Every Breath

While preparing this review, I had to do just as I did while reading the novel – take breaks to let my emotions subside so I could see to read (or write), for a lot of emotions came to the fore. By the way, I strongly recommend adding the Audible Edition to your library at the reduced price of $9.47.Firstly, due to my own personal circumstances. My father, not long before he passed on eight years ago, had urged me to read and study Nicholas Sparks’s style of writing. Dad was not moved by many authors, so I noted that, but did not then do as he urged. In just the introduction to the novel, I quickly understood why Dad was so moved.Also, though, my first marriage was a story not so very different, in the essential ways, from the true story behind the novel. I, too, spent time in Africa (Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and I am convinced I shall one day return to that magical, awe-inspiring land).That employment in southern Africa became the beginning of the end of my first marriage, one of the consequences you pay while trying to deal with day-to-day challenges.Of course, had I not gone to Africa, thence, years later, to Egypt, I might never have suffered the divorce but would not have then discovered my wife of today, who is the Godsend that brought me back from the dead and failed.My point is, “Every Breath” by Nicholas Sparks opened up some old wounds BUT also healed them shut. For me, this story was epic. A life changer.BLUSH FACTOR: This love story is absent any profanities, but the love scenes, while drawing a clear, unmistakable picture, are not graphic in the sense of more risqué novels. Tantalizing? Yes, but not over-the-top graphic. Read first before deciding to read to anybody else, is the best advice I can give. Wonderful images beautifully written is another way to put it.ADVENTURE: There IS a definite sense of adventure.SOUL: Yes.CHARACTER OR VOICE: It is magical how this writer can open the story up to let it speak for itself.EDITING FOR GRAMMAR AND TYPOS: Professional editing of the highest order.THE WRITING FLOW & STYLE: I think it’s clear that this writer is moving in his narrative.POV: Third person, which works well for this story. We get to feel the emotions of the main characters so effectively due to the way point of view is used in this work.EXCERPT‘…time, she’d believed her dad to be the smartest man in the world. When she would tell him that, he’d always laugh and say that if that were true, then he would have figured out a way to earn a million dollars. Her mom was a teacher, too—second grade—and it wasn’t until Hope graduated from college and began paying her own bills that she realized how much of a financial challenge it must have been for them to raise a family, even on their combined income.Her dad had been a coach to the high school’s cross country and track teams as well. He never raised his voice, but nonetheless led his teams to numerous conference championships. Along with her sisters, Hope had participated in both sports all four years of high school, and though none of them were stars, Hope still jogged a few times a week. Her older sisters ran three or four days a week, and for the past ten years, Hope had joined her dad and her sisters at the annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, all of them working up an appetite before sitting down at the table. Two years earlier, her dad had won his age-group bracket.But now, her dad would never run again.It had started with occasional twitches and a slight, if noticeable, fatigue. For how long, she wasn’t exactly sure, but she guessed that it had been a couple of years. In the twelve months after that, the runs in the woods became jogs, and then finally walks.Old age, his internist suggested, and it made sense. By then, her dad was in his late sixties—he’d retired four years earlier—and he had arthritis in his hips and feet. Despite a life of exercise, he took medication for slightly elevated blood pressure. Then, last January, he’d caught a cold. It was a normal, run-of-the-mill cold, but after a few weeks, her dad had still found it harder to breathe than usual.Hope had gone with him to another appointment with his internist. More tests were done. Blood work was sent to the labs. He was referred to another doctor, then another. A muscle biopsy was taken, and when the results came back, there was the suggestion of a potential neurological problem. It was at that point that Hope began to worry. More tests followed, and later, Hope sat with the rest of her family as the diagnosis of…’Sparks, Nicholas. Every Breath (Kindle Locations 465-481). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.BOTTOM LINELife-altering story for me. Only one rating makes sense. If I ever could pen a story 10% as engaging as this, I would be quite pleased that I had accomplished a great deal.Five stars out of five.I am striving to produce reviews that help you find books that you want, or avoid books that you wish to avoid. With your help, my improvement will help you and me improve book reviews on Amazon. Together, you and I can build a great customer review process that helps everybody. Will you join me? It is people such as you who have helped me improve over the years. I'm still learning, and I have a great deal yet to learn. With your help, I'll improve every day.One request: Be respectful and courteous in your comments and emails to me. I will do likewise with you.Thank you so much for indicating if this review helped you, or for your comment.

Gone are the days of amazing Nicholas Sparks; The Notebook, The Wedding, Message in a Bottle....where has that author gone? Everytime a new novel comes out, I rush out to buy it, hoping to be blown away.. Nick Sparks disappointed me once again, boring and predictable..

I thought I would really enjoy this book. It started out strong and I was hooked by the idea that somewhere out there someone was living this story. Then it started to feel more like a predictable romance novel. When I finished I just felt cheated. Mr Sparks begins the story stating it is based on a true life experience. At the end he explains it was just a literary device he had been wanting to use. Really? Part of the allure to the story was thinking this was an actual real living story.I think I'm done with Nicholas Spark books.

I have always loved Nicholas Sparks' books. I have read them all and they have each made me cry, feel different emotions, and wish the books would never end. This book made my heart hurt and burst! The power of knowing that this love story is true and really out there and the pool of love can come together through anything. At the end knowing Hope's secret devastated me but in the same breath made me feel that Tru is her real love. I am in awe as to how Sparks could write their story with his own words and capture how they had to have been feeling so Well! This is a must read, I have told friends and my sister to read it with a glass of wine and tissues! Loved this book so very much!

