Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr *Spoilers*

THERE’S AN OLD SAYING:
WHENEVER ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER ONE OPENS.

THAT’S TRUER OF VIRGIN RIVER THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River’s new veterinary assistant. The secluded community’s wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town—everyone excerpt Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, traditional men within her own aboriginal community, and she’s not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay’s earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. She can’t deny his gift for gentling horses, but she’s not about to let him control her. There’s just one small problem—she can’t control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere...

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this new release from Robyn for what feels like forever. I knew once I had it in my hot little hands or in this case on my nook reader for PC that I would devour it. Since I know myself best I was correct in my assumption. I read it in one day and I loved it. All my favorites were back Jack & Mel, Paige & Preacher, Shelby & Luke,we saw Mike, Art, Muriel and plenty of the town folks.

As usual the town has it’s ups and downs, once again someone has slipped off the curve that had Jack and Crew rescuing the school bus full of children, this time we find Noah and his truck have gone over the edge and thankfully the only thing damaged was his truck.

The main focus of this novel are Lilly and Clay, from the beginning at their first meeting I felt they were perfect for each other. Neither one of them is perfect and while their heritages are similar as well their teenage indiscretions, there experiences took very different paths. Path that forged them into the people they are today.

Clay embraced his Navajo upbringing and had him making mature decisions at the ripe old age of Seventeen. His first foray into young love brought Gabe into his life, being a young man with a young son quickly forces Clay into adulthood. It has him taking responsibility early on and makes the failure of his marriage some what difficult for him to deal with IMO. He left a bad situation with a clear conscience but he never really cut complete ties with Isabel and he soon finds out how his past can hurt his future.

Lilly on the other hand experienced the all to normal response from a young father who didn’t expect to be one, he ran as fast and as far as her could, breaking a young girls heart and leaving her to pick up the pieces. Lilly teen pregnancy did not have a happy outcome and that coupled with the abandonment of her parents and the death of her grandmother I was not surprised by her unwillingness to date or fall in love with Clay.

I was completely engrossed in this novel for so many reasons, Clay’s work with the horses is amazing as well as Lilly natural affinity for them as well. Annie and Nate are their since Clay works for them and it was great to see more of her vivacious and bubbly personality. Lilly’s grandfather is sprinkled throughout the book as well as the Toopek family from Robyn’s Grace Valley Series and they add to the family dynamic while showing the reader the diversities yet similarities to Native American Cultures.

While Clay and Lilly should be the focus of this review I find myself compelled to discuss the subplots because they affected me as much as the main story did.

This is where the *Spoilers* come in so do not read further unless you want some plot points exposed to you.

When Mel entered the bar to tell Jack that Hope had been found dead I was shocked and yet not, part of me knew she was getting older and that as much as I wanted her to she couldn’t live forever. When Jack found out she left him executor of her massive estate I wasn’t surprised she picked him. I knew that he would do the right thing, he always does in his own Jack way, even if it’s not the easiest course for him to take.

I was equally surprised that the town reacted the way they did, thinking of their own needs above that of the town, but then they are human and Boy Howdy did Hope have some money in the bank. She took care of the town and we find out why along with Jack and Crew, her late husband basically created the town. She lived in Virgin River her whole life and she did her very best by it. I was deeply sad she died and each time we return to Virgin River I know I will miss her.

The second shock for me was the news of Colin Riordan’s crash in his Black Hawk. I knew from reading the blurbs for the upcoming novels that he was injured, but recently one of the ladies on Robyn’s Yahoo group told us about her friend’s loss. She lost her grandson after he was injured over in Afghanistan and while I did not know him personally I was affected by his death. He, like Colin, fought for our freedom and his sacrifice can never be repaid. When Colin was injured and was hanging on for life, it reminded me again that our armed forces risk everything for us here at home. We forget that there coming home is more than just being here, that they have to relive their traumas over and over again and find away to live their lives. Colin’s addition to pain killers and his need to get back to his helicopter is not uncommon and I can’t wait to read his story later this year.

I’m not surprised though that Robyn touched me emotionally with PROMISE CANYON. Her writing may be of a fictional place but her stories and her characters are real, you can’t help but like them, worry about them and I for one am glad she keeps letting us visiting them. I wish she would have checked in on all my favorite VR people(Liz and Rick), but if she did her book would be 1000 pages long.

I already want to reread this novel and that’s saying a lot since I have waaayyyy too may TBR books in my pile.

PROMISE CANYON is a 9 out of 10