Welcome to Litsy!

I've heard good writers should include nothing that doesn't add to the story. "Every word, every line, should be valuable, essential," type stuff.

But New York Times Bestseller (several times over) Nicholas Sparks is proof that the Hemingway isn't the only way. Half of this novel I'm reading is just descriptions of this guy dressing himself, performing daily tasks, cooking dinner, and repeatedly "letting his mind wander to Natalie" or not.

In general I love Nicholas Sparks books. This one didn‘t hit home like most of his others have. I enjoyed the story but wasn‘t quite invested as I wanted to be. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was not my favorite Sparks novel. It wasn‘t a tear jerker or a heart swooner. When Natalie and Trevor admitted they had fallen in love, I didn‘t get it. It seemed premature. I didn‘t feel like enough happened between them for all that. I did enjoy Callie‘s plot line, however. Reading See Me next as part of my Bookspin choices.

All my new books from before, on Christmas, and the 50% off HardBacks at Barnes and Noble. Sorry you can‘t see all the titles it‘s quite a stack. 😍

A gently meandering love story, with a bit of mystery at its epicenter. This is a sweet tale of sacrifice and the heartache of family tragedies.

So I loved this book. It was a very good story and I loved the mystery.

So my fiancé bought me this book a little while ago, and I‘m super excited to finally be getting to it. Can‘t wait to see how this book turns out.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Nicholas Sparks knows how to take his readers on adventure to self-love, love, hope and forgiveness. His characters are not perfect, they are real with real life situations. You can always relate, at least, to one of his character.

This wasn‘t your typical Nicholas Sparks page turner, and didn‘t have me unable to put it down. More like, trying to get through it, so that was disappointing. It was very ho hum, and just ok.

Former Navy doctor, Trevor Benson, moves back home to North Carolina after his grandfather passes away, and it‘s love at first sight as soon as he sees Natalie.

She loves him back, but why does Trevor feel like there‘s something she‘s keeping from him?

There are certain Nicholas Sparks stories that I just adore, and some other ones I could “take it or leave it...” this one is leaning towards the latter option.

However it kept me turning pages!!

I absolutely love the reversible dust jacket on this edition. I wonder which side of the dust jacket sold more copies. I know Sparks is bit of a formula writer but I love a good love story. I like seeing the mans perspective. The book gave me all the feels and I stayed up way to late reading it.

Nope. I've enjoyed many cheesy Nicholas Sparks books but not this one. But I did get a BINGO! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I love to read Nicholas Sparks and he did not disappoint! Trevor, suffering from PTSD, returns to New Bern to decide whether to keep or sell his diseased grandfather‘s home. He is still mulling over his grandfather‘s last words to him as he meets a young neighbor and later a sheriff‘s deputy. Where was his grandfather going?

Well, I didn‘t get into it until the last 1/4 of the book. However, it was a sweet story and I‘m glad I read it. Grandpa Carl was a gem of a human. ♥️

Can‘t wait to start the next Christmas present which should be equally good.

I‘m not sure what my deal is with this book, but I‘m halfway through it and still waiting for the story to start. 🙃 Anyone else?

1st book of 2021 started.

The Return is a typical Nicholas Sparks romance with two people that shouldn‘t be together falling in love. I was so curious to find out what Natalie was hiding and why she was so hot and cold. The mystery of Trevor‘s grandfather and Callie was also very interesting. There were so many different aspects of this book that kept the reader interested.

Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com/2020/12/17/book-review-the-return/

His books are starting to become very repetitive. Takes 2 seconds to fall in love with someone and there‘s always some major tragedy uncovered. I‘ve read almost all of them, but after picking up some other romance authors recently I think it‘s time to move on.

Because sometimes you need to gift yourself a couple new Christmas throw blankets and a stack of new books. #teamreadnosedreindeer #wintergames2020 @StayCurious 1 pt

Another hit!
I hope this one gets made into a film!
4.5 ⭐

Best-Sellers week ending Oct. 10th

Enjoy...

"hurry up and wait. Just like so many other things in life."

Full review here: http://girlwellread.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-return-by-nicholas-sparks.html.

New read!!! I am so excited for this one.

"Forgiveness doesn't mean you forget or you stop wishing that you can change the past. Mainly it means that you accept the idea that you're not perfect, because no one is perfect. And terrible things can happen to anyone."

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3413290362?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

The perfect way to spend my day off of work. I am finally able to stop and catch some much needed R & R. Teaching durning a pandemic is no easy task, especially when guidelines & restrictions are constantly changing. This 4 day weekend came at a perfect time. Now it is time to recharge my soul.

Loved it.... as usual.... lol

I can tell that the weather is getting colder because I now have 2 cats fighting to sit on my lap as I read instead of just 1 & someone isn't a big fan of sharing lol

How stinkin cool is this!!

...life's twists and turns are impossible to predict.

Forgiveness doesn't mean you forget, or you stop wishing that you can change the past. Mainly it means that you accept the idea that you're not perfect, because no one is perfect. And terrible things can happen to anyone.

...made a vow to stay married in sickness and in health. Health is the easy part; it's the remaining faithful in sickness where love really shines.

[SO TRUE]

The sky boiled with dark clouds...

Every morning, he would head out early to pick Rose a bouquet of flowers; she would make breakfast, and the two of them would eat together on the back porch, while watching the mist rise slowly from the water...they held hands as they took their evening walk, as though touch could somehow make up for the lost hours they'd spent apart.

[it's like Sparks is in my mind!]

Hurry up and wait. Just like so many other things in life.

...with an accent so thick it could have been bottled...

...I'd gradually come to believe that family is like your shadow on a sunny day, always there, just over your shoulder, following you in spirit no matter where you are or what you're doing. they're always with you.

Trust your instincts, just like the bees do.

Most commercial honey is clover honey. Bees love clover which is why there's a clover patch on the property. But honey is also one of the most manipulated and lied-about foods on the planet. A lot of commercial honey is actually honey mixed with flavored corn syrup.

[SHOCKED!][I also love this little side story about bees]

Maybe the older people get, the more important the past becomes? Because there's less future ahead?

...I thought New Bern was small, but 2,500 is tiny.

[thought this was funny because i grew up in a small town of 500 so 2,500 to me is huge]

I didn't really have lemonade on the back porch. That's how my grandfather used to refer to beer..when I was little...

[thought this was smart and funny]

When I asked how I would know if I'd met the right one, he winked and told me that if I wasn't sure, then I'd better just keep on looking.