I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Remain” by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, but I was pleasantly surprised how well the book turned out. This story definitely wasn’t the typical Sparks romance novel. (M. Night Shyamalan, the co-author, is the award-winning film-maker of ‘Signs’ and ‘The Sixth Sense,’ famous for their paranormal subject matter.) “Remain” has a strong element of the supernatural and a mystery to accompany the romance.
Tate Donovan is still grieving the death of his sister as he arrives in Cape Cod to design a house for his friends, Oscar and Lorena. Tate stays at a bed and breakfast while he is at the Cape, and while there, he meets Wren Tobin – who turns out to be a ghost. As Tate fosters a relationship with Wren, he falls in love with her but also realizes that she was murdered and he must discover who committed the crime in order to free Wren’s spirit. There are numerous suspects, and they all seem to have motives, so Tate enlists Oscar’s reluctant help with uncovering the truth.
The first half of “Remain” unfolded rather slowly, but once I was about halfway in, I was captivated with Wren’s story and really wanted to see how Tate could help her. “Remain” is scheduled to be released as a movie in October 2026, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor (from Bridgerton, Season 1). I can’t wait to see how they bring the novel to life in this movie!
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