Safe Haven (novel)

Safe Haven is a romantic novel by American novelist Nicholas Sparks. It was published in 2010. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 2242 libraries

Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (May 2014) Katie has recently arrived in Southport, North Carolina. Her life is largely limited to work at a seafood restaurant named Ivan's. Her only real friend is her neighbor, Jo.

Katie regularly goes shopping at the town's general store and the owner of the store, Alex, becomes interested in her. Alex is a widower with two children, Josh and Kristen. Katie instantly falls in love with little Kristen. One day, Katie sees Josh fall in the water while fishing and comforts Kristen as Alex rescues him. Following this incident, Katie becomes friendlier with Alex, and eventually, invites him to dinner at her house. Realizing that Alex has guessed her secret, Katie reveals that her real name is Erin Tierney. She has fled from her abusive and alcoholic husband, Kevin, a Boston police detective. To hide from him, she took on the name of her old neighbor's deceased daughter. Alex promises to protect her secret, and soon, their love starts growing deeper.

Kevin is furious at Katie because she has run away for a third time, an anger that builds after hey yall he is suspended for goading the mother of a shooting victim into attacking the shooter. He starts searching for Katie, and finally is able to locate her. Katie is taking care of Alex's children, while Alex picks up a friend at the airport. Kevin sets Alex's house on fire, but Katie escapes with the children. She fights with Kevin, giving the children time to escape. Alex arrives and takes the children to Katie's home, but then returns to his burning house and attacks Kevin. Kevin escapes and drives toward Katie's house. After Katie learns Alex left the children at her house, she grows terrified; she knows Kevin will go to her house to hunt her, and putting the children's lives in danger. As they reach Katie's house, Kevin attacks Alex with a crowbar. Katie, however, gets her hands on Kevin's gun and kills him.

Alex hands Katie a letter that he kept in a safe located in the charred remains of the house. Katie goes back to talk to Jo. However, she is shocked to see Jo's house in a state that suggests it was never lived in. Startled, she comes to think Jo was completely her imagination. Shocked, she starts reading the letter Alex handed her. It is a letter written by Alex's late wife, Carly, who reveals that her friends used to call her Jo. Katie realizes Jo was really Carly's ghost. She finishes reading the letter, which Carly wrote to the woman her husband loves, requesting she, Katie, always take care of Alex and the children.

Katie starts going to Alex's home, and before leaving her house, sees Jo's house lighted, and Jo standing and waving her farewell.