Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

"Dear John," the letter read. And with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives changed forever.
When Savannah Lynn Curtis comes into his life, John Tyree knows he is ready to turn over a new lear. An angry rebel, he had enlisted in the army after high school, not knowing what else to do. Then, during a furlough, he meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. But neither can foresee that 9/11 is about to change the world. Like so many proud men and women, John must choose between love and country. Now, when he finally returns to North Carolina, John will discover how love can transform us in ways we never could have imagined.
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Another Nicholas Sparks novel on my shelf. Sigh. Dear John was sad and sappy. It was unrealistic how quickly John and Savannah fell in love, and even how quickly they made the decision they would get married after his tour of duty. Savannah was definitely Little Miss Perfect In Every Way, and John is a little too changed to be realistic from two years on duty. So why is this book one of my favorites? Well, I love Nicholas Sparks, as many times as he's ripped my heart out. And sometimes a sappy, unbelievable romance novel is just what I need. The writing is good and I enjoyed the parts where John was in the army almost more than the parts where Savannah and him were together. Yeah, the ending is given away the first few pages, but I loved the last page more than any other part of the novel, probably because I'm the slightest bit masochistic when it comes to my taste in reading. Plot-wise, it wasn't the best book, but I enjoyed it.
3.5 stars (I'd love to give it 5, but that's its honest worth) and recommended to Sparks fans and romance novel enthusiasts.