Safe Haven

By Nicholas Sparks
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: 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 terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic 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 Summary: Erin is a girl who is not educated and doesn't have a driver's license to be able to drive around her town in Massachusetts. Kevin is her husband and she tries to take good care of him. She is sweet and kind-hearted, but has very few friends. The friends that she does have will one day save her life. 

Kevin is a police detective who appreciates a neat and clean house. He is also a delusional religious zealot who drinks too much. Vodka is his best friend. Pretending to belong to the perfect family, he controls Erin to look perfect to the eyes of outsiders. 

Katie is a strong woman who just moved to Southport, NC out of fear. She rents an old hunting cottage and turns it into a home. She makes new friends with the locals, waiting tables and the nearby restaurant. She then falls in love with Alex.

Alex is a widower with a gentle heart and two young children. He runs a general town in Southport and is well-loved in the community. He helps out Katie who intrigues him, and he falls in love with her.

I loved watching the love story develop between Katie and Alex and it made this novel worth a speedy read. I spent no time lagging in the page turns. For 250 page turns, I was in love with Katie and Alex, but I feared for the moment when Katie met Kevin.

I recommend this story for anyone who loves the romanticized version of a love story with a handsome and down to earth man and a story when the characters are magically fixed by falling in love.

Some Other Thoughts: I am glad that I read this before the movie came out. I enjoyed reading this story and was let perplexed by many things about it. While I was reading, this character named Jo continuously appeared throughout the book. I hated her up until the last twenty pages. The end of this book ties up the entire story line and adds so much more the plot. I would suggest that even if you are thinking about putting it down, keep going. The ending was worth it.