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Book Review of Nights in Rodanthe

Nights in Rodanthe
emeraldfire avatar reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1


Broken-hearted and reeling from such betrayal, Adrienne Willis must rethink the entire course of her life after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Now, at age forty-five, Adrienne has been divorced for three years, and is simply worn down by life. The trials of raising her teenage children alone and caring for her terminally ill father have ultimately left Adrienne completely exhausted and severely emotionally depleted.

At the request of a friend, and seeking respite and self-rejuvenation, she has come to Rodanthe - a coastal village in North Carolina - to tend the local inn for the weekend. What seems to Adrienne like a perfectly restful plan at first, is threatened by the news of a major brewing storm. Her time away doesn't seem too promising...until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives.

At fifty-four, Paul is a successful surgeon, but in the past six months his life has unraveled into something that he doesn't even recognize. Estranged from his son and recently divorced, he has sold his practice and his home and has journeyed to this isolated town with hopes of closing a painful chapter in his past. Inevitably, Adrienne and Paul come together as the storm sweeps over Rodanthe and two battered and bruised hearts find a home with each other. Something begins between them during that single weekend; a bond that will resonate with them for the rest of their lives, intertwining past and future, love and loss.

In my opinion, this was a surprisingly good book; I really, really enjoyed the story. I don't usually like reading anything that is overtly romantic, but to me, this was a true love story and not just a 'romance-for-the-sake-of romance' plot. The story was well-written, touching and poignant, and I enjoyed it immensely. I know that I have at least one more book by Nicholas Sparks sitting on my bookshelf, and I think Mareena has at least two or three books by this author that she says she'll lend me to read as well. I give this book an A+!