Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

First line: As Katie wound her way among tables, a breeze from the Atlantic rippled through her hair.

From the inside cover: When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrified her … a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathetic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards … and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

My thoughts: Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors – I have even had the opportunity to meet him twice! In this book he includes his overall theme of love, but also adds an element of suspense and danger. What I love about Nicholas Sparks is that he incorporates commonly experienced subjects in his books – love, loss, forgiveness – all with an emotional journey to overcome challenges we can all relate to. In Safe Haven the point of view changes amongst the main characters. That, I felt, really gave power to Kevin’s character (Katie’s ex). Writing about domestic violence can be tricky – too much detail or too much focus on the violent behaviors and you run the risk of turning people off; too little detail or glossing over the behaviors and people won’t take the storyline seriously. Nicholas Sparks creates a fine balance, giving all parties involved their two cents, so to speak. The ending (and I won’t say what it is so as to not give anything away) was a little surprising. I definitely didn’t expect it! With Nicholas Sparks’ books, there is always something for everyone: a love story, family life, internal conflicts, danger, and a twist at the end.

(I purchased this book – and had it autographed!)