What We Find by Robyn Carr

WHAT WE FIND
Robyn Carr
Mira
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1885-9
April 2016
Contemporary Romance

This newest book by Robyn Carr brings us the first in what I hope will be a new series. Living in Denver, Maggie Sullivan is a neurosurgeon whose world seems to be crashing down. The wrongful death suit brought by parents of a teen who died while under her care, the end of a long term romantic relationship, problems in her medical practice, and the sense that there must be more to life than working all create a crisis. Maggie retreats to her father’s campground and country store in Sullivan’s Crossing, Colorado. This place is her roots, in her family for generations, and she loves it and her father.

Maggie’s life has been complicated. Taken away from Sullivan’s Crossing as a young girl, when her mother divorced her father, she intensely missed the gruff and crusty man whom she adored. When her mom remarried a neurosurgeon her life became focused on the best schools, socially appropriate contacts, and getting into a top tier college. When Maggie found herself fascinated by her stepfather’s profession, she ended up in medical school and residency before becoming a respected and talented neurosurgeon.

Now Maggie has come home to take a break. Almost immediately her father suffers a cardiac incident that necessitates surgery and Maggie realizes that her short break needs to be extended. She’s not really sorry.

There are numerous points in this book when Maggie’s strength and gutsiness emerge and amaze. This is no wimpy intellectual who lives in her head. There’s a strong part of her character that harkens back to Sully and his earthy roots. I really liked that about this woman.

At the same time Cal Jones is taking his own break, getting ready to hike the Continental Divide Trail that bisects the campground. A mysterious, handsome man, he begins helping out at Sullivan’s Crossing and finds himself powerfully drawn to Maggie. Cal has many secrets of his own and must come to some resolution of his past before pursuing a more serious relationship with the complicated Maggie.

As a person who has read every book produced by this talented author I am pleased to say that this novel is well written and fantastic. There is a special ambience about Carr’s writing style that brings the reader into the affective lives of her characters. We understand these people through their dialogue and their multi-dimensional character development. Filled with passion and affect, this book, while not officially listed as such, looks like an excellent start to a new series. Certainly there are characters emerging in this book who could have their own novels. This book reminds me so much of the first Virgin River novel with its focus on real people, family relationships, and finding happiness! Excellent book!

Reviewed by Jeri Neal
Rating: 4 1/2