The Choice: Amazon.ca: Nicholas Sparks: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In his 13th book, bestselling Sparks (At First Sight, etc.) limns the far-reaching implications of several seemingly ordinary choices made by Beaufort, N.C. veterinarian Travis Parker and his next-door neighbor Gabrielle Holland, a physician's assistant and recent arrival. After an inauspicious first meeting where Gabby accuses Travis's boxer of impregnating her purebred collie, the two fall hard for each other. Already dating someone else seriously, Gabby is faced with a dilemma: whether to stick with longtime boyfriend Kevin, or get involved with Travis. The first part of the tale paints a vivid picture of her decision-making process and its effects on Travis and Gabby's lives. That sets up Part II, which takes place 11 years later when Travis faces a life and death decision following a car accident. A tender and moving love story and a quick read, Sparks's latest does not disappoint.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Holter Graham gives a polished performance with his versatile skills and vocal range as he embraces the roles of Travis Parker, local veterinarian, and Gabby Holland, physician's assistant. In Part One, Graham captures the exquisite story of their attraction, love, and marriage with a warmth and rhythm that breathes life into the characters. Ten years later in Part Two, Graham portrays Travis's torment when Gabby falls into a coma after a car accident that is his fault. As Gabby fails to recover, Graham captures Travis's conflict over a decision he must make--a decision based on a promise Gabby extracted from him before her life took its tragic turn. A compelling story. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08] --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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2.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Ho-hum, ho-hum..., Aug 26 2008

By

The Mad Hatter "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Choice (Paperback)

What ever was Nicholas Sparks thinking when he wrote this novel? I have read and cherished many of Spark's previous novels, including Message in a Bottle, The Guardian, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, The Wedding and Dear John; however, this one falls flat.

The main characters, Travis and Gabby, are predictable while the plot is melodramatic, sappy and reads like an overdramatic soap opera. The plot is basically one that can be found in many other novels - man meets woman, they fall in love, she has an accident, goes into a coma, comes out of a coma and the two live happily ever after - nothing unique about that.

Gabby's dog gets pregnant, Travis's dog Moby seems to be the father, and it all seems to be Travis's fault. If Gabby didn't want her precious collie, Molly, to get pregnant, why didn't she do what any responsible pet owner would do - spay or keep the dog in her own yard? At times, it was difficult to tell if the primary focus of this book was a romance between Travis and Gabby or the unplanned mating of two dogs.

The dialogue also came across as amateurish and juvenile. Sorry, Mr. Sparks, some of your other novels rate high on my list of favourites but this one simply fizzled out for me before the end of the first chapter.

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Facile Weekend Romance Followed by a Marital Challenge, Oct 30 2007

By

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)

This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)

Travis Parker is a good-hearted man with lots of friends, but he's never found the right woman. His complaint? They all depend on him too much for choices.

Life quickly changes for Travis when irate Gabby Holland, his next-door neighbor, barges into his life to complain about his dog. One thing leads to another, and the two spend an increasingly compatible weekend together that leads to mutual appreciation.

Many years later, something unexpected happens that forces Travis to make one of those decisions that none of us ever want to make. I can't tell you more without spoiling the story.

It's a very bizarre book in terms of structure . . . less than bare bones. You spend most of the book on having two people become acquainted in a few days and then fast forward into one point in the future. It's like reading two acts of a five act play (the first and last). I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it had covered more ground in the book, rather than in my head.

I also didn't like the ending all that much. I won't say more.

If you are a big Nicholas Sparks fan, you'll probably enjoy the book . . . but don't expect anything special except in terms of the ways he describes Travis as a model for men to emulate . . . and women to appreciate.

Be patient, kind, and considerate . . . always.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.1 out of 5 stars (316 customer reviews)

95 of 107 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars An Average Choice, Sep 24 2007

By Wantz Upon A Time Reviews - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
on 09/22/2007

In a small coastal town, Travis Parker has almost everything he could wish. He loves his job, he gets to hang with long-time friends, and he enjoys water sports, motorcycling, and travel. All in all, it's a good life.

