This was….odd. A weird combo of authors to be sure, and I have to admit the story didn’t work for me every step of the way. Kind of got confusing towards the middle, but redeemed itself a bit towards the end. Perplexing, but overall okay.

Nicholas Sparks has a talent for fleshing out three-dimensional characters who feel so real with just a few sentences. But when it came to the main characters in Remain, I didn’t find anything I connected with.

The romance, built on just a few conversations, didn’t take my breath away, and I didn’t feel the chemistry I was hoping for. The paranormal elements stretched beyond what I could believe, and the story didn’t give skeptics like me any reason to suspend disbelief.

I also went in with really high expectations, hoping for a big twist like Safe Haven or The Sixth Sense. It ended up being a big disappointment on that front, too. It didn’t match the feel of any of Shyamalan’s stories, and it wasn’t my favorite from Nicholas Sparks either.

Overall, it just didn’t leave me with much to hold on to.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Remain is a touching and emotional read—classic Nicholas Sparks, but with an unexpected twist thanks to his collaboration with M. Night Shyamalan. The story still has all the heartfelt moments and emotional depth you’d expect, but there’s a surprising edge that keeps you guessing. The characters felt real, and the ending definitely stayed with me. If you’re a Sparks fan, or just curious about this unique team-up, it’s definitely worth checking out.

4.25 STARS

Taking a departure from his traditional, tried-and-true romance novels, author Nicholas Sparks teams up with M. Night Shyamalan to deliver an “otherworldly” story that takes love to another level. It’s the heartfelt romance of Tate and Wren—two people who are hopelessly trapped by the past—each lost in the dark and each searching for the light.

Delving into the realm of the supernatural, this couple’s flourishing love story is a collaborative effort that showcases both of these authors storytelling talents. As a result, “Remain” is a unique and thrilling blend of heart, mystery, and suspense that I was hard-pressed to put down.

Tate meets the ghost of Wren whose death seems to have been accidental. Wren doesn’t know she’s dead but feels like something is off. He is the only one who can see and communicate with her. She tells Tate about her life and her past relationships. The more they get to know each other the harder they fall for each other. He figures out that her death wasn’t an accident, someone murdered her. He tries to piece together who murdered her but feels sad to know that he can loose her at any given moment.

I typically don’t like to read books that mix romance with other genres but I surprisingly loved this book. The begging of the book was dull compared to the rest of the story. I started to become way more interested in the story once Tate began investigating Wrens death. There were multiple suspects but the actual murderer caught me by surprise. Surprisingly it wasn’t scary even though it had a paranormal element to it. The relationship between Tate and Wren was so beautiful. I love how much Wrens cat showed up in the story. This story had the much needed representation of mental heath issues and grief.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Remain by Nicholas Sparks & M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Tropes & Themes:
👻 Star crossed lovers
🏡 Small town secrets
🕊️ Love after loss
💔 Haunted pasts
🧠 Man healing from trauma
🌀 Supernatural twist
🧩 Reality bending mystery
🐈 Beloved pet companion

⸻

Okay, so I picked up Remain expecting Nicholas Sparks to give me a beachy grief romance with sad boys and second chances but what I didn’t expect was M. Night Shyamalan jumping out with literal ghosts and a full on psychological twist 😳💀 This book is basically The Notebook meets The Sixth Sense, and weirdly?? It worked.

We follow Tate, a brooding NYC architect who’s fresh out of a psychiatric facility and grieving his sister’s death. He heads to Cape Cod to design his bestie’s summer house (rich people vibes 🏠) but instead of just finding peace, he meets Wren, a mysterious small town girl who may or may not be more than she seems 👀✨

Yes, there’s the classic Sparks romance such as the long stares, emotional walks on the beach, and late night confessions but the Shyamalan twist makes it feel so much more layered. There’s this slow, eerie suspense building under all the soft moments, and by the time things start unraveling? I was emotionally wrecked and also low key terrified 😭🔮

⸻

What I liked:
✔️ Wren is giving “manic pixie dream ghost girl” but in a smart, fully developed way
✔️ The supernatural stuff actually felt meaningful, not just thrown in for drama
✔️ Tate’s emotional journey was raw and relatable. I was rooting for his healing
✔️ The twist was signature Shyamalan: emotional, unsettling, and totally unexpected
✔️ The Cape Cod setting?? Beautifully described. Moody and coastal and perfect
✔️ Paulie the cat 🐱was an absolute scene stealer, iconic, emotionally supportive queen

⸻

What I didn’t love:
⚠️ Some pacing issues in the middle (Tate was spiraling and I was like okay bestie…deep breath)
🌀 The ghost “tethering” lore got a little confusing at times. Shyamalan’s twisty worldbuilding isn’t always super clear
💘 Slight insta love vibes, but it’s a Sparks collab so I expected it
💔 That ending hurts in a way I wasn’t emotionally prepared for

⸻

Final Thoughts:
If you love stories about grief, fate, the supernatural, and healing love then this is for you. It’s not your typical Nicholas Sparks book, and it’s not your typical Shyamalan thriller either, it’s something totally unique that blends both their strengths in the best way.

