I have some pet peeves when it comes to books. One of my pet peeves is "perfect" (and therefore unrelatable) characters. But Patterson is quite a trickster- making you think that at least one of these characters has a fatal flaw. But nope. In the end we discover that all characters were perfect after all- perfect looking (well, there is the one girl who thinks she's too tall. Like a model), perfect acting (always thoughtful, always kind, always good-humored, open and loving and talented with good taste), rich, educated, sociable, beloved by all...

Sorry. I just puked in my mouth a little.

I mean the leading man, Matt, is not only tall and handsome and humble and handy, but he's also an emotionally sensitive poet that dances with his wife on the beach and makes love like a fierce tiger. He never gets mad, he never leaves his socks on the floor. He smells like the sun.

Sorry. Happened again.

The women aren't any better. Highly successful, gorgeous (but don't know it). Neither understand how to use birth control but FORTUNATELY they're both fabulous natural mothers- of course. Never a moment post-partum. Never a night when, going on two hours sleep she freaks out at her Ken-Doll husband in the middle of the night- yelling at him to get his sorry- arse out of bed and help her before she burns down their glorious beach house along with their yuppie CD collection, fresh produce, and romantic lighting.

Even the baby is perfect. Never fusses. Never poops all over the adorable crib crafted from beachwood by his perfectly toned and tanned father. Never throws a tired-tantrum in the middle of the family photo.

"Isn't it lucky?"

I'd say. The luckiest fabricated family in the friggin' world. But then, I've never been to Martha's Vineyard.

Having said that, there was one thing in the book that made me feel something- a mother's love for her baby- THAT felt real. THAT was touching. THAT was devastatingly sweet and sad. Still. It would have been more real and touching if mother and baby had been human.

Props to Patterson for attempting to write from a woman's perspective. It just wasn't this woman's.

Very gripping, very touching! I don't think a book has made me moved to tears as this one.

The sadness is bottled up inside and I ache to let it out.

I've read more of James Patterson's novels than I care to admit, and from what I've observed, their general pattern is a little bit of exposition followed by some drama and suspense, which is mostly boring or unbelievably contrived (or both), followed by some sappy, overly-sentimental, unimaginative, and highly predictable denouement.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas is a deviation from Patterson's mode of operation in the following respect: it isn't suspenseful or even remotely thrilling. Not even if you stand on your head, squint your eyes, and read it backwards. While preparing to jump out of an airplane. Flying over the Marianas Trench. It's just plain cheesy, in a vomit-inducing kind of way. And that's a bold statement, coming from a cheese-lover.

On principle, I like to finish anything I start, but I couldn't even get through this one. This book is the sappiest, corniest, lamest, most boring and unromantic piece of crap since... well, probably since the Patterson novel that immediately preceded it. Love story? Please. Do yourself a favor and watch "The Notebook" instead.

Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas starts with a break-up for Katie; and her dumper, Matt, gives her a diary (Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas), wherein Suzanne is his wife, and Nicholas his son.

Whilst reading the book, I was trying to figure out how this could end up happily. (I know, I'm a sucker for happy endings) But I couldn't think of one (Apparently, I haven't been cliché-d enough), that doesn't involve... magic. (Sunday's At Tiffany's is still one of my favorites of James Patterson; and it's not as if I've read a lot of his work. Hehe!)

My friend asked me if I cried. And I realized I didn't. I'm sure I don't have a heart of stone, otherwise I'd be dead already. Or a vampire.

Anyway.

But I would quote Katie. n  Oh God, why would you let something like that happen?n I think that that basically sums up my "crying part".

Aside from that, I think it's fair to say that I found this book both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Love, even though it could be painful.
And life, no matter how short and temporary.
Isn't it lucky?

I liked this as a romance story that wasn't mushy and repetitive. I didn't like that it took a long time to get to the "answer" and then it rushed through to the end. An interesting departure from the typical James Patterson thrillers.

read this if you want to feel sad. on the plus side the audiobook was only 4 hours so you won’t be sad for long…

Book for which you are going to cry but you must to read

I can’t … I just wow. The book just hooked me since page one. The characters, the narrative with the diary. The reflections of the Katie :.. I’m just speechless …
Even so I need to complain about page 208 … who the fuck names the movie “chicken run” in the middle of a complicated chapter on the life of a character?! .. WTF!!! Thx for spoiling the moment -.-

This book came highly recommended by several people in my life saying it was one of the best books they have ever read. After reading the whole thing in one 6 hour sitting i can honestly say it is truly one of the best books I've ever read! It sucks you in and you can't put it down until you finish!

I read this one on a plane and at some point the stewardess came up to my row and gave me tissues. If a book is written well or talks about a touchy subject, I can be a tad emotional. This book did it for me.

Im used to Pattersons murder mystery novels so this was a definite change from the norm. I would say I probably prefer the murder mysteries over the sappy stories but he did a pretty good job with this one.

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Amazon.com
James Patterson, author of such bestsellers-turned-blockbuster-movies as Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, exposes his sensitive side in his new novel, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. Katie Wilkinson's boyfriend Matt dumps her; not a total cad, he leaves her a gift, a diary kept by Suzanne, his first wife, for their son Nicholas. Though it's not exactly the diamond ring Katie was hoping for, she's unable to make herself destroy the diary--against her better judgment, Katie begins to read.

Drawn against her will into the other woman's world, Katie learns of physician Suzanne's heart attack at age 35 and her decision to slow down, accomplished by a move to Martha's Vineyard and a new job as a simple country doctor. When love comes knocking, in the form of housepainter-cum-poet Matt Harrison, Suzanne is ready to listen to her newly repaired heart. Though painful for Katie, she begins to know and like Suzanne and her infant son Nicholas. Suzanne's devotion to Matt and their son shines through, as well as her plainspoken wisdom. While the journal helps Katie understand Matt, whether they can write a future together remains in question.

I wasn't expecting to shed tears today.