moving story which touches upon the issues of advance directives. this book can be a starting point for discussions of this very important topic among families.

The Choice is about two neighbors, a man named Travis and a woman named Gabby. Gabby finds out her purebread dog is pregnant and is furious. She has never spoke with her neighbor before, but she assumes his dog is the one who got hers pregnant. She storms over to his house and screams at him about it. Although this is their first encounter, Travis is infatuated by Gabby and decides to try as hard as he can to get to know her. They come to find out they are a perfect match for each other. The only problem is Gabby is already dating a man named Kevin, who until she met Travis was planning to marry.

I loved this book! I laughed out loud a couple of times and I cried a couple of times. I have read a few others by Nicholas Sparks and they all had basically the same theme. Man marrys woman. Woman dies. Man meets new woman, but cant get over 1st woman. This one is totally different. Travis is a single man, who has never really had any serious relationships. Everything about this book has something to do with making a choice. This book is a quick read...I read most of it while I was flying to and from my destination. Then once I got home, the first thing I did was sit down and finish the last 30 pages. I highly recommend it.

True to form, Nicholas Sparks unfolds a triumphant tale of love and loss. When Travis Parker unexpectedly meets his new neighbor, tensions immediately begin to rise. Travis makes every effort to be a good neighbor, but despite all of his efforts it seems that he can never do anything right. Gabby, it seems, is quite simply impossible to please.

Travis spends his days living the single life that would make most bachelors envious. He lives for adventure and has no need outside of the companionship of his few close friends and faithful dog. Gabby on the other hand, is a modern, independent woman building a career while she awaits the proposal of her long-time boyfriend.

Despite their differences Travis and Gabby manage to build a working friendship, but that would all change in a single weekend with the materialization of an unexpected romance and the complications that would come with it.

Through a series of unexpected events, Travis and Gabby, would both be pushed to their personal limits, risk losing their love, and inevitably, in their own ways, have to answer two life-altering questions: How far should you go for love? And, at what point do you decide to give up hope?

I simply loved it.....I love NS and all his writings! I have a few that I have not read but after reading this one I feel it is time that I get started. It is a wonderful love story that will have you crying and rejoicing for the couple at the end.

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. Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the appealing redhead seems to have a chip on her shoulder about him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Despite himself, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both to the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. 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?

I really like Nicholas Sparks as a writer. I think he creates very believeable characters. The plots can sometimes be a little schmaltzy, but then sometimes that's not a bad thing either. His books are definately character driven. I found Gabby a little bit hard to connect with. The introduction made her somewhat unlikeable, and while she grew throughout the book, some of her choices and attitudes left me shaking my head a bit. The conflict that our man Travis faces at the end of the book is heartwrenching though and really made me question what would I do in that situation. While I didn't like this book as well as some of his other books, Nicholas Sparks delivers another good read and I enjoyed it.

I'm a Nicholas Sparks fan anyway, but I really enjoyed this book. It kept my intrest the whole time, and I felt the characters were my friends. I love a book that pulls you in like that. Loved it!!

From the beginning, I knew this was going to be a book I could not stop reading! The characters drew me in and would not let me stop turning page after page of a great love story. I actually wish the book was longer so it wouldn't have to end. A great read.

I highly recommend these two extraordinary books. They are very helpful for deep seekers of life and psychology. 1) RUMI & SELF PSYCHOLOGY (PSYCHOLOGY OF TRANQUILTIY) 2) SARA'S THERAPY: THE WAY TO PURITY

This book was very good. I teared up a few times, as always with Nicholas Spars.

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.

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!

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!

Sparks is at the top of his game in "The Choice" as he brings down to earth, in a credible life drama, the reality and consequences that face all of us who find ourselves in the position of having to make life altering decisions, not only for ourselves, but also having been entrusted to do so for another. What I most appreciate about Sparks writing, both here in The Choice and in his other books is his high regard for moral integrity.

Another "can't put down" from Nicholas Sparks... If you like Nicholas Sparks' other books, then this will not dissapoint. Quick, easy, enjoyable read!

Another great Sparks novel. The relationship between the bachelor, Travis, and the girl next door (yes, his neighbor), Gabby, moves along rather quickly. They spend time together and immediately click. The chemistry is evident from the start and both are just people waiting to meet the right person. The choice to be together was the one with least hurdles. The only hurdle was Gabby's existing boyfriend.

