Book Review: The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

“You know me better than anyone, and you're my best friend. I don't think there's anything you could say to me that would lead me to believe that you're doing it just to hurt me. If there's one thing I've come to know about you, it's that you're not even capable of something like that. Why do you think I like spending time with you so much? Because you're a good guy. A nice guy.”

― Nicholas Sparks, The Guardian

Nicholas Sparks' seventh novel is The Guardian. A widow called Julie is hoping to find a new life partner when she adopts a Great Dane named Singer as her pet. Mike, a longtime friend of hers, and Richard, a successful manager, are a couple of the people she gives some thought to.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Julie Barenson’s young husband left her two unexpected gifts before he died – a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would always be watching over her. Now four years have passed. Still living in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, twenty-nine-year-old Julie is emotionally ready to make a commitment to someone again. But who?

Should it be Richard Franklin, the handsome, sophisticated engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down-to-earth nice guy who was her husband’s best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she’s had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire.

My reaction to this novel...

Every dog lover will like this book. Julie Barenson becomes a widow at the age of 25 when her better half dies of cancer. That first Christmas, she receives a gift: a great dane puppy purchased for her by her significant other with a message written before he died. Her late husband informed her that the dog would soothe and safeguard her; that he (her better half) would always keep an eye out for her from wherever he is; and that she should keep an eye out for the person who will be her adulation for the rest of her life. Still, it takes four years for her to be ready to continue, but during that time, the puppy, whom she calls Singer, transforms into the protector who gives her a sense of security, accompanying her wherever she goes, even to work at the beauty shop. She discovers her significant other’s closest pal is the man she succumbs to after dating a few men. In any event, she ends up with a stalker. Her life will never be the same again.

I had no idea where this book was headed when I first started reading it. I couldn’t put it down, though, as the bend begins and things start to happen. There are a few scary chapters throughout the book. I occasionally became anxious and uneasy. Although the story is amazing, the outcome is heartbreaking. Prepare your box of tissues since the last bit made me cry a lot. Every time I finish reading a Nicholas Sparks book, I usually feel good about myself. Regardless of whether they reached you via the imaginative mind of this accomplished author, it assures me that there are still nice people in the world. He has empathy for both male and female readers, which makes him a fantastic storyteller in and of itself. The nicest element of his composition, in addition, is how productive he has been. Anyone who enjoys having their world turned upside down by a good narrative should read it.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

“You always have a choice. It's just that some people make the wrong one.”

Many of us experience negative effects as a result of our decisions. As humans, we are all aware that our decisions—which are frequently the wrong ones—determine everything that occurs to us. I believe that in order to be led in making decisions for our life, we should put God first because having confidence in him will give us the assurance that whatever we decide will be the finest thing that has ever happened to us.

“It was funny that you know someone for years but still discover something you never noticed before.”

This is actually very accurate. The most of the time, we have this person who is so close to us that we believe we have known them our entire lives, but occasionally, you will be astonished at certain things that we will be able to learn about them each day that we are with them. Like an onion, everyone has layers that are not immediately apparent unless we painstakingly peel them. Most of the time, we will find it unexpectedly since we never anticipated it to be there.

Where to buy this book...