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Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell #1
True Believer
Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in Scientific American, he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.
465 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Nicholas Sparks
272 books232k followersNicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
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March 15, 2017
True Believer is book one in the two book series, Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell, by Nicholas Sparks.
Jeremy Marsh is thirty seven years old and is an investigative journalist. He is known for his scientific debunking abilities, such as outing a psychic as a fraud who claims to be able to speak to the dead. Jeremy lives in New York and is divorced. He was badly hurt in the process. It’s been several years. He is very good looking and has no problem with women, just hasn’t allowed himself to go beyond casual encounters.
Jeremy received a letter in the mail from a woman named Doris from Boone Creek, North Carolina, inviting him to come to their tiny town to investigate some ghostly lights that appear in the town cemetery. He already has prime time television interested in him in the wake of his last story, so this one has the possibility of launching his career from journalism into television. He can’t refuse.
So off Jeremy goes, from the metropolitan city of New York, to a tiny town, dying little by little, grasping at straws to stay alive. Jeremy always solves his mysteries. Doris, the woman who wrote the letter, even claims to have some psychic abilities. But when Doris sends Jeremy to the town library to begin his research on the town’s history, he meets Doris’s granddaughter, the librarian, Lexie Darnell, and his life was forever changed.
“You don’t believe in magic of any kind?”
“No,” he said.
“That’s sad,” she said. “Because sometimes it’s real.”
Lexie loved living in Boone Creek. She loved being near her grandmother who raised her after her own parents tragically died. She loved her job as librarian. And she loved the people of the town. She did leave Boone Creek for college and even fell in love. But she was badly hurt and returned to Boone Creek, just as she always knew she someday would. She didn’t want to feel an attraction to Jeremy. She had known men like him, big city men, who looked down on small towns like this one. And if she did allow herself to care, it would be she that would end up getting hurt. Because her life was here and his was in New York. Still, there was something about him, and it was too much to ignore.
For Jeremy, Lexie was different than any other woman he had ever known. She challenged him in ways no one else ever had. Her humor was dry and sarcastic. She was intelligent and witty and sweet and honest to a fault. He had trouble keeping his mind on what he was supposed to be doing. His thoughts always seemed to drift to her. Could a man fall in love in just two days? Because he just can’t imagine his life without her in it. Is there a way to make things work?
Over his time in Boone Creek, Jeremy immersed himself in the town history and studied the cemetery and the surrounding areas. The mayor of the town treated Jeremy like a celebrity and Jeremy found himself impressed with the town and it’s people. And finally, Jeremy got to see the lights. They were beautiful. It was an experience he’ll never forget. Are they really the spirits of the long ago deceased or is there a logical explanation?
This is a beautifully told love story between two people that were both okay being alone, who weren’t looking for anything more than what they had. But isn’t that when love usually finds you? When you aren’t looking for it? This is actually a pretty long book. And I have to admit it was a little slow at times. In true Nicholas Sparks fashion, he builds the story slowly, allowing us to get to know the characters. I also admit that Lexie frustrated me a bit. But it was only because she was trying to protect herself, and her town. I loved Jeremy. For a man who spent his life proving that magic wasn’t real, I loved how easily he accepted how he felt, what he saw in Lexie. There is a sequel to this book. It is a continuation of Lexie and Jeremy’s story. But there is no cliff hanger with this one. It comes to a conclusion and you aren’t left hanging in any way.
Jeremy Marsh is thirty seven years old and is an investigative journalist. He is known for his scientific debunking abilities, such as outing a psychic as a fraud who claims to be able to speak to the dead. Jeremy lives in New York and is divorced. He was badly hurt in the process. It’s been several years. He is very good looking and has no problem with women, just hasn’t allowed himself to go beyond casual encounters.
Jeremy received a letter in the mail from a woman named Doris from Boone Creek, North Carolina, inviting him to come to their tiny town to investigate some ghostly lights that appear in the town cemetery. He already has prime time television interested in him in the wake of his last story, so this one has the possibility of launching his career from journalism into television. He can’t refuse.
So off Jeremy goes, from the metropolitan city of New York, to a tiny town, dying little by little, grasping at straws to stay alive. Jeremy always solves his mysteries. Doris, the woman who wrote the letter, even claims to have some psychic abilities. But when Doris sends Jeremy to the town library to begin his research on the town’s history, he meets Doris’s granddaughter, the librarian, Lexie Darnell, and his life was forever changed.
“You don’t believe in magic of any kind?”
“No,” he said.
“That’s sad,” she said. “Because sometimes it’s real.”
Lexie loved living in Boone Creek. She loved being near her grandmother who raised her after her own parents tragically died. She loved her job as librarian. And she loved the people of the town. She did leave Boone Creek for college and even fell in love. But she was badly hurt and returned to Boone Creek, just as she always knew she someday would. She didn’t want to feel an attraction to Jeremy. She had known men like him, big city men, who looked down on small towns like this one. And if she did allow herself to care, it would be she that would end up getting hurt. Because her life was here and his was in New York. Still, there was something about him, and it was too much to ignore.
For Jeremy, Lexie was different than any other woman he had ever known. She challenged him in ways no one else ever had. Her humor was dry and sarcastic. She was intelligent and witty and sweet and honest to a fault. He had trouble keeping his mind on what he was supposed to be doing. His thoughts always seemed to drift to her. Could a man fall in love in just two days? Because he just can’t imagine his life without her in it. Is there a way to make things work?
