Virgin River Character Sketches
Virgin River Cast of Characters
VIRGIN RIVER – BOOK 1
Melinda (Mel) Monroe—Nine months after losing her ER doctor husband in a violent, big-city crime, this burned-out RN, certified nurse midwife and nurse practitioner, age 32, comes to Virgin River, answering an ad to assist the local country doctor.
Jack Sheridan—40-year-old retired, decorated Marine who fought in four combat zones and now owns Jack’s Bar, the center of social life in Virgin River. There he meets Mel Monroe.
Doc Mullins—Virgin River’s grumpy 70-year-old town doctor, who has a difficult time accepting Mel Monroe’s help when she answers his ad for help.
Hope McCrea—The 76-year-old widow who donated the cabin and the first year’s salary when Mel answered her ad for an assistant for Doc Mullins. Virgin River town benefactor.
Liz (Lizzie) Anderson—Too wild, in her parents’ estimation, this 14-year-old is sent from Eureka to live with her Aunt Connie in Virgin River, where she meets Rick Sudder.
Rick Sudder—Surrogate son to Jack Sheridan, 16-year-old Rick Sudder falls hard for Lizzie. They become involved, and their romance is an ongoing story through the first six books.
John (Preacher) Middleton—The 32-year-old cook at Jack’s Bar, this Marine friend of Jack’s is as tender as he is strong. Preacher is known for his pies and fancies himself a bit of a gourmet.
Paige Lassiter—Twenty-nine-year-old beautician on the run from her abusive husband, Paige and her three-year-old son, Christopher, find shelter and protection in the person of Preacher Middleton at Jack’s Bar.
Mike Valenzuela—Having served in the Marines with Preacher and Jack, then shot while a sergeant in LAPD’s gangs division, Mike, 36, comes to Virgin River to recover from his injuries and eventually becomes the town constable.
Brie Sheridan—Jack’s youngest sister whose police detective husband left her for Brie’s best friend. A 30-year-old county district attorney, Brie comes to Virgin River to recover after losing a big trial. In Virgin River, a romance blossoms between Brie and Mike Valenzuela.
David Sheridan—Jack and Mel Sheridan’s first baby.
Tommy Booth—The new kid in Virgin River, this shy, athletic high school senior is the son of retired Army General Walt Booth and brother of Vanni. He plans to attend West Point.
Brenda Carpenter—Having recently suffered a miscarriage, Brenda loses her heart to Tommy Booth, who helps find the rapist targeting high school girls at area parties.
Walt Booth—The 61-year-old retired Army general and widow, whose two children, Vanessa and Tommy, have roots in Virgin River, as does his niece, Shelby.
Paul Haggerty—Now a local builder, Paul, 35, was best friends with and a Marine buddy of Matt Rutledge, who died serving his country. Living by the marine motto, Semper Fidelis, Paul honors his friend’s memory by helping Matt’s widow, Vanessa Rutledge, and her baby.
Matthew (Mattie) Paul Rutledge—Son of Vanessa Rutledge and her deceased Marine husband, Matthew.
A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS – BOOK 4
Marcie Sullivan—A year after her beloved husband, Bobby, died of wounds sustained while fighting in Iraq, Marcie, 27, leaves Chico, California, to go to Virgin River in search of Ian Buchanan. Bobby’s best friend and his first sergeant in the Marine Corps, Ian saved Bobby’s life, and Marcie wants to find out why he won’t answer her letters of gratitude.
Ian Buchanan—Suffering from the after-effects of war, Ian, 35, lives in seclusion deep in the forest above Virgin River until Marcie Sullivan finds shelter in his remote cabin during a snowstorm.
Erin Elizabeth Foley—Marcie Sullivan’s older sister, a 34-year-old attorney.
Vanessa (Vanni) Rutledge—Giving birth to her son, Matthew, after her husband dies fighting in Iraq, Vanni comes to love Paul Haggerty but has a hard time convincing him he isn’t dishonoring his buddy by loving her in return. A former flight attendant and roommate of Nikki’s, daughter of General Walt Booth.
Joe Benson—Paul Haggerty’s best friend, an architect from Grant’s Pass, who falls in love with Nikki Jorgensen in Virgin River.
Nikki Jorgensen—The flight attendant friend of Vanessa’s, Nikki is based in San Francisco and has a fling with Joe Benson in Virgin River.
