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Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell #2
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks is an astonishing story of everlasting love, as the tale begun in True Believer continues. The story of Jeremy Marsh.
Unknown Binding
First published September 5, 2006
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About the author
Nicholas Sparks
412 books238k followersNicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,529 reviews
January 11, 2009
Ok, usually I really like Sparks - his books are enjoyable, quick reads that don't take too many brain cells and sometimes give you a few warm fuzzies.
Now, I didn't put this together with "True Believer" until I started to write this review, so I was pissed throughout the entire book because there was NO detail about how they fell in love, so it was completely unbelievable - it sounded like Jeremy was constantly trying to talk himself into believing he was in love.
I was listening to this one in the car and honestly only finished it to continue screaming obscenities every few minutes because of the absurdity of some of the dialogue and the idiocy of the characters. I mean..the characters were super dumb. Dense. IQ impaired. Which made me not like them.
And the narrator had the creepiest fake Southern accented falsetto when he did Lexie's voice that he made her sound even less intelligent than some of her dialogue.
Truly this was a groundbreakingly terrible novel! I think it deserves some kind of award...Sparks might be running out of steam, because this novel was pure drivel.
And if I had more free time on my hands I'd write him a letter to tell him how much I didn't appreciate the ridiculous number of "way down south" stereotypes that he put into Boone Creek - I've lived in NC for a long time, and I've never met anyone named Jed, I don't know any taxidermists who only grunt instead of speaking (and are ordained ministers as a side job?? - ok, I don't know any taxidermists PERIOD), NONE of the men I know dress in flannel shirts, and I've NEVER heard of a mayor who is so very involved in the personal lives of the (not wealthy) people in his town! I mean, this stuff was RIDICULOUS. RE-DIC-U-LUSS.
Don't read this. Please. For me. Don't read this book.
Now, I didn't put this together with "True Believer" until I started to write this review, so I was pissed throughout the entire book because there was NO detail about how they fell in love, so it was completely unbelievable - it sounded like Jeremy was constantly trying to talk himself into believing he was in love.
I was listening to this one in the car and honestly only finished it to continue screaming obscenities every few minutes because of the absurdity of some of the dialogue and the idiocy of the characters. I mean..the characters were super dumb. Dense. IQ impaired. Which made me not like them.
And the narrator had the creepiest fake Southern accented falsetto when he did Lexie's voice that he made her sound even less intelligent than some of her dialogue.
Truly this was a groundbreakingly terrible novel! I think it deserves some kind of award...Sparks might be running out of steam, because this novel was pure drivel.
And if I had more free time on my hands I'd write him a letter to tell him how much I didn't appreciate the ridiculous number of "way down south" stereotypes that he put into Boone Creek - I've lived in NC for a long time, and I've never met anyone named Jed, I don't know any taxidermists who only grunt instead of speaking (and are ordained ministers as a side job?? - ok, I don't know any taxidermists PERIOD), NONE of the men I know dress in flannel shirts, and I've NEVER heard of a mayor who is so very involved in the personal lives of the (not wealthy) people in his town! I mean, this stuff was RIDICULOUS. RE-DIC-U-LUSS.
Don't read this. Please. For me. Don't read this book.
September 7, 2024
This rating pains me!
Off to go find a thriller to get me back in my book groove.
Off to go find a thriller to get me back in my book groove.
November 18, 2010
DEAD SOMETHING ALERT! DEAD SOMETHING ALERT!
STOP READING THIS REVIEW NOW BECAUSE THERE IS A SPOILER OF SORTS HERE!
CONTINUE ON IF YOU DARE..........
Why do I read this crap when I know he's gonna kill someone off every time!???!?
Screw you, Sparks!
STOP READING THIS REVIEW NOW BECAUSE THERE IS A SPOILER OF SORTS HERE!
CONTINUE ON IF YOU DARE..........
Why do I read this crap when I know he's gonna kill someone off every time!???!?
Screw you, Sparks!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2008
I only ever pick up Nicholas Sparks because I loved The Notebook, but this time it was a mistake. The three main events in the book are:
1. Jeremy and Lexie are getting married, but someone is trying to break them up.
2. Their baby could die or be born with a deformity.
3. Ta-da! Neither of those happen! Lexie just dies in childbirth instead. But her death had nothing to do with the the threats to their relationship or the disease the baby didn't get, it was just a freak accident. So by the end, the story seemed totally disjointed, like he's just throwing in anything tragic to keep the women of America in tears. Badly done sir, badly done indeed.