Over his time in Boone Creek, Jeremy immersed himself in the town history and studied the cemetery and the surrounding areas. The mayor of the town treated Jeremy like a celebrity and Jeremy found himself impressed with the town and it’s people. And finally, Jeremy got to see the lights. They were beautiful. It was an experience he’ll never forget. Are they really the spirits of the long ago deceased or is there a logical explanation?
This is a beautifully told love story between two people that were both okay being alone, who weren’t looking for anything more than what they had. But isn’t that when love usually finds you? When you aren’t looking for it? This is actually a pretty long book. And I have to admit it was a little slow at times. In true Nicholas Sparks fashion, he builds the story slowly, allowing us to get to know the characters. I also admit that Lexie frustrated me a bit. But it was only because she was trying to protect herself, and her town. I loved Jeremy. For a man who spent his life proving that magic wasn’t real, I loved how easily he accepted how he felt, what he saw in Lexie. There is a sequel to this book. It is a continuation of Lexie and Jeremy’s story. But there is no cliff hanger with this one. It comes to a conclusion and you aren’t left hanging in any way.
September 7, 2024
I had high hopes with Jeremy, a journalist, chasing a ghost story. Interesting read but a tad on the slow side.
January 25, 2008
I generally like Nicholas Sparks novels. Reading his books are generally pleasing...I don't believe any I've read are masterpieces or anything, but they've all been at least "okay."
This one, however, was a letdown. True Believer has to be his weakest book. It didn't draw me in like his other work. I didn't care much about the characters, and the story, I thought, was quite dull. It's been a while since I read it, so I can't remember specifics, but my general feeling was that it was poorly written, and it seemed like he was just churning out a book to get more money faster, not really doing it for art's sake.
This one, however, was a letdown. True Believer has to be his weakest book. It didn't draw me in like his other work. I didn't care much about the characters, and the story, I thought, was quite dull. It's been a while since I read it, so I can't remember specifics, but my general feeling was that it was poorly written, and it seemed like he was just churning out a book to get more money faster, not really doing it for art's sake.
April 19, 2010
This was my first Sparks' book and I really liked it. I'm so glad I finally read one of his books.
I must admit that the firs half of the book was really slow, I was wondering the whole time why was I reading it. That's the reason why I'm giving just 3 stars, and I almost gave 4, because then things got really good between the two characters and the ending was great.
An important fact is that this book does have a HEA! I must clarify this because Spark is known for his tragic endings, but this is not the case in this book.
I will be definitely buying another of his books soon.
I must admit that the firs half of the book was really slow, I was wondering the whole time why was I reading it. That's the reason why I'm giving just 3 stars, and I almost gave 4, because then things got really good between the two characters and the ending was great.
An important fact is that this book does have a HEA! I must clarify this because Spark is known for his tragic endings, but this is not the case in this book.
I will be definitely buying another of his books soon.
March 16, 2017
Dicen que normalmente se conoce a los escritores por una obra: que una única novela es lo que les da la fama. Dicen, no sé si será cierto o no, y mucho menos en el caso de este escritor; aunque te vendan sus novelas como el autor que escribió El cuaderno de Noah. Con esto no quiero decir que ésta novela sea mala, ni mucho menos, es más, me ha gustado bastante, sin embargo, y después de leer Querido John, de este mismo autor, esperaba algo más.
De todas maneras, es una muy buena novela.
De todas maneras, es una muy buena novela.
January 2, 2019
True Believer (Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell, #1), Nicholas Sparks
True Believer is a 2005 romance novel written by American author Nicholas Sparks. Pursuing a scientific explanation for a disturbing phenomenon, Jeremy's skeptical nature is thrown off course when he meets Lexie,the town librarian. As they work together, ghostly occurrences and passionate moments converge, forcing Jeremy to realize that there are some truths science cannot explain, as he finally appreciates the pleasure of exploring the heart.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هشتم ماه فوریه سال 2006 میلادی
عنوان: باورم کن ؛ نویسنده: نیکلاس اسپارکس؛ مترجم: نفیسه معتکف؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، شادان، 1384، در 342 ص، موضوع: داستانهای امریکایی - سده 21 م
به دنبال توضیح علمی، برای یک پدیده ی هراس انگیز، طبیعت شکاکانه ی جرمی، هنگامیکه او با لکسی، کتابدار شهر، دیدار میکند، از بین میرود. با همکاری یکدیگر، رخدادهای ظاهری و لحظات پرشور دارند، او جرمی را مجبور میکند تا باور کند که علایق حقیقی هم وجود دارد که نمیتواند توضیح دهد، زیرا ... ؛ رمان «باورم کن»، داستانی درباره ی استفاده از فرصتها، و گوش کردن به حرف دل است. ا��ن اثر، شما را هم وادار میسازد تا به معجزه ی عشق ایمان بیاورید. ا. شربیانی
True Believer is a 2005 romance novel written by American author Nicholas Sparks. Pursuing a scientific explanation for a disturbing phenomenon, Jeremy's skeptical nature is thrown off course when he meets Lexie,the town librarian. As they work together, ghostly occurrences and passionate moments converge, forcing Jeremy to realize that there are some truths science cannot explain, as he finally appreciates the pleasure of exploring the heart.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هشتم ماه فوریه سال 2006 میلادی
عنوان: باورم کن ؛ نویسنده: نیکلاس اسپارکس؛ مترجم: نفیسه معتکف؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، شادان، 1384، در 342 ص، موضوع: داستانهای امریکایی - سده 21 م
به دنبال توضیح علمی، برای یک پدیده ی هراس انگیز، طبیعت شکاکانه ی جرمی، هنگامیکه او با لکسی، کتابدار شهر، دیدار میکند، از بین میرود. با همکاری یکدیگر، رخدادهای ظاهری و لحظات پرشور دارند، او جرمی را مجبور میکند تا باور کند که علایق حقیقی هم وجود دارد که نمیتواند توضیح دهد، زیرا ... ؛ رمان «باورم کن»، داستانی درباره ی استفاده از فرصتها، و گوش کردن به حرف دل است. ا��ن اثر، شما را هم وادار میسازد تا به معجزه ی عشق ایمان بیاورید. ا. شربیانی
August 4, 2009
Even for my throw-away books, I have SOME standards. I call it my "popcorn for the brain" genre because they are usually fluffy and without substance. I somewhat enjoyed The Notebook, so I thought that this would be an ok bet. However, this book disappoints - even on the popcorn level.
