Review by Booklist Review
Travis Parker is an easygoing man with steadfast friends from grade school, living on the North Carolina coast, enjoying his job as veterinarian, and finding relaxation through surfing, boating, and breathing in nature's bounty from his deck. He has reached the age of 32 with no steady girlfriend or the desire for one much to the consternation of his friends' wives and his family and then he meets his prickly new neighbor, Gabby. Her beautiful collie is pregnant and, certain that Travis' dog is responsible, she marches next door with mayhem on her mind. But when she discovers that he's the vet and that his dog has been neutered, she figures it will be years before she can face him again. Except that Travis works his way into her life despite her boyfriend. Then tragedy strikes, and Travis is forced to make a choice that will haunt him. Sparks is a master at creating beautiful, old-fashioned courtships coupled with bittersweet dilemmas, and this is no exception, as it pulls the reader into the story just as The Notebook (1996) did. Once again, Sparks presents a complex and captivating contemporary romance that will satisfy his many fans.--Engelmann, Patty Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In his 13th book, bestselling Sparks (At First Sight, etc.) limns the far-reaching implications of several seemingly ordinary choices made by Beaufort, N.C. veterinarian Travis Parker and his next-door neighbor Gabrielle Holland, a physician?s assistant and recent arrival. After an inauspicious first meeting where Gabby accuses Travis?s boxer of impregnating her purebred collie, the two fall hard for each other. Already dating someone else seriously, Gabby is faced with a dilemma: whether to stick with longtime boyfriend Kevin, or get involved with Travis. The first part of the tale paints a vivid picture of her decision-making process and its effects on Travis and Gabby?s lives. That sets up Part II, which takes place 11 years later when Travis faces a life and death decision following a car accident. A tender and moving love story and a quick read, Sparks?s latest does not disappoint. (Sept.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
