[Review] The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central
Publishing date: September 17, 2013
398 pages
Format: hard cover
Review copy

Synopsis 

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health, and along in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash.

Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife, Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by reminiscing about their lifetime together - how they met, the precious paintings they collected, the dark days of World War II, and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possible be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest University senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent breakup, 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 are high: Reward and ruin - and even life and death - loom large in every day 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 fulfill... 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.

My Review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Nicholas Sparks does it again. Unlike any other author, he knows how to bring you and and keep his hold until beyond the very last pages. Even after you finish reading his stories, you continue to think about the characters in the book and wonder what became of them. I loved learning about the characters in these books. Its a story about true love and how it changes but never leaves; from the beginning stage of lust, physical attraction, chemistry (whatever you want to call it), to the love that develops as you grow old together, battling ups and downs in your relationship. Ira and Ruth are a beautiful couple that I truly envy and can only hope that the love I have for my fiance will grow to the same love they had for each other. I truly recommend reading this story, and not just for those who like romances. I think this story can teach you a lot about love and life, and help you realize the meaning of so many things.

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