Good afternoon, Arrowheads! For the majority of 2018, I’ve reviewed Christian fiction on this blog; however, Christian fiction isn’t the only genre I read. I’ve been a fan of contemporary romance author, Nicholas Sparks, since 2011, and I finally got around to finishing his newest romantic thriller novel, See Me. So, without further delay, let’s get to the review!

First things first, it took me an embarrassingly long time to read See Me. This was no fault of the book, but the fact that I soon got distracted with a new Kindle (I own See Me in paperback) kept me from giving the novel the full attention it deserved. Now that I’ve reached the end, I wish I had finished this book sooner!

Like all Nicholas Sparks novels, See Me takes place in North Carolina, this time in the coastal town of Wilmington. The two main protagonists, Maria and Collin’s lives are thrown together when Maria’s younger sister, Serena, sets them up. As they begin to develop feelings for one another, Maria’s life becomes endangered due to someone’s hard feelings from a case she worked on at her previous law firm. Will Maria’s life–let alone her budding relationship with Collin–survive the threats of her stalker?

Highlights:

The Thriller Aspect

Nicholas Sparks is a world-renowned romance novelist, but he’s only written a couple other books with thriller aspects (Safe Haven and The Guardian), which are two of my favorites. See Me was as equally well-written in terms of suspense, and the mystery element of identifying Maria’s stalker kept me guessing throughout the book. I highly encourage Mr. Sparks to continue to experiment with thriller romances!

The Characters

At the beginning, I found Collin hard to relate to, but as his past was revealed, I soon came to love his characterization. Maria is a very relatable protagonist, and I loved her relationship with her sister, Serena. Even the secondary characters had infectious personalities!

The Love Story

I loved the way Maria and Collin’s relationship transpired. Maria–basically a model citizen–had to come to terms with and accept Collin’s rebellious and crime-ridden past. Collin more than redeemed his past mistakes and sacrificed everything in order to protect Maria, which was both adorable and endearing.

The Setting

Being a native of eastern NC, I love the setting of Wilmington. I read most of the novel during Hurricane Florence which devastated Wilmington, so it was nice to read about the city in a pleasant light.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel and am always eager to read more by Mr. Sparks.

Rating:

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Are you a fan of Nicholas Sparks? If so, what’s your favorite novel by him?

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