Loved it! Nicholas sparks knows how go write a story that draws the reader in so you can't put the book down. Such a wonderful book.

Super enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the character development. The plot took a bit to draw me in, but I felt it was worth it in the end. I appreciated that it wasn't filled with swearing and explicit sexual content. I also appreciated the use of Bible verses to emphasize life experiences.

A classic Sparks book set in North Carolina dealing with family relationships, hardships and loss. There were lots of biblical references and quotes which I don’t recall others of his having.

I love Nicholas Sparks books and this didn’t disappoint!
An excellent, well-written novel with a spin on the author’s typical plot. This was enjoyable from start to finish and I cried at the end.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Counting Miracles is a story surrounding three main characters: Kaitlyn a small-town physician and mother of two, Tanner an ex-military man in search of a possible family member in Asheboro, NC, and Jasper an old man who had lost everything and turned away from God.
Being a huge Nicholas Sparks fan I was thrilled to get an ARC! I thought that the interaction between Kaitlyn and Tanner was heartfelt. I also thoroughly enjoyed the mother-daughter interaction between Kaitlyn and her daughter Casey. However, Jaspers, story was very long and drawn out. I found myself having a hard time getting into those chapters and just wanted more of Kaitlyn and Tanner. The story does tie together in a nice little bow, but it was predictable and there wasn't a shock or emotional factor that I have had with previous Nicholas Spark's books. Overall, a cute read but not one of my favorites. I do appreciate NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to preview this book in advance and will still be super excited for future Nicholas Sparks books.

I've read almost all of Nicholas Sparks's books but I have to say this one fell a bit flat for me. I didn't find myself as absorbed in the characters as I usually am. I didn't get much of the romance story and found myself skimming a bit towards the end. A bit disappointed.

Counting Miracles does not move particularly quickly, but it’s a solid story of loss, of seeking answers, of figuring out life, and finding unexpected blessings along the way. I enjoyed this book by Nicholas Sparks.

I was so excited to get this ARC as I’ve been a big fan of Nicholas Spark’s works for years. Counting miracles follows Tanner Hughes, a veteran who was raised by his grandparents and after the death of his grandmother, arrives at Asheboro, NC to find answers about his birth dad. He meets Kaitlyn Cooper a single mom and doctor who he immediately is drawn to. Then there 83-year-old Jasper, Kaitlyn’s neighbor who is teaching her son how to whittle who goes out on his own quest to protect a rare white deer.

The story writing was beautiful, but perhaps not for me. It was a little slow for me in the first few chapters. I was a little underwhelmed with relationship between Tanner and Kaitlyn. I typically love the relationship builds Spark writes in his book, but I was just not feeling this one. Maybe because of the interweaving of storylines, I felt like their relationship was rushed and a little hollow. I do feel like both characters could have used more development, as we only got little blips into who they were and why they were the way they were. I did love the interaction between Kaitlyn’s children with both adults, especially her daughter Casey.

However, JASPER, that man has my whole heart. His story was gut wrenching, and the way I sobbed when you hear his tragic back story. Not to mention he has a loyal dog Arlo that is just icing on the cake. This book did reference the Bible quite often, and had a heavy religious theme throughout which also took me by surprise. The way the story comes together at the end is really beautiful.

All in all, this book did take a little bit for me to get into and the love story fell a little flat for me. Halfway through, the story really picked up (especially with Jasper) and I found myself emotionally connected to his character. I gave this book 3.5 ⭐️.

Thank you NetGalley and Nicholas Sparks for the opportunity for the ARC 🫶

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. As always this was another fabulous read by Sparks. I was very impressed with the writing style and story line.

Enjoyed it as usual! I have every Nicholas Sparks novel and they never disappoint. Sometimes his stories do all start blending together, but I don’t really care! I look forward to these and am disappointed if there’s not a new one each summer. I’ll continue to pick up the next heartwarming North Carolina read for as long as he writes them.

I was so excited that I was chosen to read this ARC!

Overall, this was a story of great loss and how a man lived through the greatest grief and finding blessings on the other side of it.

The story of Jasper was really slow and at times I think it dragged on longer than it should have.

I did love the last part of the book and how things came together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

#CountingMiracles #NicholasSparks #NetGalley

If I could give "Counting Miracles" by Nicholas Sparks ten stars, I would. As an ardent fan of Nicholas Sparks, introduced to his enchanting storytelling by my beloved grandmother, this latest novel is nothing short of a masterpiece. My grandmother bought me every Nicholas Sparks book until she passed, and I've carried on building my library in her memory. "Counting Miracles" is a testament to why he remains my favorite author.

The story unfolds with the signature blend of heartfelt emotion, intricate relationships, and profound life lessons that Sparks is renowned for. Each page is a journey through love, loss, hope, and redemption, leaving readers deeply moved and reflective. The characters are beautifully crafted, their struggles and triumphs resonating with the authenticity that Sparks so effortlessly brings to life.

Pre-ordering this title was a no-brainer, and it exceeded all my expectations. "Counting Miracles" is not just a book; it's an experience that stays with you long after the last page is turned. Nicholas Sparks has once again proven why he is a master of romance and storytelling. This book is a treasured addition to my library and a heartfelt reminder of the special bond I shared with my grandmother over his timeless tales. Highly recommended for all fans and anyone seeking a poignant and uplifting read.

Thank you NetGalley and Nicholas Sparks for the ARC read.
***All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone***

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the Advanced Copy!

Nicholas Sparks does it again. He finds a way to draw you in, rip your heart out, make you want to tear up and maybe even cry, and then puts you all back together with a neat little bow. That’s what I love about his writing is the fact that you know that the characters are going to have experienced some sort of trauma or loss, but that they still hold on to hope and faith until the end.

