Member Reviews

Nicolas Sparks will always be my go to author when I'm looking for a warm and heartfelt novel. I've been reading him since I was a teen and I don't think I'll ever get tired of his beautiful novels. I highly recommend this one.

Was this review helpful?

If you aren't crying at some point, it's not a Nicholas Sparks novel! Truly one of the most gifted writers of our time, Sparks knows how to hook a reader's interest and emotions. This story was engaging from the first page to the last and every page in between. The stories were so beautifully woven together but also had their own unique perspectives. Even though the ending was somewhat predictable, it was exactly how you would want a book like this to end. Heart break and pain come full circle to heartwarming and hopeful in this literary masterpiece.

Was this review helpful?

As a reader of all Nicolas Sparks books, this book does not disappoint in which Sparks brings life into question and how it is resolved. Counting Miracles is a beautiful, wholesome book about three lives that are intertwined. The book starts out, bringing you quickly in then slows down with background information that may not seem relevant but comes into play. Scripture is quoted and makes one reflect of life as God is put into question. The book picks up pace towards the end with increased action as each character is able to count their miracles.
I wound like to thank Random House, Nicolas Sparks and NetGalley for allowing me to review Counting Miracles.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, PRH Audio and Ballantine Books
for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! I was also lucky enough to receive an ALC from the Penguin Random House Audio Influencer Program. @prhaudio #PRHAudio #PRHAudioInfluencer
All opinions are my own.

I thought this was a really delightful and charming novel. I have been a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks for several years now, and while I did enjoy this book, it almost felt like it was written by someone else other than Nicholas Spark's. I do not necessarily mean this in a bad way because I did enjoy the story but for some reason, this book felt "different" than Spark's other romance novels geared at women. Perhaps he has just decided to try something different than the "boy meets girl" formula. With that being said, I did like how the story switched perspectives between a whole different cast of characters. I am not quite sure why but I especially found myself drawn to Jasper as a character. Perhaps because he had to overcome a lot in his life. I did enjoy the other characters too, but I must warn you that if you are looking for a book that is solely about romance like many of Spark's other books, this book instead combines multiple genres into one, (including drama, suspense, family life, romance, thriller and mystery. etc). Overall, this book is a lot different from many of the romances that Nicholas Sparks published in the past, but it is in no way a bad novel. It's just different.

I was also granted the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and while I enjoyed Holter Graham's narration, I personally think the audiobook would've been better if it had been narrated by a full cast instead of just one person. But again that's simply my opinion and Holter Graham was not a bad narrator in the least!




Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC of Nicholas Sparks’ newest novel, Counting Miracles! This is my very first advanced reader copy and also my very first Nicholas Sparks book.
There were so many emotions experienced while reading this book. I was excited, nervous, scared, happy, sad… I laughed and giggled… I shed tears… I was so worried for the characters in some parts that I caught myself holding my breath. Being the avid animal lover and advocate that I am, while also being a nurse who loves old people, this book checked every box for me! I loved it sooo very much! Clutching my kindle to my chest after the last page. I definitely recommend this book!!

Was this review helpful?

Any book that can make me cry gets an instant 5 stars. I think it's very hard to invoke tears in me while I'm reading. Counting Miracles was a quick read for me. From the moment I picked it up I was drawn to the characters and their stories. I was mostly interested and deeply connected to Jasper's. All that this man has gone through and still managed to survive and find the good in life is astonishing. Out of the three main characters I found myself drawn to Jasper. I found myself sobbing in the middle of the night. There were some happy tears. Each character found something they lost.

Was this review helpful?

Counting Miracles is a poignant story about the power of faith, family and friendship. After Tanner Hughes' grandmother's death, she leaves behind a cryptic message about his birth father. and sets off a journey to discover the truth about his ancestry.

Starting off his Asheboro stay with bang, Kaitlyn's daughter Casey hits Tanner's car after escaping a disgruntled suitor. Instead of bawling her out regarding his ruined vehicle, Tanner comforts her. Taking Casey home, he meets Kaitlyn and feels an unexpected spark. Readers will find themselves counting the ways God works in mysterious ways as he masterly weaves together the protagonists' stories.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #CountingMiracles in exchange for an honest review. Sparks' charismatic characters and prolific prose will have readers eagerly paging through the novel to unravel the mystery. Will love prevail or circumstances force the characters apart?

Was this review helpful?

This was another excellent story by Nicholas Sparks. Well written with beautiful characters. I loved how each character fit together and how well he intertwined their lives. Another masterpiece for this author.

Was this review helpful?

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Was this review helpful?

ARC Review ✨️

☆Tanner♡

This story was heartbreaking, beautiful, and very powerful all at once. Tanner is an army ranger on the hunt to find his father. He stumbles upon Kaitlyn, and romance soon sparks. We also get to meet a wonderful old man, Jasper. I absolutely loved his part of the story. The writing and the plot flowed perfectly. I found myself crying a few times. Mainly for Tanner. He had a rough going, and I couldn't imagine going through even half of what he's endured. Nicholas Sparks has always been such an incredible author, and I'm still in shock over the fact that I received an ARC of his!

