Just a bare-bones list of what I SHOULD/COULD have done with the 2 hours it took me read this sorry excuse for a book:1. Cleaned my bathroom
2. Painted my daughter's bedroom BEFORE more paint gets spilled
3. Cooked AND ate a romantic dinner with my husband, which would be much better for my marriage anyway
4. Gave myself a MUCH needed mani and pedi
5. Weeded my garden
6. Caught up on laundry
7. On and on and on...
8. And last, but not least, read ANY OTHER BOOK, I mean, besides another one by Sparks.
I have to state, the reason I read this was because I saw the movie preview and I like Richard Gere. The preview didn't seem that bad and the book was getting high marks. Everyone talks about how Sparks is such a great author, but I just don't get it. Yeah, his books are supposed to MOVE you, to make you feel, cry, whatever. But not only are his characters COMPLETELY unrelatable, (i.e. super-perfect humans who have been poorly treated by something for absolutely NO reason whatsoever), but Sparks exploits his readers feelings by using universally tear-jerking situations. Of course you're going to cry if someone you love dies. Of course you're going to cry if your husband/wife cheats on you and leaves you for a better/younger model. Of course you're going to cry if you have a miscarriage/lose a child/anything bad happens to do with your children. It doesn't take special talent to insert your bad situation and then add as much melodrama as possible. I especially like his uber-Christian porn...they looked at each other, they had overwhelming feelings, so much couldn't be said, she led him to the bedroom and they made love. At least if you're going to read romance, a little sex would be nice, describe how these perfect people show their perfect love that has begun in less than 24 hours, and isn't premarital sex wrong, or is that only for the young? Haha! Meh. Sappy, unrealistic and unenjoyable. Like I said, I'm glad that I only wasted 2 hours of my life, because I really can't find anything to appreciate about this book, other than its over.
*** I would have given it ZERO stars, but its like having terrible service at a restaurant...if you leave nothing behind, people might think you just forgot. It really WAS that God-awful...