Set in the summer of 2003 in the country side of New Bern, North Carolina, The Wedding tells the story of a husband struggling to make up with his wife. Wilson Lewis has been married for 39 years, he is around 45 years old, he is one of the best lawyers in New Bern. He also has three children and a wife named Jane, who he is trying to be romantic to her for not being there for her over the years. When Wilson forgets his 39th anniversary Jane feels really bad. So she goes and visits her son Joseph in New York, just so her husband won't see her cry and how badly she's hurting. But later on Wilson does something huge for Jane on there 40th anniversary….something that she will never forget.

In The Wedding, Wilson realizes and try's, while he struggles to talk to his wife Jane again like he used to all the time…before everything changed. Now they barely even have time for each other. The author Nicolas Sparks uses the themes of realization and hope in the story because Wilson realizes he misses talking to his wife and when he try's things just don't go as planned. He never looses hope to keep trying. As Mr. Lewis try's real hard to make up with his wife. He slowly does romantic things for her like cooks dinner for the two of them, try's saying I love you more often and writes her a couple of letters. “From this point on, I'll become a more romantic husband…I'll do or say something that lets you know that I could never have cherished another as much as I've cherished you…” Nicolas Sparks does a wonderful job explaining things that happened in the past to help the reader understand what's going on in both Mr. and Mrs. Lewis's life in the present day.

Like other romantic novels, Nicolas Sparks books are similar to Lurlene McDaniel books. In The Wedding Wilson try's real hard to make up for the lost times he's never told his wife he loves her. But Lurlene McDaniel focuses more on illnesses while Sparks is about trying and not giving up. This novel is a very interesting book because in the beginning it kind of makes you angry with Wilson and if he was a real person you would want to give him advice. But as Wilson progresses the ending is so very amazing. The Wedding is an excellent book for readers who love to read about romance and happy endings. So around 8th grade and up would be great.