The story was 100% predictable from the beginning so reading it wasn't the least bit exciting. I know it's supposed to be a romantic book but the so-called "tension" did not come across well in the book. It just felt like two people being stupid. Even the actual romantic parts was just two people being stupid. I read it very quickly, and not because I couldn't put it down, but because it was SO fluffy that there was nothing really to read. At 300 pages, the storyline could have fit into 10.
And this is coming from a girl who still likes Sweet Valley High.
The story was 100% predictable from the beginning so reading it wasn't the least bit exciting. I know it's supposed to be a romantic book but the so-called "tension" did not come across well in the book. It just felt like two people being stupid. Even the actual romantic parts was just two people being stupid. I read it very quickly, and not because I couldn't put it down, but because it was SO fluffy that there was nothing really to read. At 300 pages, the storyline could have fit into 10.
And this is coming from a girl who still likes Sweet Valley High.
September 11, 2017
Took me ages to finish this book.
My experience:
Never start reading a book with high expectations. Actually never do anything with expectations. Your imagination sets the bar too high to be achieved.
Normal story
Normal characters
Ordinary romance
My experience:
Never start reading a book with high expectations. Actually never do anything with expectations. Your imagination sets the bar too high to be achieved.
Normal story
Normal characters
Ordinary romance
August 23, 2008
I do enjoy a good ghost story, and I liked the storyline surrounding Jeremy Marsh trying to debunk the town's belief that there are "real" ghosts in their cemetery. But, I found that the storyline surrounding the impending romance between Jeremy and Lexie extremely annoying. Their conversations consisted mainly of irritating banter which I found difficult to believe. I didn't find either of those characters endearing, at least during those segments of the book. I did finish it - I had to find out what was going on in the cemetery, of course!
Read
May 15, 2020Jeremy is a journalist who only believes in what he sees. Through the mysterious lights in Boone Creek, he gets to know the beautiful Lexi and through her, he starts to believe in miracles after all.
December 19, 2007
Horrible. I had to force myself to finish it. I feel like reading this book robbed me of time I will never get back. I loved The Notebook, but absolutely hated this story.
Read
December 17, 2017«جرمی مارش» خبرنگار جوان و خوش چهره ی داستان برای ماموریتی به کارولینای جنوبی می رود. حضور او با ماجراهایی همراه است که علاوه بر درگیر شدن، با «لکسی» به عنوان یکی از مطلعین حوادث رخ داده در آن منطقه آشنا می شود. «لکسی» دختر جوان و زیبارویی است که در کنار «جرمی» و کنجکاوی های او به عنوان یک خبرنگار، حوادث جالب و غیر منتظره ای را تجربه می کند و...
April 28, 2009
Ugh. There are so many things wrong with this book, I don't even know where to begin. Someone needs to tell Mr. Sparks that self-respecting women don't sleep with a man after knowing him for only 2 days. (And no man I know is physically capable of "making love all night.") Like most of his other books, this one was completely predictable. The difference is that the characters in this one were pathetic. Lexie is a whining snot. Jeremy is a womanizer and I'm expected to believe he suddenly sees the light and falls head over heals for her in 48 hours? Whatever. This is all compounded by the fact that I listened to this one and the narrators voice was SO irritating. Fake southern drawl (falsetto for Lexie) did not add to my overall impression of this book. I have owned the sequel, At First Sight, for a long time, so I may try it, but I am not hopeful that I will enjoy more of these two characters. However, I am going to try reading it instead of listening to it to see if it makes any difference.
October 11, 2012
More appropriately titled: "True Velveeta", this novel oozed cheese from every page. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a quick, light read of Nicky's work, but he over-cheddar'd this one. "Should I go, should I not, should I, should I not...." The main character painfully analyzes each and every decision he makes, from ordering a latte to chasing after a southern belle. There is a sequel to this one, but barring an unexpected plot twist involving mushrooms and midgets, it may be awhile before I pick it up.
September 26, 2018
Not my favorite Sparks novel but that ending though!!
November 11, 2014
Agh, this book! My grandma gave me this to read, but even she was like, um, yeah, it's kind of lame, so read at your own risk. So, she did warn me, so this is all my fault.
