Category Archives: Nicholas Sparks

Review: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

Get swept up in an epic romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Notebook, a heartbreaking love story spanning decades and continents–from North Carolina to Zimbabwe.

Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she’s been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.

Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother’s early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.

Illuminating life’s heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, EVERY BREATH explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties–while asking the question, How long can a dream survive?

Review:

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a delightfully heartwarming and engaging romance.

Thirty-six year old Hope Anderson retreats to her family’s beach cottage after another fight with her long time boyfriend Josh. The two have been dating off and on for the past six years and she is beginning to think he will never be ready to fully commit to her. Following their latest argument, their relationship is off yet again and Josh’s decision to go to Las Vegas with his friends instead of attending a wedding in North Carolina with Hope is quite disheartening. Unable to give up on her dreams of motherhood and marriage, Hope is hoping to work things out with Josh, but will meeting Tru Walls change the direction of her life?

Tru has flown to the NC coast from Zimbabwe to meet his biological father for the first time. Tru is forty-two year divorced father and a wild life safari guide who spends the most of his time in the African bush.  Despite losing his mother in a tragic fire and a troubled relationship with his step-father and half-siblings, Tru is comfortable in his skin and content with his life. The only reason he agrees to meet his father is to hopefully glean information about his mother.  With his father’s arrival delayed, Tru  is enjoying his time on the beach when he  begins spending time with Hope.

Hope and Tru do not have much time together but their relationship is intense and emotional. Having confided in one another, their burgeoning friendship quickly turns romantic although neither of them envision a future together. Despite the strength of her feelings for Tru, Hope cannot give up on her six year relationship with Josh. Tru’s life is in Zimbabwe with his son but he cannot let Hope leave without confessing his love to her. Will Hope and Tru find a way to be together?

Every Breath is a wonderfully romantic novel that is fast-paced and compelling. Tru and Hope are terrific characters who are immensely appealing and completely lovable. The beach setting is quite picturesque and easy to visualize. The descriptions of Tru’s life in Zimbabwe bring the country vibrantly to life.  Nicholas Sparks opens and closes the story with very intriguing entries that are unique and clever. The novel’s deeply affecting conclusion is poignant yet uplifting. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this heartfelt and endearing novel to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Every Breath, Grand Central Publishing, Nicholas Sparks, Rated B+, Review, Romance

Review: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Sphere (UK)/Grand Central Publishing (US)
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher (Sphere)

Summary:

The New York Times and international number one bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a powerful new love story.

From the number one bestselling author of The Notebook and Two by Two comes an unforgettable tale of enduring love.

There are times when destiny and love collide.
This story is one of them.

Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. After six years with her boyfriend, she is no longer sure what she wants, and when her father becomes ill she heads to her family’s cottage at Sunset Beach in North Carolina to make some difficult decisions.

Tru Walls has been summoned across an ocean from where he was born and raised in Zimbabwe by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. In journeying to Sunset Beach, Tru hopes to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother’s life, but the letter will lead him in an unexpected direction.

When these two strangers’ paths cross, their chance encounter sets in motion a heart-breaking story – one that will transcend decades, continents and the workings of fate.

‘When it comes to tales about love, Nicholas Sparks is one of the undisputed kings’ Heat

Purchase Links: Amazon UK * Amazon US

Review:

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a delightfully heartwarming and engaging romance.

Thirty-six year old Hope Anderson retreats to her family’s beach cottage after another fight with her long time boyfriend Josh. The two have been dating off and on for the past six years and she is beginning to think he will never be ready to fully commit to her. Following their latest argument, their relationship is off yet again and Josh’s decision to go to Las Vegas with his friends instead of attending a wedding in North Carolina with Hope is quite disheartening. Unable to give up on her dreams of motherhood and marriage, Hope is hoping to work things out with Josh, but will meeting Tru Walls change the direction of her life?

