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.
16Preacher & Paige’s Relationship
15Mel & 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.
14Vanessa 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.
13The Timeline Is Shorter In The TV Shows Than The Books
12Lizzie 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.
11In 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.
10Mel’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.
9Introduction 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.
8The Books Take Things More Slowly
7Jack 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.
6Doc And Hope’s Characters Are Off
5Charmaine 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.
4Hope And Doc Have A Different Relationship In The Book
3The 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.
2The Show Is PG-Rated
1A 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.