I think my problem is that I don't appreciate love stories where the woman gets to act like a raging b*tch because she's been hurt in the past, but the man is supposed to chase after her, even after she pushes him away multiple times. Lexie, our female lead, irritated me because that was all she did. She'd been hurt in the past, so she acted like an arse the whole time, sending mixed signals and getting mad when Jeremy, our male lead, couldn't figure out what she wanted.
My other issue was the lack of development of some minor, but still important, characters like Rachel and Rodney. They obviously had key roles, but they stay ghosts that we barely get to know. I would like to have known more about them than freaking bad attitude Lexie and pushover Jeremy.
The final issue is that everything was wrapped up by a big dramatic display of affection. I'm not against dramatic shows of affection, but I am when every complication and issue the couple had suddenly becomes unimportant because someone decided to be romantic one day.
I think my problem is that I don't appreciate love stories where the woman gets to act like a raging b*tch because she's been hurt in the past, but the man is supposed to chase after her, even after she pushes him away multiple times. Lexie, our female lead, irritated me because that was all she did. She'd been hurt in the past, so she acted like an arse the whole time, sending mixed signals and getting mad when Jeremy, our male lead, couldn't figure out what she wanted.
My other issue was the lack of development of some minor, but still important, characters like Rachel and Rodney. They obviously had key roles, but they stay ghosts that we barely get to know. I would like to have known more about them than freaking bad attitude Lexie and pushover Jeremy.
The final issue is that everything was wrapped up by a big dramatic display of affection. I'm not against dramatic shows of affection, but I am when every complication and issue the couple had suddenly becomes unimportant because someone decided to be romantic one day.
May 24, 2019
Oh my God this book was a very good book it was a little bit different than what Nicholas Sparks normally writes
February 25, 2015
Picked this up at a consignment shop. I was familiar with some of Sparks' other books which have been adapted into films, but had never read anything by him.
This was okay. Sparks has a talent for creating interesting and substantial characters (at least when they're not being annoyingly silly), and the writing is fine.
The story here isn't bad, either...or at least not all bad. Unfortunately, certain elements border on sappy-you-got-to-be-kidding-me. ***News Flash*** Intelligent women don't find guys who profess their love after 2 days and a roll in the hay as romantic or attractive. To the contrary, we think it's a little creepy. It doesn't make our hearts pitter-patter or our cheeks flush red.
If only he had stretched the relationship out, I think it might have been more believable and more satisfying.
Overall, an easy read with some redeeming qualities but that also panders to cliches and stereotypes. That said, I purchased the second book in the series at the same consignment shop, and I'll read it at some point. I'd also read something else by this author when I'm in the mood for sappy and predictable.
This was okay. Sparks has a talent for creating interesting and substantial characters (at least when they're not being annoyingly silly), and the writing is fine.
The story here isn't bad, either...or at least not all bad. Unfortunately, certain elements border on sappy-you-got-to-be-kidding-me. ***News Flash*** Intelligent women don't find guys who profess their love after 2 days and a roll in the hay as romantic or attractive. To the contrary, we think it's a little creepy. It doesn't make our hearts pitter-patter or our cheeks flush red.
If only he had stretched the relationship out, I think it might have been more believable and more satisfying.
Overall, an easy read with some redeeming qualities but that also panders to cliches and stereotypes. That said, I purchased the second book in the series at the same consignment shop, and I'll read it at some point. I'd also read something else by this author when I'm in the mood for sappy and predictable.
March 27, 2020
Nicholas Sparks always writes a feel-good book which is just what I wanted during this difficult time.
December 24, 2007
This book was a great book. I just finished it a couple hours ago and it was so good. I sort of predicted that two of the main characters who started out as complete strangers would end up falling in love. The basic storyline is about a man in his 30's named Jeremy Marsh who goes to Boone Creek, North Carolina to solve a mystery. People have reported seeing strange 'lights' in the town cemetery that have been unexplained. Doris, one of the residents of the town, sends a letter to Jeremy asking him to come to their town to try and figure out where they were coming from. As an investigative journalist, it was his job to expose frauds, solve mysteries, and write about them afterwards. Having been married and divorced before, Jeremy had no intention of looking for love on his trip from New York to North Carolina. He meets many of the townspeople, mostly people who work at the restaurants, gas stations, and most importantly, the town library. Jeremy spends a lot of time with the librarian, asking her for help and where he might find useful books or diaries that would help him with his research. He and the librarian become friends and begin spending a lot of time together, while jealous Rodney, a police officer, watches with a close eye, curious whenever the two go off somewhere together or show up together at a town event. Although Lexie, the librarian, and Rodney never really had a steady relationship, he asked her several times to go to dinner and things like that and she always said yes. But, ever since Jeremy came into town, he's been taking up most of her time. He learns a lot about her past, her parents, how they died, her grandparents, and a little bit about where she grew up and her childhood. When things started getting too serious for Lexie, who had been hurt more than once by men passing through, she ran away to a cottage she talked to Jeremy about, leaving only a vague note for him to read at the library. Fortunately for him, Jeremy remembered almost everything Lexie had told him, and it didn't take him long to figure out where Lexie had gone to. In the end, they fall in love, but Jeremy still has to go back to New York. With a sad good-bye and little thoughts besides Lexie running through his mind on the way home, Jeremy was only in his apartment for a few days before Lexie's grandmother, Doris, surprised him and showed up at his door. She told him that Lexie had lied about going to marry Rodney so that she wouldn't lie awake at night wondering why Jeremy never came back for her. Jeremy decided that he loved her and that he simply could not imagine a life without her, so he took a plane to North Carolina to be with Lexie. Doris was on the same plane with him and he left the terminal with her, driving Doris home in her car and then borrowing it to search the town for Lexie. After looking everywhere, he realized where she was. Jeremy was right, and he found her at her parents' grave in the Boone Creek Cemetery. Jeremy ended up buying a house there, one that Lexie helped him pick out. The book ends with a little miracle, one in which Jeremy was told and convinced would never happen due to biological reasons. And you'll have to read the book to figure out what happens. =]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
Nicholas Sparks aposta mais uma vez no seu género de eleição: o romance. No entanto, cai no erro de apostar na sua fórmula habitual, levando-a à exaustão. A narrativa é demasiado previsível, sem o habitual cunho pessoal que o autor introduz nas suas histórias.
