Reviews

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

beaktastic's review against another edition

4.0

So a friend told me ages ago I should read this book, and then lent it to me last week for me to read. I don't usually go in for super lovey-dovey romance novels like this, but I do sometimes and I knew it had recently been adapted into a film so I thought, yeah, I'd give it a go. I'm glad I did.

Safe Haven follows the story of Katie, a girl who has moved to a typical American smalltown called Southport for a new start. Southport doesn't have new people often, so Katie's arrival does attract some attention. But she keeps her head down and doesn't speak about the past she's running from and she starts to blend in. She begins to think she's safe. And she meets Alex, a local shop owner with two young children. Alex's wife died a few years earlier, and while life has been hard he is learning to move on, just as Katie enters his life. Things seem to be going well, but how long can Southport remain a safe haven for Katie before her past catches up to her?

I really enjoyed this book actually, a lot more than I was expecting. I liked Katie and Alex's relationship and how it developed. I thought Kristen and Josh were adorable. And Kevin when introduced was suitably cruel. I liked Katie as a main character particularly and her past, I thought it was really well written and thought out.

I did think Katie and Alex's relationship was a little easy and there weren't many major obstacles for them to overcome. My main issue with the book was the reveal in the final pages of the novel -

Spoiler

That Katie's neighbour Jo was never actually there, she was a ghost, and that she was the ghost of Alex's dead wife to boot. I don't really mind the whole romantic view that Alex's wife Carly was watching over him and approving of his new girlfriend, but the whole reveal about it actually being a ghost throughout the novel and that she was never there and never doing up the cottage next to Katie's was just... so cliche. It's my main gripe of the novel. I'd have been much happier without that reveal. Just... ugh.

Overall, a good novel. Not the best writing ever, but enjoyable none-the-less for your typical Sparks romance novel.

kitkat175's review against another edition

4.0

I read this book in one day, I enjoyed it very much but I have liked other romance books a lot more. This one I gave a decent rating though. I listened to the audiobook while following along with the physical book as well. The book was a little hard to get through hearing and reading about the abuse she endured was very hard to read/hear. I have always been a Nicholas Sparks girlie, his books are one of my favourite romances to read, they are just so good. You can count on him to give you a good book. I want to watch the movie to see what it is about and see if it follows the book closely or not. The ending of this book and the letter that the late wife wrote to his new girlfriend was very sweet and a tearjerker of a letter. The banter that they had together was very cute as well. I am excited to see what his other books have to offer. I can't wait to read more of his books, I am looking foreword to it.

marinaclarke953's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a really emotional story to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it

lizzy_j's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ggreeley's review against another edition

4.0

I did NOT see that coming. Not the typical, sad love story by Nicholas Sparks. This one had a bit of action to it and a twist that I did not see.

jbridges99's review against another edition

3.0

Predictable but a nice story and was a quick, easy read.

thesimplereader's review against another edition

4.0

This book... wow. I read this book after seeing the movie, which is a rarity for me. And I have to say, while their were a few differences, overall the movie did justice to this spectacular story. Those who do not read Nicholas Sparks' books cannot truly appreciate how much more his books are than just love stories. They make jokes and laugh about how it is sappy and cliche to read his works. The thing is though, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a page turner. And looking beyond the wonderful love that was built from the ashes of the main character's heart, this was an intense mystery of a book. I would recommend it in a heart beat; though not because of the author... but because it is that good. Nicholas Sparks has won his reputation by being a fantastic artist with words and deserves nothing less than the highest respect, even if he writes sappy love stories. Because that's not just what this book is. This is a book that will make you love the characters, want only the best for them, and it will leave you chugging each page, biting your nails to see what comes next.

kelly_79's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

kianau_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

whigey89's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0