Listen to this instead. Much better Message in a Bottle

I read this for the first time years ago and it’s one of my absolute favorite Books by Nicholas Sparks!

There’s not a single book written by Nicholas Sparks that I don’t like. Their love story was absolutely beautiful and by the end it made me cry. I’m touched by how much love they carry for each other and for the people that they’ve lost. Knowing that the letter from Garret was found by Theresa for a reason is the most romantic thing ever. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time that she believes Garret will get her final message in a bottle.

*Review contains spoilers*

Wow well I'm probably going to have a headache into tomorrow morning. I just finished reading this book and sobbing my eyes out. Hubby is cooking veggie burgers now so we can watch the movie version (fo free) on Roku after this. I read some other reviews about how this book was loosely based off Nickolas Sparks' parents love story. It is just so heart breaking. I enjoyed also how in this book Sparks had the couple do a long-distance relationship. That hit home for me personally. I also knew Garrett would be upset with Theresa when he figured out the true origin of their meeting...I mean that was predicatable, but I was still happy when we got there. I wanted some drama! I am surprised that we ended the book with them not together...in fact that a year of time had gone by before making the decision to attempt to get back together. Theresa's letter at the end is what did me in. Her thanking him for "showing me that there will come a time when I can eventually let you go" just hit me hard. Garrett at times came off clingy and stupidly dependent on her, but the relationship felt real. I also was annoyed with Theresa sometimes acting like Garrett should be "over her". Same with the father, Jeb...telling his son it's time to "let go and move on". I'm not a widow and I hope to never be one. I wonder though, if this is an accurate thought-process for those dating widows/widowers. In my mind, the person will always love their previous spouse. They really are with you forever. But you, I guess, are able to make room in your heart to love your current life and your previous one with your deceased spouse. IDK let's hope and pray neither of us ever have to figure that out, but I just wonder. I would think you'd be respectful that the other spouse will always be involved in a way. It seems complicated, but that's something I like about Sparks' books - they are always complex and although they are fiction, seem like they could almostttt happen. Garrett passing away shocked me and I was like "nahhhh, Sparks isn't going there", but he did! I flew through this book because I just really enjoyed it. I wanted to know how we were going to deal with the real life issues of where to move, how will this work out, can it just be the two of us, etc. Overall I would recommend to a friend or family member.

P.S. The movie sucks lol.

I bought this book used for fifty cents at a book sale.

I'm glad I didn't spend more money on it. What a disappointment. It dragged pretty much through the entire book & then BLAM, the end SUCKED so hard it just pissed me off & any good feelings I'd had from this book were quickly forgotten.

messages for history

"In a world that I seldom understand, there are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. sometimes they gust with the furry of hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one's cheek. but the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore. you, my darling, are the wind that I didn't anticipate, the wind that has gusted more strongly than I ever imagined possible. You are my destiny"

Read this book while vacationing in Cancun in 1998. Read the final page watching the dawn on the beach. Perfect experience!

If I remember correctly, it was one of my favorite books during that time. The book made me compelled to write a letter and throw it out to sea, which I never did.

It's a heartfelt story that should be read. However, it's not memorable because after all of these years, I am not interested in reading it again. It's a one-time-good-book read. If you like Sparks's writing, then I highly recommend this book. If you enjoy stories about how two people don't know about each other, but it's fate that they should be together, get this book. If you're into sappy love stories, get this book. Otherwise, don't. :-)

Abandoned! I’m just not into the romance genre. My inner cynic just jumps up and down saying “no way would he/she behave that way”. I can’t override my sense of disbelief.” I gave “Message in a Bottle” a go because it had a promising beginning, but romance writing is romance writing; I’m just too practical to be intrigued by it.

I love about all of Nicholas Sparks' books! Not my favorite of his, but still a worthy read!

Re-read; read for the first time in high school. This was the first ever Nicholas Sparks book I read. I wanted to re-read it before I read Two-by-Two because that remains the last Sparks book I haven't read so wanted to revisit the first book of his that I read. He is by far a favorite of mine and cannot wait for more books from him.

i honestly was pleasantly surprised by this book, maybe more of like a 3.8/5 but i’m rounding up anyway. at first i thought it was just going to be super sappy not knowing what to expect from a Nicholas Sparks book. i actually thought it was very sweet and shed light on very real and difficult moments in relationships. the ending caught me OFF GUARD was not expecting that. was trying so hard to hide the tears on the plane.

Though I found it to have a slow start, it became apparent that it was worth it. Definitely a page turner and you'd better have tissues.