Nicholas Sparks is the author of 15 books. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and children. You can visit the author's web site at www. nicholassparks.com.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author tells the story of romance lost and rediscovered-and the wrenching decision one woman must make between loyalty and love.

Every person's story has a beginning, middle and end, but the path that leads from one stage of life to the next is rarely predictable. Renee's journey begins when she is a carefree college student, studying in Italy with her best friend, Audrey. During that idyllic summer abroad, Renee meets a handsome local, and falls deeply in love. But like all summer romances, the affair comes to an end when she returns to North Carolina. Back home, Renee fulfills everyone's expectations - including her own - by marrying her longtime college boyfriend. Over the next two decades, she raises a family and lives a predictable, if in some ways unfulfilling life. When Audrey announces that she's dying of cancer, Renee drops everything to spend Audrey's last days by her side, unaware that her unconventional best friend still has a few surprises up her sleeve . . . surprises that will turn Renee's world upside down, and offer her a chance to re-live the choices of her past in a way she never dreamed possible.