I thought this was going to be a fun mashup between Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan where both of their unique voices came together to create something special. Instead, it feels like both of their voices got watered down rather than combined, and it reads very generic, unfortunately. I had to give up on this one, because it felt like I was reading a movie trailer or something. The characters were cardboard cutouts of authentic characters, and I felt like there really wasn't a plot. Ultimately I think this just wasn't a great collab. In trying to combine their unique voices, they lost them completely. I'm going to give it 3 stars to be fair, since it might have gotten better as it went on.

I love M. Night Shyamalan and his brilliant twists written into his films, so I jumped at the chance to read this co-authored book ASAP. Remain follows Tate, a wealthy NYC architect who is grieving the loss of his sister as he develops plans to build his best friend’s summer home just outside of Cape Cod. The mystery unfolds as he meets Wren and digs into the secrets hidden in the small costal town. Definitely worth the read and cannot wait to see the film adaptation either!

I will give this one a 3.5.
I was so excited to see this collab, who would have ever guessed it!
Remain was a bit underwhelming for me in the end. I liked it, but I wasn't blown away as I hoped to be.
The romance was deeply tragic, but I didn't quite bond with the MC's enough to really be engrossed into the love story with them. There was a lot unanswered questions surrounding the FMC that I think kept me from fully deciding if I liked her or not.
The MMC was a bit soft for my usual taste, and he has a cat.
The paranormal, and mystery was intriguing, but I didn't get that mind-blowing twist I would have expected.
I really did want more of the story with the MMC and his sister and kept hoping for more information surrounding the gift passed on.
Overall, I did enjoy the story, but it was a bit.... underwhelming in the end.
Maybe my expectations for this awesome collab were just too high.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC copy.

I knew with Sparks and Shyamalan on this, it would be good. And it was. What a beautiful, sad story. And spooky, with a decent twist. I kinda figured it out early, but I was happy I was right. I really enjoyed this book, and I can totally see it as a movie. Glen Powell, jump on this. :)

I received an Advance Reader Copy of Remain through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
[M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks jointly developed the original concept, characters, and core story.]

This novel is a haunting departure from Nicholas Sparks’ usual fare, blending romance with supernatural suspense in a way that’s both unexpected and deeply moving.
The atmosphere is rich and moody, with the coastal setting amplifying the novel’s quiet tension. Sparks’ prose is elegant and restrained, and the pacing kept me invested throughout. The supernatural elements are woven in subtly, enhancing rather than distracting from the emotional core.

Tate Donovan is a protagonist you root for, even when he’s emotionally closed off. His unraveling and slow rediscovery of purpose felt raw and authentic. His connection with Wren is tender but tinged with mystery, and as their story unfolds, Sparks masterfully peels back layers of grief, memory, and fate.
Wren’s character is beautifully written, she is ethereal yet grounded, enigmatic yet emotionally resonant, she anchors the novel’s more metaphysical elements and her secrets kept me flipping those digital pages.

The Cape Cod setting adds a moody, atmospheric backdrop that enhances the eerie undertones. Sparks’ writing is lyrical and restrained, and the pacing kept me engaged from start to finish. While the supernatural twist may surprise longtime fans, I found it added depth and intrigue without overshadowing the emotional core.

Remain begins as a quiet, genre-blending gem then morphs into a bold fusion of thriller and romance, with Sparks’ heartfelt storytelling meeting Shyamalan’s psychological edge. Whether it becomes a genre-defining masterpiece or a polarizing experiment will depend on how well it balances emotion and suspense.

While I haven’t read many of Nicholas Sparks’ novels, I’m familiar with his signature style—and Remain feels like a striking departure from it. This genre-blending story is haunting, tender, and quietly unsettling. It begins as a seemingly familiar tale of grief and healing, but quickly deepens into something far more mysterious and metaphysical. What surprised me most was how seamlessly Sparks wove in supernatural elements without sacrificing the emotional depth. Themes of memory, loss, and fate lingered with me long after I turned the final page.

If you’re looking for a romance that dares to explore the unknown, Remain is a quiet stunner. It’s not just about love—it’s about what remains when everything else fades.

