Rating: 
Summary: Predictable and disappointing
Review: I am an avid Nicholas Sparks fan so I was so excited when this book came out. I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. Then I read it. It really was a disappointment. Certain elements of the book were great, the character development and the love story portion of the novel. I loved the dog! But the thriller element of the story was highly predictable and ultimately the conclusion was extremely disappointing. Normally I can't put down one of his books, but this one was easier to part with. Okay overall, but I realy feel he could have done better.
Rating: 
Summary: An intense story of emotional recovery and new romance
Review: Julie lost her husband to brain cancer and she's left a lonely widow - until some unexpected gifts from her husband begin her recovery. Four years later she has the choice of two seemingly wonderful men - and a nightmare which will lead her to a life-threatening situation instead of the peaceful romance she desires. The Guardian is commended as an intense story of emotional recovery and new romance.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but predictable
Review: I must admit that I wept like a baby at the end, but to tell the truth, I knew what was coming. I felt like the book moved rather slowly and Sparks felt the need to drag out the story. And, at least the print version that I read, mixed up the characters of Jennifer and Julie (p.335). All in all, a good book but could have been shorter!
Rating:
Summary: This was my first Nicholas Sparks book, will NOT be my last
Review: I really enjoyed the book. I had it read in two days times. I bought it after having loved A Walk To Remember (the movie). I found it hard to put this book down. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it was a bit predictable. It will make a great movie! :)
Rating:
Summary: Nicholas Sparks does it again!
Review: Incredible! How Nicholas Sparks grabs your attention up front and carries it through to the wee hours of the morning (when you're finally able to put the book down)! The story-line seemed predictable...but then it twisted a little bit again. I kept thinking something was going to happen - and it did - but to another person than who I thought. Sparks' novels keep getting better and better. Two-thumbs up...
Rating:
Summary: The best one yet!!!
Review: I couldn't put this one down. This is definitely the best one yet from Nicholas Sparks!!! Romantic, suspenceful...a tear jerker too! I noticed some people found this book to be very elementary or didn't resemble reality..it's not a true story so you should just let the book take you where it wants. This book is one of those that I couldn't wait to have a moment to sit down and read. The romance and suspense were wonderful. Some was predictable but it was fun to read on and see if I was right. This story was different from Nicholas' other books but that made it that much more refreshing and fun!I definitely recommend this book to anyone!!!!
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: I don't usually write book reviews, however this book deseerves recognition. I have read a lot of Nicholas Sparks' books. I would usually put them in the category of predictable romantic tragedy. This book however I could not put down for a moment. It is his best yet. It starts out like his usual style and then takes a twist. His use of words and the charecters in this novel bring you into a slightly different world of Nicholas Sparks, and yet he still uses the same beautiful wording and descriptiveness you expect from Nicholas Sparks. I highly recomend it to anyone looking for a "amazing" read.
Rating: 
Summary: very disappointing and way too slow
Review: I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks and loved A Bend in the Road, Message in a Bottle, and The Rescue, as well as his other novels. However, The Guardian is really really slow and I felt it was written on a junior high or high school level. Most of the dialogue was juvenile, including the dog's thoughts. The characters, aside from Julie, are merely all stereotypes. Most of the characters are portrayed as either hillbillies, or total [dimwit]s. It took forever for any action to occur, and the plot was completely obvious from the beginning. I almost gave up because the book dragged on so much. The end is definitely more exciting, but the final scene is anti-climactic. The romance between Julie and Mike is sweet but does not compare in emotion to his characters in other novels. Overall, I am sorry to say that this was a huge disappointment, considering I am a fan of Sparks, and I hope his editor will encourage better writing from him next time.
