When I saw these two writers teaming up, I was really curious on how things would come together. It was an interesting love story with a supernatural twist. Toss in a murder mystery and a terrific main character and I was sold from the very beginning. Really interesting, unique and well paced story.

Nicholas Sparks is an auto read author for me. I'll read any and everything that he writes. I was intrigued to see that he was writing his next book with M. Night Shyamalan. Though I'm not too familiar with his works, I know that they are very different in style to Nicholas Sparks' writing and I was very interested to see how the two styles could mesh together into one story. This story definitely had the typical Nicholas Sparks style to it, woven within the supernatural style from M. Night Shyamalan. I actually thought these two styles blended well and created a great story. For most of the story, I thought this was going to be a solid four star read for me. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspects to the story (the nighttime Wren scenes were unexpectedly some of my favorite parts of the story) However, by the time I finished the book, I felt like something was missing and the ending fell flat for me. A lot happened at the end and it felt rushed which made my enjoyment of the story suffer, I kept waiting for a big twist or something huge to happen and it never did. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I look forward to seeing the movie come out.

The power of love can transcend time and space but only if we're open to its magic. After losing his last remaining family member, Tate locks away his heart. Breaking free from his past, he reunites with his childhood friend to build a dream home for Oscar's family. Staying in an old bed and breakfast, he's surprised to be the only guest but sees a young girl wandering through the B&B.

Confronting her, they build a friendship while love blooms. The only problem, she doesn't know she's dead and is such a bright spirit. Checking out her story, he learns that Wren's death has been ruled 'suspicious' but the case has reached a 'dead' end. Will Tate be able to shed light on what really happened without risking his heart in the process?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #Remain in exchange for an honest review. I couldn't put the book down and was intrigued by Tate and Wren's tale. I wanted justice for Wren while at the same knew that a resolution would end the budding romance.

Tate's hard shell begins to crack while embracing the time he has with Wren. As she fades in an out of his life, Tate's next chapter is just beginning. A take away from the story is that while fleeting, love, in any form is what truly remains.

Remain
This one is a little different than most of this authors other books but it did not disappoint. In fact, I'm sad it’s over. This was a love story, a ghost story and a murder mystery all wrapped in one.
Tate is still dealing with his grief after losing his beloved sister. He moves into an old now defunct bed and breakfast while he’s the architect to an old friends new summer home. While there he meets a very lovely and interesting woman, Wren, and they start up a new friendship. But soon Tate realizes things are not always what they seem.
Couldn’t put this one down.

This is the best book he has written in quite some time. Tate's sister dies and he ends up being committed to help him deal with the depression. HOWEVER, it's not just depression. His sister expressed that she is sometimes sees ghosts, and he should open his mind to them. When he starts to see things, he also thinks he is losing his mind. Tate rents a B and B in the cape while he designs his BFF"s house. While he is there, he encounters another guest, Wren. But Wren is not who he thinks she is...and she needs his help. Will Tate be able to help her? Will he get hurt in the meantime?

Obviously I’m gonna read anything with Nicholas Sparks name on the title but I was definitely wary knowing there was paranormal aspects and maybe somethings a little more spooky coming. I had no write to be worried as once again he hits it out of the park.

Tate slipped into a dark depression after the loss of his sister but after a stint in the psychiatric hospital; he’s doing better and ready to start moving forward again. To do so he decides to go to Cape Cod to help his friend build his family’s new vacation home. But while staying in an old victorian and former bed and breakfast; odd things start to happen in which he remembers his sister’s deathbed confession…..his family has a gift of seeing ghosts…..

This is one of the most unique books I have ever read and while it did give me Safe Haven vibes there’s definitely M Night Shyamalan’s influence in the story. While you do have to suspend belief, I wouldn’t say it ever crossed the line of ridiculous or silly. While a great and highly captivating story of love, mystery, and loss; it will also have you deep in thought about what happens when we leave the earth.

We were lied to when we were told that water and oil don't mix, this book proves it.
Combining Nicholas Sparks and M N Shyamalan was a totally unexpected surprise and I am stoked that this was done.
I was emotionally invested in the first few chapters and cried several times throughout the book.
The pacing of the story was great, characters were interesting and the relationship between Tate and Wren was so sweet.
Not only will I be thinking about this book for a while but now I have an insatiable urge for lobster benedict.

Okay, so I went into this one completely blind. I didn’t read the synopsis, didn’t skim any reviews, just saw that it was a mashup between Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan and thought… huh. Intriguing.

Sparks? I’ve only read one of his books and liked it well enough.
Shyamalan? I usually expect some out-of-left-field twist that may or may not be clever, but I respect the ambition. So yeah, I was curious.

We meet Tate. I liked his character at the start. He’s grieving, vulnerable, and the bond with his sister feels authentic. I was rooting for him early on. But then the writing started to feel… crunchy. Like someone was trying really hard to make basic lines sound deep.

The initial haunting had me ready to fully lock in and invest in the story. But then the romance hit… and whew. The Tate and Wren “love story” felt so forced. Like, y’all just met and now you’re tossing around soulmate energy? Calm down. Every time Tate got in his feelings about Wren, I cringed. Like, sir, you’re really comparing ghost-girlfriend grief to the death of your actual sister who raised you and fully saw you? Be serious.

I’ll give it this: the pacing kept things moving, and it wasn’t too long. But when I hit that ending, I literally made a face. One of those “huh?” faces. You know the one.

