Hi friends, I hope you’re all having a good Thursday. Today I’m going to be posting my review of Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Notebook and the companion novella, The Wedding.

The Notebook by: Nicholas Sparks: Fourteen years have passed since Noah met Allie. Now, Noah finds himself back in his hometown after the war unable to stop thinking about her. Allie is about to marry a well-known lawyer, but she can’t stop thinking about Noah. When the two reconnect Allie must make a choice – will it be her fiancé’s heart, or Noah’s. This was a beautifully crafted story of love. Told through mostly letter writing and flashbacks, this captured the heart of the reader. It was a good way to get to know the characters and understand them better. The characters Sparks created were made with love and hope. They had many dynamics to them and the reader couldn’t help but want to read more about them. It was in the small things that these characters found love in each other, and Sparks did a great job of showcasing that throughout the novel. The overall plot was not only touching; it was also heart wrenching as it pulled at the reader’s heartstrings. This wasn’t a fast-paced novel; Sparks took his time setting up every angle of the story and giving it a purpose. This was a novel about true love, the kind that makes you believe in love.

The Wedding by: Nicholas Sparks: Wilson loves his wife, but when he forgets their anniversary things start to decline in their marriage, leaving Wilson to fret if their marriage will last. Pulling romantic inspiration from her father, Noah, he creates this elaborate plan to ultimately win her back. A sequel to The Notebook, this novella focuses on one of Noah’s children, Jane, told in the point of view of her husband Wilson. For the most part, this was a well told story; it was well written and very heartfelt, but the back and forth of the past and present didn’t work as well as it did in The Notebook. It wasn’t that it was confusing, it just pulled the reader away a bit. Sparks did a good job of tying it all together, but it just felt like there was a lot of back and forth. What really did it for the reader was the twist at the end that the reader didn’t see coming at all. He left clues throughout the novella, but it wasn’t until the big reveal that it all really and truly made sense. This is one of the first Sparks’ novels that didn’t end sadly and the reader really enjoyed that as well. The characters were good and well developed; Sparks does a really good job of creating these believable characters, even in such a short amount of time. Overall, this ended up being a nice sequel to an already beloved story.