As próprias personagens são algo ocas e unidimensionais. Os protagonistas sofreram desilusões e amarguras no passado, mas rapidamente se atiram de cabeça para uma relação que tem tudo para correr mal para ambos. Mais ainda, o autor opta pelo típico final feliz, o que apenas reforçou a minha ideia de que esta história não traz nada de especial.
A explicação final sobre a origem do fenómeno supostamente sobrenatural que fascina toda esta vila – o grande mistério da obra – é mediana e sem grande interesse, deixando-me francamente desiludida.
Em contrapartida, gostei do retrato de uma comunidade unida, com fortes raízes no passado, constituída por indivíduos caricatos. Na verdade, gostaria que as personagens secundárias que compõem esta vila, como Doris, Rodney e Rachel, tivessem sido mais exploradas.
No fundo, é uma leitura confortável, mas careceu a componente emotiva que me teria feito apaixonar pela história , pelas personagens, pelo ambiente. Aliás, esteve longe de me conseguir arrebatar e surpreender verdadeiramente. Não é certamente um bom exemplo da qualidade normalmente associada a este autor que tanto gosto.
As próprias personagens são algo ocas e unidimensionais. Os protagonistas sofreram desilusões e amarguras no passado, mas rapidamente se atiram de cabeça para uma relação que tem tudo para correr mal para ambos. Mais ainda, o autor opta pelo típico final feliz, o que apenas reforçou a minha ideia de que esta história não traz nada de especial.
A explicação final sobre a origem do fenómeno supostamente sobrenatural que fascina toda esta vila – o grande mistério da obra – é mediana e sem grande interesse, deixando-me francamente desiludida.
Em contrapartida, gostei do retrato de uma comunidade unida, com fortes raízes no passado, constituída por indivíduos caricatos. Na verdade, gostaria que as personagens secundárias que compõem esta vila, como Doris, Rodney e Rachel, tivessem sido mais exploradas.
No fundo, é uma leitura confortável, mas careceu a componente emotiva que me teria feito apaixonar pela história , pelas personagens, pelo ambiente. Aliás, esteve longe de me conseguir arrebatar e surpreender verdadeiramente. Não é certamente um bom exemplo da qualidade normalmente associada a este autor que tanto gosto.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2016
Before last week, I was a 22 year old girl who had never read a Nicholas Sparks novel or, for that matter, seen one of the movie adaptations of his books. I know! People criticized me for it, and I almost felt like my woman card was going to be revoked or something. To remedy the situation, I bought a huge stack of his work last summer (they were cheap garage-sale finds!), and almost a full year later, I actually sat down to read one.
Jeremy Marsh is a science journalist who gets his kicks exposing the smoke and mirrors behind supernatural occurrences. Riding high from a recent investigation that has every major television network begging him to join their teams, Jeremy decides to make a quick trip to North Carolina to expose the mysterious ghost lights in Boone Creek’s graveyard. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town with its fair share of eccentrics, Boone Creek doesn’t have much to offer a born and bred New Yorker like Jeremy, but an encounter with a beautiful woman has him thinking all sorts of crazy things.
Lexie Darnell is the town librarian and one of the pillars of Boone Creek society. She’s had her experiences with the outside world and decided to come back home, swearing that she’ll never give up her small-town life again. Lexie and Jeremy become smitten, but with both possessing strong, stubborn personalities, how can they possibly make a relationship work when their hearts lie in two different places?
Romantic in a non-graphic way (no heaving chests or throbbing members or anything like that) with a hint of the supernatural, this book was… an interesting take on chick lit, but decidedly not my thing.
Not to sound sexist, but I wasn’t a big fan of romance from the man’s perspective simply because it made Lexie a little less relatable to me. Sparks switched back and forth from Lexie to Jeremy’s point of view, but overall, Jeremy was the protagonist, and I couldn’t really understand Lexie’s motivations most of the time. Or, well, I should say I understood it, but I didn’t necessarily believe it. The plot was also very predictable, and the ending was more than a little cheesy.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the extra drama Sparks added in. Relationships should be easy! Fun! Laid back! Sparks’ characters make mountains out of molehills, fight about non-issues, lie to avoid talking about their feelings, and run away when things get tough. Life isn’t that hard! I hate being in relationships where people just can’t be honest, I hate hearing from my friends about the drama going on in their love lives, and I hate having to read about it with fictional characters. Big issue? When an ancient curse overpowers your emotions and makes you fight your soul mate to the death to fulfill a blood debt, a la Starcrossed. Little issue? The guy you like lives in a different state.
