The Best Of Me written by Nicholas Sparks is a beautifully written romance novel that will pull at all the appropriate heartstrings and leave you speechless.
The novel follows Dawson Cole and Amanda Collier, teenage sweethearts who were once bound by a love so powerful, until such love drove them apart. However, fast forward twenty five years later when the two meet again after the death of their beloved mentor and find themselves embroiled in a much familiar love affair.
The story of Dawson and Amanda is so touching to watch as Spark's written ability makes it hard not to fall in love with each of them as each chapter passes. Dawson is a complex character who has cheated death so many times, he could be considered immortal. His love for Amanda never subsided, therefore seeing her after years of absence brings back all the feelings he once had. Whereas, Amanda has built a career and a family since leaving Dawson all those years ago and isn't sure if she should risk her marriage for a long awaited encounter with Dawson.
The Best of Me is Sparks' seventeenth novel following the theme of both love and heartbreak. It is a moving story, but one cannot expect any less from the mastermind behind The Notebook and A Walk to Remember. Furthermore, one of the pleasures of reading a Sparks novel is that it does not matter whether you are a first time reader or an avid one, as no two books are the same so you are given the chance to fall in love with him all over again.
I would recommend The Best Of Me to anyone who is a fan of romance novels, or simply looking to branch out and would rate it 5/5 as it took me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
