Nicholas Sparks has wowed readers time and time again with his heart-wrenching tales of love and loss. His success continues with this latest read about a middle-aged woman's journey to a place where she meets a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Adrienne Willis never told anyone her story of meeting Paul Flanner. Fourteen years later, it's come time. Amanda, her daughter, is depressed since the death of her husband and she is having difficulty caring for her two children. In an effort to show Amanda that life does goes on, Adrienne revisits her memories of Rodanthe, North Carolina, where, at age 44, she tended a friend's inn.

Fifty-four-year-old former surgeon Paul Flanner was the only guest there that weekend. While preparing for a looming hurricane, these two discovered strengths about each other, and themselves, that neither knew existed. When their short time together came to an end, Paul kept his promise to join his estranged son Mark at a medical clinic in Ecuador. Adrienne returned home to Rocky Mount to her life of single-parenting three teenagers. Agreeing to write while Paul was in Ecuador, they fell in love all over again through their letters.

Mr. Sparks' novels remain popular because they depict the emotional depth of very real people with real problems. This latest read is no exception, as a divorced surgeon and a struggling single parent find love and lend strength to each other. No doubt bookstores should sell this tearjerker with a box of tissues, as even the most unemotional of readers will be hard pressed not to cry. (Sep., 212 pp., $22.95)

—Sheri Melnick