First of all I just wanted to say a huge thank you to NetGalley, Nicholas Sparks and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review the arc of this amazing book!

Loved this book! I literally devoured it in just 2 days because I could not put it down even for a second. Although at first I was a little iffy because I’m not really a fan of third person point of views but the way Nicholas wrote this I am so glad I kept on reading! The writing in the third person was such a good decision it was a chance to focus on each character from the author’s perspective to really see into each characters lives a little better.

Having read multiple books by Nicholas that I’ve enjoyed I just knew this one was going to be just as good and it truly was.

Counting Miracles was so beautifully written and I enjoyed following along to Tanner, Jasper and Kaitlyn’s story and how they ended up being all connected together! Almost all of it was heartbreaking and I just felt bad for each one of these characters.

Jasper’s story was heartbreaking on so many levels and I cried just reading about everything he endured and I’m glad he found Tanner and vice versa. Reading this story made me feel like I was right there with them and that’s something I like about reading stories where I can put myself right along with them. Not only that I loved how he incorporated Bible verses and story into the entirety of this book, as it made it that much interesting.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys an amazing plot, characters and heartfelt storyline.

I have (of course) seen numerous Nicholas Sparks movies, but reading one of his books is a first for me. This was somehow very dark, but also extremely heartwarming. Told in 3 POVS: Tanner, Kaitlyn and Jasper - Each of which have been hurt in the past. Jasper though got burnt during a terrible house fire that resulted in him losing his entire family. Ultimately it is a story of great loss & finding the joy or "miracles" on the other side of that grief. Kaitlyn was such a wonderful character that added so much love to this story in a way I wasn't expecting.

Having been re-introduced to Nicholas Sparks with The Wish, a book that was easily in my top ten two years ago. I was excited to jump into Counting Miracles, ready to feel all the feels.

Counting Miracles focuses on three characters, Tanner a man floating around from place to place who is also ex-military, Kaitlyn a small-town physician and single mom, and Jasper a recluse who has experienced more trauma than most people should ever have to even imagine.

I think each character is well developed and unique and I enjoyed reading their stories. I really enjoyed Casey and her spunk (Kaitlyn’s teenage daughter) and teenage insightfulness. I feel like teens often get put into this box in novels and it’s nice to see when they can be selfish AND sweet.

Overall it’s a good story and I’d give it 3.5 stars but I rounded it down because I feel like there were a few flaws that bothered me, even at the end.

Jasper’s backstory took up a significant part of the book and at times seemed to slow the pacing of the book. I did like his backstory but maybe not as much?

The jerk teenagers - I felt like they were there only to move parts of the story in a specific direction. These guys felt like cardboard cutouts and just felt forced.

It’s a nice story. It’s not memorable, but it’s nice and a quick read

Nicholas Sparks’ “Counting Miracles” is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the miraculous moments that shape our lives. The novel beautifully captures the essence of hope and the idea that even in the darkest times, there is always a glimmer of light. “Counting Miracles” is a must-read that reaffirms Sparks’ reputation as a master of contemporary romance and emotional storytelling

"Counting Miracles" is consistent with other novels by Nicholas Sparks, so fans of his storytelling will likely enjoy this one as well. This book finds three storylines on a collision course. Jasper is somewhat reclusive old man who has lost his family and his faith after tragedy struck years ago. Kaitlyn is a single mom raising her teen daughter Casey and precocious son Mitch and exploring finding love again after her divorce. Tanner is in town looking for connections to his past. Sparks excels at painting pictures of small towns and developing sensitive characters with complicated pasts, and "Counting Miracles" has both of those elements. In particular, the male characters in Sparks's books tend to be sensitive "old soul" romantics, and that is definitely present in this book as well.

I liked "Counting Miracles" because it was simultaneously tragic and sad but also hopeful. There were, at times, a few cheesy over-the-top scenes. I also think that Sparks tends to create a lot of wise-beyond-their-years teens adolescent characters that are a bit of a stretch. Of course, another staple of Nicholas Sparks books is religious imagery, Biblical references, etc., and "Counting Miracles," as the title would imply, actually probably skews heavier than most of his books in that regard, with part of the story being a very direct interpretation of Job and Bible verses peppered throughout. Those who don't care for the more Christian fiction side of Sparks's spectrum might not like this one as much. Those looking for a truly sweeping love story like some of his other novels might also be a little bit underwhelmed, though the flashback storyline does have a very nice love story, albeit a bit sad, though many of this author's are. I did wish that there was a little bit more of a comeuppance for the antagonist; that piece felt like it was lacking a bit, which kept the story from having a truly satisfying conclusion.

Overall, "Counting Miracles" was a pleasant and quick read with beautiful, descriptive writing and a nice message about second chances and rekindling faith. Fans of Nicholas Sparks will likely enjoy this one.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pasts. Family. Deer.

