Nicholas Sparks

After being trapped in an isolated car crash, the life of an elderly widower becomes entwined with that of a young college student and the cowboy she loves.

The longest ride

91-year-old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, with his mind fading, an image of his beloved, and long-dead, wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together - how they met, the dark days of WWII, and its unrelenting effect on their families. A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko's life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke has a secret which threatens it all. Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways.

The Longest Ride

Emilia Vulliamy

If there is a heaven, we will find each other again, for there is no heaven without you. 

"If we'd never met, I think I would have known that my life wasn't complete. And I would have wandered the world in search of you, even if I didn't know who I was looking for."

And yet somehow my is always right (even though I would never admit it). 

Shanelle M.

"No father thinks any man is good enough for his daughter"

The elderly couple arc saves the story (adds a little bit of substance and depth to the book) 

Ipshita Kanungo

In the tradition of his beloved first novel, The Notebook, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with the remarkable story of two couples whose lives intersect in profound and surprising ways. Ira Levinson is in trouble. Ninety-one years old and stranded and injured after a car crash, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together - how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage. A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest College senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death - loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy it first. Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

Lauren Grey

As an avid Nicholas Sparks fan, I was really excited to read this book; it involved college-aged characters (one who happened to be a cowboy named Luke) and romance, but I have to say that I was again disappointed. I feel like either I don't like his books as much anymore, because I am older and becoming more cynical or that the storylines just aren't as strong.

The characters in this novel didn't really pop or come to life for me. I didn't really find myself rooting for them to be together or devastated at times they weren't. Honestly, I could have done without Sophia as a sorority girl and I just felt that Luke was a bit too secretly selfish and secretive at times. I was not attached to these characters and I just wished they were more likable.

I liked the idea of this book, but it just wasn't as "Sparks" as some of my favorites... the good girl/quiet boy seemed more Sarah Dessen and you can always count on Sparks to produce the makings for a good cry toward the end, but it was like you already knew the character that received the death sentence was going to from the beginning.... I don't know- this book just didn't do it for me.

This book was significantly better than The Best of Me, but definitely not up there with his classics.

In conclusion, it wasn't horrible, but just not as good or what I was expecting. I think I am going to take a break from Nicholas Sparks for awhile and try a few new authors in -my guilty pleasure- the romance genre.

This was my first Nicholas Sparks book and, after much anticipation, he did not disappoint at all. This book was beautifully written, with such lyrical quotes that made the hopeless romantic in me swoon. I loved the multiple perspectives and how we got to hear Ira's story whilst following Luke and Sophia's. I also was alternating between having a country music playlist and an old lovey-dovey playlist playing depending on the perspectives whilst I was reading which was so so much fun hehe. I've seen the movie adaptation and it is one of my favourite romantic movies ever and, if I'm being completely honest, I liked the changes they made in the movie but the book was still a stunning read and I cannot wait to read more of Sparks' books. My one comment is that I wish there was more dialogue between Luke and Sophia - dialogue for me is how I feel like I'm interacting with the characters and I just think it helps create a far deeper and more vivid connection between reader and character. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, Sparks' writing and am going to start The Notebook immediately.

Lacy W

Finally! A Nicholas Sparks book with a (view spoiler)[ happy ending.  (hide spoiler)]. Nicholas Sparks has made me cry far too many times with his books. I was just so hesitant to read this book because I know there was a strong possibility of me seriously hating the ending of it and crying profusely. 

Anyway, on to the review. This book has two sets of characters. There is Ida and Ruth. Ida is a pretty old man in the book and Ruth has passed away. Throughout the book, Ida describes his life and how he met Ruth. He describes their life together and what happened after she died. He is describing all this stuck in his car. He got into a car accident while driving through the snow. 

The other part of the book that mingles with Ida's story is the story of Sophia and Luke. Sophia is a college girl and Luke is a bull rider that is semi retired. Sophia meets Luke because he protects her from her pretty crappy ex boyfriend. Basically they get together and the story of Ida and Ruth collide. 

This was a great book. To be honest, I preferred the story of Ida and Ruth. Ruth was such an easy character to love. He was so shy and awkward, you couldn't help but love him. You don't get to know much about Ruth but I have a feeling that if she was a more developed character, I would have liked her a lot. But I really enjoyed how she was in the story. 

Sophia and Luke's story was okay. I felt like their relationship was really rushed. Because the relationship was rushed, I didn't really fall in love with the characters. I was basically waiting for the time when I would read about Ira. 

The ending really cinched the whole book for me. I loved how the stories collided. It wasn't rushed or forced. It seemed entire natural that (view spoiler)[ Sophia and Luke would run into Ida as he was stranded on the road. (hide spoiler)]. I also loved that (view spoiler)[ Luke bought Ida's art collection which was worth a ton of money.  (hide spoiler)] He really deserved that. Overall, just a really well written story.

