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The Guardian
Julie Barenson's young husband left her two unexpected gifts before he died: a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would always be watching over her. Now, four years have passed. Still living in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, 29-year-old Julie is emotionally ready to make a commitment to someone again. But who? Should it be Richard Franklin, the handsome, sophisticated engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down-to-earth nice guy who was her husband's best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she's had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
6,794 people are currently reading
92.4k people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Sparks
320听books235k听followersNicholas Sparks is one of the world鈥檚 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脳400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. .
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脳400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. .
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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August 6, 2020
The Guardian, Nicholas Sparks
The Guardian is the seventh novel by the American writer Nicholas Sparks.
The book is a romance/thriller about a Great Dane named Singer who is the pet of a widow named Julie, who is trying to find a new life partner. Among those she considers are Mike, an old friend of hers, and Richard, a successful manager. ...
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 賳賵丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2016 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賮鈥嵷必粹€嵷€嵸団€� 蹖鈥� 賳鈥嵹€嵸団€嵷ㄢ€嵷з嗏€屫� 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賳鈥嵺屸€嵹┾€嵸堎勜ж斥€� 丕爻鈥嵸锯€嵷ж壁┾€嵷斥€屫� 賲鬲鈥嵷必€嵸� 賳鈥嵸佲€嵺屸€嵷斥€嵸団€� 賲鈥嵷光€嵷€嵹┾€嵸佲€屫� 鬲鈥嵸団€嵷必з�: 丿乇爻鈥嵷р€忊€� 1384貨 丿乇 544氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1387貨 卮丕亘讴 9646104819貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 21賲
趩賴丕乇 爻丕賱 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 芦噩蹖賲禄貙 賴賲爻乇 芦噩賵賱蹖 (噩賵賱蹖丕)禄 亘诏匕卮鬲賴貙 賵 丕賵 賴賳賵夭 丿乇 卮賴乇 讴賵趩讴蹖貙 丿乇 芦讴丕乇賵賱蹖賳丕蹖 卮賲丕賱蹖禄 亘丕 爻诏蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦爻蹖賳诏乇禄 讴賴 賴丿蹖賴 蹖 倬爻 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 賴賲爻乇 禺賵蹖卮 亘賵丿賴貙 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖讴賳丿.貨 芦噩賵賱蹖禄 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳購賴 爻丕賱 丿丕乇丿貙 賵 賴賳賵夭 賴賲 賲蹖鬲賵丕賳丿貙 亘賴 卮禺氐 丿蹖诏乇蹖 丿賵亘丕乇賴 毓賱丕賯賲賳丿 卮賵丿.貨 丕賲丕 趩賴 讴爻蹖責 丕賵 亘丕蹖丿 亘蹖賳 芦乇蹖趩丕乇丿禄 賵 芦賲丕蹖讴禄貨 蹖讴蹖 乇丕 亘乇诏夭蹖賳丿.貨 诏夭蹖賳卮 賴乇讴丿丕賲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丿賵貙 賲蹖鬲賵丕賳丿 丕賵 乇丕 丿賵亘丕乇賴 倬爻 丕夭 爻丕賱賴丕 卮丕丿賲丕賳 讴賳丿貙 丕賲丕 丕賵 诏乇賮鬲丕乇 鬲賵胤卅賴貙 賵 丨爻丕丿鬲 亘爻蹖丕乇 卮乇丕乇鬲 亘丕乇蹖 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 夭賵丿 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 讴丕亘賵爻 夭賳丿诏蹖卮 賲蹖卮賵丿...貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
The Guardian is the seventh novel by the American writer Nicholas Sparks.
The book is a romance/thriller about a Great Dane named Singer who is the pet of a widow named Julie, who is trying to find a new life partner. Among those she considers are Mike, an old friend of hers, and Richard, a successful manager. ...
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 賳賵丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2016 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賮鈥嵷必粹€嵷€嵸団€� 蹖鈥� 賳鈥嵹€嵸団€嵷ㄢ€嵷з嗏€屫� 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賳鈥嵺屸€嵹┾€嵸堎勜ж斥€� 丕爻鈥嵸锯€嵷ж壁┾€嵷斥€屫� 賲鬲鈥嵷必€嵸� 賳鈥嵸佲€嵺屸€嵷斥€嵸団€� 賲鈥嵷光€嵷€嵹┾€嵸佲€屫� 鬲鈥嵸団€嵷必з�: 丿乇爻鈥嵷р€忊€� 1384貨 丿乇 544氐貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1387貨 卮丕亘讴 9646104819貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 21賲
趩賴丕乇 爻丕賱 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 芦噩蹖賲禄貙 賴賲爻乇 芦噩賵賱蹖 (噩賵賱蹖丕)禄 亘诏匕卮鬲賴貙 賵 丕賵 賴賳賵夭 丿乇 卮賴乇 讴賵趩讴蹖貙 丿乇 芦讴丕乇賵賱蹖賳丕蹖 卮賲丕賱蹖禄 亘丕 爻诏蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦爻蹖賳诏乇禄 讴賴 賴丿蹖賴 蹖 倬爻 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 賴賲爻乇 禺賵蹖卮 亘賵丿賴貙 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖讴賳丿.貨 芦噩賵賱蹖禄 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳購賴 爻丕賱 丿丕乇丿貙 賵 賴賳賵夭 賴賲 賲蹖鬲賵丕賳丿貙 亘賴 卮禺氐 丿蹖诏乇蹖 丿賵亘丕乇賴 毓賱丕賯賲賳丿 卮賵丿.貨 丕賲丕 趩賴 讴爻蹖責 丕賵 亘丕蹖丿 亘蹖賳 芦乇蹖趩丕乇丿禄 賵 芦賲丕蹖讴禄貨 蹖讴蹖 乇丕 亘乇诏夭蹖賳丿.貨 诏夭蹖賳卮 賴乇讴丿丕賲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丿賵貙 賲蹖鬲賵丕賳丿 丕賵 乇丕 丿賵亘丕乇賴 倬爻 丕夭 爻丕賱賴丕 卮丕丿賲丕賳 讴賳丿貙 丕賲丕 丕賵 诏乇賮鬲丕乇 鬲賵胤卅賴貙 賵 丨爻丕丿鬲 亘爻蹖丕乇 卮乇丕乇鬲 亘丕乇蹖 賲蹖卮賵丿貙 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 夭賵丿 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 讴丕亘賵爻 夭賳丿诏蹖卮 賲蹖卮賵丿...貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
September 14, 2017
Author's note at end of the book ... brace yourselves, you might fall of the chair, laughing. I know I nearly did.
"A COMPELLING THRILLER"!! This author needs to either sack the editor or read some "compelling thrillers" himself. Such a half-baked plot. It was SO OBVIOUS what was going to happen. Ended up skimming but, even so, I got the gist of it. And Mike - seriously, he came across as a bit of a simpleton. I thought maybe this was one of this author's early books or even his first book but, no, he wrote a few prior to this one.
