Five star read without a doubt. The story the characters, the dialogue simply everything about this book is fantastic. And without spoiling anything you will cry both tears of joy and of deep sadness. Pick this up and settle down for hours of great reading.

Wow. I always read at night, in bed, before falling asleep. The ending of this book made me cry so much that I couldn’t sleep for hours. It is so beautifully written and it is so thought provoking. I spent my sleepless night wondering what I would have done in Maggie’s position and what I should learn from her. This is a story that will forever remain in my head and my heart. Thank you Mr Nicholas Sparks for creating such an amazing piece.

In 1996, 16 year old Maggie finds herself pregnant, and is sent away to the remote Island of Ocracoke to live with her Aunt until the baby is born and can be adopted. Life seems bleak until she meets Bryce, the only other person on the Island remotely her age. Bryce is very clever (as well as very handsome) and agrees with her Aunt to tutor Maggie until she can go back to school. Bryce and his mother also have a passion for photography, and in their spare time Bryce teaches Maggie about photography, composition, Photoshop, and printing photographs which she finds she loves and for which she has a real flair.

Cut to 2019, and Maggie is a famous photographer and a Youtuber. She owns a gallery in New York which she shares with a sculptor, but unfortunately Maggie is sick and is as famous for her online blogs about her illness as for her photography. As her illness progresses, Maggie relies more and more on the assistant they have recently employed to help out, and she finds herself telling him about the year her life changed in Ocracoke. As 2019 comes to a close, Maggie story must come to a close too and Maggie finds herself reliving the past by telling her story.

Nicholas Sparks is a wonderful writer, and this book is no exception. There are so many layers and everything is so carefully thought out. The characters are very well written, and believable, and the scenes in Ocracoke are beautifully crafted. It's definitely not a conventional love story. The narrative at times left me smiling, and at others sobbing. I highly recommend this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4234818727

1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until she meets Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island.

By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him. As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier

This was a classic Nicholas Sparks love story. it was such a beautiful story of first love, true love, and family love along with an intriguing plot that kept me hooked the entire time.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

It’s been a few years since I last read a Nicholas Sparks book, I forgot how heart breaking his stories are. This is definitely a tear jerker like all of his previous works so be prepared to ball your eyes out! Book is told through two timelines of 1996 and presently of Maggie who as a pregnant 16 year old was sent to Orcacoke to live with her aunt whilst waiting to have her baby where she falls in love unexpectedly. This was a beautiful story that’s well written (as expected) which would be fantastic as a movie (fingers crossed). Highly highly recommend but don’t read it in public because it will make you ugly cry.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First Nicholas Sparks book I have read, and it didn't disappoint!
A heartbreaking story of love and loss, a story many people in this world can relate to.
Really enjoyed the aspect of photography in the story, not many books I have read feature photography.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.

I loved the telling of this story. I enjoyed the drama, the heartbreak and the romance of it all. As with all Nicholas Sparks stories it was full of poignant moments and quite a bit of heartbreak. Having said that though, there were plenty of uplifting moments and wonderful memories too. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Set in the run-up to Christmas the story starts with Maggie Dawes coming to terms with her future, while looking back at the past and sharing her story with her young assistant, Mark. The characters are so well written and I really liked them all. My heart went out to Maggie for both her past story and trials and her present. She is a determined character who has overcome some difficult times. I loved Bryce, the boy from Maggie's past, his caring side is wonderful and then there is Mark the young assistant who listens so patiently to Maggie's story, he is so kind to her. The characters came to life on the page for me and made me feel their emotions along with them.

Despite having sussed out the twists in the plot very early on, I still shed a few tears at the end of this beautifully written story. If you are looking for a book that tugs at your heart a little but also leaves you with a feel-good factor this is a definite must-read.

Maggie finds herself pregnant at 16, her parents being catholic she is send to her Aunts house on a small island in North Caroline. Maggie now an adult is now in New York telling her story to a young man she works with while battling cancer.

What a beautiful book, the writing is one of the best I’ve read this year. It’s full of happy and sad memories of her life. The characters in the book are warm and make you smile. The writing is so descriptive you feel like your on that porch steps on that small island and then back in New York looking in Macy’s Christmas windows. Highly recommend this read. It’s heart warming, sad and given me a whole new way to look at the world.

Having loved The Notebook (movie and film) as well as Dear John (film) The Lucky One (film and book) and other Nicholas Sparks novels, I was overjoyed to receive the ARC of The Wish.

Over two decades ago, Maggie was sixteen, far from home and waiting to give her baby up for adoption. When she met Bryce,, she was won over by his kind, approachable manner. I loved how he showed her how to take photos and the sweet relationship they had.

Maggie has a secret—Bryce never saw some of the photos. Now working in a gallery, her assistant wants to know about her past. How much will Maggie tell? And most important of all, has she ever forgotten Bryce? Maggie is dealing with a devastating diagnosis and I was genuinely concerned for her.