Final thought? The vibes were there. The execution was not. I wanted eerie and emotional. I got corny and chaotic.

DNF’d at 30%

This has absolutely nothing to do with the writing or anything. By no means is this a bad book. I am sure for the right person, it is incredible. I did not expect this mystery to be scary, and maybe I’m a baby hahaha but I don’t think ghosts are my thing and it gives me the creeps to read about.

Tate is a very logical kind of guy. When working on a project for Oscar everything Tate believes will be questioned. Tate meets Wren at the bed and breakfast he’s staying at. These two will have an adventure together like no other. I liked this story very much. It’s supposed to be a supernatural romance (which it totally is) but I would even say it has some mystery thrown in there. The story flowed well. We got to know Tate and Wren through the story which was what made me like the characters. If you are into supernatural romance with some mystery in it this is the book for you.

This is his best book in years! After Tate’s sister dies, he ends up mentally committed. Upon his release, he gets his cat from his best friend and stays in a B and B while he designs his friends house. While there, he encounters Wren. While he falls in love, he sees things and learns how to help Wren so they can both move on. Loved this!

This was a fantastic read! This collaboration alone had me NEEDING a copy of this ARC and it did not disappoint. Highly recommend

This was a very unique book that I was curious to read due to the collaboration between the authors. It combined both horror and romance in an unexpected way that worked very well. Definitely worth a read!

If you are a fan of Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, I think you will enjoy this book! These two are so good at what they do in their respective crafts that I knew this was going to be a great collaboration. I devoured this in less than 24 hrs and literally ate nothing but this book until I was done.

Described as a supernatural romance, this book follows Tate and Wren’s journey. Together, they explore grief and depression and the limits of our physical existence here on earth. Nicholas Sparks always does a stellar job of writing characters and stories that draw us in and mixed with M. Night’s ability to push us to think outside the limits of our own existence and thoughts, this story creates a thrilling supernatural romantic story with a bit of mystery.

If you are familiar with either of these artists’ works, you will see many of their fingerprints all over the story and it was enjoyable to read. I cried while reading and cried again while retelling the story to my husband.

So yes. 10/10, 5 ⭐️ for me! I can’t wait to see the film!

** Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review **

Review is live on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram during the week of 7/7-7/12.

This was sad in the way that all Nicholas Sparks' books are. It felt a little bit predictable but I didn't hate the predictability because I was still completely invested. I was obviously hoping for a happier ending, but as it is in life, happy endings aren't always how things go. I think the paranormal aspect in this was done well. This was very respectful to those that suffer from anxiety and depression, and it was incredibly realistic. I really liked this and I usually don't love a paranormal romance but I did enjoy this!

An amazing book! I devoured this book and was left wanting more! I'd love to read more about Tate sharing his "gifts".

I was totally unsure how this could work - the King of romance and the King of supernatural - but it so totally does!!!

Thank you Random House, Netgalley and especially the authors for this wonderful read!

This was a really good book. The word sweet comes to mind. I feel like there will be more to this story. Using his gift and possibly falling in love. I can only hope! Thank you for letting me review this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Net Galley for the Arc of this title! I was thrilled and honored to have a chance to read and review this book!

I am an OG Nicholas Sparks fan. And I am also a lover of paranormal thrillers and mystery. So reading the premise of this book, I knew I was going to love it. This book was a wonderful love story but with a ghost. I would have liked it a little more if we didn’t know so early on about Wrenn. I think I would have liked a little more mystery around that.
All in all, I binged this book in just a couple days. It drew me in and the ending was not at all what I expected. I’d love to read another book about Tate and how his nice plays out. Amazing work to you both!

About 10-15 years ago, I went through a Nicholas Sparks phase and read his entire catalog at that point. I’ve only read 2-3 of his works in recent years, but I am not new to his books. I’ve also watched a few M Night Shyamalan movies over the years - teenage me was freaked out by Signs.

All of that to say - I’m familiar with what each of these men bring to the table in terms of storytelling - so I was very intrigued when I saw that they were working together (in the past, I wouldn’t say their styles overlap at all). I was so excited when I received an ARC of this one - I dove into it right away.

This honestly felt like the perfect amalgamation of both styles - it had the classic love story that Sparks is known for, while combining it with a supernatural twist that had Shyamalan’s fingerprints all over it. Don’t expect his usual twists and turns - this one is much more straightforward, but no less enjoyable.

I found this very predictable - I had the “bad guy” figured out almost immediately, but I allowed myself to just sit back and enjoy the journey. As someone who primarily reads romance - this was not a romance novel, it is however a love story.

The bulk of this story was told in a single first person narrative, from Tate’s POV. The occasional chapter in Wren’s POV was told in a third person narrative - I’ve hated this back and forth changing format in other books, but it worked for this one.

Overall, this was a quick read, and it felt like a classic Nicholas Sparks just with ghosts. I’m looking forward to seeing what Shyamalan creates for a movie when that is released in 2026.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

I was excited for this mashup as soon as I saw the first promo and it didn't disappoint! Nicolas Sparks with his signature love story combined with M. Night Shyamalan's suspense brought about a unique combination. This is one of those books you don't want to put down but you also want to savor.

The character development is true to Sparks style, developing an emotional connection between the reader and the main character. The subtle touch of horror adds another layer of complexity that enhances the overall theme. Different from the original style of both authors but compliments each other in such a way that is hauntingly beautiful, engaging and sure to keep you up for just one more chapter.