"From first to final draft, the novel went through eight major revisions until my editor and I were finally satisfied that the novel accomplished what it set out to do, that is, be a love story first and foremost, and secondly - in a way that sneaks up on the reader - a compelling thriller."
"A COMPELLING THRILLER"!! This author needs to either sack the editor or read some "compelling thrillers" himself. Such a half-baked plot. It was SO OBVIOUS what was going to happen. Ended up skimming but, even so, I got the gist of it. And Mike - seriously, he came across as a bit of a simpleton. I thought maybe this was one of this author's early books or even his first book but, no, he wrote a few prior to this one.
November 5, 2011
I admit, Nicholas Sparks got me with The Notebook. I was 22, sitting alone in the back of my parents car coming home to Pennsylvania after visiting relatives in Illinois, and I devoured the whole thing, sobbing so much my parents almost pulled over the car. He totally got me, reeled me in. Hook. Line. Sinker.
The man is smart. He knows his prey...er, audience very well, knows exactly what "bait" to dangle in front of them. People fall in love, BIG, GRAND, EPIC ROMANCE LOVE. Throw in some horrible tragedy/obstacle/terminal illness. Add a bunch of corny, cheesy platitudes. Then drop thousand pound anvil of Major Life Lesson That Must Be Learned...over and over and over...and over again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Voila! Best-selling author.
I would be lying if I said I didn't fall for this kind of formulaic writing. It's needed. Sometimes you just need predictable, romantic cheese. Obviously, or Nick Sparks wouldn't be a gazillion-jazillion-aire, or whatever. I won't pretend to be a literary snob who looks down on this genre of books. I have guilty pleasures, and I indulge. You all know you do, too.
HOWEVER. This book is UNNECESSARY. And EVIL. PURE EVIL.
And here's the part where I also won't pretend to be a rational human being when it comes to animals, or more specifically, animals of the canine variety. My husband and I have no children. Instead, we have three dogs. All rescues. I am one of Those Crazy Dog People. So, I will forewarn you, and fully admit, that my Absolute Hate of this book is fueled by my completely irrational and 5 year-old belief that Dogs Do Not Die. EVER. AT ALL. Even happily from old age (MARLEY I AM LOOKING AT YOU).
I mean, at 5 years-old, I bawled and my mom had to remove me from the movie theater during The Fox and the Hound because "We'll always be friends. FOREVER.". Except when I get older and have to hunt you down and kill you. LIES. ALL LIES. And no animals, dog or fox, were even killed in that movie.
So I'm assuming, if you've read this book, you get (from my looooong disclaimer) why I hurled it across the room when Nicholas Sparks went and MURDERED THE DOG. It's not enough to POISON him. No, to just make this book even that much more DRAMATIC, let's SHOOT HIM TOO. But, it'll be okay, because he died protecting his humans from a crazy stalker and his humans get to live Happily Ever After because of how brave the dog was. And that just makes it all better, doesn't it?
Um, no?
Is it wrong that I've rewritten the ending in my head where all the humans (It's been so long since I've read this, I've forgotten names)--Main Character, Love Interest, Crazy Stalker--all end up dead because they are humans and adults and they all should know better than to allow THEMSELVES, let alone an innocent dog, to get mixed up in all this stupid drama. And the dog MIRACULOUSLY lives and gets HIS Happily Ever After with a nice, stable family, who are smart enough not to get mixed up with Crazy Stalkers, and who have two children for him to play with and a big, fenced-in backyard.
That might be wrong of me, but I've already admitted my irrational love of dogs so my alternate ending shouldn't have been a surprise.
I apologize because I can't really offer any rational critique of this book. That all went out the window the moment he MURDERED THE DOG. I am way too blinded by my hate of this to offer anything else even remotely constructive or informative.
I haven't read another Nick Sparks book since The Guardian. And that was about seven or eight years ago. Have I mentioned I also hold irrational grudges against authors who murder dogs? This Grudge is so strong, I don't care what kind of cheesy bait he dangles, I will never bite again. Completely irrational, I know. But I like living in Irrational City. Dogs don't die there.
The man is smart. He knows his prey...er, audience very well, knows exactly what "bait" to dangle in front of them. People fall in love, BIG, GRAND, EPIC ROMANCE LOVE. Throw in some horrible tragedy/obstacle/terminal illness. Add a bunch of corny, cheesy platitudes. Then drop thousand pound anvil of Major Life Lesson That Must Be Learned...over and over and over...and over again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Voila! Best-selling author.
I would be lying if I said I didn't fall for this kind of formulaic writing. It's needed. Sometimes you just need predictable, romantic cheese. Obviously, or Nick Sparks wouldn't be a gazillion-jazillion-aire, or whatever. I won't pretend to be a literary snob who looks down on this genre of books. I have guilty pleasures, and I indulge. You all know you do, too.
HOWEVER. This book is UNNECESSARY. And EVIL. PURE EVIL.
And here's the part where I also won't pretend to be a rational human being when it comes to animals, or more specifically, animals of the canine variety. My husband and I have no children. Instead, we have three dogs. All rescues. I am one of Those Crazy Dog People. So, I will forewarn you, and fully admit, that my Absolute Hate of this book is fueled by my completely irrational and 5 year-old belief that Dogs Do Not Die. EVER. AT ALL. Even happily from old age (MARLEY I AM LOOKING AT YOU).
I mean, at 5 years-old, I bawled and my mom had to remove me from the movie theater during The Fox and the Hound because "We'll always be friends. FOREVER.". Except when I get older and have to hunt you down and kill you. LIES. ALL LIES. And no animals, dog or fox, were even killed in that movie.
So I'm assuming, if you've read this book, you get (from my looooong disclaimer) why I hurled it across the room when Nicholas Sparks went and MURDERED THE DOG. It's not enough to POISON him. No, to just make this book even that much more DRAMATIC, let's SHOOT HIM TOO. But, it'll be okay, because he died protecting his humans from a crazy stalker and his humans get to live Happily Ever After because of how brave the dog was. And that just makes it all better, doesn't it?
Um, no?
Is it wrong that I've rewritten the ending in my head where all the humans (It's been so long since I've read this, I've forgotten names)--Main Character, Love Interest, Crazy Stalker--all end up dead because they are humans and adults and they all should know better than to allow THEMSELVES, let alone an innocent dog, to get mixed up in all this stupid drama. And the dog MIRACULOUSLY lives and gets HIS Happily Ever After with a nice, stable family, who are smart enough not to get mixed up with Crazy Stalkers, and who have two children for him to play with and a big, fenced-in backyard.
That might be wrong of me, but I've already admitted my irrational love of dogs so my alternate ending shouldn't have been a surprise.