The Choice is about a life changing decision Travis faces. Travis is faced with a choice - he battles between what he knows Gabby wants and what he feels is a selfish choice. The struggles he faces are evident and Sparks does an excellent job of developing this portion of the story. The second portion of the book draws the reader in to experience the situation Travis is going thru to understand his conflict in reaching his decision.

I can't say anything more without revealing the story but this is another great Sparks novel. I would have liked to see a little more from Gabby's character (the reason for the 4 stars), but the way I see it, the story is about Travis.

This is a great book. You fall in love with Travis Parker and you want him to have the love of his life and a family like is friends. I couldn't put the book down. I pretty much cried my way through the second part of the book.

I enjoyed this love story. This is what Nicholas Sparks does best--romance. The characters were believable; in fact, I would enjoy spending time with Travis, Gabby, Stephanie, and the gang. I'd enjoy petting the two dogs too. When Travis is giving Moby a bath after the dog rolls in something smelly, I related; I've been there!

There is one R-rated scene which is unnecessary.

The story moves along in a fairly predictable manner, until the end. Then comes a bit of a twist, and a too-quick ending which tries the imagination. I cannot say more without spoiling it for you. Get a copy and read it for yourself.

I had second thoughts when I bought this book but I changed my mind after reading the first 5 pages. I got immersed in the story of the lead characters and the easy, fun and true conversations. Can that really happen in real life? We don't know, but the book sure gives us hope.
I just couldn't put the book down. I think this is the first book that has made me cry, thinking about the possibility of such a sad and tragic thing happen. I guess this book shows us that faith is everything we have but it comes together with true love.

Nicholas Sparks
ISBN: 9780446579926
Grand Central Publishing, 2008
5 Stars
Great Reading...
Reviewed by Amelia Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 09/08
I had heard other readers discuss Nicholas Sparks, but I was not familiar with him myself until I picked up a copy of The Choice. Now, I know what they were talking about.
Sparks has his own personal style of writing. His narrative is understated. He allows to plot to speak for itself. If I had to describe Sparks works, I would say creative, sensitive, romantic, sincere, and touching.
In The Choice Travis Parker has a heart-wrenching decision to make. We peek into the window of his soul as he reminisces the moment he first met Gabby, how their love blossomed, and into their married life. Beautifully written and inspiring, I deem The Choice a must read.

This book is so worth the read! I really enjoyed this book. When the book first starts off, I was sort of confused as to what was going on. Once you get into the story, it is a really well told, good book. The ending was different that what I expected, but it was still good. I reallly reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy recommened this book.

I thought I had given up on Nicholas Sparks after the last two-part debacle of his that I read (At First Sight & True Believer). I skipped Dear John, the novel that came after those two. But I decided that I would give him one more chance with The Choice, which I listened to as an audio book while training for a marathon.

Do not touch this book with a ten-foot pole. It is awful. However, it actually starts out promising. A young, handsome single guy named Travis is living in his small home town in North Carolina, enjoying the single life and his still close relationships with his high school buddies (who are all married with kids). Life is good for Travis. He dates around, hasn't found the right girl yet, but he's not in a terrible rush to settle down. But a new neighbor, Gabby, has moved next door. She's young, attractive, and has a longtime boyfriend who won't entertain the thought of marriage. She and Travis get off on the wrong foot because she accuses his dog of impregnating her dog. Well, it's obvious how this is going to go down, with the two of them falling in love and all, but Sparks makes it somewhat interesting, mostly because he actually seems to have carved out actual personalities for the characters that match up with the circumstances and histories of their lives. The narrator of the audio book was actually really good, particularly in his portrayal of Travis, and I actually don't think I would have enjoyed the first part of the book as much as I did if I had read it instead of listened to it. Despite their rough beginning, Travis and Gabby agree to start anew, since neither one wants to be at odds with their neighbor. Travis invites her out on his boat to spend the day with him and his friends, and they wind up spending the whole weekend together falling in love. This entire weekend is told in excruciatingly minute detail, and the big "choice" that must be made in the first part of the book is whether Gabby will choose to stay with her boyfriend or to break up with him and date Travis. I didn't like Sparks's choice of having Gabby & Travis sleep together during this weekend. He writes about it like it's totally fine that she's cheating on her boyfriend because it's obvious that she and Travis are soul mates, but he also has told us that she has a serious commitment with her boyfriend and up until 2 days prior really wanted to marry him! I know that Nicholas Sparks frowns on adultery and won't write about it, but apparently if you haven't taken those vows, it's fine to cheat. It just doesn't jive. And also, Gabby's problem is really not that difficult. Even though I don't think it was right of her to have slept with Travis, I think it's a pretty clear choice that she should be with him after breaking up with her boyfriend. Sparks makes the boyfriend out to be a neglectful, thoughtless, golf-playing, self-centered bore while Travis is a sexy, easy-going, free-spirited, yet responsible and sensitive cutie. Pretty easy choice if you ask me.

