Product Description

#1 New York Times bestseller Nicholas Sparks turns his unrivaled talents to a new tale about love found and lost, and the choices we hope we'll never have to make.


Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.


Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4084 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-24
• Released on: 2007-09-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

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.

From AudioFile
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, physicianÕs 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 TravisÕs torment when Gabby falls into a coma after a car accident that is his fault. As Gabby fails to recover, Graham captures TravisÕs 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-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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]

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable
I enjoyed reading this book... moreso at the beginning. Part II is rushed and melodramatic and didn't live up to the complexity and maturity I thought the story captured better in Part I. I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to buy the book. It was a quick read. It probably wasn't fair that I read it right after "Three Cups of Tea," which is so profoundly written and such a compelling true story. Still, especially if you enjoy "chick books," it's probably worth it if you are up for a little romantic fantasy and enjoy dogs and North Carolina as a backdrop.

2 Choices
Nicholas Sparks writes a moving love story between Gabby Holland, an attractive young Physican's Assistant and Travis Parker, a handsome local Vet in a small town in North Carolina. Gabby moved to the small town to be with her boyfriend and soon-to-be finance. However, as things progress, Gabby notices that Kevin is hesitant about commitment and the initial spark begins to wain. It all becomes clear to Gabby when she meets her neighbor Travis. Through a series of fun-filled weekend activities, they become involved and Gabby is faced with a choice. During the second half of the book, which is not nearly as exciting as the first, Travis is also faced with a difficult choice. In both cases, they choose the best choice!

What a choice!
Several people had warned me. "Oh, you're reading a Nicholas Sparks book," they had asked. "You're going to cry." It seemed the unanimous assumption to his books.

Obviously, like many people, I had enjoyed the movie of "The Notebook" and heard numerous life-altering stories about the novel. Never feeling compelled to read the source of that adaptation, I picked up another of Nicholas Sparks' novels ("The Choice" being currently up on the NY Times Bestseller list). It also helped that most of the people I'd spoken with about this novel had yet to read it. The back of the paperback indicated a fresh new story, full of romance and intrigue. A neighbor's encounter leads to the possibility of love.

How blind I truly was by it all. This book is startlingly funny and gets you right in the places of your heart that need it most. I could barely put it down and found myself bonding with the characters despite the minute exposition and short storyline. I felt I knew Travis and his sister Stephanie and could completely empathize with how neurotic and crazy Gabby was. I loved these characters so much, I didn't understand why time had to jump 10 years later for the second part of the book.

I won't spoil it all, but will say that "The Choice" is an expansive and gripping novel of love at all costs. It teaches you to conquer your fears and let go of what "may happen" for the honest experience of what is happening.

This was my first Nicholas Sparks book and I will eventually read them all. I now just have to wipe the tears from my eyes to get to the bookstore! This was such an amazing read!