Customer Reviews

Bend in the Road

5 star:		(177)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(48)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

If you love a love story, cry over broken hearts, and savor the coziness of small-town life, this book is tailor-made for you. I absolutely loved the story of Miles Ryan and his young son Jonah. Their wife and mother, Missy, is struck down by a hit-and-run driver, sending waves of loneliness through the lives of Miles and Jonah. Miles, as deputy sheriff of his small North Carolina town, feels doubly saddened by his failure to find his wife's killer and bring him to justice.

When Jonah has trouble at school, Sarah, Jonah's teacher, enters Miles' life and he begins to feel the stirrings of romance once again. Unfortunately, Sarah harbors a secret that destroyed her first marriage, and later discovers an amazing coincidence that shatters her new-found happiness with Miles and Jonah.

Written with passion and simplicity, this wonderful book also has tones of Mary Higgins Clark, as readers are able to spend several chapters in the mind of the as-yet-unknown driver of the car who killed Missy. The mystery of unveiling the hit-and-run driver coupled with the romance of Sarah and Miles makes this a comforting, curl-up-and-read pleasure for fall.

That is what Miles Ryan is up against after the death of his wife Missy by an unknown hit and run driver. Sparks has introduced the driver to us via a series of “italicized” chapters sporadically interspersed within the story as a whole. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and was always pleased to see another chapter by this individual who would reveal a little bit more about the person who perpetrated the crime.

Jonah Ryan is a little boy who has lost his mom and been allowed to slip back in his school work out of pity for his loss. Sarah, his new teacher makes friends with the Ryan family when she offers to work with him after school. Sarah and Miles make fast and easy friends, and Miles starts to have feelings that he thought would be long dead after losing Missy. It is when life is back on track for the first time in two years that his world is blown apart, and the madness begins.

This is an excellent book and I would rate it 4.5. Sparks’ books are warm and touching but the edge of madness is done well in this particular book. Something to watch for is the up and coming movie “A Walk to Remember” based on another Nicholas Sparks novel that just grabbed me by the heart. (...)

This is, without question, the most beautifully written book from Sparks since "Message in a Bottle." It is a story of loss and new-found love. Miles is still grieving the loss of his wife in a hit-and-run accident, and struggling with the day-to-day challenges of raising a son on his own. When Sarah Andrews enters his life, Miles is filled with a variety of mixed emotions from guilt and a sense of betrayal to his dead wife, to the earthy qualities of love and passion for an attractive, alluring woman. Sarah, too, is dealing with her own demons of the past. Just as fate has blessed these two people with the chance to find happiness, solace and love together, and put the past to rest, their love and relationship are both tested to the limit.

This is a book fans of Sparks will not want to miss. Also highly recommended by another Nicholas - Nicholas Evans, is "Smoke Jumper." Both are excellent books, destined to become best sellers and deserving of five-star ratings.

A Bend In The Road, by Nicholas Sparks is a remarkable book that will bring tears to your eyes. In the novel, Sparks weaves together two stories: the story of Miles Ryan's life after the death of his wife, and the story of the murderer of Missy Ryan (Miles Ryan's wife).
Missy Ryan was a blessed mother and wife. The kind that every child would dream to have. However, one night destiny was not with her, and she was killed while jogging at dusk. Having found out about the horrific death of his wife, Miles Ryan takes it upon himself to find out what happened to his wife on that terrible night.
Jonah, the son of Missy and Miles, nonetheless does not take his mother's death lightly. The affect of the death becomes so great, that Jonah begins to do poorly in school. Just when Miles thought life could not get better for him or his son, the charming teacher Sarah Andrews enters and offers to help Jonah with his academics. Sarah and Miles soon fall deeply in love yet their future together may be tattered by a secret tie from their past. Will their love for each other remain strong or will truth keep them apart...
In A Bend In The Road, Nicholas Sparks has the cryptic ability to combine both mystery and romance and roll them into a novel that is a true page-turner. If you have ever read one of Sparks' novels, this one will surpass your expectations. If you are like me, who has never read his books, pick this one up because you will not put it down until the end.

