If romantic stories with dramatic overtones are your cup of tea, then any of Nicholas Sparks' novels would be the perfect choice for you to enjoy. This novelist and screenwriter took his first steps in literature almost by chance: while in his teens, his mother suggested him to start writing to kill boredom. So, at the age of 19, Sparks set to work on his first novel, The Passing, that was never published. A few years later, he wrote his second one, The Royal Murders, and from then on, he considered pursuing a full-time career in writing.

However, after being rejected by several publishers, Sparks spent many years working in different industries until 1990, when he finally landed his first major break: he managed to get Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding, a book he co-wrote along with Billy Mills, published. Immediately after that, the author started working on one of his most acclaimed novels, The Notebook, which as soon as it was released made The New York Times bestseller list.

So far, Sparks has published 23 novels and two non-fiction books that have sold millions of copies and were translated into over 50 languages. Furthermore, many of his novels have been adapted to the silver screen, starring top actors in the industry and becoming even more popular than before. Here are all of them ranked by box office gross.

11 The Choice — $23.4M

The Choice
Lionsgate

Travis Parker is a man who has just about everything: a good job, friends, and his dream house. However, he's reluctant to fall in love, because he believes a partner could ruin his lifestyle. Everything turns upside down when Gabby moves in next door, and despite a complicated first meeting, Travis is charmed by her. Knowing that she's in a relationship, Travis tries his best to get to know her a little better, until sparks eventually fly between them. Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer star in The Choice, a 2016 film directed by Ross Katz. This production, based on Sparks' 2007 novel, did not meet with very good reviews upon its release, and only garnered $23.4 million worldwide.

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10 The Best of Me — $35.9M

The Best of Me
Relativity Media

James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, and Liana Liberato star in the 2014 film The Best of Me, based on Sparks' 2011 book. This production, directed by Michael Hoffman, follows Amanda and Dawson, two teenagers who engage in a very intense romance that eventually comes to an end following several unfortunate situations. Thereafter, the two go their separate ways and are reunited by chance 25 years later in their hometown, only to discover that, in spite of time passing, neither was able to forget the other. Still, their circumstances have changed, and recovering their lost bond is not going to be that easy. The Best of Me earned $35.9 million worldwide.

9 A Walk to Remember — $47.4M

A Walk to Remember
Warner Bros. Pictures

2002's A Walk to Remember follows Jamie and Landon, two teenagers who are complete opposites. Jamie is a quiet, religious young woman who tries her best to avoid love for causes only she knows about. Landon, on the other hand, is one of the popular kids at school, who loves to get in trouble. As a result of a punishment imposed by the principal, Landon becomes close to Jamie, and the two quickly fall in love. But this relationship will not go as smoothly as he expects it to. This Adam Shankman film is based on the 1999 novel by Sparks, although the setting was altered from the 1950s to the 1990s in order to draw younger audiences. It starred Mandy Moore and Shane West, and grossed $47.4 million globally.

8 The Longest Ride — $62.9M

The Longest Ride
20th Century Fox

Sparks' 2013 novel The Longest Ride was adapted to film by George Tillman Jr., starring Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, and Alan Alda. It was released in 2015 and earned $62.9 million worldwide, despite poor reviews from critics. The production follows Luke and Sophia, a rodeo champion and a college artist, who fall in love soon after they first meet. Their relationship is put to the test due to different circumstances and their personal aspirations, and faced with future challenges, the two find inspiration in the love story of Ira, an elderly man they met by chance after rescuing him from a car accident.

7 Nights in Rodanthe — $84.3M

Lane and Gear in Nights in Rodanthe
Warner Bros. Pictures

Nights in Rodanthe is probably Sparks' novel-based film with the most famous cast. Starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, alongside James Franco, Viola Davis, Scott Glenn, and Christopher Meloni, this production features Adrienne, a woman who, while going through a challenging time in her life, travels to Rodanthe to take care of a friend's bed-and-breakfast for a few days. On this trip, during which she seeks to escape from her problems, she meets Paul, a doctor who is also trying to recover from a personal crisis. In a lonely hotel and with a storm approaching, these two characters slowly start to trust each other, and discover some new feelings. Nights in Rodanthe grossed $84.3 million worldwide.