Counting Miracles is the first book by Nicholas Sparks that I’ve read in many years. He was always a favorite of mine throughout my adolescence and into my young adulthood. When I saw he was coming out with this book, I knew I had to read it and I’m so glad we did.

We meet many characters in this book, but the 3 most important ones are Tanner, Kaitlyn, and Jasper. Tanner is basically a nomad; a veteran who has worked and served most of his life and doesn’t settle in any one place. He was adopted by his grandparents after the passing of his mother and after his grandmother passes away, he goes in search of his father and ends up in North Carolina. There, he meets Kaitlyn, a single mother and community doctor with a heart of gold. Jasper, her neighbor, is an elderly man who has lived a rough life. He’s known only loss and trauma and lives basically as a recluse until Kaitlyn’s son starts spending time with him. Kaitlyn and Tanner meet due to an accident and immediately hit it off. But Tanner doesn’t want to settle and will be moving on in a few short weeks and Kaitlyn doesn’t want to just experience a fling. The attraction and chemistry between them both is more than a fling and she doesn’t want to set herself up for heartbreak. Tanner is determined to find out what happened to his father and in true Nicholas Sparks fashion, he weaves this trio of characters in such a way that you don’t see the ending coming until it sneaks up on you. By that point, you’re probably crying and tearing up (I was).

This book was emotional and beautifully written. It’s full of grief and loss but again, so much hope, love, endurance, strength. Jasper is now one of my favorite characters that sparks has written. For an elderly man, he was so determined to do the right thing and, in the end, all he wanted was to have his faith and hope restored and Nicholas Sparks was able to do just that for Jasper.

This book was so good and will stick with me for many years to come!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
Like so many women my age I grew up as a fan of Nicholas Sparks. The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, even the 'less popular ones' that weren't made into movies like The Rescue. I expected to have the same reaction to this. For me though, this one is just ok.
This is told in multiple points of view, with Kaitlyn (a single mom who is a doctor), Tanner (a military man now searching for his biological family) and Jasper (an old man with family secrets attempting to help a unique white deer) leading the narrative. Kaitlyn and Tanners love story is good but I wouldn't call it amazing? The pacing and chemistry just felt a bit off the whole time to me. Jasper's story is interesting and his relationship with the memories of his family and god were pretty interesting, although I think could have used some serious trimming.
I found myself skimming a ton. The 'twist' was pretty obvious right from the get go (like so many Spark's books) but I didn't really mind.
Overall this was good, by no means great. I'm sure it'll get movie rights, and you can see very easily how this would translate to the big screen.

I've been a Nicholas Sparks reader for decades now, and if there is anything you can count on with his books, it's a story that draws you in.

Tanner Hughes is something of a restless soul. His mother died in childbirth, and his grandparents raised him without so much as a word about who his father might be.

But a deathbed confession leads Tanner to Asheboro, NC, (not to be confused with Asheville!) with the possibility of learning more about his father.

While there, boy (man?) meets girl (woman?), charms her and her children, and they are all forced to look a little deeper at their own lives.

In true Nicholas Sparks fashion, you see the love story coming immediately and - if I'm being honest - I figured out the "twist" easily. Also in true Nicholas Sparks fashion, it was an easy, enjoyable read that left me content with the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I was so excited to read this after reading this through the years, this is my least favorite of his, I even struggled to finish and not DNF. The love story lacked to me and felt rushed through and was predictable. Most of the conversations didn’t seem organic or even original.

Low stakes, high emotion.

I loved the details of this story, to include characters that jumped off the page but I found the pacing to be… not “bad” necessarily but frustrating. I did like jumping between the three main characters to get everyone’s point of views, and I even enjoyed learning about Jaspers family through flashbacks but something about the fast burn of the relationship and the slow burn of the later tension with Jasper, paired with a quick tied up with a bow ending? It was almost unsettling. This made writing a review really hard because there were a lot of great things about this story but that pacing makes a big difference. My initial thought upon finishing was “I loved the story but the book was meh.”

I haven’t read Nicholas Sparks since high school, and maybe it’s the vast amount of books I’ve read since then but the writing itself also flat for me and a few times I felt myself rolling my eyes thinking really? Cmon.

BUT I do think the lessons of fate, trusting people and taking chances were well displayed and of course, I loved to see the loyalty of Arlo the yellow lab - so there were a lot of pros and pacing be damned I finished it in two days so that’s saying something.

If I could do partial stars I would definitely rate this one a 3.75 because it leans far more heavily toward 4 than 3 however, I can’t commit to a full 4.

I have always enjoyed reading Nicholas Sparks books. The characters are so well developed, and I enjoyed watching them meet by chance and seeing how they connect without really knowing why and how their lives will entwine. I loved the relationship between Mitch and Jasper. Tanner's journey is so heartfelt and will stay with me for a long time. So many emotions as the characters move through life. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sparks is a generally pleasure read for me although I think perhaps I've outgrown his works. This particular book which may be both found family contemporary mixed with romance has a promising premise but ends up dragging for most of the middle of the book. The romance didn't sizzle as much as some of his other works. Overall, I was disappointed.

This book follows the story of a veteran that has taken up a nomadic lifestyle since leaving the military. In one of his stops he needs to have car repairs done and ends up meeting an interesting woman with a history herself. It has a nice premise, but I was unable to finish it.

The story has a lot of Christian themes and Bible quotes throughout it. It wasn't mentioned in the description or else I wouldn't have requested this arc. If you don't mind these things I'm sure it is a great story.

I decided to DNF it at 48%.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc copy.