12 November, 2015

#BookReview :: See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. At 28, he's focused only on walking a straight line -- getting his teaching degree, working out at the gym religiously, and avoiding all the places and people that proved so destructive in his earlier life. The last thing he's looking for is a serious relationship. But when Maria Sanchez crosses paths with him on a rainswept night in North Carolina, his plans are upended in a way that will rattle the foundations of his carefully structured life. As for Maria, the hardworking lawyer and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Colin will challenge every notion she's ever had about herself and her future, making her question what truly makes her happy.
Before the couple has a chance to envision what a life together might look like, however, menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface. And as the threat of violence begins to shadow her every step, she and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tentative bonds they have forged, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?
See Me is a story of obsession, reinvention and a love that defies every expectation, reminding us that destiny often rests in our own hands-even in matters of the heart. 


Colin Hancock has been a very bad boy in the past. But those days are behind him now as he works hard at college to earn his teaching degree. He has turned over a new leaf who intends on being on the right side of the law not only because one wrong move could land him back in jail but also because he fully intends to become a teacher to be able to guide young minds and keep them from going down the road he is now recovering from. He is pretty sure that things are on track for him until he meets Maria Sanchez one rainy night. As their paths cross again, they cannot help but feel the attraction between them. But the new and still fragile relationship that starts to grow between them has to stand the tests of time. Maria is from a completely different background. She is the daughter of Mexican Immigrants and has worked very hard to get where she is. She is a hard working lawyer with her eye on being made a partner. Her parents’ disapproval of Colin is a small problem compared to what they have to face when Maria’s dark past rears its ugly head. Can Colin take the risk of trying to save her when it could easily land him in jail again? Can they stand together and still love each other after everything?

Nicholas Sparks was starting to become too predictable. I mean romance in itself is a genre where things are basically always predictable, but in his case even the flow was starting to become unsurprising. So when I found out that ‘See Me’ is a Romantic Suspense, I was ready for a new reading experience.

As always, the author has built up his characters beautifully. With most of the background of both Colin and Maria being shared at the beginning, it was easy to get close to the characters. Their growth over the novel is immense. Colin is handsome and can be charming when he wants to be. He tends to get on people’s nerve with his too frank and straightforward nature that he has started to adopt. Maria is a beauty with brains – a girl I enjoyed rooting for. The best part though was the Sanchez family dynamics. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their each and every interaction. The plot had a twist of mystery. While it was again quite predictable for me, I have to admit that the mystery part was good enough for a romantic suspense. My only quandary with the book is that it failed to deliver on the sizzling chemistry and mushy romantic elements that I automatically associate with the name of Nicholas Sparks. While the protagonists did have a good relationship quotient, I missed the Nicholas Sparks touch to it. 

In the end, I have to admit that sizzling chemistry or not, I like the way the book played out and did enjoy it quite a bit. I liked Nicholas Sparks 2.0 as an author as well :)


Review Copy received from Hachette India



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