Safe Haven

When a mysterious woman, Katie arrives in the small town of Southport, things change. Not only for her but for the people she connects with. With the last of her money she rents a rundown cottage on the outskirts of town. She wants peace, a place to escape, and for her this seems the perfect spot. Afraid of the past coming for her, she distances herself from everyone around. Too scared to make any attachments, Katie finds a job and knuckles down into life at a slow pace.Life always has a few surprises and Katie is noticed by the owner of a local store and widow, Alex. From his own background he knows life has been hard for her, even though she never says a word. As they draw closer, her past finds them and now not only is her life is in danger, but Alex and his children as well.I have to admit that I picked up this book based on the film adaptation, which I enjoyed. It took me a little while to get use to Nicholas Sparks style of writing. It seemed very simplistic to me but once I got into the story I became lost. The detail at times was a little much, do I really need to know, that she washed her hair, moisturised, put on perfume and pulled out the hair dryer. Just had a shower would have been enough for me.Reading from Kevin’s point of view fascinated me, especially as he began to lose his mind. There was a nice build up to the finish and a great fight between all concerned. I am not sure about the twist, I can’t make my mind up if it is necessary or not, but overall I enjoyed this read. It got me away from my normal genre which was a nice change.

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!

I have just read this book on the back of two other Sparks books, he is such a good writer that you find yourself ordering another of his books before you have finished the last...anyway, I digress. Safe Haven is another great story, with great characters. His characters are always so likeable. You kind of know what must happen at the end as the story unfolds, but you don't know how, or what the outcome will be, so none of the enjoyment is lost. There is also an added element of domestic violence in this book, which is a subject clumsily covered by some authors. Here Sparks creates an excellent and thought provoking portrayal of the more severe end of domestic abuse. As the story unfolds it becomes a real page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Another beautifully written book, with the subject matter sensitively handled.Safe Haven is the captivating story of a lady who's trying to outrun her past from her abusive husband, who is in complete denial about his behaviour and attitude and thinks its everyone else. Katie settles in a town and becomes involved with a shop owner and his two children but the serenity of her new found freedom cannot last forever and the story closes after a shocking event and surprise twist.Nicholas Sparks fans - you will not be disappointed! it's one of my firm favourites because of his sensitivity towards the subject of spousal abuse and the way the abused feels and reacts (which is observed by the love interest)

I read this book after I'd watched the film Safe Haven. I loved the film and decided I wanted to read the book as you often get so much more depth of story and background on the characters in the book. I have to say the film is pretty true to the book but I still really enjoyed reading the book as you do definitely get more of the story. And for people who haven't seen the film, I'd still recommend reading this book - it's a great romantic story but with a thriller kind of intertwined within it, it would definitely keep you gripped right until the end and it's quite an original story (kind of similar to "Sleeping with the enemy" - if you've seen the Julia Roberts film from the 90s and like it, you'd love this book).