In The Wedding, a small town lawyer has an epiphany that he's been neglecting his wife and works to change and prove to her his devotion. Nicholas Spark's premise here raises questions many people probably can relate to struggling with: How do you show love? Have your life sacrifices been worthwhile? What is the value of a marriage, and what is the value of individuals in a marriage?

However the opportunity to explore these questions is squandered- the characters here are so earnest and static, and live in a such an idealized world as to render them contrived, and their happy ending unsatisfying. Ultimately, the whole novel comes off as a white, middle-aged, upper-middle class housewife fantasy rather than delving into true nature of martial strife and personal transformation. I could easily see it as a satire of those values it espouses- if it showed any self-awareness (or if any of the characters did).

The one bright note among the otherwise flat greeting-card characters is ironically Noah Calhoun, the achingly romantic husband from The Notebook. He steps out in relief by providing the most realistic and insightful 'voice' into the struggle to live the best life in between idealized love and heartbreaking reality.

The prose here is particularly pedestrian- almost snooze-worthy. Appearing to shoot for straight-forward, it instead lands at painfully devoid of any nuance or subtlety for the reader to interpret or understand.

I wouldn't call it a bad novel. It just lacks any redeeming quality. Life is short, spend it with your loved ones. ( )

This book was amazingly sweet and tender. I put off reading this book for so long because I thought "how could a continuance of The Notebook be any good? And how could anything compare to the original masterpiece." Boy was I wrong. I thought this book was beautiful in the way he works so hard to win his wife back to him. I passed this book to my mom because I knew she would love it just as much as I did... if not more. ( )

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

Wilson Lewis comes to the sad realization one day that after thirty years of marriage his wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him. Jane's father, Noah, (this book is the sequel to THE NOTEBOOK) has always had respect for Wilson and Noah tells him stories of how he kept Allie from falling out of love with him.

Wilson is an estate lawyer and has spent very little time at home over the years. He realizes that Jane fell out of love with him when he forgot their twenty-ninth wedding anniversary.

Jane was a stay-at-home mom and raised their three kids -- Anna, Joseph, and Leslie.

Anna comes home one day to announce that she is getting married. Because of Noah's health and since her fiancé is heading to college, they want to get married the next Saturday. Anna claims that she wants a small wedding at the courthouse, but her mom, of course, wants a big wedding, even though they only have eight days to put it together.

Saturday is Wilson and Jane's anniversary and Wilson wanted to do something really special this year so he took the week before and the week after their anniversary off from work. He hasn't taken that much time off in eight years!

With all the work to do with the wedding, Wilson has been making Jane dinner more often and trying to help out as much as he can. What will Wilson do to make his wife fall back in love with him, so that she doesn't leave him?

Coming from Nicholas Sparks, this book had a very high bar set for it. And this romantic love story went far beyond that! THE WEDDING is yet another wonderful romance from this amazing author! ( )

Being a huge fan of the film The Notebook, a movie based on Nicholas’ Sparks novel, I was eager to read the pages of what some may call The Notebook’s sequel. I hoped that in this novel, I would find the same appealing romance and excitement that drew me to The Notebook. Although characters are shared between the two stories, there are very few other similarities, and even though there were some compelling concepts, overall I found The Wedding to be a great letdown.
The Wedding takes place in a small town in North Carolina and revolves around the life of Wilson Lewis and his family. Wilson, a middle aged husband and father of three, was surprisingly easy to relate to. His thoughts and feelings about the important aspects of a relationship followed very closely to those which I believe. While reading the book, I often times found myself stopping to reflect on how the thoughts and situations he dealt with mirrored situations I had struggled to deal with at times in the past. Although I criticize the book for lack of a captivating story line, I do value the realistic viewpoint, and relativity of the main character.
The qualities I appreciate in Wilson, however, did not manage to spare me from the dull plot. Time after time I found my thoughts straying away from the pages of my book to the more exciting events around me. Continuously it seemed as if the same points were made, and the same events were occurring. I easily grew tired of the constant talk of Wilson, and his wife Jane’s downhill marriage. All parts of the book from beginning, to end seemed to blend together. To me, there did not seem to be a or climax to this story, it was as if the book had come to a plateau, ruining all chances at competing with the excitement of The Notebook.
Those who are not seeking a novel filled with action cover to cover may find this book to be of great interest, as well as those who are captivated by the simplicity of everyday life, love, and family. But if one is seeking great thrills and mystery in a book I would highly recommend another choice of literature. At best The Wedding can be acknowledged for its detailed look into the difficulties and trials of everyday life; but in all other ways it is common, and fails to become an outstanding read. ( )