Muriel St. Claire—This 56-year-old movie star, expert horsewoman and lover of dogs is the romantic interest of her new neighbor back home in Virgin River, Walt Booth.
Terri—When she learns she’s pregnant, she tries to convince Paul Haggerty that the child is his.
Emma Sheridan—Mel and Jack Sheridan’s second child is born.
Dana Marie Middleton—Paige’s little girl is born.
Luke Riordan—A 38-year-old newly retired Army Blackhawk pilot, who comes to Virgin River to repair some cabins that he co-owns with one of his brothers.
Shelby McIntyre—At age 26, Shelby is embarking on a brand new life after being a full-time caregiver to her mother for the seven years prior to her death. A niece of General Walt Booth, she plans to travel, visit family in Virgin River and apply to nursing schools, but her plans change when she meets Luke Riordan.
Cameron Michaels—In nearby Grants Pass, Oregon, Cameron, 35, is a family practice physician/pediatrician who is ready to fall in love, marry and have children when he has a one-night stand with a woman he met in a hotel bar (Abby MacCall Crawford). Subsequently he applies for the job as Virgin River’s town doctor to fill the post vacated when Doc dies.
Abby MacCall Crawford—Because her musician husband, Ross, is divorcing her for another woman, this former flight attendant is not in the mood to celebrate when she comes to Grants Pass, Oregon, as a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. However, a romantic romp that night with Dr. Michaels leaves her pregnant with twins. She comes to Virgin River to stay with Vanni until the babies are born.
Maureen Riordan—Sixty-one-year-old widow and mother of five Riordan brothers.
Art Cleary—His mother deceased, 29-year-old Art has Down syndrome and, after suffering abuse at his grocery store job in Eureka, leaves the group home where he has been staying and goes to Virgin River. There Luke Riordan takes him under his wing and offers him a job and a place to stay at his little group of vacation cabins.
Ness Valenzuela—Brie and Mike’s baby girl.
Dan Brady—Introduced in Book 1 as a mysterious local illegal pot grower, Dan, who served as a Marine in Iraq and is now a reformed grower, returns to Virgin River to work for Paul Haggerty’s construction company. He rents Cheryl Creighton’s parents’ old house, renovates it and falls for Cheryl.
Lydie Sudder—Rick Sudder’s paternal grandmother, who raised him after his parents died when he was young.
Cheryl Creighton—The former town drunk, now sober, who finds more than understanding with Dan Brady.
Jerry Powell—Counselor for Lizzie Anderson and Rick Sudder.
THAT HOLIDAY FEELING – BOOK 8
Under the Christmas Tree novella
Nathaniel (Nate) Jensen—Large animal veterinarian who finds more than animal attraction with Annie McKenzie.
Annie McKenzie—A beautician with her own shop and the daughter of a local (retired) dairy farmer, who falls for Nate Jensen.
Reverend Noah Kincaid—Widowed Presbyterian minister from Seattle, who comes to Virgin River to renovate and reopen the abandoned church he bought on eBay. He shocks the townsfolk by hiring and falling in love with a former stripper.
Ellie Baldwin—The brassy, beautiful former exotic dancer who signs on as Pastor Noah Kincaid’s assistant in order to regain custody of her children, Danielle, eight, and Trevor, four.
Lucy—Noah’s rescued border collie.
George Davenport—Noah’s best friend and mentor from Seattle.
Sean Riordan—Thirty-two-year-old cocky fighter pilot from Beale Air Force Base, who comes to Virgin River in hopes of a second chance with his Air Force sweetheart, only to discover they have something more to share than a smoking hot history.
Franci Duncan—Former Air Force flight nurse, who settles in nearby Eureka to raise her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Rosie, who is a secret to her dad and Franci’s former boyfriend, Sean Riordan.
Harry—Franci’s dog.
Vivian Duncan—Family nurse practitioner.
Carl—Vivian’s significant other, a physician.
Dr. T.J. Brookner—Marine biologist Franci Duncan has been dating casually.
Erin Foley—Having raised her younger siblings after their parents’ early deaths, this 35-year-old, burned-out attorney and sister to Marcie Foley Sullivan (A Virgin River Christmas) and to Drew Foley, medical resident, comes to Virgin River to get to know herself.
Aiden Riordan—After serving in the Navy as an OB/GYN, Aiden leaves his last duty station (San Diego) and comes to Virgin River to recharge. There he falls for Erin Foley, but his crazy ex-wife complicates matters.
