But to further that thought, we can have that sense of community in our own neighborhood or school or church group or community center or library association. People always write and say, “Where is it? I want to go there,” and I have to remind them that it only exists in our hearts and minds.

Isn’t it a sad commentary that that’s considered utopian? A town where people are nice to each other and help each other, and that’s utopian? But that’s really how they describe it in their study: It’s idealized, it’s utopian, it’s the perfect small town. How do you feel this ethos of social solidarity will translate to screen, and do you think it’s particularly important right now? Virgin River has actually been the subject of a PhD study in sociology: Envisioning Utopian Possibilities in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River Romance Novels. People wrote to me a lot, so I thought, “I’m going to do that again, and I’ll put the town closer to Great Valley so that I can use the people from Great Valley in the new series,” and it was just a runaway train. They’re just like real people, and my first series was the Great Valley series and it was very popular, even though the books came out one a year. I always said to myself, “If I ever write a series, my people are going to swear and have sex.” And they do. The thing that really inspired me - I just loved Jan Karon’s small-town series with Father Tim. That was a contemporary, small-town domestic drama, and that was a lot of fun to watch. I really loved Picket Fences, that goes back a long time ago. Was that an inspiration for you? Or what other TV shows or films might have inspired the series? There couldn’t be two people more different, yet the minute they meet, friends and family have no doubt they belong together.The logline for the series, with its tale of a nurse in a small town, reminds me a lot of a contemporary Dr.

Settling into the small town routine proves to be a challenge, but his job coaching at Jennings College gives him a sense of purpose, while keeping him connected to the game he loves. Mia is determined to make it all work, hoping the coastal hamlet gives both her and Ben the sense of community, family and belonging they both want so much.Īdam Miller, a retired NFL quarterback, has come back to Compass Cove to start over after an injury puts an end to his high-octane life. Now, the college librarian is adapting to a new job, a new town, and living with her feisty seventy-eight-year-old grandmother. Wanting to provide a better life for herself and her ten-year-old nephew, Ben, she took a chance and moved to the small town of Compass Cove. Mia DeAngelis knew it was time to make a change.

Robyn carr