The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Summary:
When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I've only read three books by Nicholas Sparks, but I think The Lucky One is my favorite so far. It was definitely the most engaging and best written compared to The Last Song and Dear John. Even though these romance novels aren't my favorite books ever, I still enjoyed reading The Lucky One.

I'm not a huge fan of plain romance, usually I like some action or dystopia along with it. Nicholas Sparks seems to have won over the hearts of many women but I've never been all that impressed with his work. Lucky for me, The Lucky One is one of his better books. I liked the plot and I was interested in the characters, which made me want to keep reading.

The Lucky One is very readable; I read it in about a day. The pages just kept flying by and it wasn't a chore to read. The only thing I don't like about Nicholas Sparks's books is that they seem shallow: we never get to really know the characters. I would like more of a connection and more insight into their feelings and motivations.

Overall, I liked The Lucky One and thought it was one of Nicholas Sparks' better novels. These aren't my favorite books ever, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the movie.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from a friend.

2008/Grand Central Publishing/326 pages.