These days, guys not only read romances, they write them. In Message in a Bottle, Nicholas Sparks renders the quiet clarity of the love story in its purest form. Boston columnist Theresa Osborne discovers the message while on a seaside vacation. When her curiosity leads her to two more of the loving, lonely messages, Theresa embarks on a search for their writer. Her search leads her to scuba shop owner Garrett Brooks, a man still struggling over his wife's premature death. The currents of the Atlantic capriciously bring Garrett and Theresa together - or is it something transcending the logic of sea charts? Theresa and Garrett sail on his aptly named ship, the Happenstance, into an unforgettable romance.

Reviewed by Sandy Huseby.