Safe Haven

This book was a page turner from the beginning. I’d had this title in my kindle for about a year, not anxious to read it, because I’d been a big Nicholas Sparks fan and sort of got burnt out on his writing style after a while. But from the moment I picked this up, I never wanted to put it down and kicked myself for taking a break from Sparks, because his writing style is clearly more diverse than I realized. The depth of the characters was touching. I was riveted by the story and the anticipation of what these characters might do next. Kevin was a frightening character whose mind was one of terror and fascination to be in. Although I found some aspects of the story to be predictable, they were still delightful as their turn of events unfolded, never boring as predictability usually is. The qualities of Alex’s character, especially the way he lovingly parents his kids made him extremely attractive to the reader, and Katie’s strong, yet vulnerable characteristics made her a likeable character that I loved and routed for as the story developed. Building toward the intense climax had me holding my breath. I would recommend this, because it is a great, fun summer (or anytime) read, a nice escape from reality, not too heavy or deep, easy to get into. I was surprised by some of the comments of the negative reviews. I know not everyone has the same taste and not everyone is going to like all of the same things. But it seems to me some of these reviewers are comparing apples to oranges. If you are a reader of serious literature and that’s what you want in a book, then this is not the book for you. This is a delightful, enjoyable quick read. Not a deep, earth shifting revelation type of book. If that’s what you’re looking for, keep on looking. If you want an enjoyable, easy-to-fall-into, escape from the every-day, with enjoyable characters and a captivating story, then give then give this book a try.

Big fan of Nicholas Sparks. This book only reaffirms that fact. I enjoyed this book so much. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a book where you think you know the ending, but it's so much more. The journey of a young Widower raising 2 very young children alone. He loves them so fiercely, he always worries he needs to be more. He still loves and misses the wife he lost 2 years ago. It's also about a woman with a very harsh, violent, and brutal past. She wants to feel safe, but doesn't think she ever can. She has been running from her past. She's changed her appearance and found a beautiful little town she's afraid to call home. Trust won't be easy for her. From a small distance, he watches her interact with his daughter, and is caught off guard with how this affects his heart. He wants to talk with her, but senses he could easily scare this woman away. His instincts are very good at understanding her fragile nature, but he also knows she has a strength he admires. A little help from her neighbour gets her started with basic trust and a special friendship. Her neighbor also tries to play matchmaker for the 2 main characters. This story takes you to very dark places. It's not just heartache or loss, or the usual things in a love story. There is also true suspense, very different journeys in life, and the story is told from several character's points of view. I think it's told in such a way, you will stay up all night, as I did to follow these characters stories till the very last page. The ending is incredible. How nice to find a story about love where you think it's your typical walk in the sunset together....The End. There are Sunsets, but the ending was just so amazing. Read this book!

I read this book for an outside reading assignment for my 9th grade Honors English class and I absolutely loved it! It was, yet another, great love story by Nicholas Sparks. I finished this book in just a few days because I just couldn't put it down. Safe Haven takes you and makes you feel a various amount of emotions including, but not limited to, happiness, sadness, excitement, and anger all throughout this novel. It makes you want to read more and more. The reader could experience a change in emotion within a split second just by reading a few words more. Safe Haven, also. teaches you about life and how rough and how pleasurable it can be, It teaches you the strength and determination it takes to find true love and how hard it is to break free from any difficult situation you may experience through your lifetime. I would HIGHLY recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys romantic and/or dramatic novels. If the specified reader enjoys reading horror, comedy, or even action over romantic and dramatic this may not be the book for them. But, overall, I though Safe Haven was a great novel and an amazing life lesson.

