{Book Review} The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published Date: Sept 30, 2008
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When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm. Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives. Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love. (SOURCE)

This is another one of those books I read because I saw the movie and loved it. ZAC EFRON! SHIRTLESS. Anyway, that's not the point (but you're welcome for that visual). I often times love a good Nicholas Sparks story. Because I'm a sap like that. Also, because most of this stories are about small southern towns, which is another personal favorite.

I went into this book knowing it would vary from the movie, and I'm ok with that since in most cases the book is much more detailed and gives me the 'more' I need. Because I always want more when it comes to a love story involving a military man. I, in particular, have a soft spot for Marine's (and SEALs, but that's a different post) so Logan having been in the service made me happy.

That part aside, The Lucky One is a really sweet story. I know a lot of people eye roll Nicholas Sparks because he has the same type of story every time. But I don't care! I'm a sucker for a romance of any kind and Sparks always gets to me with his. Sometimes it's hard to read a book after watching the movie, because you have these characters and scenes from the screen stuck in your head. I don't think it distracted me this time though, if anything it was helpful while I read. Logan and Elizabeth were both great characters.

I really enjoyed the setting of the story as well as the pace. 3.5 stars for me!