Nicholas Sparks is a favourite author of mine, and I have loved the other books I have of his.

Not only is The Wish a beautiful life lesson, but it's a love story that will grip you. Themes are: personal priorities, health concerns as well as love and romance. All these themes are dealt with well, but especially Maggie's diagnosis is written about in a sensitive way as well as an immersive one.

Overall, The Wish is an immersive novel and the backdrop of Christmas in New York as Maggie strives to make something of herself in her career and in general is atmospheric.

The novel is poignant, happy sad and romantic all at once. Nicholas Sparks' novels are always whirlwind adventures and the world building, character creation attention to detail and plots are top class. The pacing is also excellent and every Nicholas Sparks novel I have so far is gritty yet relaxing with an obvious dedication to wowing the reader.

Thanks to Nicholas Sparks and Little Brown Book Group UK for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

It’s a long time since I’ve read a Nicholas sparks book and was so glad I read the wish!
The wish is such a poignant moving love story told from the past and the present but linked so exquisitely, it covers teenage pregnancy, adoption, long distance love and cancer but is not depressing or maudlin in the least but full of hope and forgiveness.
Maggie’s story will stay with you long after you have read it,her stoicism, strength of character and resilience are admirable and the huge part Bryce plays in her life is so heartwarming, poignant and all empowering! A real example of how choices made in our youth have far reaching repercussions in later life.
A truely moving reading.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an ARC of The Wish by Nicholas Sparks in exchange for an honest review.

While living with a terminal illness Maggie uploads YouTube videos talking about her cancer, which made her channel – photography videos – rise in popularity. This earns frequent visitors to her gallery and when hiring for a job, she is skeptical, especially of Mark, who seems the perfect candidate. Maggie learns to trust Mark and finds herself telling him about her life, leading to unexpected revelations.

Where to start with this review? Sparks has once again grabbed hold of my heart and didn’t let go until the end of the novel. Even then I am still feeling the emotional repercussions of going on the journey of reading this novel. From the very beginning Sparks hooks the reader into the life of Maggie. The narrative follows her throughout the novel, until the perspective shifts to Mark. Maggie’s story is beautifully executed in her own words and is formatted in a captivating way. The story alternates between the present and past, with Maggie telling Mark her story, transporting the reader to those very moments and reconnecting to the present after she tells her sections. I loved the way Maggie told her story and every aspect felt perfectly written. The pace was flawless and I felt like everything was explored in the right amount.

This book includes signature elements of Sparks, which I’m sure many readers probably expect but still can’t prepare for. No matter how many novels I read by this author his hallmark will always break my heart. The description in this novel was impeccable and not just the vivid descriptions of Ocracoke, but also the complex emotions and situations explored. Sparks tackles difficult topics in an honest and realistic way, never losing the qualities of the characters throughout. While Maggie is 16 and pregnant, sent to live with her Aunt Linda to avoid questions until the adoption, we get introduced to some remarkable characters. Bryce truly is the perfect character. As Maggie goes through her pregnancy, we see the character develop in strength and knowledge through the support of those in Ocracoke. Maggie takes Mark and the reader on a journey through her life. This heartwarming account connects the reader to Maggie and link Mark, will leave wanting to know more at every single page. Because of this, I simply could not put the book down and devoured it in one sitting. There is something majestic and powerful in Sparks writing, which engages all sorts of emotions. There was one twist that I did see coming but I was still shocked to have had it confirmed. Then there is another unpredictable element which I didn’t see coming, but in hindsight could predict. Again, this was not dissatisfactory.

I think when it comes to reviewing a Nicholas Sparks novel it would be apt to replace a star rating to a measurement of tears. In terms of this The Wish is definitely a tear jerker and would require a minimum of one box of tissues – undeniably five stars!

This review will be published on my blog, www.fortheliterature.wordpress.com on 21/09/21.

I don't have words to describe this book... Beautiful is an understatement. It has been an emotion journey to read this book, and I cannot think of anything like this apart from maybe The Thorn Birds (not from N Sparks).

Love is not fear ... That is one thing I am going to keep in mind, and life is short.

Every decision, every action has an equal reaction. Something that was made very clear in the book.

Btw if you going to get through the book, get a box of tissues.

What a beautiful emotional story. When Maggie is sixteen and finds herself pregnant her parents send her to stay with her Aunt who lived in Ocracoke a small remote beach town in North Carolina, where she would stay until she had the baby adopted. She is unhappy and vulnerable but when she meets Bryce a young man who comes to help her with her studies her life becomes more bareable. Twenty years later and struggling with a cancer diagnosis she finally gets to share her story about her life in Ocracoke with Mark who works for her ,and it's both beautiful and heartbreaking and as with all Nicholas sparks novels really draws you in,and by the end I was in floods of tears both happy and sad. A fantastic read

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The story is very touching, full of the love and hope, devotion Maggie, held for her whole life. It takes you on her amazing journey throughout her life.