This was my first Nicholas Sparks novel. I had seen some of the movies based on his books (Dear John and The Vow) so I thought I'd give the written version a try. After all, everyone raved about Nicholas Spark! So I carefully selected Safe Haven because its plot sounded like the most appealing out of the bunch of books he'd already written. Katie is new in the town of Southport, North Carolina. She leads a simple life and prefers to be on her own, not wanting to draw too much attention. However, Alex, a widowed store-owner and father of two children notices her and wants to know more about her. For some reason, Katie lets her defenses down with him. But the truth is that she is keeping a secret, and the reason why she came to Southport in the first place was that she is actually on the run, determined to flee from her past. Well, first and before all: I absolutely loved and enjoyed Safe Haven. It was difficult to get used to the third-person POV at first because I was so used to first-person POV's, but Nicholas Sparks is a real master at doing this, and his writing is absolutely wonderful. What impressed me most were the details that were carefully put into the characters. Since the is a third-person POV, you actually get to see things from various points of view and each character had their own thought process and semantics. The characters are wonderful, and the storyline was full of surprises, full of crazy twists and suspense! This book is like a puzzle, where flashbacks help you piece it together! I couldn't put the book down, because I wanted to know how Alex and Katie's relationship would evolve but also how Katie's past finally comes back to haunt her. Plus there is a major twist in the end of the story which just leaves you in tears. Indeed, this book is more than a love story in a beautiful setting: it is also a very suspenseful thriller <spoiler>and a clear message to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse. Indeed, the reason why Katie is on the run in that she is trying to escape her husband Kevin, an alcoholic and lunatic police officer who kept her hidden and under control in their home. The story of Katie's escape - an escape that she had been plotting for so long - was absolutely breathtaking and so well orchestrated by Sparks, not leaving any detail to chance. And finally, you get to see things from Kevin's POV, which are by far the craziest parts of the book. While he hunts Katie down, you get an insight of how messed up he really is: not seeing right from wrong, overly paranoid and delusional, trying to justify his actions by quoting the bible. The way this was written was absolutely phenomenal!</spoiler>. But Katie and Alex do get their well deserved happy ending and Katie finally finds out that is it fate (or a higher power?) that brought her to Alex and helped her out to live the life she wants and deserves.

**I just went to the theater to see this movie, but more on that in a minute** This book is absolutely brilliant story telling! I absolutely love buying any of Nicholas Sparks's books because I know that I will get a genuine, unpredictable, entertaining story from start to finish! Each character has a past here, and each one has been given just enough time for the reader to get to know them, feeling as though you can actually picture them, get to know them, without getting off course of the actual storytelling. I try hard not to give away the story by posting reviews by explaining what I love best about the book and why, but I will say this: each book I read by Nicholas Sparks is authentic. Genuine. Full of passion. I just hope that Nicholas Sparks's life is lived with just as much passion, dedication and romance as told in his fantastic books! **About the Movie** Here's what I can say: there is an element of predictability in this story to a degree. A young woman who is married to a severely abusive husband has two choices: leave or stay. That leaves two possible outcomes: either you move on and find true love, it you risk losing your own life living in fear. A widowed father has lost his wife to cancer. He raises his two young children in a small sleepy town while operating a small grocery store by the sea. He either goes on raising his two children, alone, not experiencing love or a life beyond tragedy, or he opens up his heart to knew possibilities and hope for a brighter future for himself and his children. This movie does not disappoint. A few elements of the book were changed, but in this case, the audience wouldn't have had the same experience in the theater as they would have had reading the book at home. I'm glad Nicholas Sparks owns his own production company, and produced this movie. I'm sure he understands that with every book he writes, he wants his audience equally affected by his love stories at the big screen. I went to the theater to see this. At today's prices, it was well worth every penny!

I just had to give this book five stars. I won't give yet another detailed synopsis of this book, like a million other reviewers before me have done. Instead, here are simply a few sentences about why I loved this novel. Let me start by saying I've never read a Nicholas Sparks book before this. But apparently, I've been missing out. In fact, I've never even seen a movie adaptation of one, not even The Notebook *gasp!* - a travesty, I know. This particular genre just isn't one I seem to fancy. However, I've changed my mind, at least as far as Mr. Sparks' works go. His writing is smart yet easy breezy. Not for a single instant did I feel like the reading was a chore. Actually, I couldn't put it down. His imagery is so captivating, it was so simple for me to picture all of the characters and scenery without even trying. I felt like I was there, in the sleepy North Carolina town with Katie and Alex. Katie, the protagonist was perfectly likeable without being sickeningly sweet. Same goes for Alex. I found myself rooting for these guys the whole way through. The climax had me on the edge of my seat and I could not even begin to think about taking a break from the reading until it was over. The plot, exciting and actually perfectly plausible. So, friends and lovers, no matter what type of book tickles your fancy, I think just about anyone could enjoy this piece. Especially, if you're not so much into romance and prefer a bit of action. From what I've gathered, Sparks has strayed from his usual, mellow writing in this suspense-packed novel. Enjoy.

My wife loved this book.