A Bend in the Road - Nicholas Sparks

Here's another love story written by the master of romance books, Nicholas Sparks. A Bend in the Road is the story of Miles and his son Jonah. Missy was the love of Miles' life; they had a storybook love that was not destined to end on a happy note. Missy dies early on in their marriage, leaving Miles to care for their young son Jonah. The cause of death was a hit and run accident, but despite Miles' efforts to find the "murderer", there are no answers. Miles works as the local deputy sheriff in a small town in North Carolina (where everyone seems to know everyone else) and he uses his powers to track down the person that drove the car that killed Missy.

Then in comes Sarah. She's a divorced woman from the big city, looking for a new life in a small town. She ends up as Jonah's teacher in school, and through Jonah she meets Miles. It takes a while, but Miles soon falls in love with Sarah and they begin a courtship. Miles hasn't been happier, not since he lost Missy, but there is always that nagging mystery in the back of his mind: who killed her? Was she murdered? Or was it an accident?

I enjoyed reading this book, but I have to admit it was not my favorite Nicholas Sparks romance. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE is by far his best work. A BEND IN THE ROAD didn't seem to flow as easily as some of his other novels, and I guess I felt that the plot was a bit forced. Still, Sparks knows how to write a good romance and I did want to find out how Missy really died. It was a fast read, but if you are a first time reader of Nicholas Sparks, I suggest you try MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE or A WALK TO REMEMER.

I enjoyed this book and following each character in the story. We all know a person who has lost their life in an auto accident, so this book will touch a nerve in almost any reader, man or woman.
The story starts off a little bit slow while introducing the characters, but a story based in a lazy, friendly, small Southern town can't start off any other way. The pace soon picks up and you will have a hard time setting this book down.
There is a bit of mystery and wonder twisted through the story. Who could've done such a terrible thing? Wait until you read this book and find out the circumstances of each person in the wonderous sleepy little town in North Carolina.
The emotional ups and downs of a man who has lost the love of his life, will keep the reader turning pages. Watch how sadness changes a his outlook on life. Will he come back to being himself? Will he ever love again? Read this book, if you are looking for a book with "real" people and emotions.
When Jonah, the young little boy who lost his mother, is treated with kid gloves by teachers, and it almost costs him reading and learning skills until the right teacher comes along.
A great book and well worth reading. Will this end up being a movie, too? It sure could, and it would be a good one!

Best-selling author Nicolas Sparks delivers once again in this heartwarming tale of tears and triumph.

As a young widower, Miles Ryan finds little joy in life as a deputy sheriff in the small town of New Bern, North Carolina. Forced to raise his young son, Jonah, alone, Miles was devastated when two years prior, his wife Missy was killed in a hit and run auto accident. Because the killer was never found, Miles has never found closure as evidenced by the file he keeps on Missys death.

Life seems to improve for Miles when he meets Sarah Andrews, Jonahs new teacher. Though Sarah was hurt by her previous divorce, she sees Miles as someone she could trust. Miles and Sarahs attraction to one another is both gradual and realistic as they begin to emerge from their old fears and heartaches.

In a heart wrenching and clever twist of fate, circumstances intervene and threaten to destroy this couples newfound happiness. Emotions ride high as the reader is kept guessing until the last page is finished as to whether love can really overcome all.

A BEND IN THE ROAD is a fine addition to a long list of previous best-selling novels. With memorable characters facing real life problems, readers will be reluctant to part with Miles and Sarah as their story comes to a gripping conclusion.

Generally speaking when I read a new author, I use a three book rule. If I'm not real happy after reading the first book I will always try another book by the author, sometimes even two books to see if I feel any differently. Then and only then do I allow myself to say I won't read the author again. But sometimes I even go the final distance and try a fourth book to make up my mind. And it may very well be this book which makes me a loyal fan and future reader of the author.

What I just described above is exactly what happened to me concerning Nicholas Sparks and his books. While many readers loved The Notebook, Message in the Bottle and A Walk to Remember (in my opinion a rehash of Love Story by Erich Segal), none of these books even remotely moved me as they did so many other readers.

And so I passed on reading The Rescue and never expected to pick up another Sparks book again, but then a funny thing happened to me while browsing the library shelves. Seeking a comfort book shortly after 9/11, I found msyelf looking at A Bend in the Road, thinking I'd try another Saprks book. Over the next two days I literally gulped down the pages and loved every word, characters and description. Finally, now I can shout out loud that I read a Nicholas Sparks book I loved.

