King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Nights in Rodanthe



author: Nicholas Sparks


genre: contemporary romance


pages: 212


published: 2002


first line: Three years earlier, on a warm November morning in 1999, Adrienne Willis had returned to the Inn and at first glance had thought it unchanged, as if the small Inn were impervious to sun and sand and salted mist.



rated: 4 out of 5 stars





Nights in Rodanthe is my second time reading Nicholas Sparks. After reading Dear John, I knew I wanted to read more of his books.




Nights in Rodanthe starts off with a sixty year old Adrienne Willis, who is a divorced mother and grandmother, helping her daughter cope with the death of her own husband.
Adrienne starts to reminisce about her short time spent at a small Inn along the beach in the town of Rodanthe. She pulls out an old letter from a man named Paul. She decides to tell her daughter about a love affair that took place 14 years ago.




Paul Flanner is a divorced surgeon who is staying at an Inn in the small town of Rodanthe while conducting some personal business.
Adrienne agrees to watch the Inn for the owner, who is also her close friend.


Once there, Paul and Adrienne end up alone with a hurricane-like storm on the way. The two lonely divorcees find themselves sharing stories about their ex-spouses, children and their lives, and they find comfort in each other.
Paul's wife left him because he was obsessed with this work. After being an absentee father to his only son, who is also a doctor and works in Ecuador, Paul decides to sell his practice and go to South America to spend a year with him. Once his visit in Rodanthe is over, he will be on his way to Ecuador.
Adrienne's husband left her for a younger work colleague and she is now left a single middle-aged mother with an ailing father to take care of.


Paul and Adrienne fall in love during thier few days together and when it is time to part, they are heartbroken. Paul suggests he stay with Adrienne for a while and postpone his trip, but she insists he goes to be with his son. So as the two part, they promise to wait for each other for a year until Paul returns. Paul calls Adrienne, writes her beautiful letters and sends her flowers monthly while he is away.




I enjoyed this story very much and I'm glad I picked it up. I liked both Paul and Adrienne and felt like the connection between them was realistic and sweet. I also liked the setting of the story, an Inn on the beach, during a storm, the author set the mood just right. If you're looking for a quick and bittersweet romantic read, look no further. But, you might need to have a box of tissues handy, I did get a bit teary eyed during one part.



As usual, Nicholas Sparks has a way with words, his book have some very romantic passages.


Here's a favorite tidbit from one of Paul's letters to Adrienne:

I've been thinking about you constantly since I left, wondering why the journey I'm on seemed to have led through you. I know my journey's not over yet, and that life is a winding path, but I can only hope it somehow circles back to the place I belong.


That's how I think of it now. I belong with you.

p.s. as you read this, I'm probably at the bookstore buying another Nicholas Sparks book :) lol. I'm good and hooked!

title: Dear John

author: Nicholas Sparks

published: 2006

genre: romance

first line: What does it mean to truly love another?

pages: 278

rated: 4 out of 5




Okay people, i've finally discovered Nicholas Sparks and am very happy about that. I've only watched the film versions of his books, The Notebook being one of my favorite movies. I thought it was about high time that I read one of his books.

Dear John was the perfect romantic read, it's a bittersweet love story. I *sighed* while reading and found myself saying "awwwwww" several times. Yes, it was kind of sappy, but hey, sometimes you're in the mood for a good, sappy love story.


Set in modern day North Carolina, John and Savannah meet while he is on military leave for two weeks during the summer. John is a reformed bad boy, who was raised by his father and joined the army shortly after high school.
Savannah is a good girl/college student. The two are opposites, yet are drawn into each other from the start. They fall in love during the short time they have together, and when John has to go back to Germany for a year, they promise to wait for each other. John and Savannah write letters to each other while they are apart and after the year is over, the two reunite and they are both still in love. But as they are forced to be apart for longer than expected, their love is tested and they begin to grow apart.


The book is narrated by John, and you get to see how much he does love Savannah. I really like John's character. He was loyal, kind and caring. Savannah irritated me just a bit. I think it's because she seemed childish at times, and as the two would have arguments, I found her annoying. All in all, I truly enjoyed this book and will read more Nicholas Sparks. I enjoyed the writing and the storyline.



Here's a few of my favorite passages....you might *sigh* while reading these :)

There are memories for both of us, of course, but I've learned that memories can have a physical, almost living presence, and in this, Savannah and I are different as well. If hers are the stars in the nighttime sky, mine are the haunted empty spaces in between.

I fell in love with her when we were together, then fell deeper in love with her in the years we were apart. Our story has three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. And although this is the way all stores unfold, I still can't believe that ours didn't go on forever.

And when her lips met mine, I knew that I could live to be a hundred and visit every country in the world, but nothing would ever compare to that single moment when I first kissed the girl of my dreams and knew that my love would last forever.

It was, perhaps, her touch that emboldened me to really look at her, and though I saw the mysteriousness and maturity that had always made her attractive, I noticed a hint of sadness and reticence as well. To my aching heart, the combination made her even more beautiful.

Dear John has been made into a film, visit the website here.

*quick tidbit: in the book Savannah is a brunette, in the film, she's a blond.