Classic guy who never settles down yet is searching for family. Upcoming release from the author who wrote the notebook, wanted to enjoy but I found it slow, serious, and hard to read.

Story: 3 Characters: 3 Engagement level: 2

Highlights:
- Core characters learn to adjust their lives and perspectives after meeting each other
- Interesting to see the read on each main character on each other
- Insight into military life
- Good people
- Great kids
- Wonderful dog

Lowlights:
- All serious without much respite the whole book--I would've liked some joy sprinkled in
- Slow moving: was hard to see where it was going
- Didn't care for the Jasper storyline for the majority of the book
- Reflecting on a lot of tragedy and sadness which is hard to read
- Lots of Bible references

Notable quotes:
"He thought he saw an uncertainty there, a tentativeness that hinted at past disappointment, or perhaps regret."

"I simply offered to make you some cocoa. It's the drink of choice when guys suddenly become idiots."

Nicholas Sparks always delivers on heartfelt and emotional stories. Counting Miracles is a bit light on romance and means more into a contemporary tale of faith, love, loss and grief. Beautifully written and relatable.

I enjoyed the blend of light romance and a powerful story of long lost family and God’s path. I think there could have been a more compelling aspect to the romance between Tanner and Kaitlyn because I found it fairly mundane and lacking passion, but it was enough to pull together the rest of the story with Jasper. While Jasper’s story ended up being very inspiring, I found myself wondering if I was reading two different books in the beginning. However I knew that Spark’s would reign it all in at the end, which he did beautifully.

Like all Nicholas Sparks books, Counting Miracles has wonderful characters and a great storyline which includes some romance. Even though it plays an important part, romance isn’t the main storyline in this book. This is a story of love, faith, family, loss, grief and survival.

I have always enjoyed Nicholas Sparks’ books and Counting Miracles may be my new favorite. It was a compelling read that held my attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend it. Nicholas Sparks never disappoints.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great story from Nicholas Sparks. I loved the characters and how the plot wove together different people who ended up being connected. It was not as emotional or deep as most of his books, but I enjoyed the book. The pages are filled with family drama, love, tragedy , and second chances.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. This story overall simply made me sad, but you shouldn't be surprised by this with a Nicholas Sparks novel. Nicholas Sparks has a talent to make your heart want to cry and smile at the same time.

Tanner Hughes was an Army Ranger for decades. Now that he is retired and his grandparents (the only family he has ever known) have passed away, he is on the hunt for his birth father.

Kaitlyn Cooper is a single mom to a teenage daughter, Casey, and younger brother, Mitch. She is a doctor. Her son, Mitch, was actually one of my favorite characters in the book. His pure heart was so sweet.

Jasper is an eighty-three old man who has had so much love and loss in his life. His entire family died in a house fire a few decades ago. This same fire disfigured his body as he had burns on the majority of his body. He has secluded himself in a cabin near the national forest with his dog, Arlo. Jasper's story was by far my favorite. Jasper's father was a very religious man who taught Jasper many life lessons through scripture. These scripture passages are sprinkled throughout the entire book. I know that the patrons in my community are also going to love this aspect of the book. You combine a classic Nicholas Sparks book with scripture passages, they will be in heaven! It's Jasper and Mitch's relationship that I loved the most in this book. Mitch saw past Jasper's scary scars, and saw the sweet man who just needed a purpose and love. Mitch and Jasper met weekly to work on whittling (hand carving).

Jasper's history and his search for the albino deer was what kept me reading this book. I wanted to know more about his past, and I wanted him to find his faith again. Tanner and Kaitlyn's love story was a little blah to me. Tanner was just really hard to relate to. I think it is strange that Tanner rents a limo for their first official date. He rents a house in the woods for their first date, so they won't be seen in town.

Something I loved about Kaitlyn's personality was she wanted to add ice cubes to her warm wine (something that I have done multiple times). Kaitlyn was more relatable. The struggle with schedules when it comes to your kids' after-school activities and managing a career. The one part that frustrated me about her was the switched that was flipped halfway through the book. She knew that Tanner was here temporarily. She mentions it numerous times, but at one point it pisses her off that he doesn't HAVE to leave. She wants him to stay to see where things go after only knowing each other for a week. This was just frustrating to me.