The story of A Bend in the Road begins two years after Miles Ryan's high school sweetheart and wife dies in a hit and run accident. The responsible party has never been found and looking for this person consumes Miles who is also the town's deputy sheriff. Miles isn't the only one who misses Missy Ryan. There is also their 6 year old son Jonah who can't imagine what happened to his mother when he was so young. Now as each day passes, Miles is more and more determined to find the man or woman responsible for this tragedy.

Then Sarah Andrews, newly divorced and transplanted to the area, becomes Jonah's teacher. Discovering that he is weak in elementary skills she offers to tutor Joanh after school. This puts Sarah directly in Miles' path. At first reluctant to become involved in a realtionship with a woman who he is attracted to, Miles tries to steer clear of Sarah. But eventually their mutual interest in each other finds them dating and pursuing more than a friendship because of Jonah. Then as their relationship grows stronger, the past comes back to haunt the two of them. And all the while I was left furiously turning pages while sitting on the edge of my seat wondering as to the outcome of the book.

I truly loved this book and have learned a valuable lesson from reading this title. Just as we were taught never to judge a book by its cover, I also now understand why its important to sometimes give an author several chances before dismissing them entirely. For one may find, as I did, that it is the very next read which may be that special book that they will always remember. Hopefully, it won't take four other books till I find the one I really love.

A BEND IN THE ROAD is one of the latest works offered by the famous bestselling romantic novelist, Nicholas Sparks. In this novel, we meet a small-town deputy sheriff by the name of Miles Ryan. His loving wife, Missy Ryan, was killed in a hit-and-run car accident mearly two years before the story begins. They have a young son, Jonah Ryan, who is now seven. Ever since Missy died, Miles has been trying to find the person who killed his wife. Both he and Jonah are completely devastated. Jonah takes it so hard that he starts to struggle in school as a result. All of his previous teachers have let him slip by because they felt bad for him.

Then comes along the charming, intelligent Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second grade teacher. Miss Andrews has also had a previous relationship that ended tragically, when her husband found out that she could not produce eggs and get pregnant so they could not start a family and he left her. Miss Andrews discovers that Jonah has a problem in school, and so she asks Miles to come in for a parent/teacher meeting. Miles and Miss Andrews gradually fall in love after that, and things for both Miles and Sarah start looking better, until Sarah uncovers the truth about Missy's death and confronts Miles about it...the tragedy starts to haunt their developing relationship.

This novel is not all just about romance, because it has some mystery in it, too. The ending is very shocking, and once you start reading A BEND IN THE ROAD, you can't put it down. I should also mention that this book is written in both third person narrative and first person narrative forms. In first person narrative, the person who killed Missy is telling their side of the story (you'll be able to tell the difference because first person is typed in italics). However, you don't really know who's speaking in first person until the end. If you enjoyed Nicolas Sparks's other novels (THE NOTEBOOK, A WALK TO REMEMBER, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, THE RESCUE), then you will definitely enjoy A BEND IN THE ROAD. I also have to mention that this is my first Nicholas Sparks novel, and I admit that I've become a fan...I can't wait to read his other works! An excellent summertime read.

This is an emotional tale about a couple's new-found happiness & the shocking secret that threatens to keep them apart.

Miles Ryan's life felt like it ended the day his wife was killed in a hit-&-run accident. While Miles struggles with the unanswered question of who murdered his wife, their son suffers with nightmares & is struggling in school. A parent-teacher conference is called & enter Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second grade teacher. Sarah is new to the town & trying to rebuild her own life after a disappointing first marriage.

As Sarah & Miles work together to help Jonah catch up, they fall in love. They discover that their newfound love starts to soothe the pain of their pasts & they begin to think of a future together. But something else binds them together beside their love.

A Bend in the Road is told from a unique viewpoint - that of the driver of the car that killed Missy. Writing in a journal the murderer lives with the guilt & nightmares. When the murderer is unveiled, can Miles' & Sarah's new love withstand the shocking secret?

Nicholas Sparks does it again! This is another example of why he is America's best-loved & bestselling author of stories of the heart. I highly recommend this heart-breaking mystery!