It’s cozy, eerie, romantic and a little philosophical. It asks big questions about life, death, and what it means to remain connected to the people we love. Some souls just don’t let go and maybe that’s not always a bad thing. 💫

Also yes, Netflix or Apple TV+ needs to adapt this like yesterday. I can already see the foggy beach cinematography and the haunting piano score. 🎬📺

⸻

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
📖 Griefcore meets ghostcore
🌊 Ideal for stormy night reading
🖤 Sparks is in his supernatural era and Shyamalan brought the existential dread
🐾 Bonus points for Paulie, because she deserves her own spin off

Read it if you’re into:
• Sad boys with ghost problems 👨‍🎨👻
• New England aesthetics 🐚
• Love that bends time and space 🕰️💘
• Stories that whisper “it’s okay to not let go just yet…”
• Cat sidekicks who see more than they let on 🐈‍⬛

⸻

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from these two, but I was expecting a little more. I’m used to Shyamalan’s stories to have a huge twist, while this book was a mystery it was somewhat predictable.
What hurt this book the most was the love story wasn’t believable. This isn’t because he fell in love with a ghost, it just didn’t really read as a love story and more of just Tate wanting someone to latch on to. With it being written by Nicholas Sparks you expect a grad romantic story.
Overall though the writing was beautiful. Thanks to the publishers and net galley for ARC.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I found out Sparks and M. night Shyamalan were teaming up for a supernatural romance novel but I was so excited!
I think that knowing Shyamalan’s gift of giving us wild stories like The Sixth Sense, The Village, Split and so many others with such incredible twists that I was expecting something truly mind blowing. Especially with him teaming up with Sparks, such an oddly wonderful pairing.
But, I think I went into this with too high of hopes.
To start with what I did enjoy, I found that the growth of the MMC Tate was beautiful and raw. It was heartbreaking and healing and the ending left me sobbing.
I think the authors did a really great job of incorporating horror aspects into the story while not overwhelming the narrative as a whole. The scenes were written so well with vivid and gruesome descriptions. They perfectly balanced the horror and romance, giving us sparse but deeply unsettling depictions that leave you looking over your shoulder, while also filling the story with a profound and healing love.
As for the mystery of it all, I always love a good ghost story and adding in romance usually makes for a beautifully haunting tale. This was no exception but this also felt like nothing exceptional.
I guessed the twists very early on and just kept on hoping that the authors would throw something out of left field and I would end up being wrong about my guess. But, this wasn’t the case. It felt very obvious to me but hopefully others will find the twist surprising.
The story felt very repetitive and I just kept waiting for things to pick up which only seemed to happen at the very end.
Overall, this one was a miss for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Remain is an enjoyable read. It has all the magic of a Nicholas Sparks novel with a lot of supernatural and even a little horror thrown into the mix. I was a little disappointed that I figured out the mystery early on, but other than that, I liked it very much. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have wanted to read this book since the first time I saw it announced 😍📚. This duo is so unexpected and fun 🙌 and I absolutely devoured this book 🔥. Read it in two days and could not put it down 🫣📖.

It had the perfect mix of Nicholas Sparks' classic tearjerker romance 💔🥹 and the paranormal thriller vibes that M. Night Shyamalan always delivers 😱👻. Best part is. there’s already a movie in production 🍿 coming out NEXT October!! 🎃🖤

This book pulls you in so quick and the characters have so much to offer. The book is hauntingly beautiful (is that a thing?) 🖤 and provides such an eerie, mysterious, stressful storyline that brought me to tears a few times 😭.

And honestly… I didn’t expect some of it to creep me out as much as it did 😳👀 but there were definitely moments that gave me the chills 🧊🫣. This book is really so unique and I can’t wait to see it come to life next year!! 💫📽️✨

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the spooky aspects that also had a romance in there. Such a fun collaboration between the authors here! Would highly recommend. Not a traditional love story but a love story all the same. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

When I found out that Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan had teamed up to write Remain, I knew it was going to be something special and a must-read for me. These two masterful storytellers each bring such unique strengths to the table: Sparks with his emotional depth and heartfelt romance, and Shyamalan with his jaw-dropping twists and suspenseful supernatural storytelling. The idea of them collaborating? Pure magic.

From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The characters felt so real, so relatable, and so incredibly endearing. With their talents seamlessly woven together, Sparks and Shyamalan crafted a story that tugged at my heartstrings while keeping me guessing at every turn. Remain was everything I hoped it would be and more-
it exceeded my already high expectations. Whether you’re a fan of emotional love stories, suspenseful twists, or both, Remain delivers on all fronts!