1. Jeremy and Lexie are getting married, but someone is trying to break them up.
2. Their baby could die or be born with a deformity.
3. Ta-da! Neither of those happen! Lexie just dies in childbirth instead. But her death had nothing to do with the the threats to their relationship or the disease the baby didn't get, it was just a freak accident. So by the end, the story seemed totally disjointed, like he's just throwing in anything tragic to keep the women of America in tears. Badly done sir, badly done indeed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 11, 2011Well, so far this book makes me want to die while vomiting. Patently unoriginal and laden with cliches, this book is about a romance between 2 people in their thirties who have the emotional development of teenagers. The characters' thoughts and behaviors are trite, predictable & almost always stereotypical. This book is a Harlequin romance packaged as literature, except not as good.
January 24, 2012
After reading many Nicholas Sparks books, I thought that he lost his magic. I no longer cried for any of his books and my rating lessened to 3-4 stars. So, when I first saw this book, it had 'boredom' written all over it. But little did I know that this book was that "tear-trigger" of a book!! The guy is wicked! He made me cry. Uncontrollably! I mean how could he do this!? I thought this book was gonna end with a happy note just like True Believer (its first part!). But here I'm crying like never before. Why!? Why her? And I would like to slap that one-heck-of-a-jerk Alvin! All I can say is that I cried and cried wondering to myself "What the fish is wrong with me! It's just a book! You are not Jeremy, you don't know Lexie and you haven't seen Claire"! Beautiful, sad, eye-roller...the book is wow. I know it's a cliche. He has a killed a lot of his characters and left lot of the lovers crying. But, I don't know, this book just got through ma heart not even waiting for its pass to be checked!
October 23, 2024
This is a well-written, entertaining contemporary romance novel. It has wonderful characters, small town charm, romance, relationship drama, heartbreak, hope, and an unexpected conclusion. This is the second entry in the Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell series, and it can be read as a stand alone, but it is better after reading "True Believer". I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Mr. David Aaron Baker, does an outstanding job voicing the characters. I also own a paperback edition of this novel.
April 30, 2023
Nicholas Sparks you are such an incredible author but once in awhile one of your books disappoints me. Unfortunately this was one of them but I did continue reading until the end hoping it would get better. Regardless of not enjoying this book I will continue to be your very faithful followers.
April 29, 2010
Horrible book! I didn't know Sparks had it in him. I usually love his novels...they're easy, feel-good reads. But this one, ulgh, where do I start?
The characters (especially Lexie) were SO annoying through the whole thing. Lexie wasn't willing to sacrifice anything to be with Jeremy...he had to move to Boone Creek, in the middle of nowhere, and do everything else on her terms. Bought the house she wanted, the renovations she wanted, in the city she wanted etc...and meanwhile, she didn't even seem grateful that he gave up everything to be with her (even his best friend who thought he was making a mistake in marrying her so fast).
And then to top it off, she kept LYING to him!! She kept sneaking off to see...what's his face (I can't even remember his name...Rodney was it?) and then when Jeremy confronted her about it, not only did she try lying, but she tried manipulating him by turning it around saying it was his fault she had to sneak around! For pete's sake, she was HOLDING HANDS with an ex-boyfriend and then lying about it, I think anyone would be ticked off and suspicious! Not to mention, Rodney and Lexie's best friend, Rachel, were having relationship problems because Rachel thinks Rodney's still in love with Lexie, so what does Lexie do? She tries to "help" by consoling Rodney (ie: holding his hand, going over alone to his place to comfort him and listen) and then lies about it to Jeremy. Cow, cow, cow. Maybe try staying away from Rodney so that him and Rachel could work things out? How Rachel could stand being her friend was beyond me. Nor do I recall Lexie helping Rachel when she fought with Rodney, but she was more than willing to offer a shoulder for Rodney to cry on.
Anyways, despite all that, Jeremy still stood by Lexie's side AND gave her the wedding SHE always wanted (of which he wasn't even allowed to invite his entire family in order to keep it small).
This story did not make me feel like I was reading about true love, rather I felt like I was reading about blind desperation.
Needless to say I will not be reading this book again. It's pretty sad when you can't even cry for the death of the character because you loathed her too much.
