Book Review: Safe Haven

Safe Haven
by Nicholas Sparks
2010
340 Pages

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.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Review from Goodreads:
Like always, Nicholas Sparks makes me cry with his stories. This one was no different. I wanted to read it before seeing the movie (I tend to prefer books to movie adaptations), and now I'm excited to see how it's put on the screen. The story was so good - although at first I could see exactly where it was going with Alex and Katie. Once I got to the part with Kevin coming after her, then I started to really get into the book and start freaking out at what might happen to them. The relationship between Jo and Katie was also neat, and it made total sense when he explained more about it at the end. That part cued my crying. The characters were pretty realistic and their dialogue was too - especially with the kids. I highly recommend this book by Sparks - it's one of his very best!