Safe Haven

By: Nicholas Sparks

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2010 Nicolas Sparks (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Could not "put it down"

What did you love best about Safe Haven?

Great love story!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Safe Haven?

When Katie read the envelope given to her by Alex.

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Lowman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First one, she did a nice job.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me tear up...

Any additional comments?

I am male and usually read more serious titles, this is a "chick book"...but I truly enjoyed!

Nice Easy Listen

Any additional comments?

It was great listen for a long car ride. The book was pretty predictable with one slight twist at the end. Even though it was predictable, it kept me entertained wanting to listen to the very end.

Pretty good

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Entertaining. Typical Nicolas Sparks, chick-flick. Enjoyable.

What about Rebecca Lowman’s performance did you like?

Great job with the accents and varying voices for each character.

Typical, slightly sappy & predictable but enjoyed

I liked the book better than the movie...they took too many liberties with the storyline in my opinion. Sparks' novels are fine when you're in the mood for a romance, not great literature but pleasant. Performance was fine and easy to follow.

I've Heard Better

The story was interesting until the end, which I predicted (and I'm really bad at predicting). The final ending wasn't that great. The narrators voice was GREAT! The good thing about the book was that it went smoothly and was easy listening. (no thinking) involved. Just a few characters which was nice to listen to in the car.

CANNOT GO WRONG WITH NICOLAS SPARKS!

Would you consider the audio edition of Safe Haven to be better than the print version?

I seem to prefer audible versions, but I did not read the printed version.

What did you like best about this story?

The ending was superb!

Wonderful!!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Safe Haven to be better than the print version?

I can not comment on that b/c I have not read the book. I just bought the audio version and it is absolutely wonderful!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I'm going to have say Kevin. Although he was the villain just hearing the the things he was thinking and saying to himself was hilarious. But I do think it was b/c of the way the narrator was saying what he was saying.

What does Rebecca Lowman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brought the story to life. I probably would have enjoyed reading the book but her voice was smooth. She made you sit on the edge waiting for the next words,sentence, chapter.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I'm not sure there were some really good ones!

Any additional comments?

I loved how Carly Jo just showed up to guide Katie and the the letter she wrote to the woman whom her husband would love. That was a tear jerk moment for me.

Better than the usual chick-lit

I love a good romance just as much as anyone, but some of them can be so sappy and just so BAD. I don't know what made me try this good, maybe just the good reviews, but it lived up to the reviews. The story was dark enough and suspenseful enough that it was much more interesting than your average romance novel.

What made this book, though, was the narrator. Rebecca Lowman completely nailed it. Sometimes fiction audio books where the narrator has to assume different genders can be a bit annoying; the narrator will sometimes try too hard or just sound too odd when pretending to be the opposite gender. Rebecca somehow managed to do the male voices wonderfully without sounding like she was truly trying to sound like a man, if that makes any sense. The performance sounded effortless. I'll be looking for other books that she narrates.

Loved it

I've always loved Nicholas Sparks books and this is one of my favorite books ever.

thrilling romance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, this is an amazing story about love, courage and suspense. it will keep you on the edge of your seat .

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Lowman – was your favorite?

although I hated the husband she did a great job illustrating his cracks.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no I wanted it to last forever.