Summary

Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.

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. 

What I Thought

I really, really enjoyed Safe Haven! Plus, thanks to this book, I think it’s safe to say I am officially out of my dreadful reading slump! 🎉

Safe Haven has all the typical aspects you would expect from a Nicholas Sparks/romance book, but what really sets this book apart from the others is the thriller/action parts that are in this novel. At times, I was very much on the edge of my seat, scared for Katie. It got very intense at times, which honestly, wasn’t something that I was really expecting.  I flew through this book, and read over half of it in one day, because I just had finish it (which is really saying something, because I had been in an awful reading slump for around 2 months)!

Aside from the action, this book had its typical North Carolina setting, which I loved.  I felt like I was actually there with the sun on my face, and the salt from the ocean in the air.  I’m probably biased, but NC is my favorite vacation spot, so honestly, I never get tired of reading summer-y books set in that location.

I enjoyed Alex and Katie’s relationship, and while there were definitely moments that felt a bit too perfect (but it’s a Nicholas Sparks book, admit it, they’re supposed to be there 😉), for the most part I found their relationship and its progression to be quite realistic.

Without spoiling the ending, there was one thing in particular that happened, that I did not see coming at all!  I really appreciated that, because oftentimes, with books like Safe Haven you can often predict how everything is going to turn out.

One thing to note, this book does deal with abuse. Nothing is too explicit, but it is talked about and if that topic really makes you feel uncomfortable reading about, this might not be the book for you.

I really don’t have any complaints about this book though. If you’re looking for a summer-y romance novel, or maybe even something with a thrill, then I would definitely recommend Safe Haven!