Horrifyingly, Nicholas Sparks returns with yet another tearjerker romance novel designed for the masses. I’ve seen the Notebook (haven’t read it yet) and had a go at the The Guardian. Soppy, sad, romance novels where the hero is a sensitive hunk (in this case a lean veterinarian who likes water sports) and the girl is a recluse who takes some time to love him. And then tragedy sparks, and then cliff-hanger and then decision time.

This novel is not an exception but rather a tribute to the knowledge that people would purchase anything as long as it’s written by a recognisable name (like Danielle Steele or Clive Cussler).

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3797868/

Synopsis: Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life – boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies — he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive? 

So let me tell you why I gave it 2 stars. The guy is like unreal. Sexy, active as hell and likes little puppies and works to save pawed lives! He’s ideal in every woman’s diaries. The woman, Gaby – I found her bland. She awaits a marriage proposal from her long term boyfriend yet they never had “the talk” about expectations and their love is missing a spark. She talks about him as she would talk about a room-mate. Also – she cheats on her long term boyfriend with Travis, our hottie, while her man was away in Vegas for a conference. No regrets.

She breaks up with him when he returns and then gets married to Travis and has 2 girls. The bucolic marriage fantasy is only interrupted by the drama of her being in a car crash and going into a coma.

Travis has to make “The Choice” to pull the plug or let her live as a vegetable. As the doomed day approaches and he agonises more, she magically recovers to full cognitive functions and goes to therapy to regain her musculature back and they’re once again a happy couple.

The plot twists were so predictable but I just can’t stand the woman. I mean who, in their right mind, goes on to accuse the neigbour’s dog of fathering puppies without listening to the other side. And her dislike of Travis at the beginning is … scripted.. although we’re talking about a book here. She’s babbling in conversations and is just so … boring.

I wanted to give up the book about half way through. The only things I liked were a few passages where he talks about visiting different countries and what it means to be a tourist and form experiences that form you so no visit will ever be twice the same. I liked that. But that’s about it.

“Traveling has less to do with seeing things than experiencing them…” –