6 The Last Song — $89M

The Last Song
Walt Disney Studios

2010's The Last Song was especially popular among teenagers because it starred Miley Cyrus, who was wildly famous at the time for her role as Hannah Montana. Joining her was Liam Hemsworth, with whom she later engaged in an on-again, off-again relationship that led to marriage and, eventually, divorce. It was directed by Julie Anne Robinson, with Sparks serving as screenwriter along with Jeff Van Wie. The Last Song follows Ronnie, a teenager who is forced to spend the summer in the seaside town where her father lives, a man with whom she doesn't have a close relationship. As days go by, her bond with her father gradually starts to mend, and at the same time, Ronnie falls in love with a local boy with whom she forms a beautiful relationship. This production was poorly reviewed, but grossed $89 million worldwide.

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5 Safe Haven — $97.5M

Safe Haven
Relativity Media

Erin is a young woman running away from her past, who comes seeking refuge in Southport, a small seaside town in which she tries to remake her life as Katie. To avoid arousing any suspicion, she decides to refrain from any relationship with the locals, but her efforts are short-lived as she meets Alex, a widowed father of two for whom she develops feelings. Suddenly, an unknown man comes to town, making questions about her and putting her life in danger, so she must form bonds to keep herself safe. Safe Haven is a 2013 film based on Sparks' 2010 book, starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. It was directed by Lasse Hallstrom and, upon release, grossed $97.5 million worldwide.

4 The Lucky One — $99.3M

Efron and Schilling in The Lucky One
Warner Bros. Pictures

The Lucky One is a 2012 production directed by Scott Hicks and starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling that, even with poor reviews, grossed $99.3 million worldwide. It follows Logan, a US Marine who, while serving in Iraq, finds the photo of an unknown woman that he keeps as a lucky charm. From that moment on, the young man's fortune takes a positive turn in every aspect, so, after the war, he embarks on a quest to find her and thank her for saving his life, without even knowing her name or origins. Another thing that Logan doesn't know is that he will end up falling completely in love with her.

3 Dear John — $114.9M

Seyfried and Tatum in Dear John
Sony Pictures Releasing

John and Savannah are very different, yet soon after they meet, they fall completely in love with each other. However, there is something threatening this relationship: John happens to be a soldier who is in town on leave, and must return to serve at war. Willing to stay together once he comes back, they both start exchanging letters to shorten the distance between them, although things will be harder than they imagine. Dear John is a 2010 film starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, and directed by Lasse Hallstrom, who would later work again on a Nicholas Sparks novel adaptation with Safe Haven. This film earned $114.9 million worldwide and topped the box office on its opening weekend, making it the best debut ever for a Sparks book-based film.

2 The Notebook — $115.6M

The Notebook
New Line Cinema

The Notebook is so far the highest-reviewed film based on a Sparks book, grossing $115.6 million worldwide and winning several awards, included eight Teen Choice Awards across all the categories in which it was nominated. Directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, this 2004 production tracks the dramatic and passionate love story between two young people from different social backgrounds in the 1940s as chronicled in the diary of a man at a retirement home. The Notebook also stars James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, James Marsden, Jamie Brown, and Sam Shepard.

1 Message in a Bottle — $118.8M

Message in a Bottle
Warner Bros. Pictures

1999 marked the release of Message in a Bottle, a film by Luis Mandoki based on Sparks' novel of the same name from the year before. This movie follows Theresa, a divorced journalist who, while on a trip to Cape Cod, stumbles upon a love letter inside a bottle. Intrigued and inspired by its message, she embarks on a journey to find the author, a widowed sailor struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife. Message in a Bottle stars Kevin Costner and Robin Wright alongside Paul Newman, Susan Brightbill, John Savage, Illeana Douglas, and Robbie Coltrane. Although this production was met with mostly poor reviews, it became a box-office success, grossing $118.8 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing Sparks adaptation ever.