Book Review: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks- The Lucky One (movie tie-in) Format- Paperback Source- review copyPublisher- Hachette/ Sphere Publication date- 13th March, 2012 Synopsis: In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat name. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm. Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives. Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love Review: The Lucky One is a beautifully executed character-driven, love story with the added element of suspense by renowned author, Nicholas Sparks. I am a Nicholas Sparks fan and have enjoyed reading his other titles including The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, both of which I also have on DVD. I don’t think I have read or watched anything by Nicholas Sparks and not felt my heart constrict or needed a few tissues.The Lucky One explores the lives of Logan Thibolt and Beth, the mother of young Ben and how their lives intertwine. The author also includes the POV of Beth’s ex-husband Keith Clayton, who is a loathsome, controlling character and my opinion of him didn’t change at all, even if it did for Beth.Logan is a war veteran who braves the walk from Colorado to North Carolina in search of the woman whose photo he has kept in his pocket for five years. The photo that his best friend Victor believed was his lucky charm. Because when everyone around Logan was dying in the war, he managed to come through relatively unscathed (physically). When a tragedy occurs and Logan loses his best friend, overwhelmed with grief, he follows the superstitious advice of Victor and goes in search of the woman he has never met but has saved his life many times over.Unsure what he hopes to seek from meeting Beth, he decides to get to know her better and applies for a job at her Nana’s dog training centre. Beth is suspicious of Logan at first who is reluctant to share personal aspects of his past, but soon finds comfort in the company of this gentle, kind man. A romantic liaison ensues.But there’s a villain in every story and Beth’s ex-husband Keith would do anything he can to keep Beth out of the dating arena and takes measures to turn Beth against Logan.Logan is an intriguing character with many layers of depth that slowly unravel as he learns to trust Beth and himself. Beth regains a youthful confidence that has lain dormant for some time and revels in the excitement of new love with Logan. Her son Ben is a likeable young boy who I really felt for, given the horrible way his father treated him. Ben ends up becoming friends with Logan and his dog Zeus, and gains more confidence too when given the chance to be himself.The way the epilogue was written was a little mean as I was holding my breath until the very last page to see what happened. I wanted to finish this book in one sitting, but I was keeping my boyfriend awake with the lamp on, so as soon as the sun rose I had the book in my hands again and didn’t get out of bed until I finished it. A love story with conflicted characters and a suspenseful pace, The Lucky One is a great read for the romantic at heart.
5/5 rating
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