True Believer / At First Sight

by Nicholas Sparks, David Baker (Narrator)

From the world's most beloved chronicler of the heart comes this astonishing story of everlasting love. As a science journalist with a regular column in Scientific American, Jeremy Marsh specializes in debunking the supernatural and has a real nose for the strange and unusual. A born skeptic, he travels to the small town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, determined to find the real cause behind the ghostly apparitions that appear in the town cemetery. What he doesn't plan on, however, is meeting and falling hopelessly in love with Lexie Darnell, granddaughter of the town psychic. Now Jeremy must make a difficult return to the life he knows, or do something he could never do before-take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, TRUE BELIEVER will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.

<!-- end main content -->Endings bring new beginnings and tragedies lead to unexpected joy, as the tale begun in TRUE BELIEVER continues with AT FIRST SIGHT. There are a few things Jeremy Marsh was sure he'd never He'd never leave New York City; never give his heart away after barely surviving one failed marriage; and never become a parent.

Now Jeremy is living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, engaged to Lexie Darnell, the love of his life, and anticipating the start of their family. But just as everything seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, a mysterious e-mail sets off a chain of events that will test the strength of their commitment. Capturing all the heartbreak, tension, and romance of the newly wed, AT FIRST SIGHT explores the love between a man and a woman and between a parent and a child-and reveals an extraordinary that the emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it...

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Nicholas 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.

Reviews

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed both of these books but after reading them have decided to stop reading his works all togheter. I am not a fan of main charachters dying at the end and that seems to be a common theme in his books. At First Sight was okay but a definite heart rencher at the end. I would not reccommend it unless you really want to cry.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not to my liking....moved too slowly for me. Didn't waste my time finishing it. There are too many other books out there for me to read.

[Morgan Brunelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy novels about believers and skeptics. This book had an interesting plot and vulnerable characters. Lagged a little in the beginning, but it grows on you.

[Kellie Stroud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of True Believer. It is the first of a 2 book series and is one of his older novels. I had read its sequel, At First Sight, years ago not knowing that it was a sequel. This story introduces the reader to Lexie and Jeremy, and is set in the small town of Boone Creek, NC. Jeremy, a journalist and expert at debunking supernatural events, receives a letter about a cemetery and the appearance of some mysterious and ghostly lights that appear on foggy nights. He heads to Boone Creek to investigate, and while there meets Lexie, the town librarian. This book combines mystery and romance and is a satisfying and enjoyable read!

[Becca Benson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book of the two was fine. It’s not life changing but it was fine.

I didn’t like the second book. It just didn’t feel like it had much of a story arc to it. You know how it’s going to end and you’re just going through a regular person’s life until the ending you know is going to happen because it’s very obviously foreshadowed at the start of the book

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series!!!

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy I hated this book. I could not finish reading it. I’m sorry but it was like watching a cheesy ABC made for TV love storey.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all the books I've read from Nicholas Sparks, it has a bitter/sweet ending. I guess real life is not always hearts and flowers or rainbows and unicorns.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as Nicholas Sparks books go... this was a disappointment. The ending of the second book is awful. I mean it works and makes sense, but why did it have to happen?

[Lynn Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hated the ending, which was surprising.

[Gloria Richman]

Gloria’s

[Ora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little predictable and fluffy but it is Nicholas Sparks, after all. Always romance and the cemetery sightings did peak my interest.

[Kayla Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

At First Sight is a brilliant sequel to True Believer.

[Kimberley Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of all of his books. First time it’s ever been a struggle to get through.

[Misty Hatten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great 2 book series!

[Elisa Mattar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was kind of expected, but still a beautiful story!

[Beth Furbeck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his best. Kind of a slow read.

[Anna Semerjian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Triggers: if pregnant maybe avoid reading. Had I known, I’d have not read this book.

[Cindy Schoen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars.

[Mariola · Rating 1 out of 5]

.....yawn yawn, this book nearly put me in a coma. Infantile dialog, beyond words boring narration, predictable conflicts resolutions, if one can even speak of any errrr conflicts.
Author states the obvious again and again. His characters could not be any more flavorless even if he tried. It's safe to say, this one will not be made into a movie.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have already read true beliver and thought it was excellent!! I'm going to start at first sight and am really excited about it! I also finished the at first sight book and it was really good until almost the end....they did clear it up by the end so it was still a really good book though.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy read

[Joell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right now I am reading True Believer. So far I really like this book.

[Marian · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book "At first Sight" was HORRIBLE! It was really hard to get into, but I had heard that it was good so I kept reading. It got worse. I really disliked it.

[Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

True Believer was a cute little love story but then the sequel ruins it all.

[Angie]

I have read True Believer and I loved it, I want to read at first sight.

[Msalvione2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book as his others.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG I really enjoyed this audio... until the end of At First Sight. I never seen it coming...

[Mel Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stop at true believer

[Aarika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked true believer because one finally had a happy ending. Then At first sight completely pissed me off. I should have known he would bring in a stupid twist. They were good books though.