a bend in the road by nicholas sparks

Title: A Bend in the Road
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 352
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (Barnes&Noble):

The nearly thwarted but eventually triumphant romance of deputy sheriff Miles Ryan and second-grade teacher Sarah Andrews goes down as easily as marshmallow fluff and offers about as much real nourishment. Miles's high school sweetheart, Missy, was killed in an unsolved hit and run accident, leaving him to raise their son, Jonah, in New Bern, N.C. Sarah's politically ambitious husband, Michael, dumped her when her ovaries proved inactive, and she fled to New Bern to teach, and love, other people's kids. Miles and Sarah meet at a parent-teacher conference, and the sparks fly. But there's a fly in the ointment as well; an italicized voice threaded among the happy chapters alerts us that Missy's death was caused by someone whose identity, if revealed, could destroy Miles and Sarah's new-found joy. As tough truth shadows their landscape, Miles and Sarah find depths within themselves, and their rekindled light illumines all. New Bern becomes a city of the reborn. Charlie Curtis, Miles's stickler boss, learns to bend; Missy's aimless killer morphs into a healer; and Jonah once again knows a mother's love.

My Opinion:

There's two side of the story. One is from a narrator and another is the story itself. I was intrigued the whole time I was reading the book. You see, I was wondering who is that narrator. Because the narrator is somewhat in grief and guilty. I've been guessing it's Sarah herself at the first glance. But I thought wrong which made the story even more exciting and mysterious.

Like Sparks' other books, I enjoyed this book too. I was easily hooked up and absorbed with the story as it made me can't wait to finish it but feel sad when it nearly comes to the end. The conflict of Miles to face his wife's death after two whole years still distraught him and he nearly lost himself when he wanted revenge against someone who is innocent (although the accused was a total jerk).

The story started with an introduction of Miles, Jonah and Sarah. As he met Sarah, he thought he could forget and start a new life once again with his son. The same feeling happened to Sarah too. Divorced by an unrealistic reason, I felt so sorry for her. Though Sarah was hurt by her previous divorce, she sees Miles as someone she could trust. Miles and Sarah's attraction to each other is both gradual and realistic as they begin to emerge from their old fears and broken hearts. I love all the moments when they were together and indulged in every bits of it. Sounds pretty romantic. =)

However, the new relation they working on wavered. In a heart wrenching and clever twist of fate, circumstances intervene and threaten to destroy this couple's new found happiness. Emotions ride high as the reader is kept guessing until the last page is finished as to whether love can really overcome all. I hardly believe or guess what will Miles will do in the end. And I ensure you, it ended with a sweet happy ending. The story is a fine addition with memorable characters facing real life problems. Readers will be reluctant to part with Miles and Sarah as their story comes to a gripping conclusion. As they said, LOVE CONQUERS ALL. So true.

The story really swept me away. Maybe it will do the same to you too *wink*