Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.

Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down.  But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where to find him.

Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.

Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.

As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.

“The romance between Tanner and the doctor sizzles, and Sparks is a master at creating fully developed, sympathetic characters with complete and compelling backstories. Readers will be drawn into this touching story of hope, faith, and love, and Spark’s many fans will find just what they’re looking for.”—Booklist, starred review

“Bestseller Sparks brings all the emotion fans expect in his heart-tugging latest. . . . Sparks enriches Kaitlyn and Tanner’s love story with a striking supporting cast, especially Kaitlyn’s kids, Casey and Mitch, and an elderly neighbor named Jasper. The mystery of Tanner’s parentage finally unravels at the story’s end, delivering an emotionally satisfying finale. This is sure to be another hit for Sparks.”—Publishers Weekly

https://amzn.to/3zMTxTU

I was a bookseller for Borders when The Notebook came out. My mom asked me to get her a copy – she wasn’t much of a reader, maybe read a book a year, but I was happy to get it for her. I had an appointment to get my brakes done, and since I had the book with me, I started reading it. I finished it before they finished my brakes, and had to pay through my tears. I didn’t pick up another Sparks book for many years.

Ron Charles of The Washington Post reviewed this, and snarky as his review was, it was the headline that grabbed my attention: “Nicholas Sparks knows what he’s doing; Sparks’s new romance novel, “Counting Miracles,” might be just the escape readers are looking for.” He followed that up with “As a professional book reviewer, confessing how much I enjoyed “Counting Miracles” is almost more humiliation than I can bear, but what can I say?” The snark got deep after that, but I was intrigued, so I started reading. As with most of Sparks’ books, at least the few I’ve read, once you start, it is almost impossible to stop, and that was certainly the case here. I am also happy to say I didn’t find myself in tears as I turned the last page. I also didn’t know how religious his books could be, and this one has enough bible quotes to please any fan of inspirational fiction, I’m sure. There is also just the intimation of sex – they kiss, and the next scene is a few hours later getting dressed. So maybe not inspirational enough. What do I know?

The story revolves around Tanner Hughes, an ex-military man who has traveled and worked all over the world, eventually as part of the elite Rangers, then Delta Force, followed by some private security work for organizations doing good work, like vaccinating kids in Africa. Raised by his grandparents after his mother died in childbirth, he never knew who his father was. As his grandmother lay dying, she told him his father’s name and the town he was from; Asheboro, North Carolina. Although he’s a young man, Tanner is basically retired until he agrees to go work with a friend in Cameroon, but before he leaves, he hits the road visiting friends until he finally arrives in Asheboro.

His first night there, a teenager backs up her Suburban into his brand new muscle car. Being the gentleman that he is, he calms her down and drives her home. There he meets her mom, Kaitlyn, and there is instant attraction. Kaitlyn has been divorced for several years, and has two kids. She is a doctor that does quite a bit of volunteer work, too. While theirs is the romance in this story, there is another plot line.

Jasper lives nearby and has been teaching Kaitlyn’s young son how to whittle, a lost art for sure. We slowly learn Jasper’s incredibly biblical backstory, and it is pretty easy to figure out where these two plotlines will intersect. Nevertheless, the fun is in getting there.

The scenery is beautiful, the characters full realized, and the story moves along at a good pace. While there are a few pages that had me tearing up on occasion, it is not his usual weepie, especially since there is a happy ending. This book is on par with a Hallmark romance movie – if you like those, you will like this. I did.

10/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

COUNTING MIRACLES by Nicholas Sparks. Random House (September 24, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-0593449592. 368p.

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