The premise was interesting, and you can tell Sparks is an old pro when it comes to writing: his book opened beautifully, the back stories of the characters were divulged seamlessly, and the writing was eloquent. When it comes to emotions, though, I think Sparks missed the mark.
Jeremy Marsh is a science journalist who gets his kicks exposing the smoke and mirrors behind supernatural occurrences. Riding high from a recent investigation that has every major television network begging him to join their teams, Jeremy decides to make a quick trip to North Carolina to expose the mysterious ghost lights in Boone Creek’s graveyard. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town with its fair share of eccentrics, Boone Creek doesn’t have much to offer a born and bred New Yorker like Jeremy, but an encounter with a beautiful woman has him thinking all sorts of crazy things.
Lexie Darnell is the town librarian and one of the pillars of Boone Creek society. She’s had her experiences with the outside world and decided to come back home, swearing that she’ll never give up her small-town life again. Lexie and Jeremy become smitten, but with both possessing strong, stubborn personalities, how can they possibly make a relationship work when their hearts lie in two different places?
Romantic in a non-graphic way (no heaving chests or throbbing members or anything like that) with a hint of the supernatural, this book was… an interesting take on chick lit, but decidedly not my thing.
Not to sound sexist, but I wasn’t a big fan of romance from the man’s perspective simply because it made Lexie a little less relatable to me. Sparks switched back and forth from Lexie to Jeremy’s point of view, but overall, Jeremy was the protagonist, and I couldn’t really understand Lexie’s motivations most of the time. Or, well, I should say I understood it, but I didn’t necessarily believe it. The plot was also very predictable, and the ending was more than a little cheesy.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the extra drama Sparks added in. Relationships should be easy! Fun! Laid back! Sparks’ characters make mountains out of molehills, fight about non-issues, lie to avoid talking about their feelings, and run away when things get tough. Life isn’t that hard! I hate being in relationships where people just can’t be honest, I hate hearing from my friends about the drama going on in their love lives, and I hate having to read about it with fictional characters. Big issue? When an ancient curse overpowers your emotions and makes you fight your soul mate to the death to fulfill a blood debt, a la Starcrossed. Little issue? The guy you like lives in a different state.
The premise was interesting, and you can tell Sparks is an old pro when it comes to writing: his book opened beautifully, the back stories of the characters were divulged seamlessly, and the writing was eloquent. When it comes to emotions, though, I think Sparks missed the mark.
July 16, 2008
This book lost me at the sentence, "he breathed her name like a prayer." That would never happen in real life. And if it did happen it would be creeptastic.
May 7, 2018
***True Believer, by Nicholas Sparks, is a romance and realistic fiction novel. Nicholas Sparks is a popular and accomplished author of many love stories, and this book is no exception. True Believer revolves around the potential love story of two main characters, Lexie Darnell and Jeremy Marsh. It develops with themes of personal sacrifice and the urge to lead where love directs. Jeremy Marsh is a young man from New York City who is famous for debunking myths. On a work trip to Boone Creek, North Carolina he runs into Lexie Darnell. She is a small town girl, and is determined not to let anything or anyone get in the way of her safe, mediocre life. Basically, she is scared of getting her heart broken. The book takes place over the couple days Jeremy is in town and the two begin to develop interest in one another. It turns out, that leads to lots of struggling.
This book was a hard read. It was too long and drawn out for me to enjoy. I felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire time and it didn’t happen until the very last page. It was rather boring and did not strike me as memorable, as nothing exciting really happened until the end. I agree with the author that love is a tricky, difficult subject. However, I do not think it requires as much back and forth nonsense as this story depicted. I think this book leaves out how exciting it is to get to know another person when it comes to “falling in love”. It only takes place in a weekend and does not develop the relationship between Lexie and Jeremy nearly enough.
The one positive thing I have to say about it is the ending. It suggests that sometimes the only way people can come together is through changing your mindset. For Lexie and Jeremy to make it, Jeremy has to learn to believe in the one thing he doesn’t-miracles.
Overall, I would not recommend this book due to the lengthy relationship drama it revolves around, but I still can appreciate the message it sends.
This book was a hard read. It was too long and drawn out for me to enjoy. I felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire time and it didn’t happen until the very last page. It was rather boring and did not strike me as memorable, as nothing exciting really happened until the end. I agree with the author that love is a tricky, difficult subject. However, I do not think it requires as much back and forth nonsense as this story depicted. I think this book leaves out how exciting it is to get to know another person when it comes to “falling in love”. It only takes place in a weekend and does not develop the relationship between Lexie and Jeremy nearly enough.
The one positive thing I have to say about it is the ending. It suggests that sometimes the only way people can come together is through changing your mindset. For Lexie and Jeremy to make it, Jeremy has to learn to believe in the one thing he doesn’t-miracles.
Overall, I would not recommend this book due to the lengthy relationship drama it revolves around, but I still can appreciate the message it sends.
July 5, 2011
يسعني القول أن الرواية ممتعة ومكتوبة بإتقان وواقعية، وأنها كمثيلاتها من الروايات المترجمة تعطي فكرة مهمة عن المجتمع الذي تدور فيه، وأعني هنا بحثها في العلاقة بين ولايات الشمال والجنوب الأميركي، إضافة إلى التفاصيل الصغيرة والانطباعات التي تزود بها القارئ عن الشخصيات والأماكن وطرق العيش والتعامل وغير ذلك مما يسر المرءَ تلقيه في قالب روائي.
