Book Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  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.

My Thoughts:   I had this book sitting on my Nook and finally started reading it after watching the movie.  As usual, don't watch the movie first or if you do, don't expect it to be the same as the book.  I hate how they change even the smallest things (like the color of Katie's hair or the daughter's name).  The book was much better than the movie, of course, but reminded me a lot of Sleeping with the Enemy.  I found that towards the end, I could not put it down.

Katie has started a new life in Southport.  She stays to herself and tries to be as invisible as possible.  In a small town that is not easy to do though.  Katie catches the attention of the store owner where she shops.  Alex is a widower with two children.  He used to be a detective in the military and notices Katie right away. The two get to know each other and eventually fall in love.  There is only one thing that gets in their way though.  Katie is already married.  Oh, and her name really isn't Katie.

Katie comes from an abusive relationship.  She is finally able to run away from her husband and lands in this small town.  She is finally starting to get comfortable and falls into a routine that includes Alex and his two children.  It also includes her neighbor, Jo, who has become the friend that Katie didn't think she'd have.  

Through flashbacks we see how Katie came to where she is now.  We are also introduced to Katie's husband, Kevin, about halfway through the book.  That's when things got really interesting for me.  Kevin's thinking is so crazy that you couldn't help but get caught up in it to find out what he would possibly do next.  

I really liked Katie and thought she was extremely brave.  She did what she had to do to preserve her life until she could get away.  When she did get away, she covered her tracks very well.  She was very smart and determined and I liked that about her.  

I loved Alex because he was a great father!  He tried hard to be a huge part of his kids' lives and they were his top priority.  Even when he was dating Katie, he made sure his children were comfortable with it.  Alex figured out what was going on with Katie before Katie told him but he didn't push her to tell him anything.  

Jo was awesome and seriously, when you find out who Jo really is, you will be shocked (unless, like me, you saw the movie first).  She was a great character who was a true friend to Katie.  She offered the best advice and would just listen when Katie needed to talk.  

Kevin was the ultimate bad guy.  He was so psychotic and his reasoning was so crazy that you can't help but want to read more about him.  It's a little like watching a huge spider or snake....it's so creepy and gross but you want to watch because it's fascinating in a creepy way. 

The ending was fast paced and  full of suspense.  There were several things that were surprising to me (that they changed in the movie).  I thought that I would be able to put the book down but I had to stay up late to finish it.  I liked this book because it wasn't strictly romance.  It touched on some hard topics, was a little dark and had some suspense in it.  It does have a happy ending though so you still come away with a "good" feeling.