Another amazing tear jerker from Nicholas Sparks. By far one of my favorite authors and I always know I'll love the book before I pick it up, but hate it once it's over. Counting Miracles might be my second favorite, but only behind A Walk to Remember that'll forever remain #1. Highly recommend!
Extremely grateful for NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this opportunity at reading an advanced copy.

Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents and became an Army Ranger like his grandpa. He has no desire to settle down but when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are: find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where he might be found.

Tanner's curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He meets a town Dr and they have quite the connection.

Meanwhile, nearby, 83-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog Arlo for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers..

Thank you to Random House publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title!

Counting miracles is told in two parallel stories, and I love seeing how they come together. It isn’t the traditional romance book from Sparks, and had a lot of religion in the story which I wasn’t a big fan of, but overall it was a good story.

I am a huge Nicholas Sparks fan, so I will certainly be adding a physical copy to my bookshelf.

This was actually my first Nicholas Sparks book (I know… have I been living under a rock?!), and it wasn’t what I expected. It felt weirdly religious at times, and the chapters are sooo long. That being said, the plot is well-developed and the characters believable and relatable, just as you’d expect from Nicholas Sparks.

Thank you to Random House publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title.

Nicholas Sparks has a way with weaving different story lines seamlessly into one. His stories and characters are always linked The journey of finding the connection is part of the experience of reading his work.

Counting miracles is told in two parallel stories. Told in the third person, this is the story of family, strength, and perspective.
Jasper, an aging man who has had his share of trials and tribulations, reflects on his life. The peaks , pits, and regrets. Through it all, he still finds a reason to wake up every morning and live. There are several biblical references in this book, the most prominent being the story of Job. His story was so endearing and heartfelt and was the best part of this book.

The other part of this story is the story of Tanner and Kaitlyn. Small town romance and insta -love. These two run circles around each other. They know each other for a very short of amount of time, but end up literally colliding into one another's life. Considering Kaitlyn has two kids, she seems overly eager to let this stranger into their fold. The love story was missing something. Friendship, depth? I didn't find it overly believable and both characters were missing charm. It seems Jasper got all of the charm in this book.

I

I have enjoyed many books by Nicholas Sparks. This one had a lot of religious undertones— and that is not something I usually enjoy, but in this book I was happy to see religion used for positive actions and thoughts. It felt very authentic for the character development. Like many Sparks books we got to enjoy several story lines and then see how they slowly twine together. I am not good at predicting things, so for me I did not guess the ending. Overall, it was a good story that was sweet and emotional. I enjoyed it but it was not anything earth shattering. It’s a sweet, clean romance with a good message.

Thanks to @netgalley and @RandomHouseBallatine for this ARC. On his grandmother's deathbed, she tells Tanner some information he needed to find his biological dad. After she passes, she leaves for Asheville to find a man named Johnson. While in town, a teenager backs into his car but when he meets her mother, it is game over. This book is one of the same sweet love stories that Sparks is so talented to write but with an even sweeter ending. #CountingMiracles #NicholasSparks #RandomHouseBallatine #Sept2024

Wow he has done it again! I am a longtime fan of Nicholas Sparks books and have them all. I was SO excited to read this book.
This is such a beautiful story that will tug on all your heartstrings. Initially, it seems that there are separate storylines, but they really intertwine beautifully. You will need a box of tissues for this book, I was in tears by the end. I think this is one of my new favorites of his books.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange

I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Nicholas Sparks new novel in advance, as someone who owns and has read every one of his books. His writing was just as exquisite as always.

This book follows three stories, Tanner’s a military veteran, Jasper an elderly neighbor, and Kaitlyn with her two kids Casey and Mitch. It showcases the struggle with faith in God, struggles of life’s unimaginable things, and love.