The characters (especially Lexie) were SO annoying through the whole thing. Lexie wasn't willing to sacrifice anything to be with Jeremy...he had to move to Boone Creek, in the middle of nowhere, and do everything else on her terms. Bought the house she wanted, the renovations she wanted, in the city she wanted etc...and meanwhile, she didn't even seem grateful that he gave up everything to be with her (even his best friend who thought he was making a mistake in marrying her so fast).
And then to top it off, she kept LYING to him!! She kept sneaking off to see...what's his face (I can't even remember his name...Rodney was it?) and then when Jeremy confronted her about it, not only did she try lying, but she tried manipulating him by turning it around saying it was his fault she had to sneak around! For pete's sake, she was HOLDING HANDS with an ex-boyfriend and then lying about it, I think anyone would be ticked off and suspicious! Not to mention, Rodney and Lexie's best friend, Rachel, were having relationship problems because Rachel thinks Rodney's still in love with Lexie, so what does Lexie do? She tries to "help" by consoling Rodney (ie: holding his hand, going over alone to his place to comfort him and listen) and then lies about it to Jeremy. Cow, cow, cow. Maybe try staying away from Rodney so that him and Rachel could work things out? How Rachel could stand being her friend was beyond me. Nor do I recall Lexie helping Rachel when she fought with Rodney, but she was more than willing to offer a shoulder for Rodney to cry on.
Anyways, despite all that, Jeremy still stood by Lexie's side AND gave her the wedding SHE always wanted (of which he wasn't even allowed to invite his entire family in order to keep it small).
This story did not make me feel like I was reading about true love, rather I felt like I was reading about blind desperation.
Needless to say I will not be reading this book again. It's pretty sad when you can't even cry for the death of the character because you loathed her too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2009
Save yourself $8 and get somebody to beat you with a stick, or run over you with a small car. It will be the same feeling you get from reading this book, and at least then you might get a sympathy card or some flowers. Not only was this book depressing, but the tragety was unrealistic, farfetched and unrelenting. Somebody do the world a favor and buy Nick Sparks a prescription to Prozac.
May 9, 2013
I hated this book almost from the start. First of all, Jeremy and Lexie meet, have sex, become pregnant, and get engaged...all within six weeks. He doesn't know her middle name, who her friends are, or about a dozen other things you should know about someone when claiming they are the love of your life. He drops his entire life and moves from NYC to Boone Creek to live with Lexie because she refuses to live in NYC. Which isn't a shock considering the rest of the book depicts Lexie as a self-centered brat. She sneaks around behind his back then gets pissed when he calls her on it. She forces him into buying some rundown house that nearly bleeds him dry during renovations. She takes him on an extravagant shopping spree for baby stuff. Oh, and let's not forget the sportscar he'd saved for and lusted after his entire life. I could've handle some of this if Lexie had actually put a dime toward any of this herself. Nope, Jeremy footed the bill for the entire thing.
Then this mysterious email pops up and (kind of) threatens to derail everything. But when you find out who's behind the email, you're left with a "are you kidding me?" and not in a good way. Later on Jeremy gets into a fight with his best friend Alvin and ends the friendship--over one fight. While I can't say I condone what Alvin did, his heart was in the right place and he didn't deserve to lose his best friend (although, there was a part of me that thought Alvin was better off with Jeremy). Yet, Lexie has a fight with her bff Rachel and they stay friends. (Lexie gets her way yet again...*insert eye roll*)
The ending of At First Sight was typical for a Nicholas Sparks novel in that he simply cannot allow his characters to ride off into the sunset. The ending was not unexpected and didn't leave me with any real emotion for the characters. I'm bound and determined to find one Sparks novel I don't loathe but this one isn't it.
Then this mysterious email pops up and (kind of) threatens to derail everything. But when you find out who's behind the email, you're left with a "are you kidding me?" and not in a good way. Later on Jeremy gets into a fight with his best friend Alvin and ends the friendship--over one fight. While I can't say I condone what Alvin did, his heart was in the right place and he didn't deserve to lose his best friend (although, there was a part of me that thought Alvin was better off with Jeremy). Yet, Lexie has a fight with her bff Rachel and they stay friends. (Lexie gets her way yet again...*insert eye roll*)
The ending of At First Sight was typical for a Nicholas Sparks novel in that he simply cannot allow his characters to ride off into the sunset. The ending was not unexpected and didn't leave me with any real emotion for the characters. I'm bound and determined to find one Sparks novel I don't loathe but this one isn't it.
