Publishing Date: September 14th, 2010
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Pages: 340 pgs
ISBN: 9780446547598
Source: borrowed from the public library
Rating: 4 stars
Summary 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 Review:
I think this may be my favourite Nicholas Sparks book yet. It is about a woman named Katie, who moves to a small town in North Carolina. No one really knows much about Katie and she isn't one for giving out too much information. Over time, she begins to warm up to a darling man who is the father of two young children. I don't want to give too much away but it becomes clear that Katie is running away from something back home and that is why she is always so guarded. I found this book to be one of his more suspenseful books and I enjoyed it. I have read some of his other books that are far too romance driven which is good from time to time but I can find them to be too dull. This book had the right mix of romance and suspense. It was also really nice to read the relationship between Alex and his children. He adores his children and he really wants to protect them at all costs. I can't help but melt when I read characters like this. The ending of this book also took me for a loop. I wasn't expecting ending of this book and I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I knew something was not quite right while I was reading but I didn't think that it would end in such a way. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it but it surprised me. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was well written and the plot really kept me interested.
I loved this review you gave of his book, Safe Haven. It's definitely a little different than what most Nicholas Sparks are expecting or are used to but I think they'll like it just the same. I write love stories too so I try to read every Nick Sparks book I can. You can learn a lot from him.
ReplyDeleteI recently started reading Nicholas Sparks and have to admit I don't understand the hype. I find his writing boring and long-winded and filled with cliche. I'm exactly half way through Safe Haven and am not sure I can finish it and I rarely find it difficult to pull through a book. I read The Best of Me and enjoyed the storyline but again found the writing to be mediocre. He has issues with how he shifts his point of view as it gets confusing and he has bouts of omniscience as he provides introspection on characters that are not in POV - a newbie error. I realize he's a huge success, but I don't really get why...
ReplyDelete