In the second part of the novel, we find Travis and Gabby ten years in the future. Sparks completely loses any momentum he had going in the first part of the book. This is like a completely different book all together. He ignores the personalities he created and instead Travis and Gabby become cookie-cutters of perfection who have the perfect marriage and the perfect life. Everyone who comes into contact with them marvels over their perfection and much in love they are. There is another choice to be made in this part of the book. Travis and Gabby are in a car accident and Gabby winds up in a coma. Travis, wrecked with guilt, must decide after several months whether or not to remove her from life support. Gabby actually has a living will that says she does not want to be kept alive by artificial means. She has a very good reason too, which Sparks explains in detail. She is a physician's assistant and came into contact with a family in this situation and made an informed decision about how she would want to be treated. But Travis can't accept this. He literally walks around asking people (and the reader) "how far would you go for love?" as if because he loves Gabby SO MUCH, he can ignore her wishes and do what feels better for himself. (Conveniently, their lawyer has moved away, so no one knows except for Travis what Gabby's real wishes are) He makes the choice to keep her alive and several months after that, she wakes up. And they live happily ever after.

I cannot say how idiotic this whole situation was. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the somewhat interesting dynamic that was built between the characters in the first part of the book. And it was disrespectful to anyone reading it that has really faced this kind of life or death choice for a loved one.

I am done with Nicholas Sparks. I will not read him again until another reader I respect tells me that he's reformed himself from this drivel. Do not read this. It is complete garbage.

only an ok read. Author obviously did not do much research on dogs having puppies! Gabby came across as very uncaring when the puppies were born, not quite what I expected. I realize this is a minor part of the story, but, not researching the details is very annoying.

Not a book I would read again and not a book I would really recommend.

(for the record, when a dog first has puppies, they do not poop all over the place, mom cleans up after them for the first 3 weeks. There should be no smell if they are being taken care of properly. Made me feel very sorry for the dog when the gagging smell was mentioned)

I have all of Nicholas Sparks books and I was pleased to find this one. I understand that he has another book coming out in Sept. and you can be sure that I will be getting that one too. The book was in mint condition and will fit right in with my collection. Shipping was fast and I am very pleased with my purchase.

I read this whole book yesterday! I couldn't put it down, it was that good!

Travis and Gabby are fated with a life-altering decision, but only he has the power to make the ultimate choice between a life with or without love.

This book was so wonderful, and my stomach was in knots over the choice that Travis had to make. It was so sad and so sweet and so hard to figure out what he would do, and I felt so much of the emotion that Travis was feeling. Nicholas Sparks did such a superb job of making the story come alive with love, and I really felt like I connected with the characters.

The ending was not as tidy as I would have liked. I think it could have been stronger, but it was still a wonderful ending. I guess it was realistic the way Sparks wrote it. It was still so good! I hope they make this book into a movie, too!!

Nicholas Sparks does it again! Another beautiful story! Total page turner! As a busy mother of 4 I surprized myself by finishing it in 2 days! If you like The notebook, nights in rodanthe, a bend in the road or any other Nicholas Sparks books, you'll LOVE this one!

I don't have a lot of time to read and spend my time traveling to and from places in which I get to listen to books.

I watched The Notebook and then started to explore Sparks other stuff. I am not an expert reader or reviewer but my two cents.....I thought it was good and talked about the book everytime I got out of the car.

Would I advise you to read it? If you like Nicholas Sparks previous books then yes. If you like non mushy books then no.