Nicholas Sparks meets supernatural thriller in this wild ride. I had no idea what to expect when I saw Sparks and Shyamalan on the cover, but I knew I had to read this story. I was not disappointed in the slightest! Not only did I have to keep reading to figure out what happened with the mystery, but I wanted to know what happened with the romance! This book kept me up late at night reading until I fell asleep. 5 stars and wishing I could experience it again for the first time!

Unfortunately… incredibly mid. The premise—falling in love with a ghost and helping them move on—feels stale. With Shyamalan as co-writer, I was hoping for some mind-bending twist or psychological depth. Nope. Just a “solve the crime, surprise it’s not who you think” plot that’s easy to figure out and not all that exciting.

I really wanted to love this, but it didn’t hit. The characters aren’t particularly likeable, and the whole “troubled rich boy who can’t cook or do laundry” thing did it no favors. Even the romance wasn’t great. Again, predictable and logistically confusing. Just disappointing.

Thanks to the authors and published for the ARC tho <3

Nicholas Sparks die hards beware...this is not your typical love in the Carolina's. Going into this book with no idea how these two people would put together a book I was shocking surprised at the outcome. M. Night with sprinkles of Sparks. I really did enjoy it, but you have to go in every open minded and be open to getting something different! Definitely worth the read.

This was such a beautiful, heartbreaking love story. It started off a bit slow, but honestly, I think that made it hit even harder. You really sit in the mmc’s emotions—that kind of numb, heavy feeling after loss—and as the story goes on, it’s like you’re healing with him. The way it shows all the different ways people cope and slowly come back to themselves felt so real. And I wasn’t expecting the touch of mystery, but it added something really special.

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This tale is both uplifting and sad. Dealing with loss but hope for the future. Hope for relationships but death makes it unclear. This novel certainly was a bit confusing at the beginning and didn’t keep my attention as it felt like storylines were unclear and overlapping. Maybe it was to mimic the thought process but challenge to complete. DNF.

I hadn’t read Nicholas Sparks in many years, but he was one of my favorites growing up. I saw the collab with M. Night Shyamalan and was very excited for this story! Although it was an easy read, I ended up being somewhat disappointed by the final product. It seemed fairly predictable and even a little cheesy. If you’re a Nicholas Sparks fan, you should still give it a try! 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4.

I enjoyed this novel, a departure from Sparks’ usual romance genre. The added supernatural elements were gradual and spooky, with a whodunnit mystery to be solved. The supporting characters in this novel, mainly Oscar and his wife, helped ground it given the protagonists experience with Wren, someone very abnormal! Pacing was perfect, I was never bored and nothing was rushed. Highly recommended!

I have always enjoyed Nicholas Spark’s novels and this one I really liked because of the supernatural aspect. I’d love to see Nicholas Sparks delve deeper into this genre and maybe Into horror itself

Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan are the Dream Team we never knew we needed. This collaboration was phenomenal, and I hope they write more together.

If you're a bit of a weenie ( I'm looking at you, @devin.reads ) then I am going to caution you about some of the content. There are scenes (especially when Tate needs to be in bed) that freaked ME out, and it's nearly impossible to scare me so much I'm looking over my shoulder at night. You definitely know when M. Night Shyamalan enters the room, and it's FANTASTIC.

Then Nicholas Sparks shows up and rips my heart out in the most beautiful way. This may be my favorite love story he's ever written.

I thought I knew who the antagonist was, and I was very wrong. Bonus points for that too. I was legitimately sad when I finished. I woke up yesterday morning missing Tate and Wren and wanted to read more.

I started this book with high hopesI really hoped I'd love this book. I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks and M. Night movies, so I thought it would be perfect with love and ghosts. The first few chapters were a bit slow, but then I was hooked. I'm totally recommending it to my friends.. J love Nicolas Sparks books and M Night's movies. I thought it would be the perfect book with love and ghosts. The first five chapters were a little slow but after that I flew though the book. I definitely will be recommending it to my friends.

When I saw that M.Night and Nicholas did a collaboration? Like what??? This would be absolutely crazy and sure was in the best way!! Loved it!!

