Seventeen best sellers. Eight film adaptations. One author. Nicholas Sparks has published seventeen fiction novels, and one non-fiction novel, selling over 85 million copies throughout his career. He released his newest fiction novel, The Longest Ride, on September 17, 2013.

Sparks became famous when he released his first book and first bestseller, The Notebook, in October 1996. He is known for his deep love stories that normally end tragically. The Longest Ride is a historical romance novel and not an expectation to this.

Lisa Steinke, from sheknows.com, says, “It is pure enjoyment from beginning to end. (But this is Nicholas Sparks, after all, so be prepared to shed a tear or two.)”

This is a fictional plot involves two intertwining love stories coming together. The two unlikely couples— Ira and Ruth, and Luke and Sophia—are different in not only their ages, but also their life experiences. Sparks leave the readers wondering how these two love stories will intersect until the very end.

Ira is a 91-year-old man, who reexamines his life, after a near fatal car crash. His deceased wife, Ruth seems to come to him in a vision and begins recounting their life—the first time they met, the years through World War 2, and the other memorable moments they shared together.

In the same town, Sophia, a college student, is recovering from a recent heartbreak and her privileged world seems to transform when she encounters Luke. Luke is different from the rest of the men she has dated. He is a southern bull-rider, who grew up in a world entirely different than Sophia’s.

Sparks says he received his inspiration for writing his eighteenth fiction novel when he learned about Black Mountain College, a secluded North Carolina college centered around the art scene.

Missy Shultz, a senior at Arrowhead High School, says, “I have always been a Nicholas Sparks fan and based on the reviews I have read, I cannot wait to start reading The Longest Ride as soon as I can.”
The Longest Ride is already in the making of becoming a movie. It is planned to be released Valentine’s Day weekend in 2015. The cast has not yet been decided on for the film.