I usually look forward to Nicholas Sparks books, but this one left me feeling a bit disappointed. The book was about 300 pages long, but I didn’t actually start to enjoy the story until more than 150 pages through. I would have stopped reading but I hate stopping a book half way through, instead it just took me a long time to read it.

I’m not sure why I didn’t get along with it like I usually do, maybe it was because the two main characters in the story were a lot older, or maybe it was because there was too much backstory needed to set up the story. It just didn’t feel like it ‘got going’ until way too late in the book.

That being said, once I’d got past what felt like a huge introduction, the last part of the book was very good. It wasn’t what I would call a typical Sparks book. Usually the two characters have difficulties throughout the book and end up happily ever after, but in this book, it was kind of the opposite, with a sad but also heartwarming ending in which he becomes a part of her family in a way that you would not have expected.

I hate to do this for a Nicholas Sparks book because I usually really enjoy them, but I think this one only gets 2/5 for me.