When Was It Released?: 17th September 2013
Where Did I Get It From?: From the publisher. Thank you!
Who Published It?: Sphere
Number Of Pages?: 416 Pages
Buy?:Hardcover or Kindle
Ninety-one year old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, with his mind fading, an image of his beloved, and long-dead, wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together - how they met, the dark days of WWII, and its unrelenting effect on their families.
A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko's life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke has a secret which threatens to break it all apart.
Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways.
Before I begin I just have to let you all know that I absolutely adore Nicholas Sparks. I have seen all his film adaptations and read a lot, although not all, of his books. I was eagerly awaiting The Longest Ride, his latest novel, and was so excited when I received a copy for review that I just had to dive straight in.
The Longest Ride switches between the plot of two different stories, that of Ira and that of Sophie and Luke, while alternating between the perspective of all three. I enjoyed seeing the two stories and eventually learning how they connect. Ira's story was beautiful and told of his journey and I learnt a lot about his past. Each time Ira's chapters came around I found myself liking him more and more and realising just what a wonderful man and character he really is. His love for his wife never falters and is so emotional to read about. I adored the character of Ruth and the way she is portrayed. I also enjoyed the story of Luke and Sophia, although I did like Luke's character a little more. Luke came across as caring and very family orientated while I have to say Sophia was a little selfish at times. Although as their chapters move on I did find myself liking each character by the end of the book.
The Longest Ride was not a typical Nicholas Sparks novel. Yes it had the raw emotion, yes it made me cry, more than once, but it was a little different. I think perhaps because of the two stories running along side each other of which you do not see any connection until the end of the book. I do not think this is a bad thing as I enjoyed both stories and their connection, it just made it a little different from previous Nicholas Sparks novels.
Overall, I loved The Longest Ride. The grand love story is there and I think the marriage and love between Ruth and Ira is one of the best I have read about in a long time. It made me wish for even a small amount of the way in which they love each other. I would defiantly recommend The Longest Ride for any Nicholas Sparks fan or for anyone looking for a great romance with strong emotion that will pull at the heart strings. Just be prepared, you will end up crying.
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