I apologize because I can't really offer any rational critique of this book. That all went out the window the moment he MURDERED THE DOG. I am way too blinded by my hate of this to offer anything else even remotely constructive or informative.
I haven't read another Nick Sparks book since The Guardian. And that was about seven or eight years ago. Have I mentioned I also hold irrational grudges against authors who murder dogs? This Grudge is so strong, I don't care what kind of cheesy bait he dangles, I will never bite again. Completely irrational, I know. But I like living in Irrational City. Dogs don't die there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2012
I've never written a review before, but I thought that this book really qualifies for one.
Sometimes you just want something that you can indulge yourself into without the analysis and critical thinking, and this one was perfect for it.
I love the whole story between Mike and Julie and the slow realization of Julie as she comes to love Mike.
and of course I love Singer, The Guardian.
This book is full of twists that I didnt expect at all.
I was surprised by the ending, But I loved it.
This is the first time I read to Sparks and I'm really glad that I did.
The book is just beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes. 鈾�
Sometimes you just want something that you can indulge yourself into without the analysis and critical thinking, and this one was perfect for it.
I love the whole story between Mike and Julie and the slow realization of Julie as she comes to love Mike.
and of course I love Singer, The Guardian.
This book is full of twists that I didnt expect at all.
I was surprised by the ending, But I loved it.
This is the first time I read to Sparks and I'm really glad that I did.
The book is just beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes. 鈾�
June 25, 2022
3.5 Rounded Up. This one brings us a Stalker obsessed. The story was really good but had a few holes. I loved how protective Singer was and the walk up between Julie and Mike. That ending could have used some work.
October 10, 2015
One of my favorite Nicholas Sparks' books. The main character falls in love with her long time friend after losing her husband at a very young age. I love the romance concept of the book and the slow realization of Julie as she comes to love Mike. It is also a nice concept of her lost husband watching over her and letting go when he sees she is finally at peace without him. Romance stories are more fascinating to me when the main characters are already friends who fall in love.
February 18, 2008
yeah, there's a spoiler in here. so stop reading if you don't wanna know.
yep. sparks does it again, sucks, that is.
he kills off a dog this time, if memory serves me right. I think that's all he's got... try to make a love story so sweet you need insulin. and then WHAM! Death! yeah, get out your kleenex you sorry bastards!
that's right Sparks, kill 'em all! must be a metallica fan.
yep. sparks does it again, sucks, that is.
he kills off a dog this time, if memory serves me right. I think that's all he's got... try to make a love story so sweet you need insulin. and then WHAM! Death! yeah, get out your kleenex you sorry bastards!
that's right Sparks, kill 'em all! must be a metallica fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2009
Sometimes, belonging to a book club (or two, or in my case, three) means that you are introduced to something that you would have never read on your own, that turns out to stretch your mind and lead to interesting discoveries...and other times, you are so aghast by someone's favorite that you avoid the discussion of the book so as not to hurt the person's feelings who suggested it. Here on 欧宝娱乐, I will pull no punches. This book reads like a Hallmark card, or a serial in a woman's magazine, or worse yet--a Lifetime movie. The premise is lame and unbelievable...how many dying husbands make pre-death arrangements for a dirty puppy to be delivered to the grieving widow on Christmas--in a cardboard box, no less? Why was the pup in such sad shape? Was the husband so ill that he ordered the pup from a substandard puppy mill? Ah, but with the wisdom that people about to die seem to have, he has chosen well, and she is thrilled to have the responsibility of training and caring for an enormous dog instead of being able to choose for herself if she wants to take this on, or perhaps choose a nice low maintenance goldfish instead. The rest of the story is so much like others of this genre that you may feel like you've already read it. The charming, handsome man who turns out to be psychotic, the man she thinks of as a "friend" who is really in love with her (and, of course, ends up being her savior at the end and she loves him too...yawn.) In stories like this, good people rarely die, even after being beaten to a pulp and left for dead in a ditch for two days (slutty hairdresser who isn't very bright); a cop found shot in the head, lying face-down with his head in a pool of blood near the end of the story is out of the hospital in a few days instead of being six feet under; a dog who has been poisoned with enough rat poison to kill six dogs, who moments before was gasping his last breath on the ground and unable to stand, suddenly flies through the air and attacks psycho dude, saving his owner, only to finally die of gunshot wounds inflicted by psycho dude. Weepy dog death scene follows, but psycho dude is dead and doggie has fulfilled being her guardian as in the book title, and everyone else goes off happily into the sunset. This is basically the song "My Life Will Go On" by Celine Dion mixed with a touch of "Old Yeller."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 13, 2020Julie lives with her dog Singer in a small town in North Carolina where she meets Richard, who is hiding a dark secret. Her friends, especially Mike, try to protect her, but Richard knows no boundaries. In the end, she loses a faithful friend and with him the connected love for her husband Jim. This book was a little bit different than the other love books of Nicholas Sparks, although it was less heartbreaking, the book is totally exciting and full of love.
December 4, 2008
Saccharine! Predictable! This is the first Sparks novel I've read and I don't understand (from this first exposure anyway) WHY this man is a bestselling author. I just didn't get the appeal... Spoiler: the "Guardian" is the dog. THE DOG. I mean, anytime the dog has to save the day, is this good?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2012
Speachless.. Literally speachless.. Nicholas Sparks is a natural!! Every time I finish a book of his, I keep on saying it's the best, but ALL OF THEM ARE BEAUTIFULY AMAZING!!!! Mike, Richard, singer, jim.. Everything was soo beautiful.. Richard was sexy, seductive,yet somehow pshycopathic. Mike such a darling sweetheart, every girl would die to have such a boyfriend who loves you so much to the extent that at the last second of his life, when he was one step away from death, he gathered himself because he didn't want to die and leave Julia and realization struck him that if he dies, Julie will get killed by Richard (Robert). Nicholas, ur books give me great emotion.. At the end of every book I read from Nicholas, I was always left breathless and with tears rolling down my face.. I'd hug the book and stare into space.. Amazing.. Nicholas Sparks, you're the best <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2019
Stars: 5
I'll write a review when i stop crying.
I'll write a review when i stop crying.
December 22, 2008
I wish that I could give this book 3 stars. I really wish that I could. I mean there are a lot of parts of the book that I really liked. But in general the story was a little familiar...I read a book earlier this year that was almost exactly the same plot line but of course was not as well put together as a Nicholas Sparks' book! And up until the last chapter and epilogue, I was going to give it 3 stars. But that last bit ruined it for me. Not to spoil anything for any readers, but seriously, the guardian is not at all what I, being a reader, wanted it to be. I mean, the book is based around a love story with a thrilling secondary plot, and the love story in the end has nothing to do with the ending. What the heck?!? It left me incredibly underwhelmed.