لكن في ما عدا ذلك، ليس في الرواية شيء غير عادي، إنها مجرد رواية رومانسية مكتوبة بجهد، ولا تحمل في طياتها أكثر مما يدور في فلكه هذا النمط، ربما يُحسب لها أنها تطرح جانب التضحية في بناء العلاقات من جانب الرجال، إذ العادة تقضي بأن النساء هن الجانب المضحي عموماً، لكن هذا أقصى ما ترمي إليه، وليس من المفيد أن يتوقع القارئ منها أكثر من ذلك.
فاجأني في الرواية أنه من العادي في بلدات الجنوب أن لا يكمل الشبان تعليمهم في الكليات الجامعية وأن ينصرفوا إلى العمل مباشرة بعد تخرجهم من الثانوية على اعتبار أن هذا أنفع لهم.
وأذكر أيضاً أنني استمتعت بالتفاصيل التي أوردها الكاتب حول محرري ساينتفك أميركان وكتّابها، لا أعلم ما إذا كانت المعلومات مستقاة من الواقع أم لا، ولكنها كانت إطلالة موفقة على إحدى أهم مجلات العلم "العاميّة" في العالم.
نهايةً، ما لم يعجبني في الكتاب هو التناقض الساذج بين بدايته وانتهائه، النقلة بين الشك المطلق، وتقبل الأمور "الخارقة" لم تكن مقنعة.
لكن في ما عدا ذلك، ليس في الرواية شيء غير عادي، إنها مجرد رواية رومانسية مكتوبة بجهد، ولا تحمل في طياتها أكثر مما يدور في فلكه هذا النمط، ربما يُحسب لها أنها تطرح جانب التضحية في بناء العلاقات من جانب الرجال، إذ العادة تقضي بأن النساء هن الجانب المضحي عموماً، لكن هذا أقصى ما ترمي إليه، وليس من المفيد أن يتوقع القارئ منها أكثر من ذلك.
فاجأني في الرواية أنه من العادي في بلدات الجنوب أن لا يكمل الشبان تعليمهم في الكليات الجامعية وأن ينصرفوا إلى العمل مباشرة بعد تخرجهم من الثانوية على اعتبار أن هذا أنفع لهم.
وأذكر أيضاً أنني استمتعت بالتفاصيل التي أوردها الكاتب حول محرري ساينتفك أميركان وكتّابها، لا أعلم ما إذا كانت المعلومات مستقاة من الواقع أم لا، ولكنها كانت إطلالة موفقة على إحدى أهم مجلات العلم "العاميّة" في العالم.
نهايةً، ما لم يعجبني في الكتاب هو التناقض الساذج بين بدايته وانتهائه، النقلة بين الشك المطلق، وتقبل الأمور "الخارقة" لم تكن مقنعة.
April 14, 2018
U početku je pomalo monotono, ali kasnije, iako predvidljivo, postaje bolje.
Shelved as 'descartados'
January 5, 2015Quería leer esta bilogía hasta que descubrí que Nicholas mataba a su personaje principal, Lexie, y encima, tildándola de infiel, mala, mentirosa, y otras perlitas. Me parece horrible que le hiciera ESO a un personaje como Lexie, que es todo bondad. Encima, siempre debe morirse alguien. Y por lo general, las mujeres se llevan la palma. Pero Jeremy tiene suerte, su mujer se muere y él forma una familia feliz con otra mujer. Sí, porque los hombres deben ser afortunados y las mujeres deben morirse. Sí, Nicholas también mata a personajes masculinos, pero haciendo balance, prácticamente son ellas quienes siempre mueren, y el cáncer sobrevuela todas sus novelas. ¿No se cansa de escribir tragedias enmascaradas tras novelas de amor? Con esta bilogía, Nicholas me enfadó muchisimo y renuncié a leer todos los libros suyos que acaben en desgracia. Estoy hasta las narices que putée a sus personajes.
December 22, 2014
Caballero va a un pueblo, en este curiosamente hay mujeres de las cuales una se enamora del Señor periodista que va a investigar supuestos sucesos luminosos en un lugar tan sorprendente como es un cementerio. Una cosa lleva a la otra, reacción en cadena… Calentón, ¡pim pam! ¡Fuera!
Hay que me voy, que no te vayas, que si me voy, que te quiero, que yo también… bla bla bla. Somos imbéciles, el amor lo puede todo. Eres el hombre de mi vida. Vos la mujer de mi vida. Llora, lloro, llora, lloro, loro… FIN.
Novela donde la originalidad y la creatividad es tan grande como el entretenimiento que me ha ofrecido.
Hay que me voy, que no te vayas, que si me voy, que te quiero, que yo también… bla bla bla. Somos imbéciles, el amor lo puede todo. Eres el hombre de mi vida. Vos la mujer de mi vida. Llora, lloro, llora, lloro, loro… FIN.
Novela donde la originalidad y la creatividad es tan grande como el entretenimiento que me ha ofrecido.
August 4, 2016
**2,5 estrelas**
Creio que este livro terá sido o que menos gostei do Nicholas Sparks.
O resumo promete, mistério, fenómenos estranhos com uma pitada de sobrenatural (quiçá!?) mas quanto a mim foi explorado de forma insípida. A desilusão é ainda maior quando afinal a causa dos supostos fantasmas é do conhecimento de todos menos por parte de quem investiga. A previsibilidade quando confirmada de forma tão evidente torna-se no mínimo, aborrecido.