This really was a safe haven for a thriller junkie wanting a meaningful sorbet of contemporary romance between doses of adrenaline based action. I was looking for an intelligent romantic thriller outside the current popular genre of poorly written mass-produced twenty-something testosterone and sex romances - and I found it in "Safe Haven". Surprisingly, although I have seen and enjoyed the movie "Message in a Bottle", I haven't read any of Nicholas Sparks' books. I was lured to this book by how fast it got to the top of the Kindle best-sellers list. From the first pages it was clear that Sparks is a quality writer who builds wonderful characters and weaves meaningful relationships. When Katie Feldman arrives in the small North Carolina town of Southport she is seen as a mysterious person. She rents a small cottage in a lonely spot, doesn't mix with others or tell anyone about her background. Her life revolves around working at a local restaurant, improving her cottage and buying her essential needs from the local store owned by Alex, a single parent of 2 young children who has recently lost his wife to brain cancer. She gradually gets attracted to Alex and builds a loving and comfortable relationship with his children. Despite this she doesn't have the emotional stability for a long term commitment. The community and Alex are not aware that Katie is is on-the-run from a very bad mentally and physically abusive marriage. Even with a new identity she knows that Kevin, her alcoholic abusive husband, is a skilled police investigator who will search for and find her wherever she goes. Why did I give it 4 stars - because I skip-read the description of Kevin's life after Katie left because it was too long and IMHO a bit unrealistic. Despite that I liked the book and strongly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an easy, well written and satisfying romantic thriller.

As always, Nicholas Sparks has written a pageturner which is hard to put down. "Safe Haven" is the story about Erin who is trapped in an unhappy marriage with an abusive husband. Her husband Kevin drinks too much, beats her, denies her friends and interests outside the home and keeps control of her every step by frequent phone calls througout the day. After two failed attempts, Erin finally manages to flee Boston and Kevin. With a new identity, calling herself Katie, she starts over again in Southport, a small town in North Carolina, where she meets a young widower Alex and his two small children Kirsten and Josh. Even if there is soon mutual attraction between Katie and Alex, Katie is too scarred from her marriage and needs time to heal before starting a new relationship. Also, there is the shadow of Kevin always looming in the background. Kevin is a police detective of profession and good at his job, especially at tracing lost people... Katie/Erin's freedom is not easily won, even after she and Alex admit their love and mutual wish to stay together. A romantic, but also serious book, about domestic abuse, widowhood and the task of bringing up children alone. Little Kirsten and her brother Josh are my favourite characters in this wonderful story about the strength of love, friendship and parenthood. Adorable little persons with amazing insight into life and people - trusting and open as only kids can be. Praise for Nicholas Sparks and very much recommended!

After lots of novels, he has still the power of make good plots. In this case, a strange woman burst into a new life forgetting her past which is always stepping back her. Destiny as always could make heaven in our worst hell. Stouning and very enjoyable book of the best love-story-writer of the last decade. I recommend it for everyone who enjoyed with Noah's Diary, Message in a Bottle, The Guardian or other else book write by Mr. Sparks.

Safe Heaven has to be Nicholas Sparks’ best book. I first watched the movies because I know I don’t like the kind of books he writes. It’s just not my genre. Yet, the movie was full of suspense and plot twists which I loved. Therefore I read the book. Though I had already known the main twists, I still got goosebumps when I finally read the ultimate one. That sure makes the book an excellent one. While some key elements were different from the movies such as Alex and Kevin (their characterization was almost the opposite), it still was a very good thriller full of suspense, unlike the usual love stories people are used to when reading Sparks. The whole time, you knew there was a pending threat or danger waiting on the next page. As mentioned before, Alex and Kevin were completely different than in the movie. And I totally preferred their book version. For starters Alex was a much smarter guy who actually put the pieces together. Not just the cute guy Katie falls in love with. And their love story was much slower and more real in the book. What I loved the most, however, was the characterization of Kevin. In the book, you do get the reason why he acts like that. Unlike the movie version, Kevin was one sick man. The book gives you that and a much more complex background to the whole Kate’s fugitive situation. This is definitely a book worth reading. Especially if you like love stories with a thriller element in it

I am an avid reader. When ever I leave the house my reader is in my purse....I read every chance I get. Nicholas Sparks is one of my very favorite authors. Safe Haven was another great book. I like how you handled a sensitive subject and into the abuse with sensitivity. I think one of the things I really appreciated about this book which authors don't usually cover is the story from the male's point of view too. It was a compassionate look at the tortured soul of the husband. Of course, this doesn't make the things he did right. Maybe that was not your intention but I found myself feeling sorry for him...knowing he would self destruct. Demon driven. I loved the story of Jo... I loved the whole book! Thank you

J'avais vu le film avant de lire le livre. Les 2 sont très bien, avec quelques différences.