Every Breath By Nicholas Sparks
Published by Sphere
Publication Date: 16 October 2018
Genre: Romance
320 pages
From the number one bestselling author of The Notebook and Two by Two comes an unforgettable tale of enduring love.
I was more excited than I can explain in words when an email invitation landed in my inbox asking whether I would be interested in reviewing an advance copy of Nicholas Sparks' new novel, Every Breath. That's Nicholas Sparks of 'The Notebook' fame. WOW!! I couldn't type back quickly enough!! Here's the description of the book for you, together with my thoughts of the great writer's latest publication.
Book Description:
There are times when destiny and love collide.This story is one of them.
Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she’s been dating her boyfriend, an orthopaedic 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 and personal happiness against each other in devastating ways.
Illuminating life's heart-breaking 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?
My Thoughts:
The way this book is constructed really appealed to me, with the author adding 'bookends' of visiting Sunset Beach and discovering letters and pictures in the community postbox then tracing the writer of the letters to find out their story (names and events adjusted for anonymity purposes, of course).
Tru Walls is a bit of a loner, the reasons behind this become clearer as his story is related through the book. I really like him and can see why Hope would be captivated by him. He is tied to Africa by his commitment to his young son but is equally smitten with Hope when he is summoned to America to meet his father who says he needs to discuss something with him face to face.
Hope has returned to her parents beach house partly to sort through the remaining personal effects before her parents grudgingly sell the property, but also to take time out from her day to day life with on-off boyfriend who seems more keen to spend his down-time with his mates than with Hope. She needs to sort out where their relationship is heading but her emotions are thrown into turmoil when she meets Tru and the pair of them cannot deny the attraction they feel for each other.
I really want to tell you the story of what happens between them, but I feel this would take a big chunk of the emotion of this book away, and you need to read for yourself how they felt and why they made the biggest decision of their lives. This part is what Nicholas Sparks writes best: the scenario and the feelings that go with it. The setting of the beach house and the community around it are the stuff of my dreams and I could picture myself sitting with a glass of wine and a good book, listening to the waves.
Fast forward over 20 years and Fate has decided she isn't finished with Tru and Hope just yet. The way the conclusion of the book happened was perhaps a little beyond credibility, but hey I can excuse a bit of 'poetic licence' for the sake of a happy ending and was delighted with the scenes back at Kindred Spirit postbox. The author has portrayed perfectly how life has an agenda for each of us and despite what we think we need, truth will always prevail and lead us to where we need to be. It may not be 100% perfect but it's right for us.
I could personally relate to this story (I won't bore you with the detail) and became completely engrossed with the characters' lives - far more than I expected to as I'm not a huge reader of romance novels.Another sure-fire bestseller from Nicholas Sparks which once again would translate brilliantly onto the screen.
My sincere thanks to Sophie Ransom at Midas Public Relations for the opportunity to review this book and be part of the promotional tour - the views here are all my own and are completely genuine. I now want to read the author's back list and watch the screen adaptations as I enjoyed this book so much.
About the Author:
With over 105 million copies of his books sold, Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. His novels include thirteen number one New York Times bestsellers. All Nicholas Sparks' books have been international bestsellers and have been translated into more than fifty languages. Eleven of his novels have been adapted into major films - The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, The Last Song, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook and The Choice.
Website: www.nicholassparks.com
Facebook and Twitter: @NicholasSparks
