Netflix’s Virgin River is based on Robyn Carr’s book series, but the TV adaptation takes some huge creative liberties with the original story. The Netflix version of Virgin River follows nurse practitioner Mel Monroe, who moves to the titular town for a fresh start after the death of her husband. It doesn’t take long for Mel to become an integral part of the community, especially when she begins a relationship with bar owner Jack Sheridan. Though Virgin River season 1 follows the first Virgin River book fairly closely, the Netflix series makes some major changes to the books in subsequent seasons.
The Netflix adaptation of Virgin River combines elements of multiple of the Virgin River books. However, with 21 books in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, the Netflix series is bound to miss some details, and some of the changes it makes are majorly different to the original books. Here are the 10 biggest changes Netflix's Virgin River makes to the original Virgin River books, including what really happens in the books.
10 Lizzie Is Pregnant In The Virgin River Books
Lizzie, Ricky’s main love interest in Virgin River, is introduced in the Netflix show’s second season, but the Virgin River show chose to leave out a crucial part of Lizzie’s book storyline. In both versions of Virgin River, Lizzie is Connie’s niece who comes to stay with her aunt at the behest of her parents, but this is where the similarities end. Not only did Netflix’s Virgin River age up Lizzie from a teenager to a young adult, but the adaptation also left out the fact that Lizzie is actually pregnant in the original books.
In Robyn Carr’s original Virgin River books, Lizzie and Ricky are forced to grow up early when Lizzie becomes pregnant while they are both teenagers. However, tragedy strikes when Lizzie ends up having a stillbirth. Given the abundance of pregnancy storylines in Netflix’s Virgin River, it makes sense why the Netflix show decided to remove this aspect of Lizzie’s story. However, this is a major change to Lizzie’s character that in turn makes her and Ricky’s relationship entirely different in Netflix’s Virgin River.
9 The Virgin River Books Have Different Protagonists
Virgin River has many iconic characters, and unlike the Netflix series, the book series gives all of them a spotlight. Like the book of the same name, Virgin River season 1 follows Mel and Jack as Mel adjusts to her new home in the titular town, but unlike the books, the Netflix series keeps Jack and Mel the main focus. This is different from Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books, which, much like the Bridgerton series, all follow different protagonists. Changing this aspect of the original Virgin River books makes sense to streamline the story for TV, but unfortunately, it means that some huge storylines like Preacher and Paige’s get sidelined.
8 Mel Has A Different Tragic Backstory In The Books
Over the course of Virgin River season 1, the audience learns about the circumstances that brought Mel to Virgin River, but in the original books, Mel has a different backstory. In Netflix’s Virgin River, it’s revealed that Mel and her recently deceased husband, Mark, had struggled with fertility issues and eventually had a stillborn baby, which drove a wedge between them. Unfortunately, Mel and Mark never got to resolve their issues, as he is tragically killed in a car crash in the Netflix show. While this backstory for Mel works in Netflix’s Virgin River, Mel’s story is a bit different in the original books.
Though Mel’s husband Mark also died prior to the events of the Virgin River books, he doesn’t die in a car crash. Rather, Mark was killed in a convenience store robbery. Additionally, Mel and Mark didn’t have a stillborn baby in the Virgin River book series. These changes in the Netflix series add some more emotional depth to Mel’s story, since she has to deal with the guilt of having been arguing with Mark when they got in the car accident. However, even if the changes to Mel’s story make sense, they still stray majorly from what happened in the Virgin River books.
7 There’s No Charmaine/Jack/Mel Love Triangle In The Virgin Books
The early parts of Netflix’s Virgin River are dominated by a love triangle between Jack, Charmaine, and Mel, but there is no such dynamic in the books. At the beginning of both Netflix’s Virgin River and the book series, Jack is initially in a casual relationship with Charmaine when Mel arrives in town. However, once Jack and Mel begin to develop feelings for each other in the Virgin River book, Jack breaks off his relationship with Charmaine. In the Netflix series, Jack is more wishy-washy with both women, creating a love triangle. Though this makes more drama for Netflix’s Virgin River, it’s a far different dynamic from the books.
