# Read the first page of Remain by Nicholas Sparks Read the opening of Remain by Nicholas Sparks free, no signup. A grieving architect starts over in Cape Cod and meets a mysterious woman. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/remain-nicholas-sparks - Genre: Romance - Year: 2026 - ISBN: 9798217290352 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9780385702782&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9798217290352 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9798217290352 ## The opening Cape Cod in May stirs hope in the hearts of previously frozen New Yorkers, its verdant lawns and ocean breezes holding the promise of summer days just around the corner. As I rolled down the window of my car, breathing in the scent of growing things, I marveled at how distant the chilly gray skies and rain-flooded gutters of city life felt. Here, at least, winter had long since retreated and the dream of slower, sun-drenched days felt close enough to touch. I had visited the Cape a few times before, but never this particular town. A quieter, smaller cousin to the nearby magnet of Provincetown, Heatherington seemed to revel in its classic 1950s vibe. Cruising down its main thoroughfare, Pleasant Street, I took note of the quaint, upscale stores selling antiques, gourmet ice cream, wooden toys, and brick oven pizza, as well as the parents pushing expensive strollers on brick-paved sidewalks. Day-trippers ducked in and out of shops, while beneath a large old-fashioned clock, a pair of older gentlemen in baseball caps conferred on a wooden bench. Idling at an intersection to allow some musicians with guitars strapped to their backs to cross, I spotted a retro-style pharmacy and soda shop on the corner; inside, a group of teenagers sat at a counter, sipping shakes out of long straws. I smiled, thinking the scene was almost too perfect to be real, but upon reflection it made sense that my best friend, Oscar, the offspring of immigrant parents who’d run a deli in Boston, would seek out a slice of the mythic American ideal. As traffic began to move again, I caught glimpses of neatly kept Colonials and clapboard homes with white picket fences on the side streets to my left and right. Heatherington was picturesque, I had to admit, and as if on cue, the clouds overhead suddenly cleared, giving way to a blue sky so intense that it made me squint. It was Monday, the typical beginning of a new workweek, and I was in town to help Oscar and his wife, Lorena, design and build their vacation home, although until now I’d only seen photographs of the plot of land they’d bought. I was looking forward to hearing what they had in mind, as today would be our first real conversation about the project. Following the directions they’d given me and keeping an eye on my GPS, I turned off Pleasant Street, heading for the house’s future site, where we planned to meet. On the outskirts of town, I passed a sprawling fairground with performance stages in various states of construction. Dusty pickup trucks filled the gravel parking lot while workers toiled in the distance. It was a hive of activity, frantic preparations under way for the upcoming Mask and Music Festival on Memorial Day weekend at the end of the month. I’d heard about the festival while trying and failing to find a place to stay; in the end, I’d had to enlist Oscar’s help to find accommodations. Apparently forty or fifty bands would be descending on the town for the long weekend, and as many as twenty thousand people were expected to attend. When I asked about the kind of music being showcased, Oscar had merely snorted. “How would I know? It’s probably weird Gen Z music.” A few minutes later, I turned off the road onto a grassy track that climbed to what I assumed was a bluff overlooking the ocean. I drove slowly, following the tread marks of previous vehicles, my Aston Martin bouncing and shimmying as the grass gave way to dirt. On either side, arching birch and elm and maple trees formed a canopy overhead until I emerged into a clearing at the top. ## Books with a similar feel - [One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle](https://uncovered.ink/read/one-italian-summer-rebecca-serle.md) - [A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams](https://uncovered.ink/read/a-love-song-for-ricki-wilde-tia-williams.md) - [The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-bookshop-on-the-shore-jenny-colgan.md) - [The Pairing by Casey McQuiston](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-pairing-casey-mcquiston.md) - [Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover](https://uncovered.ink/read/ugly-love-colleen-hoover.md) - [The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-burnout-sophie-kinsella.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.