March 15, 2012
乇賵丕賷丞 噩賲賷賱丞 賵卮賷賯丞 ..
賷亘丿賵 兀賳賷 兀丿乇賰鬲 賲亘賰乇賸丕 兀賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 爻鬲毓噩亘賳賷
賵 賷亘丿賵 兀賷囟賸丕 兀賳賷 兀丨亘 賯乇丕亍丞 丕賱兀賮賱丕賲 丕賱兀噩賳亘賷丞 .. 賵賱賷爻 賲卮丕賴丿鬲賴丕 賮丨爻亘
.
毓賱賶 丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 兀賳 "鬲賷賲丞" 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲亘丿賵 賲毓鬲丕丿丞 .. 廿賱丕 兀賳 爻亘丕乇賰爻 丕爻鬲胤丕毓 亘賱睾鬲賴 賵鬲賮丕氐賷賱 乇賵丕賷鬲賴 兀賳 賷噩匕亘賳賷 廿賱兀賶 毓丕賱賲 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱禺丕氐貙 賵廿賳 亘丿丕 賱賷 兀賳 毓賳賵丕賳 "丕賱丨丕乇爻" 賱賲 賷賰賳 賴賵 丕賱兀賳爻亘 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 ..
.
賴賳丕賰 賰賵丕乇孬 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 賯丕賲鬲 亘賴丕 丕賱賲鬲乇噩賲丞 丿毓丿 爻賷丨丕爻亘賴丕 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱賯丕賳賵賳
賵廿賳 賰丕賳鬲 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 噩賷丿丞貙 賵賱賰賳 丕賱兀禺胤賭丕亍 賲孬賷乇丞 (兀賯氐丿 賰孬賷乇丞) 賵賯丕亘賱丞 (賯丕鬲賱丞) 丕
....
.
賷亘丿賵 兀賳賷 兀丿乇賰鬲 賲亘賰乇賸丕 兀賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 爻鬲毓噩亘賳賷
賵 賷亘丿賵 兀賷囟賸丕 兀賳賷 兀丨亘 賯乇丕亍丞 丕賱兀賮賱丕賲 丕賱兀噩賳亘賷丞 .. 賵賱賷爻 賲卮丕賴丿鬲賴丕 賮丨爻亘
.
毓賱賶 丕賱乇睾賲 賲賳 兀賳 "鬲賷賲丞" 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲亘丿賵 賲毓鬲丕丿丞 .. 廿賱丕 兀賳 爻亘丕乇賰爻 丕爻鬲胤丕毓 亘賱睾鬲賴 賵鬲賮丕氐賷賱 乇賵丕賷鬲賴 兀賳 賷噩匕亘賳賷 廿賱兀賶 毓丕賱賲 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱禺丕氐貙 賵廿賳 亘丿丕 賱賷 兀賳 毓賳賵丕賳 "丕賱丨丕乇爻" 賱賲 賷賰賳 賴賵 丕賱兀賳爻亘 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 ..
.
賴賳丕賰 賰賵丕乇孬 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 賯丕賲鬲 亘賴丕 丕賱賲鬲乇噩賲丞 丿毓丿 爻賷丨丕爻亘賴丕 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱賯丕賳賵賳
賵廿賳 賰丕賳鬲 丕賱鬲乇噩賲丞 噩賷丿丞貙 賵賱賰賳 丕賱兀禺胤賭丕亍 賲孬賷乇丞 (兀賯氐丿 賰孬賷乇丞) 賵賯丕亘賱丞 (賯丕鬲賱丞) 丕
....
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March 24, 2011
I know what your thinking... How can Reed read a nicholas sparks book... very simple... I don't think you can bad mouth something until you have tried it. so I read a sparks novel. I have to admit it was entertaining. It was also very cheesy and the very end was about the biggest pile of tripe i have ever layed eyes on.
December 14, 2022
It has been a long time since I read this, that one night flight, and silently sobbed. 馃槶 馃惥
June 16, 2023
Na inten莽茫o de escrever algo diferente do seu registo habitual, Nicholas Sparks contemplou-nos com esta hist贸ria emocionante, recheada de amor e perigo em simult芒neo.
La莽os que Perduram retrata a hist贸ria de Julie, uma rapariga que fica vi煤va com apenas 25 anos, pois o marido, Jim, morre com cancro.
Contudo, antes de morrer, Jim prepara uma surpresa para fazer companhia a Julie num momento de tanto sofrimento, um c茫o! Singer ser谩, assim, o novo companheiro de Julie e consequentemente, o seu guardi茫o!
Julie v锚 em Singer uma extens茫o de Jim, uma companhia di谩ria que a ligar谩 eternamente ao seu falecido marido.
E tal como Jim pede na carta que se fez acompanhar a Singer, Julie sente-se preparada para seguir em frente na sua vida e tentar encontrar algu茅m com quem partilhar o seu amor.
Mike 茅 um dos fortes candidatos. Melhor amigo de Jim, conhece Julie 脿 imensos anos e mesmo que esse sentimento estivesse "adormecido" at茅 脿 morte de Jim, Mike sente algo mais do que amizade por Julie.
No entanto, Richard Franklin atravessa-se no meio desta amizade e Julie pensa que encontrou o homem ideal.
Durante uma viagem de Richard, Julie vai a um bar tomar caf茅 com Mike e 茅 ai que o seu verdadeiro amor 茅 revelado. Julie v锚-se ao lado de Mike e n茫o de Richard, e quando este volta da viagem 茅 essa mesma informa莽茫o que Julie acaba por lhe transmitir.
Mas Richard n茫o tenciona deixar Julie, a mulher que lhe faz lembrar a sua esposa que ele pr贸prio matou.
Richard revela-se um verdadeiro psicopata, acabando por prosseguir Julie.
Mike, aliado de Singer, torna-se ent茫o a pe莽a chave nesta historia, ser谩 a pessoa que ajudar谩 Julie a enfrentar uma pessoa m谩 em todos os sentidos, capaz de cometer a maior loucura para ficar com ela.
Um livro verdadeiramente emocionante, recheado de ac莽茫o e suspense.
Com um final que nos deixa divididos... tristes por um motivo mas alegres por outro! 馃鉁�
La莽os que Perduram retrata a hist贸ria de Julie, uma rapariga que fica vi煤va com apenas 25 anos, pois o marido, Jim, morre com cancro.
Contudo, antes de morrer, Jim prepara uma surpresa para fazer companhia a Julie num momento de tanto sofrimento, um c茫o! Singer ser谩, assim, o novo companheiro de Julie e consequentemente, o seu guardi茫o!
Julie v锚 em Singer uma extens茫o de Jim, uma companhia di谩ria que a ligar谩 eternamente ao seu falecido marido.
E tal como Jim pede na carta que se fez acompanhar a Singer, Julie sente-se preparada para seguir em frente na sua vida e tentar encontrar algu茅m com quem partilhar o seu amor.
