Best of Me / Nicholas Sparks / 292 pages / Contemporary Romance

In the small town of Oriental, Amanda Collier, a beautiful teenage girl from a wealthy and respectable family, falls in love with Dawson Cole, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks with a notorious criminal family. Alas, their relationship is doomed because neither of their families approve of the romance and they eventually part ways. However, their love was so intense and passionate that neither of them can forget the other. Twenty-four years later, after the death of their mutual friend, Tuck, they are brought back together again. 

I don't know if it's because I've read so many of Nicholas Spark's books but I found this novel to be very predictable. I also found the plot to be unbelievable and far-fetched, for instance, how many men would go their whole life without having a romantic relationship, or even have a one-night stand with another woman, all because they can't get over their first love? 

This novel was quite similar to Nights in Rodanthe and The Notebook, which is how I was able to guess how things would end for Dawson and Amanda halfway through the novel! And I guessed about that little twist on the final page about 30-40 pages before the end. It was extremely obvious! 

I found it hard to connect with the characters (probably because the story was so far-fetched and unrealistic) but I did feel sorry for Dawson. [Don't read the next sentence if you don't want the ending spoiled for you - The poor bloke had such an awful life, first he was abandoned by his mother, physically and emotionally abused by his father, lost his one true love, lived a lonely desolated life and then finally when he has a chance for happiness, he gets MURDERED! ]

If you're new to Nicholas Sparks novels, you will probably like this one a lot better than I did.