The Return is one of quite a few Nicholas Sparks books I’ve read lately. I’ve had this one on my TBR for quite a while and decided to buy the paperback (I had a galley) because I thought it would probably be a book I wanted to keep.

Unlike every other Sparks book that I’ve read, and admittedly I’ve not read them all, this one doesn’t have a parallel story line from a different character or different timeline’s perspective which I thought was quite different.

The story follows veteran Trevor Benson who returns to his late grandfathers cabin to further recover from his war injuries. He meets Natalie and Callie and his story unfolds telling the relationship between him and the two women.

This is quite a heartwarming story. Trevor is a heroic main character in many ways and is a very kind person, who looks out for others. It is definitely a tear jerker at many points throughout and from the prologue you’re left wondering how we’re going to circle back to that point throughout the story.

Another moving and romantic novel from Sparks. I love his ability to weave a story and pull on the heartstrings. I also love his depiction of people and place, and The Return is no exception. I was totally absorbed in this story of an injured Navy doctor and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I am so happy to have finally gotten to it.

Unfortunately this missed the mark. It was sadly a very slow burn and the writing felt quite haphazard in parts which made the overall book read like a draft rather than a completed novel.

(3.5) I so wanted to love this but the slow slow slow burn + detective work + intense bee details meant I felt my thoughts drifting. I would say the ending is very typical of Nicholas Sparks and wasn’t awful but didn’t pack the same punch for me that The Notebook had.

This was a solid storyline with gorgeous characters - although not my favourite from Nicholas Sparks, he still continues to provide us with gut-wrenching stories and I am also ready to have my heart broken by him.

I love a Nicholas Sparks story and this was a really enjoyable read, although not what I expected from a typical Nicholas Sparks novel. I loved reading Trevor's story and was gripped from the beginning. I was fascinated by the storyline of his PTSD after returning from Afghanistan and his relationship with Natalie.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

This book was a a bit meh for me. I didnt really get the whole love story and didn't feel investedin the story. He usually writes such beautiful love stories but this not as good as his other books. Such a shame.

I enjoyed this, it’s not the best novel written by this author, but a good story none the less.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I’m a big fan of the Nicholas Sparks universe across mixed media and it was a pleasure to read an advanced copy of The Return. Sparks never fails to disappoint with his world famous romances. Future classics, for sure!

This is my first book from Nicholas Sparks and I had high hopes. But it turned out as disappointment. The story lacks the grip, the characters doesn’t give the feel as the outline of the book. I finished the book just for the sake of reading.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

i've only seen Nicholas Sparks films and not read any of his books so was intrigued to read this book

To be honest I was a little disappointed and confused. Easy to read but not that exciting

I have to say that I love myself some Nicholas Sparks every once in a while. I did not enjoy all of his books as much but definitely most of them. With this one I am very happy. I liked the story and the character development. It is just a solid good Sparks novel that is worth a read.

The Return

I enjoyed the first quarter of the book. I was interested in Trevor and his grandfather and why he was in New Bern.
However after then I found it very very slow...then rushed (the main relationship) then very very slow again.

I have read previous Nicholas Sparks books and very much enjoyed them and we all know Nicolas Sparks is amazingly talented but I really struggled with the pacing of this book.

I also hit a snag because I really disliked Natalie..I found her paper thin and not very interesting and yet the sides of her we did see were too severe for me to ever warm to her.

I enjoyed Callie and her story but didn't think everything wove together very well. It certainly felt like 2 distinct stories and I would have preferred everything to have been more linked.

I also really disliked the ending because of what had to happen for the ending.

However as I said the writing is great and I really enjoyed the beginning.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

When I heard that there was going to be a new book by Nicholas Sparks I was incredibly excited.
The story was beautifully written and really captures your attention from the first chapter.
The characters are rather intriguing and all have their own traits and quirks.
I found the love story between Trevor and Natalie to be somewhat unbelievable, as shortly after meeting for the first time, Trevor seems to obtain a rather unhealthy obsession with her, that made me feel a little uneasy.
Having said this, as their romance blossomed throughout this book, I found myself feeling more invested in their unique love story.
When we meet Callie, she adds a completely new depth and feel to the entire book. She is rather illusive, as she doesn't seem to have any family, and is extremely reluctant to let anyone know what her last name is. This certainly kept me engrossed and needing to discover what she was hiding.

I have always thoroughly enjoyed this authors unique way of telling a story that truly immerses the reader in the world in which they have brought to life.
The characters are well developed and realistic, each with their own individual past stories that add to the depth of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Beautifully written, with a wonderful storyline and captivating characters, a definite must read.

I was really excited for this book as soon as I heard that there was going to be a new Nicholas Sparks book, but this one was a slight letdown for me. I found it hard to accept the Insta-love between Trevor and Natalie, and Trevor seemed to be unhealthily obsessed within hours of meeting her. Natalie is very standoffish and gives Trevor mixed signals throughout, although it becomes clear why later in the story. Before her secret is revealed though it was easy to get frustrated with her for not making her intentions clear.

I did enjoy the story of the illusive Callie. Nobody knows her last name and she doesn't have any family that anyone knows of so I was invested in her story more than Trevors. I also enjoyed hearing stories about Trevors Grandfather who sounded like a wonderfully kind man, and I couldn't wait to uncover the mystery surrounding his final days.

Overall I did enjoy the story but found parts of it difficult to get through especially in the middle. The writing was classic Nicholas Sparks though, beautifully descriptive and immersive. I could almost feel myself sitting on Trevors porch looking out over the creek and breathing in the fresh air. I also learned a lot about Bees which was really interesting and unexpected.

Thank you to @netgalley and for the copy of "The Return" in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions. It has been living in my Kindle for months and thinking I needed a heart-warming and comforting read, I immediately thought about Nicholas Sparks.

Having read a number of books by Nicholas Sparks, I know what I'll get with them. It is a tried and tested formula and one that makes me feel all warm after reading - just the ticket for these weirdly apocalyptic times!

"The Return" follows the story of our leading character, Trevor Benson, a retired army doctor suffering from PTSD after a mortar shell attack in Afghanistan. Trevor returns to New Bern, North Carolina to take care of his grandfather's house after his death. Trevor is desperate to find out the circumstances that led to his ninety-one year old grandfather to travel seven hours on the interstate before suffering a stroke. Add the mysterious female characters of Callie and Natalie, closely guarding their respective secrets and you have all of the ingredients for a mystery/ love story.

Sparks writes so well; depicting places, characters and scenes perfectly. Being a honey addict myself, I loved the descriptive qualities in the scenes where Trevor is tending to his grandfather's hives.

It was an emotional read, with some really sad parts but ultimately, all ends well as with most of other books by Sparks. Sometimes that warm and fuzzy feeling is what's really needed in literature!

Honestly, I enjoyed this book but was not blown away by it. It was good, and an easy read, but definitely a slow burn at the beginning and rather predictable! I am normally a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks but this one didn't hit the mark for me.

A very charming read, sweet, engaging, great characters, and a wonderful story that flowed wonderfully and kept me interested until the very end.

A really lovely read.