Mike 茅 um dos fortes candidatos. Melhor amigo de Jim, conhece Julie 脿 imensos anos e mesmo que esse sentimento estivesse "adormecido" at茅 脿 morte de Jim, Mike sente algo mais do que amizade por Julie.
No entanto, Richard Franklin atravessa-se no meio desta amizade e Julie pensa que encontrou o homem ideal.
Durante uma viagem de Richard, Julie vai a um bar tomar caf茅 com Mike e 茅 ai que o seu verdadeiro amor 茅 revelado. Julie v锚-se ao lado de Mike e n茫o de Richard, e quando este volta da viagem 茅 essa mesma informa莽茫o que Julie acaba por lhe transmitir.
Mas Richard n茫o tenciona deixar Julie, a mulher que lhe faz lembrar a sua esposa que ele pr贸prio matou.
Richard revela-se um verdadeiro psicopata, acabando por prosseguir Julie.
Mike, aliado de Singer, torna-se ent茫o a pe莽a chave nesta historia, ser谩 a pessoa que ajudar谩 Julie a enfrentar uma pessoa m谩 em todos os sentidos, capaz de cometer a maior loucura para ficar com ela.
Um livro verdadeiramente emocionante, recheado de ac莽茫o e suspense.
Com um final que nos deixa divididos... tristes por um motivo mas alegres por outro! 馃鉁�
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2018
I'm always so torn when it comes to Nicholas Sparks books. Especially with this book because I was really torn between 3 or 4 stars.
The Guardian was a pretty good story about finding a new love after an unexpected death. Julie was left two things after his untimely death: a puppy and a promise. After mourning for a handful of years, Julie has decided it's time to dip her toes into the love pool again. One day she meets Richard and there's an instant attraction. After a couple of dates, Richard believes he loves her. Meanwhile. Julie is seeing this other guy named Mike.
Unfortunately things aren't all happy go lucky for Julie. Once she turns down Richard because she is with Mike, who is one of her late husband's best friends.. well, let's just say that he doesn't handle it well. I mean, no one handles rejection well.. but damn, this guy was crazy.
Richard was probably a great villain because he was one creepy dude. He made me cringe so many times.. I loved it! He would call her all the time and just hang up.. it reminded me of like middle school or maybe even elementary school. When you would get with your friends and prank call you crush but instead of saying anything just hang up.
Overall, this book was good. I don't really know why I was so hesitant about the star rating.. but then again I'm weird.
The Guardian was a pretty good story about finding a new love after an unexpected death. Julie was left two things after his untimely death: a puppy and a promise. After mourning for a handful of years, Julie has decided it's time to dip her toes into the love pool again. One day she meets Richard and there's an instant attraction. After a couple of dates, Richard believes he loves her. Meanwhile. Julie is seeing this other guy named Mike.
Unfortunately things aren't all happy go lucky for Julie. Once she turns down Richard because she is with Mike, who is one of her late husband's best friends.. well, let's just say that he doesn't handle it well. I mean, no one handles rejection well.. but damn, this guy was crazy.
Richard was probably a great villain because he was one creepy dude. He made me cringe so many times.. I loved it! He would call her all the time and just hang up.. it reminded me of like middle school or maybe even elementary school. When you would get with your friends and prank call you crush but instead of saying anything just hang up.
Overall, this book was good. I don't really know why I was so hesitant about the star rating.. but then again I'm weird.
March 16, 2017
4 Stars
This book a really good and it was a great love story. I am happy the Richard and Julie never ended up together at the end because I feel like Richard was not really a good match for Julie. He is way different then Mike. Mike and Julie and great together. Mike is a down to earth kind of guy that cares for Julie and Richard is a person that has money and treats her like royalty, but in a way he seems like he cares for Julie. Through out this book I thought that Mike and Julie are perfect for each other. My thoughts about them never changed. Towards the end I would change is that Julie's dog Singer passes away because of old age. If I had written this book I would have Singer live, even Singer had a great home and parents and also a great life. It was well written that I felt like that I was in Julie's place and I could feel the way she did and their connection between each other. I really cried during that part on a good way.
This book a really good and it was a great love story. I am happy the Richard and Julie never ended up together at the end because I feel like Richard was not really a good match for Julie. He is way different then Mike. Mike and Julie and great together. Mike is a down to earth kind of guy that cares for Julie and Richard is a person that has money and treats her like royalty, but in a way he seems like he cares for Julie. Through out this book I thought that Mike and Julie are perfect for each other. My thoughts about them never changed. Towards the end I would change is that Julie's dog Singer passes away because of old age. If I had written this book I would have Singer live, even Singer had a great home and parents and also a great life. It was well written that I felt like that I was in Julie's place and I could feel the way she did and their connection between each other. I really cried during that part on a good way.
May 4, 2021
4.5 猸�
Me ha gustado toda la historia, la trama... pero mi gran pega ha sido la narraci贸n que ha sido demasiado plana. No distingu铆a los personajes entre ellos la entonaci贸n era bastante defectuosa y es mi mayor pega
Me ha gustado toda la historia, la trama... pero mi gran pega ha sido la narraci贸n que ha sido demasiado plana. No distingu铆a los personajes entre ellos la entonaci贸n era bastante defectuosa y es mi mayor pega
September 5, 2021
4 stelle
Molto emozionante 馃槶 stile Sparks鈥inger che amore 馃槶馃グ
Molto emozionante 馃槶 stile Sparks鈥inger che amore 馃槶馃グ
November 6, 2024
This was a solid story. It was pretty predictable but packed an emotional punch. This is a good mix of romantic suspense.
When a young widow begins dating again she doesn鈥檛 realize that not everyone in this world is who they say they are. With her late husband in her heart and his final gift to her - a Great Dane used to be her guardian to protect her throughout her life - she tackles life鈥檚 ups and downs through grief and hopefully finding love again after all. A love between a dog and its human is like no other bond in this life.
When a young widow begins dating again she doesn鈥檛 realize that not everyone in this world is who they say they are. With her late husband in her heart and his final gift to her - a Great Dane used to be her guardian to protect her throughout her life - she tackles life鈥檚 ups and downs through grief and hopefully finding love again after all. A love between a dog and its human is like no other bond in this life.
July 25, 2022
So those who know me, know that I can be hard on Mr. Nicholas Sparks. I find his books quite predictable and I don't always buy into the "love story" that runs central in all his plots. However, this is one of the few books that I will definitely without hesitation recommend. Perhaps it is because he decided to make this one have a little bit of a thriller aspect to it.
The book is about a Great Dane named Singer( my favorite character) who is the pet of a widow named Julie who is trying to find a new life partner. Among those she considers are Mike, an old friend of hers, and Richard, a successful manager. I also enjoyed that we are offered different perspectives from many characters and I admit that I liked quite a few of the secondary characters in this one.
