Netflix’ original series, Virgin River, romantic drama series is based on the novel series by Robyn Carr. Virgin River follows the story of Mel Monroe who is a nurse, everything from her life falling apart until she lays eyes on Jack, a former marine. With facing the difficulties of adjusting to the new life, she tries to learn to make Virgin River her home.
Since the TV series ‘Virgin River’ is based on the novel series by Robyn Carr, the plot is bound to be the same. Despite that not everything is all same and not everything is different. The show built quite an audience for itself but same goes for the novel series as it contains over 20 books by Robyn Carr of ‘Virgin River’. As for the similarities, the set is of Northern California town with Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan as the lead characters. Mel has a nursing job while Jack is an ex-marine who runs a local bar and restaurant.
There’s for sure a lot of differences between these two versions of ‘Virgin River’, which you’ll about to get to know.
Mel wasn’t pregnant ever in the books. According to the show, Mel gave birth to a still born baby before coming to the town Virgin River, but in the books she suffered because she couldn’t give birth, an infertility problem was the reason Mel couldn’t get pregnant.
The story moves too fast on the TV. Well those who are both TV and novel fans would know that the story moves much faster on the screen than in the books. That’s the same case with Virgin River. The characters are introduced too soon in the very first season of the show. Whereas in books, characters are not ‘casted’ since the first book, they are introduced throughout the course of the novel ‘Virgin River’.
Mel’s husband didn’t die by a car accident. From the Tv show, Mel’s husband dies because of a car accident, when he and Mel were having a heated discussion over whether to try for another baby or not. But if we go by the books, Mel’s husband died in a shop robbery, after which she moved to the town Virgin River.
Charmaine is minor in the Virgin River, by the books. Jack’s previous relationship was with Charmaine before Mel’s presence, in both, the TV show as well as the books. Although by the books she is more young than she appeared as on the TV.