Finding The Lucky One
Nicholas Sparks offers a wholesome romance
By PHOENIX CARLISLE | Cover courtesy of Time Warner Trade Publishing
Anyone can get through anything with just a bit of luck. At least, that’s the premise of The Lucky One by bestselling author Nicholas Sparks. For some, that luck may be a rabbit’s foot or a heads-up penny but for Logan Thibault that happens to be a Polaroid photo of a certain “E” found on the beaches of Iraq. Now, after several long years of service, Logan is ready to find his lucky E. Through trials and tribulations of travels, abusive exes and a pound of dogs, Logan may be able to gain his lucky one.
After carrying the photo of the mystery woman in his pocket, he suddenly experiences a streak of good luck — winning poker and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. His best friend Victor says the good fortune must be the photo and he has to pay his good fortune back by finding the woman in the photo.
Back home in Colorado, Logan is consumed with the mystery woman and decides to journey across the country to find her. The woman he discovers in North Carolina is a divorced mother with a young son. She is the woman he’s been waiting for his whole life.
This book was so heartwarming with the way all the characters interacted with one another and the slow burn between the love interests. This was a breath of fresh air compared to all the other romances currently circulating the media. Many romances contain graphic scenes that can confuse teens or stray them down a path without exploring different forms of literature. This has genuine feelings of love and care with one another without the tension filled, fast-paced explicit books that seem to be everywhere.
There was a plot with goals attached to each character with their changing point-of-views. You wanted to love the story and the characters as they flowed together in a whirlwind of doggies and Carolina heat. Logan and Elizabeth truly loved one another despite her initial hesitancy, which was natural considering her abusive ex and having a little boy to take care of. Speaking of that little boy, Benjamin was literally the sweetest thing, all he wanted was to play music and read. The little family of Nan, Elizabeth and Ben was beautiful and the addition of Logan was exactly what they all needed.
Naturally do to the inherent cheesy-ness of the novel, Elizabeth’s ex is everything that Logan isn’t. Keith is a no good dad who sleeps around and wants to manipulate Elizabeth back into his life. That is the one of the few things that I’d advise with this book is that Keith is supposed to be horrible and it’s supposed to be dramatic so as forewarning, Keith isn’t the best guy … which is completely the point. The other thing I’d warn about is the one few lines of when Elizabeth and Logan sleep together or Keith’s habits, it’s usually one line then Sparks moves on. As always, if you have concerns please feel free to look up triggers prior to reading.
Step into the Carolina heat with Logan as he finds his “E.” The slow burn beauty of Logan and Elizabeth is a romance that will remind you how innocent romance truly can be as Elizabeth and Logan heal one another’s past. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks is a summer read that will have you fighting like a soldier.