I feel like Kaitlyn's daughter, Casey, was not a fully developed character. The first half of the book has her viewed as an emotional teenage daughter who is selfish and gets herself into trouble. The second half of the book has her doing her mom's hair and makeup, offering to watch her brother with no fighting, making hot cocoa for her mother when she sees she's upset, etc. It was just a total personality change in my opinion that was too sudden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for offering me an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I loved The Wish by Nicholas Sparks so I was really excited to get this ARC. I feel conflicted because I did enjoy the overall storyline - loved Tanner and Jasper/Arlo, loved the second chance at love trope, older romance…but where it fell short was that everything was too predictable. I lost interest once I figured out what the plot was as I felt that there was not much development to the story after that point in the book. But it’s needless to say that you do get invested in the characters in classic Nicholas Sparks fashion.

💛 Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Nicholas Sparks for this ARC!

Sparks has his formula down pat. Emotional story with intertwined characters who find their purpose and all come together in the end. Comfortable, even pacing. And a good balance to storylines.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Thank you NetGalley for choosing me to read this beautifully written book. I feel so Blessed to be one of the early reviewers for Counting Miracles. Nicholas Sparks is one of my all time favorite authors and this book will join the list of my list of all time favorite books. The title says it all. It’s a very powerful, emotional, and heartfelt story about family. It will tug at your heartstrings and you will shed numerous tears. Si I highly recommend this book as a Must Read and I promise you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

I feel like we started off strong, but honestly halfway or so I started getting disinterested. We get three POV’s - Kaitlyn and Tanner are our main characters who are weren’t expecting to find each other with him not being able to stay in one place long enough to make a connection and her being a single mom of two and then we have Jasper who is an 83 year old man who lives alone and trying to protect the forest and animals around his home. Every time it switched over to Jasper’s POV I was so bored you guys and I felt like it took away from the story!! I enjoyed Kaitlyn and Tanner’s story and I think it would have worked better if Jasper’s stories were just mixed in by talking to the other characters, not necessarily his own POV which didn’t really have much dialogue, it was just him retelling his past. It also felt like Tanner and Kaitlyn had their plot and Jasper had his own and they didn’t blend that well together for me. I’ve read a lot of Sparks books by now and you still get his detailed emotional story telling in a small town, it just wasn’t working for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌳
I also didn’t like all the hunting talk and Jasper’s story was very religious, a lot of bible verses were quoted and I know some may not enjoy that so wanted to point it out! Oh and it’s closed door!
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Thank you NetGalley, Nicholas Sparks, and Random House for this e-arc! Counting Miracles comes out September 24!
2m

I really enjoyed this book! Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors, and I was thankful to have been given a chance to read this story. Thank you NetGalley!

Tanner is in Asheboro, North Carolina to look for the father he never knew. This sweet story concerns family and finding your place in life with Christian values scattered throughout. There was a touch of suspense that kept me turning pages. I certainly recommend this book. Thanks to author Nicholas Sparks, Random House / Ballantine, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Nicholas Sparks still has it after all these years. I have read many of his books, and love his movies created from them. You can always count on a 5 star read when you pick one up.
My only con on this one, was there is a time when I really didn’t care for Kaitlyn, she made many assumptions based upon a very short time and evidently, she never had a dog before, plus being a doctor she was quite naïve. I loved Jasper and was quite fond of Tanner.
Otherwise there is a lot of heart and love in this tale. Comes in with 5 stars. I truly enjoyed it.
I thank Random House Publishing Group along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

Counting Miracles : Nicholas Sparks

Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Publisher: Random House (Ballantine)
Publication Date: September 23, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, I never dreamed I’d be reading an advanced copy of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Thank you to Random House Publishing, Nicholas Sparks, and Net Galley for this ARC! Now onto the review…

This book follows 3 main characters: Tanner Hughes, Kaitlyn Cooper, and Jasper Johnson.
Tanner’s grandmother, the last of his living family, passed away from cancer and on her death bed told him his father’s name. He sets out to find him and ends up in Asheboro, NC. This is where he meets Kaitlyn, the town doctor.
Then there is Jasper, he’s basically the town recluse that lives in a cabin near the national forest. All of their stories intertwine throughout the book.

Nicholas Sparks does a beautiful job intertwining the lives of each of these characters. This is such a beautiful story with many life lessons. He always finds a way to throw in a love story as well. The only issue I had with this book is I wanted more from the ending.

#CountingMiracles #NicholasSparks #RandomHouse #BookReviews #BookLover #Bookstagram #Romance #LifeLessons

All the Nicholas Sparks' feels! I want to thank NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book! Third person POV for three characters. I thoroughly enjoyed each character. I liked the family aspect that was brought to it...a woman that already has two children. I felt that it was an easy and fast read. There are some biblical aspects, which I actually liked. During Jasper's time in the woods, I felt that it was drawn out. I did skip over some of it. There was some detail that didn't necessarily needed to be added. It felt a bit repetitive. I wish there was more romance in it! The ending is sort of abrupt and I wish it went more into detail of the love story. Overall, I am giving this book a 3 star rating. I love his writing, but it was just average for me.