Review ~ See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:

See me just as I see you . . .

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface.

As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria's life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they've begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?

Rich in emotion and fueled with suspense, SEE ME reminds us that love is sometimes forged in the crises that threaten to shatter us . . . and that those who see us for who we truly are may not always be the ones easiest to recognize.

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Review:

In all of Nicholas Sparks's novels, See Me didn't even make it to my list of favorite.

I am sorely disappointed with this book. Of course, having been written by Sparks, it is written well. The plot is good and the characters are honed. However, See Me is missing that Nicholas Sparks element that makes his novels romantic and swoon-worthy.

I have become used to this author writing dreamy novels, so not having that element in his book is both surprising and disappointing. Sparks is my favorite romance author, so I have come to expect swoon-worthy stories from him, which he failed to deliver in this book.

I liked the story enough, and the suspenseful climax kept my eyes glued to the book until the very last page. I am just so disappointed that nothing in this book made me swoon, which is basically what I crave for in a Sparks novel.

~ Zee