnancy storylines on the Netflix series, so adding another for Lizzie might have just been overkill. It also helped make her relationship with Ricky very different when comparing the Virgin River books vs. the TV show.
In The Books, The Babies Are Not Jack’s
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. However, while this was a big difference between the Virgin River books vs. the TV show, the Netflix series actually backtracked on that. In Virgin River season 5, Charmaine finally revealed Jack wasn’t the father and this finally lined up the show and books in one area.
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 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 crossfire at a convenience store robbery, and in the show, his life ends because of a car accident. This made his death a very different experience, going from an act of violence to a tragic accident.
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. It is also something showrunner Sue Tenney had said, mnentio9ning they had to pick and choose which characters to use from the large cast from the books.
The Books Take Things More Slowly
One could lose themselves in the Robyn Carr books. There are 21 books in the series to work through. Book one is called Virgin River, and the second in the series is entitled Shelter Mountain. One fan of the books, who also watched the series, noticed that season 1 of Virgin River actually combined the concepts and plots of Robyn Carr’s first two books (via Reddit). For those comparing the Virgin River books vs. the TV show, this meshing of plots might be a bit confusing as it often combined events and omitted entire confrontations and relationships from the Netflix series.
Jack Is More Likable 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 from Romancehab.com 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. He is much more of a romantic love interest on the written page.
Doc And Hope’s Characters Are Off
One of the primary characters in both the show and the books is Doc. The town doctor, who Mel works for in Virgin River, is a “bit gruff” in the Robyn Carr books. One Reddtior pointed out that while he is a bit curmudgeon in the novels, he is not cruel, which he comes off as in the first season of the TV show. Another Redditor claimed that Hope’s character is very different in the books as well. The consensus is that the Virgin River books gave the character a different vibe. One user said that the character of Connie was closer to Hope from the books than the Hope in the Netflix series.
Charmaine Is A Much Smaller Part Of The Books
With five seasons, it’s hard to tell which Virgin River 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 season 2 than in season 1. Finally, in season 5, Charmaine played a huge role in the series when she revealed the identity of her babies’ father, which lined up with the books, but in a much more important way on Netflix.
Hope And Doc Have A Different Relationship In The Book
Hope and Doc’s personalities are not the only things that fans notice when comparing the Virgin River books vs. the TV show. In the series, Hope and Doc were once married. In the books, they never made things official. In the TV series, their characters are one reason there are so many heartwarming quotes in Virgin River, which didn’t really match up well with the books either. The Virgin River books also have Hope being several years older than Doc. The Netflix series has two characters roughly the same age. If they are different in years, then it is not noticeable on TV.
The Books Feel More Romantic In Genre
Those who have read the books by Robyn Carr all pretty much agree that what she writes can be described as a traditional romance novel. The Netflix adaptation certainly has plenty of romance. There is the love triangle between Mel, Charmaine, and Jack, the rekindling of Hope and Doc, the young love with Ricky and Lizzie, and the ill-fated romance between Preacher and Paige. However, the show has a lot of other plot elements that are not romance-centered, delivering a different feeling from reading the books. The show gives off “Hallmark” inspired vibes compared to just a sweet romance tale.
The Show Is PG-Rated
The books that the show stemmed from are classified as romance novels, and the show is more Hallmark-based. This might go without needing to be said, but the books contain a 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 would never work out as well for a Netflix series meant to be watched by people of all ages.
A Potential Baby In The Books
Does Mel ever have a baby in Virgin River books? She does. However, Mel was pregnant with her now-deceased husband’s child in the TV series. She then faced some complications after she gave birth to a stillborn daughter and then faced a lifetime of infertility. In the books, Mel was unable to get pregnant until she met Jack. This is a major difference between the books and the series, but as fans know, Jack and Mel’s romance is a huge part of the series. In the books, Virgin River fans saw Jack and Mel have two children – David and Emma.