July 4, 2007
Nicholas Sparks brings back the characters first introduced in True Believer - Jeremy Marsh, a writer from New York City; and Lexie Darnell, the small-town, southern librarian. In At First Sight, Jeremy and Lexie are preparing for their upcoming wedding shortly after Jeremy's move down to Boone Creek, N.C. to be with her. On top of the wedding stress, the couple is also trying to keep it under wraps that Lexie is pregnant.
The book follows Jeremy and Lexie through the pregnancy, the subsequent purchase of a house, and Jeremy's writer's block that doesn't seem to be going away. When Jeremy begins to receive suspicious emails from an anonymous sender, the relationship goes through more twists and turns.
Sparks rounds the book out with former characters: Lexie's psychic grandmother, the mayor of Boone Creek who always seems to know everyone's business, and the taxidermist/hotel employee whose wedding gift is a stuffed wild boar. The quirks and predicaments will keep readers laughing, but the subsequent happenings in the story make this book as much of a tearjerker as The Notebook. Sparks has a wonderful grip on the relationships between men and women, and just how many boundaries true love can cross. Can one fall in love at first sight? Read and find out...
The book follows Jeremy and Lexie through the pregnancy, the subsequent purchase of a house, and Jeremy's writer's block that doesn't seem to be going away. When Jeremy begins to receive suspicious emails from an anonymous sender, the relationship goes through more twists and turns.
Sparks rounds the book out with former characters: Lexie's psychic grandmother, the mayor of Boone Creek who always seems to know everyone's business, and the taxidermist/hotel employee whose wedding gift is a stuffed wild boar. The quirks and predicaments will keep readers laughing, but the subsequent happenings in the story make this book as much of a tearjerker as The Notebook. Sparks has a wonderful grip on the relationships between men and women, and just how many boundaries true love can cross. Can one fall in love at first sight? Read and find out...
March 5, 2010
This book just didn't do it for me. I found myself continuing to read it hoping that it would get better. I thought that Sparks was trying to make a book out of nothing...he should have left these characters as they were at the end of True Believer..instead he dragged them along and it ended up being a disaster.
1. I hated the constant fighting...how old are these 2? It's called communication.
2. Alvin...you pig. and lame.
3. The ABS...needless stress and making it seem just too dramatic.
4. Killing Lexie? REALLY!?! After she grew up not having a mother, you do the same thing to her daughter? Really, in my opinion this was a cop-out. I really despeised this ending and it actually made me angry. I'm not saying everyone should live happily ever after but I felt this was more along the lines of shocking rather than fitting with the story.
I'm sorry I wasted 2 days on this book. It left nothing but a bad taste in my mouth.
1. I hated the constant fighting...how old are these 2? It's called communication.
2. Alvin...you pig. and lame.
3. The ABS...needless stress and making it seem just too dramatic.
4. Killing Lexie? REALLY!?! After she grew up not having a mother, you do the same thing to her daughter? Really, in my opinion this was a cop-out. I really despeised this ending and it actually made me angry. I'm not saying everyone should live happily ever after but I felt this was more along the lines of shocking rather than fitting with the story.
I'm sorry I wasted 2 days on this book. It left nothing but a bad taste in my mouth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2017
No sé ni por dónde empezar a hablar de este despropósito de libro. En lo positivo... me quedo con que Sparks mantiene su voz propia, esa que hace que una novela suya sea reconocible entre mil. Y poco más.
En lo negativo, empecemos: la traducción y la edición del libro deja mucho que desear. Además de algunas faltas de ortografía, hay una repetición de expresiones que se hace insufrible ("ni tan solo", por ejemplo, aparece constantemente, y ni siquiera es una expresión natural en español). Y hay errores de continuidad que son demasiado fuertes para que no me sienta un poco estafada por haber invertido dinero en este libro. Un ejemplo: "el 28 de abril firmaré el contrato de la nueva casa; después llegará mi despedida de soltero y, unas cuentas semanas después, la gran boda, el 6 de mayo". Caramba, sí que cunden 8 días en el universo Sparks; dan incluso para que pasen varias semanas. En fin...