This book was sooo good! I was so intrigued with the combo of Nicholas sparks and M night shyamalan!

It’s the perfect mix of love story from sparks and Erie paranormal suspense from shyamalan.

Tate and wren meet in cape cod and the story follows Wrens twists as Tate is drawn closer to her and wanting to figure out her secrets.

Highly recommend’

Thank you to NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting merging of two respected men with very distinct genres. Nicholas Sparks is known best for his rugged romance books, many making their way to the big screen, The Notebook, definitely making the largest impression upon us. And M. Night Shyamalan best known as a visionary film maker. The Sixth Sense, The Village and The Happening are three films that I will never forget. And yet to see these two men "paired" up in a book sense, intrigued me. What we have here is a ghostly love story. I'm rather ambivalent about the end result. The writing was mediocre. The story line wasn't even that original nor that romantic or intriguing. Mostly, I found the book to be mostly ho-hum sadly. I did enjoy the friendship between the main character and the brother sister relationship.

Who would have thought Nicholas Sparks was on the
BINGO card this year with his first foray into the supernatural? In an unexpected yet utterly compelling collaboration with master of suspense M. Night Shyamalan, they've crafted "Remain"—a hauntingly beautiful thriller that is Big Screen ready from its very first page (In fact they've already started production).
While the "who done it" aspect might lean a little towards the predictable side, the journey to discovery is anything but. We're introduced to Tate, a man adrift in life, grieving and feeling lost, finds himself undeniably drawn to the ethereal beauty of Wren, a lonely and troubled ghost. What truly sets this narrative apart is Tate's remarkably intuitive and radical acceptance of his situation. From the moment he discerns Wren's spectral nature, he's not just "all in"—he's completely consumed, his heart wide open to the impossible.
Their love story is nothing short of heartbreakingly beautiful. To allow oneself to fall so deeply, so completely, knowing that physical touch, the tangible expressions of affection, are forever out of reach, is an act of profound and truly unselfish love. Sparks' signature emotional depth intertwines seamlessly with Shyamalan's atmospheric tension, creating a narrative that lingers long after the final page is turned, much like a persistent whisper from the other side. "Remain" is a testament to love's boundless nature, even in the face of death and the veil between worlds.
If you're craving a supernatural thriller with a big side of amour, then put on your apron, grab a glass of vino, curl up on the couch and prepare yourself for the ride.
Beware this book reads fast! It will be over before you are ready, but only because you were so consumed.

Huge thank you to NG and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts!

When I heard there was a new book co-written by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, I was stoked to read it. I love the twists in Shyamalan’s films, and have enjoyed several of Sparks’ film adaptations (most notably, The Notebook and A Walk to Remember). Remain is billed as “A Supernatural Love Story,” and at its heart, I believe this to be half true. It’s certainly supernatural. Is it a love story, though? Only if you can fall in love with someone you’ve met a handful of times over the course of a week. I’d say this falls closer to the mystery genre. It’s a slow-unfolding Who Done It wrapped in the guise of a love story.

The premise of the story was a lot of fun. This is where Shyamalan’s influence is really felt, though there were certain other details I felt certain came from him as well. I enjoyed Tate as a narrator, even if his character was sometimes irritating. He would rather send out his laundry than learn to use the machine in his house. I suppose this was meant to make him endearing: he’s a child of wealthy socialites, so he never learned basic housework. Instead, it makes him hard to relate to, but these small details help the reader to understand him and the choices he makes.

A glaring flaw to this book was that it does not pass the Bechdel test. I noticed this at less than 20% of the way into my reading, and unfortunately, it was never proven wrong. The women we do get are stereotypical at best. Tate’s best friend’s wife, for example, is portrayed as the nagger. She doesn’t let her husband eat what he wants, instead forcing salads on him. There are a total of six named women in the novel, and half of them are deceased before the story starts. At this point in his career—a career in which he is known for writing romance novels—Sparks should be better at fleshing out women.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good ghost story, though it’s not fully satisfying. There are a few plot points that never reach resolution and a few questions that go unanswered, but it is a quick read and a way to pass the the time. You’ll likely enjoy this book more if you aren’t a woman, but it is what it is.