MIDNIGHT KISS – BOOK 12
Midnight Confessions novella
Drew Foley—Erin’s younger brother and a medical resident whose fiancé left him.
Sunny—Nathaniel Jensen’s niece, who’s soured on love after being left at the altar the previous New Year’s Eve, visits Virgin River for the Christmas holidays.
Clay Tahoma—Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, this 34-year-old divorced Navajo horse whisperer/farrier comes to Virgin River to work as a veterinarian assistant for his old friend, Nate Jensen. There he falls for Lilly Yazhi.
Lilly Yazhi—The Hopi woman who delivers feed and does the books for the feed store owned by her grandfather, Yaz, who raised her after her mother ran off. Not enamored with old-world, male-dominated tribal relationships, especially one with a Navajo with traditional ways, she nonetheless finds the new Navajo farrier irresistible.
Gabe Tahoma—Clay’s son from a teenage relationship.
Colin Riordan—Retired Army Blackhawk pilot, seriously injured when shot down, comes to Virgin River to recuperate. Younger brother of Luke Riordan.
Jillian Matlock—VP of Corporate Communications for Benedict Software Systems, on a leave of absence after being falsely accused of sexual harassment, comes to Virgin River.
Kurt Conroy—Former employee and one-time love interest of Jillian Matlock, who accuses her of sexual harassment.
Denny Cutler—A 24-year-old who has served in the Marines and comes to Virgin River to find his biological father.
Kelly Matlock—Older sister to Jillian Matlock, a sous chef in San Francisco.
Lief Holbrook—Widowed stepfather of 13-year-old girl and writer from Los Angeles.
Courtney Holbrook—Thirteen-year-old stepdaughter of Lief Holbrook.
Luca Brazzi—Mentor and owner of five-star San Francisco restaurant where Kelly Matlock works.
Shiloh Tahoma—Cousin of Clay Tahoma; artist and gallery owner in Sedona, AZ.
Kelly Matlock—Thirty-four year old sister to Jillian Matlock. A five-star sous chef in a restaurant in San Francisco, who comes to Virgin River to recuperate from an emotional collapse at work.
Lief Holbrook—Screenwriter in Los Angeles and recent widower, who relocates to Virgin River in search of a better environment to raise his troubled teen stepdaughter, Courtney.
Courtney Holbrook—Fourteen-year-old stepdaughter of Lief Holbrook with definite attitude issues.
Amber Hawkins—Girl who befriends Courtney at school in Virgin River.
Rory Hawkins—Wheelchair-bound nephew of Amber who suffers from muscular dystrophy.
Sinette & Hawk—Parents of Amber and Rory.
Luciano Brazzi—Famous chef and mentor to Kelly in San Francisco restaurant where she worked before coming to Virgin River.
Olivia Brazzi—Wife of Luciano.
Spike—Courtney’s new golden retriever puppy.
BRING ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS – BOOK 16
Becca Timms—Several years after her final break-up with Denny, 25-year-old Becca, an unemployed teacher, heads to Virgin River, where she plans to confront the man who broke her heart. She simply wants to let go so she can move on.
Denny Cutler—Having found a permanent home in Virgin River after serving in the Marines, this 25-year-old associate in Jilly Farms is surprised to see his former girlfriend, Becca, in town.
Nora Crane—single mother of a newborn and a two-year-old; very young and extremely poor.
Adie Clemens—elderly widow in need of some Christmas charity; very concerned for her young neighbor, Nora, and her children.
Thickson Family—Frank, a disabled and disgruntled logger; his wife, Lorraine, a hard-working waitress, and their children: eight-year-old Megan and three young boys.
Connor Danson—a 35-year-old, successful business owner in Sacramento, Conner is an unwilling witness to a violent crime. He is in Virgin River trying to keep a low profile until the trial.
Leslie Petruso—Burned by love, 32-year-old Leslie moves from her hometown of Grant’s Pass to Virgin River to put her cheery ex-husband his new wife out of her mind.
Katie—Connor’s younger sister. A military widow and mother of twin boys, Katie is forced to move across the country, away from Connor, who is her main support and the boys’ only male influence.
Mitch and Andy—Katie’s five-year-old twins; Connor’s nephews
Greg Adams—Leslie’s ex
Allison Adams—Greg’s new wife
Candace and Robert Petruso—Leslie’s parents, 60-something, retired and a fun-loving couple.