Pero nada de esto me parece esto lo más grave. El problema es que el señor Sparks necesita urgentemente un viaje al 2017. A lo mejor así no construiría una novela basada constantemente en tópicos sobre hombres y mujeres. Cosas como que las mujeres siempre buscamos un hombre con buena posición económica porque va en nuestro ADN o una constante ridiculización de las molestias y "antojos" de una mujer durante el embarazo. Son solo dos ejemplos, pero es constante en la novela. Las mujeres somos pobrecillas que necesitamos el apoyo de un hombre; ellos son machotes que se mueren del agobio ante la idea del amor. Sumemos a esto escenas de celos sin sentido, personajes femeninos que rompen con sus amistades porque, claro, lógicamente, cómo va su prometido a aceptar que tenga amigos chicos... y mierdas varias más.
Nunca hago críticas tan duras como esta, pero lo acabé hace cinco días y todavía me hierve la sangre.
En lo negativo, empecemos: la traducción y la edición del libro deja mucho que desear. Además de algunas faltas de ortografía, hay una repetición de expresiones que se hace insufrible ("ni tan solo", por ejemplo, aparece constantemente, y ni siquiera es una expresión natural en español). Y hay errores de continuidad que son demasiado fuertes para que no me sienta un poco estafada por haber invertido dinero en este libro. Un ejemplo: "el 28 de abril firmaré el contrato de la nueva casa; después llegará mi despedida de soltero y, unas cuentas semanas después, la gran boda, el 6 de mayo". Caramba, sí que cunden 8 días en el universo Sparks; dan incluso para que pasen varias semanas. En fin...
Pero nada de esto me parece esto lo más grave. El problema es que el señor Sparks necesita urgentemente un viaje al 2017. A lo mejor así no construiría una novela basada constantemente en tópicos sobre hombres y mujeres. Cosas como que las mujeres siempre buscamos un hombre con buena posición económica porque va en nuestro ADN o una constante ridiculización de las molestias y "antojos" de una mujer durante el embarazo. Son solo dos ejemplos, pero es constante en la novela. Las mujeres somos pobrecillas que necesitamos el apoyo de un hombre; ellos son machotes que se mueren del agobio ante la idea del amor. Sumemos a esto escenas de celos sin sentido, personajes femeninos que rompen con sus amistades porque, claro, lógicamente, cómo va su prometido a aceptar que tenga amigos chicos... y mierdas varias más.
Nunca hago críticas tan duras como esta, pero lo acabé hace cinco días y todavía me hierve la sangre.
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March 10, 2021The sequel to the novel true believer, has it all. Jeremy, who according to medicine is incapable of procreation, is the father of Lexi's unborn baby girl. The two have not known each other very long, but they want to spend their future together. But there are hurdles to overcome and friendships to break before the big day. But in the end, love wins, or does it? Complications arise during the pregnancy, but in the end everything turns out differently. Jeremy learns that we are nothing without love and that one moment can change your whole life.
January 6, 2021
This book just further proves why Nicholas Sparks is one of my all time favorite authors. I fell so deep into this book and came out crying. I had no idea how attached I was to these characters until the end of the book. I just love his writing and the ending of this one was so unexpected. I’ll need a minute to breathe before I pick up another book. 😭❤️
April 15, 2019
Creo que el autor es mucho mejor con los libros autoconclusivos
September 7, 2012
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Just like Jeremy and Lexie’s union, this book is really rather a waste of time. It puts you through a relationship from hell with no rewards in sight even if you manage to reach the back cover. This couple’s courtship and marriage is a dispiriting affair peppered with doubts, lies and Lexie-laid emotional minefields that no intelligent man (as Jeremy was portrayed to be) would have tolerated for 10 minutes, never mind 277 pages. Even the poor old baby that the two managed to conceive during one of their few better moments didn’t escape the misery that casts its shadow over all of this book. Threatened when in the supposed safety and comfort of Lexie’s womb, doomed to be labeled a killer when it pops out, then inhabited by the restless spirit of its dead mother, this baby has been dealt one tough hand. Frankly, we would all have saved a lot of time and effort if Jeremy had stayed put and divorced on the Upper West Side.
Just like Jeremy and Lexie’s union, this book is really rather a waste of time. It puts you through a relationship from hell with no rewards in sight even if you manage to reach the back cover. This couple’s courtship and marriage is a dispiriting affair peppered with doubts, lies and Lexie-laid emotional minefields that no intelligent man (as Jeremy was portrayed to be) would have tolerated for 10 minutes, never mind 277 pages. Even the poor old baby that the two managed to conceive during one of their few better moments didn’t escape the misery that casts its shadow over all of this book. Threatened when in the supposed safety and comfort of Lexie’s womb, doomed to be labeled a killer when it pops out, then inhabited by the restless spirit of its dead mother, this baby has been dealt one tough hand. Frankly, we would all have saved a lot of time and effort if Jeremy had stayed put and divorced on the Upper West Side.
