Nicholas Sparks

The international #1 bestselling author of The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks is back with his most epic story yet. What if the person you needed most, turned up when you least expected them? Maggie hasn't told this story in years. More than two decades ago, she fell in love. She was sixteen and far from home, waiting to give her baby up for adoption. Bryce showed Maggie how to take photographs and he didn't judge her for the way her belly swelled under her jumper. They had the perfect first kiss. Theirs was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Now, as Maggie sits by the Christmas tree in her gallery telling her story, surrounded by the photographs that made her famous - the photographs Bryce never saw - her new gallery assistant asks her a question. If she had one wish, what would she wish for this Christmas? Maggie always thought she knew the answer to that question. But before she can say 'I'd go back to that winter with Bryce', she stops herself. It is all she has ever wanted but suddenly here, on this dark night under the twinkling stars, there is something else she wants. She wants to find her baby. A heart-wrenching and uplifting story about discovery and loss, The Wish is a reminder that time with those precious to us is the greatest gift of all. * Praise for Nicholas Sparks: 'This one won't leave a dry eye' Daily Mirror 'A fiercely romantic and touching tale' Heat 'An A-grade romantic read' OK! 'Pulls at the heartstrings' Sunday Times 'An absorbing page-turner' Daily Mail

The Wish

Samira 

Stefanie Sugia

"And in the end, isn't that the most important thing in life? To be truly known and loved by someone you've chosen?"

I used to read so many books by Nicholas Sparks in the past and he's one of my favorite romance authors. I didn't read a few of his newer books because I wasn't in the mood for it at the time—and the reviews for it weren't that great either. When he announced the release of this book, I thought I might give it a try for the sake of old times. I think this is his 20th book that I've read so far and his writing definitely did not disappoint. I was completely immersed in the story and was constantly eager to find out what's going to happen next. Every time I read a book by Nicholas Sparks, I always make a guess at the beginning whether this story is going to have a happy or sad ending. With this one though, I know for sure that it's going to be a sad one right from the start. So, if you're not a fan of sad endings, you might want to just skip this one.

This story is written with two different timelines: the present and the past. In the present day, Maggie Dawes is spending her time towards Christmas day with her young assistant, Mark Price. During that time, Maggie then recounted the story of her teenage years when she was sent away to an island called Ocracoke. The present day timeline uses third-person point of view, and when the chapter transitioned into the past, it switches into a first-person point of view because Maggie is telling her own story—which makes it all seems very personal. I'm always amazed by the way Nicholas Sparks writes a very descriptive story yet and doesn't bore me with all the details. Instead, the details successfully built the atmosphere and developed the characters, which made me completely engrossed by this book. And since the story is going back and forth from past to present, I'm constantly curious to see how things actually ended in the past which led Maggie to her current life. Towards the end of this book, I kind of predicted what the big revelation was going to be so it didn't really came as a surprise. But I have to admit that the plot twist wrapped up the story on a heartwarming note and gives a proper closure to the whole story.

  "It's important to remember that none of us is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is try to be the best version of ourselves as we move forward."


  "Can you see yourself being with the person in the future, for all the reasons you love them now, through all the inevitable challenges that will come to pass?"

As for the characters, I think everyone is charming and lovable in their own way. Our main character, Maggie, had the most development throughout the story. She definitely matured a lot after what she'd been through and her character transformed from being childish to being a rather thoughtful person. Her relationship with her parents and older sister also played a huge role in her character development as well because she's constantly compared and doesn't feel much love to begin with. On the other hand, Bryce Trickett, is just like the author described—he seemed to be good at everything, smart and athletic, handsome, empathetic, and also a perfect member of his family. Nicholas Sparks is always great at building chemistry between the main characters, and this one is no exception. As Maggie slowly developed feelings for Bryce, I also find myself mesmerized by his charm. Their affection grows as they spent a lot of time together—which makes their relationship feels natural and real. My heart breaks when Bryce expressed how much he loves Maggie and wants to be with her—he's even willing to give up what's important to him. It almost feels like a crime to hurt someone as sweet and loving as Bryce. 🥺

Another character that I love is Aunt Linda, who Maggie had to live with while she's staying in Ocracoke. As a former nun, Aunt Linda is a character who is full of wisdom, kind, and understanding. Her relationship with Maggie was off to a rough start' but as time goes by, Maggie begins to feel her aunt's love and sincerity—which Maggie was longing to receive from her parents. I love how Aunt Linda encouraged Maggie to think and made decisions on her own instead of telling her what should be done. In a way, Aunt Linda gave Maggie respect as if she's an adult and not just a 16-year-old teenager—and I really liked that.
"We can pretend it was a beautiful dream, one that we remember forever. Because we both loved each other enough to allow the other to grow."

  "But never forget that love is always stronger than fear. Love saved me, and I know it will save you, too."

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the bittersweet teenage love story between Maggie and Bryce. Knowing that it was going to have a bad ending right from the start kind of ruined the tension for me, because I feel like there's absolutely no hope for a happy ending for them. However, the beautiful writing that flowed really nicely made it bearable to read. Even after all these years, Nicholas Sparks still managed to captivate me through the story that he's written and made me feel emotionally invested in the characters. Maybe I'll consider reading his next book if it has hope for a happy ending; if not, I might have to pass 😆

Read my full review here:
https://www.thebookielooker.com/2021/...

Selly Thakkar

This is absolutely one of the best romance books I have ever read. It is a beautiful story and I like the way it touches on the social issue all the while keeping it on the romance track. It has one of my all-time favourite male lead and I haven’t had such a favourite one in a long time.
It is not a happily ever after Which I’m sure is understandable from the first chapter, but you root for this character so deeply and feel for them because it is so beautiful and tragic and doomed and perfect. In the start, it might seem a little long winded, but I fell in love with the writing style of the author so it didn’t seem long at all to me.
If you are a sucker for beautiful love stories with doomed endings this is absolutely the book for you.

The Wish

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