Book Review: Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis: At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined -- until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort -- and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.

Shannon's Review: Nicholas Sparks is honestly one of my favorite authors! He can't write books fast enough for me, so when I realized I hadn't read a few of his earlier works I was excited to dive in. This particular book of his it is just over 200 pages, and a super quick read. Sparks is notorious for tragically happy stories and beach settings and this book is no exception. Adrienne and Paul meet at a small sea-side inn, which Adrienne is tending for a friend. Both struggling with their owns pasts, find comfort in each other and form a bond like no other. This story is great due to its simplicity and relatablity to many peoples lives. The reader can easily get lost in this story as if it's actually happening to them.

I really enjoyed both Adrienne and Paul's characters in this story. Adrienne is a strong, loving, and caring woman who despite hardship doesn't give up and continues to care for those around her. Paul is strong in his own way, after living many years of working constantly and always being on the go, he decides to change his life for the better. He leaves everything behind, in order to try to mend things with his son, Mark, with who he has never really had a relationship. Paul decides to make these changes on his own, but his weekend with Adrienne really helped him change and grow.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to smile and cry while reading or anyone wanting to check out Nicholas Sparks for the first time.