The Choice

Rating: 5

Wow. I loved this book so much that it took a whole receipt to document the amount of times it made me cry. Yes, I track that sort of thing. To me, the more I cry, the better the book. This book didn't do anything "extra". It was a solid contemporary romance standalone that met all of my expectations.

It started off with a bang: fast-moving plot and character introductions. It was very difficult to put down. After that, it drifted into a steady pace, which was perfect for romantic developments! Most of the book actually takes place over one weekend, and the couple falls hard. I really liked them together, though Gabby was a bit high-strung and all over the place. Their dates were fun to watch.

Part of this book is told by Travis show more ten years after he and Gabby met. I got the wrong interpretation of the situation until they were in the same room. I thought the papers in his back pocket were divorce papers. Darn you, Nicholas Sparks. I know you set it up like that on purpose!

So what is the choice? At first I thought it had to do with Gabby choosing between her boyfriend and Travis. As it turns out, Travis is the one who has to make a choice, and it is heartbreaking. I was very satisfies with the ending, though I almost wanted the other alternative simply so I could cry harder. I was holding some tears back.

I am very aware that Nicholas Spark follows the same formula in his books. This one actually had some similarities to The Vow, which is movie that up until now I thought was a Nicholas Sparks book. Well, I guess he didn't do a repeat after all. Anyway, I always like the characters he creates, so I will continue to read more books by him in the future. Due to the formula writing, I probably won't read another one for a few months just to keep things fresh. That and I don't want to run out of his books.

So . . . the mood of this book is light-hearted on their dates and very dramatic the rest of the time.

Now I'm sure many people would say that this book glorifies adultery, but I don't think so. I think it is a realistic tale of someone thinking she knows what she wants and then finding something better. She doesn't go running to Travis expecting to have an affair. She tries to fend off his flirtations and set boundaries. With that being said, she is still responsible for the decisions that she makes and adultery is never right, even it is to be with your soul mate. All she had to do was call he boyfriend and end it. It's clear that she was settling from the beginning.

How the love triangle wraps up wasn't really showed, which is my only qualm with this book. We know the decision she makes, but we don't get to she the conversation or the aftermath of it. It's just--bam--ten years into the future. We also don't see how Gabby reacts to his choice, but at least Sparks points out that she hasn't said anything to Travis about it at the point where the book closes. I would assume she was happy with it, but I guess we'll never know.

If you like this book, go watch The Vow with Channing Tatum in it, the pick up another book by this author. If you love tears, I recommend [b:A Walk to Remember|3473|A Walk to Remember|Nicholas Sparks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385738968s/3473.jpg|3143497] [bc:A Walk to Remember|3473|A Walk to Remember|Nicholas Sparks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385738968s/3473.jpg|3143497] for obvious reasons. PS. It's not like the movie, and judging by the trail for the Choice, it won't be like the book either. show less

Nicholas Sparks, one of my all-time favorite authors has made me fall in love with another one of his book, The Choice.The Choice is about a man and women that fall hopelessly in love with one another , but that love takes them on a journey that no one would see coming. The whole entire story from when they first meet to the traumatic ending is breathtaking. My eyes never left the pages, I was glued.

This book,similar to the vow, is filled with romance, comedy, and most of all obstacles that get in the way. The Choice is very exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time. The beginning of the story took a little long to speed up but its was still nice and it was just building up for the epic middle and ending. I absolutely adore The show more Choice,the character in the story were so real. This book is a classic love story but with a twist thats sure to have your heartbeating rapidly.

As a great author that he is he sets you up for the unexpected and he never disappoints. The Choice drawed me in and held me captive. He also did a great job of setting the scenery and it felt like paradise,I felt like I was in the book. This book sends a strong message and tugs your emotion. I would definitely recommend reading The Choice. show less

Oh, my gawd, it's finally over. This is among the worst books I've ever read, a complete waste of time, the only thing that saved it from ending up on my "Abandoned" shelf was that I wanted to know what the hell this "choice" was. It wasn't worth finishing. The writing was completely amateurish, the story structure was poorly done, and the elements of the story were just completely overdone and predictable. Having somewhat enjoyed "The Notebook", I was surprised this book was written by the same author. I would never pay for this book. Ever.