Regis Mathis—high profile businessman, Mathis is the murder suspect awaiting trial.
Katie Malone—Thirty-two-year-old widowed mother of twin boys. Now that the threat to their safety is over, Katie is reuniting with her brother, Conner, planning to spend the summer in Virgin River.
Dylan Childress—A former child actor, 35-year-old Dylan, now a pilot and rancher of sorts, is the owner of a charter air service in Payne, Montana. Dylan and his buddies are on their annual motorcycle road trip, this year through California, when they run into Katie, who is sidelined by a flat tire.
Andy & Mitch—Katie’s five-year-old identical twins. After a family trip to Disney World, Katie is taking her bright, rambunctious boys to Virgin River to spend time with their Uncle Conner.
Adele Childress—Dylan’s grandmother. Adele, a famous actress in her own right, she removed troubled teenager Dylan from the Hollywood scene, taking him to the ranch in Montana where she raised him.
Lang—Best friends since college, Lang and Dylan are business partners. Lang and his wife, Sue Ann, have five children.
Blaine—Dylan’s 40-year-old stepsister.
Bryce—Age 30, Bryce is Dylan’s half brother.
Cherise Fontaine—Dylan’s mother. Cherise is an actress and, like Blaine and Bryce, has used Dylan’s notoriety for personal gain.
Jay Romney—A well-known Hollywood producer, who is looking forward to having Dylan star in another movie.
Tom Cavanaugh—Having served in the Marines, Tom has returned home to Virgin River to take over the family apple orchard. Almost 30 years old, Tom is ready to settle down and perhaps start a family of his own.
Nora Crane—Twenty-three-year-old mother of two young girls. Brought to Virgin River and abandoned there by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Nora desperately needs work to support her family.
Maxie Cavanaugh—Tom’s grandmother. Maxie raised Tom and has managed the orchard during his college years and his time in the Marines.
Darla—widow of Bob Pritchard, who was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving under Tom. From Denver, Darla is now taking classes at University of California/Davis and wants to spend time visiting Tom in Virgin River.
Junior—a big, muscled man of about 50 years, Junior is the orchard’s long-time foreman.
Adie Clemens—Nora’s elderly neighbor, who has befriended Nora. Adie helps take care of Nora’s girls.
Jed—Nora’s estranged father, with whom she only recently reunited after not having seen him since she was 6 years old.
Susan—Jed’s girlfriend
Berry and Fay—Nora’s daughters, ages two years old and nine months old, respectively.
MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS – BOOK 20
Patrick Riordan—The youngest of the Riordan brothers and a Navy fighter pilot, who is in Virgin River for a respite after losing his best friend when a mission over Afghanistan went terribly wrong.
Angie LaCroix—A young medical student recovering from a catastrophic car accident, who visits her uncle, Jack Sheridan. Her agenda is very like Patrick’s—she needs some time and space to regain her confidence and reassert her goals.
Donna LaCroix—Angie’s mom, Jack’s oldest sister. A journalism professor, she can be overprotective and domineering, one of the reasons Angie flees to Virgin River for a break.
Jake—Patrick’s deceased best friend.
Marie—Jake’s widow. Patrick spends as much time as possible talking to her on the phone or visiting her, feeling very responsible for her as a support.
Megan Thickson—A nine-year-old with a devastating facial scar that’s leaving her disfigured.
Frank and Lorraine Thickson—Megan’s parents.
Dr. Hernandez—A reconstructive surgeon.
RETURN TO VIRGIN RIVER — BOOK 21
Kaylee Sloan—35-year-old well-known suspense novelist, runs away from the grief of losing her mom and heads to Virgin River to focus on her writing.
Landry Moore—handsome guesthouse owner and an artist/craftsman, part-time dog trainer
Meredith Sloan—Kaylee’s mother diagnosed with lung cancer and passes away 6 months later.
Howard Sloan—Kaylee’s estranged father
Gerald and Bonnie Templeton—old friends of Kaylee’s mom that own the cabin that burns down in Virgin River
Laura—35-year-old actress, married Landry Moore eleven years ago
Mallory—ten-year-old daughter of Mel’s cancer patient
Caroline and Landon—fictional characters in author Kaylee Sloan’s work-in-progress
Tux—Black & white kitten Kaylee finds
Otis—Landry Moore’s English setter
Lady– blonde lab mix, mother dog of four puppies