September 28, 2007
I picked this up on a whim at the airport, on my way to see clients in Texas. Up until then the only Sparks book I'd read was Nights in Rodanthe. I think I'd received it as a selection of the month once when I forgot to return the slip. Though I found the character descriptions to be a bit over the top, fantastical as it may have been I did enjoy the story. So much so, that a couple of weeks later I was travling again and I picked up True Believer.
These books certainly aren't challenging my intellect, but they do cause me to pause and take stock of where I am and what I have. I'm oddly drawn to media which invokes a type of nostalgic revival of poigniant moments of celebration and loss, lately. Maybe I'm entering a mid-life crisis. :)
These books certainly aren't challenging my intellect, but they do cause me to pause and take stock of where I am and what I have. I'm oddly drawn to media which invokes a type of nostalgic revival of poigniant moments of celebration and loss, lately. Maybe I'm entering a mid-life crisis. :)
November 30, 2008
I was kind of disappointed with this book. It is about Jeremy, who meets Lexie while on a writing assignment. Soon after, she becomes pregnant, and Jeremy arranges his life to be with Lexie; he moves to her hometown, they purchase a house, and he attempts to get his new life with her in order. I didn't feel much interested in the story, and it seemed kind of predictable. The ending was sad, but it did little to make me feel more connected to this book.
September 18, 2015
Where to begin? This book was atrocious. I felt no connection to the characters at all. I am usually a huge fan of Sparks and his stories - Safe Haven and A Walk To Remember are two of my favorites and they will always be up there when it comes to great love stories. This..? What a load of tripe. First of all, all of the characters are densely stupid. So much so that at times you will feel like you are a Harvard graduate when you're reading it. The mayor is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY involved in everyone's personal lives. It feels so fake and forced- what mayor knows everything about EVERYONE in his town? That was a little weird. Then there's the fact that Lexie acts like a girl who doesn't know what relationships are. Jeremy voices his concerns with her 'sneaking' around and seeing another guy (even if it's not a romantic type of see- it still isn't right for her to do) and she gets mad at him and makes HIM feel bad. Even though he wasn't the one sneaking around. Go figure. And then when it comes to Jeremy, he's a sex obsessed grown man stuck in a college mind. All he talks about is Lexie and how pretty she is, etc. Though they are having a baby neither one seems really sure that they are invested in the whole process - it's like they don't know what having a baby entails. The relationship felt wrong from the get-go and the whole time I was reading this I was silently rooting for them to separate and find people they are more compatible with. Of course that didn't happen. Then the ending happens and you're just kind of like.."...really?"
Basically, this is NOT in Sparks' top five. Or even ten. I used to wonder why all of his books hadn't been made into movies and well, this book gave me the reason. If you're like me and wanted to go back and read all of his earlier novels since you've read his more recent ones, save yourself the trouble and don't even bother. There are just too many other great books that deserve your attention instead.
Basically, this is NOT in Sparks' top five. Or even ten. I used to wonder why all of his books hadn't been made into movies and well, this book gave me the reason. If you're like me and wanted to go back and read all of his earlier novels since you've read his more recent ones, save yourself the trouble and don't even bother. There are just too many other great books that deserve your attention instead.
April 3, 2017
I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading Nicholas Spark but it certainly was not this, not because it was astounding but ordinary. Ordinary up to the point of bewilderment.
The writer has described things beautifully, the common problems in being a relationship,trust issues. The anxiety and fear relating with starting a new life, marriage, kids and parenting. Though things and events sometimes seems to get slower and tedious, but I like his way of describing feelings and emotions simply.
Despite these I had issues with this novel... I was skeptic through out the whole time, as if there was something wrong, something missing.
1. There wasn't any description about how Jeremy Marsh had fallen in love with Lexie.
2. There wasn't any logical explanation for the child being his.
3. Why the hell he'd had to move down there and she wasn't willing to leave.
4. what exactly was the mysterious lights (I know they are called mysterious because they weren't known, but still there has to be something.)
As for the ending my instincts were hinting me beforehand, and I wasn't much surprise nor grieved as I don't believe in expecting happy endings all the time, so I was okay with it.
The writer has described things beautifully, the common problems in being a relationship,trust issues. The anxiety and fear relating with starting a new life, marriage, kids and parenting. Though things and events sometimes seems to get slower and tedious, but I like his way of describing feelings and emotions simply.