I took a Star off, but would have only taken a half a star if we could rate in that way because of the lengths of the chapters, and how each one had parts. I never like to put a book down in the middle of a chapter, but reading this as an ebook, it told me how long it would take me to finish the chapter, and some said 55 minutes, and I like to read a bit before bed, but had to stop mid-chapter due to just being tired, but wanting to read more.

Tanner is in search of his father, that his grandmother let him know his name, city and state on her deathbed. Jasper is just trying to live his life in peace, having visits with his neighbors kid Mitch, teaching him how to Whittle. Kaitlyn is a doctor, divorcee and single mother of two (Mitch and Casey). Each of there stories twist into one another’s, without them even realizing it.

I loved this book and can’t wait to receive my pre-ordered hardcover on publishing day.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC in return for my honest review. It was truly a surprise to be picked and a joy to read.

Tanner who is on track to be come an army ranger is taking some time off after his grandmother passed. She tells him to go to Asheboro, North Carolina to find his dad. She was only able to give a partial name. There Tanner meets Kaitlyn and her two kids who he spends some time with. Then we meet Jasper and his dog Arlo and everything his has over come in his life. This is a great story of long lost family!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I have always been a huge Nicholas Sparks fan. My mom has a tradition of buying me his books for Christmas every year that he has a new one, so I own every one of his books. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I saw I received an ARC of Counting Miracles!

Counting Miracles was so heartwarming. It isn't the traditional romance book I've grown to expect from Nicholas Sparks, but I liked it nonetheless. I adored all of the main characters, and enjoyed following their story lines. The relationship between Casey and Mitch was my favorite - growing up with 5 older siblings, I would have loved to have that type of bond when we were younger! Where the book lost me a little bit is with the slow pace. The majority of the book takes place in about a week span, and not a ton happens in that week. I also didn't like the overabundance of Bible quotes, but I think they fit.

Overall, I give this a 3/5 and look forward to Nicholas Sparks' future books!

This was such an emotional read. There was a lot of references to the Bible and God so keep that in mind when thinking out reading this book. Counting Miracles is about an army ranger, Tanner, who was taken care of by his grandparents and before his grandmother passes away she lets him know where he can find his father. Tanner sets out to try and locate his dad. I loved how the book talked about how life sometimes falls apart or gets unbelievably tragic especially for one of the characters but for you not to give up. If you continue on or have faith life falls back together. Even though I figured out the twist pretty early on I was fully invested. The writing was so captivating and beautiful. I felt like I could picture everything like a movie. I have read Nicholas Sparks since I was young and I always enjoy everything he writes.

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

Nicholas Sparks does such a great job at reeling you in and pulling on your heartstrings.

This story follows three characters: Tanner, an army ranger; Kaitlyn Cooper, a single mom; and Jasper, an elderly man haunted by his past. The intertwining story of these characters creates a tale of love, loss, and miracles when you least expect it.

Personally, I felt like the romance aspect was more of a distraction than an addition to the story. I found myself wanting to rush through the relationship stuff to get to Jasper's story. A story that will leave a permanent mark on your heart!

If you like romance, emotional family dynamics, and a little suspense, I think you will enjoy this one

Tanner Hughs is an Army vet and since leaving the service has drifted from job to job around the world with the USAID. But when his grandmother falls ill he is forced to come back to the US. His grandparents know him better than anyone seeing as they raised him. In her final moments, his grandmother's wish for him is to stop wandering and to find his home. She also drops a bombshell on him - the name and location of his father that he's never met, sending him on a journey to Asheboro, NC. Once in Asheboro, he meets Dr. Kaitlyn Cooper, a single mother of two, and is immediately smitten. All the while, the talk of the town is the rare sighting of a white deer. Kaitlyn's son learns wood carving from Jasper, an old man who lives only with his dog in an isolated cabin in the forest and once Jasper learns of the white deer, he is determined to protect it from the poachers. As the book goes on, Tanner, Kaitlyn and Jasper's lives become intertwined.