Rating:
Summary: A Potential Five Star Film But Very Disappointing Novel
Review: Despite the eight major revisions discussed in the Author's Note at the end of this novel, the final version still doesn't work for me. The final revision should have been to turn it into a film script. Due to differences in the nature of print as compared with film media, I think that the key elements of this story could be an excellent movie (perhaps that is the eventual intention). The storyline is very straightforward: Julie Barenson's best friend and husband Jim died of cancer when she was only twenty five years old, and four years later when the novel begins she is only beginning to truly deal with the grief which overwhelmed her. She has decided to stay in Swansboro, N.C., which is where Jim found her a job and they later married after he met her as a lost young woman on her own. While her presence in Swansboro is a painful reminder of how Jim's premature death cut short their time together, the town also provides the support of their friends and the comfort of her memories. Furthermore, she feels safe there, protected both by Jim's promise that he would always look down as her guardian angel and also by her constant companion Singer, the Great Dane who was delivered as a Christmas Eve gift from Jim exactly forty days after his death. This aspect of the plot is similar to other books by the author that examine the relationship betwen grief and love, but he chose to also make the book "a thriller' (this is his word for that aspect of the plot). Julie is at the point in her life that she has started dating again , but a meaningful romantic relationship still seems to be impossible given her emotional state combined with the paucity of potential candidates in such a small town. However, when Richard Franklin, a consulting engineer on temporary assignment, asks her for a date, Julie enjoys herself tremendously and feels an instant affinity towards him. This soon creates tension between Julie and Mike Harris, Jim's best friend who has been Julie and Singer's usual companion since Jim's death. While Julie and Mike have been hesitant to become involved romantically, all their friends believe that they would be the perfect couple. The story is told from the multiple viewpoints of these three characters in a fairly effective manner; the downside of this technique is that the reader's knowledge is much greater than any of the participants. When complications from the relationship turn jealousy into something much more sinister, we don't the outcome but we sure know who we hope wins. In addition, the minor characters, several of whom have crucial roles, are very poorly developed and in some case charicatures of small town America. This is especially true of the two police officers drawn into the situation as disturbing incidents begin to occur and the violence escalates. Pete Gandy is portrayed as a typical MCP cop and in contrast his trainee associate Jennifer Romanelli seems to possess unfailing instincts at every turn. The best character by far is Singer, whose humanness will be immediately recognized by all Great Dane lovers. My main complaint is that the attempt to meld the two genres did not succeed. Almost immediately it becomes obvious that one of the characters is evil and the resulting tension is intense as the reader waits for the story to develop. Yet the book proceeds at an incredibly slow pace as the details of all the various relationships are leisurely described (this part of the book is much like some of the author's other work, which is fine for descriptive tales of love and heartbreak where the details add to the mood of the story, but not for thrillers) I could only read a few chapters at a time and almost just skipped ahead to see how it ended. Then, slightly more than halfway through it turns into a typical thriller and proceeds at breakneck pace, almost nonstop action with litle further character development. While this would have saved the story if there had been unexpected developments in the plot, the conclusion was as close to predictable as you can get given the nature of Nicholas Sparks' previousstories. While I recognize that a negative review may earn me some unhelpful votes from the author's most loyal devotees (my wife thinks that I am too harsh and that the book deserves four stars), writing this review reinforced my convictions that this is too trite and straightforward for a real thriller. While it works as a love story, I don't enjoy tension filled ones with such bittersweet endings. Thus, I recommend that if you are interested in a story by Nicholas Sparks about grief and the healing power of love you should instead read the wonderful NIGHTS IN RODANTHE. If you want a real mystery thriller with a subplot involving the nature of perserverance, love and potential redemption, then instead read LOST LIGHT by Michael Connelly.
Rating:
Summary: Your typical Sparks novel
Review: I have read all of Sparks novels and each time I put them down and wonder what was different about this one from the last one. I mean, it is true that in each story, the plot deviates into some different angles but overall Sparks writes about the love between a man and a woman and the trials it takes to get there. No difference here. Now, with that said, if you have enjoyed his other books and like an easy read this would be a great book for you. I bought the book and within two days had it finished. Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to predict....but a feel good all the same.
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