Rating: 
Summary: Down the Long, Straight Road to Predictability
Review: Normally I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks, but this book did not come even close to meeting, let alone exceeding my expectations. This book contains basic characters that are so cliché; it could drive any reader insane. Meet Miles Ryan- a single parent that is distraught over his lost love. His poor son Jonah has never been the same after his mother died that fateful day in a mysterious hit-and-run accident. Along comes Sarah Andrews, the ideal mother who cannot bear children. Then there is the mysterious narrator who has driven himself crazy because of the accident he caused that involved Missy Ryan so long ago.From the start I knew that I was in for an unexciting and conventional read. The first half of the book is devoted solely to the development of Miles' and Sarah's relationship. As you reach the second part, it breaks of into figuring out who Missy's killer is; as if no one knew who it was after they met him for the first time. In this book, Sparks makes most of his chapters short and leaves you hanging. He then jumps to another person's point of view and will not return for at least two chapters. He also spends too much time on insignificant details that make this book painful to read. A Bend in the Road, though it starts out fine, takes a horrible turn and quickly turns into one of the most monotonous and uneventful novels ever written by an acclaimed author.
Rating: 
Summary: An intelligent romance
Review: Nicholas Sparks is an expert at manipulating the reader's emotions and this book has its share of emotional ups and downs. The story concerns Miles Ryan, a deputy sheriff, whose beloved wife Missy has been killed by a hit-and-run driver. His life is consumed with grief and anger until he meets his son's teacher, Sarah Andrews. Miles begins to heal as his relationship with Sarah grows, but this is all disrupted when new evidence about Missy's murder is uncovered. The bonds of love and family fidelity are tested as disturbing new information is revealed. Sparks uses an interesting technique of interspersing short, stream-of-consciousness chapters by Missy's unknown murderer with the regular narrative, thus heightening suspense for the reader. This is another entertaining and engaging book by a good writer.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Novel
Review: Missy and Miles lead a happy life with their son Jonah, until one day Missy is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Miles struggles to find the driver of the automobile, when along the way he meets Sarah Andrews. She is Jonah's school teacher, and helps Miles in his struggle to find the driver. This story is very exciting, and it is a thriller. It makes you never want to put the book down, and you may find yourself reading this novel faster than you normally would. As I was reading, I wanted to reach out to Miles and help him in his search for the driver of the automobile in which kiled his wife. Nicholas Sparks has a way of writing his novels, in which you may feel close to the characters, and you may feel like you can relate to them. This story will lure you in, and you won't be able to stop reading until you've finished the entire book. I recommend it to everyone because it is a well-written and excellent novel.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable; a page-turner.
Review: A BEND IN THE ROAD is one of the latest works offered by the famous bestselling romantic novelist, Nicholas Sparks. In this novel, we meet a small-town deputy sheriff by the name of Miles Ryan. His loving wife, Missy Ryan, was killed in a hit-and-run car accident mearly two years before the story begins. They have a young son, Jonah Ryan, who is now seven. Ever since Missy died, Miles has been trying to find the person who killed his wife. Both he and Jonah are completely devastated. Jonah takes it so hard that he starts to struggle in school as a result. All of his previous teachers have let him slip by because they felt bad for him. Then comes along the charming, intelligent Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second grade teacher. Miss Andrews has also had a previous relationship that ended tragically, when her husband found out that she could not produce eggs and get pregnant so they could not start a family and he left her. Miss Andrews discovers that Jonah has a problem in school, and so she asks Miles to come in for a parent/teacher meeting. Miles and Miss Andrews gradually fall in love after that, and things for both Miles and Sarah start looking better, until Sarah uncovers the truth about Missy's death and confronts Miles about it...the tragedy starts to haunt their developing relationship. This novel is not all just about romance, because it has some mystery in it, too. The ending is very shocking, and once you start reading A BEND IN THE ROAD, you can't put it down. I should also mention that this book is written in both third person narrative and first person narrative forms. In first person narrative, the person who killed Missy is telling their side of the story (you'll be able to tell the difference because first person is typed in italics). However, you don't really know who's speaking in first person until the end. If you enjoyed Nicolas Sparks's other novels (THE NOTEBOOK, A WALK TO REMEMBER, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, THE RESCUE), then you will definitely enjoy A BEND IN THE ROAD. I also have to mention that this is my first Nicholas Sparks novel, and I admit that I've become a fan...I can't wait to read his other works! An excellent summertime read.