This wasn't a typical Sparks romance. While there was obviously romance between Tanner and Kaitlyn, it almost seemed like the secondary story to Jasper's stronger story. I really wished we got more of the romance and wished the book hadn't ended where it did or we got more from the epilogue because it seemed like they were finally getting to a great point. I didn't love the strong religious aspect to this book, and at times it felt like a bit much. I loved Kaitlyn's kids, Casey and Mitch, they added some lightness and humor to the book. And Josh is absolutely one of my most hated characters. He was written so well and the scenes with him would make my blood boil. I loved how everything came together at the end and I was definitely tearing up. Another great Nicholas Sparks book!

So good! This is exactly why N.S. is simply one of the greats. He tells us about the lives of seemingly unrelated characters and then intertwines their stories and connects them in such a flawless way. I love the character development in Tanner and how his journey to Asheboro was sort of like therapy and made him realize what who he was and what he wanted. I loved Kaitlyn and Cassie’s relationship growth. And, although I was heartbroken by Japser’s story, I was so happy that he got his miracle in the end! Also, I am a sucker for a good love story ending so of course was thoroughly satisfied with Tanner and Caitlyn’s ending as well.

Nicholas Sparks is one of the greatest storytellers of our time. When you see his name on a book, you know it won't disappoint. The characters feel like friends and neighbors. Tanner Hughes, a former Army Ranger, is on a journey trying to find his roots and that journey leads him to Ashboro, NC. An accident leaves him stranded in the town for longer than he planned, and roots start to develop, but is he ready to allow that to happen?

Tanner Hughes has been on the move his entire life, first under the care of military grandparents and then as an Army Ranger. He's had no desire to settle down until his grandmother's last dying words to him are the name and location of his biological father. Determined to find him, Tanner sets off to Asheboro, North Carolina. He's in town less than a day when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper. He can tell she has a story to tell and he's set to hear it. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn's neighbor, octogenarian Jasper, lives in an old cabin bordering a national forest with his dog, Arlo. When he hears of a white deer being spotted, he's determined to save it from poachers.

Told from the perspective of Tanner, Kaitlyn, and Jasper, these seemingly separate stories intertwine as the plot unfolds. Truths come out and maybe miracles really do happen.

My thoughts:
I've read plenty of Nicholas Sparks books over the years and I've enjoyed them all! This one was different though. Jasper's story leaned more heavily on the Bible and Christianity than any other Sparks book I've read and as someone who is not religious and who doesn't read religious-based books, that really threw me off at first. I did really enjoy Jasper's story, more so than Tanner or Kaitlyn's, however I don't think the bible verses really added anything.

Tanner and Kaitlyn's story honestly felt predictable and unrealistic to me. They had this insta-love thing going on and it just seemed really far-fetched. I did like the addition of Kaitlyn's children as side characters and I do think they added to the story.

Overall, definitely not my favorite Nicholas Sparks book and a bit disappointing in the end. But a nice story with a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the digital ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Counting Miracles is the newest book by Nicholas Sparks. There are two intersecting storylines. First is the story of Kaitlyn, her two kids, and a potential love story with Tanner. This storyline is why you read Nicholas Sparks. The second is the storyline of Jasper, an older man who has suffered a lot of loss and he is teaching Kaitlyn's son to carve wood animals.

When you read Sparks you are expecting a romance with heart and some depth to the storyline and typically it's a page-turner that has you wanting to see what happens next. In Counting Miracles, it feels like Sparks is trying to be more literary and serious. If this was my first book by him I might have enjoyed it more. Instead, I found myself pushing to go back and work through the Jasper storyline, which sometimes felt belabored, to get back to Kaitlyn and her family. Her son and daughter were both interesting, and I appreciated the real family dynamics there.

All in all, Counting Miracles is a good read, it just depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another classic Nicholas Sparks book. You always know what you are getting in his books. This story is the perfect mix of romance, mystery, and suspense. I have enjoyed all of his books.

This book felt too much like many of his other books. It was still a good, emotional read, but maybe in the future he needs to try something a little different.