From Barnes and Noble...
"Teresa Osborne, a 36-year-old single mother, finds a bottle washed up on a Cape Cod beach. The scrolled-up message inside is a passionate love letter written by a heartbroken man named Garrett who is grieving over "his darling Catherine." Teresa is so moved by the stranger's poignant words that she vows to find the penman and publishes the letter in her syndicated Boston newspaper column. Questions linger in her mind and heart: Who is Garrett? Who is Catherine? What is their story? And most importantly, why did this bottle find its way to her?
Imagining that Garrett is the type of man she has always been seeking, Teresa sets out on an impulsive, hope-filled search. Her journey, her discovery, and the wisdom gained from this voyage of self-discovery changes her life forever. Love's unimaginable strength as well as its tremendous fragility echoes on each page of Sparks's newest gem."
Listened to as an audio book, this book was great for a short car ride. I was surprised at how short in length it was, but a lot did happen plot wise.
It's hard for me to review this book because nothing really exciting happened. I didn't find anything wrong with the characters or plot, but I couldn't relate to them either. This book kept me listening but I wasn't "hooked" at all; it was just something to listen to in order to pass the time.
As lame of a review as this was, it wasn't an awful book. Sparks has definitely created a reputation for his endings, so even with the abrupt ending — I knew it was coming. I realize this is an "older" Sparks novel, but I was really hoping he'd throw me off guard and surprise me... or something! But he didn't.
I won't be recommending this book to my students as I want to "hook" them with good reads. This book didn't accomplish that. Not awful — just mediocre.
Originality: 7/10
Ending: 4/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 6/10
Theme: 9/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 8/10
Overall: 78/100 C
To the FTC, with love: Purchased