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Found family, romance, heart break, love, this book has it all. I was so excited to have received an ARC of this book! It felt like a true Nicholas Sparks book. There were times when I cried and times when I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt that this book captured different emotions and covered different topics. I personally loved how everything tied together at the end.

Was this review helpful?

First, I love Nicolas Sparks books. I’m a sucker for a good love story. This book was a bit different than that. It had romantic elements but, not a love story like Sparks is known for.
The story follows Tanner Hughs, who’s a military guy looking for his father. He meets the town doctor, Kaitlyn and they find love.
Overall, the story was well written and I enjoyed it. If you’re looking for an easy read, then I’d recommend this one.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first novel by Nicholas Sparks but I have seen a few of the movies and he certainly has a formula.

While I really enjoyed the story and the outcome, it was more of a slow burn with most of the action at the end—a formula that is common enough but it seemed to take too long to get a short payoff.

I really liked the characters, especially the teenaged daughter. The older man, Jasper, had a bit more tragedy than I thought was necessary though.

Please note, I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing this honest review voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author as well as the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Was this review helpful?

This book started very slowly. Extensive character development which I thought could have been made more concise. About a third of the way through the book, it began to be much more interesting! It follows Tanner, an Army Ranger taking a break between posts to search for his father. Tanner was raised by his grandparents, and on his grandmother's deathbed, she told him the name of his unknown father and where he might be. Thus Tanner is ,now in Asheboro, NC hoping to find him. almost as soon as he gets there, he meets Kaitlyn, a single mom and doctor, and her two children, Casey and Mitch. Mitch has a friend Jasper, who lives as a hermit in the woods near his home. The first third of the book is mostly about Jasper and his life and challenges. Jasper is a sweet, deeply religious, elderly man with a tragic past! He has a loyal dog for his companion. Tanner and Kaitlyn have almost an instant attraction, as each are dealing with finding themselves and adjust to new life challenges. This book was a sweet story with some life lessons and much healing with the help of miracles!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me an ARC. This is my unbiased review as a reader of almost all of Nicholas Spark's books.

Was this review helpful?

I always enjoy Nicholas Spark’s books and Counting Miracles was no exception. The plot is well written and the characters well developed. I throughly enjoyed this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance book. This is my unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

ARC REVIEW

Counting Miracles
By Nicholas Sparks

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (3.5 rounded to 4 out of 5)

Publishing date: 9/24/24

Set in asheboro, North Carolina, Tanner comes to town in hopes of finding his birth father. He meets Kaitlin, a local Dr who lives near Mr Jasper and his dog Arlo. Jasper suffered a terrible family tragedy years ago, and is trying to protect a white deer from local poachers .

In typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, the stories are intertwined to produce a beautiful heart-warming tail.

I will admit, I'm not a huge fan of the long chapters. It caused me to lose interest a few times. But overall, it was a decent book!

I didn't cry, which means I wasn't MOVED.  But I can appreciate the tender moments, and I think people will enjoy this one 🙂

If you want to sob uncontrollably, read The Wish by Nicholas Sparks lol

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the chance to read this one early!

Was this review helpful?

Nicholas Sparks has a way of writing stories that make you feel all the emotions and enjoy the experience of them. Counting Miracles is a heartwarming story that follows 3 different people trying to figure out their world. Divorced Kaitlyn, Ex-Army Tanner, and Jasper. I will say this book relies a lot on religious themes and bible verses. But they add dimension to the story. You definitely don’t want to miss this one

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful story about a man who finds out from his grandmother his true father’s name. He goes on a search to find his father. Along the way he finds love, family, and stability that he has never had before.

Keep in mind this book has a lot of biblical references. There are questions of faith and God. There are stories of deep suffering and why would God allow someone to suffer in so many ways?

Jasper, the old man in the book, has gone through so much. Even though, I had a feeling of where the book was headed very early on, I still enjoyed the story. To be honest, my favorite part of the story was everything to do with Jasper. The love story between Tanner and Kaitlyn just seemed like a side story and I felt Jasper was the true main character in my mind.

Also, Casey and Mitch, Kaitlyn’s children were so cute and just great children.

Overall, I thought this was a good read.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 💙

Was this review helpful?

I haven’t read a Nicholas Sparks book in years, the last one I went was, dear John and I absolutely loved that one. So of course, I was very excited to be able to read his newest book, but quickly became disappointed as it wasn’t for me. I found it incredibly hard to connect to the characters and the storyline and I found the beginning to be a bit slow. Unfortunately, I did not finish around the 30% mark.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely ADORED this book! It had everything that I could ask for in a Nicholas Sparks book. The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to sneak a few more chapters in. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this amazing book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

Was this review helpful?