The Choice

September 3, 2007
In his 13th book, bestselling Sparks (At First Sight, etc.) limns the far-reaching implications of several seemingly ordinary choices made by Beaufort, N.C. veterinarian Travis Parker and his next-door neighbor Gabrielle Holland, a physician's assistant and recent arrival. After an inauspicious first meeting where Gabby accuses Travis's boxer of impregnating her purebred collie, the two fall hard for each other. Already dating someone else seriously, Gabby is faced with a dilemma: whether to stick with longtime boyfriend Kevin, or get involved with Travis. The first part of the tale paints a vivid picture of her decision-making process and its effects on Travis and Gabby's lives. That sets up Part II, which takes place 11 years later when Travis faces a life and death decision following a car accident. A tender and moving love story and a quick read, Sparks's latest does not disappoint.

August 27, 2007
In his 13th book, bestselling Sparks (At First Sight, etc.) limns the far-reaching implications of several seemingly ordinary choices made by Beaufort, N.C. veterinarian Travis Parker and his next-door neighbor Gabrielle Holland, a physician's assistant and recent arrival. After an inauspicious first meeting where Gabby accuses Travis's boxer of impregnating her purebred collie, the two fall hard for each other. Already dating someone else seriously, Gabby is faced with a dilemma: whether to stick with longtime boyfriend Kevin, or get involved with Travis. The first part of the tale paints a vivid picture of her decision-making process and its effects on Travis and Gabby's lives. That sets up Part II, which takes place 11 years later when Travis faces a life and death decision following a car accident. A tender and moving love story and a quick read, Sparks's latest does not disappoint.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
Travis Parker is an easygoing man withsteadfast friends from grade school, livingonthe North Carolinacoast, enjoying his job as veterinarian, andfinding relaxation through surfing, boating, andbreathing in natures bounty from his deck.He has reached the age of 32 with no steady girlfriend or the desire for onemuch to the consternation of his friends wives and his familyand thenhe meets his prickly new neighbor, Gabby. Her beautiful collie is pregnant and, certain that Travis dog isresponsible, she marches next door withmayhem on her mind. But whenshe discoversthat hesthe vet and that his dog has been neutered, she figures it will beyears before she canface him again. Except that Travis works his way into her life despite her boyfriend. Then tragedy strikes, and Travis is forced to make a choice that will haunt him. Sparks is a master at creating beautiful, old-fashioned courtshipscoupled withbittersweet dilemmas, and this is no exception, as it pulls the reader into the story justas The Notebook(1996) did. Once again, Sparks presentsa complex and captivating contemporary romance that will satisfy his many fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)