Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, as his mother died during childbirth. He is a proud military man following in the footsteps of his grandfather. And has dedicated his life to his career and spent most of his time abroad in action, never standing still or thinking about things too much. But when his grandmother dies, Tanner takes a look at his life anew, as she tells him the name of the father he never even knew existed. This sends Tanner on a new mission to find him. It is a really lovely, heartwarming story about finding yourself, love and a sense of belonging.

Whenever I pick up a Nicholas Sparks book, I know I am going to be hit hard. He gives you all the feels, and this book is no exception. It even made me cry ugly tears.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

Emotional, well plotted, romantic. A story that made me root for the characters and moved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5★s
Counting Miracles is the twenty-fourth novel by best-selling American author, Nicholas Sparks. Some weeks after a deathbed revelation by his beloved grandmother, and with a few months until he is due to start his security job with USAID in Cameroon, Tanner Hughes is on his way to Asheboro, NC, to see if he can find his birth father. His mother died in childbirth; he was raised by his grandparents, both now deceased; but it’s been over forty years, and Dave Johnson isn’t exactly an uncommon name…

Divorced mother of two, Kaitlyn Cooper loves her work as an internist at Asheboro, even doing house calls for those patients who can’t attend the clinic. Her first encounter with Tanner Hughes is when he drives her seventeen-year-old daughter, Casey home after a car accident. The attraction is instant, but she learns early on that his time in Asheboro will be short, so there’s no point in starting anything. Is there?

Badly scarred in a house-fire decades earlier, Jasper leads a reclusive life, sticking to his cabin on the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, in the company of his ageing part-labrador, Arlo. His whittling has attracted eight-year-old Mitch Cooper, with whom he’s happy to share the skill. Apparently the son of his doctor, the boy is well-brought up and isn’t put off by his terrible scarring.

Sparks weaves these three lives together in his own inimitable fashion, in a story that touches on US overseas charity work, the hunting of rare game, and bullying. He gives his characters plenty of wise words, insightful observations and interesting philosophical discussions. The younger characters are delightful and the more mature ones, equally appealing. And there’s a heroic dog. A heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK Sphere

Nicholas Sparks has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time, and once again didn't disappoint with this latest offering. I enjoyed the book so much, can't wait to read the next one! Highly recommended.
TB

I found this book really slow moving and therefore hard to keep reading. It’s a gentle slow burn story with not much action. Not one I would recommend.

Another classic Nicholas Sparks story. Two stories intertwined with heart wrenching twist at the end. Tanner is a classic NS character. He’s lost and a confused after the death of his Grandmother he finds out his estranged father is still alive, but where to start looking, if he even wants to look. Tanner is always travelling and has never really settled. Until, of course his world is changed forever when he meets the soon to be love of his live Kaitlyn. A very easy read, good for your soul.

Such a beautiful and romantic read, as wonderful as Sparks other books. Heartwarming to the end. I don’t think there’s ever been a book of nicks that hasn’t left me feeling emotional and this was no different

This was such a a beautiful story, so heart-rending and romantic. I love this author's books and this one was up there with the others. Great escapism. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I’ve been a reader of Sparks’ books for about 15 years now, I’m definitely a fan, Counting Miracles has a great storyline and great characters. While Kaitlyn and Tanner’s storyline was well paced and kept me engrossed from the beginning, I did feel that Jasper’s storyline was sometimes a little too detailed and slow, that’s the only reason I gave 4/5 stars. I loved the ending too, but perhaps would have liked to have seen a flash forward scene in the epilogue, from a few years later or something.

Nicholas Sparks is an auto-read author for me and his books never disappoint. His characters are always well-developed, the story is often romantic but realistic, and 9 times out of 10 I shed a tear. Counting Miracles was no exception.

Following the death of his grandmother, long-time nomad Tanner Hughes finds himself in Asheboro after his grandmother reveals the name of the man she claims to be his father. During the search, Tanner meets Kaitlyn and the two instantly hit it off. But with plans to move on after a few weeks, Tanner must decide where his future lies, and if this is the place he truly belongs.

The other main character in the novel is Jasper, who lives alone on the edge of the forest with only his dog, Arlo, for company. Jasper has experienced numerous hardships that no human should ever have to face, one of which left him covered in burn scars that many people outwardly cower at.

As someone who would do anything to alleviate loneliness, particularly in older people, I instantly connected with Jasper and felt like he represented a huge part of society. Despite everything he'd gone through though, he still clung to life and worked hard to protect the vulnerable animals in the forest. To see his faith waver after everything but then slowly come back was beautiful to watch.

I'm not much of a romance reader but if I ever do gravitate towards the genre, I like mature characters with depth and flaws that reflect real life - something that Sparks always manages to accomplish. I enjoyed seeing the spark (no pun intended) develop between Kaitlyn and Tanner, but also their conflicting emotions as they battled between falling in love and carrying on with their separate lives.

While I agree that Sparks' novels are formulaic and predictable at times, it's these elements that bring comfort and nostalgia to his fans, and make it easy to get swept up in the lives of his characters.

Like every Sparks book, this one tugs at the heartstrings and serves as a reminder to find where you belong and make that place your own.

This is the latest book from the author of the Notebook and it is an emotional and heartwarming story with some really interesting characters.

Tanner has led a nomadic lifestyle since leaving the army. However when his dying grandmother reveals the name and location of his father he is drawn to the close knit rural community to find out more information.

When a teenager drives into his car in a parking lot he gives her a lift home, where he meets her mum Kaitlyn, the local GP and a single parent and immediately feels a connection.

Jasper, was my favourite character, an elderly loner with severe skin disfigurement following a tragic event. His story is incredibly sad but he is shown much kindness by his neighbour Kaitlyn and friendship with her young son.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look out for more of Nicholas Sparks' novels.

Counting Miracles is a touching narrative about the intersections of lives and the miracles that can happen when paths cross at the right time. Nicholas Sparks has once again crafted a story that explores the intricacies of the human spirit with grace and sensitivity. It’s a must-read for fans of emotional, character-driven stories and anyone looking for a tale of hope and the enduring power of human connection.

Tanner has led a nomadic life. Orphaned at birth and raised by his maternal grandparents, he followed his grandfather into the army.
In her deathbed his grandmother tells him the name of his father and his home town. He has spare time before starting a new job so he goes to Asheboro to look for David Johnson.
Tanner meets Casey when she crashes into his new car and from that encounter comes what he thinks will be a brief fling with her mother, Kaitlyn.
Jasper is a old man with a story to tell. He lives in a cabin in the edge of a national forest with his aging dog, Arlo. He is teaching Casey's brother, Mitch to whittle and is one of Kaitklyn's patients.
When a white deer is seen in the forest Jasper feels he needs to protect it from local youths.
Meanwhile Kaitlyn and Tanner have become close but he is leaving as soon as his car is repaired so do they have any sort of future together?
A nice story of love, loss and, above all, family.

A layered story of family relationships. A boy, brought up by his grandparents finds out about his grandfather, goes in search of him, to understand his identity.
A slow paced, emotional, character revealing story. The writing is magical. There are Biblical references throughout.

It's years since I've read a Nicholas Sparks novel and I enjoyed this one. Everything you expect from him, of perhaps a little over all tied up!

Another great read from Nicholas Sparks, exactly what you would expect. Full of love, laughter and tears

I absolutely love Nicholas Sparks books he always manages to write with such warmth and love. Brilliant read!

Such a good book! I love the Nicholas sparks books and this one did not disappoint. Would recommend!

A really engrossing read. Nicholas Sparks never misses! It was great for tagging along on holiday and reading by the pool