In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life.

Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Pure entertainment, minimal effort
Comment: Every time Nicolas Sparks has a new book releasing around Christmas time, I always put in on my wish list. It always provides a fun, easy read and The Lucky One is no different. As long as you keep your expectations in check and temporarily overlook the multitude of clichés, gender stereotypes, predictability and overused character traits, this quick page turner is pure entertainment with very minimal effort. As a frame of reference, I've read just about every one of Sparks' books and I rank this one towards the bottom (The Notebook being the best).

The main character finds a picture of a mysterious woman while in Iraq and goes in search of her by foot upon his return home. He is led to believe that she has brought him luck and safety while at war. Essentially, he finds her and they fall in love...with a few bumps in the road. Does the fairy tale last forever? This is something I shall save for you to find out.

One portion of the book keeps coming to mind, which is the soldier's realization that the stresses of everyday life are minimal in comparison to being in a warzone where you see death and barely survive--a good reminder about putting everything into perspective.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship that the main character had with his dog--that was endearing.

On a final note, I must argue that the ex-husband's behavior at the very end of the book isn't consistent with the build-up throughout and I am left unmoved at the outcome.

Okay, now I am back to reading something a bit more robust and discussion-worthy. But it sure was a fun page turner. And, I'll still ask for the Sparks' next novel when it is released.

Feel free to comment on this review or your thoughts on the book or suggest a book for me to review.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: NOT a MUST READ book
Comment: Lucky One somewhat kept my interest & was easy to read. A few parts seemed a little predictable but there are some unexpected twists & turns. At times events seemed a little far- fetched but it all seems to work out in an interesting way. Zeus was one of favorite characters.... I'm impartial to dogs!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not a fan of Sparks but this one is good
Comment: I periodically read Sparks (haven't in a while) and he is up and down
and fairly predictable. BUT The Lucky ONE is very good and well written.
If you have given up on Sparks, give him another chance. The characters are realistic and the story is interesting.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I have fallen in love with Sparks!
Comment: It has been a long while since I enjoyed a book as much as this. I love the way the men in Sparks' novels love so deeply. I found it hard not to flip to the end of the book, I wanted to know how it ended. I of course did not (a lesson I learned long ago) and was left with warm fuzzes at the end. I have now moved on to "The Rescue", as I said in the title... I'm in love :)

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Customer Rating:
Summary: the unlucky book
Comment: I really love nicholas sparks book. Some of his books have made me cry and I usually don't do that. This book is not one of those books that I cried at! Honestly I was really really disapointed with the ending! I did not understand why the end was the end! I would only recommened this book if you are a fan and you want to read all of his books! If not skip it!

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