I was actually very surprised by this book. Normally Nicholas Sparks books puss me off with their endings but this one actually had a HEA and I loved it. It was a very quick read and I'm excited to now see the movie.

The Choice is not the type of book I would normally pick up on my own, but whenever someone has the compassion to share a book with me, I feel it is my duty to read it. (Those free early reader books are good examples of this.) A co-worker brought it into my office a couple of weeks ago. "I know you like to read, and I loved this." So, I finished what I was working on at the time (Cat's Eye) and picked it up.

I know that I like Sparks. I loved The Notebook and A Walk to Remember (movies). So, I started reading, wondering where the unique voice was. It felt a bit cliche (as many people would argue most of his best selling books are) and didn't seem to have the zing I normally crave, even in chick lit.

Then, the twist comes. Gabby and show more Travis are in a car accident. Gabby is hurt severely (coma), Travis more minorly (broken arm). And my history comes flooding in. Now, my experience was far from the characters'. My trauma lasted a short time, and I was up and walking within weeks. Gabby is comatose for over 12 weeks and it becomes known that she had requested to be let go should something like this ever happen to her. Travis has to make a choice: follow through with Gabby's predetermined choice to have feeding tubes removed, or keep up with the displays of love and dedication he has shown through their history and especially the past 12 weeks.

But... it still hit home. Would I have wanted to be let go if I had been more damaged in the accident? Would I now, now that I have the two children that Gabby and Travis do in the novel? Would I be able to ask Kris to let go, be able to demand it of him?

I'll think about it now, but I can't see myself making the choice, nor asking Kris to promise one choice over another. Though I realize that as an adult, I really should have that choice ready and legally binding. Damn adulthood. show less

It was an OK love story. I found the heroine the kind of person who annoyed me. The heroine is supposed to be so independent and modern and yet she strikes me as a woman right out of the 50s in her values and attitudes towards relationships. Then the ending just fell short for me. Definitely would not recommend this at all. Wondering who are the 223 people who gave it a 5.

"How far should a person go in the name of love?"

I've always enjoyed reading Nicholas Sparks' books because of the wonderful, sappy love stories he writes, not to mention his superb ability to make me cry like a baby. A lot of his stories follow similar plots with differences in characters and circumstances, of course, but nevertheless, he always crafts beautiful, heartwarming stories that keep me interested. Most of his books I've loved, others not quite as much. I enjoyed The Choice even though it wasn't one of my favorites and it was a fairly quick read for me. The story is told in two different times, in 1996 and 2007, with enough descriptions to help readers fill the gap and understand all that happened in between those years.

Gabby show more Holland is a physician assistant, intelligent, and new to Beaufort, North Carolina. She takes a job at the local pediatrician's office to be closer to her boyfriend who, ironically, never seems to have time for her and is always golfing. Gabby makes friends with her neighbor, Travis Parker, after she indignantly accuses his dog of impregnating her beloved Molly. Travis is the town veterinarian, alongside his father, and also enjoys nearly every outdoor activity. He has traveled the world and enjoys spending his weekends out on the boat with his close friends and their families. The first time he meets Gabby, he is enchanted with her and the two start spending a lot of time together. In the second part of the story, we are fast-forwarded to 2007 where Travis must make one of the most difficult decisions of his life, a choice that no person should have to make.

The Choice is an emotional tale of love, romance and the choices that we sometimes have to make, no matter how hard they may be. Even though this wasn't one of my favorite Nicholas Sparks books, I still enjoyed it and think it is worth reading. I am someone who prefers to read the book before I see the movie and I am definitely interested in the movie as well because I've enjoyed seeing how the books are adapted into films. If you are a Nicholas Sparks fan, go ahead and read The Choice because it's a beautiful, emotional story about true love! show less