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About the Book

Title: Every Breath

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: August, 2012

Pages: 336, Paperback

It has been a while since I read a book cover to cover in a short time. Actually, scrap that in 2 days! I am proud of myself. It has been a long 1st  quarter. When I picked Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks, I was scrolling through TBC’s online catalog, looking for a fast read.

Even though I already have a book, I am going through it. It is a slow read, somehow, so I wanted something I could go through fast on my way to work and before I sleep.

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Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks Storyline

Two strangers from different parts of the world meet. What follows is a love so strong and heartbreak that will bring you to tears.

Hope goes off to her parent’s cottage to rethink her life. Her father’s ALS illness has and is about to change all of their lives. Her 6-year relationship with Josh does not seem to be heading anywhere. They are currently on a break, and while she is all on her own – with her dog, Scottie- at Sunset Beach, Josh is in Vegas with his friends.

Tru Walls, on the other hand, is staying next door to Hope. He is from Zimbabwe, Africa. What brings him to America for the first time in his life? He traveled to meet someone he never heard of. After receiving a letter with a picture of his long-dead mother, Tru is curious. He wants to learn more about his mother and why it took over 40 years for his old man to reach out.

During his second day at Sunset Beach, Tru officially meets Hope when he kind-of rescues her dog, Scottie. Theirs is love at first sight, and you can tell the chemistry between them is not just infatuation.

Tru is set to go back to Zimbabwe on Monday while Hope will go back to her apartment and work in Raleigh on Sunday. Within the few days they spend together, the two manage to fall hopelessly in love. The closer they got to their departure, the closer they are to a heartbreak that will span for decades.

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My Thoughts on Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

Every Breath is the first book from Nicholas Sparks that I have read. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. For a romantic novel of boy meets girl, falls in love, breaks each other’s heart and all, it was not a disappointment.

I wish there were more development on the character, especially them spending time together after that first meeting. Everything flew by, so first, and next, you know Tru and Hope are back to their old lives. Heartbroken, though, but life goes on for decades without contact.

For two people to find such a connection, you would expect they would fight tooth and nail to stay together. But love and relationships are not as logical and straightforward as we sometimes think. At some point, we have to make certain decisions and be ready to make peace with our choices.

When I think about the decision, Hope made, sometimes I wonder if I would have made a different one. For starters, It is not like she was in a perfect or happy relationship with Josh. The guy was a douche for the better part of it, even after their marriage. At least she got the kids she always wanted. But with Tru, she would have spent more time with the love of her life. Who knows, even adoption could have been a solution to being a mum.

When they finally meet again, their time together is not guaranteed. Hope has ALS, a diagnosis she just got, and she has not figured out a way to tell her family. What made my heart burst with love was how Tru handled it. He asks her to marry him, not wanting to spend any more time apart.

This still brings me back to my issue of rushed stories. The author explains why he did not write about Hope telling her family about her illness, but again, I would like to know what happened.

Even after they got back together, 20+ years later, the story is rushed. There are some parts of Hope’s story I would have loved to hear. How did she break the news of her illness to her family?

I will not even mention the disappointing bit of the 20-year gap. Although Nicholas lets the two characters explain what they have been up to over the years, the stories are glossed over.

I also love the cheesy way they finally found their way to each other’s arms again. Hope wrote a letter and left it at an abandoned mailbox in Kindred Spirit, where people leave all sorts of stuff, even recipes. A couple reads this letter, and by coincidence, they meet with Tru in Cape Town. They tell him all about the letter, or bits of it anyway, and 2 days later, he leaves to look for hope.

All in all, it is quite enjoyable. Once I got to the second part after they parted ways, I could not put the book down. I wanted more, and I wanted it fast. If you are looking for a quick read and maybe give Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks a try.

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Looking for more book recommendations, check out my other reviews

My ★ Rating 4

Goodreads ★ Rating 4.04 (as of May 2020)