欧宝娱乐 review published 25/07/22
The book is about a Great Dane named Singer( my favorite character) who is the pet of a widow named Julie who is trying to find a new life partner. Among those she considers are Mike, an old friend of hers, and Richard, a successful manager. I also enjoyed that we are offered different perspectives from many characters and I admit that I liked quite a few of the secondary characters in this one.
欧宝娱乐 review published 25/07/22
July 21, 2009
I seriously cannot believe that the average rating on this is nearly 4 stars. That must mean that there is a sizable number of people who have given it 5 stars, which just makes me sad for the state of our country.
This book sucked so bad I didn't even finish it. I would give it zero stars if I could and still have it register an entry.
Seriously, the author must have gotten an advance on this sight unseen and then the publishers just decided, well, we've sunk this much money into it already, let's just publish the thing and see how many poor sods buy it. And it's standard-priced at only 7.50 right there on the cover, which has to tell you something. (And no, I didn't pay 7.50 for it; I got it for free when an expat was leaving Switzerland and needed to get rid of some books.)
Okay, why did I dislike this so much? First of all, the cover says that '...Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire...' Sounds interesting, right? Well, I lasted until page 260 (out of 494 pages) and there was neither nightmare nor deception in sight. To be absolutely fair, it could be that things picked up on page 261, but Julie and her merry band of undereducated yet homespun and well-meaning service industry workers had more than worn out their welcome with me by that point.
The entire first 100 pages or so was full of drivel like this:
======
Mabel removed two plastic glasses from the bottom drawer and made herself more comfortable on the couch. By the time Julie joined her, Mabel had kicked off her shoes, propped her feet on the table, and already taken a drink. With her eyes closed and her head leaned back, it seemed almost as if she believed she was sitting in a chaise longue on a distant beach, basking beneath a tropical sun.
'So what's Mike up to these days?' she asked, her eyes still closed. 'He hasn't come around here much lately.'
'Nothing too exciting. Working, feuding with Henry, the usual. Other than that, not much.'
======
Yeah, just like the entire book. I mean, the writing isn't necessarily embarrassingly amateur and inane (I would rather say straightforward and uninspired), it's just that.... nothing happens. Ever. Which wouldn't be so terrible if the book had been billed as the daily life of a boring hairdresser in Podunk, USA. I simply wouldn't have picked it up in that case. But I did pick it up on the strength of the author's name (Nicholas Sparks, 'the author of some of the most memorable love stories of our time') and the blurb on the back, part of which I quoted above.
Aside from the complete and total lack of plot, the characters were flat and uninteresting; I didn't care who Julie ended up with, which seemed to be the actual point of the book (up to where I read anyway). There was no suspense, nothing driving me to turn the next page. There was no sense of atmosphere. It was stated that this was in some small town, but I never really got a feeling for the town at all. The supporting characters were likewise completely lacking in sympathy, spark, or individuality.
I suppose the one thing I can say is, the book was believable. Most people's lives are exactly this boring. Don't waste your time.
This book sucked so bad I didn't even finish it. I would give it zero stars if I could and still have it register an entry.
Seriously, the author must have gotten an advance on this sight unseen and then the publishers just decided, well, we've sunk this much money into it already, let's just publish the thing and see how many poor sods buy it. And it's standard-priced at only 7.50 right there on the cover, which has to tell you something. (And no, I didn't pay 7.50 for it; I got it for free when an expat was leaving Switzerland and needed to get rid of some books.)
Okay, why did I dislike this so much? First of all, the cover says that '...Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire...' Sounds interesting, right? Well, I lasted until page 260 (out of 494 pages) and there was neither nightmare nor deception in sight. To be absolutely fair, it could be that things picked up on page 261, but Julie and her merry band of undereducated yet homespun and well-meaning service industry workers had more than worn out their welcome with me by that point.
The entire first 100 pages or so was full of drivel like this:
======
Mabel removed two plastic glasses from the bottom drawer and made herself more comfortable on the couch. By the time Julie joined her, Mabel had kicked off her shoes, propped her feet on the table, and already taken a drink. With her eyes closed and her head leaned back, it seemed almost as if she believed she was sitting in a chaise longue on a distant beach, basking beneath a tropical sun.
'So what's Mike up to these days?' she asked, her eyes still closed. 'He hasn't come around here much lately.'
'Nothing too exciting. Working, feuding with Henry, the usual. Other than that, not much.'
======
Yeah, just like the entire book. I mean, the writing isn't necessarily embarrassingly amateur and inane (I would rather say straightforward and uninspired), it's just that.... nothing happens. Ever. Which wouldn't be so terrible if the book had been billed as the daily life of a boring hairdresser in Podunk, USA. I simply wouldn't have picked it up in that case. But I did pick it up on the strength of the author's name (Nicholas Sparks, 'the author of some of the most memorable love stories of our time') and the blurb on the back, part of which I quoted above.
Aside from the complete and total lack of plot, the characters were flat and uninteresting; I didn't care who Julie ended up with, which seemed to be the actual point of the book (up to where I read anyway). There was no suspense, nothing driving me to turn the next page. There was no sense of atmosphere. It was stated that this was in some small town, but I never really got a feeling for the town at all. The supporting characters were likewise completely lacking in sympathy, spark, or individuality.
I suppose the one thing I can say is, the book was believable. Most people's lives are exactly this boring. Don't waste your time.
April 20, 2010
The guardian is another great book by Nicholas Sparks. Though I must say he has done better work I still enjoyed reading this one. Like the majority of his books the sadness of death is expressed through his writing. I must say though, at the beginning of the book the story was pretty slow and didn't completely have my attention unlike say The Last Song or Dear John. But by the middle of the book it had me completely captivated! I just couldn't put it down. The whole mysterious Richard story and true self becoming unveiled. It is also not just about love between people, but the bond between a girl and her dog. It tells about the true loyalty and friendship between Julie and her dog Singer. And how he fought tp save her to the very end. This book though slow in the beginning was pretty good and I recommend it to others whom enjoy thrillers, with romance etc.
October 20, 2008
September10, 2008
Edit: Septmeber 22, 2008-
The Gaurdian by Nicholas Sparks, is a touching love story of death and a leap a faith. Julie Barenson's husbands death left her with to unexpected gifts, a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would be watching over her always. After, four years of mourning Julie is now finally emotionally ready to begin the journey of finding Mr. Right again. While working one day in the small hair salon of her mother-like friend Mable, Richard Franklin walks in. In his dress suit, dark hazel eyes, perfect tan, and nice smile Julie finds herrself attracted to the stranger. After dating a few times Richard falls madly in love while Julie falls for another man, Mike Harris, her late husband best friend. Unfortunately, the rejection is too much for Richard to handle and he just can't cut his losses and be friends with her. This is where the pace of the book really gains momentum. Instead of being a gentleman about the whole thing, Richard turns into a menacing creep and calling Julie over and over and hanging up the phone when she answers. Will Julie make it out or have to live with her consequences.
