The Guardian

Makes me cry every time I read this book. Love Great Danes!

I absolutely loved this book! The story has everything in it I enjoy. Suspense, murder, love, small beach towns and a dog!! I would recommend to anyone I know who enjoys reading.

The book was really good and exciting during the second half , the beginning kind of sluggish and I took longer to read this book because of that. It usually takes me 2 days to read a book but this one I struggled to finish it. Yet, it was a nail-biter in the end. Being a Nicholas Spark’s book I knew someone was going to die but the recovery of the sheriff was a bit of a stretch as was Mike’s assault! (Really?) too much to recover at all. I’m not a Nicholas Sparks by any means, he’s the expert, just voicing my humble opinion. Thank you NS.

He did it again! What a great book. Just when you think Sparks cannot write another masterpiece, he ups and does it brilliantly.He truly is the best. I highly recommend this one.

Wow, I didn't want to put this down! This is a rollercoaster ride I thoroughly enjoyed! Detailed characters and a lovable great dane!

I have read the following novels written by Nicholas Sparks in this order: THE NOTEBOOK, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, A WALK TO REMEMBER, THE RESCUE, BEND IN THE ROAD, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, and finally THE GUARDIAN. In contrast to his previous work, Sparks significantly changed his overarching theme for this most recent novel. THE GUARDIAN has a very different tone. Sparks was wise to institute such a change in his storyline. I think such an effort challenged his mind and made a superb reading experience.Sparks is well-known for writing love stories that have a degree of realism but also pushes the envelop of mushiness. In THE GUARDIAN, Sparks writes a story of the affections between a man and a woman. As common in his other novels, we witness several emotional triangles. Sparks is quite skilled in painting a picture with words that illustrates the emotional trauma when a third party is thrown into an emotional tie between two others. What makes THE GUARDIAN different is the element of suspense and peril in which the major and minor characters (including a dog) are placed in life threatening situations.More than any other other of his novels, THE GUARDIAN illustrates Sparks' talent for writing. He develops several layers of emotional complexity, without being incoherent, and retaining the reader's interest. In many respects, THE GUARDIAN maintains the same level of complexity as Raymond Chandler's THE BIG SLEEP. However, Sparks is able to do a much better job than Chandler in keeping the reader focused. In many ways, it is quite amazing that Sparks was able to hold this storyline together.Frankly, I think that THE GUARDIAN is Sparks' best work.

Nicholas Sparks has written a romantic suspense book, but it seems to be missing the "magic" element of his impressive and soul searching story's!I found the first half of the book painfully slow! The slow build was very angsty and the protagonists were not engaging!As the "thriller" aspect gained ground, the plotline became electric! Julie and Mike along with the main characters were engaging! While somewhat predictable, I enjoyed the mystery and suspense! I applaud Nicholas Sparks for his willingness to pursue a different genre! While The Guardian was uneven it was worthwhile reading!

Once again, Nicholas Sparks does not disappoint. The story is believable, the characters are true to life. Very good book although a tear jerker. With my position in life, not what I would normally enjoy, however.........I finished at 1:45 a.m!