Rating:
Summary: Sparks Delivers A Warm, Comforting Book for Romantics
Review: If you love a love story, cry over broken hearts, and savor the coziness of small-town life, this book is tailor-made for you. I absolutely loved the story of Miles Ryan and his young son Jonah. Their wife and mother, Missy, is struck down by a hit-and-run driver, sending waves of loneliness through the lives of Miles and Jonah. Miles, as deputy sheriff of his small North Carolina town, feels doubly saddened by his failure to find his wife's killer and bring him to justice. When Jonah has trouble at school, Sarah, Jonah's teacher, enters Miles' life and he begins to feel the stirrings of romance once again. Unfortunately, Sarah harbors a secret that destroyed her first marriage, and later discovers an amazing coincidence that shatters her new-found happiness with Miles and Jonah. Written with passion and simplicity, this wonderful book also has tones of Mary Higgins Clark, as readers are able to spend several chapters in the mind of the as-yet-unknown driver of the car who killed Missy. The mystery of unveiling the hit-and-run driver coupled with the romance of Sarah and Miles makes this a comforting, curl-up-and-read pleasure for fall.
Rating:
Summary: A story of healing
Review: A Bend in the Road is a story about the healing power of love. And how sometimes to heal, you need to look within yourself and find the strength that you can't get from anyone but you. I enjoy all of Nicholas Sparks' books. This one is no different. From page one I was glued to the story, I finished the book in 2 days. As always, it was easy and fun reading. In this book Miles and his son Jonah are still dealing with their wife/mother's death 2 years prior. Two years might have passed, but the world of their grief has not. Until they finally meet someone who might be able to change all of that, Jonah's teacher Sarah, who is getting over a broken heart herself. Mixed in with the romantic love story of these 3 people coming together to heal, the mystery of who killed Miles wife plays itself out. Will they ever be able to be happy? If you enjoy romance novels, you need to pick this one up. Reading about some of the characters emotions put real tears on my face. I'll admit- I did recognize who the "killer" was as soon as we were introduced to him, but that was probably a lucky guess for me. Go get this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Non-Stop pager turner!
Review: This book was a quick read and hard to put down. I am not one to read books, but this was one that I throughly enjoyed reading. Every page had a new adventure and kept me on my toes. Its an incredable love story with a twist of mystery!
Rating:
Summary: Not very clever - lifeless characters
Review: I just didn't buy into this book's plot. I have family in New Bern and I enjoyed his description of the town and life there (fairly accurate slice of life). However, the characters were awful. He never developed the romance into anything beyond infatuation. The two seemed to have nothing in common and no reason to stay together. The big cliffhanger is awful and then poorly handled by the characters creating artificial drama -- common in many people's lives, but something I like to avoid. I am actively waving people away from this book as trite and annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Beware the black dog!
Review: This intense novel is mainly a bittersweet romance, though the twists and turns involved in that small town in North Carolina complicate the matter. The climax toward the end was more than I could take at one sitting -- had to read it in snatches, as too much emotion was involved. It was a clever twist, and I was fooled as to the identity of the perpetrator of the misery to this couple and their families. And to think that this 'innocent' person might end up ruining the lives of all involved. This story was nothing like A WALK TO REMEMBER with the exception of a useless, early death to an important character. It was different, yet much alike; I hope the movie won't be such a tearjerker, though. This writer sitting among the daffodils (should have been tulips -- read the book and you will understand why) could fit the description of the main character of this book. Makes a reader wonder if he bases his stories on real life.
Rating:
Summary: Down the Long, Straight Road to Predictability
Review: Normally I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks, but this book did not come even close to meeting, let alone exceeding my expectations. He really disappointed me and I would not recommend this novel to anyone. This book contains basic characters that are so cliché; it could drive any reader insane. Meet Miles Ryan- a single parent that is distraught over his lost love. His poor son Jonah has never been the same after his mother died that fateful day in a mysterious hit-and-run accident. Along comes Sarah Andrews, the ideal mother who cannot bear children. Then there is the mysterious narrator who has driven himself crazy because of the accident he caused that involved Missy Ryan so long ago. From the start I knew that I was in for an unexciting and conventional read. The first half of the book is devoted solely to the development of Miles' and Sarah's relationship. That part is excellent, if you really like to read sentimental and 'heart-warming' books. As you reach the second part, it breaks of into figuring out who Missy's killer is; as if no one knew who it was after they met him for the first time. In this book, Sparks makes most of his chapters short and leaves you hanging. He then jumps to another person's point of view and will not return for at least two chapters. He also spends too much time on insignificant details that make this book painful to read. A Bend in the Road, though it starts out fine, takes a horrible turn and quickly turns into one of the most monotonous and uneventful novels ever written by an acclaimed author. It is almost like reading a Nancy Drew novel (one that is too easy to figure out) and a love story that has been told over and over again. There really is no unexpected twist in this book because as you move on, Sparks puts up huge warning signs that tell you what is to come.
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