Despite these I had issues with this novel... I was skeptic through out the whole time, as if there was something wrong, something missing.
1. There wasn't any description about how Jeremy Marsh had fallen in love with Lexie.
2. There wasn't any logical explanation for the child being his.
3. Why the hell he'd had to move down there and she wasn't willing to leave.
4. what exactly was the mysterious lights (I know they are called mysterious because they weren't known, but still there has to be something.)
As for the ending my instincts were hinting me beforehand, and I wasn't much surprise nor grieved as I don't believe in expecting happy endings all the time, so I was okay with it.
September 1, 2015
This book was excruciating. It seemed like Jeremy and Lexie were teenagers in their first relationship. They did not talk to each other and were both so selfish. I really hated Jeremy for how he was acting and that he was so focused on sex. It was so annoying. I wanted to read about their romance but they just fought all the time, we're winning and juvenile. And then there was all the drama that was so unnecessary I couldn't care less. Sparks should have left this story alone after the first book.
November 3, 2016
A wonderful novel about love and life. Nicholas Sparks does a great job of describing the joys and heartaches of two people who have fallen in love and yet question their choices. I really enjoyed the way the prologue and epilogue tie together the beginning and end of the story.
February 27, 2019
Overall im not as wowed or warm and cozy as i usually am with this sparks book. was it well written ya, decent characters sure, good plot yea the plot was great but it just lacked something for me .
May 20, 2020
Omg why did the author have to do that. That was so so sad. It had me crying. I feel so sad for Jeremy losing his wife during childbirth. Claire would have loved her mother so much. That poor little girl has to grow up without her mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2014
Quería leer esta bilogía hasta que descubrí que Nicholas mataba a su personaje principal, Lexie, y encima, tildándola de infiel, mala, mentirosa, y otras perlitas. Me parece horrible que le hiciera ESO a un personaje como Lexie, que es todo bondad. Encima, siempre debe morirse alguien. Y por lo general, las mujeres se llevan la palma. Pero Jeremy tiene suerte, su mujer se muere y él forma una familia feliz con otra mujer. Sí, porque los hombres deben ser afortunados y las mujeres deben morirse. Sí, Nicholas también mata a personajes masculinos, pero haciendo balance, prácticamente son ellas quienes siempre mueren, y el cáncer sobrevuela todas sus novelas. ¿No se cansa de escribir tragedias enmascaradas tras novelas de amor? Con esta bilogía, Nicholas me enfadó muchisimo y renuncié a leer todos los libros suyos que acaben en desgracia. Estoy hasta las narices que putée a sus personajes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2018
بدأت فى قراءة الرواية لرغبتى فى القراءة لنيكولاس سباركس الذى تعجبنى الافلام المأخوذة عن رواياته وعندما فتحت الموقع لإضافة الكتاب تفاجات بأن أوائل التقييمات بنجمة واحدة . لاانكر انى شعرت بالاحباط لكنى قررت اكمال الرواية خاصة انى لم تضايقنى بدايتها والحمد لله انى لم اهتم بتقيبمات النجمة الواحدة ولم اقرا اى مراجعات فلقد وجدت الرواية رائعة ليست تلك الروايات الرومانسية التى تشعر بالملل منها .الرواية بها الدراما والرومانسية . الحب والشك والخيانة والخوف والاحباط والحزن والصدمة . رواية خفيفة اندمجت معها . وقعت فى الحب والشك عشت مشاعر البطل فى مشاعره مع حبيبته وخطيبته . صدمتنى النهاية او ماقبل النهاية لكن هل الحياة منصفة دائما؟ هل تعطى كل شخص مايريد ؟ بالطبع لا الحياة تصدمنا وتبكينا اكثر مما تضحكنا فلماذا أتضايق من الكاتب ومن النهاية لانها ابكتنى .
January 3, 2023
not a follow-up to one of my favorites of the nicholas sparks binge so far being one of my least favorites of the nicholas sparks binge so far 🫣
December 27, 2018
Una sorpresa esta saga romántica, la única de Spaks, creo. No diré mucho para no hacer spoiler, más que es entrañable y te mantiene al borde del asiento. Al fin un galán que no es un cabeza de músculo. Jeremy es un tipo bastante más simpático que en el primer libro. Muy recomendable lectura. #aprimeravista2 #nicholassparks
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