Ninety-one year old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, with his mind fading, an image of his beloved, and long-dead, wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together - how they met, the dark days of WWII, and its unrelenting effect on their families. A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko's life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke has a secret which threatens it all. Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways. The new epic love story from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Notebook, The Lucky One and The Best of Me. Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved authors.

Amelia 

I did thoroughly enjoy this book surprisingly. It was a cute, easy read. I liked the combination of both the love stories. I wished they would of connected earlier in the book. But I still enjoyed how they connected. 

I think my favourite part of this book was the ending. Which is what I would say about the movie. The auction is just my favourite part of this story. The epic love story of Ira and Ruth. Ira’s love for Ruth was much more valuable than anything in the world. And he would of done anything for one more day with her. 

I also read this book for the ‘stay at home reading rush’ on Instagram for the challenge ‘read a book with a house on the front cover.

Ayden

Lauren Tabor

Nicole Finlay

My favourite Nicholas Sparks book. I love the dual POV and the temporal shift. The different themes within romance that were discussed were amazing! I loved this book. Definitely got that reread factor.

Daniela Peña 

So my actual rate is about 3 1/2 stars... It was a good book and believe me I'm a sucker for Nick Sparks but I just feel like the ending was a little too rushed. It's like he built this long story only to have the ending go quick.. I wanted the relationship between Ira and Sophia/Luke to be a little longer than it was.. But overall It did consume me and I glad I got to read it. Now let's see if the movie is any good.

Katelyn Broad

This was a sweet read but definitely classic Nicholas Sparks. I really liked how the POVs changed and enjoyed how the two stories came together in the middle.

Stefanie Sugia

"Sophia reflected that spending time with Luke not only was easy, but felt indefinably right. With him, she could be herself; it felt as though she could say anything to him and that he would intuitively understand. With their bodies nestled close, she felt a sense of wonder at how effortlessly they seemed to fit together."
The story begins with a ninety-one year old man, Ira Levinson, who just got into an accident and is stuck inside his car under heavy-snow. While he was struggling to stay alive, he suddenly saw his wife, Ruth, who has passed away, sitting on the passenger's seat. Ruth started talking to Ira about the memories of their lives to keep him from giving up. On the other hand, four months before the accident happened, a girl named Sophia Danko visited a local bull-riding event to recover from her recent breakup with Brian - who cheated on her several times. When Brian found her, a cowboy called Luke Collins came to her rescue. It turns out he was the winner of the bull-riding, and that night was the beginning of their relationship...

Read the full review here:
http://www.thebookielooker.com/2014/0...

Maruša Florjančič

Kerry Gibbons

UGH.

So I've never read a Nicholas Sparks book before and I thought I'd try out one that's not been made into a movie (at least not one I've seen/heard about yet).

THIS IS THE SAPPIEST, MOST MELODRAMATIC, RIDICULOUS BOOK I'VE READ SINCE Caroline B. Cooney's Flight #116 Is Down!. And that had a freaking exclamation point in the title. And I read it when I was about 12.

So, I do not recommend this book. It's not horribly written, but it's pretty terrible.

Averi Hobbs

This is the first Nicholas Sparks book I've read and for the most part it was really good! It was a bit slow in places for me to get through but I love the two different love stories intertwining in this. Overall a really good read!

Jennifer Griffiths 

I wanted to read this book because for one thing, it sounded intriguing and second, it simply written by Nicholas Sparks whose many other stories I have throughly enjoyed. What I particularly liked about this book was the way the two stories connected, I didn't expect it to happen the way that it did and the fact that Luke acquired the art collection and "understood" the way Ira wanted it be, was just so beautiful and a lovely way to end the story. I also really enjoyed the historical aspect of this story too, having an interest in history myself and the 1940s especially, I loved reading about Ira and Ruth's story during that time, even though it was sad. I also have an interest in western related things and so that aspect intrigued me as well. This was a beautiful story and I am so glad that I decided to read it.

Elad Schulman

Actual rating: 4.5

This book was so entertaining, I could barely find time to put it down. However, I did guess most of the plot, so that's why it couldn't be a compete 5 stars

Joleen

Truly one of his bests. It's been awhile since I've read one of his books that really made me laugh and cry. This one was amazing.

Darian

Taylor Thompson

The bestselling love story behind the massive Hollywood film Two couples. Two love stories. One epic tale. Ninety-one-year-old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, an image of his adored - and long-dead - wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together - how they met, the dark days of WWII and its unrelenting effect on their families. A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko's life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke is keeping a secret that could destroy it all. Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways. The new love story from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Notebook, The Lucky One and The Best of Me. Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved authors.

The longest ride

Reviews

Highlights