This book is the continued story of Noah from the notebook, thru the eyes of his son-in-law who is struggling to reconnect with his wife after their marriage is strained. This story goes thru getting ready for their daughters wedding (Noah’s granddaughter) with a surprise ending that will leave you breathless. ( )

Pass this one up. I grabbed it because it was a follow up to "'The Notebook'" and I really liked that one. But this one is about the grown children and I found it, all in all, a major disappointment. I didn't think it nearly up to par with anything else I have read of Nicholas Sparks. As I read it, it felt like he was just trying to make more off "The Notebook".
It was sappy, boring, predictable and I am really glad it is not the first Sparks for me or I wouldn't have read another. ( )

This book made me so happy. At first, I almost didn't want to finish it because, in true Nicholas Sparks form, I thought someone was going to die. I won't give anything away, but this is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read in my life. ( )

I wasn't going to give this one 5 stars, but the more I think about it the more I think it really deserved it. The reason I wasn't going to do 5 stars is that I honestly knew the ending close to the beginning of the book. However as the story progressed I began doubting myself and eventually gave up my original notion. But I was right. I think that the fact that the ending was so well covered up was a great writing feat.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. I've never read Nicholas Sparks and I've not seen any of the movies based on his books. I think I have found another author to add to my list of favorites.

The story starts with a man who forgets his anniversary. While he decides that he needs to rekindle his romance with the woman he loves we get to see them fall in love all over again. Through the book there are flashbacks to when Wilson and Jane fell in love the first time. That is one of the great things about this book. We get to see them fall in love twice.

Not only is this a book that proves true love can always prevail but it shows that even when you think love is lost there is always hope. It may not be easy, but love never is.

The beautiful story is made even better with the beautiful landscapes describe in perfect detail. Sparks give enough information for you to get the whole picture without giving so much that the details become mundane. In my head all the landscapes were oil paintings, I think this is more from the cover art, but even without the cover art I would imagine my mind going to a beautiful oil painting anyway.

I got very engrossed in this book. Surprisingly I did not cry at the end, which is usually characteristic of me. But I was so moved by the story that I think crying would have distracted me a bit. ( )

This is the most romantic book I've every read. ( )

I read this book because I loved The Notebook so much. For me....it was slow until about 3/4 of the way thru. But I couldn't put it down, I was hoping so bad for it to pick up. The end is when it really captured me. The romance really kicked in and the the ending was surprising in a good way. ( )

This is a story of a man that struggles to rekindle his love affair with his wife at the time of his daughter's engagement. He desperately wants the same love that his in-laws shared before his mother-in-law's death. ( )

I've enjoyed all of Nicholas Sparks' books, they're perfect for escaping the real world. ( )

not really my cup of tea.
too constructed, i could not "identify".
also too "sugarsweet". one dimensional. ( )

A look into Noah and Allie's children's lives and their own struggles with marriage and that constant quest to keep romance alive. Guys, a definite must read for you...take notes! An awesome love story for all of us hopeless romantics and one that will leave you searching for the Kleenex and saying Oh!My!Gosh! ( )

I love this story!!!! If you like good love stories...this is the book you should read. This story makes you want to be part of this family.

Be sure to read The Notebook and see the movie before reading The Wedding. ( )

THINGS ARE NEVER WHAT THEY SEEM ( )

Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors because things are not always predictable in the books. The story takes a few twists and turns and keeps you wanting to read more. This book shows a couple struggling to keep their marriage going after the kids have all moved out. We see the disapoints they face in both themselves and each other and how they overcome the obstacles and disappointments in a thirty year marriage. A surprising twists at the end of this romantic novel makes this one of the better books I have read. ( )

I really didn’t like this book. I found it boring, not nearly as engaging, and unlike Sparks other books. ( )

Wilson is afraid he is losing his wife and is determined to revitalize their relationship. His plans for a romantic get-away are put on hold when the couple’s daughter plans a last-minute wedding. The reader’s concern about Wilson’s marriage remains in question up to the end. ( )

The Best Nicholas Sparks ever!!! The book that got me hooked on him. This is one great and very powerful love story. It can make even the hardest person believe in love and hope. ( )

I decided to give Nicholas Sparks a second chance. A mistake on my part. I liked this novel even less than it's predecessor "The Notebook."

Wilson spend a full year planning renewing his vows. He used his daughter to pretend the wedding was for her. The best part of the book was the father-in-law and the goose. ( )

I didn't see the ending coming I was so wrapped up in it. Really great! ( )

Very touching love story that at times made me cry. Lovely story from a man's perspective on how much a his wife means to him. Eventhough he had made mistakes over the years and taken her for granted, he eventually realizes how special she was to him and how he couldn't live without her. He goes to great extremes to change his ways and make her realize that she is his true love. ( )