Every Breath seriously needs an editor. There is so much “tell” and not enough “show” that the story moves at a glacial pace, compounded by an overreliance on long inner monologues. I grabbed Every Breath on a whim because my sister-in-law raves about The Notebook. I had not read any books by Nicholas Sparks nor seen any movie made from his books, but I like a good romance. Every Breath came up as #1 on Amazon under Clean & Wholesome Romance. I was a bit surprised when I hit a sex scene at 47%. Now, normally this wouldn’t bother me, but here I am about halfway through the book and almost nothing has happened. At all.To be fair, there was a little action. A man drove to the airport and thought of the danger it would be if it were night. He flew to the US. A lady visited her parents’ cottage by the shore. They met on the beach. They met at a restaurant. They talked a bit. They inhabited slow scenes with lots of inner monologues, lots of descriptions, and virtually no action. Finally something happened! These two people who have known each other about two days, I think (sorry, lost track with all the inner ramblings), are now madly in love and jumping into bed. I think he ate some olives in there somewhere. Did they eat their dinner that she was chopping veggies for? I was so bored I can't remember.The woman is trying to assess her six-year relationship with the man she loves because he’s so perfect; she intends to marry him and have the children she’s been yearning for as soon as they get over this rough spot in their relationship. The man she’s just met has no intentions of ever marrying, is sterile and can’t have kids, is a lone wolf who loves his solitary life with the exception of missing his son (begotten before he was sterile, sorry for any confusion there). And suddenly these two acquaintances know that they are deeply in love with each other. They knew upon seeing each other (she’s beautiful; his butt looks nice in tight jeans) how incredible their connection is. They share a few stories and a dinner and are now presumably rocking toward happily ever after. Or at least, the bedroom.Something must happen in the last half of the book, but I don’t really care. I’m so bored and irritated with the overkill on inner monologues, the plodding pace, plus the hackneyed instalove cliché, that my eye rolls gave me a headache. (Confession: it was the frustration with the story that gave me the headache, not the eye rolling.) Every Breath is a DNF for me.ETA: Another reviewer said they read the entire book and in the author note at the end, Nicholas Sparks admits the entire premise of the book is a lie. The book is NOT based on a true story. That's despicable, imo. Before buying the book, I read the intro as part of the sample, I double-checked that that the author had signed and dated the intro, just as authors do for true introductory notes, and I had checked that the Kindred Spirit mailbox is real (it is). I did all that because I wanted to make sure it was based on a true story before I read it. That premise drew me to the book. To find out the whole intro is a dramatic fabrication, a literary device, makes me glad that I didn't finish the book and find that at the end. Nicholas Sparks deliberately played and manipulated us readers with that intro. Not cool.

There is a difference between 'Romance' and 'Love stories' or the sub-genre I would describe as Dramatic Romance - and Sparks remains at the top of this genre. You know you're going to fall in love with his characters. You know there will be some sensual love-making, and you know there will be some ugly-tears at some point, but you'll reach the end of the yarn with a warm fuzzy feeling none-the-less.This is another heart-warming and heart-breaking tale of a chance encounter, an instant connection, a set of impossible circumstances and the love of two people who live without regret that Nicholas delivers with his usual aplomb.Centred around Sunset Beach in Spark's natural habit of North Carolina, the pair meet on the beach where they're both staying for different reasons; Tru who's travelled from Africa to meet the father he's never met and Hope to attend her friend's wedding.I only marked this down one star, as Nicholas does have a habit of dumping on the exposition, which although lyrically written, can become disengaging when you're wading through pages and pages of backstory and internal dialogue - and there's a lot in this book. I personally find lots of flashbacks or exposition kills the pace.But that aside, this is a lovely story and all Nicholas Sparks fans will love it.

It keeps the other half quiet so I can pretend I'm alone and happy once more, until inevitably she stirs from the overly soppy romanticized tripe, looks up from the bleached dog eared pages and states "You used to treat me like this". I gumble under my breath "and you used to be young and thin" before returning to my dreams of yesteryear.

I have read all of the Nicholas Sparks books and this one probably one of my favourites - I couldn't put it down!Its topped and tailed by a short chapter from Nicholas himself talking about where he got his inspiration for the book and how he uncovered, this previously untold & deep, true story. This only serves as little reminders throughout the book that this wasn't entirely made up and that the key messages in the story, about love, grief and being re-united were not complete fabrications from within the imagination of Nicholas.Thoroughly enjoyable read for anyone who picks it up and can, even for a moment, believe that anything is possible when it comes to love ...

This book has absolutely everything. It has love, loss and heartbreak and what some would say is a happy ending. That all depends on if you are a half glass empty or full kinda guy. Either way you will love this story from beginning to end.

Wow wow wow. I could not put this book down. I found myself reading unroll the early hours still not wanting to put it down. It's a wonderful story full of hope love heartbreak and happiness. I would love to visit Kindred Spirit. But I doubt I will. But I can dream too. Mr Sparks you are unique, please never give up writing your amazing books keep these stories coming and I will keep reading, as I have every single one of them. Thank you