Love is dead — at least, according to Nicholas Sparks fans.

On Tuesday, Sparks, the wordsmith behind The Notebook and A Walk To Remember, announced that he and wife Cathy are divorcing after 25 years of marriage.

“This is, of course, not a decision we’ve made lightly,” Sparks told People. “We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children’s sake, we regard this as a private matter.”

It wasn’t news that fans of the best-selling author took lightly, either. Many on Twitter were verklempt; how could the man whose beautiful mind gave us the timeless, sweeping love story of Noah and Allie fall prey to something as humdrum, something so un-Nicholas Sparks-ian as divorce?

Some waxed poetic about the end of romance:

I might have lost all faith in romance in this very moment upon hearing that Nicholas Sparks recently got a divorce

— Arianna (@AriannaGrace) January 6, 2015

Some blamed the split on the new year. (Damn you, 2015.)

Nicholas Sparks have separated from his wife? wtf is wrong with you 2015?

— the woods are lovely (@marythequeenie) January 6, 2015

Some wondered why Sparks didn’t do a better job of showing his love in some Nick Sparks-esque way. Like, why didn’t the dude just sweep his lady off her feet for one of those sloppy lift-and-sit kisses in the rain? Why didn’t they stargaze in a cemetery until their love came back to life?

Nicholas Sparks and his wife got a divorce. Like what? If you can write about great love then you should be able to show it.

— Olivia Jackson (@MachoGurlOlivia) January 6, 2015

Some questioned how we, as a people, could ever again trust the words he’s written.

Nicholas Sparks and his wife are separating. I don’t even know how to process trusting his love stories anymore

— Leigh Elizabeth (@LeeEliz) January 6, 2015

How can we trust Nicholas Sparks anymore?

— Evelyn Curry (@EvelynCurry) January 6, 2015

And some? Some gave up entirely.

If Nicholas Sparks is divorcing his wife there’s no hope for any of us.

— Stacey Farber (@StaceyFarber) January 6, 2015

Nicholas Sparks getting divorced is tragic….if the master of love stories can’t keep his wifey around, we are all doomed

— gab (@gaaabrielllaaa) January 6, 2015

RIP love.

For more devastated reaction to the news, check out the slideshow below:

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