6 Doc And Hope Aren’t A Couple In The Virgin River Books
Doc and Hope have a cute relationship in Netflix’s Virgin River, but it doesn’t exist in the original Virgin River books. In Netflix’s Virgin River, Doc and Hope are revealed to be an estranged married couple. The two eventually reconcile, resuming their marriage and becoming one of the Netflix show’s most steadfast couples. Sadly, however, Doc and Hope’s love story is a creation of Netflix’s Virgin River. In the book series, the two Virgin River characters have a strictly platonic relationship. Though their marriage in the Netflix show is a huge change from the Virgin River books, Doc and Hope’s relationship is an interesting addition to the show.
5 Brie Has A Different Love Interest In The Virgin River Books
Netflix’s Virgin River shows Brie dating Brady, but in the original books, Brie’s heart belongs to someone else. Jack’s sister, Brie Sheridan, is introduced in Virgin River season 3, and she almost immediately begins a relationship with Jack’s frequent frenemy, Brady. Brie’s relationship with Brady has its ups and downs in the Netflix show, particularly when Brady gets (wrongly) arrested. However, while Brie and Brady have one of the more tumultuous relationships in the Netflix series, it isn’t part of the original books’ story.
In the Virgin River books, Brie doesn’t date Brady, but one of Jack’s other Marine friends, Mike. Brie and Mike’s book relationship is such a significant aspect of the series that the third Virgin River book, Whispering Rock, is devoted to their love story, making Netflix’s decision to discard their relationship a major change. Mike is a minor character in Netflix’s Virgin River, so it’s possible that Brie and Mike might still end up together eventually in a future season of Virgin River like they do in the books. At this point, however, it appears that Netflix’s Virgin River is intent on changing Brie and Mike’s story.
4 The Virgin River Books Have A Different Tone
Both the Netflix and book versions of Virgin River are planted in the romance genre, but their executions of the story are a bit different. The original Virgin River books are classic romance stories, and as a result, there are a lot of steamy scenes between the main couples in the series. While the Netflix series certainly has some romantic scenes, it is decidedly more PG-13 than Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books. This change gives Netflix’s Virgin River a wider target demographic, especially since the series tends to lean more into mystery and drama. However, the differences in tone are likely jarring to fans of the original book series.
3 The Virgin River Books Are Paced Differently
A common critique of Netflix’s Virgin River is its bizarre pacing, but the original Virgin River books don’t have the same issue. Though Netflix’s Virgin River has had four seasons, with a confirmed upcoming fifth season, all of Virgin River’s seasons are meant to be taking place within a year of each other. This has created a wildly confusing timeline for the Netflix adaptation, but the original books take place over a longer period of time, which alleviates this issue. It’s unclear why Netflix decided to change the pacing of the Virgin River series so drastically, but the differing timelines are a huge difference between the books and the show.
2 Ricky Joined The Military For A Different Reason In The Virgin River Books
In both the Virgin River TV series and books, Ricky Sutter decides to go into the Marines, but the circumstances of the decision are different in the books. During the Netflix series, Ricky is portrayed as a good kid who has always aspired to follow in the footsteps of Jack and join the Marines. However, Ricky’s book storyline is darker, and, reeling from the emotional turmoil of he and Lizzie losing their baby, Ricky decides to join the Marines to get away from it all. This is a stark contrast to Ricky’s story in the Virgin River show, which is far more wholesome.
1 Charmaine Has A Way Bigger Role In Netflix’s Virgin River
Charmaine is one of the major antagonists in Netflix’s Virgin River, but she has a way smaller role in the books. In Netflix’s Virgin River, Charmaine struggles with Jack’s decision to end their relationship and frequently attempts to get back together with him, with their lives becoming more complicated when Charmaine discovers she’s pregnant. Throughout seasons 2 through 4, Charmaine’s pregnancy is a major storyline that creates tons of drama, particularly when she reveals the bombshell that the babies aren’t Jack’s at the end of season 4. Despite Charmaine creating issues for Jack and Mel in Netflix’s Virgin River, her storyline is a creation of the show.
In the Virgin River books, Charmaine is a minor character. Like in the Netflix adaptation, she and Jack are casually seeing each other when Mel arrives in Virgin River. When Jack develops feelings for Mel, he breaks up with Charmaine, a decision that, unlike in the TV show, Charmaine accepts. After this, Charmaine doesn’t have a featuring role in the story. Though Charmaine’s storyline in the books is more realistic, it makes sense why Netflix elevated her character for the adaptation, since Charmaine is a fun villain. However, even if Charmaine makes great drama, her role in Netflix’s Virgin River is a huge change to the books.