Em comparação com outros que li do mesmo autor, este ficará certamente aquém.
Creio que este livro terá sido o que menos gostei do Nicholas Sparks.
O resumo promete, mistério, fenómenos estranhos com uma pitada de sobrenatural (quiçá!?) mas quanto a mim foi explorado de forma insípida. A desilusão é ainda maior quando afinal a causa dos supostos fantasmas é do conhecimento de todos menos por parte de quem investiga. A previsibilidade quando confirmada de forma tão evidente torna-se no mínimo, aborrecido.
Em comparação com outros que li do mesmo autor, este ficará certamente aquém.
August 15, 2014
In TRUE BELIEVER, journalist Jeremy Marsh spends his time debunking the supernatural. He has just finished exposing a fake television psychic, proving that the man was not able to read people's minds or see into their pasts. When he hears about a phenomenon happening in the small town of Boone Creek in North Carolina, where ghosts are seen inhabiting a local cemetery, Jeremy knows he will be able to find the truth behind the lights that are seen glimmering on certain nights above the cemetery grounds. He knows that ghosts do not truly exist.
When Jeremy arrives in Boone Creek, he experiences what small town life is all about. He's from the big city and feels like he's walked into a time warp. Everyone knows everyone, and gossip spreads like wildfire.
The very day he arrives in town, Jeremy makes a quick visit to Cedar Creek Cemetery, where the ghosts are reported to have been seen, when he notices a young woman there who catches his eye. He later finds out that her name is Lexie Darnell. Neither of them knows it but soon their lives will be changed forever. Lexie is the granddaughter of the woman who had invited him to visit the town. Doris Marsh is the town psychic.
As Jeremy slowly does his research in the library where Lexie happens to work, he gets to know her. Despite what he feels about the town, he finds himself interested in this woman who doesn't seem to want anything to do with him.
While Sparks tends to write tragedies as opposed to true romances, this novel is far from the tragedy that some of his other fiction books have been.
This is not to say that TRUE BELIEVER wasn't enjoyable. But fans who are looking for the typical Nicholas Sparks book will not find it here. Instead of concentrating on the romance, this reviewer found the focus of the novel to be on the mystery behind the cemetery, and the high point of the plot was Jeremy's answer to the story behind the ghosts. The fact that Jeremy is dating a woman who believes her parents' ghosts have come to her in the cemetery makes the reader anxious to know what he finds, realizing that the answer will greatly impact the relationship that is central to the love story.
One aspect of storytelling in which Sparks excels is his ability to create the characters who populate his books. His capacity to bring into being likable, everyday people helps make this novel readable. The strength of the story isn't necessarily the plot, and the romance that is found here is not one that a typical romance reader might expect. For this reader, the characters were the highlight of the novel, and the process of getting to know some of the more prominent ones was a delight. One will find oneself chuckling over some of the antics of the townspeople. The brouhaha that the people make over Jeremy's celebrity is very cute, if not humorous.
Overall, the plot lines are balanced between the mystery of the cemetery, Jeremy and Lexie's relationship, the aspect of small-town living, and the individual life stories of the two protagonists. Focusing on the individual characters is just one way of truly enjoying this book. It's a soothing type of read, and readers will feel comfortable with these characters.
On that note, TRUE BELIEVER comes recommended.
When Jeremy arrives in Boone Creek, he experiences what small town life is all about. He's from the big city and feels like he's walked into a time warp. Everyone knows everyone, and gossip spreads like wildfire.
The very day he arrives in town, Jeremy makes a quick visit to Cedar Creek Cemetery, where the ghosts are reported to have been seen, when he notices a young woman there who catches his eye. He later finds out that her name is Lexie Darnell. Neither of them knows it but soon their lives will be changed forever. Lexie is the granddaughter of the woman who had invited him to visit the town. Doris Marsh is the town psychic.
As Jeremy slowly does his research in the library where Lexie happens to work, he gets to know her. Despite what he feels about the town, he finds himself interested in this woman who doesn't seem to want anything to do with him.
While Sparks tends to write tragedies as opposed to true romances, this novel is far from the tragedy that some of his other fiction books have been.
This is not to say that TRUE BELIEVER wasn't enjoyable. But fans who are looking for the typical Nicholas Sparks book will not find it here. Instead of concentrating on the romance, this reviewer found the focus of the novel to be on the mystery behind the cemetery, and the high point of the plot was Jeremy's answer to the story behind the ghosts. The fact that Jeremy is dating a woman who believes her parents' ghosts have come to her in the cemetery makes the reader anxious to know what he finds, realizing that the answer will greatly impact the relationship that is central to the love story.
One aspect of storytelling in which Sparks excels is his ability to create the characters who populate his books. His capacity to bring into being likable, everyday people helps make this novel readable. The strength of the story isn't necessarily the plot, and the romance that is found here is not one that a typical romance reader might expect. For this reader, the characters were the highlight of the novel, and the process of getting to know some of the more prominent ones was a delight. One will find oneself chuckling over some of the antics of the townspeople. The brouhaha that the people make over Jeremy's celebrity is very cute, if not humorous.
Overall, the plot lines are balanced between the mystery of the cemetery, Jeremy and Lexie's relationship, the aspect of small-town living, and the individual life stories of the two protagonists. Focusing on the individual characters is just one way of truly enjoying this book. It's a soothing type of read, and readers will feel comfortable with these characters.
On that note, TRUE BELIEVER comes recommended.
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