'The Best of Me' continues streak of sopping wet Nicholas Sparks movie kisses

Have you ever noticed how often it's raining when people are making out in Nicholas Sparks' film adaptations?

Here's even more proof from The Best of Me (out Friday).

That's Liana Liberato and Luke Bracey, two hot-blooded high school lovers getting doused in the romantic tale. Their characters are portrayed by James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan 20 years later in life, which leaves plenty of time for toweling off.

It got us thinking, is it a Nicholas Sparks requirement to have a wet and wild canoodle?

THE NOTEBOOK

Of course you have the iconic Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams clinch in 2004's The Notebook. Even Sparks says that will remain "the most memorable for a long time" when it comes to rain kisses.

DEAR JOHN

Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried couldn't quite find proper shelter in 2010's Dear John. The kissing continued.

SAFE HAVEN

Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel got caught out in a rain burst in 2013's Safe Haven.

THE LUCKY ONE

Zac Efron and and Taylor Schilling got it on (and off) in an outdoor shower in 2012's The Lucky One which Sparks calls "the most sensual" of these scenes.

The water makes sense. Best of Me's Liberato says the wet kisses "are a teenage girl's dream."

Sparks points out that his novels are set in the South, where freak rains are more commonplace. And the rain kiss shows that nobody cares about getting wet, the hot lovers just want to lock lips.

But our theory for why they are truly so popular? People like Gosling look pretty great in soaked clothing.
"In the world of Hollywood where there are very nice physiques, the rain does wonderful things," says Sparks.