Everything he knows is thrown off-kilter when he meets his new neighbor, Gabby Holland, who happens to be in a relationship with another man. For her part, Gabby is excited, scared, and confused by the things she feels around Travis. She's been dedicated to her golf-crazy boyfriend for a long while, but Travis makes her feel new things. At some point, she'll have to make a decision.

Famous for his take on the sensitive hero and tender love, Nicholas Sparks latest offering is THE CHOICE, in which unexpected feelings lead to unexpected things. As the fun-loving guy with a big heart, Travis is easy to like from the beginning. Gabby, on the other hand, is a very mixed bag.

On the surface, Gabby seems to be kind hearted, but she comes across as someone who is easily upset, has doormat tendencies, and can't quite control her emotions. Travis sees her as sweet and having a great sense of humor. Readers are likely to see her as lacking a sense of humor until later, and even then it's sketchy. Characters are supposed to grow throughout a story, and Gabby does, but her introduction makes it difficult to sympathize with her from the beginning, especially in regards to her relationship with family and, well, her steady boyfriend.

A tragedy in the last hundred pages of the novel almost redeems all that went before. It's hinted at in the prologue, but Sparks elects to play a trick on the read, leading them to expect something quite different from what actually happens. It'd difficult to explain without giving it away, other than to say that it straddles the fence of cheap versus clever.

THE CHOICE is an average read for an average day. Sparks fans are likely to feel a bit let down, but there are far worse things a person could read.

3-Books

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Another love story from Sparks, slow beginning, good end, great characters, Oct 8 2007

By Bill Garrison - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)

THE CHOICE by Nicholas Sparks is not a book I'd normally read. Not my favorite genre. My wife has read all of his books, and I've started reading them now too because they are easy to read and Sparks is a great writer. The summary on the inside cover tells you almost everything you need to know about the plot. Travis Parker is a 32-year old bachelor that loves having his married friends over for cookouts. Gabby is the new neighbor who is new to town, has few friends, and wonders when her boyfriend Kevin is going to ask her to marry him. Gabby at first doesn' t like Travis. He seems like an insensitive neighbor. From the plot summary, you know they are going to marry, so the first two thirds of the book covers a couple of days that Gabby and Travis spend together while Kevin is out of town. They go parasailing with Travis's friends. They ride motorcycles. And they fall in love. Sparks writes in a way that keeps you turning the pages, but the first part of the book seemed overly long because you know they are going to get together. There really isn't any conflict except Gabby's doubts about her relationship with Kevin. Even that isn't as strong as it could have been. The boyfriend doesn't really stand a chance when it comes to the true love Gabby and Travis discover. As usual, Sparks creates a girl in Gabby that is, while not perfect, a girl you could imagine falling in love with. Travis has similar qualites. He is adventerous, a gentleman, and although a bachelor, is great with kids and hopes to have them someday.

Part Two begins in the present, when Gabby and Travis have been married for ten years, and here, we find out what kind of "choice" Travis must face. Here, the plot thickens and the conflict increases. As with the two other Sparks books I've read, a lot of things have to be forced to happen for Sparks to come up with the kind of plot and conflict he wants. Still, the conflict Travis faces is real and sincere and there isn't really a right decision.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I wish that the first part, which lasts about two-thirds of the book, had told more of a story instead of detailing every last bit of interaction between Travis and Gabby over a two day period. Men, I'm sure your wives will love this book, and you might just enjoy it too if you are a sucker for a good love story.

67 of 80 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars If you loved THE NOTEBOOK, you will love THE CHOICE!, Sep 21 2007

By City Girl "Bookworm" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)

I love Nicholas Sparks' books. I am an avid reader and rarely am moved to tears by a male author, but find I am always reaching for the tissues when I read a N.S. book. I love the emotion, the "realness" of his characters. The plot centers around two people who meet and fall in love and the choices and promises they make to each other during their relationship. If you loved THE NOTEBOOK, and it's sequel, THE WEDDING, you will love THE CHOICE. I read this book in a day since it's a short book, but also because I was drawn into the story and couldn't put it down.

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