Text to Text:
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks shows similarities to many love stories however, the book reminded me greatly of the book P.S. I love you!. The two main characters both share the tragic lose of their young husbands to horrible fights with brain cancer. Left alone the two women both struggle to perceiver in every day life. Then one day unexpected love comes knocking at both the women's door. The main event that connected the two stories together however is that both of the women鈥檚 husband leave letters and objects to help the women move on with life. The two stories both share the plot that 鈥渙ne that truly loves wants you to love again.鈥�
Edit: Septmeber 22, 2008-
The Gaurdian by Nicholas Sparks, is a touching love story of death and a leap a faith. Julie Barenson's husbands death left her with to unexpected gifts, a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would be watching over her always. After, four years of mourning Julie is now finally emotionally ready to begin the journey of finding Mr. Right again. While working one day in the small hair salon of her mother-like friend Mable, Richard Franklin walks in. In his dress suit, dark hazel eyes, perfect tan, and nice smile Julie finds herrself attracted to the stranger. After dating a few times Richard falls madly in love while Julie falls for another man, Mike Harris, her late husband best friend. Unfortunately, the rejection is too much for Richard to handle and he just can't cut his losses and be friends with her. This is where the pace of the book really gains momentum. Instead of being a gentleman about the whole thing, Richard turns into a menacing creep and calling Julie over and over and hanging up the phone when she answers. Will Julie make it out or have to live with her consequences.
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The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks shows similarities to many love stories however, the book reminded me greatly of the book P.S. I love you!. The two main characters both share the tragic lose of their young husbands to horrible fights with brain cancer. Left alone the two women both struggle to perceiver in every day life. Then one day unexpected love comes knocking at both the women's door. The main event that connected the two stories together however is that both of the women鈥檚 husband leave letters and objects to help the women move on with life. The two stories both share the plot that 鈥渙ne that truly loves wants you to love again.鈥�
September 28, 2021
Wow, me encant贸 el libro. Tiene muchos elementos que te mantendr谩n atrapada/o: amor, risa (el gran dan茅s, Singer) y suspenso. La primera vez que Sparks se adentra en el suspenso/romance. Lo mas que am茅 del libro fue Singer.
Julie a los 25 a帽os pierde a su esposo y poco despu茅s recibe un regalo de su parte: un cachorro, Singer. Pasan cuatro a帽os y ella decide que es tiempo de darse una nueva oportunidad en el amor. Conoce algunos hombres, sin saber que frente a ella tiene a Mike, el mejor amigo de su esposo. Aunque tambi茅n est谩 Richard, un hombre muy apuesto que esconde algo. Y no contar茅 m谩s para evitar el spoiler. En el libro pasan muchas cosas interesantes, que har谩 que sea casi imposible despegarte de la lectura, en mi caso del audiolibro. Creo que seguir茅 leyendo a Nicholas Sparks. Nunca lo hab铆a le铆do, pero si he visto sus pel铆culas.
Julie a los 25 a帽os pierde a su esposo y poco despu茅s recibe un regalo de su parte: un cachorro, Singer. Pasan cuatro a帽os y ella decide que es tiempo de darse una nueva oportunidad en el amor. Conoce algunos hombres, sin saber que frente a ella tiene a Mike, el mejor amigo de su esposo. Aunque tambi茅n est谩 Richard, un hombre muy apuesto que esconde algo. Y no contar茅 m谩s para evitar el spoiler. En el libro pasan muchas cosas interesantes, que har谩 que sea casi imposible despegarte de la lectura, en mi caso del audiolibro. Creo que seguir茅 leyendo a Nicholas Sparks. Nunca lo hab铆a le铆do, pero si he visto sus pel铆culas.
September 15, 2022
for a second there, i was going to rate this four stars, but i鈥檇 like to have a word with nicholas about the ending
January 8, 2024
My son got me a copy of The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks for Christmas. It surprised me he was able to find a dog book I hadn鈥檛 heard of. I did not know that Sparks wrote a book with a dog in it, and having enjoyed the movie The Notebook, and knowing he has a lot of popular books out there, my expectation was high. Unfortunately, while I did overall enjoy reading the book, there were elements I did not like.
Mr. Sparks is great at writing about people coming together, forming relationships, and falling in love. Some of the early parts of the relationship between main characters, Julie, and Mike, was not as interesting to me, but I did enjoy when love finally blossomed. The banter between them would make me laugh at times and felt very natural. I especially liked this passage where Mike is thinking about how he fell in love with Julie:
鈥楬e still wasn鈥檛 sure exactly how it had happened. After Jim had been gone for a while, he knew that. But he couldn鈥檛 pin it down any more than that. It wasn鈥檛 as if a light had suddenly blinked on; it was more like a sunrise, where the sky grows lighter and lighter, almost imperceptibly, before you realized it was morning.鈥�
Another thing I liked about the book was how it was set in North Carolina, which I have now made my home. I love North Carolina. At one point the police officer Jennifer talks about what her father thinks of her joining a Police force here:
鈥楬er father, though proud she was 鈥渏oining up with the good guys,鈥� was aghast that she was doing it in North Carolina. 鈥淭hey all chew tobacco and eat grits and call every woman darlin鈥�. How鈥檚 a nice Italian girl like you going to fit down there?鈥�
Only she had fit in, oddly enough. It was much better than she鈥檇 expected so far, especially the people, who鈥攇et this鈥攚ere so friendly that they waved to strangers while driving.鈥�
I can relate to the friendly people, including waving to strangers in cars, although I have yet to see anyone chewing tobacco or call anyone darlin鈥�.
In the Author鈥檚 note, he talks about what is different about this book, in that he wanted to write a thriller, a type of book he had not written before, with a theme of love and danger. He goes on to say, 鈥楾he Challenge with The Guardian, then, was the find the right balance between the two elements and to pace the story accordingly, so that the reader never lost sight of what the novel really was 鈥� a love story between two regular people who find they鈥檝e crossed paths with the wrong sort of person.鈥�
I think he did get the pacing of the book right. My main problem was there were aspects of the story I just didn鈥檛 like.
First, I found the story of a dangerous stalker to just be the same as a lot of thriller shows I have watched in movies on TV. So, I didn鈥檛 find anything unique about this thriller.
Second, I think Mr. Sparks did a great job getting into the head of our villain, but that part of the ride was just not pleasant to me.
