This book has been written by the well known JAMES PATTERSON
He is more into the crime, murder and mystery segment.
Thus, while purchasing this book, in had a slight hesitation.
It sounded like a typical mushy Rom -com book.
Anyways, I’ll give you a gist of the main characters in this story;
Suzanne – Mother of Nicholas
Matt – Father of Nicholas
Nicholas – Son
Katie – Matt’s new love interest.
What guesses have you made by reading the above lines?
Matt cheated on his wife?
Matt left Suzanne and then dated Katie?
Matt killed Suzie?
etc etc..
I had made up many of these thoughts in my mind while reading the starting few pages.
Did any of these happen?
Read below to find out.
Story:
The story begins with Katie who hasn’t stopped crying ever since that fateful day when all of a sudden Matt arrived home to tell her that things can’t work out between them.
That all is over, and she should move on.
That was hard on the poor girl who was just about to give him the best news.. Yes she was pregnant, and was going to have Matt’s baby.
She never said a word. how could she?
That devastation had gripped her for days and weeks.
The once smart and gorgeous looking girl, now could be seen as a “I need a hug desperately” type.
She then receives a parcel from Matt, which reads,
“This is a diary about my wife and son and me.
This should explain things better than i ever could.
If you have the heart, read it.
I will warn you though, there are parts which might be hard for you to read.
I never expected to fall in love with you, but i did.”
Katie thought it out, and then opened the diary and started reading.
At that start of every page Suzanne wrote “Dear Nicholas”…
The next few pages go around her life before she fell in love with Matt.
She was a doctor practicing in Boston.
Life was good, until she got a heart attack, which gave her a huge scare.
She had this beautiful thought which i have kept in mind myself.
” Imagine life is a game where you are juggling 5 balls.
The balls are; Work, Family, health, Friends and Integrity.
One day you realize that, work is a rubber ball.
If you drop it, it will bounce back.
The rest are glass balls.
If you drop one of them, it will be scuffed, nicked, maybe shattered.”
Post recuperating, she gave up her job, and the city life and went back to the place where she spent her childhood life i.e. Martha’s Vineyard.
Life was good, the air felt more pure and she started reconstructing the house. She called in the painter, and that’s how Suzanne met Matt “The Painter”
After a series of healthy flirting, Matt asked Suzanne for a date, and then ever since there was no separating these two.
As Kate read these parts she remembered Matt’s words, “It might be hard to read some parts” he said.
She kept reading.
Katie had immersed herself in the pool of Matt’s thoughts.
She couldn’t forget how they met, how their likes and dislikes were matching like twins, how they loved each other.
She tried her best to forget all, but couldn’t.
Also, she tried hating Suzanne, but she was just like her.
Sweet, smart and beautiful.
As she read the later part of the book, it had reached the day of Suzanne and Matt’s wedding.
That was all it took to break her heart completely.
She cut herself off from family, friends, life.
She didn’t read the book, promised she wouldn’t touch it again, but she couldn’t sleep.
The thoughts of what had happened later kept haunting her.
She hadn’t slept properly, nor eaten either.
She took the book, and read it.
The book now reached the stage when they realized Suzanne was pregnant. Everyone was overjoyed. They both started keeping the baby’s room ready.
Matt being a brilliant painter kept the room ready for the unborn child.
He was an artist, a poet and a great lover. Katie agreed with that.
Every minute she was getting acquainted with the unborn Nicholas, she felt bad for the child growing inside her.
She expected all this from Matt too.
Anyways, she kept reading till the last month, when there were many complications. With Suzanne’s heart condition, there were many possibilities of not having a normal delivery without risking her life.
They had to go ahead with the c-section and even though that’s not how she wanted Nicholas to arrive.
Anyways, post Nicholas entering this world, the life Of Matt and Suzanne was enlightened with more joy.
Everyone in the village adored the couple, and called the baby a shining star.
Suzanne in later parts of the diary has mentioned each and every aspect about Nicholas right from his first step, to him saying “mama dada” etc.
She even said how strong he was, how smart he looked, and gave him tips about how to deal with women.
Katie was devastated. The more she tried to hate them, the more she was falling in love with them.
It just sounded so good, that it couldn’t be true.
The Finale:
Suzanne was having terrible issues with her body and heart.
That’s when she got to know she was pregnant again.
Matt wa overjoyed, but looking at his wife, he thought it best to not have the baby.
Who could blame him for loving his wife.
He knew she wouldn’t survive.
Suzanne cried her heart out, but understood Matt thought about everything and then gave his opinion.
She then went ahead with the procedure, and tried getting used to her normal life.
Everyday she would wake up, Matt would say
” Good morning love, I have loved you more today, than yesterday”
Reading this gave me the blushes.
Katie went ahead to the last pages of the book to find out that it was Matt who was writing to the child.
That was strange as it was Suzanne all the while.
She tried figuring out what had happened.
The Matt said,
“Dear Nicholas,
Yesterday your mother had been excited as she was going top get a portrait of all of us.
She wanted to place it in the center of the house, and make you watch it.
As i was cooking the food, she passed by towards the door.
She waved me a goodbye, and that was the last goodbye i received from her!!
She had an attack, while driving and due to that, lost control of the car.
They found the car in the lake.
She died Nicholas”
Reading this, gave Katie a bad feeling.
She couldn’t feel more bad for him.
She really wanted him now, to hug him.
She realized that he hadn’t played her.
He fell for her after his wife’s death.
She happened to find more 2 pages written.
What more could be written?
“Dear Nicholas,
I stand in front of your crib, playing your favorite song, feeling you looking at me, smiling.
But i can’t.
Because you aren’t in your crib.
That day when your mother had left for getting the portrait, her hands were full as she held you baby boy.
She took you along as she wanted to surprise you.
In the car, you were found dead in the back seat.
I write to you this last time saying, We all will be together.
Suzanne,Matt, Nicholas.
Katie read this, and felt a hole inside her heart.
She couldn’t feel more bad.
She ran out to Martha’s vineyard, found Matt, hugged him and said all was OK.
Matt asked if he could be forgiven to which she said, I love you.
She told him about the baby, and then they lived happily ever after.
My Conclusion:
I’m sorry but i had to write such a long review.
Very rare that i have found a book that has moved me emotionally.
That’s why i know it will be a pain for many to read this entire review worth 1300+ words.
There is this line on the head of the book which justified the book completely. I would end my review by quoting it.
It says,
” For everyone who’s loved and lost and learned to love again”