Tru has flown to the NC coast from Zimbabwe to meet his biological father for the first time. Tru is forty-two year divorced father and a wild life safari guide who spends the most of his time in the African bush.  Despite losing his mother in a tragic fire and a troubled relationship with his step-father and half-siblings, Tru is comfortable in his skin and content with his life. The only reason he agrees to meet his father is to hopefully glean information about his mother.  With his father’s arrival delayed, Tru  is enjoying his time on the beach when he  begins spending time with Hope.

Hope and Tru do not have much time together but their relationship is intense and emotional. Having confided in one another, their burgeoning friendship quickly turns romantic although neither of them envision a future together. Despite the strength of her feelings for Tru, Hope cannot give up on her six year relationship with Josh. Tru’s life is in Zimbabwe with his son but he cannot let Hope leave without confessing his love to her. Will Hope and Tru find a way to be together?

Every Breath is a wonderfully romantic novel that is fast-paced and compelling. Tru and Hope are terrific characters who are immensely appealing and completely lovable. The beach setting is quite picturesque and easy to visualize. The descriptions of Tru’s life in Zimbabwe bring the country vibrantly to life.  Nicholas Sparks opens and closes the story with very intriguing entries that are unique and clever. The novel’s deeply affecting conclusion is poignant yet uplifting. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this heartfelt and endearing novel to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Every Breath, Grand Central Publishing, Nicholas Sparks, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sphere

Review: See Me by Nicholas Sparks

see meTitle: See Me by Nicholas Sparks
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 496 pages
Book Rating:

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

See me just as I see you . . .

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he’s determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria’s lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria’s past begin to surface.

As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria’s life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they’ve begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?

Review:

With the addition of a suspense element to the plot, See Me is a bit of a departure from Nicholas Sparks’ usual novels. With a riveting storyline, wonderfully developed, complex characters and a sweet love story, this latest release is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy romantic suspense.

Maria Sanchez is the daughter of hardworking Mexican immigrants and she is close to them and her younger sister Serena. She has a strong work ethic and she is very dedicated to her career as an attorney. After working out of town for a few years, she returned to her hometown after becoming disillusioned in her previous job and while she still learning the ropes at her new firm, she puts in long hours preparing cases. Maria’s one serious relationship ended in heartbreak and she has not really dated anyone since the breakup. When a chance encounter leads to a little matchmaking by Serena, will Maria put aside her somewhat negative first impression and open herself to the possibility of a relationship with someone who is her complete opposite?

Colin Hancock has a rough background but he has finally taken the opportunity to turn his life around. In and out of trouble for most of his life, he fully accepts responsibility for his very checkered past and he makes no excuses for the mistakes he has made. He has made peace with his past and he is now working hard at keeping his issues under control while dedicating himself to completing his college degree. Colin is mostly serene and tranquil but when his protective side comes into play, he throws common sense out the window and reacts to situations with an intensity that is rather frightening to whomever is on the receiving end.

Despite their differences, Maria and Colin are a surprisingly compatible couple. In the beginning, Maria has a few reservations about Colin, but once she is able to get past her preconceived ideas about him, she enters into their relationship wholeheartedly. Their romance is not without problems, but they work through their issues and they remain committed to one another.

The suspense element of the storyline is very well done and slowly escalates over the course of the novel. The threats are rather vague initially but as they become more overt, Maria becomes more and more afraid. With an uncomfortable situation with a co-worker looming over her, she at first suspects this person might be behind what is happening but as the situation escalates, she finally realizes the incidents might be related to her previous career. But narrowing down the suspect pool is not easy and the perpetrator’s identity and motive is successfully concealed until nearly the end of the novel.

See Me is a captivating novel with an engaging cast of characters, a realistic romance and an intriguing mystery. The plot is refreshingly unique and the characters are well-developed with relatable flaws and failings.  The suspense aspect of the story is credible and Nicholas Sparks brings the novel to a very dramatic and pulse pounding conclusion. An outstanding foray into romantic suspense that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Grand Central Publishing, Mystery, Nicholas Sparks, Rated B+, Review, Romance, See Me, Suspense