Safe Haven

Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven is somewhat different than his usual, more sappy love story. It has a much darker feel to it, which I enjoyed.

When a mysterious and guarded young girl named Katie shows up in the small North Carolina town of Southport, she keeps to herself and doesn't let on much about herself to the curious townspeople. Despite her reluctance to form any personal ties, Katie finds herself falling into a relationship with both her kind neighbor Jo, and the widowed store owner Alex.

As Katie begins to settle into the town and let her guard down as she gets closer with Alex, we see glimpses into her haunted past and the events that led her to flee to Southport in the first place. Katie is constantly terrified that her past will catch up with her and she struggles to believe she will ever get to fully let go and enjoy a carefree life in Southport with Alex.

The book maintained a slower pace at times, often describing the day to day lives and activities of the townspeople, but I found that this contributed to Katie's story. She was on the run and Southport was her sanctuary. She needed a small town where people were relaxed and content - somewhere that was not bustling with activity. She was already running scared so I felt that the quietness and monotony of Southport added to the suspense as she waited for her two worlds to collide.