Third, is that anyone that knows me, knows I am all about reading books on dogs, and while there is one in this book, I didn鈥檛 like where they take the dog in the book. Early in the book there is this paragraph where you would think the dog is going to be unrealistically extraordinary:
鈥楴ot that Singer鈥檚 behavior had ever been . . . well, ordinary. Except for the peeing thing, the dog had always acted as if he thought he were human. He refused to eat out of a dog bowl, he鈥檇 never needed a leash, and when Julie watched television, he would crawl up on the couch and stare at the screen. And when she talked to him鈥攚henever anyone talked to him, for that matter鈥擲inger would stare intently, his head tilted to the side, as if he were following the conversation. And half the time, it did seem as if he understood what she was telling him. No matter what she told him to do, no matter how ridiculous the command, Singer would carry it out. Could you go get my purse from the bedroom? Singer would come trot. ting out with it a moment later. Will you turn off the bedroom light? He鈥檇 balance on two legs and flick it with his nose. Put this can of soup in the pantry, okay? He鈥檇 carry it in his mouth and set it on the shelf. Sure, other dogs were well trained, but not like this. Besides, Singer hadn鈥檛 needed training. Not real training, anyway. All she鈥檇 had to do was show him something once and that was it. To others it seemed downright eerie, but since it made Julie feel like a modem day Dr. Dolittle, she kind of liked it.鈥�
Nice paragraph, but they never raise the dog to that height again in the rest of the book. There is Just normal stuff a dog would do to growl or bark at suspicious people or noises. Then an obligatory save in the end with an unrealistic extra challenge thrown in.
There is a lot of people who really don鈥檛 like dog books when Kleenex is needed at the end. That doesn鈥檛 necessarily bother me when it makes sense, but what does bother me is when things are not unexpected, and when the characters do things that are stupid. For example, if you were worried about someone coming after you, and your dog had protected you from that person in the past, would you allow the dog to go out for a while on his own?
As I mentioned, I enjoyed reading the book, I guess I was just disappointed it wasn鈥檛 better.
Mr. Sparks is great at writing about people coming together, forming relationships, and falling in love. Some of the early parts of the relationship between main characters, Julie, and Mike, was not as interesting to me, but I did enjoy when love finally blossomed. The banter between them would make me laugh at times and felt very natural. I especially liked this passage where Mike is thinking about how he fell in love with Julie:
鈥楬e still wasn鈥檛 sure exactly how it had happened. After Jim had been gone for a while, he knew that. But he couldn鈥檛 pin it down any more than that. It wasn鈥檛 as if a light had suddenly blinked on; it was more like a sunrise, where the sky grows lighter and lighter, almost imperceptibly, before you realized it was morning.鈥�
Another thing I liked about the book was how it was set in North Carolina, which I have now made my home. I love North Carolina. At one point the police officer Jennifer talks about what her father thinks of her joining a Police force here:
鈥楬er father, though proud she was 鈥渏oining up with the good guys,鈥� was aghast that she was doing it in North Carolina. 鈥淭hey all chew tobacco and eat grits and call every woman darlin鈥�. How鈥檚 a nice Italian girl like you going to fit down there?鈥�
Only she had fit in, oddly enough. It was much better than she鈥檇 expected so far, especially the people, who鈥攇et this鈥攚ere so friendly that they waved to strangers while driving.鈥�
I can relate to the friendly people, including waving to strangers in cars, although I have yet to see anyone chewing tobacco or call anyone darlin鈥�.
In the Author鈥檚 note, he talks about what is different about this book, in that he wanted to write a thriller, a type of book he had not written before, with a theme of love and danger. He goes on to say, 鈥楾he Challenge with The Guardian, then, was the find the right balance between the two elements and to pace the story accordingly, so that the reader never lost sight of what the novel really was 鈥� a love story between two regular people who find they鈥檝e crossed paths with the wrong sort of person.鈥�
I think he did get the pacing of the book right. My main problem was there were aspects of the story I just didn鈥檛 like.
First, I found the story of a dangerous stalker to just be the same as a lot of thriller shows I have watched in movies on TV. So, I didn鈥檛 find anything unique about this thriller.
Second, I think Mr. Sparks did a great job getting into the head of our villain, but that part of the ride was just not pleasant to me.
Third, is that anyone that knows me, knows I am all about reading books on dogs, and while there is one in this book, I didn鈥檛 like where they take the dog in the book. Early in the book there is this paragraph where you would think the dog is going to be unrealistically extraordinary:
鈥楴ot that Singer鈥檚 behavior had ever been . . . well, ordinary. Except for the peeing thing, the dog had always acted as if he thought he were human. He refused to eat out of a dog bowl, he鈥檇 never needed a leash, and when Julie watched television, he would crawl up on the couch and stare at the screen. And when she talked to him鈥攚henever anyone talked to him, for that matter鈥擲inger would stare intently, his head tilted to the side, as if he were following the conversation. And half the time, it did seem as if he understood what she was telling him. No matter what she told him to do, no matter how ridiculous the command, Singer would carry it out. Could you go get my purse from the bedroom? Singer would come trot. ting out with it a moment later. Will you turn off the bedroom light? He鈥檇 balance on two legs and flick it with his nose. Put this can of soup in the pantry, okay? He鈥檇 carry it in his mouth and set it on the shelf. Sure, other dogs were well trained, but not like this. Besides, Singer hadn鈥檛 needed training. Not real training, anyway. All she鈥檇 had to do was show him something once and that was it. To others it seemed downright eerie, but since it made Julie feel like a modem day Dr. Dolittle, she kind of liked it.鈥�
Nice paragraph, but they never raise the dog to that height again in the rest of the book. There is Just normal stuff a dog would do to growl or bark at suspicious people or noises. Then an obligatory save in the end with an unrealistic extra challenge thrown in.
There is a lot of people who really don鈥檛 like dog books when Kleenex is needed at the end. That doesn鈥檛 necessarily bother me when it makes sense, but what does bother me is when things are not unexpected, and when the characters do things that are stupid. For example, if you were worried about someone coming after you, and your dog had protected you from that person in the past, would you allow the dog to go out for a while on his own?
As I mentioned, I enjoyed reading the book, I guess I was just disappointed it wasn鈥檛 better.
December 27, 2019
Just finished the Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. The Guardian is a romantic thriller and according me the first book by Sparks in which one of the characters is a loving dog. The book is firstly about love. The love between Julie Barenson and Mike Harris and secondly about danger. The danger of Richard Franklin the Jealous stalker who Julie once dated and then there is the love of the singer the dog a great Dane who was a gift from Julie's husband Jim after his death, who later proved to be the real Guradian of Julie's life. The story is full of twist and turns with the revelation of the real identity of Richard Franklin. The Guardian is a love story turn nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire.
The only problem I had was that it has a very predictable end. I was waiting for something different, but overall a interesting book which keeps its audience hooked till the very end.
The only problem I had was that it has a very predictable end. I was waiting for something different, but overall a interesting book which keeps its audience hooked till the very end.
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