Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks Published by Grand Central Publishing on October 16, 2018
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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In the romantic tradition of The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a story about a chance encounter that becomes a touchstone for two vastly different individuals -- transcending decades, continents, and the bittersweet workings of fate.
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 -- and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?
Every Breath is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have read. I wanted to love it but, unfortunately, I was underwhelmed.
The author wants us to believe that Tru and Hope fall passionately in love after spending two days together. It is not entirely improbable, but to me it felt more like two strangers forming a wonderful bond of friendship rather than starting a romance. Any sparks are tepid at best, and the declarations of love come out of left field.
The story is rushed, but it also seems to drag in places. Actual conversations with other characters are glossed over in favor of lengthy exposition. The huge time gap also hurt my emotional investment. On the positive side, Sparks does a fantastic job describing the charming North Carolina beach town where the bulk of the story takes place. I felt as though I could taste the salty breeze, feel the brisk air, and see the gorgeous sand dunes from Hope’s deck.
The writing is on the sappy side, and while this should be a moving tale, I failed to connect with the story or the main characters on a meaningful level.
**An early copy of this book was received. This does not affect my opinion.**
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About Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight(2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), and The Longest Ride (2013) as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His eighteenth novel, See Me, published on October 12, 2015. His newest book, Two by Two, will be published on October 4, 2016.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars.
Sparks lives in North Carolina.
Two days? I would have a hard time believing this, too.