SOCIAL MEDIA

Review: The Best of Me

Why I picked it: I was walking with a friend who told me she was reading a book that she couldn't put down, when I asked her for the name of the book she said it was the latest Sparks novel (it was her first time reading this author).  I didn't know he had a new novel (yikes).

I didn't plan to read it right away but picked up a copy while shopping at Costco last Friday.  I finished this book Sunday morning, curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a latte.  Perfect start to my day.

Synopsis: In the fall of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for a funeral. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers soon realize that everything they thought they knew-about themselves and the dreams they held dear-was not as it seemed. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?

Type: Fiction

Quick Take: I know what to expect when I select a Sparks novel, a heartwarming love story with some adversity/drama. I might even shed a tear if I connect to the characters.

Amanda has been married for over twenty years, her husband has a drinking issue.  Their life isn't bad but they have suffered loss in many forms over the years.  Dawson runs away from life, unable to find closure from his first love... which was over twenty years ago.  The two reunite at a funeral, embarking on a journey over the next few days that will change their lives forever.

If you enjoyed The Love Song, you will enjoy The Best of Me

Rating: 4 stars
Source: Personal Copy