True Believer: A Book Review

So I’m not sure how I managed this, but without knowing that this was the sequel to True Believer, I did somehow end up reading it before At First Sight.  This is what happened: I received for Christmas one year several of Nicholas Sparks’s books, as he is one of my favorite authors; over the years I have grabbed a book from this pile when I am in the mood for a romance; I was unaware that any of his books had sequels; owning both True Believer and At First Sight, I luckily grabbed True Believer first.  Now, these books are not strictly sequels, which is why this is not mentioned on the cover.  However, At First Sight does follow the same characters as in True Believer, and the timeline simply continues from one book to the next.

Title: True Believer

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Genre: Romantic Fiction

Sequel: At First Sight

Publisher: Warner Books

Publication Date: April 12, 2005

Pages: 465

Out in Paperback?: Yes; April 11, 2006

Goodreads

Amazon

My Rating: 3/5

Review:

Goodreads Summary:

Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in "Scientific American," he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.

Characters:

Both of the main characters are fairly likable throughout this book.  Jeremy is the typically New Yorker with a cocky attitude (but in a likeable way – that funny, cocky way), and Lexie is a librarian who is completely stuck in her own world of running the library.  She is sweet but protective of herself as she fights the idea of falling in love and being hurt.  The other minor characters of the small town, where Lexie lives and Jeremy visits, are fairly stereotypical of how those from a small town are portrayed: often in everyone else’s business in a funny and loveable way, causing drama, rumors, and gossip.  Gotta just love them. :)

Plot:

So I love Nicholas Sparks, and I have read almost all of his books.  I am fully aware that his plots are often redundant but still enjoyable.  This book, however, was simply redundant for me.  Let me better explain.  I loved The Guardian; the action that took place aside the romance was a perfect mix for me.  I also loved Dear John for the ending that took a twist I did not see coming, an aspect I also respect in books.  True Believer was simply a love story, similar to all Sparks’s other novels, minus the surprise ending or any real action.  By chapter two, any reader would know how the book is going to end, and when it did end that way, it was unfulfilling and disappointing due to the lack of surprise.  I guess I have read too many of his books to really enjoy reading about the developing love between two characters without some aspect of surprise for me as the reader.

Writing Style:

Like I mentioned, I love a large majority of Nicholas Sparks’s books.  I have read them and enjoyed them for several years now.  Although the plot in this book was a little bit of a letdown, simply because I found it a little overdone, I did continue to enjoy his writing style.  I love the description that he writes as it allows me to feel more connected to the setting and the book.  Overall, I feel that Nicholas Sparks is an amazing author, one of my top favorites.  I have loved so many of his books, because of his writing, and just because I didn’t care too much for this one, does not mean I will stop reading his books.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Love the romance or feel the redundancy? Have you read the “sequel” to this book? A review will be coming soon!

FTC Disclaimer:

All items mentioned were purchased by me.  This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.  No affiliate links were used.