The relationship that she had with Mark, how he wanted to stay in his professional capacity and his love for photography as well being friends with Maggie, letting her enjoy the places she wanted to see/experience.

Maggie, in the end, started to have feelings for Mark, this is what she wanted to avoid(reasons which will become clear as the story progresses).

When reading a story where a character is dealing with a terminal illness, you can’t help thinking, WHAT IF!

The ending although was clear as I read. a part of it I wasn’t expecting.

This book by Nicholas Sparks is sure to leave you short of breath. The book will tug at your heartstrings.

Absolutely Loved It.

Maggie has always struggled to find approval from her family, it was difficult to match up to her perfect sister and then one mistake led her to really living up to the black sheep of the family label. She finds herself shipped off to a remote island to stay with her spinster aunt until its safe to come home. That time made a lasting impression which still can still be seen in her photos, now sought after by her fans. This Christmas is going to be the most difficult of all but Maggie finds herself comforted by her new gallery assistant and finds herself telling him about those momentous times. A poignant but compelling story despite being a little predictable, I still couldn't wait to hear what would happen next.

I have read a lot of books in the past from this author and I found this a lot different. It was an excellent and well written book with good characters and I really enjoyed reading about Maggie.

I can thoroughly recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and the Little Brown Book Group for allowing me to read this book.

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks a classic five-star read. This is a great story, it brings all of the emotional wringing that you expect from this author, but in a way that keeps it fresh no matter how many books you read. Maggie Dawes tells a great story, but she isn’t the only character in the story that surprised me and showed me so many great sides. This is a great story that I can’t do justice to telling you about, so I am just going to say, if you are looking for something to wrap yourself into then pick this story up.

This novel is the story of Maggie Dawes and is told in dual timeframe. Lovers of Nicholas Sparks’ novels and new readers alike are in for a real treat. I think of Nicholas as the King of romance stories. His tried and tested formula works like magic every time. His storytelling is superb as he writes from his heart with empathy and compassion. His storyboard is authentic and immaculate, giving his well-crafted characters plenty of intrigue and interest. He weaves modern-day issues into his writing which can be joyful or heartbreakingly sad. I have read nearly all of his novels and loved them all.
In this story it is 1996 and fifteen-year-old Maggie makes a terrible mistake that becomes a teenage pregnancy. Her parents talk to her about her options and it is decided that Maggie will spend her pregnancy with her paternal Aunt who lives alone on a remote island called Ocracoke in North Carolina. At first she is very lonely and homesick. Her Aunt used to be a Nun and is very kind to her niece. Soon Maggie comes to love and respect her. She sorts out a tutor called Bryce Tricket for Maggie and soon she settles down, completing her school work and inspired by her tutor. His interest is landscape photography and gradually Maggie becomes very keen, enjoying her extracurricular photography lessons with flair and talent herself. Her pregnancy clinician arranges scans and Maggie learns that she will deliver a daughter who will be adopted by a worthy couple in a closed adoption. Maggie knows she cannot take care of a baby herself and so she waits for her daughter to be born, then leaving the island and returning home to her parents.
The modern story is set in 2019, in a New York Gallery. Maggie has never married and has devoted herself to her chosen career. Yes, it is a success story for Maggie. She is a famous photographer specialising in landscapes and travel. She has travelled all around the globe and has a gallery where she displays and sells her renowned photos. She takes on a young man called Mark as her assistant because of her poor health. She has been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and her cancer has metabolised. She is very sick and weak. Mark is a godsend. He is efficient, friendly and very kind. They make a heart-warming friendship with Mark becoming her personal assistant. It has been years since Maggie has told her story, but Mark encourages her to tell it to him. She is sometimes too ill to be out, but on her good days she recounts her life story a chapter at a time. Mark becomes engrossed in her story and so their relationship is cemented. They sit by the Christmas tree with Maggie opening up her heart. Then Mark asks her what she would most like as a Christmas gift. Her wish is that she would love to see her child before she dies. That would be her most precious gift. But is time running out for Maggie?
This is a truly wonderful novel. I would like to thank publisher Sphere and NetGalley for my copy of this charming story, sent to me in return for an honest review. I loved the issues of first love, loss, teenage pregnancy, adoption and new beginnings. I loved the very satisfying ending. I found the chapters quite long at times and this was the only thing that bothered me. It is a 4.5* review from me.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Nicholas Sparks has always been one of my favorite authors, but the first few books after his divorce were not very good. So I'm leery when i read him these days. I would say this follows true Nicholas Sparks pattern: true love that happens in like two weeks, they can't be together because something happens etc. I would have said predictable, which most of it is, but then he did a great job with a huge twist at the end I didn't see coming. I'm glad he finally wrote a Christmas book as well. Nice job redeeming himself after a few books that were not so good.

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
This truly is a outstandingly beautiful book written with feeling and Compassion.
The story of Maggie rakes us on one amazing journey it's a truly beautiful book and can highly recommend ❤❤