Nicholas Sparks has been the author that I have read throughout my life, so his books always feel like a nostalgic gift. I was so intrigued to see him partner with Shyamalan, one of the only thriller genre movies that I will watch. This book did not disappoint as it has Nicholas Sparks quintessential heartbreaking love story with the mystery and intrigue Shyamalan is so skilled at. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I’m sorry, but this was not for me. I expected to love it because The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe are some of my favorite romance novels, and this was disappointing to me because the supernatural aspect combined with the Lifetime-like plot line did not work for me.

Such a great book. I couldn't put it down. Stayed up all night trying to find out what happened. Thank you for letting me read in advance. Five stars!

I loved this book . Remain was a really interesting blend of romance and the paranormal. The paranormal twist was unexpected, but it worked it added something different. A unique mix of Sparks' emotion and Shyamalan's mystery. I would definitely recommend this one if you like romance with a little mystery or something a bit outside the usual.. It’s a love story, but it’s also about memory, loss, and what remains with us even when people are gone. It gave me chills and tugged at my heart at the same time. Emotional, mysterious, and quietly haunting. I didn’t expect to feel this much, but I did. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy..

I have always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks, but when I was offered the opportunity to preview Remain by netgalley.com, I was ecstatic! The story of Tate and Wren will suck you in and not release you until you are safely on the other side. The suspense, the questions I had, my theories along the way, made this one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in awhile!! This book had the heart of every Sparks book but the thrill of the Shyamalan movies. I will not be surprised if this is made into a movie. It’s that good!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Okay so listen—this book had me feeling things. Not call-my-therapist levels of emotion, but definitely clutch-the-Kindle and say “aww” out loud while my dog looks at me weird. Sparks is still out here doing Nicholas Sparks things: delivering romance, trauma, and just enough plot twists to make you yell “EXCUSE ME?” into the void.

This one?
✔️ Not super scary
✔️ But still kind of intense in that “I probably shouldn’t be reading this before bed” way
✔️ With a love story that felt genuine and quietly sweet—not fireworks and chaos, more like a rainy Sunday and warm coffee ☕️

Tropes you’ll find:
• ✨ Trauma bonding but make it swoony
• 🛑 Slow burn with emotional baggage
• 💥 Survivor meets protector vibes
• 🫢 “We shouldn’t, but we do anyway” tension

Some scenes definitely punched me in the chest (rude), but overall it was more comforting angst than emotional obliteration. I smiled a lot. I “awwed.” I maybe hugged my pillow during one particularly soft scene like a YA reader at 2 a.m.

Would I remember these characters five years from now? Meh, probably not.
Would I recommend it for a cozy weekend read when you want low-effort emotional payoff and a soft twist at the end? Absolutely.

P.S. The ending? Not wildly predictable, but I didn’t see it coming either. I did that little blinky thing readers do when the page turns and you go, “OH. OH OKAY.” 👀

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review—and honestly? It was a good time.

Surprised I loved this book. I am a fan of M.Night Shyamalan, but I don't like romance books. This was a fantastic book! A lonely architect helping his friend. He is staying at an old B&B and falls for a beautiful ghost. He helps her solve the mystery of how she was murdered. I usually need more action in a book, but the story and mystery was done well. There is plenty of action in the end. The very end makes me hope for a book series.

I had the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy of Remain, and while no review was required, I felt compelled to share my thoughts.

I was expecting this book to be more on the thriller side, expect it was more paranormal. It reminded me of True Believer by Nicholas Sparks that had more romance than paranormal activity. This time with the help of M. Night Shyamalan, I can say Nicholas Sparks has upped his game in the paranormal world.

If I’m honest it started out slow and I was little disappointed. Nicholas Sparks always gives plenty of detail and I’m the reader that wants dialogue. Once I got past the first few chapters, I was more intrigued and willing to stay for the story.

The romance was a slow burn as per usual from Nicholas Sparks. He holds out until the end. As for the paranormal, it kept my interest. It wasn’t the thriller I expected, but it was worth the read. Because of the situation the paranormal aspect was ingrained heavily in the story, but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed it and it added some depth to the romance.

I had plenty of theories and the last one I formed towards the end came to be true. This isn’t a book that you won’t be able to figure out if your paying close attention to the characters. It isn’t given away immediately.

The only reason I gave this 4⭐️ Instead of 5⭐️ is because there were dialogue that the MMC had with other characters where he said something in one chapter and a few chapters later he mentioned it again to the same character as if he had never said anything to the character. It only happened two or three times, but that was enough to stick me. This isn’t typical of Nicholas Sparks writing and I’m sure with suggestions from readers can be fixed before the final copy releases.

Please keep in mind this is Nicholas Sparks, this is not a cut throat thriller with 30 twisty turns and an unimaginable end. He is a somewhat contemporary writer with still seemingly real plots. This genre is not his norm. I understand the expectation might be because M. Night Shyamalan is apart of this project that the book will be more thriller based. There is a happy medium built between the two creators, with that in mind expect paranormal activity, love, and a fresh start.